In today's focus, Paul beseeches the church at Ephesus to gather as one people that God has changed from the nature of the world to a new, born again community. Jesus prayed that this miraculous happening would occur not only in his time with his disciples and followers, but become a reality in the church throughout the ages. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23) Paul relates that there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who has created all things through Jesus Christ, the Word. Consequently, he wants believers in Ephesus to be one in unity, buried into this new life found in the eternal Father through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. This born again life spawns from Jesus Christ on the cross. Because of the Father’s great love, his tolerance and patience for a wayward humanity, He gave Jesus as a ransom for their sinful souls. This rebellious people lived their lives contrary to what they knew was good and holy. They experienced condemnation, Gentile and Jew alike. From the beginning of time, God had placed in the minds of men and women his law of righteousness: their conscience. Gentiles and Jews inherited this conscience that knew the difference between right and wrong. Of course, societal norms might skew their understanding somewhat, but the reality of knowing the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, was embedded within them from the beginning, for they were made in God’s image, with his consciousness. Paul talks about this reality in Romans 2, Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life. (Romans 2:14-16) We can readily understand that having our conscience only within our mind is rather nebulous; it can be altered easily by many ideas within a society. But still within the hearts of men and women there is a conscious understanding about right and wrong and good and evil. All people live with this God-given understanding, although somewhat abstract or not very concrete. However, a rebellious people, the descendants of Abraham, were given the WRITTEN LAW. No longer nebulous in character, but precise, explaining the righteousness of God through commandments, regulations and rituals. No longer is the law of God just in the minds of people, but written on tablets of stone. No longer could men and women claim that they did not know the purity and holiness of God, for it was written. In a sense, the Jews were doubly guilty of violating God’s perfection, his holiness. For the Jew, there would be no excuse, for not only did they have the law written on their minds, but also on tablets of stone and parchment. But God chose the people of Israel to know the law. He chose them to possess the law because of his love for Abraham. Abraham’s people became the possessors of a great light, God’s written law. They attempted to obey the law, to please a righteous God. But the law was really death to them, for it revealed clearly that man cannot obtain the perfection of God through his human efforts. Therefore, a new way must be provided for men and women to please a righteous, perfect, eternal God. Paul ministered this new way. Even in prison he preached this Good News to the people of Ephesus of oneness with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul distilled this new way to the Corinthians as well. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that CHRIST DIED for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he WAS BURIED, that he WAS RAISED on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that HE APPEARED to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he APPEARED to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he APPEARED to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he APPEARED to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Corinthians 15:3-7) This new way represents a change of heart in people. As Paul tells the Ephesians, Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. As followers of Christ, as one with God, we should emulate God’s likeness of love and caring for all people. Paul desires the Ephesians to work at being Christ's Ambassadors to the world. We should abide in unity with all believers, everywhere. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Rather than quarrel and practice disunity, we should be united in one name and that is Jesus Christ. How easy it is for the fleshly Christian to pontificate about his knowledge and wisdom, separating himself or herself from the body of Christ because of some special knowledge that he or she has about the goodness and grace of God. Peter tells us the carnal Christian will separate himself or herself from the body for self-aggrandizement. How sad when this behavior becomes a standard within Christian communities. We have Paul as a good illustration of what it means to be a leader in the church of God. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. . . For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 & 11-12) How beautiful are these words. He was living a life worthy of his calling as an apostle in the body of Christ. He as all of us should care for others in the body of Christ as a nursing mother. A nursing mother provides not only for the comfort and security of the child by holding the child at her breast, but she also provides nourishment for the child so that the baby might survive. We too ought to provide as a nursing mother comfort and peace to believers around us. But also because of love for others, as a GOOD FATHER does, our actions and words should be encouraging, comforting and urging people to live lives worthy of God. A good father and a nursing mother will bring their child into a land of peace, a land where God dwells. Paul worked hard to provide for the Thessalonians. He wanted all of them to be in the bond of peace, in oneness with God. He wanted them to identify only with Christ and the new life now found in God forever. His hoped for them and for all new converts that God’s comforting love would bind them with God in all they did in life. Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
The nature OF CHRIST transcends the nature of mankind. As Paul enumerates in Romans 2, man’s nature is rebellious to the goodness of God, his peace and tranquility. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:29-32) Men and women chafe under this description of them. They do not like the scriptures that say, no man or woman is good. When God gave Canaan to the Israelites, He told them directly, you are receiving this land from me not because you are good, but because I am good. You are a rebellious people, serving yourself and other gods that allow for your sinful nature. But I am giving you grace by allowing you to enter this land of milk and honey. This story is still being written today: God is righteous, man is not. And love per say is not the answer to God’s demands on people’s lives. We see this in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Even in Hades, the rich man possesses love, for he asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to his five brothers to tell them of his fate. He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Luke 16:27-31) We see even the love sent from Hades will not change the nature of willful men and women. Not even if someone comes back from the grave. What then is the answer to man’s intransigent nature? A simple belief in God’s work on the cross. When Jesus was accosted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus had just been baptized in the river Jordan. At that time He was filled completely with the Holy Spirit. Now full of the Holy Spirit He was led into the wilderness. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. (Luke 4:1-2) Because of his hunger, the devil came to him, to question Jesus about the words that God told Jesus as He was being baptized. When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22) The devil questioned Jesus about these words that were said to him in the Jordan River. If God’s words to you are really true, then take this stone and turn it into bread. Jesus said, No! I live only by the manna of my Father God. The devil then said, God said you are his Son. I can give you more than what this voice said to you. I have all the kingdoms of the world in my hands. You can receive them now if you will worship me. These words you supposedly heard have not promised you such glory. Jesus responds that He worships and serves only God. Then the devil takes him to the Temple where God dwells. He boldly approaches the Temple of God’s domain, and places Jesus on top of the Temple, telling him to jump off. He mockingly says, if God is really here, the one you claim to believe in, surely here in his presence, He will rescue you by having angels keep you from hitting the ground. Jesus responds, you are tempting God himself and his power. The words God told me at my baptism are real. I am the Son of God. And you should not test the Lord God who has made all things. We who are children of God sometimes find this kind of testing when we are weak and sick. The devil knows our position in life. But we react as Jesus did, when He used the Scriptures against the devils words. When Satan asks: Are you really born again? Did God really say that you are his child? We answer with God’s word. Paul says, There is one body and one Spirit, JUST AS YOU WERE CALLED to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. We who are IN CHRIST unite as one, knowing that God is one, and IN CHRIST we have eternal life. The devil is the father of all lies who desires to separate us and to destroy us. But in Christ and the word, we have the power to defeat the enemy and all his lies.
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