Word@Work Eph2 - Ephesians 1:2
Published: Mon, 09/29/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
ESSENTIAL GIFTS WE CANNOT GET - BY OUSELVES
Read Ephesians 1:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)
It may seem like a familiar greeting. And it was; but there was something different about it. The difference lay in the givers. Here Father God and the Lord Jesus are equally giving grace and peace. They do not just preside over human affairs, they are personally involved in sending something of themselves directly to the 'saints' (Christians) in Ephesus. Paul does not adopt a priestly function in dispensing grace and peace on behalf of God. The apostle is a teacher: his job is to explain that these essentials of Christian faith and life, come directly from the Father and the Son to the believer.
'Grace' is shorthand for all the goodness that flows from Jesus' sacrifice for us. Central to grace is forgiveness through Christ's blood - it is undeserved and unattainable by ourselves, so it can only come to us as a free gift. Peace is not just an emotionally warm feeling: it is a declaration that war is over between our souls and Father God, as we repentantly welcome Christ into our lives.
One of Satan's tactics is to convince Christians that they are not properly forgiven, and that God has got something against them. Those lies trap their victims into spiritual paralysis. So we need the Apostle to tell us that if we are saints, we can be certain that the Father and the Son have agreed to give us full freedom from the burden of sin - and to welcome us into full fellowship with them! Perhaps you need to appreciate that truth afresh; then maybe share it with a fed-up Christian who thinks that they are worthless. Also, your non-Christian friend needs to know that there really is a way to live again. When anybody welcomes God's call to belong to Him, He will personally give His grace and peace.
Prayer: Dear Lord God, thank you that you have promised to supply grace to me, and to assure me of your peace, as I trust in Jesus. Help me to share this truth today, especially to those who have run out of answers in life. For Christ's sake. Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
It may seem like a familiar greeting. And it was; but there was something different about it. The difference lay in the givers. Here Father God and the Lord Jesus are equally giving grace and peace. They do not just preside over human affairs, they are personally involved in sending something of themselves directly to the 'saints' (Christians) in Ephesus. Paul does not adopt a priestly function in dispensing grace and peace on behalf of God. The apostle is a teacher: his job is to explain that these essentials of Christian faith and life, come directly from the Father and the Son to the believer.
'Grace' is shorthand for all the goodness that flows from Jesus' sacrifice for us. Central to grace is forgiveness through Christ's blood - it is undeserved and unattainable by ourselves, so it can only come to us as a free gift. Peace is not just an emotionally warm feeling: it is a declaration that war is over between our souls and Father God, as we repentantly welcome Christ into our lives.
One of Satan's tactics is to convince Christians that they are not properly forgiven, and that God has got something against them. Those lies trap their victims into spiritual paralysis. So we need the Apostle to tell us that if we are saints, we can be certain that the Father and the Son have agreed to give us full freedom from the burden of sin - and to welcome us into full fellowship with them! Perhaps you need to appreciate that truth afresh; then maybe share it with a fed-up Christian who thinks that they are worthless. Also, your non-Christian friend needs to know that there really is a way to live again. When anybody welcomes God's call to belong to Him, He will personally give His grace and peace.
Prayer: Dear Lord God, thank you that you have promised to supply grace to me, and to assure me of your peace, as I trust in Jesus. Help me to share this truth today, especially to those who have run out of answers in life. For Christ's sake. Amen.
You can read more of this Bible passage online - in English and other languages - share the Bible with your friends!
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