EPHESIANS: INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

Hey Sisters, we just finished up the book of Ephesians and I loved every day of it. I could seriously camp out in Ephesians. There are SOOOO many things to read and apply.

I could type for a LONG time about everything we could apply and be encouraged by from this book but to keep this readable and reasonable for one blog post, I am going to chose 3 things for us to take and apply to our lives for Christian living.

But seriously sisters, the Theology in this book is MASSIVELY powerful.

One of my favorite verses from this book is 2:3-5.

Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

WE ARE DEEPLY LOVED BY CHRIST.

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ – 3:17-18

Ladies, I have no issue with the truth that I am deserving of God’s wrath. I know how wretched I am. I deserve hell 100000% but man, you start telling me how much Jesus loves me and …. I start to feel a little … uncomfortable. I don’t know if that’s the right word but it’s the one that came to mind. I just feel so undeserving – and I am. But it’s like I almost don’t believe it because HOW could it just be true?

How do I not have to do anything to earn His amazing love? How do I not have to be amazing myself to be so loved? He knows EVERYTHING of who I am and what I have done and He loves me still?

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:8-10

There it is ladies – His grace is not and cannot be earned. It is a GIFT. He loves us and has given His sheep the gift of His grace. I need to cling to this truth every single day until I believe it confidently – not to be prideful in any way but to just live LOVED by the Heavenly Father. Same for you my sisters in Christ. You are deeply LOVED.

PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:22-24

Ladies, we have GOT to stop playing Christian and see the reality of what we were chosen for. (Ephesians 1:11-14)

We are not to live like women who are still slaves to their sin. We should be broken over the things we do that dishonor the Lord, that rebel against Him, and that He died for. To continue to live as we used to, as women of the world do, is to give evidence that we are not truly in Christ. Even though we will continue to sin until we are glorified in Heaven with Christ (1 John 1:8), we will not continue IN sin. There’s a difference.

“No one who lives in [Christ] keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” – 1 John 3:6

To be in Jesus, we will be brought to a Godly repentance.

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? – Romans 2:4

We need to put off our old self daily and put on Christ.

NOT EVEN A HINT

 ¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. ⁴ Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^[a] 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them.

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. –Ephesians 5:1-12

These things need to be taken very very seriously.

The things we justify are indeed shameful ladies. Our TV shows, our Movies, our Music, the women of the world we support, the clothes we are, etc. Paul says its shameful to even MENTION what the disobedient do in secret and so often we, as Christ’s sheep, are PARTICIPATING in them!

Producing good fruit is a natural “consequence” of being in Jesus and so we shouldn’t be comfortable in sin. We should be in the Word, seeking what God asks from us and feeling the Holy Spirit’s conviction.

We need to cut out the sin ladies – dramatically!

I promise ladies, we could go on and on and on with truths pulled from this book. Paul goes into speaking to married people and oooooo it is good stuff! He talks about the armor of God.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. – Ephesians 6:10-18

I encourage you to read it if you haven’t – even daily! We need to start our day putting on the Armor of God and that way we can read and know how loved we are by Christ; being in Him produces the fruit of putting off the old self and staying far far away from sin.