Devotionals: Ephesians Archives

Maintaining the Unity of the Spirit

By Andrew YoungDecember 12, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

…eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:1-3 Paul begins the second main section of his letter to the Ephesians urging his readers to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). That, in effect, is a summons for them to live out their new life as God’s people in Christ. It relates particularly to Jew and Gentile who now belong to the “one new man” created through the reconciling death of the Lord Jesus (2:15). It is not surprising, then, […]

Foundations for Unity

By Andrew YoungDecember 13, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“There is one body and one Spirit….” (Ephesians 4:4) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:4-6 The nature of the spiritual bond between us as Christians is one reason why we should be eager to maintain a spirit of unity among us. But there are other reasons as well, intimately connected with this. Paul speaks of them here when he writes, “There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all […]

Beyond the Ordinary

By Andrew YoungDecember 14, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“But grace was given to each one of us…” (Ephesians 4:7) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:7-10 In emphasising our unity in Christ, Paul doesn’t want to suggest that Christians should be monotonously alike. There is a rich, God-intended variety among us that shows itself in such things as our appearance, character and abilities. But more than that, there is a diversity within the body of Christ that arises from the grace the Lord Jesus gives to each member. “But grace is given to each one of us,” writes Paul, “according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (v. 7). It is worthy […]

Gifts and Ministries

By Andrew YoungDecember 15, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers…” (Ephesians 4:11) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:11-12 We have seen that the grace Jesus gives to people often manifests itself in what we call “gifts of the Spirit.” Care is needed, however, not to equate the “grace” of Christ too narrowly with the “gifts” imparted by the Spirit. The latter is contained within the larger idea of Christ giving grace to all the members of his body but are not precisely the same thing. That becomes clear in verse 11. There, Paul writes, “And he [Christ] gave the […]

Equipping the Saints

By Andrew YoungDecember 16, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“…to equip the saints for the work of ministry…” (Ephesians 4:7) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:12 Paul not only identifies the offices or ministries that the Lord Jesus has given to his church but also tells us their purpose. It is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). For centuries, “ministry” or “service” in the church was considered the role of “professionals,” especially the “clergy.” By and large, the common people (the so-called “laity”) were passive and subservient to those in official roles. This gave the clergy unwarranted power (something […]

Spiritual Maturity

By Andrew YoungDecember 17, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“…until we all attain to…mature manhood…” (Ephesians 4:13) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:13 The goal of the special ministries given by Christ to the church is to build up his body. In this verse, Paul details what that body will look like when it attains this goal. It will show itself firstly, he says, in “unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:13). Two things are suggested by these words – the church, as it matures, grows in its understanding of “the common faith” (the truth of the gospel – see Titus 1:4), and […]

Spiritual Infancy

By Andrew YoungDecember 18, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“…so that we may no longer be children…” (Ephesians 4:14) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:14 Paul has been speaking about the church growing up to “mature manhood.” A mark of that, he insists, is unity in the faith and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This contrasts with a state of spiritual infancy. Two features of this state are instability and vulnerability. The apostle likens immature Christians to “children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14). What vivid images these are – first, the […]

Truth and Love

By Andrew YoungDecember 19, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“Rather, speaking the truth in love…” (Ephesians 4:15) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:15-16 Our last study ended with comments on what we might call the “dark side” of modern Christianity – its lack of concern for sound doctrine and obsession with self-interest. Here, we return to look positively at what the church should be doing as it seeks to become mature. Paul puts it this way: “Rather [that is, instead of being tossed about by every wind of doctrine and deceived by the cunning craftiness of men], speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into […]

Darkness and Ignorance

By Andrew YoungDecember 20, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“They are darkened in their understanding…” (Ephesians 4:18) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:17-18 It has been said that Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians “to expand the horizons of his readers” so that they might understand God’s purposes and high goals for his church. We have seen that one of those “goals” is the unity of the church and its growth to maturity as its different members each play their part in building up one another through the truth. Now, the apostle highlights the importance of Christians living lives that are radically different from their pagan past. “Now this I say […]

Life in Sin

By Andrew YoungDecember 21, 2017Devotionals: Ephesians

“They have… given themselves up to sensuality…” (Ephesians 4:19) Bible Reading: Ephesians 4:19 In our last devotional, we noted that human evil stems from the wilful rejection of what God has made known of himself and his will. Because of this, God gives people up to “dishonourable passions” and “debased minds” (Romans 1:26, 28). The resulting lifestyle marked by lust and impurity rather than wisdom and love. This is the point Paul makes in the verse before us (Ephesians 4:19). Refusing to acknowledge God, the Gentiles (effectively, all unbelievers) “have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy […]