Category Archives: Ephesians

2019, Ephesians, The PJ Series

The Middle

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I’m back . . .  :)

Ephesians 6

Next piece: Breastplate of Righteousness

Breastplate.
Not a common word for a few centuries now. The New Living Translation terms it Body Armor; perhaps a clarification of torso would help our mental imagining.  That area of our frame from the neck to the navel, I read that somewhere, I don’t recall the source at the moment.

. . . and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart),  source

The first was the belt of Truth.

So, what is this torso covering? This Breastplate? This Body Armor? That covering for the area where our vital organs are housed? For sure many of the garments I’ve seen do not cover well — not even as well as my PJs. Some really important stuff gets left hanging out . . . not good. You know what I mean?

But the Righteousness of JESUS firmly applied, covers and protects and nourishes our vital inner being! He heals our hearts; our lungs fill with Fresh Air; our gut is strong and ready to digest and pull in nutrients. But without Him . . .

Jeremiah 17:9  (NLT)9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? source

The Belt of Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness — Don’t even stay home in your PJs without them, much less leave the house!

Get Dressed

2019, Ephesians, The PJ Series

Get Dressed

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I purchased some really comfy PJs this week. I laundered them and I’ve not had them off so far yet today. :)

As I sit in these loose, warm fuzzies, I’m reading Ephesians 6.
Get Dressed in the Full Armor of GOD. You do see the humor in this, right?

The Armor of GOD. The first piece is the waistband. It covers the loin. You know the gut. And this Gut Cover is truth. So the first piece of ‘clothing’ we need in this world is Truth; and, we need to know Truth deep in our gut; deep in that place where life lives.

4 So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist. . .  source

Truth.
Life is a lie without it.

Part 1? Maybe.

2019, Ephesians, It's a Bonus Post, Questions

A Peek

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Good Saturday Afternoon. Want to peek over my shoulder? Yes? Good.

November 3, 2019, Sunday School Notes

Ephesians 5:1-14

5 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];  source 

Verse 1, first two words: Therefore Become.

Why is the therefore there for?
Because of what has gone on before. Right?
What was chapter 4?
The Christian’s Walk.
This chapter (5) could be entitled Be Imitators of GOD.
Obviously, because that’s how the Christian is to walk. Right? Imitating GOD.

Now word two.
Become.
This word gives us hope!
Become is a process. GOD did not expect us to wake up the morning after our salvation and be exactly like JESUS in thoughts, words, and deeds. He really didn’t (or doesn’t for that one saved today). But obviously, from Chapter 5 we can be assured He does expect us to BECOME.

It’s a process.

Now isn’t that good news on this Saturday afternoon?!

Yes, I’m studying for Sunday School. :)

1 Corinthians, 2 Peter, 2019, Ephesians, Questions, Repentance, Salvation

The Response!

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17 So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls],  18 for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. source

Please see the brackets in the third line around unbelieving. It is really important for us to grasp Paul is penning about not just any Gentiles, but the unbelieving, as there were many Gentiles in the Community (Church, Body) at Ephesus. Another clue for us that when a Gentile became a follower of the Jewish Messiah, they became family. Yeshua (Jesus as you may address Him) has One Family, One community.

But what of these unbelieving Gentiles? It was a term his readers understood; well understood. Outcasts. Banished from the Commonwealth of Israel.

BUT look it’s self-banishment! It’s not GOD’s will that any be banished! (See 2 Peter3:9)

Self-banished. What a word! What does it mean? Banished means sent away as an official punishment.

A few questions.
How often do we send ourselves away from fellowship with GOD because we have deemed ourselves unworthy?
How many of us see the bottom layer of that thinking?
When we self-banish ourselves, who’s the judge, the jury and the executioner?
Who alone has that Office and Responsibility?
So what are we doing when we self-banish?
What would cause us to do that?
(Subtle Pride.)
But it’s still damnable pride, is it not?

But wait! Does not the Scriptures tell us to judge ourselves so that we will not be judged?
Absolutely! It does! See 1 Corinthians 11:31. So what’s the factor here? The Response!

Pride sends us away!
Repentance draws us close!

1 Corinthians 11:31 Amplified Bible (AMP) 31 But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. source

Please see it!  And correcting our behavior! That’s what repentance does. It corrects our behavior. Pride, even subtle pride, keeps us banished.

Repentance. Oh, what a beautiful, loving, holy gift!  Let us unwrap it as often as necessary!

Oh, Father, thank You, thank You for the gift of repentance! Pour out Your holy gift of conviction with repentance again and again that we may fellowship with You continually.  Amen and amen in JESUS name.