Reading... Ephesians

“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

I suggest you read Ephesians at home. It’s not that long. Honestly, it’s only the length of a “long read” article, or a couple newspaper columns. And this is a really rich letter.

Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, to his own old, dear friends whom he served as pastor years before. He  reminds them the incredible things that God has done and will do for them, and reminds them who they are in Christ. He tells them what God is blessing them with, and what following Jesus means in their lives.

And it is written for us today as well.

This is the letter that gives us the verse that is at the core of what Christians believe: “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. This was the theme verse at Lutherans Outdoors church camps this summer, with the reminder that “This changes everything!” “Grace changes  everything!”

When our Protestant forerunners in faith proclaimed this, it changed the world. When we understand it for ourselves, it changes our lives. Because it means that all our guilt, all our shame, all our sin is canceled and washed away by Jesus. It means that we can’t hate ourselves because God loves us.

Grace changes how we see ourselves – we are God’s workmanship. Grace changes how we see others – we are sinners like them, not superior or  inferior. Grace changes how we see God – there is no warrant out for our arrest or punishment because now we are at peace with God.

Finally, I want to point out that the descriptions of marriage relationships in Ephesians 5 are important, but they are also often misused. It should never be used to defend someone’s power, or to treat women as less than men. That’s simply not true anywhere in scripture, and it’s not true here. After, the example of leadership here is Jesus, and Jesus never subjected anyone or tried to stay in power: instead, he gave his power away.

3 questions to consider when reading Ephesians:
       1. What is God like in character and actions?
       2. What are we, God’s people, like in dignity and (hopefully) actions?
       3. How does this character and value relate to Jesus’ earthly life?

Happy reading!