Spreading the fragrance of God's grace everywhere
A growing network of women are studying the Bible together. You’ll find Bible resources, study aids, devotionals, prompts, service ideas and everyday applications as well as ideas for starting your own online or onsite group.
Spiritual warfare is real.I don’t say that because I’ve had personal experience. I have had personal experience with what I believe was spiritual warfare, but that’s not why I make that statement. Spiritual warfare is real because God’s Word, the Bible, says it is real. [Read more…]
Submission is a vastly misunderstood concept in the Bible.In this section of our online study of the book of Ephesians, we’ll be studying Ephesians 5:21-6:9. We’ll discuss how Christ rebuilds our relationships through the concept of submission.
We’ve come to the section of Ephesians that many Christians dread to study because it talks about women being submissive to their husbands. As we have with each topic we’ve discussed so far, let’s look at the concept of submission in context of the larger framework of Ephesians.
Why do we need light?What does light help you do?
We’re now into our fifth session in the book of Ephesians. Today, we’ll look at Ephesians 4:17-5:20. It’s a long passage, full of instructions of how a believer is to live a different kind of lifestyle. In fact, a lifestyle that is as different as light from dark, night from day.
Anyone who has experienced cataracts knows what it’s like to have clouded vision. Have you had cataracts removed? You weren’t so aware of how your vision was deteriorating until you had surgery. Then, once the cataracts were removed, remember how clear everything looked?
I was born with cataracts in a day when doctors didn’t think cataracts could be safely removed from a baby’s eyes. Through eight childhood surgeries, doctors stirred up and broke the cataracts into pieces, believing the cataracts would dissolve on their own. The pieces didn’t; in fact, they remained in my eye, blocking my ability to see clearly. When I had surgery in 2015, the doctor removed the debris and widened my pupil, allowing light to connect with my optic nerve. More light gave me the ability to see more clearly.
How does light help you see more clearly? [Read more…]
The Bible has the answer.
I’m currently reading a fascinating book about the lives and love story of Founding Father, Alexander and Eliza Hamilton. My Dear Hamilton traces the life of Alexander Hamilton, senior aide to General George Washington and later Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington from the perspective of his wife, Elizabeth. In addition to his many contributions to the early years of the United States, Hamilton worked with future president James Madison to co-author The Federalist Papers, a series of 84 essays that interpret and promote the new Constitution. According to “My Dear Hamilton,” the men had different opinions and different ways of expressing those opinions. Yet their passion for a strong nation became the catalyst for unity in their working relationship.
The issues surrounding the establishment of a new country became more complex and as more people weighed in with their opinions on how to set up the new government, those positions drove wedges between the friendships of many patriots, including Hamilton and Madison. Sadly, the men’s love of the new nation wasn’t enough to keep them unified.
Is unity ever possible?
When people have so many opposing opinions, what can possibly hold people together?
Our online Bible study this session looks at Ephesians 4:1-16. I find five components in this passage that will retain unity in the church:
Let’s look at each component one at a time:
Verse 5 describes this as one faith, one baptism. We can find unity when we all agree on the basic tenets of faith. LIke any membership rules for a group or qualifications for citizenship in a country, there must be one standard for inclusion that remains constant and that both parties agree to. Imagine the chaos in the Church if God had different membership rules or no membership rules at all. Our acceptance of God’s plan of salvation as outlined in the Bible, adheres us to God and to each other.
Faith refers to the collection of doctrine found in the pages of the Bible. All Christians are to believe in the saving death of Jesus Christ to abolish the penalty, punishment, and power of sin. We accept this as it is spelled out in the Bible.
Baptism, in this passage, I believe, is a word to represent our part in accepting God’s plan. The Bible itemizes how we are to enter in to this unified body of Christ-followers. Agreement with the Bible on how we become part of God’s family unifies us to each other. It is tragic that misunderstanding over what the Bible teaches about our part in the salvation process has caused so much division.
What comfort and encouragement do you find in sharing the same belief system with other Christians?
We are all so different from each other. Guess what? God intended it that way.
Read Ephesians 4:7-11.
Now look at Ephesians 4:12,13. Paul explains why a variety of gifts are needed in this new establishment.
What was God’s purpose in providing different kinds of leaders (v. 12)?
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison were a stronger team because they were different. Hamilton had such a brilliant mind that he was able to cut to the heart of a thorny philosophical truth. Yet Madison had the ability to put those lofty ideas into simple terms. Their diverse gifts made for a strong document that became a classic defense for this brand-new Constitution.
Look at the chain reaction:
How do you see your church family using their unique gifts to build up the body of Christ?
Read Ephesians 4:14-16
A group cannot reach unity until individual members reach maturity. Maturity means buying into and remaining committed to the tenets of faith, the authority of Christ and the Scriptures, and the leadership of the local church.
Read Ephesians 4:15,16
Unity takes work. Lots of work. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something we keep reaching toward. So don’t get discourages if you see ways your group is not unified. It doesn’t mean you are a failure. It merely means you aren’t there yet.
It is so easy to look at the divisions and dissensions, bemoaning that the Church is not unified. It’s like looking at a scab on our toe and immediately assuming our entire body is wracked with infection. Yes, it’s possible, but not likely. I encourage you to look at how you ARE unified with other Christians. Celebrate what you share in common. Look for ways you are similar. Praise God for what you do share with other believers.
What small step could you take to further the spirit of unity within your local church? What are you doing that you should stop doing?
NOTE: I am not an affiliate for anyone. That means, I get no kick-back from any link I post. If I tell about a product or a book, there’s nothing in it for me. I’m merely giving you added Internet resources.