Ephesians 1:1 - God's Holy People

Ephesians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus. 

Message: God's Holy People

Time: Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon. Ephesians deals with topics at the core of being a Christian - faith and practice, no matter the situation.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Based upon the Apostle's creed, we are looking at 4 truths about the church of Christ: its unity, its holiness, its catholicity, and its Apostolicity. The last 2 lessons looked at our unity which transcends the local body each of us may be involved in and connects us with people throughout history and in other lands. 

In our time on earth, the Christian is both holy and still a sinner. We are set apart to be holy in virtue, being in Christ by faith. Being justified by faith in Christ we possess the righteousness of Christ and yet at the same time we still have a fallen nature, still sin, still walk in His grace, daily toil, daily need to be reminded of His forgiveness and strive to live in a way to glorify Him in all we do. 

When God describes something as holy, it is set apart first and foremost for God's special use. 

Incense - "And the incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves, it shall be holy to you for the Lord." (Exodus 30:37). 

Sabbath - "For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord" (Exodus 31:15).

Tithe - "Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord" (Leviticus 27:30). 

To be holy is to be separated by God for a special use. God sets us part. By the Spirit we become purer and purer in action but in Christ, each of us begins by being Holy, set apart unto God. Thus, as is recorded today by call, each of us are "saints" or called-out one's. 

Summary: By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature and sin daily, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints or called-out one's. 

Promise: The church is already holy in position, yet becomes purer in practice. Thus, we pursue personal and corporate holiness. Let us encourage one another to live Holy lives. 

Prayer: O God, thank you for crowning me as Holy and showing me the truth of Your Word and how you have decreed other things as holy: incense, Sabbath and Tithes. Thank you for the clarity of this truth. You have set me apart as holy, as a saint already. Now help me to keep focused on being holy in my life, making me purer and purer each day. And may we exhibit this in our churches, in my church. May we work together to show ourselves distinct and different from the world, so the world will want to come in our doors, to be among us and hear the Gospel preached. Take us there. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God. 

Christ's Body

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see. 

Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed

Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. 

My Utmost for His Highest - June 22nd - The Undeviating Test

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. - Matthew 7:2

    This statement is not a haphazard guess, it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give, it is measured to you again. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus says that the basis of life is retribution — “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the defects in others, remember that will be exactly the measure given to you. Life serves back in the coin you pay. This law works from God’s throne downwards (cf. Psalm 18:25-26).

    Romans 2:1 applies it in a still more definite way, and says that the one who criticises another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act, He looks at the possibility. We do not believe the statements of the Bible to begin with. For instance, do we believe this statement, that the things we criticise in others we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy and fraud and unreality in others is because they are all in our own hearts. The great characteristic of a saint is humility — “Yes, all those things and other evils would have been manifested in me but for the grace of God, therefore I have no right to judge.”

    Jesus says — “Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1)”; if you do judge, it will be measured to you exactly as you have judged. Who of us would dare to stand before God and say — “My God, judge me as I have judged my fellow men?” We have judged our fellow men as sinners; if God should judge us like that we would be in hell. God judges us through the marvellous Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 - From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition

My Utmost for His Highest - April 1st - Heartiness v. Heartlessness Towards Others

who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. - Romans 8:34

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. - Romans 8:27

Do we need any more argument than this to become intercessors--that Christ "ever liveth to make intercession;" that the Holy Spirit "maketh intercessioin for the saints"? Are we living in such a vital relationship to our fellow men that we do the work of intercession as the Spirit-taught children of God? Begin with the circumstances we are in --our homes, our business, our country, the present crisis as it touches us and others--are these things crushing us? Are they badgering us out of the presence of God and leaving us no time for worship? Then let us call a halt, and get into such living relationship with God that our relationship to others may be maintained on the line of intercession whereby God works His marvels.

Beware of outstripping God by your very longing to do His will. We run ahead of Him in a thousand and one activities, consequently we get so burdened with persons and with difficulties that we do not worship God, we do not intercede. If once the burden and the pressure come upon us and we are not in the worshipping attitude, it will produce not only hardness toward God but despair in our own souls. God continually introduces us to people for who we have no affinity, and unless we are worshipping God, the most natural thing to do is to treat them heartlessly, to give them a text like the jab of a spear, or leave them with a rapped-out counsel of God and go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord. 

Are we in the direct line of the intercession of our Lord and of the Holy Spirit?

 Oswald Chambers - From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

- Underlines and highlights are courtesy of Mom from her Print Edition

Joshua 4:1-9 - Stones of Remembrance

Joshua 4:1-9

¹ “Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, ² “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe, ³ and command them, saying, ‘Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.’” ⁴ So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe; ⁵ and Joshua said to them, “Cross again to the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel. ⁶ Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.”

⁸ Thus the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, just as the Lord spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel; and they carried them over with them to the lodging place and put them down there. ⁹ Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan at the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant were standing, and they are there to this day.
Message: Stone of Remembrance

Time: The Story of Israel from the conquest of Canaan to the Babylonian exile. It is framed by two set-piece speeches, the first by God commanding the conquest of the land, and, at the end, the last by Joshua warning of the need for faithful observance of the Law (torah) revealed to Moses.The time is 1406 BC to 1375 BC.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Tabletalk uses this lesson to speak about eternal security. Reformed Christians, however, often use the term perseverance of the saints. Eternal Security can at times refer to easy believe-ism where a person makes a decision for Christ, but after turning away and even going a different way is still considered save. Yes, Reformers think about John 14:15 that mentions that if we love Him we will keep his commandments or at least desire to keep them.

Promise: The Lord has been a provider in the past so he will a provider in the futrue.

Romans 16:14-15 - Honoring Faithfulness

Romans 16:14-15 - ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

Message: Honoring Faithfulness

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

Paul now greets 2 sets of people. They are grouped together. In verse 14, 5 names are mentioned and then brothers with them are also mentioned. This gives the idea that this is a congregation of people, perhaps a house church. The pattern of names mentioned is identical in verse 15 where 5 specific people are mentioned (1 sister) and then saints with them.

In Isaiah 49:16, God says, "“Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me." In this context it is referring to Zion, but it could also be described of all saints of God.

Philologus means fond of words or lover of words. He could love the Word of God or he could be one that talked a lot. He is the first one mentioned, so perhaps he was the leader of the house church.

Saints is the Greek word hagios meaning set apart ones, separated, sacrificed. These are people set apart by God's Spirit. Saints are securely place in Christ forever.

In Romans 1:7, Paul says upon beginning his letter, "to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints." All are saints. There are not different divisions of Christians. There is not a varsity team and then a JV. All have equal billing and have equal blessing before God.


Promise: I am to take part in the church, work hard for the Lord, stand out and be distinct. I am different. I am to look different from those in the world. I am to act differently. I am to respond to troubles in a different manner, praising my God and Savior.

Romans 16:1-2 - Phoebe's Commendation

Romans 16:1-2 - ¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, ² that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

Message: Phoebe's commendation

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

The message of Romans is basically complete. Romans 15 ended with a prayer and an Amen. Romans 16 is an entire chapter of greetings and a doxology. This is consistent with ancient writings that ended with a specific greeting to people. 

Paul begins mentioning Phoebe, someone that was not a part of the church at Rome, but rather the church at Cenchreae.  Cenchreae was a sea port in Corinth, in Greece. It is possible that Phoebe is who brought the letter to Romans and presented it to them, so she could have had an important role in the church. The word "servant" is the Greek word diakonos which elsewhere is translated deacon. Obviously, this is one of those doctrines which has been hotly debated in churches: whether women can serve in a role of authority in a church. This is an example of something that can be debated, but it should not result in a division in the church or rather the Body of Christ. Can two churches respect one another even though there are different convictions or application of these verse? 

Commend Sister
Paul immediately asks the church to commend his sister. Commend is the Greek word sunistao which means literally to set together. It is a word that presents another person and could also mean Paul is vouching for her. So, she has special importance in Paul's eyes. She is also a sister in Christ. She is a devoted member of the Body of Christ. This, probably, the most important of all of Paul's letters was most likely given to Phoebe to give to the church in Rome. 

The journey from Cenchreae to Rome was 1200 kilometers (750 miles). This is a journey that would take 20 hours by car and would include going across the Adriatic Sea to get to Italy. 

There was not a letter courier service that Paul could use to deliver this letter to the church in Rome. Instead, he would need to use a person. Taking this letter probably encompassed many months of time. Traveling was difficult. Often traveling occurred at nights so that the stars could be followed. I don't think I can accurately realize the difficulty it was just to take this letter to Rome. What an incredible feat it was just to get this letter to Rome.

Paul asks that the church in Rome: 

• Welcome her in a manner worthy of fellow saints in Rome
• Help her in whatever she may need
• She has been a patron of many and of Paul

Welcome her
Phoebe is to be welcomed by the church, as if she were a member of the church in Rome or one of the other saints. Again, maybe the church in Rome had a position about the use of women in a leadership role in the church and Paul wanted to make sure that Phoebe was treated properly. Either way, her coming was to be anticipated. But, these words would not have come till after the letter arrived. They could have had a different feeling in them about Phoebe prior to these words being read. 

Christians are to welcome other Christians in a manner different from how others may be welcomed in the world. There are to be no strangers in the family of God.

Help Her
Phoebe was not just there to bring a message, but she was to be given help in whatever she may need. The church was to probably provide her food and shelter. The people of Rome are to stand by her and treat her with utmost respect.

Patron of Many
She is a valuable person in the eyes of Paul. She has helped many. And she has helped Paul. 

Promise: Welcome one another as valuable members of the Body of Christ.

Romans 10:4 - Christ, The Goal of the Law

Romans 10:4 - For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Message: Christ, the end of the law

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome.

What the Lord is Saying:

I really love these verses. I think what I love is to notice things in life that are completely contrary to the message we often we receive in life through the world and its message.

I must admit, I have spent the past 3 weeks talking to a Muslim through GMO and he has asked some interesting questions.This message that Paul is speaking. Is it the same message of the Gospels? I don't know if I can really answer that right now, but I do know that Jesus was all about faith. And what he saw in others was faith. They had faith in Him. They believed in Him and because of that belief good things did happen to them. So, there is power in faith. And if there is power in faith then there is not power in works. We can't have both. Works are important, most definitely, but faith is what separates those who know Christ and those who pretend. And Paul is clearly mentioning a dividing line between the two.

The focus of the Old Testament and the Jew is pointing people to a Messiah. The Jews recognize this clearly. All the focus is on a Savior, on someone that will permanently take away sin.

From Precept Austin site:

Everything about the Jewish religion pointed to the coming Messiah—their sacrifices, priesthood, temple services, religious festivals, and covenants. Their Law, the Temple ceremonies, the sacrifices, etc were all "word pictures" given by God to tell His chosen people that they were sinners in need of a Savior. But instead of letting these "pictures" and the Law bring them to Christ (as mentioned in Galatians 3:24 "the law is our tutor, bringing us to Christ"), they worshiped their Law and rejected their Savior! The Law like the tabernacle, temple, and sacrifices was a signpost, pointing the way. It was a means to an end, not the end itself. It could never take them to their destination. The Law cannot give righteousness but only lead the sinner to the Savior Who Alone was the source of God pleasing righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30 - "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption").

So once again, Paul isn't saying anything new. He is instead looking at the Old Testament and bringing together the words and themes of the Old Testament with the Messiah.

Fulfillment of the Law by the Savior
In Matthew 5:13-20 Jesus talks about fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. He states that he did not come to abolish but fulfill. Paul reiterates this many times in Romans stating the Jesus fulfilled the Law. And by doing so that fulfillment is passed onto me through faith. Christ did the work, we receive it. But we are to be obedient to the Law. Don't think for a second that we are not to be about law fulfilling ourselves. This is clear in this passage in Matthew 5.

End of the Law for the Saints
Yet, in this verse, it states the end of the law. So, while what I have said above is true, Paul's words here are that the Law, as a means of attaining righteousness, has ceased.

Jeremiah 31:31-32 - “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.


Hebrews 8:13 - When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

But, I'm still not sure that the intent of the Law was ever to make a person righteous. It is a standard and it is something to be followed, but I don't think that what Paul is saying here is that something has changed. His audience is the Jews primarily, though he speaks to Gentiles as well. So, his focus is on speaking their truth and they believed the Law, in its entirety, was to be kept, for the purpose of being declared righteous? Is that correct?

Believe produces a new heart
Belief is an individual thing. Each person must have a belief. Each person must make an individual decision. We are not grafted into the faith because of the family we were born into or the people we hang around with.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 - Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.


I am made new in Christ.

Believe is really one of the most powerful words we have. People believe so many different things in their life. I think it is so interesting all the different ways in which people believe, in which they hold something to be true. Yet, the belief that is being talked about here produces a change, produces a new life, produces a difference in me. That is what I always see as incredible. Christ in me produced a change in me. And people all over take on a new life in Christ. It's a beautiful thing.

But, this end of the Law only occurs to those that believe.


Promise: Christ fulfilled the Law, not so we wouldn't have to, but because we couldn't.

Romans 1:5-7 - The Church in Rome

Romans 1:5-7: ⁵ through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, ⁶ among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; ⁷ to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Message: The Church in Rome

Time: Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey. 

What the Lord is Saying: I have taken over a week now just to study these key verses. I believe these are incredible verses because in them the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ are clearly spoken. 

Our calling is significant in these opening verses. Jesus has been declared throughout the Scriptures and his position as our Savior and Redeemer was accomplished on the cross and now we are the called ones. 

Verse 5
Our position as His apostles is clearly presented in verse 5, "we have received grace." Grace precedes our apostleship. Before the message can be carried forth, we must have received it. Grace is something we receive. We take it, collect it, accept it. Our acquisition of grace is active on our part. Jesus did it all. It cost God everything. It is a gift. We receive it. 

The "whom" in verse 5 comes from verse 4: Jesus. He was promised by the prophets. He was a descendant of David. The resurrection declared His Power and the culmination of His divinity. The Holy Spirit was there bringing Christ through the resurrection, which ultimately saved us all. 

By receiving grace, we then have a mission in life. Each of us is commissioned. We are not each apostles in the technical NT sense, but we are each charged as ambassadors of His Message.

We are ambassadors of the message of grace. The product of faith is obedience. Obedience does not precede faith. Grace is a change of heart. It is an acknowledgement that Jesus saves. I can't save myself. My works are filthy rags. Obedience is faith and obedience is what follows faith. Keeping Is commandments is the necessary fruit of our salvation. 

Grace occurs. Faith is expressed. Obedience follows. I am the Lord's ambassador. 

It is not that we are obedient to the faith, but obedience is caused by faith. 

And Paul's audience is the Gentiles. This is his mission. And He does it all for God's glory. He does it to praise His name. Everything in life points to Christ: 
(1) Grace is what Christ has done, 
(2) The message we deliver in life is about Him, 
(3) Our faith is in Him, 
(4) Our obedience is to Him (and flows from our faith),
(5) We are sent to the people He calls us to and 
(6) We do all of this For His Name, for His Glory.
(7) Jesus calls us. 

Verse 6
In Paul speaking to the church in Rome, those in the church are specified as the called. John 10:27 states, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." When I think of the disciples. Jesus called them. They listened, responded and followed. But, their response didn't have an effect on Jesus calling them and yet, calling is significant because the language presents the idea that if Jesus calls a person they will follow. But does this mean they will then have faith. As I think about Him calling the disciples can we say that Judas didn't know Him? Is his turning away confirmation that He wasn't a child of God? Or was it that since He was called he was already saved? It is a tough conundrum.

Verse 5 speaks of the mission Paul had to the Gentiles. And now in verse 6 he states that those in the church at Rome, just like the Gentiles, are also the called of Jesus Christ. In essence the message of verse 5 is also about Jesus' calling.

The Greek word for calling is kletos which literally means the invited, like those that are invited to a banquet.

Verse 7
Beloved means we are loved by God. And this is in the present tense.The called are those who have heard the good news and responded to it by exercising saving faith. The called are virtually synonymous in this way with the elect. The ones who hear and respond and follow Him are the called.

So, perhaps in answer to my above question, it is those that are listening, that are making a response and follow Him--these are the ones that then hear the call and answer.

Saints are those that are set aside from the profane ways of the world to convey Christ. They are the holy ones of God. Every person in Christ by grace is a saint.

We are not called because we are saints or because we were so lovely, but we are saints because we are called. But, before any of this, we are beloved.  Beloved>Called>Saints. Is it not simply incredible the number of times the Gospel is presented in these opening verses. Even, just the simplicity of verse 7 and the remark that we are beloved of God.  And then we are called. And then Christ makes us saints (upon our faith in Him), so that we are then set apart for the purpose of glorifying God and proclaiming Him throughout our world.

"Grace to you and peace." Here Paul offers a simple prayer to those in Rome. This should be a daily prayer in our lives. In my life, it is so simple to pray these 5 words for my family and all those in my life.

Promise: God calls me His beloved. No higher designation for me in life.