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Ephesians 2:19-22

I Say, “You’re Mine!”

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 5, 2025

The Bible makes our belonging clear. We belong to God. He made us! We belong to Jesus; he redeemed us and bought us back! We belong to the Family of God, the Church. This also means we belong to each other. That truth must affect the way we live together. That’s why Paul exhorts the Ephesians to “tell each other the truth because we all belong to each other in the same body.” You belong to me. I need you! I belong to you. You need me!

I remember that during the night of the first Passover, each family was to take one lamb into their house and then they were to share it at a meal together, one lamb per family. When John the Baptist appeared on the scene at the opening of a brand new era, he pointed at Jesus and explained that Jesus was the one lamb, the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. The Passover sacrificial lamb was all pointing directly toward the one “lamb of God.” There’s a great communal truth found in the Passover lamb. Out of Egypt, that is, out of the world, God called a people for His very own. They were to become a new family, a new nation, a new kingdom of priests. They were no longer slaves but set free! They now “belonged” to each other in a very special way as they shared the “one lamb” for the entire family. I’d argue that Christians belong to each other more than they belong to their nation. They belong to each other more than they belong to a sports team. They belong to each other more than they belong to their race. They belong to each other more than they belong to the human race as a whole. There is a kingdom within a kingdom, so to speak. We are a new people in an old world. We are a new family called out of a kingdom in slavery to sin. We are a new “construction” in which each part is totally dependent on the other parts. You see, there is only one lamb for the whole family, the Lord Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 2:19-22, we read, “You are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto! He really wasn’t the “Lone” Ranger at all, was he?  At best, he was the “Almost Lone Ranger.” But even then, in every episode, he was helping out others and serving the cause of justice. I’m sure he knew that a campfire is a lonely place if you have no one to share it with. God made us to depend on each other, and to need each other. From the very beginning, he said, “It’s not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). David Jeremiah wrote, “Loneliness is a warning light on an inner gauge that confirms we’re running short on a primary fuel we require to run efficiently.” We need each other in the same way we need food, water, air, and shelter. I read a Calvin and Hobbs cartoon recently where Calvin was telling Hobbs that he doesn’t like people. He just wants to be alone. Hobbs looks out at a beautiful view of the mountain and woods and says, “Yeah, but it’s so much nicer to look at this with somebody.” Calvin concedes.

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Romans 8:16-17

We are Co-heirs of God’s Riches

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 4, 2025

In the book of Galatians, Paul explains that since we belong to God, Jesus, the Church, and each other, we will share things. We are all in God’s will as His children. Paul writes, “You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s descendants. You will inherit all of God’s blessings (Galatians 3:9). When we were born as children of this world, we were born as slaves, slaves to our fleshly desires, and slaves to sin. But once we’re born again into the family of God, we’re set free from sin and are adopted into a very wealthy family. This is what Paul is referring to when he contrasts Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, the slave and the heir (see Gal. 4:21–31). We are no longer slaves but heirs together in God’s family.

We inherit many kinds of wealth as God’s children, His heirs. We inherit “The riches of His Grace” in Ephesians 2:7. There is nothing more fulfilling than to receive our full share of God’s grace. We used to be “children of wrath,” which was a reference to God’s judgment. God’s throne of judgment has become to us a “throne of God’s Grace” where we find God’s love that meets our every need (Hebrews 4:16). Ephesians 2:4 also speaks to us of “the riches of God’s mercy.” We get that, too! There is a difference between grace and mercy. God, in his mercy, does not give us what we do deserve, and God, in his grace, gives us what we don’t deserve. “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed” (Lam. 3:22). God’s children experience “goodness and mercy” each day of their lives (Ps. 23:6). Riches like grace and mercy seem a little lofty to us, especially when it comes to making the rent and paying our bills, so God also has made us heirs to “the riches of His Glory.” We read in Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God does not satisfy our “greeds,” but he does supply our needs (Matt. 6:19–34).

Some other riches that we inherit are; “The riches of his wisdom” (Romans 11:330. It is there for us when we make decisions in life. Another one that’s available to us as God’s children and heirs is “the riches of his goodness” (Rom. 2:4). All the “good things” of life come to us from God (James 1:17). We can always trust Him, regardless of the circumstances we currently face, to give us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. Yes, as God’s children, we are truly the wealthiest of all people. Finally, Paul says, “The Spirit bears witness that we are children of God… and if children, then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:16-17

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Romans 12:4-5

We Need Each Other!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 3, 2025

I remember the last time I was in Dallas, the central expressway, running through the city from north to south, had the inside lane marked as HOV lanes. That stands for High Occupancy Vehicle. You have to have two or more people in the car to use that lane. It was designated as such in order to encourage carpooling. But there were hardly any cars in those lanes while the other lanes were backed up at times with that miserable start and stop congestion. I’ve recently read a news article where someone was arrested for driving with a mannequin in the passenger seat in that lane. We want the benefits of community without the inconveniences associated with it. We hate to wait for others. We hate to have to depend on others. Independence is probably one of the greatest values in our American culture. Unfortunately, it’s also true of us in the Church.

When we study the foundation of the early church in the book of Acts, we find that the first believers in Jerusalem devoted themselves to four things. (See Acts 2:42-47). The first thing is probably first for a reason. They were devoted to “The Apostles’ teaching.” The Apostles continued Jesus’ teaching and told stories about Jesus’ life, explained Jesus’ life and death and resurrection, and encouraged and exhorted all believers to live sacrificial lives in community with others. They were now members of a new family and needed to live in harmony with other believers. They needed to learn patience with others, learn how to forgive others, and learn how to overlook others’ faults and weaknesses, and they needed to learn how to love each other. You cannot do that unless you are in a community with others. All the fruits of the Spirit are relationship concepts: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-control.

It just dawned on me that their time in the “Word” (The Apostles’ Teaching) was always a community event. There were no personal bible studies for 1500 years after Jesus’ death! It wasn’t until the printing press was invented that individuals had personal access to the Apostles’ teachings. Until then, it was done in the community. The letters were hand-copied and distributed around the area to other churches. We even read where the letter to one church was read to members of other churches. Further, the literacy rate was very low in the first century. Slaves, over half the world’s population, could not read. Women were not taught to read, and the luxury of devoting time to such activity was reserved for the rich or those, like Paul & the other Apostles, who were supported by the giving of others. We need each other! We may need moments alone for reflection and meditation on God’s truth, but unless we put what we learn to practice in the community, we haven’t learned a thing or grown an inch. Paul says, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body and belong to each other.” Romans 12:4-5

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1 Corinthians 6:19

Giving Ourselves to Each Other!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 2, 2025

In my devotion yesterday, I mentioned that the early church practiced four things whenever they gathered in the community. The first thing was they devoted themselves to learning “The Apostles’ teachings.” They communally spent time in God’s Word. The second thing they devoted themselves to was “fellowship.” That simply means they shared their lives with each other. It’s more than a meal together, or going out to a movie or watching a sporting event together, it’s more personal and intimate than that. It involves being open and honest about feelings and hurts and pains and needs along with a willingness to share and be shared with as appropriate. The early church even shared their possessions. It was not “communism,” an official program in which an authoritative entity divides the wealth among the population. It was a voluntary giving “as each had a need.” In other words, they simply took care of each other, and in so doing, they took care of themselves. It was a spontaneous lifestyle of Jesus’ disciples.

I had a small group of close friends while I was in Blair.  It was my domino group. We got together once a month and played. In this high-tech world of video games, which my sons and grandsons are getting me into (I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow in the knee!), you don’t see dominos played much anymore. When Kathy’s Mom was in the nursing home after her operation, we visited her after Church one Sunday, and I noticed a small group of elderly people playing dominos in the cafeteria. I guess that tells you who I identify with! But Dominoes is a very interesting game. The only way you can win is to give away everything you have. It’s not the one with the most dominos at the end that wins. It’s the one with the least.

I was thinking that it’s a lot like the Christian life. The person next to me plays a nine, I have to identify with them and play a nine also. The more you go along with what others play before you, the faster you get rid of your dominos. Then, you’re the winner when you have submitted to what was played and have given yourself away, and all your dominos are gone. David Jeremiah made this comparison also in his commentary on the Power of the Holy Spirit, and he concludes, “When we give ourselves to God and let His Spirit fill us and control us, we will give ourselves to others, rather than protecting ourselves and holding on to what we have. And then, when we’ve given it all away, we win. When we are in eternity together, what we have won will be so much greater and more radiant than what we gave away that our small sacrifices will hardly be worth remembering. Except to the One who never forgets.” He is the one that matters. Paul says, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19

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Acts 2:47

Breaking Bread Together!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 1, 2025

There were four things that the members of the early church devoted themselves to in Acts, Chapter 2. First, it was the “Apostle’s teaching,” Second, it was to “fellowship,” and the third thing was “The breaking of bread.” There are lots of different opinions about what this means, and the text might be intentionally ambiguous about whether this refers to common meals or to the Lord’s Supper, communion as we know it. Both were done in individual homes. It probably refers to both. They likely stopped in the midst of the common meal with their friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ and acknowledged the bread and wine symbolic of the Lord’s body and blood in remembrance of what He did for them on the Cross of Calvary. To ancient Jews, eating together was a sign of acceptance. It was a sacred time. Every meal among the disciples was an anticipation of the final great banquet. The orthodox Jew today still puts an empty seat at the table during the Passover celebration, awaiting the coming of the Messiah.

We read in Acts 2:46, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” The church continually grew! NOTICE THE GROWTH OF THE 1ST CHURCH! Acts 1:15, 120 believers. Acts 2:41 says 3000 were added to the church that day. Acts 2:47, the Lord added daily to those being saved. Acts 4:4, the number of men grew to 5000. Acts 5:14, more and more believed & a multitude was added. Acts 5:28, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings. In Acts 6:1, the number of disciples rapidly multiplied. In Acts 6:7, the number of believers increased rapidly. In Acts 21:20, Tens of thousands became believers.

The first-century Christians lived incredibly contagious lifestyles. They had been redeemed from the condemnation they all experienced under the Jewish legal system and had truly been set free to live life with new hope of eternal life, which inspired a healthy, happy, and meaningful life in the present. They lived in a community that was wonderful and rare, caring for and being cared for by each other. I would argue that today there aren’t that many contagious Christians anymore, and fewer contagious churches. The true key to living a new life, a new life that is truly contagious to others who see it, is a life in which love for others and true biblical community is obvious. Jesus explained it to us clearly. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” Then as the story of the advancement of the church continued, Acts 19:20 say, “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” Acts 19:20

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Acts 2:42

Devoted to Prayer!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 31, 2025

According to the book of Acts, the members of the early church community devoted themselves to the “Apostle’s teaching,” to “fellowship” with other believers, to the “breaking of bread,” and the fourth thing they devoted themselves to is “prayer.” Their gatherings were not simply social gatherings, but they had spiritual content. They shared times of worship where they sang hymns and spiritual songs, they broke bread, they discussed the Bible (the Apostles’ teachings), and they prayed for each other & probably their communities, the unsaved, the message, the messengers, and many other things of a more personal nature. You will notice also that they did not do any of these things because they were commanded to. They were simply living out their new identity in Christ. This is simply the way they lived. It was rather spontaneous.

In Acts 6:7, we read, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” This happened right after the Apostles had appointed others to serve the physical needs of starving members. They were becoming overwhelmed with the demands of their lives, and it became increasingly obvious that they could not focus on both the Spiritual needs of the community and the physical needs at the same time. Thus, the Apostles called the church together, probably a contingent of recognized leadership, and charged them with assigning various responsibilities to others so they could “devote themselves to the Word of God and to prayer.”

Preaching the Word and prayer are the two most significant responsibilities of the Spiritual leadership of any New Testament church. During my years as a pastor, I’ve often felt that I don’t have time for prayer. It isn’t getting done what I thought, or the church leaders thought, needed to be done. I have too many other pressing matters at hand rather than prayer.  It often gets pushed to the end of the agenda, but it really should be at the top of the agenda. With the apostles wholly devoted to prayer, study, and the preaching of the Word of God while others attended to the physical needs, the church continued to be blessed. No wonder the number of “disciples multiplied.” Under the Spirit’s quickening power, produced by earnest prayer, God’s word became, in reality, what the author of Hebrews says it is, “living and active.” The Word of God became effective in arresting, illuminating, convicting, converting, delivering, and cleansing many in their community. The Word of God combined with prayer is one of the most important ministries of any church. Paul told the Romans that prayer was important, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer…” Romans 12:10-12

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Colossians 2:19

Belonging & Growing!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 30, 2025

The New Testament makes it clear that belonging to the Body of Christ and growing in Christlikeness are integrally related. There will be no growth without the connection, and the connection isn’t what God wants it to be without spiritual growth. One of the more important verses in the New Testament that put these two together is found in Colossians, Chapter 2, verse 19. The Good News Bible translates it this way: “Christ…is the head of the body. Under Christ’s control, the whole body is nourished and held together by its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God wants it to grow.”

Notice that the nourishment is dependent upon its connection to the body. Just as any vital organ in the human body is dependent upon all the others. We need each other for fellowship and growth. It doesn’t surprise me that since we are created in God’s image, we were designed for community. The Bible insists that God Himself exists in community. There are three persons in the Godhead. There are not three Gods, but one God in three Persons. The text uses the Hebrew word Elohim, the plural form of Eloah (“God”), for this communal, supreme Creator-God. Later, we discover the three Persons included in “Us”: the Father (James 1:17–18), the Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:3; Col. 1:16), and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30).

Thus, God Himself exists in community. God didn’t need to create us. He didn’t need fellowship with man; He was, and He is complete in Himself. He was not a lonely God who needed someone to talk to. He was and is completely self-sufficient. But He chose to create the world and its people as a gift given out of His abundant love. In Genesis 1:26, God is saying, in effect, “Let us create Adam and Eve and their descendants as creatures who can share the love and community we already have among Ourselves.” It’s unnatural for us to think of God as a community in and of Himself, but its implications are quite profound. It’s the basis for marriage and gives us the overall guidelines for understanding the family unit. It’s God’s way of telling us that our relationships with each other are not only important but necessary. We need each other in community, connected, and growing as God wants us to grow. As God’s revelation of Himself makes clear, we are all encouraged to build community, not separate ourselves from it. It’s in this way only, that we take nourishment and grow up! Paul said, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

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Ephesians 3:16-18

A Growing Faith!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 29, 2025

In Romans 5:8, Paul tells us that God demonstrated His love for us on the Cross of Calvary by sending His son to pay the penalty for our sins while we were still sinners. There is no greater love than that of the one who gives up his life for another. The scriptures call us to return God’s love. John says that we love God because He first loved us. To grow in our love for God, we must grow in our faith and trust in what he has accomplished for us on the cross. That involves focusing on it and reflecting on its importance in our lives. Many religions encourage their adherents to meditate. Christian meditation is not looking at our navels and reciting some nonsensical sound like “Oom.” It is contemplating God’s love as demonstrated by Christ in all of its glory.

When we first come to faith in Christ, our faith is like a tender shoot. It’s even compared to such in the Bible. It is bent and driven by every change of weather. But it must continue to get stronger as it takes its nourishment from its connection to the tree. As it grows stronger, it becomes able to bear heavier burdens and handle all severe weather conditions. Growing disciples have a growing faith. Notice that the nourishment that is drawn from the connection is taken out of an endless supply of sustenance. When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he exhorted them and us to let our “roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong…”

The next truth is crucial. That endless supply of nourishment that God provides abundantly is His love.  Paul wrote to the Ephesians and told them and us what he was praying for for them. It was “that from His unlimited resources God will empower you with inner strength…that your roots will grow down deep into God’s love and make and keep you strong.(See Ephesians 3:16-18). He goes on to pray that we will continue to grow in understanding the depth, height, breadth, and width of God’s love. Grasping that truth about God’s disposition towards us is what nourishes true growth! One phrase that has struck me in my 50 years as a believer never gets old with me. I say it a lot: Faith is believing that God has my best interest foremost in mind regardless of the circumstances in my life.  As your roots go down deep into this truth, you get stronger in the changing weather of life. Paul is often excited to see believers grow in their faith. He tells the Thessalonians, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you…because your faith is growing abundantly.” 2Thessalonians 1:3

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