Daily Scripture Reading Ephesians 3:1 - 4:10

There are people within the church who have the mentality that since God is loving, and since all believers will spend eternity in heaven where there will be no pain or suffering, then our behavior here on earth doesn’t matter much. The people with that mentality are casual about sin. They don’t treat sin seriously.

Today’s passage encourages us to have the opposite mentality. The truth about what Christ did for us should lead us to strive to be worthy of that which we have received.

Yesterday we read from chapter 2 in which Paul wrote about Christ breaking down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile. The Old Testament had a strong emphasis on the Israelites staying distinct from the Gentiles. The New Testament teaches us that, in the church, that distinction does not exist and both Jewish and Gentile believers come together to form one church. Both Jews and Gentiles access the same Father through the same Son and Spirit.

Eph. 3:1 ¶ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

The phrase “for this reason” refers to the teaching in chapter 2 about Jews and Gentiles coming together to form the church.

Look at the word “prisoner”. Apparently, Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter.

Eph. 3:2 if indeed you heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;

Eph. 3:3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

Make note of the word “mystery”. Some information was revealed to Paul which was previously unknown.

Eph. 3:4 About which, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

Eph. 3:5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:

The mystery of which Paul wrote had been a mystery for many generations.

Eph. 3:6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

Verse 6 identifies the mystery which was revealed to Paul. Before Christ, there was a barrier between Jew and Gentile. After Christ, the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the church.

Eph. 3:7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Eph. 3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the unfathomable riches of Christ,

Paul’s main purpose was to proclaim the gospel to Gentiles.

Eph. 3:9 and to bring to light for all what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

Eph. 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

All through the Old Testament time period, God had been planning to reveal the gospel to Gentiles and include them in the church, but He did not make that known until after Christ died and rose again.

Eph. 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Eph. 3:12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

Eph. 3:13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my afflictions on your behalf, which are your glory.

This verse tells us that Paul was suffering afflictions at the time he wrote this letter. His affliction probably refers to his imprisonment. Even though Paul was suffering, he did not want the Ephesians to lose heart because God was carrying out His eternal purpose and plan.

Eph. 3:14 ¶ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

Paul was very willing to submit to whatever affliction he had to endure in order to carry out the mission given to him by the Father.

Eph. 3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

Eph. 3:16 that He would give you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

Eph. 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love,

Note the words “firmly rooted” and “grounded”. The goal is for each Christian to meet that description.

Eph. 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

Ponder what it means to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth.

Eph. 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Ponder what it means to know the love of Christ.

Eph. 3:20 ¶ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or understand, according to the power that works within us,

The pronoun “Him” refers to God. Paul stated that God is able to do more than we ask or understand.

Eph. 3:21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Eph. 4:1 ¶ Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Don’t miss the word “Therefore”. Because of the truths written in chapter 3, which we just read, we should walk worthy of our calling. In Ephesians 2:8 Paul wrote that we have been saved by grace, not by works. But then in verse 10 he wrote that we were created for good works. We cannot earn our salvation, nor can we ever be good enough to be worthy or our calling, but we should do everything in our power to live as righteously as possible.

This is a contrast to how some people in the church view the Christian life. Some church members take the attitude that since God is love, once we are saved, it doesn’t matter how we live. The first verse of chapter 4 states that it does matter how we live and we should be diligent to be righteous.

Eph. 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Eph. 4:3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Eph. 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

Eph. 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

Eph. 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

This is a continuation of what Paul wrote in earlier chapters. Before Christ, there was a wall between Jews and Gentiles. Christ broke down that wall, so that in the church age all Christians, whether Jew or Gentile, are one body with one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

Eph. 4:7 ¶ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Even though we are one body, each individual member of the body has different gifts and abilities, which leads to each person having a different function within the body.

Eph. 4:8 Therefore it says,

“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,

HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,

And HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”

Eph. 4:9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth?

Eph. 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

It is tempting for Christians to think that once we are saved and know we are going to heaven, then it doesn’t matter how carefully we observe God’s commandments. However, God has given us the greatest gift we can ever receive. Our love for God and our thankfulness to Him for what Christ did on the cross should lead us to live as righteously as possible so as to be as worthy as possible of the gift of salvation we have received.

What changes do you need to make in your life in order to be worthy of the calling you have received?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”