Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 4:1-6 (day two) 

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, vs. 1

Each of us has a high, holy calling. We are reminded throughout scripture of our inheritance, of our royal priesthood, and our adoption as sons and daughters of the king. This, however, is not a call to haughtiness, or exclusion. The world might expect you to assume an air of superiority as you accede to a royal position. Paul reminds us that with our new title comes the expectation of humility, mercy, and grace. The same formula that was shown to us by Jesus is the one he will use to measure us. May we never forget the state in which Jesus found us, and may that forever inform how we love and serve others.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 3:14-21 (day two) 

…and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend…

From the distance of a TV screen or newsfeed we have all just witnessed the awesome power and devastation of a hurricane upon the Southeastern United States. In the coming days efforts will be made by many to help those  affected to begin to piece together what remains of their belongings, their homes, families, and lives. It is an awesome sight to behold the destruction of such wind and rain, and yet there are some things that somehow withstand those forces. Often, they are centuries-old trees whose root system extends almost as deep as the tree is tall. This system of grounding, designed by the almighty, was fashioned to serve the purpose of withstanding adversity.

Paul reminds us this grounding also allows us to comprehend God’s full love. Without proper grounding in God’s love, we cannot appreciate God overwhelming goodness. The incredible fact is that the more you are grounded in his love, the more you are able to comprehend, thus creating a greater desire to know and love him more. Dig deeper. Love hard. Witness the majesty of God.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 3:1-13 (day two) 

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles – vs. 1

Paul experienced captivity in both a literal and figurative sense. He was held in chains for his bold preaching and unwavering message of the gospel, and Jesus had captured his heart to this purpose. Because of Jesus, Paul was turned around in a manner that was truly jarring to those who knew him, or knew of him before the Damascus Road encounter. His encounter with Jesus was so transformative he was willing to change everything to focus on the Savior. How captured and captivated by Jesus are we? What does radical transformation look like in the church? Paul clearly understood his assignment to make the message of the cross available to everyone. If Paul was willing to surrender everything; if he was willing to endure incarceration; if he was willing to re-think how to treat and love others, what are we being called to do?

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:19-22 (day two) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, vs. 19

Unworthiness may be one of the toughest hurdles to overcome when considering trusting Jesus. When we come to the place of examining our lives before the majesty of Jesus, who are we that he would consider us fellow citizens? What do we bring? How are we made worthy? Only through the cross, only through Jesus’s sacrifice is any of this possible. We must reconcile that we are not worthy, and any impostor syndrome we may experience is justified, until we understand God’s intent to make us co-heirs with Christ. It is a feeling that I wish would go away the longer I walk with the Lord, but it is a truth I must struggle with every day. I am unworthy, but he is faithful. Don’t let your sense of self-unworth determine your value in the Lord.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 2:8-10 (day two) 

For we are His workmanship vs. 10a

I live in a household of crafters. If that sounds like the beginning of some sort of support group meeting, well so be it. As my girls have grown there is no such thing as unwanted cardboard, ribbon, boxes, or bags. All will receive a second, third, or infinite number of lives in new shapes and forms. Indeed, there is no limit to what your average Amazon delivery box can become in the hands of my daughters. When I see these “new creations” I marvel at how they can see the potential in cardboard. I have witnessed robots, record players, cars of various sizes and designs emerge from what I consider recycle bin fodder. Yet they see something that no one else can. They pour themselves into the creation, giving of themselves along the way to craft a wondrous new thing. This is their workmanship.

God does nothing less, and infinitely more with each of us. We are shaped and formed by him to be the creation that he intends. One that has purpose and hope in the Kingdom of God. We bear the marks of his workmanship, and each of us can look at who we are in Christ and recognize his design.

Those pieces of cardboard are loved and cherished by my girls, how much more are you loved by Jesus?

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:15-23 (day two)  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. vs. 18-19a

Language like this always makes me stop and think about the wordplay being used. Paul says ‘the eyes of my heart.’ Was first century anatomy that bad? Not likely. This kind of figurative language, is first, the Lord is bigger than our words. To try and fully capture the wonder of his grace would exhaust the lexicon. It also gives an opportunity to unpack the imagination. To think that the heart would be able to see and discern good and evil is an incredible picture. It also reminds us making decisions based on what we see alone is problematic. God has created us with minds, feelings, intuition, and he desires us to use all our faculties when seeking to know and follow him. May your hearts eyes be open the Lord today.

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 1:3-14 (day two) also we have obtained an inheritance vs. 11a

Have you been the recipient of an estate settlement or financial inheritance? Perhaps it was expected and well planned and communicated. Regardless, it was likely a blessing to have more without having “earned” it in the usual sense. Paul reminds us that the inheritance we receive when we are found in Christ is an eternal fountainhead. Many of us understand pensions, 401k accounts, and investments which will have a level of depreciation once distributed. This is not how salvation works. Through Christ we are inheriting eternity. This kind of lavish gift is attainable for everyone. This is also a distinction from most inheritance. There is no need to hoard or hide what we have freely received. The hope is that we make everyone aware of the freedom found in Christ Jesus.