Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17–19 is life-changing—it reminds us of our identity, causing truth to sink deeply into the fabric of our lives. In particular, this prayer contains three things Paul wants the Ephesian believers to grasp about their position in Christ:
These three components point to the abundance God provides out of His own power for those who believe.
Ephesians 1:20–23 continues to examine that power behind God’s provision. This is the power God used to raise Jesus from the dead so that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places.
It is significant for our faith not only that He is alive, but also that He is “seated.” The fact that He is “seated” means His work of redemption is accomplished. No further sacrifice is necessary to atone for our sins.
Christ’s work on the cross means that we are free from sin. His perfect blood paid the penalty of our sin so that we are no longer its slaves. Although we are still being progressively sanctified while on this earth, it is our position in Christ that counts—we were buried and raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3–7).
Paul reminds the Ephesian believers (and us!) to live in accordance with the true dignity of our calling. We should not walk in the ways of this world any longer, but should live out of our identity in Christ. After all, we find true fulfillment through the life of Christ in us.
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Paul’s four life-changing prayers are written on a card in Ken’s Spiritual Renewal Card Set.
These are the last recorded statements of Jesus Christ before His death on the cross. Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34) When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and
Mortality and the purpose of life are prominent themes in Thomas Cole’s paintings. Through his paintings, he vividly brings out the human dilemma of mortality, a dilemma we ourselves must wrestle with. Given the inevitability of death, what are we to do with our days? We can try to stave
In the article below, Dr. Boa synthesizes material from several teaching sessions from his series Biblical Principles for Marriage and from portions of his spiritual formation text Conformed to His Image (primarily from chapter 18, “Holistic Spirituality”). Dr. Boa focuses on agape love as one of the five forms of loves (based on the different Greek words). After reviewing all forms, he gives reasons for why agape is the greatest.
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