Ephesians 3:16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Paul is praying that a change occur in the hearts of the Christians at Ephesus. Paul understood that each of us not only has an outer man that all can see, but also an inner man that God sees. It is one thing for an individual to proclaim to be a Christian and pretend to act like one, but it is a whole different matter when the inner man is totally dedicated to God and the heart and mind are filled with the Spirit.

Jesus taught that if a man is angry with his brother he is guilty of murder. HE also taught that if a man looks at a woman and lusts for her, he is guilty of adultery. Christ made clear to us that God looks at the inner man and that HE judges our thoughts and feelings. This is one reason why Paul is praying for a total transformation of those whom HE was called to serve.

One can pretend to be a Christian by talking the talk. However, you must understand that your walk will be much more telling of your relationship with God then your mouth will ever be. If you go to the bar on Friday night but to church on Sunday, it does not matter what you say with your mouth, those who see you at the bar on Friday will know that the transforming power of God has not had any effect upon your life.

Have you ever seen or experienced where a husband and wife get into a fight? After the fight is over, one party decides that they need to make up to their spouse. However, they are still bitter about what their partner has done so they are simply trying to go through the motions as they seek forgiveness. However, their attempts to reconcile are quickly rejected because their spouse knows that their heart is not in it.

In the same way that a spouse understands the difference between your walk and your talk, so also God understands the difference between us praising HIM because we have to and praising HIM because we want to. Too many Christians simply take on the name of Christ and pretend that HE has done something in their lives. However, they are so entrenched with the things of this world that they refuse to allow Christ to totally transform their lives.

Christ did not die on the cross to give us the ability to talk about how HE has changed our lives, Christ died on the cross to offer us a chance to be cleansed of all our unrighteousness so that we can experience a total transformation. It is up to us to allow the cleansing power of the blood of Christ to have its full affect upon our lives. However, until we allow Christ to totally transform our lives, the world will never proclaim that we are a true follower of Christ because all they will see is our hypocrisy.

God desires that you see a total transformation of your life. This means that HIS Spirit touch your inner man and that you be a changed creature. When God has touched your inner man, no longer are the works of the flesh dominating your life, instead, your life will be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

God desires that you add temperance to your life. No longer do you yield to the temptations to do the works of the flesh but instead you exercise control over your earthly body so that your heart, mind, and soul in unison pursue the things of God. Pray that the Spirit of God strengthen your inner man to be all that you can be through Christ.

Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

You are saved by faith, not by works. It does not matter how many good works you do, you will never earn your way to Heaven by your actions here on this earth. James tells us that he “will shew thee my faith by my works.” What James was saying is that a byproduct of your faith and your changed relationship with God will be a bunch of good works. Those good works never save you but they are a manifestation of what God has already done in your heart.

Feeding the poor will never get you to Heaven. Nonetheless, if you are saved, one of the manifestations of your being saved may be that you are feeding the poor. Visiting prisoners will never get you to Heaven. Nonetheless, if you are saved, one of the manifestations of your being saved may be that you are visiting those who are in prison. Taking care of strangers will never get you to Heaven. Nonetheless, if you are saved, one of the manifestations of your being saved may be that you are taking care of the strangers.

God makes perfectly clear to us that our works will never earn us the right to be in heaven. However, just because works do not earn us the right to be in Heaven, it does not mean that we forsake doing works. Stephen was a man full of faith. Because of his faith, he was called to take care of the widows. This was a good work that Stephen did not because he was trying to be saved but because it was something that needed to be done.

God blessed Stephen and we soon find Stephen preaching a powerful messaged that pricked the hearts of the religious leaders. Just because Stephen was taking care of the widows, this did not stop him from continuing to live by faith. Stephen understood that his works with the widows was a result of his faith but that he had to continue to live by faith so that his relationship with God would grow.

It is very tempting to become so focused upon the works that you are doing for God that you start to think that because of your works, you are earning favor with God. Nothing you do on this earth will earn you favor with God; it is the blood of Jesus Christ and the work that HE did on the cross that enables you to have fellowship with the Father. The works that you do should be a gift of love. You should be doing works as a result of your faith and your love of the Father. Because you love HIM, you desire to share that love with others so that they might see HIS light through your life.

Satan will often try to tempt you by focusing your eyes upon works. Satan knows that man desires to earn his salvation and as such, Satan will constantly be reminding you of your works as an attempt to get you to stumble and take your eyes off of God and put them upon yourself. You cannot manufacture faith and it is by your faith that you are saved. When you feel that you are starting to focus too much upon your works, it is time for you to add temperance to your life and change your focus from your works to your faith.

Do not fall into the trap that so many before you have fallen into; you are saved by faith and not by works. Most if not all false religions require that you do something in order to earn favor with the gods. Even the cults that pretend to be serving the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob require that you do works in order to earn your right to be in Heaven. God’s ways are not the ways of the world. God has saved you by faith and it is a manifestation of your faith that you do good works.

Ephesians 2:3 among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:

There is the old you and there is the new you. The old you lived in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind. The new you should live in the power of the Spirit living according to the principals that God has established.

You claim to be a Christian but when the world looks at your actions, do they see the works of the flesh or do they see the fruit of the Spirit? We live in a sinful world where it is much easier to do that which is right in your own eyes then to do that which is pleasing to God. Everyone else around you is lying so why should you feel guilty when you stretch the truth a little?

God has called you to a higher standard. Your life is supposed to reflect the light of God. How can you reflect the light of God if you are fulfilling the works of the flesh? God has already told us that HE cannot have any part with darkness. Darkness is a place where there is an absence of light. How can you be the light to the world if you have a personal agenda of pursuing the things of this world?

No one is perfect like Jesus Christ. However, when you accepted Jesus Christ into your life, this should have made some difference in your life. Imagine a couple who decide to get married. However, after they got married, they continue to live two separate lives: the bride does not change her last name, the couple still lives in two separate locations, and the couple never wears their wedding rings. One would wonder why the couple decided to get married if they were not going to change their actions to manifest the change that had in fact occurred.

Too often, there are Christians who are like the couple who married but did not change their actions. These individuals are Christians in name only: they have not stopped pursuing the things of this world, the light of God is not reflecting in their lives, and they do not know or understand the power of God.

When you are saved, you need to make a change just like a married couple will do after they are married. No longer do you pursue the things of the world but instead you rely upon the power of God to overcome the lusts of the flesh. The Apostle Paul was an excellent example of this. Prior to his conversion, Paul was busy pursuing power by persecuting the Christians. Once God got a hold of Paul’s life, we see a marked difference in his life as he started pursuing the things of God. The change in Paul was so drastic that many people had to watch him for some time because they could not believe the change that they were seeing.

When you start reading your Bible, meditating upon God’s words, praying for the needs of others, and pursuing the things of God, one of the results of this Godly behavior will be that the fruits of the Spirit will be evident in your life. One of the fruit of the Spirit is temperance which is the strength to say no to the things of this world so that you can say yes to the things of God.

If you are not adding temperance to your life, your time with God will be weakened because the things of this world with suck the spiritual life out of your body. The world will always help you find an excuse as to why you cannot pursue the things of God. You must be diligent to ensure that while you live in this world you do live of this world. Let the world see the manifestation of your Christian life be the fruit of the Spirit and the light of God.

Ephesians 2:1 And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,

Before Adam and Eve sinned, God told them that if they ate of the tree of the forbidden fruit, they would surely die. While Adam and Eve did not physically die that day, their relationship with God died. No longer were they able to walk with God the way that they had walked with him in the past. No longer were they permitted to live forever on the earth, their earthly bodies started to die and grow old.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin kills your soul and separates you from a holy God. There is nothing you can do to resurrect your soul in the newness of life. While there is nothing you can do, there is something that Christ has already done to enable us to experience the newness of life. By the blood of Christ, we are made alive.

Most of us do not think of our sinful past as a time when we were dead. Instead, we remember all the good things that we did and in our minds, at that time, we were alive and enjoying life. However, just because you were doing what you wanted when you wanted to do it and just because you were doing a lot of good deeds, it does not mean that you were really living.

God is your Creator; HE made you in HIS own image. When we sin, we are destroying the individual whom God created. God cannot sin and HE can have no part with those who do. When you sin, you are choosing to do what you want rather than pursue the perfect plan that God has for your life. Adam and Eve had the choice whether or not they were going to sin and they chose to pursue their own wishes rather than pursue the perfect plan of God.

It does not matter how many good deeds you have done, you are still dead in the eyes of God and you will be unable to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Instead, you need to allow the blood of Christ to cover the multitude of your sins. By the blood of Christ, you are made alive in the eyes of God and you can have a renewed relationship with HIM.

Just as the blood is the life to an earthly body, so also the blood of Christ is the life of a Christian. The death of Jesus is not an insurance policy to pursue the things of this world and still enjoy the heavenly rewards. The death of Jesus is what took you from death into life; by the blood, when you sin and fall short of the glory of God, you can return to the relationship with God.

Every time you sin, you are pursuing the lusts of this world rather than the things of God. Because God is Holy and can have no part of sin, every time you sin, your relationship with God dies. Rather than having to go to a priest and make a sacrifice to atone for your sins, God now tells us that if we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Your life is not your own, you belong to your Creator; either you are living for your God or you are dead in your relationship with God. You have a choice, you pursue a closer relationship with God and experience the fruits of the spirit or else you pursue the things of this world and the works of the flesh are evident for all to see. When you chose to be alive and pursue the things of God, God will add temperance to your life so that you can say no to the temptations that this world has to offer. Temperance will not make you do what is right, temperance is simply a tool that you have to enable you to do that which is right in the eyes of God.

Ephesians 1:18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

What is the focus of your life? Are you spending your time seeking the fulfillment of your own will or are you seeking the fulfillment of the will of God? The more time you spend focused upon the things of the world, the more it will be evident to all that your desires are on your own selfish desires. However, if you take the time to develop a closer walk with God, then you can gain a wisdom and understanding of the will of God for your life.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of how we are supposed to live our lives. Christ on various occasions went up into the mountains to pray and to get close with God. Christ understood the will of God for HIS life. However, when the time came for HIM to die on the cross, Christ acknowledged to God HIS desire not to be crucified but at the same time committed to do the perfect will of God.

If your focus is upon the world and the things that this world can give to you, you will never fully understand the perfect will of God for your life. Just as Jesus set HIMSELF apart from the world in order to spend time alone with God, so also you should be willing to put aside the cares of this world so that you draw closer to God. How can you expect to do the perfect will of God if you do not understand what the perfect will of God is?

Imagine someone dropping off a dump truck full of parts and you are told to build something that uses every single part? You are given no guide, no completion picture – nothing. Working on your own, you are probably going to fail to use all the pieces in a way that results in a finished project that is a masterpiece. However, if you instead spent the time talking to the person who drove the dump truck and then the person who filed the dump truck with all the parts, your odds building the correct project will greatly increase.

Esther was living her life when all of a sudden she was faced with a difficult decision. Esther had heard that all the Jews were going to be destroyed. What could Esther do? Mordecai asked Esther to appear before the king because she did not know but that she was born for such a time as this. Esther carefully spent three days in prayer and fasting before she put her life in the hands of the king. Esther found the perfect will of God in her life by listening to her authorities and by spending time fasting and praying.

Esther added temperance to her life and restrained from the pleasures of the things of this world. By focusing her attention upon God, not only did she spare her own life but she also fulfilled the perfect will of God and saved all the Jews.

The perfect will of God for your life can be ascertained. You will not hear the voice of God if you constantly fill your life with the things of this world. If you live your life in such a way that you spend no time trying to hear the voice of God, you will succeed in failing to hear God.

The perfect will of God for your life is an obtainable goal if you learn to sacrifice and put the things of God first in your life. Your focus is not to be upon yourself and what you can obtain but it is to be upon God and how you can live your life in such a way as to bring glory to HIM. The perfect will of God for your life can be ascertained if you will only take the time to seek it. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.

Ephesians 1:16 cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus. In this passage we see that Paul is taking the time to pray to God for the church. Paul has heard about the faith of the Christians in Ephesus and he is praying to God that HE will give to the church wisdom and knowledge of God.

How often do we remember to pray for those around you? When you pray, it is easy to pray for your own needs. However, it is much more difficult to pray earnestly for those around you and their needs. The Apostle Paul should be an example to us of how we ought to be looking out for the needs of others. We hear the words that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and praying for our neighbors is just one way that we can demonstrate our love for them.

How many times do you find yourself deep in prayer just reminding the Lord of all the things that you desire? Maybe you are asking the Lord for some good things, some things that are necessary for you to fulfill your purpose here on this earth. However, God desires us to be looking out for the needs of others. As we go about our day, God brings us in contact with others and we hear a small tidbit about their lives. We need to be ready to pray to God that HE answers their prayers.

Many Christians have a hard time with prayer. They understand how to talk with others but they have not learned how to talk with God. Because they have not taken the time to understand God, they do not know how to properly communicate with HIM.

Have you ever come across a person who all they do is talk about is themselves? How obnoxious were they? You probably did not want to be around that person because of how self-centered they were. You are that self-centered person if all you do is talk to God about yourself. When you pray, you need to spend time thanking God for the things HE has done in your life. When you pray, you should lift up the needs of others.

Paul was not praying that the Christians in Ephesus would become rich and have the desires of their heart; Paul was praying that the Christians would grow in their relationship with God. Paul understood that the Christians needed to grow in their relationship with God. Paul understood that if the Christians did not continue to grow in the Lord, their testimony would diminish and they would not be proper salt and light unto their community.

If you desire to become heavenly minded while here on this earth, then you need to learn to start praying for the needs of others. Learn to love your neighbor as yourself; this means, if you know a need of another, take the time to pray for that need like you would pray for your own need. If you think your needs are so important that you pray for God to give you the desires of your heart multiple times a day; then you need to pray likewise for the needs of those whom God puts into your life.

As you learn to spend time praying for the needs of others, you will be exercising control over your fleshly desires to only be concerned about the things of this world. By praying for others, you are exercising self-control over your heart and mind. The fruit from your life as you pray for others will be that you grow closer to the Lord. Your relationship with God will give you the strength to continue to say no to the things of this world and give you more time to put the things of God first. Add temperance to your life and take more time to pray for the needs of others.

Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

In 1 Corinthians 13:5 we learn that love seeketh not her own. How easy is it for us to naturally be looking after our own needs that we fail to look after the needs of others. Love is not self-centered, instead, love requires that we seek first the needs of those who God brings into our lives. If you are married, then you need look to satisfy the needs of your spouse. If you are always only looking after your own needs, you are not loving your spouse, you are simply loving yourself.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us that If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Matthew 5:46. Love is a choice. There are going to be times when your spouse or those who God has brought into your life are hard to love. You cannot always choose the circumstances that you face, but you always have a choice as to how you respond. You thus need to learn to look at things from others perspective so that you will be in a better position to demonstrate your love.

As a husband, you especially need to learn to love your wife. There will be times when it is not an easy decision to make, but love is a choice and you have already made a commitment to love her until death due you part. You will demonstrate your love for her when you start being less self-centered and start focusing your attention upon her needs and her desires.

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

You have been taught that God can do the impossible. You have read all the stories in the Bible about the miracles God has preformed. You have talked with other Christians and have heard the testimonies of what God has done through them. Yet, you still doubt. You doubt the power of God in your own life. You do not see how God can use you to do great things for HIM.

God can do the impossible through you. God can use you beyond your wildest imagination. God can work through you to do great things for HIM if you will only allow HIM. You must let God’s power work through you. You must allow God to cleanse you of all unrighteousness so that HIS righteousness can have maximum influence.

In order for God’s power to start flowing through you, you must start filling your mind with the things of God. As you focus your attention on doing the things that God desires you to do, HE will be able to rid your life of the evil influences that destroy your faith. As God becomes the focal point of your life once again, this enables you to experience the power of God in your life. When God’s power is flowing through you, HE is able to do more for you than you are even able to ask or think.

The influences of the world diminish God’s power in your life. The more of the world that you allow to be a part of your life, the easier it will be for Satan to create doubt in your mind of the power of God. God desires to do great things through you, but first you must allow HIM to become number one once again.

You cannot serve both God and the world. You must choose. Do you desire to see God do great things through you or do you desire that the world give you its power. If you desire to receive God’s power in your life, then the things of this world must go by the wayside. You must start filling your mind with the things of God. You must allow God to fill you with HIS spirit and you must allow HIM to guide you in the way that you are to go. If you desire to obtain the worlds power and prestige, then do not live your life for God, do not put the things of God first in your life, and do not allow anyone to get in your way of obtaining that which you desire. Yes, you may receive the things the world has to offer, but will you ever be content?

In order to live a dynamic Christian life that is pleasing to the Lord, it must be centered on your relationship with God. You must learn to develop a strong faith in HIM and you must keep that faith pure so that Satan cannot discourage you from doing that which is right in the eyes of God. When you allow God to control what you fill your mind with, God is able to demonstrate HIS power through your life so that HE is glorified.

If you feel like your life is missing something, maybe it is time that you allow God to change your mindset. Maybe it is time that you allow God’s virtue to flow through you so that HE can start working through you in a powerful and mighty way. When you let God have all of you, then HE is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. Before God can use you in a mighty way for HIM, HE first must have all of you.

Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Paul salutation to the church of Ephesus reminds us of what is important in the church today. Paul started out by giving them a simple blessing of peace. Paul knew that even though things could be in turmoil, God’s peace could still exist even in the midst of the storm. It is critical that the brethren remember the peace of God in their life and that they do not become distracted by all the storms that surround them.

Paul may have been in prison, but he understood that he was where the Lord wanted him to be. As such, he was able to maintain a peace that probably confounded the Romans. Paul was able to give this blessing to the church of Ephesus because he knew it was possible to dwell in the peace of God regardless of the circumstances.

Paul then blessed the church by asking God to show the church HIS love while increasing their faith. Paul did not desire that they have just faith or just love, but he desired that God bless them both love and an increase of faith. Paul understood the misuse of faith if the church did not have agape love one for another to accompany their faith. However, at the same time, if all the church had was love with no faith there would be very little fruit that the church would produce.

Paul knew that love was important especially since Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love God with all your heart and the second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. However, in order to truly demonstrate agape love to God, one must first make a commitment of faith since you are saved by faith.

It is important to understand God’s balance for life. God does not desire that we focus too much on any one thing but instead learn to focus on the qualities that HE desires for us. Imagine a house where the mother only required that the living room be cleaned. Everyone could walk into the living room and see it immaculately kept. They could shower all sorts of praise on the family for keeping the house so clean. However, if they were to step into the kitchen and see pots and pans stacked to the ceiling all dirty and walk into the bathroom and smell the stench as a result of lack of attention, all the praise rendered for the clean living room would be quickly retracted.

So too in your spiritual life must you learn to demonstrate both love and faith. Concentrating on one despite the other will result in a spectacle that will not cause unbelievers to be drawn to the truth. Your life is to be a light that draws the world to God. However, when you spend all your time on one element, you will lose sight of all the other things God desires for you to do and your light will dim.

Faith is an important element of your daily life. Nonetheless, while you are learning the faith that God has for you, remember to not forsake the other principles God has for you to learn. Ensure that you are well balanced so that the world is not at first amazed at your faith and then becomes discouraged because they see your shortcomings in other areas.

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Paul is telling you here that your faith is strong enough to quench all temptation that Satan sends your way. If you keep a watchful eye on the enemy, then your faith will enable you to overcome. A shield only assists you when you face your enemy. A shield does not do any good when you allow the enemy to attack you from the rear. God has given you a tool; it is called the shield of faith that you can use to overcome temptation.

A shield is just another piece of armor. By itself, it can do some good. However, a soldier is not going to go into battle with just a shield. The soldier is going to need a breastplate, shoes, belt, helmet, and the sword. As Christian soldier fighting in spiritual battles, along with your faith, you need the truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, salvation, the word of God, and prayer.

Satan is a cleaver opponent. He loves to attack you when you are least expecting it. Satan often attacks you right after you had a spiritual victory knowing that you are prone to let your guard down at that time. Your faith can only assist you when you are prepared for the attack of the enemy. That is why we are warned that Satan is a roaring lion that is seeking whom he may devour. If you are armed and ready for Satan, he knows that there is not very much that he can do to conquer you since he knows greater is he that is in you then he that is of this world.

Satan is wise; he is looking for a time when you are not prepared for him. Satan is patient; he can wait your entire life for you to make one mistake and put down your armor. Satan is willing to allow you to have some minor victories if it will open the door for him to have a major victory in your life.

As you fight spiritual battles, you must always understand that there is never time for you to be caught unawares. When God chose Gideon’s men at the brook, HE had Gideon take the 300 men who kept a watchful eye on the horizon and brought the water up to themselves rather than losing sight of what was going on around them and put their head in the water. God wanted to demonstrate HIS power over many with just a few so HE took those individuals who were always prepared.

You cannot afford to let your faith down. You cannot afford to allow your back to face the enemy. You must stand up ready to fight at all times. When you are unsure of where the enemy is, this is when you need an accountability partner who can put their back against your back and both of you can guard each other from the attacks of the enemy.

With faith, nothing is impossible. With faith, everything Satan sends your way can be quenched. No temptation is too big when you have the shield of faith in front of you. Satan can throw all sorts of temptations your direction, but as long as you are ready for him with the tools that God has given you, Satan will not see a victory. You must learn to take up the shield of faith and to use it. Do not allow your faith in God to wane. Learn to obey HIM and follow HIS direction in your life and you will always be in the position where the enemy and his attacks are in front of you.

Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

Christ desires that the body of Christ be united together in one faith. God has entrusted each one of us with different talents and different abilities. These various callings are designed to work together so that the Christians are perfected in Christ. God has given different callings for different individuals to specialize in so that the body of Christ is edified. God does not call everyone to be an apostle. While both an apostle and a pastor may preach, they really did have different ministries and different obligations to both God and the body.

God does not like seeing our different doctrine dividing the church around the world today. The body of Christ was supposed to unite together under the same faith. However, because of sin, Christians take their doctrine and they make their doctrine more important then fulfilling Christ’s command that we unite in the faith. Our faith is so simple. It is the simple belief that we are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God and that by accepting the gift of salvation we shall be made free.

God made each of us different in that HE gave us different abilities to bring about HIS purpose of delivering the message of salvation to the world. However, while we may have different callings, we must always understand that together we work together for the glory of God.

A man and a woman are two different individuals. However, when they unite in marriage, they become one in the eyes of our Lord and they must now learn to work together as a team to do the will of God. So too, prior to your salvation, you were an individual who did that which was right in your own eyes. Now that you have accepted God’s gift of Salvation, you have become united with the body of Christ, and you must learn to use your talents and your abilities to bring glory and honor to God.

You have an obligation to God to work to spread the knowledge of Christ. You may not be called to be an evangelist, a pastor or an apostle. However, God has called you to do your part. You are not permitted to sit on the sideline and watch others do the work. God has given you a calling and the question is whether you are fulfilling HIS will by doing your part. Not everyone can be a Paul or a Peter. There needs to be the Aquila and Priscilla�s in the local church. Aquila and Priscilla were faithful in doing their small part to ensure that the church continued to grow.

Your faith should be a uniting factor. Instead of getting in doctrinal disputes with your fellow believers, why don’t you learn to work together? This does not mean that you must worship together every Sunday. However, you can work together rather than compete against one another. The church of Christ must learn to work together to demonstrate to the world that there is something different about those who are called Christians. What are you doing to come together in unity of faith?

Ephesians 4:4-5 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Paul starts off this chapter by reminding you that he was in prison and that you “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” Paul is stressing that God has given you a different calling here on this earth then HE gave someone else. However, even though you have a different calling then other Christians, you must remember to live with other Christians in love keeping the unity of the church. Paul reminds us that even though there are different callings, there still is only one church and only one God.

God did not make you a robot that could only do one thing. HE did not call everyone to be like Esther or Joseph. God gives different callings and different responsibilities to each of us. Jesus called 12 different apostles and they had 12 different talents although they had the same purpose of serving the same Lord.

God has given you a calling that HE equipped you to handle. God does not give you something that you are unable to bear. There may be times where you feel your task is greater than you, but you must remember, God is greater than all your problems. No matter where you are at, no matter what you are doing, you must do your job so that God will be glorified through your actions.

You are a part of the body of Christ. No one part is greater than any other part and each part is needed and serves a useful purpose for the furtherance and glory of God. While there may be many members of the body of Christ, there is only one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and one Father.

You have a calling given to you by God. You have a hope of salvation by which you were called to HIS service. You have a purpose for your life that God desires you to fulfill. As you do your part to glorify God in what you do, you do so with the help and assistance of the body of Christ. You are united to this body through the same faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You are united through the faith and belief that Jesus was born, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for you, was raised on the third day, was ascended into heaven and HE is preparing a place for you.

Stop trying to be a lone ranger. You are a part of the body of Christ. You are HIS child and HE desires you to be all that you can be. God may bless you in ways that HE chooses not to bless others, but this does not mean that you are more special. Jesus told us that we must be faithful in that which is least if we desire to be faithful in much.

Serve the Lord faithfully and watch HIM take care of your needs. Learn to love your brethren. Encourage your fellow Christians to live with each other peaceably and as a unit understanding that as a unit you will accomplish more for Christ’s kingdom. Just as your siblings may have different characteristics and talents, they do come from the same parents as you and you have a duty to love them and live with them peaceably, so too your brothers and sisters in the Lord will have different callings but you have the same faith and Lord and you must learn to love then and strive to keep unity. Are you doing your part to unite the church rather than divide the church?

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

By faith you accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. Upon the day that you accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you opened the door to your heart and allowed HIM to enter. Now Christ abides in you. However, this is not a one-time thing. Christ does not enter your life once and leave. When you accept HIS gift of salvation, you are admitting HIM into your life to dwell with you forever. By faith you understand that salvation was not a one-time fire insurance plan but was instead a daily decision to have HIM dwell within you.

In order for Christ to dwell within you and for you to be living your life in such a manner that is pleasing to HIM, every day you must evaluate what you are doing and ask yourself, if Jesus was in my shoes, would HE do what I am doing. This is a daily task of examining your steps to see if they are pleasing to the one who dwells within you. So few Christians actually take the time to evaluate their life to ensure that they are living a life pleasing to the Lord. This not only demonstrates a lack of faith but also a lack of love for the One who died and made them free.

A young couple who recently married will naturally for a period of time strive to find ways that they can please their spouse. They desire to see the relationship work and since they now dwell with each other and have become one, it is essential to the relationship that they now examine their behavior in how it affects their life partner. However, with time, the strong desire to want to please the one who dwells with them will naturally wane and the old sinful selfish self will rear its ugly head. Unless both individuals on their own accord make a conscience decision to live for the other regardless of their natural inclinations or feelings, the marriage is bound for some hard times and they will find their partner hard to live with.

Just as a couple is united in marriage and are given a license to dwell together without condemnation of sin, so too, when you accept Christ’s proposal to receive HIS gift of salvation, you give HIM your permission to dwell with you and to change the way you live. When most people first accept Christ, it is naturally easy for them to do the things of God because of the love that they have for HIM. However, with time, just like the young couple, the energy and desire to do the things that are right will wane and the sinful desires to do that which is right in your own eyes will begin to crop up in your life.

It is a conscience decision that you must make on a daily basis to live your life for God. It is important not to forget that first love that you had for HIM. There are going to be dry days, but it is at these times that you must remember that Satan does not want to see your relationship with Christ to work and as such, he will constantly be attacking you and attempting you to go back to living your life to please only yourself.

You must make a concerted effort every day to live your life by faith pleasing the Lord. Even if you do not feel like loving HIM today, you must remember the first love that you had for HIM and you must break through the selfish desires to live for yourself and do those things that are pleasing to the ONE who dwells with you. Today is a new day, what are you going to do today to please the ONE who you invited to dwell in your life?

Ephesians 3:11-12 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Your faith creates in you a boldness to do that which is right in the sight of God. Some people like Paul and Peter were already naturally bold. Individuals like this had no qualms about stepping forth and doing whatever they thought was best. However, without their faith in Jesus, their boldness resulted in trouble. Not everyone has the natural boldness of Paul and Peter. However, all of us will receive boldness from God when we know what the will of God is and we pursue it for our lives.

Paul understood that the will of God was for him to preach in Rome. Paul then with boldness went to Rome as a prisoner surviving a storm, a shipwreck and a snake. Nothing could deter Paul from fulfilling the purpose of God for his life. This natural boldness is available to you if you will but commit your ways unto the Lord and follow God’s purpose for your life.

When you understand your relationship with God, you understand that by faith, you have access to God and the ability to ascertain HIS will. The will of God for your life is not something that is going to take an archeology team 100 years to discover. God is not up their intentionally hiding HIS will from you to drive you crazy. However, HE does desire that you learn to come unto HIM and seek HIS face in order to discover HIS will for you. It is your faith in understanding the things that Jesus taught you prior to HIS ascension that enables you to have access to God to determine HIS’ will for your life.

God may not always tell you HIS perfect will for your life immediately. Sometimes you will need to be persistent before God in order to learn what HE would have you to do. You should understand that when you know the will of God, you are able to face life’s trials with much more confidence then you would be able to do should you not fully understand God’s will.

When you have taken the time to learn the will of God, God’s boldness should naturally flow through you as you pursue HIS purpose for your life. Satan will try to throw many trials and temptations at you, but it is your confidence in understanding HIS will that will enable you to overcome the wicked one.

It is by your faith that you have the ability to understand and fulfill the will of God. You do not hear God in the same way you can hear your best friend. However, while your best friend may only speak to you when you are in the position to hear their voice, God can speak to you no matter where you are, what you are doing. God can speak to your spirit, and your soul. Your faith in God is what permits you to hear God speaking to you.

Commit your ways unto the Lord. Be willing to spend the time that is necessary to ascertain HIS will. When you have learned God�s will, proceed with boldness to pursue it. Trials may come, but God’s will shall be done. Do not let Satan receive the upper hand in your life by allowing him to discourage you from fulfilling God’s purpose. The boldness and confidence God gives you is to assist you in overcoming the wicked one. Your faith in God is the tool that you need to hear God and to obey HIS purposes.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The elements of your salvation are very simple. You are saved because of your faith. You are saved from destruction with the devil and his angels because you believe that which you cannot see. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. You cannot see heaven. You cannot see hell. Nonetheless, you believe that if you do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, hell will become your future destination.

God’s grace is what permits you to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, was raised from the dead on the third day, and that he ascended to heaven in the sky in which HE will return for you one day. God had made a perfect world. It was man’s sinfulness that cut us off from God. Nonetheless, God’s grace made a way of escape for you that enables you to escape the punishment that you deserve.

You are not saved by your works. Just because you have helped the widows and orphans, it does not mean that you are any closer to God. Mankind loves the thought of earning everything. When you earn it, it causes you to feel better. It gives you something that you can share with others to demonstrate to them why you are a good individual. However, your salvation is not something that God desires that you earn. Instead, it is a free gift.

Just because you are saved by faith, it does not mean that you have no obligation to do good works. You are not saved by works; but good works are evidence to the world that there is something different about you. Jesus told you that at the judgment seat, what you do unto the least of those around you, you do unto HIM. Faith is obedience to God and God did command you that you are to love your neighbor as yourself. As you obey God in following HIS commandments, you will do many good works that will draw other’s attention to your life and cause them to desire what you have.

A young girl desires to go to grandma’s house. The girl’s parents tell her to get into the car and they will take her. If the girl really desires to see grandma, she must obey and get into the car. There is nothing she can do in order to get the car to grandma’s house since she does not know the way, she cannot drive, and even if she could drive, she does not have a car. The girl is at the graces of her parents whether or not she goes to grandmas.

You are no different than that little girl when you were saved. You realized that there was something you desired and the only way you could receive that was by simply asking and obeying. Because you blindly obeyed God based upon things that you could not see, God has given you the gift of salvation. The girl might have ensured that she was on her best behavior before she asked, but your works prior to, contemporaneously with, or subsequent to your salvation have no affect upon your salvation.

By faith are you saved. Now that you are saved, you have the obligation to share the good news with others. How will you help others understand that they will not reach heaven by their works? How will you be able to convince that hell is a real place of which they cannot see but that they will make their final destination unless they have faith in God? It is God’s grace and your faith that has enabled you to have eternal life.

Ephesians 1:15-16 Wherefore I also, after I head of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Paul was in prison in Rome yet he had received a report about the faith and love of the church at Ephesus. This church was demonstrating its faith but it also was balancing everything with love. Paul had told the church at Corinth that even if they had all faith, if they did not have love, then their faith was nothing. The church at Ephesus was demonstrating its faith but it was not failing in demonstrating its love one to another.

Bad news is not the only news that spreads. Here the church at Ephesus had a good report that reached Paul’s ears. Paul had planted seeds in many communities and he probably longed for good news as he was in prison. Paul could not visit the church, but he could write them. Paul was in a position where he most likely at times was questioning whether his work as a missionary was even worth it. It seemed like on several occasions he was writing to correct the church of something they were doing incorrectly.

Paul received the good news of the faith and love of the church at Ephesus and he gave thanks. Paul did not soak up the good news and allow his ego to be puffed up. Instead, Paul thanked God for the church. Even though this church had something right, he continued to pray for the church. Most likely Paul prayed that the church would stay right with the Lord. Paul understood that even though everything was going right at this time, Satan would love to trip up this church, and as such, he kept the church in his prayers.

We all prefer the praises of man rather than their condemnation. Here the church did receive the praises and prayers of Paul because they were doing right. God sees everything you do and HE is well pleased when you do right. Nonetheless, because you are made in HIS image, HE knows that you do occasionally need to hear the praises of man. God allowed Paul to hear the good news, which not only caused him great joy, but he was able to praise the church to continue doing that which is right.

It is a fact that your transgressions of God’s perfect law are much more likely to be reported then your demonstration of proper living. People are naturally gossips and love to report bad news. Your sin will find you out. Nonetheless, your demonstrations of faith and love will also be a testimony to your life. If you are living your life in the power of the Lord along with demonstrating the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving your neighbor, then your life will be such a testimony for God that others will spread the word that your life is different.

Your demonstrations of faith and love will be reported. As you live a proper life, God will be pleased and HE will ensure that your testimony will be shared. God will use your testimony to reach the lost, but HE will also use your testimony to encourage those who believe. God is looking for individuals who have faith and are obeying the two commandments of loving God and others. Will the testimony of your life be one that causes others to draw closer to God? Will others see your life and realize that Satan longs to destroy you and as such, they will be faithful in prayer for you knowing that you are going to be doing much damage to Satan’s kingdom?