As we continue to study Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, let me share some insights that inspire me to live a life worthy of the gospel, which is Paul’s exhortation to us in Ephesians 4:1. The first three chapters tell us who we are in Christ and what is our destiny.
Therefore, as Paul begins verse 1 of chapter 4, because of all God has done for us in Christ, giving us a new identity and destiny, live a life that reflects who we are in Christ and where we are going. I connect this to my understanding of who God is as a great God.
Since we are created in His image, we are given the free gift of greatness in Christ. We are great and destined for greatness as Jesus and the Bible teaches what it means to be great. Our call is to learn how to live out this image of God in us. Therefore, it is our purpose in life to learn what greatness is and how to live a life that reflects the greatness of God.
This is what Paul teaches in chapters 3-6 of Ephesians. This greatness consists of godly character; the oneness of God; Christ likeness; being imitators of God as we walk in love, in light and in wisdom; being continuously filled with the Holy Spirit; submitting to one another; and learning how to use the spiritual weapons God has given us to defeat the powers of darkness.
When we live out the truths Paul presents, our image of ourselves is transformed from one corrupted by sin to one of Jesus Christ renewed in holiness and righteousness.
I read a book back in college by a plastic surgeon who shared how puzzled he was because these beautiful women would come to him saying they needed a nose job or eyes fixed or lips or cheeks changed so they could be beautiful. They really did not need these
surgeries because they were already beautiful. Then when they had the surgeries, they still saw themselves as flawed and not beautiful.
Why? Because their self-images had not been changed by the surgery. They needed a mind transformation that when they looked in the mirror, their thought was, I am beautiful, not ugly.
This is true for us as believers. We see ourselves flawed by our sins but do not see that we are great in God’s eyes. Yes, we need to work on getting victory over the sins we struggle with, but we are holy and beautiful in God’s eyes because we are in Christ. {eoa}
Once a professional baseball player with the Chicago Cubs Organization, Blake Lorenz was called to Asbury Seminary after a radical encounter with Jesus, where he received his master’s degree. He has pastored in the Orlando area for 33 years and has been blessed with the opportunity to evangelize globally, visiting five continents and preaching the gospel to tens of thousands. Blake has also helped plant 500 churches. He has been working in Israel for the past 20 years, includes serving on the board of the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in connection with the Knesset. In 2020, blakelorenzministries.com and the Awaken podcast launched to teach and challenge others to join him on a journey of anticipating the return of Jesus. He has used the three books he’s written in his seminars and conferences. He and his wife, Beverly, share three children and six grandchildren.
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