Race and the Church: What is Justice?
What is a Biblical view of Justice? How does this view of justice speak to the current discussion on race? How does this relate to the duty of Christians to proclaim the Gospel?
Submission to Parents (Ephesians 6:1-3)
Paul now turns his attention to the parent-child relationship.Spirit filledIt is very important that we understand this in its context. Paul is speaking about what the Spirit-filled life looks like; it is a life of submission to other believers. In other words, Paul is saying our attitude towards our parents is a direct indication of the true state of our souls.ObeyChildren are to submit to and obey their parents. There is not much more that needs to be said. What…
Anger is not an Excuse for Sin (Ephesians 4:26-27)
We continue looking at what we must lay aside and what we must put on.Sinful AngerAs Christians we must discard all instances of sinful anger. We can be angry for sinful reasons like selfishness, jealousy, pride, etc. These instances of anger must be discarded. We must ask ourselves the question that God asked Cain, “Why are you angry?” (Genesis 4:6) God asks Jonah a similar question in Jonah 4:4. In other words, I must ask myself is my anger a…
Radical Honesty (Ephesians 4:25)
We now begin to look at what we must lay aside and what we must put on.Lay aside lyingThe Christian life is built entirely upon Jesus Who is the Truth (John 14:6.) Any lie is from the devil who is the father of lies (John 8:44.) As such lying has no place within the Christian’s life. It all must be completely discarded.Put on honestyIt is not enough to quit telling lies. We must go beyond that and put on honesty.…
The Regenerative Life (Ephesians 4:21-24)
Paul has just finished telling the Ephesians that they did not learn from Jesus to live like the rest of their culture. He now shows us what we learned from Jesus.The truthPerhaps the greatest tenant of the Christian faith is truth. Jesus declares Himself to be the truth. To know Jesus is to know the truth. The truth is in Jesus and everything He taught is true. This is why we are to speak the truth to each other (Ephesians…
Where Did You Get that Idea? (Ephesians 4:17-20)
As Paul urges the Jews and Gentiles in the church to reconcile he now addresses a common issue that keeps people from reconciling. We can make our cultural or ethnic upbringing what is right as opposed to what God has actually said. We can make our sins a “gray” area and demand that others view it as “diversity.”Christians are to be different from their culturePaul immediately addresses this and makes it clear that this is not opinion, it is what…
Who Do We Unify With? (Ephesians 4:4-6)
Paul has just finished telling us to “put up with” each other’s differences for the sake of Gospel unity. However, just who are we supposed to cooperate with? Where is the line drawn?One BodyThere is only One Church, the Body of Christ. Christ has never been divided into Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc. We are to forbear with and strive for unity among all true Christians.One SpiritAll Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit. How can the Holy Spirit in me reject…
How to Have Unity (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Paul the prisonerPaul begins this section by reminding the Ephesians that he is in prison for the very things he is teaching them. He is not someone who is asking them to do something that he is unwilling to do. He knows what he is asking them to do. He knows what it will cost them; and he knows it is worth it.Walk worthy of the callingIn light of God calling us to new life, we need to live in…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 5 – (Ephesians 3:1-6)
Paul’s ministryGod opened Paul’s eyes to see His eternal purpose, one covenant people comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. It is this revelation that resulted in Paul being imprisoned for his friendship with the Ephesian, Trophimus. It is this revelation that has made him the Apostle to the Gentiles. This revelation was not just revealed to Paul but to the other apostles and prophets as well.A mystery in plain sightThe fact that God would include the Gentiles as a part…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 4 (Ephesians 3:1)
In order to better understand Ephesians, we must first turn to why Paul is imprisoned and the circumstances leading up to his arrest in Acts 21-22.Rumors upon his return to JerusalemPaul was returning to Jerusalem with money for the poor Jewish believers there. This money had been collected from different Gentile churches (1 Corinthians 16.) When he arrived in Jerusalem the elders tell him that the Jews have heard rumors that he has rejected Judaism and the Bible. They wanted…
Racial Reconciliation – Part 3 (Ephesians 2:20-22)
As Paul continues to address the racial tension between Jews and Gentiles he has told us in verse 19 that in Jesus Jews and Gentiles are on the same standing before God and part of the same family.The house is built on the Apostles and prophetsPaul now uses the idea of a household as a building to drive home his point. Like all the many parts of a house are brought together to build a dwelling place so now all…