Those of us born into a family where at least one of the parents is a believer are holy—prepared for God pure, clean (1 Corinthians 7:12-17) until the age of accountability. Parents cultivate our soul. Children are instructed to obey their parents and parents are to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of … [Read more…]
When we partake of the divine nature, we become useful and productive in the noble things of eternal importance. Peter begins telling us how to partake with this blessing: “May more and more grace and peace be granted to you in a full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” “His divine power has … [Read more…]
“…when in that day He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all those having believed because our testimony to you was believed, for which also we pray always for you, that He may count you worthy of the calling of our God, and He may fulfill every … [Read more…]
“If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.” That’s how Paul concluded Galatians 5 where he contrasts the ways of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. We live by the Spirit. “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you … [Read more…]
Jesus often endearingly pictured us as His sheep. Your primary ministry is to His sheep. 1 “Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the … [Read more…]
…according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16b The body of Christ is made up of brothers and sisters [brethren] of Jesus. He puts our ministry to His body in perspective of eternal life in the kingdom that is … [Read more…]
The body of Christ is the worldwide community of God’s people. We are the sheep of God’s pasture. Jesus is the shepherd who leads us out of the corral into the pasture to fellowship and minister with and to one another. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. … [Read more…]
Walking worthily of the calling with which we were called involves us in working together with one another in the unity of the Spirit. To comprehend God’s word in Ephesians 4-6, we need to understand the glory and richness of God’s grace Paul told us about that in the beginning of his letter. 3 Blessed be … [Read more…]
Walking worthily of the calling with which we were called involves us in working together with one another in the unity of the Spirit in the body of Christ. Messiah puts people into our lives to equip us “to do good works and live in them” (Eph 2:10), to build up [oikodomēn] the body of … [Read more…]
The calling, with which we were called (Ephesians 4:1) began with God’s call. For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and … [Read more…]