Ephesians 1:1-6 ESV

CONSIDER
Before you read any further, run – do not walk – to wherever you can listen to yesterday’s message! 🙂 It was so good and also important in laying the groundwork for the remaining weeks in this series and in Ephesians.

For today, we’re going to give a bit of a behind the scenes of the name and branding of the series. For a closer look at the image or to read the series description, check it out at the top of this page or on our social media.

Essential is a word that’s been used a lot – and debated a lot – over the last two years. Who or what is essential to work, life, etc? Thankfully, we have the Bible as our guide to show us exactly what is essential to our lives and our spiritual growth. Good news, right?! Sometimes what is essential is obvious and other times it’s intangible, invisible, even mysterious, and we reflected that in the design.

A wintery scene is embellished with mathematical elements, equations, the periodic table of elements – all things that are foundational to life and learning – sort of floating in the oxygen around it. Can’t you almost feel like you’re breathing the cold, crisp air? There’s a reflection because the fruit of our lives is a reflection of basic decisions we make. And so within that reflection you’ll see water, soil, and roots; hopefully the spiritual connections there are obvious. You’ll also notice a few “cross” elements and we used fonts that feel both mathematical (intentional, predictable, dependable) and also fluid (mysterious, creative, flexible). And such is life.

Just as there’s a “why” to the name and design elements of this Essential series, there must be a why to our pursuits. As you evaluate some of the basic elements/decisions/beliefs on which you’ve built your life, if your “why” is anything other than pursuing Jesus and learning to follow him, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what you might take action on this week. We don’t outgrow the scripture and so there is something for each of us!

Remember salvation has already been provided through Jesus, but what one thing can you take action on to lay a better groundwork for your spiritual journey?

APPLY
I will take action on this one thing this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
– Ephesians 1:4 ESV

GREEK
ἀμώμους/amōmous: blameless, unblemished, faultless

CONSIDER
What city comes to mind when you think of Ireland? For many, it’s the capital of the Republic – Dublin. Known for housing the Book of Kells and the Guinness Brewery, Dublin is quintessentially Irish. However, it wasn’t always that way. Dublin was founded by Scandinavian Vikings as a military longphort and central base from which to wage war against the Irish. It’s interesting that something can start off with one identity and be completely transformed into another.
It can be easy to feel like Paul is describing someone other than you when he explains why God chose us in Christ. Verse 4 says that it was so that we should be holy and amōmous (faultless, unblemished, blameless) before him. The problem is, we know ourselves well enough to know that we will never live perfectly or be untouched by the impact of sin. So how will we know that God wants us if we will never feel amōmous? That’s where the beauty of the Gospel comes to bear on our hearts. As we heard Sunday, those who choose to receive the gift of salvation are rescued from sin by Jesus’ work on the cross. And that work means that God sees the sinless and amōmous life that Jesus lived when he looks at all those who have accepted his free gift. You may have started off far from unblemished, but that is no longer your identity! The Gospel declares that, because of Jesus, you are amōmous, and your transformed life can be lived in anticipation of how He will use it.

APPLY
I will take action on this one thing this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, – Ephesians 1:5 ESV

GREEK
εὐδοκίαν/eudokian: good pleasure, delight

CONSIDER
The Babylonian King Hammurabi came to power at a unique time in history. His empire was growing and his military force was utilizing the newest technology to rout neighboring armies. But with this expanse of territory came a need for more soldiers, and it is widely accepted that Hammurabi developed the first military conscription, or draft, in the Middle East. Known as an Ilkum, this king would force the young men of his empire into his service without a choice to oppose his will. During wartime, they would amass a large enough army to fight on multiple fronts. In times of peace, they would be used as free labor for public works projects, including a palatial complex big enough to fit Hammarabi’s larger-than-life persona. In return, the men who were forced into conscription would be promised land when they had completed their time. The fact that this promise wasn’t always kept made little difference to the king who benefited from the Ilkum.
Hammurabi’s delight was clearly to use people to accomplish his own will, but that’s what makes Paul’s comments about God’s will so incredible. Hammurabi wasn’t unique in his desire to use his power for his personal benefit, but his temporary power paled in comparison to God’s eternal omnipotence. But rather than forcing people into producing or performing for Him, today’s verse reveals that adopting flawed humans like us into his family was the eudokian (good pleasure, delight) of his will. Whereas earthly kings often take eudokian in gathering people to work for their good pleasure, Paul reminds us that God’s good pleasure is simply to gather us together to live as part of his family. In other words, we are his eudokian! And now we don’t have to worry about whether or not our work is good enough to please God. God is pleased with us, and the action we take can be seen as a way to contribute to the beauty and joy of his forever family.

APPLY
I will take action on this one thing this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, – Ephesians 1:7 ESV

GREEK
ἄφεσιν/aphesin: sending away, letting go, releasing

CONSIDER
Michigan teenager Justin Rushford was arrested for listening to rap music at an excessive volume and for obstructing the view in his car by hanging dice from his rearview mirror. His conviction came with a sentence of 90 days in jail, but the judge decided to commute that sentence in a unique way. Rushford was forced to listen to Wayne Newton for two hours of every day for the 90 days he deserved to be behind bars. The judge reasoned that 180 total hours of music from the 1950s was enough for any teenager to understand why someone shouldn’t force their musical preferences on those around them!
While it might seem like Justin Rushford got off easy for his crime, there wasn’t a full aphesin of it. This Greek word means a sending away or complete release from obligation. This kind of forgiveness is experienced by all those who put their hope in Christ. Because of Jesus, God doesn’t commute our sentence; he utterly releases us from the conviction we deserve. It could be tempting to think that when difficult times arise in our lives, God is punishing us for our sin. But today’s verse brings clarity to the truth that the aphesin of our trespasses means a complete letting go of our punishment by the One who we have sinned against. What a gift! May this truth be the catalyst for extending grace to the world to which God has called us.

APPLY
Who is God asking me to extend grace to?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  – Ephesians 1:8 ESV

GREEK
ἐπερίσσευσεν/eperisseusen: he excessively provided, he gave superfluously

CONSIDER
“Small leaks sink big ships.” This adage is true in our finances, our relationships, our health and so much more. The implication is that when we don’t address minor issues in our lives, over time they produce major consequences. Having that two-donut value meal today won’t do much damage as an isolated incident, but ordering one every day for months – or longer – will significantly impact a few areas of your wellbeing!
In our spiritual lives, we tend to think of our poor decisions as isolated incidents; minor choices that don’t matter much in the long run. But beginning in the book of Genesis, the Bible makes it clear that sin is never a minor issue. It caused a rift in Adam’s relationship with Eve, creation, and God Himself. There is no such thing as a spiritual offense that only impacts the offender, which is one of the many reasons why Paul’s teaching on grace is such good news. The gigantic weight of sin requires a grace that is big enough to eradicate its consequences in the many areas of our lives that sin has disrupted. So Paul writes that God doesn’t just begrudgingly dole it to us, eperisseusen (he extravagantly and excessively threw) upon us his grace through Christ Jesus! This verb implies a joyous action, meaning that God is pleased to lavish on us his grace. And since eperisseusen upon us his grace, we, in turn, get to follow his example by joyfully and willingly extending grace to those who need is as desperately as we do.

APPLY
Who is God asking me to extend grace to?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  – Ephesians 1:9 ESV

GREEK
μυστήριον/mystērion: a mystery, mystifying element, secret

CONSIDER
“Why would God allow this to happen?” Just about every single one of us has asked some version of this question in our lives. When we can’t make sense of what is happening around us, the temptation to throw up our hands and declare that God is unknowable can be strong. But the beauty of the cross is that we can point to it as proof that he is good in the midst of confusing circumstances. Paul reminds us that through Christ, God has made known the mystērion(mystery, mystifying element, secret) of his will. We clearly get our English word “mystery” from this Greek noun, but something may get lost in translation from the original intent of mystērion. Rather than it meaning something that is mysteriously unknowable, mystērion means something that can be known because God reveals it! This is important to understand because there are moments when we allow our emotions to distance us from the God who wouldn’t go along with our plan. But only through pressing in to know the Father’s heart more and more is the mystērion of his will brought to light.

APPLY
Who is God asking me to extend grace to?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
– Ephesians 1:11 ESV

GREEK
ἐκληρώθημεν/eklērōthēmen: we have received a share or have been assigned a portion

CONSIDER
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. 
This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
– Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

John Chrysostom (347-407) was an influential church father known for his eloquence as an orator as well as his position as Archbishop of Constantinople. But Chrysostom’s revolutionary application of the gospel on issues of social justice must have been as refreshing to his culture as Martin Luther King Jr.’s application of the gospel was to his. The man whose name means “golden mouth” spoke out against political leaders and church leaders turning a blind eye to the immigrant and the poverty-stricken. And in his homily on Ephesians, Chrystostom suggests that God’s concern with justice is specifically on display in this week’s passage.
Paul uses a verb in today’s verse that is found nowhere else in the New testament. After spending time focusing on God’s purpose and plan, Paul says that in him, eklērōthēmen (we have received a share or have been assigned a portion). Chrysostom lived in a time when an inheritance was only earmarked for firstborn sons and even then could be revoked at the whim of the father. But eklērōthēmen carries with it the idea of being appointed or selected, not by having the right credentials, but by being found in him! And since salvation is the free gift of God (Eph. 2:8) available to all who believe (Romans 1:16), God’s inheritance can be received by the rich, the poor, the influential, the marginalized, the put together, and the socially awkward. The cultural systems we live in may not have room for the broken and imperfect, but thank God the Gospel is big enough to include anyone!

APPLY
Reflect and share with someone an experience that God has redeemed.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
– Ephesians 1:13 ESV

GREEK
ἐσφραγίσθητε/esphragisthēte: you were fastened with a security seal

CONSIDER
The first official documents dispatched from within the Colony of New York were sent with the Crown Seal affixed to them. So when the colonies declared their independence from England, they got to work creating a seal to represent New York and her official business. The “Great Seal of the State of New York” has elements that are distinct to this area: the sun peeking over grand mountains, a vast waterway with trade ships, and an eagle. This seal distinguished the contents within so that the recipient knew they were not from a foreign government. Documents that were sealed with this mark had an unmistakable purpose, even if one didn’t know exactly what was inside.
When we heard the Gospel and believed in Jesus, we esphragisthēte (were fastened with a seal for security) with the promised Holy Spirit. Among other things, this tells us that we can rest assured that God wants to conduct “official business” with our lives. What does this mean? Notice that this seal has the Spirit’s unique markings, not the marks of our own gifts, abilities, or other personal attributes. That truth serves as a reminder that our purpose is unmistakable – God now has a plan for us that is so much bigger than ourselves and the proof is that we esphragisthēte. When we see our lives in this lens, suddenly the heartache, frustration, and pain that sometimes mark our story can actually be seen as moments of grace within a larger account of deliverance. Who in your life needs to hear that redemption story?

APPLY
Reflect and share with someone an experience that God has redeemed.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. – Ephesians 1:14 ESV

GREEK
ἀρραβὼν/arrabōn: a security deposit, earnest money

CONSIDER
In 2021, as the world settled into the reality of life in a Pandemic, Facebook Marketplace crossed the billion-user mark globally. Many of us have experienced both the ease of use Marketplace affords, as well as the frustration of being strung along as a buyer or seller. One of the most satisfying things you can experience as a seller, then, is when someone gives you money up front as a way to show how much they want your product. Even if it takes a while, you have the assurance that the buyer will stop by to pick up what they purchased.
As was mentioned during the gathering, God has given us his Holy Spirit as arrabōn (the security deposit, the earnest money) of our inheritance. This gift that we did not earn and could not work to achieve may seem too good to be true, but God allowed us to taste and see His goodness before we have complete access to our inheritance. If we’re honest with ourselves, there are moments when we’re desperate for the reality of this inheritance to impact us in the here and now. So when we need comfort, counsel, or a reminder of what Jesus said about us (John 14:26), the Holy Spirit is arrabōn we need to make our hope even more concrete.

APPLY
Reflect and share with someone an experience that God has redeemed.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
– Ephesians 1:16 ESV

GREEK
ἐκληρώθημεν/eklērōthēmen: we have received a share or have been assigned a portion

CONSIDER
There are some things we believe are worth giving our all for. In 2014, an 11-month-old Tibetan Mastiff puppy was purchased by a Chinese man for $1.6 million. Recognizing that a pure breed red mastiff is very rare, and even though these pups typically sell for “only” $2,000, the owner believed that allowing a little thing like the price to get in his way would be a mistake he would regret forever. Though a temporal gain, he was unhindered in his pursuit of it.

The Ephesian church got it. After expressing the enormity and grandeur of God’s redemptive plan, Paul begins his thanksgiving pericope by saying that he had heard of the Ephesian’s faith in Christ and their love for believers everywhere. This faith and love were the direct results of believing the gospel, and the apostle states that as a result, I oupauomai (am not hindered, refuse to quit) in giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. What does this mean? Paul was so excited that the church he loved was responding to the Gospel that he continually and consistently prayed for them. Talk about something worth giving your all for! In English, we may be tempted to think that Paul didn’t do anything else but remain in a state of perpetual prayer. However, the Greek phrase ou pauomai doesn’t mean to simply perform a task in perpetuity, but rather to not let anything keep a person from their goal. So even though Paul was in chains as a prisoner, far from his plans and the people he loved, he nevertheless didn’t let anything keep him from his call to pray for the Ephesians. You and I have a call to pray, too, and it is easy to allow our app-laden devices or busy schedules to distract us from what is most necessary in our lives. But if we are willing to take a lesson from Paul, we will see that an authentic encounter with the Gospel can be exactly what we need to strengthen our resolve and to give us the refusal to quit that we need to give our all in prayer.

APPLY
Which attribute of God’s character will I commit to meditate on this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might  – Ephesians 1:19 ESV

GREEK
ὑπερβάλλον/hyperballon: to throw beyond the usual mark, surpassing, unable to be calculated

CONSIDER
“What are we seeing here?!” That was the emphatic question of the Olympic trials commentator that had just witnessed the impossible. On June 18th, 2021, Ryan Crouser launched a shot put 76 feet, 8¼ inches. That throw obliterated the previous record that had stood for over 31 years. When Crouser finished his rotation, his throw was ten inches farther than anyone had ever thrown a shot in the history of competition. In a sport that is used to measuring its records by the quarter inch, this record was forty times greater than Crouser was hoping for.

When Paul wanted to express how powerful God is toward us who believe, he used a word that has similar implications to Crouser’s epic throw. He says that God’s greatness is hyperballon, which means to throw beyond the usual mark. Up to this point, Ephesians has spoken of the believer’s calling, which looks back in time, and the believer’s inheritance, which looks ahead in time. Now we are to see that it is God’s power – not our own – that spans the gap between the two. And the greatness of this power is so incredible and hyperballon that it is unable to be measured. Now, Paul does not want us to forget that we live in a fallen world with injustice and inequity governing all that is visible. But he also reminds us that the Gospel means that Jesus’ righteousness has been transferred to us who deserve to experience the consequences of our sin. As a result, every blessing we have ever received is evidence that God’s greatness is hyperballon and his power can impact us in surprising ways.

APPLY
Which attribute of God’s character will I commit to meditate on this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1:22-23 ESV

GREEK
πλήρωμα/plērōma: that which is filled to completion
πληρουμένου/plēroumenou: to cram into or fill up completely

CONSIDER

Jesus, I will ponder now
on your holy passion;
with your Spirit me endow
for such meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith
may the image cherish
of your suff’ring, pain, and death
that I may not perish.

– Lyrics to Jesus I Will Ponder Now by Sigismund von Birken, 1626-1681

Which attribute of God’s character will I commit to meditate on this week? For Sigismund von Birken, his hymn on the passion of Christ answered this question. He believed the death and resurrection of Jesus revealed the heart of the Father in a way that nothing else could. It was because “of your suff’ring, pain, and death” that all things were put under his feet, and this act propelled the church to be the plērōma (that which is filled to completion) of him who plēroumenou (crams into; fills up completely) all in all. The church is God’s idea, and he has no plan B. His design for his body of believers is to plēroumenou – cram completely into – his plērōma, or fullness. These Greek words are used in connection with a cargo ship so filled with merchandise and sailors that if one more thing was brought aboard it would sink. The proclamation of salvation to the world is designed to be delivered through the body of Christ. Through the gospel, God has crammed his fullness into the church, and now we have no lack of examples of his character on which to meditate.

APPLY
Which attribute of God’s character will I commit to meditate on this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins – Ephesians 2:1 ESV

GREEK
νεκροὺς/nekrous: corpse-like; what lacks life

CONSIDER
The technical term is “de-extinction.” Scientists are currently debating whether it would be a good idea to take the DNA of a Wooly Mammoth recently found frozen in ice and bring it back to life. Those in favor cite the mammoth’s potential to scrape enough snow from the ground to freeze the soil and trap more greenhouse gases. Those opposed believe that disturbing the current ecosystem could do untold harm. Either way, just having the conversation of de-extinction shows how far human technology has advanced.
Two thousand years prior to this debate, the book of Ephesians expressed a similar idea. Because of our trespasses and sins, we were rendered nekrous(lacking life, a corpse). Throughout the Bible, this Greek verb is used to indicate a complete loss of life. So if we have any hope of becoming de-extinct, we need someone other than ourselves to rescue us. But this person also needs to be far more powerful, loving, and intelligent than we are because we cannot simply be resurrected as the same version of our old selves. If that were to happen, we would suffer the same fate as before and be nekrous all over again. So Paul will go on to articulate in this pericope that the work of Jesus does more than make us de-extinct, he makes us completely new creatures! Now we are able to use our new lives to bring glory to the One who has brought us to life in a whole new way.

APPLY
How will I reflect the love of God?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, – Ephesians 2:4 ESV

GREEK
πολλὴν/pollēn: aa multitude of something; great in amount

CONSIDER
At Centerway, we have a Because and Therefore statement that reads like this: Because he first loved us we value LOVE FIRST therefore we say “come as you are” and welcome people to belong before they believe. Because we truly love people, we will speak the truth in love. For us, love is not simply an emotion based on feeling, but rather a response to the work that God has done in us. Ephesians 2 says that when we were dead God made us alive together in Christ, because of the pollēn (multitude of [something]; great in amount) love with which he loved us. Our English translations sometimes miss a critical element of meaning for this Greek adjective. Rather than great simply meaning really good, the word pollēn is used throughout the New Testament to describe a large quantity, be it crowds that followed Jesus (Matthew 4:25) or the number of people that the grace of God abounds to (Romans 5:15). Let’s face it, we live in a fallen world with a sinful nature that sometimes seems to get the best of us. But rather than God begrudgingly exercising a small portion of his compassion for his creation, he chose to raise us to new life in Christ because of the abundant quantity of his love! Even when we feel undeserving, God has more than enough love for us to be unafraid to come as we are.

APPLY
How will I reflect the love of God?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. – Ephesians 2:7 ESV

GREEK
Χρηστότητι ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς/chrēstotēti eph’ hēmas: kindness, gentleness toward us

CONSIDER
American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley summed up his decades-long research on self-awareness and identity in our culture with this statement: “I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am.” Even though it may sound confusing at first, Cooley believes that our identity is formed more by how we think others perceive us than by how we perceive ourselves. In a culture that prides itself on self-reliance and individualism, this idea is scary, because it takes the power to shape our identity out of our own hands.
But what if our identity was never intended to be self-formed in the first place? From the very first pages of the Bible, we see that God not only created humankind physically, but his relationship with them shaped their character, personality, and position in the created world. It’s no wonder that when sin entered our world and damaged that relationship, humanity has been dealing with issues of self-awareness and identity. The good news, however, is that the New Testament reveals that, because of Jesus, our relationship with God has been mended. Today’s verse even goes so far as to declare that God wants to show immeasurable chrēstotēti eph’ hēmas (kindness or gentleness towards us). If we are who we think others think we are, and the God of all creation thinks we are worth immeasurable kindness, then this truth cannot help but shape our identity in ways that could impact generations of people! Knowing and believing this, we would do well to meditate on this week’s application: How will I reflect the love of God?

APPLY
How will I reflect the love of God?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, – Ephesians 2:8 ESV

GREEK
σεσῳσμένοι/sesōsmenoi: saved, healed, preserved, rescued; to be delivered out of danger and into safety

CONSIDER
The first use of the word salvation in the Bible is found at a critical moment in the book of Exodus. Picture this: the Israelites are hemmed in by the Red Sea on one side of them and the terrifying power of the Egyptian army on the other. Without any ability to rescue themselves from this situation, Moses assures the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.” The Hebrew word for rescue (yasha) directly translates into Greek as the root word of sesōsmenoi that Ephesians uses in today’s verse. It’s an accurate picture of what Paul is trying to convey: the Israelites will be delivered out of danger and into safety without the ability to do it themselves. In Exodus, God held the Egyptian army at bay with a pillar of fire, and parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites walked through unscathed to the other side. But unlike the Exodus story, the beauty of the verb sesōsmenoi is that it denotes an action that has already occurred. So our deliverance out of danger and into safety is predicated on a past event. It was the grace of God through the work of Jesus that has allowed us to be sesōsmenoi from being hemmed in between our disobedience on one side and the punishment for our offense on the other. As a result of His goodness, we are rescued and free to discover what God would have us do with our one and only life.

APPLY
What step will I take in discovering what God wants me to do?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:9 ESV

GREEK
καυχήσηται/kauchēsētai: may hold their head up high due to merit

CONSIDER
We’ve probably all heard the stories before – Jeff Bezos is wealthy. The Amazon founder can pay his way to space, he earns $205 million per day, and if he dropped a $1000 bill it wouldn’t be worth his time to pick it up because he makes more than twice that per second! The only thing that could put a damper on Bezos’ impressive financial success is that his money hasn’t made him an eternal being. At 58 years old, he statistically has 25-35 years left to enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, Bezos has the portfolio so that he kauchēsētai (may hold one’s head up high in a boastful position), but that position will only last as long as his body can.
In this profound passage of Ephesians, Paul uses kauchēsētai to encourage us with the truth that God has given us a gift that can in no way be earned. This gift is not a result of any position we hold, award we have earned, or good deeds we have produced. What’s unique about this Greek verb is that it is used outside the New Testament to describe someone who is justified in their boasting! If Jeff Bezos were to “hold his head up high” because of his enormous wealth, his amazing position as world’s wealthiest man could justify his bravado. But God will not share his glory with another (Isaiah 42:8) and does not base his gift on anything we can do. This is good news because, if we’re honest with ourselves, for every positive or prideful position we could take because of our work, there is a story we hope those closest to us won’t uncover, bring up, or tell others about. We aren’t perfect but that’s the point – God has given us a gift we can’t boast about. Because of Jesus, we never have to worry about our worthiness to receive God’s gift. His work has earned it for us, and that’s a gift that we get to keep well beyond our last breath.

APPLY
What step will I take in discovering what God wants me to do?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10 ESV

GREEK
περιπατήσωμεν/peripatēsōmen: we would cover the entire scope [of]

CONSIDER
At 81 years old, Zeda Barger thought her best days were far behind her. She was widowed and had been getting by on the combination of social security checks and some cash her sister had been sending to supplement. One day a man came to her door with a strange request. His name was Ralph Ketner and he wondered if Zeda would be willing to donate money to refurbish a dorm at the local college. After lamenting to Ketner about her financial situation, the strange man informed her that she and her late husband had bought $500 in the company he founded back in 1957. What was originally Food Town had grown into the grocery giant Food Lion, whose stocks had split a total of 12,960 ways. The bottom line: Zeda actually had $2.5 million worth of stock sitting in her dresser drawer.
There are moments when we, like Zeda Barger, are not fully accessing the resources at our disposal. Whether it be from apathy, ignorance, or fear, we settle for things far less momentous than all that God has in store for us. And while God never promises us riches or accessible stock in “Food Town,” he does offer something far more significant. Ephesians says that God has prepared good works for us that peripatēsōmen (we should walk around and cover the entire scope) [of] them. This rather rare Greek verb has profound implications. It reveals that God has pre-loaded our lives with opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. The scope and power of Heaven’s authority is available to us – not so that we can sit on a pile of cash, but so that we can serve beyond our own strength and offer hope and grace to the world! As a result we don’t have to look at injustice in the world and “wish there was something we could do about it.” Because of Jesus, we’re sitting on more resources to make a difference than we could ever imagine. Let’s use them!

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What step will I take in discovering what God wants me to do?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— Ephesians 2:11 ESV

GREEK
Διὸ μνημονεύετε/Dio mnēmoneuete: As a result of these things, continually rehearse the following thing in your memory:

CONSIDER
“Instruction does much, but encouragement everything.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Our application is to creatively encourage someone this week. This is an important act to undertake any chance we get, but it’s especially poignant as we explore this passage of scripture. Paul begins this section with the words Dio mnēmoneuete – therefore remember. Together, this Greek phrase emphasizes the present imperative active structure of the verb. Okay, so what does that mean for us today?
Dio mnēmoneuete is a linking phrase which implies that because of what Paul spoke about previously (God’s gift of salvation), we are to continually and consistently reflect on what he is about to say – that we were once outsiders to that salvation. The act of remembering that we were outsiders, standing outside the means of salvation before Jesus died on our behalf, is intended to be incredibly encouraging. God brought us near to him because of who he is, not because of what we’ve done. This reveals that our Heavenly Father’s love is not based on the choices we make, but on the fact that we are his. As a result, the ability to boost others up can come from his goodness and not our own! So as we consider ways to creatively encourage those around us, may we not settle for simply teaching them that this is true, but think of ways to inspire, reassure, and strengthen others with the love of God.

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Creatively encourage someone this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. — Ephesians 2:12 ESV

GREEK
ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι/apēllotriōmenoi: cut off from fellowship; kept from participating in

CONSIDER
By just about every Super Bowl ad metric, the bouncing QR code that Coinbase produced to be featured during the most viewed sporting event of the year was a resounding success. It reportedly generated six times more engagement than previous company benchmarks, and in the one minute it aired, the more than 20 million hits their website received wound up crashing Coinbase’s servers. Why were so many people curious about that floating little square? FOMO. Because we are social beings, humans have a desire to be connected, included, and known. And with technology providing the ability to communicate almost anything to just about anyone, the Fear Of Missing Out on something that could help us become an insider is always just a tap away!
This is what Paul is speaking of when he articulates our position prior to Jesus’ work on the cross. We were apēllotriōmenoi (cut off from connecting with the group; kept from participating in) the commonwealth of Israel. Our position outside of the system of salvation left us without hope and no way to restore connection with God. It wasn’t simply fear; we were unavoidably living in the reality of missing out. But the Good News that the book of Ephesians communicates in this pericope is that even though we could do nothing to gain access to salvation, Jesus acted on our behalf to provide us with a sense of belonging. He knew how much being apēllotriōmenoi salvation would crush us, and his love for us was on display as he allowed nails to pierce his hands and feet. Thankfully, Jesus’ work ensures that a right relationship with our Heavenly Father is the one thing that we will never have to miss out on.

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Creatively encourage someone this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. — Ephesians 2:13

GREEK
μακρὰν/makran: far away, remote, alien

CONSIDER
He had every reason to feel as guilty as he did. In his mind, the young man who wished his father was dead, demanded his inheritance, and wasted it all on an extended party out of town got everything he deserved. His only recourse was to return to his father and ask for a job as an employee, not a relative. The privilege of family ties was severed the day he walked out on his dad.
But something incredible happened the day this young prodigal returned home. When his father noticed him makran (far away and alien to the situation), this merciful man ran to his son and weepingly embraced him. The son was far off, unworthy of acceptance, and alien to the benefits of belonging. But none of that mattered to the one who loved him more than he could ever deserve.
The parable of the Prodigal Son that Jesus shared in Luke 15 perfectly illustrates the point that Paul makes in today’s verse. We weren’t just makranin proximity to God, but just like that son, the vulgarity of our sin also made us spiritual outcasts in need of hope. Even though we didn’t deserve it, Ephesians reminds us that Jesus shed his blood so that we would mercifully be brought near. When we truly grasp the lengths that God went to so that we could come home to him, it will completely reshape the way we live. And as we creatively encourage someone this week, let’s remember all that God did to encourage us when we needed it most.

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Creatively encourage someone this week.

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility — Ephesians 2:14 ESV

GREEK
ποιήσας/poiēsas: has constructed, manufactured

CONSIDER
In 1925, Henry Ford revolutionized the automobile industry with an assembly line that reduced the total production time for his Model T to only 93 minutes. In 2022, a Rolls Royce could take up to six months to be assembled in full. These luxury vehicles are often constructed with nearly 30,000 individual parts, and a Rolls Royce Phantom is designed for top speeds of 155mph. Both are vehicles, but those vehicles are built for much different worlds, and the work to create them produces two totally different things.
Humanity is always looking for ways to manufacture peace in a hostile world, and much of what we produce promises unparalleled harmony. However, only one source of peace poiēsas (has constructed; has manufactured) the means to break down the dividing wall of hostility between us. This peace can’t be duplicated or reproduced, because true and ultimate peace comes from a person! Jesus himself is our peace, and the work completed in his flesh has already been accomplished. Trying to produce peace on our own terms is more futile than trying to build a 2022 Rolls Royce on a 1925 Ford assembly line. As we consider where we need to be a peacemaker this week, may we remember where – and who – real peace comes from!

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Where do I need to be a peacemaker?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,— Ephesians 2:15 ESV

GREEK
καταργήσας/katargēsas: rendering inoperative; severing from the source of power

CONSIDER
If we’re not careful, we may read this week’s passage and assume that Paul is contradicting Jesus. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus tells his hearers that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. But in today’s verse, Paul celebrates the fact that Jesus broke down the dividing wall of hostility by katargēsas (rendering inoperative) the law of commandments expressed in ordinances. So which one is it? Thankfully for us, both are Gospel truth!
Jesus was teaching his hearers about the moral law, and in particular about the way a group called the Pharisees defined morality. They believed that righteousness could be achieved by doing everything the law required, down to the smallest detail. And although perfection is impossible, the closer someone got to full adherence to the law, the more moral they became. So Jesus was clarifying that righteousness and morality matter, but true righteousness comes through Christ, who didn’t come to abolish the means of righteousness, but rather to fulfill it by offering his life as a sacrifice.
Paul is saying the same thing, but he’s coming at it from a different perspective. For Paul, Jesus wasn’t katargēsas the moral law, but rather the ceremonial law that could only be adhered to by Jewish insiders. Every other ethnicity was separated from the hope of righteousness by this law. That is the system which needed to be rendered inoperative – katargēsas – if humanity was ever going to be united and at peace. Think of it: Jesus suffered separation from his Heavenly Father so that we could experience true connection to each other, and to him. The grace of God was on full display when Jesus fulfilled the moral law and abolished the ceremonial law by the same act of sacrificial love!

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Where do I need to be a peacemaker?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:16

GREEK
ἀποκαταλλάξῃ/apokatallaxē: might bring together as a result of a change from one state of feeling to another

CONSIDER
In 2016, a woman from Farah, India was kidnapped by three local men whom she knew rather well. These men held her against her will and tried to get her to think differently about something very specific. What made these men upset enough to abduct this woman solely for a difference in perspective? One of them had asked her to marry him, and when she refused, kidnapping was the only thing he could think of to change her mind! In case you’re wondering, it didn’t work, and the trio were arrested shortly thereafter.
This story illustrates an age-old truth: the quickest way to promote hostility is to attempt to force someone into thinking like we think. We as humans tend to believe that if only others saw things the way we do, the world would be free of all its problems. But coercion and force don’t change a person’s heart, even if they temporarily change their mind. And therein lies the beauty of the gospel. Jesus didn’t leverage his omnipotence and authority so that he apokatallaxē(might bring together as a result of a change from one state of feeling to another) us to God. He knew that this use of power may change our behavior but it could not deepen our love for him or our connection to the Father. When God sought to do something about the sin that poisoned our hearts and severed our relationship with him, he planned the ultimate act of love by giving his son so that he apokatallaxē us through his sacrifice. Reflecting that reconciling love is the most effective way to be a peacemaker.

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Where do I need to be a peacemaker?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizenswith the saints and members of the household of God, – Ephesians 2:19 ESV

GREEK
συμπολῖται/sympolitai: native of the same town

CONSIDER
It would be difficult to imagine a more divided place than the city of Londonderry in the 20th century. Located on the northwest border of Northern Ireland, it was the epicenter of hostility between Catholics and Protestants, Irish and British, and upper and lower classes. But in 1985 the Derry City Football Club earned entrance into the League of Ireland, and the area seemed to unify around their new found soccer identity. Crowds of 10,000 people would pack the local stadium, and rival religious, political, and social factions would literally stand side by side to cheer on and celebrate their favorite team… at least until the season ended.
Now imagine a place where the conflicts and divisions that separate us aren’t just set aside for a season, but are eradicated forever! This is the vision Paul has for humanity as it is built on the strong foundation of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:19 declares that we are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are sympolitai (natives of the same town) with the saints and members of the household of God. This unique word is only found once in the New Testament, and the concept would have been revolutionary to those who first heard it. In the Roman world to which Paul was writing, citizenship meant far more than what team you cheered for. Being from the right place granted you freedom, access to political participation and broader financial opportunity. So when we discover that we are sympolitai with the saints, it means that no matter where we’re from or what we’ve done, Jesus has made it possible for us to build our identity and relationships on a solid foundation. When we commit to celebrating Jesus and his unifying work for all who believe, anything else that has the potential to divide simply seems insignificant.

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How can I connect more deeply with this body of believers?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:22 ESV

GREEK
συνοικοδομεῖσθε/synoikodomeisthe: are being put together as several things to build up one whole

CONSIDER
There are 13 elements that are found in the human body in more than trace amounts. These elements are vital for life, but only in the perfect balance. For example, our bodies need iron, but too much of it and our organs can shut down; too little and anemia could leave us exhausted, weak, or even dead. Extra hydrogen in our system makes a person ill, but add oxygen to the mix and we have water. You get the picture – alone they can be volatile, but together in the right context, every element is crucial. None are in our bodies by accident and we need them to work together in the right proportions if we want to be at our best.
How can I connect more deeply with this body of believers? There’s a chance you may be hesitant to answer this question because of something in your life you regret. But just like each element has a role to play in our physical bodies, each unique role in the body of Christ is vital! Not because of the skill or ability we contribute, but because in Jesus we synoikodomeisthe (are being put together as several things to build up one whole). Only the God of creation could take flawed and unstable humans and make a cohesive and dependable body of believers. You may not be perfect, and in isolation you may even question your value. But God knows your worth and has built together a place for you to come alive in his body.

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How can I connect more deeply with this body of believers?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:22 ESV

GREEK
κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ/katoikētērion tou Theou: home where God chooses to live

CONSIDER
There’s no denying it: our Essential series has done a lot to reveal the grace of God. When we were dead, God made us alive; when we were outcasts, God brought us near. The past nine weeks have been a vivid reminder that our Lord has been good and faithful to undeserving people like you and me. But just in case it wasn’t clear that he has not done all this for us out of pity or obligation, Paul ends this pericope with revolutionary news. Ephesians 2:22 says that in [Jesus], you also are being built together into a katoikētērion tou Theou(home where God chooses to live) by the Spirit. Incredible! God has chosen to make his dwelling place in people who were so broken, sin-stained, and helpless that he sent his son to die on our behalf. This Greek phrase makes it clear that God has not chosen to simply put up with us, but to make his home in us! May this illustration of the kindness of our Heavenly Father spur us on to connect more deeply with others in whom God has chosen to abide.

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How can I connect more deeply with this body of believers?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!