DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Is This Really Possible?
by Pr. Dave Mann
In the first three chapters of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul focuses on what God has done for us in Christ – how the free gift of salvation is made available to all who believe. Look at just a few of the many great verses that declare what God has done for us – Eph 1:4; 2:4-5; 2:8-9; 3:20-21.
Then, starting with the fourth chapter, Paul reminds us how the power of God at work within us energizes us to live a new life. We are called and empowered by God to live a life worthy of his calling. With the Holy Spirit working in us, we can be humble, gentle, and patient. Wow! And not just humble, gentle, and patient, but completely humble, gentle, and patient. Now that is a high calling!
My first response is, “Lord, that’s impossible. I can’t do that! You’ve got the wrong guy.” To which the Holy Spirit whispers, “Go back and read chapters 1-3 again. You are not on your own. God has already taken the initiative. God will not abandon you now. He has invested too much in you. He has chosen you from before the foundations of the world. He has made you alive. Do you think that God can’t do it?!” To which we respond, “Well, if you put it that way, I guess I’ll just look to God when my humbleness, gentleness, and patience seem to be lacking.”
To live a life worthy of his calling is not possible in my own strength, relying on my own natural resources. But it certainly is possible for the power of God to do it. He can raise the dead and give eternal life freely and fully. God has a plan for the church. He weaves together all these flawed baptized believers and gives them salvation by grace. In fact, the plan is that this group of ragtag, proud, rude, and always-in-a-hurry believers will live together forever in heaven. The transformation of these people is already underway. Certainly, the process is not complete, but it has begun. As Paul wrote in one of his other letters, “He who began a good work in you, will bring it to perfection on the Day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). There is one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. And that God is over all of us, working through all of us, and living in all of us.
PRAYER
Lord God, who saves, forgive me for doubting that you can change the unworthy to be worthy, to change the proud to be humble, to change the rude to be gentle, to change the impatient to be patient. I certainly need your salvation. I believe you can do it. I look forward to the day your work in me will be complete, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you for the reminder, Pastor Dave, of what the Lord has done for us and how he continues to work through us even in our weakness.