DAY #284: Ephesians 1:15-2:13

After describing the glorious blessings given to believers, thoughts of the great promises of God led Paul to give praise and to pray for the church—the people chosen to receive those blessings.

Paul prayed that the believers would begin to understand the incredible greatness of God’s power on behalf of those who believe him. Because of his power, believers know that:
God is on their side, ready to help them meet each and every obstacle God’s power is never stagnant or out of commission—it is always actively working on their behalf. God is always fighting against the forces of evil on the believers’ behalf.

Paul reminds us that by Christ’s resurrection and exaltation, he is head over all things for the church. Christ fills the church and then uses the gifts he bestows to fulfill his mission—revealing himself to the world and drawing people to himself by that witness. The image of the body shows the church’s unity. Each member is involved with all the others as they go about doing Christ’s work on earth. We should not attempt to work, serve, or worship on our own. We need the entire body.

As chapter two begins, we read that Paul described three marks of unbelievers:
1. They lived like the rest of the world, referring to the world’s accepted, but immoral, lifestyles and godless motives. People who live like the world that is full of sin cannot also follow Jesus.

2. They obeyed Satan. The passage focuses on Satan’s reality as an evil power with a certain amount of control in the world. The Bible pictures Satan as ruling an evil spiritual kingdom—the demons and those who are against Christ. He is the mighty prince of the power of the air indicating that this world is Satan’s sphere of influence.

3. They followed the passions and desires of their evil nature. All of us (Jews and Gentiles alike) were at one time separated from God because of disobedience, born with an evil nature. That nature puts us under God’s anger. When we become believers, our sinful nature still exists. But when we submit our lives to the Holy Spirit, he transforms us and our sinful natures. This is a supernatural process.

We must never underestimate the power of our sinful nature, and we must never attempt to subdue it in our own strength. God provides for victory over sin—he sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power. But our ability to restrain the desires of the sinful nature depends on how much we’re willing to depend on God and his mercy.

This passage also reminds us that God acted on behalf of humanity because he loved us so very much. The Greek word for love, agape, is used. It means the selfless love that seeks the best for others. While God could have simply destroyed all people because of their sin, he chose instead to show mercy and love. While we once were dead because of our sins, God gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. That we have been given life means that we are “saved”.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

As I read this passage today, I am reminded of God's character and His amazing love and today in particular, I am reminded of how He demonstrates that love for me.

How many of you have ever had a broken bone? How many of you have ever had stitches? How many of you have ever had a surgery of any kind? How many of you have ever had a knife wound? In the kitchen or a dark alley? How many of you have ever had a gunshot wound? How many of you have ever been wounded in a war? There are some great stories from those wounds – an I right?

Well, today, I am reminded about How God Heals Your Wounds. Not the physical, but the hidden wounds. Hidden wounds are the memories that still hurt, those recollections from your past that when you think about those things they still cause pain in your life.

Memories of abandonment. Some of you have memories of abuse. Some of you have memories of ridicule, severe criticism or hatred or prejudice or criticism that just tore you down – physical abuse, spiritual, sexual abuse, emotional abuse.

Where do you get the hidden wounds of life? From everywhere. From the prejudices in society, from family members - parents, from kids, from brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. You can get them in the work place. You can certainly get them on the schoolyard from mean children. They’re everywhere.

I’ve been a pastor for a long time and I’ve talked to people and I’ve learned two truths about life. One is everybody has a hidden wound. You may be masking it but everybody has a hidden wound. At least one. An emotional scar from somebody in the past who hurt you in some serious way.

The other thing I’ve learned is that emotional scars take longer to heal than physical wounds. The good news is this: Jesus Christ wants to heal your hidden wounds.

God reveals to us, in Exodus 15, a name he calls Himself. He says, “I am Jehovah Rapha,” which means “I am the God who heals.” God wants to heal your hidden wounds.

Psalm 147:3 says “God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” Lord, my heart is broken by the hurt in so many marriages today - so many homes. Lord, draw people to COV this morning, so they can hear Your truth about how to put the pieces of their shattered homes, families and lies back together again.