Every Spiritual Blessing

January 31, 2018

Every Spiritual Blessing

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

Read: Ephesians 1:1-3

The Letter to the Ephesians has been rightly called the Queen of the Epistles. With flowing prose, Paul worships and glorifies Jesus. He presents the core doctrines of what it means to be a Christian, and what it means for Christians to come together as the church. This letter is some of Paul’s last correspondence, and was written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. (The prison letters are: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon.)

The letter is deep theologically, and it will seem overwhelming at times. To help us grasp the wonder of Paul’s teaching about God in Ephesians, I have divided the six chapters into twenty-one meditations.

The opening lines are fairly typical of Paul’s correspondence by stating by whom the letter is written and to whom it is addressed, and then pronouncing a blessing on the people. From there Paul immediately jumps into the deep end of the pool with a brief summary statement of our right-standing with God: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). In the next passage he elaborates on the wonder of our being in Christ.

This is a good place to pause and ask yourself how your life reflects the truth Paul just affirmed. Do you truly have a sense that God has blessed you with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms? If so, how does this truth shape your life and your interactions with other people each day? If not, then focus only on the last words in that statement: because we are united with Christ. Our blessings from God are a gift of His amazing grace. We are not blessed because we’re smarter and work harder than others. We’re blessed because God has united us with Christ through grace, by faith in our resurrected Lord.

My Takeaway: Today, I will reach out and lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12). Today, I will allow the truth of Ephesians 1:3 to open my heart to receive every spiritual blessing God has prepared for me. Will you join me?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2018 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

The New People of God

January 30, 2018

The New People of God

What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.

Galatians 6:15b-16

Read: Galatians 6:11-18

In this closing passage, Paul takes the letter from his scribe, who had been writing the letter as Paul dictated it, and he adds his own postscript. Paul’s passion for his friends in the Galatian churches is still clearly evident, and I suspect they were warmed with Paul’s affection for them as they saw Paul’s own handwriting at the end of the letter.

Paul makes one final appeal for his friends to not get caught up in the rule keeping ways of the Judaizers. For Paul, it doesn’t matter how well we are doing in rule-keeping. “What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation” (Galatians 6:15b). Those who have thus been set apart as the new people of God will carry the scars of faith not circumcision. Paul’s closing words are very reminiscent of his words in Romans 8 and Philippians 3 where he teaches us that “together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering” (Romans 8:17b Emphasis mine) and “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10 NRSV Emphasis mine).

My Takeaway: Paul carried the scars of the persecution he suffered for the cause of Christ. He also carried scars from his daily affirming in his own life not his will, but God’s will be done. So it is for all the fully-devoted followers of Jesus seeking the life in Christ as their way of life.

“May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God” (6:16).

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2018 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

A Glitzy Plastic Coffee Cup – Worth Its Weight in Gold

January 29, 2018

A Glitzy Plastic Coffee Cup – Worth Its Weight in Gold

Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.

Galatians 6:6

Read: Galatians 6:6-10

When I read today’s passage, I remembered an incident from one of my mission trips to Mexico. It was a Sunday evening, and we were several miles south of Matamoros at a medical mission outpost. As I talked with our host pastor before the service began, we could see a woman from his congregation walking toward the church. The pastor told me she walked five miles, each way, to attend services. In her hand was a bundle of cactus leaves, a green bean like plant that was a staple of their rural diet. As she greeted her pastor she presented him with the food. Clearly she understood Paul’s teaching: “Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher” (Galatians 6:6 NRSV). However, Paul’s teaching about the Christian’s responsibility to provide for the support of their pastoral teachers and ministers has been pretty much lost in our generation. That’s not to say ministers are not fairly paid. It’s not uncommon for clergy to receive compensation packages that include retirement funding, medical insurance and expense accounts in addition to salary. But between the person in the pew and the pastor stand committees and councils and boards, which means the typical parishioner has little, if any, sense of personal responsibility for sharing in all good things with their teacher.

My Takeaway: I was truly blessed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of my congregations. One of my cherished gifts is a glitzy plastic coffee mug that is ¾ filled with pennies. It was given to me on my retirement by a woman living in an assisted living facility and was truly her widow’s mite. It is worth its weight in gold to me. It is precious memories like this that inspire me to honor Paul’s closing caution: “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NRSV).

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2018 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

Living as the People of God

January 26, 2018

Living as the People of God

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Read: Galatians 6:1-5

God created us to be in community. Sin destroyed our ability to enjoy loving relationships in community. God, in Christ, restored our relationship with Him and thus restored our capacity to be in community.

Living as the new people of God in community is threatened when we are not seeking the life in Christ. When we are focused on the law and rule keeping, the inevitable result is pride, as we compare ourselves with others. It is tempting to feel smug and superior when we think we are doing better than others.

When we are seeking the life in Christ as our way of life, and we encounter a brother or sister making wrong choices, we can “gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path” (6:1). We maintain community.

In verse 3, Paul identifies one of the foundational principles of living in community: “If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” That may seem like a harsh statement, but remember, Paul would be the first to tell you that God is head-over-heels, passionately in love with you. You are hugely important to God. Because this love of God is eternal, unfailing and fulfills all of our needs, we are then free to love the world the way Jesus loved the world: sacrificially.

My Takeaway: God created us to be in community. How do we do this? “Let your bearings towards one another arise out of your life in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 NEB 1961)

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2018 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.