Word@Work Eph90 - Ephesians 6:23-24
Published: Mon, 02/09/09
Word@Work from BeaconLight
A NEW PERSON AT WORK
Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (NIV)
Out of all God's riches, intended for every Christian, Paul announces that peace, love, faith and grace are freely available - with only one condition needed for receipt (our love for Him). This closing benediction is a message from Father God and Jesus Christ to the Christians in Ephesus; and we need it too! And not just us, we should know how to announce God's blessings to other people. The warehouse storeman knows how to locate and supply component parts or completed products; the pharmacy dispenser knows how to give out prescribed drugs. Of course, we do not 'own' God's gifts, nor can we create them ourselves. But if God wants to give them out, we can let people know that they are freely available.
Peace, in the New Testament, primarily describes the end of a war. It is the result of stopping fighting against God; surrendering ourselves to His love and mercy. That is how we become Christians in the first place, and every time we remember that God is not angry with us any more because of Jesus - we feel peaceful.
God is love and all love flows from Him. Love is best described as appropriate-giving without any thought of repayment. That is what God did in sending Jesus to die to take to punishment for our sins. Every time we remember that we are loved that much, we feel loved.
Faith is believing all that Christ has done for us. But unless God opens our eyes to the truth, we cannot believe. So we need to receive His gift of faith and not presume we can work it all out for ourselves.
All this depends on God's grace - His nature of freely giving what we do not deserve and can never repay. All we have to do is to accept the truth that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15), and then to receive every blessing that follows (cf Rom 8:32). Doing so, is the mark that we depend totally on God and are willing to receive whatever He shall send. That is not usual business practice, where dog eats dog - but that is why the person who receives all this from the Lord can live a radically different life at work: peaceable, loving and giving, full of faith and able to be faithful, grace-dependant and therefore able to be gracious. May the same Lord bless you today, at work.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank you for all that you have done for me, and for opening my eyes to see your grace. When I find it difficult to believe, please help me, and please keep reminding me of all the blessings I can receive, if only I am willing to love and trust You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and Spanish
Out of all God's riches, intended for every Christian, Paul announces that peace, love, faith and grace are freely available - with only one condition needed for receipt (our love for Him). This closing benediction is a message from Father God and Jesus Christ to the Christians in Ephesus; and we need it too! And not just us, we should know how to announce God's blessings to other people. The warehouse storeman knows how to locate and supply component parts or completed products; the pharmacy dispenser knows how to give out prescribed drugs. Of course, we do not 'own' God's gifts, nor can we create them ourselves. But if God wants to give them out, we can let people know that they are freely available.
Peace, in the New Testament, primarily describes the end of a war. It is the result of stopping fighting against God; surrendering ourselves to His love and mercy. That is how we become Christians in the first place, and every time we remember that God is not angry with us any more because of Jesus - we feel peaceful.
God is love and all love flows from Him. Love is best described as appropriate-giving without any thought of repayment. That is what God did in sending Jesus to die to take to punishment for our sins. Every time we remember that we are loved that much, we feel loved.
Faith is believing all that Christ has done for us. But unless God opens our eyes to the truth, we cannot believe. So we need to receive His gift of faith and not presume we can work it all out for ourselves.
All this depends on God's grace - His nature of freely giving what we do not deserve and can never repay. All we have to do is to accept the truth that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15), and then to receive every blessing that follows (cf Rom 8:32). Doing so, is the mark that we depend totally on God and are willing to receive whatever He shall send. That is not usual business practice, where dog eats dog - but that is why the person who receives all this from the Lord can live a radically different life at work: peaceable, loving and giving, full of faith and able to be faithful, grace-dependant and therefore able to be gracious. May the same Lord bless you today, at work.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank you for all that you have done for me, and for opening my eyes to see your grace. When I find it difficult to believe, please help me, and please keep reminding me of all the blessings I can receive, if only I am willing to love and trust You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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This is the last devotional in Ephesians, and will be followed on Tuesday, February 10, by the first of a series in James.
This is the last devotional in Ephesians, and will be followed on Tuesday, February 10, by the first of a series in James.
All the 'back copies' for the series in Mark and Ephesians can be found on www.beaconlight.co.uk/email
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Contact us at wordatwork@beaconlight.co.uk