Month: July 2020

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:13-14 (day six)

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4

In the spring of 2015 I stood under a canopy of stars in the heart of Ethiopia. There were no other lights other than those twinkling back at me. It is likely, growing up in Africa, I had seen similar night skies, but I couldn’t remember. It was as if I was seeing them for the very first time.

Vast. Beautiful. Incomprehensible.

There wasn’t a vacant spot, without a star beaming in it. And like a glistening vail, the Milky Way appeared to hold stars in their place.

In those moments I felt so small against the back drop of the immeasurable. Stars that would swallow our own like a whale swallowing a speck of plankton. Distances measured in billions of years.

I didn’t just feel small. I was in awe. Enraptured. Seeing, but capturing only an infinitesimal fraction of the universe’s truest nature.

I imagine, even in eternity, that is how we will feel gazing into the full scope of God’s sovereignty.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:13-14 (day five)

“you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,”

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Promise in Ephesians. Even in the Old Testament, God is promising to send His Holy Spirit to live in and influence believers.   “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Ezekiel‬ ‭36:27‬

Jesus promises the same thing in John. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”‭‭John‬ ‭14:26‬

There are hundreds promises from God throughout scripture. And He has kept every one of them. Which ones do you need to remember today?  Which ones will bring peace and courage to your heart?  Search the scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  He will help!  God has promised!!

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:13-14 (day four)

We were outsiders, excluded from a relationship with the Creator God…Gentiles who had no inheritance in Christ.  Then, we discovered the Truth of God’s plan.  We were included all the time!  The Gospel was open to us.  When we believed in Christ, our eternal relationship was sealed with the Holy Spirit.

In our Western culture, we do not have kings.  We are not as familiar with the trappings of a monarchy.  To ‘seal a command’ would mean a proclamation was made, then wax was applied to the document and an image was impressed into the soft wax before it cooled.  When the wax quickly hardened, the remaining ‘seal’ carried the full power and authority of the king.  The weight of the realm assured that the proclamation would be carried out.  It could not be broken!

The Holy Spirit is our ‘seal’ of promise.  We have an inheritance with Christ…forgiveness, redemption and abundant life.  The impression of the Holy Spirit (the gifts of the Spirit…another study!) on our lives is the visible sign of our inherited relationship with Almighty God!

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:13-14 (day three)

“…the redemption of God’s own possession…”

A common understanding of “possession” emphasizes notions of defiance and smugness: “It’s mine, not yours, and you have neither power nor right to tell me what to do with it.” Paul frames it another way. Here, “possession” emphasizes restoration to a status in keeping with high favor. Nobody ever knew how valuable you really are. Parents, family, and friends perhaps come closer to that realization than others (though, sadly, not invariably). But God always knew. That’s why the Bible refers to those separated from God as lost instead of worthless. And it’s why hell is such a cosmically profound catastrophe: a being of immeasurable value eternally wasting away. Salvation enables you to believe what God already knew about you – that you are precious to him. The Holy Spirit promises that God has never lost track of you.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:13-14 (day two)

 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Of the many things that the Holy Spirit does in and through us, it also acts as assurance of our salvation. When you experience the power of the Spirit in your life, make sure to thank God for that reminder of that seal on your heart. The Spirit is powerfully active in the world, but is also personal. The way it intercedes for your in your prayer life is a reminder of God’s promise of hope. When you are given the words to witness that you never thought you could put together, it is a gift and a reminder of his working in your walk. The Holy Spirit is only available to those who know Jesus as savior, and as such should serve as a confident assurance.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 14:17-19 (day seven)

I love how verse 18  is paraphrased in the NLT:

 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

Have you ever been around a person who could minister to your heart in such a way that they made you feel like you were most important person in the world? A person who you could feel their love and care for your soul the moment you met them? I had a Christian studies professor like this who could call you into his office to tell you that you were failing a class and you could come out feeling like you won the lottery. We have all had these type of people in our lives: pastors, professors, teachers, Sunday school workers. What made these people different? It is evident that they are living in harmony with the Holy Spirit. Our passage uses the words peace and joy. When we allow the Spirit to permeate every part of our life in this way, not only will we be pleasing to God, but we will be cherished by others.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 14:17-19 (day six)

The kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink… Romans 14:17

“I’m more concerned with what comes out of your mouth than what you put in your mouth.”-Jesus, Matthew 15:10-11 (my own paraphrase)

We can make such ado out of the most insignificant things (what we wear, eat, drink…); building our own little kingdoms around matters that have very little to do with God’s. As lord’s of our own kingdoms, we tend to pass judgment rather than build alliances. We dig moats and draw bridges, rather than avenues for peace.

One is the work of the flesh…the other of the Spirit.

Pursue the latter, abandon the former.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 14:17-19 (day five)

“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”  Peace with others is a lofty goal. If that were the only admonition we would have our work cut out for us. Being peace keepers and peace makers will definitely require the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit. But, according to verse 19, being in God’s kingdom means fellowship, relationship, and accountability with others.  In a sense we ARE accountable for the holiness and righteousness of our bothers and sisters through encouragement, kindness, and service. Building up one another (as we might guess) is a process that will take time and faithfulness and dependence on  the work and help of the Holy Spirit. Who are you building up?  Who is building you up?

Re:Verse passage – Romans 14:17-19 (day four)

In order to grasp the full meaning of a passage, it must be examined in context.  ‘In context’ means looking at the verses surrounding the passage to gain a wider picture and understanding.  Looking at all of Romans 14 helps us to understand verses 17-19.

Romans 14 deals with principles of conscience.  Conscience is an important work of the Holy Spirit.  When our conscience tell us we should or should not do something, it is often the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our spirit.  We are convicted of right or wrong.  In Romans 8:16, Scripture says, “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit…”  [Henry Blackaby, in Experiencing God, taught that one of the things that only God can do is to convict of righteousness.]

Our Re:Verse passage this week teaches us how we are to live to please Christ.  We are approved by God when we “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”  Are you listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life?