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Monday, December 19, 2022

Bible Reading Reflection from Ephesians 1-6

 [Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝔼ℙℍ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝔸𝕊 𝟙:𝟛

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

It doesn't say, "will bless us," or "would've blessed us." It says "has blessed us"

It doesn't say, "a few blessings" or "some blessings" or "many blessings." It doesn't even say "abundant blessings" but "every blessing"

Indeed, what to do with such an act of such blessings! How am I to respond!? Yes, to bless the Lord!  This word/phrase, "blessed be God” means to praise God. To speak well of God. To be happy with God!

𝓨𝓮𝓼 𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭, 𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻! 𝓐𝓶𝓮𝓷!

 

𝔼ℙℍ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝔸𝕊 𝟚:𝟛

"among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."

I am no better than any sinner around me because:

1. I was once like them.

2. I am changed not by my desire, plan, knowledge, or doing; it's solely by God.

3. I would still do the same things if not being preserved by the power of God

4. Sometimes, I find myself doing identical things like them.

5. Sometimes, I could be falling into a specific sinful situation more than them.

Therefore, I cannot glory myself over them, nor look down on them. I cannot congratulate myself nor despise any sinner.

I am to glory in the grace of God, to give Him all the praise and delight in Him.

Also, I am to be merciful to non-Christians, and proclaim to them the grace of the Gospel!

 

𝔼ℙℍ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝔸𝕊 𝟛:𝟙

"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—"

Did Christ have a prison? Did Christ arrest Paul? Then why did Paul say that?  The Jews arrested him. Handed him over to the Romans. And kept in a Roman prison. But all these because Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus so that the Gentiles may be freed from the enslavement of sin and bondage of Satan.

Paul exchanged his physical freedom for the spiritual freedom of the Gentiles. Jesus exchanged His life for our life; He died so that we may have eternal life.

Furthermore, Paul recognized that it pleased God to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. He knew that God can release him anytime from the prison, and even if he died, he knew God was in charge, and therefore, he would still rejoice in the Lord in all situations!

𝔾𝕠𝕕 𝕀𝕤 𝕀𝕟 𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕝

 

𝔼ℙℍ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝔸𝕊 𝟜:𝟛𝟙

"Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."

Bitterness, oh the unhappiness with others.

Anger, oh the revengeful attitude

Wrath, oh the uncontrollable temper

Shouting, the untamed tongue

Slander, the backbiting, accusations, criticism, jealousy.

These aren't the virtues of a new life in Christ. They must be crucified, put away, forsaken.

𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭, 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓜𝓮!

 

𝔼ℙℍ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝔸𝕊 𝟝:𝟙-𝟚

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

Children imitate their parents; that's a fact!  If we are children of God, so must we imitate God. We became His children by hearing the gospel from His word and seeing the changes in us. Similarly, we can only see Him through His word to imitate Him, and in applying in our life, transforming day by day!

The standout attribute of God that this wicked world needs is love, and is still the virtue we need to demonstrate in loving others. Not to be selfish. Not to think only for self, but to think for others as well, for the good of others too!

 

𝔼ℙℍ𝔼𝕊𝕀𝔸𝕊 𝟞:𝟞-𝟟

"not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, serving with good will as to the Lord, and not to men."

Ultimately, everything we do anywhere, BPO, Hospital, Industry, any Company's work, we are doing to please God. We do righteously, sincerely, and with integrity.

Not for money, not to please men, not for promotion, though these are also part of our objectives of what we do, but most importantly, we do, knowing God is in control, and that God looks after those who are faithful!