Exceeding in Ephesians

November 3, 2023 at 2:48 pm | Posted in Ephesians | Leave a comment
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The Greek word hyperballo is found three times in Ephesians. It has the sense of “throwing beyond” – the way a javelin or an arrow would fly beyond some mark or limit. It is translated as “exceeding” twice and as “passeth” (“surpasseth”) once, but this idea of going beyond whatever limits we, as finite human beings, would seek to place on God and His gifts and attributes is a central theme in Ephesians.

The word “excess” is also found in Ephesians – in connection with drunkenness and drunken behavior – but that is translated from a completely separate Greek word meaning wastefulness or loss of control veering toward reckless expenditure. We might be tempted to link “exceeding” with “excess,” but that is not the case here. God does not waste His gifts, nor does He carelessly lavish them without good purpose. God is not “excessive,” but He does exceed all human limits, expectations, and imagination.

Exceeding Blessings

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Ephesians 1:3 (emphasis added)

Perhaps it would not be a stretch to think that God would bless us with SOME spiritual blessings, or at least one blessing, even considering that He owes us none and we deserve none, but, no, He exceeds the blessing of creation with the blessing of revelation, and He exceeds the blessing of revelation with the blessing of conviction, and He exceeds that blessing with the blessings of calling, and salvation, and regeneration, and justification, and adoption, and eternal life, and His presence, and sanctification, and ultimately glorification. He is blessed, and His act of blessing is itself a blessing, and what we receive are ALL spiritual blessings, secure for us in the securest place – Heavenly places – the royal treasury of God’s throne room in Heaven. Fort Knox may be robbed or destroyed, but God’s Heaven may not.

Exceeding Wisdom

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Ephesians 1:8

To know anything of God and His glory is a wonder and a gift, but He has caused true Christians to know Him in a saving way. He has exceeded the wisdom of the wisest people ever to walk the earth, and He has given us the knowledge and the wisdom to understand and apply that knowledge, and the even greater wisdom to exercise it with caution and discretion and discernment (prudence). There is nothing that God wants you to know that you can not know.

Exceeding Power

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Ephesians 1:19

God not only exceeds in blessing and in wisdom, He also exceeds in power over us and for us. True power is not unbridled energy. It is the power of One powerful enough to focus and control this power. God exceeds our puny abilities and strengths, but then He condescends His power through us so that we have the joy of experiencing it in Him. We are far more spiritually powerful than we often believe, and we have yet to even come close to fully accessing the exceeding power that God will channel through us.

Exceeding Mercy

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Ephesians 2:4

God is not grudgingly merciful, although we sometimes think of Him that way. We might think that all He’s willing to give us is just a rescue from punishment, and, admittedly, even that would be a great mercy indeed. Or perhaps He would even go so far as to give us the role of mere servants, maybe messengers, and that, too, given our sinful and wicked rebellion, WOULD be a tremendous mercy. But God’s mercy comes from an infinitely rich store of mercy. He has not merely pardoned us, or given us some menial tasks. Rather, He has made us His own children and has exceeded anything that the world can comprehend when it thinks of its own stingy version of mercy.

Exceeding Grace

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:7

We might anticipate some act of grace from a gracious God, but God’s grace, the other side of the coin of His mercy, comes from the same treasure of riches, and it will be eternally marvelous and eternally effective. It exceeds time, for there are always more ages to come in eternity.

Exceeding Glory

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Ephesians 3:16

Of course identification with God – the most glorious Being in all of existence – would naturally reflect glory on those associated with Him, but here, again, we are surprised to learn just how exceedingly glorious God is, for His glory does not shine merely in an outward display. It is evident, too, in an inward strengthening that transforms in the deepest, innermost level. Exceeding glory completely permeates everyone and everything which shall be strengthened by God.

Exceeding Love

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Ephesians 3:19

God’s love (the love OF Christ) can not be fully grasped. We might expect to be the recipients of it on some level (for He is love, and love naturally finds an object to love), but this loves goes beyond merely affecting those who are loved by God. It is such an intimate, unconditional, ACTIVE love that it engulfs us fully, through and through: our hearts, minds, will, intellect, emotions, feelings, actions, thoughts, words, attitudes. Furthermore, He does not stop at filling us with PART of Himself. No, we are filled with His FULLNESS. This is truly exceeding love. It passes all demarcations of what we think of as love in our shallow experience of mere human love. It goes to places of which we can not as yet even dream.

Exceeding Expectations

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,

Ephesians 3:20

This is the summation of the doctrinal section (the first three chapters) of Ephesians, before the Holy Spirit through Paul would go on to the practical application section (the last three chapters). Whatever problem you encounter – if you are truly in Christ Jesus – whether it is a temptation to sin, difficulties with other people (including fellow church members and those in your own household), direct frontal assaults and sudden all-out ambushes by Satan himself, remember that God goes beyond what we would expect in every regard. He has provided and will continue to provide not only what we need, but what we don’t even yet have a clue that we will need.

Below are links to a series of lessons on the Book of Ephesians:

1. From Ephesus to Eternity (1:1-5)
2. Only Apostles Elected? (1:1-7)
3. Causality and God’s Will (1:1-9)
4. Did God Really Choose? (1:4)
5. Is the Doctrine of Election Evil? (1:4)
6. God’s Purposes and Our Obligations (1:6; 2:5-7; 4:1,22-25)
7. Elective Salvation (1:3-14)
8. he Bible Word that Makes Some People Mad, When It Should Fill Them with Joy (1:5-14)
9. An Exceedingly Rich Inheritance (1:15-23)
10. A Different Kind of Gravedigger (2:1-6)
11. What Is the Gift of God? (2:4-10)
12. No More Wondering, Working, and Waiting (2:4-5,8-9)
13. Bloodwork (2:10-14)
14. The Family of Faith (2:19)
15. Family Privileges (2:12,19)
16. The Provision of Peace (2:13-16)
17. A Mystery Revealed (3:1-14)
18. A Sublime Digression (3:10-14)
19. Four-Dimensional Love (Part 1) (3:14-19)
20. Four-Dimensional Love (Part 2) (3:14-19)
21. Prayer as a Means of Grace (3:20-21)
22. All Dressed up and Nowhere to Go (4:1; 6:10-15)
23. Pursuing Peace in Marriage (4:1-3)
24. The Correlation between What You Believe and How You Live (4:1-13)
25. God’s Specific Will for You (4:11-12; 5:15-20)
26. Sanctification as a Group Project (4:13-23)
27. When and How to Speak Up (4:14; 5:17-21)
28. Be Ye Angry (4:26)
29. The Propriety of Paragonal Parenting (5:1)
30. Like Father, Like Child (5:1-2)
31. When We Stink before God (5:2)*
32. An Aromatic Marriage (5:2,28-29)
33. Negative and Positive Charges for a Walk in the Light (4:31 – 5:15)
34. Beware Forensic Filth (5:5)
35. Keep Your Head on a Swivel (5:15-24)
36. The Blessings of an Unhappy Marriage Part 2 (5:24-25)
37. Mysteriously Meaningful Marriage Part 1 (5:24-32)
38. Reverence in Marriage (Part 1) (5:25-33)
39. Reverence in Marriage (Part 2) (5:21-22,31-33)
40. Through Whom God Works out His Plans (5:22)
41. Submission and Honor in Marriage (5:22,25)
42. The Household Code: Husbands and Wives (5:22-26)
43. Why Not Get Divorced? (5:22-32)
44. Juliette and Joey (5:22-33)
45. Modesty and Louis (5:22-33)
46. An Indicative Marriage (For Husbands) (5:23)
47. Mercy and Charlie (5:23,25,33)
48. John Piper: S.W.I.M. to be Married (5:31-33)
49. An Illustrative Marriage (5:31-32)
50. The Problem with Popular Parenting (6:1)
51. The Household Code: Parents and Children (6:1-3)
52. Don’t be an Abusive, Angry, Absent, or Addicted Parent (6:4)
53. The Household Code: Masters and Servants (6:5-9)
54. Closing in Prayer (6:10-24)
55. The Privilege of Protection (6:12)
56. The Armor of God (6:12-14)
57. These Shoes Are Made for Standing (6:15)
58. Shield, Helmet, Sword (6:16-18)

*most-viewed post in category




These Shoes Are Made for Standing

October 30, 2023 at 3:27 pm | Posted in Biblical standing, Ephesians | 1 Comment
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And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 6:15

We normally think of shoes that are made for walking, but, when it comes to spiritual warfare, we need shoes that are made for standing. Many Romans soldiers had two pairs of sandals: one for marching/traveling (with straps lower down on the ankles) and one for fighting (with straps higher up on the calves). The idea of having our feet shod with the Gospel is not so much the idea of preaching the Gospel (although that is very important); the emphasis instead is on the preparation. Be prepared for Satanic attacks that can weaken your stand by maintaining a state of readiness.

In Ephesians the Gospel is associated with reconciliation: peace between Jews and gentiles, and peace between God and man. Satan doesn’t like reconciliation. He loves to divide and conquer. He causes division. We must be prepared by remembering and having our “feet” – our foundation for standing – grounded in unity. We need to be focused on seeing people reconciled to God, including people that the world says are not like us, and with whom therefore, again, according to the world, we should not get along. In Christ’s atonement He made us one with the Father, so we must not let the devil cause us to doubt our standing with Him or His familial love for us.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Isaiah 52:7

Closing in Prayer

October 17, 2023 at 1:30 pm | Posted in Biblical prayer, Ephesians | 1 Comment
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Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Ephesians 6:18

A general definition for prayer is that it is simply speaking to God. Supplication is asking God to supply what is missing: “wants” or needs. “All prayer” would include intercessions (praying for others), praise, thanksgiving, and confession and request for repentance.

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Ephesians 6:19

Paul knew he needed prayer. We should should pray that God would help us to evangelize boldly and to speak correctly.

For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:20

The last few verses in the Book of Ephesians are the closing of the letter, but they are also intended as encouragement. Encouragement is very important in the Christian life. Just as the sovereign God chooses to work through armor and prayer, He also provides the assignments He commands us to do, and He knows the things we need.

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:23 (emphasis added)

Peace is God’s gift. Love is God’s gift. Faith is God’s gift. They are “FROM” God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They are provided by God’s grace. No one can love God with sincerity apart from God’s enabling grace.

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Ephesians 6:24

This comes back to the idea that the power to live a Spirit-filled life must come from the Lord.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Ephesians 6:10

Shield, Helmet, Sword

October 13, 2023 at 10:03 am | Posted in Ephesians | 2 Comments
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Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Ephesians 6:16

“Above all” is a little tricky to understand, because, at first glance, it sounds like a value judgment indicating that the shield of faith is the most important part of the armor of God. However, “above all” can be read in the sense of emphasis without it necessarily meaning a comparative emphasis, similar to how we use the phrase, “and WHATEVER you do…” For example, if my daughter is going to spend the night with her grandparents, I might remind her to take her sleeping bag, clean socks, pajamas, and, “whatever you do, don’t forget your toothbrush.” There is an emphasis on taking the toothbrush, but I don’t necessarily mean that the toothbrush is more important than the pajamas. HOWEVER, “above all” in Ephesians 6:16 is a literal translation, so it is fair to say that, if there is one piece of the armor we need to be especially mindful of when Satan attacks in the “evil day,” it is the shield of faith, because the shield is the armor that protects against the fiery darts – Satanic attacks that come from a distance – so we are trying to prevent him from even getting into close contact, and from establishing a foothold or an “occasion,” and from starting a fire which would subsequently require our attention and energy to extinguish.

While many theologians disagree on whether faith is a gift, or whether it is something we generate, it is clear that it is something we need to be consistently holding up in the face of spiritual attacks. No matter how long we’ve been saved, our faith should be growing stronger and stronger, not stagnating or deteriorating. Of course, the strength of faith will always be contingent on the object of faith. Faith in Christ will extinguish flaming arrows. Faith in ourselves will not.

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.

Isaiah 21:5

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Ephesians 6:17

A helmet protects the head, which is where the brain is – where our mental life is conducted. The main battleground of spiritual warfare is the mind. Every believer has a helmet of salvation; otherwise, he or she wouldn’t be a believer. But the exhortation is to TAKE it, to pick it up and put it on, to wear it, to remember what it means to be saved, so that the devil can’t trick you into thinking that you are not, or into thinking that Christ only attempted – but failed – to save you, or into thinking that God can’t keep His Word.

For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

Isaiah 59:17

The Sword of the Spirit is often characterized as the one offensive weapon in the armor of God. If the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the example of a Roman soldier’s armor and weaponry, then he probably had in mind the gladius (from which we get the word “gladiator”): a double-edged sword with a blade about two inches wide. and two feet long (a “short sword”), intended for slashing and thrusting, especially in upward thrusts, after a centurion had already thrown his javelin.

And we are not left to metaphorically determine the meaning of the sword because we are told that it is the Sword OF the Spirit (the Holy Spirit), which means that it is the Word of God: the Bible. We see it used very vividly in the temptation of the Last Adam in the wilderness, where Christ used it (despite its offensive nature) to ward off the attacks of Satan. Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.

Of course, this weapon requires familiarity and training to use it effectively. One of the many things I like about Sunday School is that it can be used as a training ground. The sermon in the preaching service is a good time for self-examination, but the Bible study time in a smaller group works well for preparation in skillfully using the Word and learning it as fully as we can.

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:4

The Bible drives away the devil, but it also protects our mouths from speaking sinfully.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Ephesians 6:18

Bloodwork

October 11, 2023 at 2:52 pm | Posted in Ephesians | 2 Comments
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For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

The good works mentioned in Ephesians 2:10 refer to the works described in Chapters 4–6. Ephesians up to Chapter 2, Verse 11 deals with individual believers, but, starting in 2:11, there is an emphasis on believers being part of a body.

Gentiles should not feel inferior to Jewish believers because of the preferred position of the Jews in times past as God’s chosen people, but neither should they feel arrogant because, under the New Testament, the gentiles have become the majority of Christians. The spiritual distinction between the groups has been dissolved in Christ.  

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13

Among the many amazing accomplishments of the shed blood of Christ, it allows all who believe to approach God, and, really, more than merely allow it – it actually does the work of bringing us near.

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in

Fanny Crosby, “To God Be the Glory”

His blood not only allows His people to enter in to eternal life, it BRINGS them in.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Ephesians 2:14

Jesus has slain the enmity between Jews and gentiles, AND the enmity between God and men. Jesus IS our peace, and He makes peace.

A Different Kind of Gravedigger

October 9, 2023 at 12:20 pm | Posted in Ephesians | 1 Comment
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When the Lord Jesus Christ comes to save a lost sinner He finds him buried under several layers from which he must be rescued.

First, he is spiritually dead.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:1

On top of this spiritual death is a layer of trespasses – acts of deliberate evil which we have all committed. Over our trespasses we also lay beneath a pile of “regular” sins, deeds which which weren’t accompanied by the intentional malice we think of when using the word “evil,” but were incidentally evil nonetheless.

Above our sins and trespasses was the layer of the worldly system and its worldly influence on us.  

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 2:2

Further covering us were the lusts of the flesh, corrupting our feelings, and the lusts of the mind, perverting our thoughts. By nature we were at enmity with God and we were the objects of His wrath. Finally, on top of all these layers, covering our spiritual grave and pressing down upon us in the depths of our depravity, was the peer pressure to conform to those around us.  

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Ephesians 2:3

HOWEVER, for those who have trusted Christ unto salvation, we recognize that the richness of Jesus’s grace and the richness of His mercy made Him dive down so deep through so many layers to “quicken” us – to make us alive and to raise us up to the loftiest and most sublime exaltation.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; ) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 2:4-6

A Mystery Revealed

September 27, 2023 at 12:09 pm | Posted in Ephesians | 2 Comments
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For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

Ephesians 3:1

Paul called himself a prisoner in two senses. He had been set free from bondage to sin, but he had voluntarily placed himself into the captivity of Christ. He was also literally a prisoner of Rome because of his ministry to the gentiles.

This was the beginning of a prayer, which will be continued in Verse 14, but Verses 2 – 13 are a digression – a pause in the prayer in the form of a long sentence (189 words in the Greek) – in which Paul expounded on the ideas in Chapter 2 concerning the relationship of Jews and gentiles in Christ, and in which he addressed his unique position as the recipient of the revelation concerning this relationship which had been a mystery under the Old Testament, but which was now being revealed.

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Ephesians 3:2

Paul was God’s main missionary to the gentiles.

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Ephesians 3:3-4

The Book of Ephesians uses the idea of mysteries more than any other book of the Bible. It addresses the revelation of God’s election, the revelation of His predetermined work in Christ and the Cross, the revelation of the true meaning of marriage, and others.

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

Ephesians 3:5

Paul wasn’t the only one given revelations. Other Apostles and New Testament prophets were used by God to reveal clearly what had been shadowy in the Old Testament, too. The idea is that no one could figure these things out on his own. God had to unilaterally impart this knowledge, but He did not just give it to anyone or everyone. The New Testament Church is built on the foundation first of Christ, and then on Holy Spirit revelation to the capital-A Apostles.

This was the mystery being revealed now:

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Ephesians 3:6

Paul could not have discovered the revelation of this mystery on his own:

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Ephesians 3:7-8 (emphasis added)

A recognition of grace makes people humble, joyful, and responsible. A refusal to acknowledge grace makes people proud, grumpy, and complacent.

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Ephesians 3:9-10

The revelation of the mystery also educates angels and devils.

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Ephesians 3:11 (emphasis added)

God the Father chose to save sinners; Christ the Son died to accomplish it; and the Holy Spirit applies it.

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Ephesians 3:12-13

Here Paul continued the prayer begun back in Verse 1:

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 3:14

God’s Purposes and Our Obligations

September 25, 2023 at 12:39 pm | Posted in Ephesians | 5 Comments
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To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Ephesians 1:6

God’s gracious purpose in calling us obligates us to walk worthy of that calling:

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians 4:1

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:5-7

God’s purpose in raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life obligates us to put away our former way of life, and to walk in purity:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:22-25

Be Ye Angry

September 21, 2023 at 11:49 am | Posted in Ephesians | 1 Comment
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Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Ephesians 4:26

There are various views as to what this verse is supposed to be teaching us about being angry.

One view says that this verse means we should never stop being angry. When the sun goes down the day is over, so we should never let the “day of our anger” end. I think it’s safe to say – and could probably go without saying – that this view is not correct.

A second view is one that is most commonly applied in the realm of marriage advice: Spouses should not “go to bed angry.” This means that husbands and wives, rather than giving each other the silent treatment, or ending the day with an unresolved conflict, should hash things out and make peace before storming out or sulking off to nurse grudges or allowing unforgiveness to fester. While there is certainly some wisdom in this application, Ephesians 4:26 is not primarily about marital squabbling.

I like the third view best: When, as a Christian, you find yourself angry or irritated in a such a way that you are tempted to express your anger sinfully, you should do an exhaustive investigation into the cause of your anger, and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, try to determine the sorts of triggers or traps that cause you to lose your temper, and then to take steps to defuse them, thereby giving you the victory over repeated lapses in temperance and self-control.

Furthermore, if there are certain landmines scattered about and buried in your life, it is not enough to just map out the minefield so they can be avoided (although that might be a a temporary solution). Instead, you need to dig up the mines and bury them somewhere else where they no longer pose a danger. The Bible warns us to be swift to hear and slow to anger, but it might (contrary to view number two above) be advisable, when our temper starts to kindle and flare, to have a cooling-off (maybe even a sleeping-it-off) period before trying to settle a contentious issue or reconcile with a contentious person.

A fourth view worth considering is to take Ephesians 4:26’s “be ye angry” as an imperative. Get angry at the right things, for the right reasons. But do not sin. Do not get angry at the wrong things, for the wrong reasons.

What are some right things about which to get angry? The next verse in Ephesians 4 suggests Satan as a legitimate object of our anger. The overall context points to the appropriateness of anger over the mistreatment of fellow church members. If somebody kidnapped you on the way to Sunday School and locked you in a supply closet so you couldn’t come to class, I, as the teacher, would have just cause for anger.

Prayer as a Means of Grace

August 28, 2023 at 2:23 pm | Posted in Biblical prayer, Ephesians, Means of Grace | 8 Comments
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It is often assumed that prayer is lacking in the life of even otherwise faithful Christians. Of course, we don’t really know if this is true of not. However, it is often listed in surveys as the spiritual discipline that Christians struggle with most. Even Jesus’s closest disciples seemed to have some difficulty in comprehending it or in confidently practicing it, since Scripture records them asking Jesus, “Teach us to pray.”

The main point of the lesson on Bible study as a means of grace was a reminder that, when we read the Bible we are HEARING FROM GOD HIMSELF. We need to recover a sense of reverence and awe in order to grasp the importance of taking it seriously. Similarly, in prayer, we need to remember that we are not merely uttering words as a form of discipling ourselves. We are actually TALKING TO GOD. The awesome God who speaks to us in His Word is the same awesome God who hears us when we speak our heartfelt words to Him.

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

Psalm 86:1

The psalmist asked God to “recline” or “decline” or “condescend” to our level. This is a prayer asking God to hear our prayers, not because God is reluctant to do so, nor because He is too busy or too transcendent, but as a reminder to us not to take this for granted. Prayer is a privilege, not a right. It comes from us, in a sense, but, admitting that we are “poor and needy,” we recognize that the ability to do it is first and foremost a gift from Him.

2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee. 3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.

Psalm 86:2-3

We need prayer, and we need it every day. We “cry” to God; prayer should not be dispassionate. Here are some principles to keep in mind as God uses prayer as a means of grace in our lives:

1. Humbly pray that God would make you humble.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:5

Public prayer is good, assuming it is true prayer to the true God and not a make-believe show or a form of crass self-promotion. Keeping in mind that public prayer is good, though, also keep in mind that private prayer is better.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 6:6

I don’t believe that you must literally go into a closest to pray, but finding a place where we won’t be distracted, and where we won’t be too self-conscious, seems necessary.

2. Simply pray that God would keep your prayers simple.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:7

Public prayer requires a certain formality, but not an excessive formality.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 6:8

God never needs things “explained” to Him. You can safely assume that you and God are on the same page when it comes to what’s on your heart. God is not like a lawyer scouring your petitions for legal loopholes.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26

If the efficacy of our prayers depended on us impressing God with our eloquence or even the precision of our language, we would have no hope of seeing them answered favorably.

3. Biblically pray for God to help you to pray Biblically.

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

James 5:16-18

This is one of the many ways that Bible study goes hand in hand with prayer. We need to bring up to God specific examples of Scriptural promises or Bible stories in our prayers. God recorded these for us so we can know His character, and so that we can be encouraged, and so that we can learn from past examples of men and women who prayed the right way for the rights things with the right heart attitude.

4. Confidently pray that God would give you confidence in Him.

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,

Ephesians 3:20

We need to pray, truly believing that God is sovereign over all. He is not limited by what we are able to comprehend or even imagine. We need to pray in faith, but not faith in our prayers. We need to pray with faith in the One Who hears our prayers, and we need to believe that He will glorify Himself in us for the sake of Jesus. Christian prayers are special prayers. We have special access to God, and He has a vested interest in us.

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Ephesians 3:21

5. Joyfully pray that God would help you find your joy in Him.

    Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

    Psalm 86:4

    We should find joy in praying. However, we may not limit our prayers only to times when are joyful. Therefore, we need to pray for joy and pray that God would making praying a time of rejoicing for us. God will do a better job of giving us joy than introverted pep talks, self-help techniques, chemical substances (or food), or even mood-enhancing music. We must lift up our soul to God Himself – whatever emotional state it’s in – and say, “Here, Lord, transform it; make it happy about the right things. Make it grateful. Make it satisfied. Make it peaceful. Make it excited and vibrant. Make it compassionate but not fatalistic.

    3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

    Philippians 1:3-5

    Two practical things that will help your to pray joyfully:

    a. Pray in fellowship with others, or at least a partner.

    b. Start your prayers with gratitude and praise – thanksgiving and worship. Think of prayer itself as a place of unburdening and relief

    O what peace we often forfeit,
    O what needless pain we bear,
    All because we do not carry
    Everything to God in prayer!

    Joseph Scriven, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

    6. Pray with focus that God would cause you to focus on prayer.

    Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

    Psalm 86:11

    Distraction is the enemy of focused and fervent prayer. God can help us to focus. Having a united heart is very important. The opposite of a united heart and a united mind is a divided heart and a divided mind (which sounds not coincidentally like idolatry).

    5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

    James 1:5-8

    The topic here is asking God for wisdom, but it would apply to any prayer. We are asking God to unite our hearts and makes us single-minded TO FEAR HIM – to recognize that all our prayers need to be focused on glorifying His name and seeing His will done. Whether the topic of the prayer is finances, health, relationships, even spiritual growth and maturity, we are to be directed by and for His purposes. We are not good shepherds of our own minds. They tend to wander all over the place. This can be helpful when when we want to be imaginative and creative, but not so great when we are seriously bringing our petitions and requests before the Lord. He will help you focus and have integrity (be whole).

    7. Persist in praying for God to make you persistent in prayer.

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