Spiritual Armor Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:59 am

As followers of Christ, we have war with powers of darkness and its evil forces. Satan controls the world and makes the worldly system attractive and appealing. In order to defend our Christian life, we ought to be prepared to fight attacks by Satan at any moment. When Paul was under house arrest, on seeing how the Roman soldiers were dressed up preparing for battle, he had urged the growing believers to put on full armor to fight attacks from Satan.

 

Belt – Symbolizes truth. Like soldier is known by the belt he wears, a follower of Christ is known by the truthful life. We need to talk and walk truth.

Breastplate -Symbolizes righteousness. Heart is the seat of emotions. Many times, we are carried away by the type of emotions, denying the sovereignty and authority of God. We are made righteous by God through the blood of Christ. We can be protected from the damaging emotions when we believe and accept the righteousness of God.

Foot gear – Symbolizes the readiness to spread good news. The commission of Jesus Christ is go to every nation, tribe and language and to proclaim the gospel (the good news that brings peace, joy, holiness and eternal life). When we stop getting involved in the work of great commission, we can be easily attacked. We need to be prepared by life and activities proclaiming the love of God.

Shield – Symbolizes faith. Satan attacks us with fiery arrows of persecutions, losses, doubts, sexual attractions, worldly pleasures etc. To defend ourselves,we need to stand firm in our faith in God. Failing to fall in the trials and temptations builds up our character, facilitating our conformation to the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ

Helmet – Symbolizes Salvation. Satan is tirelessly involved in making us doubt about various contents of our Christian faith. When we fall prey to the doubts, he gains control over our lives and moves us away from God by breaking the vital link, faith. Alternatively, when we trust on the salvation we have in Christ, we will witness the love, care and guidance of God.

Sword - Symbolizes the written word of God. While we defend ourselves from the attacks of the enemy, we ought to be prepared as well to win over the enemy and to move forward, capturing his Kingdom and delivering the people from the bondage of darkness. Being filled with Holy Spirit and devotion to the word of God would enable us to march forward

 

 

In Christ, Our Position in this world Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:57 am

After receiving Christ as our Savior and Lord in our life, our position in this world changes. We are turned from darkness to light to live as children of light. And we are expected to display the characters, confirming our position as child of light.

It includes
- Not indulging in any type of sexual immorality
- Not being possessed by greed (also known as idolatry).
- Making use of every opportunity, wisely and constructively.
- Finding the will of God and making efforts to fulfill His will.
- Coming together regularly as body of believers for a time of fellowship, glorifying God
- Being submissive to one another in love

Right from the birth till death, we pass through diverse roles in our life. We are advised to do well in every role assigned to us. Husband is instructed to love the wife as Christ loved the church (sacrificing himself for church). The wife has to respect and obey him in Lord. Employees (slaves) are asked to obey their employer as they obey to God. Parents are instructed to love their children and to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. All relationships are responsible and bidirectional. Relationships are to be nurtured with love, care along with respect and obedience. Christ served as a perfect example to follow. He obeyed to God willingly and perfectly loving His body, the church sacrificially. The developing world and its demanding lifestyle push and pull us away from vital relationships that we are supposed to nurture – the relationship with God and loved ones. It is time to self examine, concerning the quality and depth of our relationships

 

How are we expected to live? Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:53 am

We are special people, called/chosen by God and are not expected to live as non-believers do. They are futile in their thinking, darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God. They carry on in their ungodly behaviors because of ignorance, due to their hardened hearts. They lost all sensitivity to godly things, giving themselves to sensuality, indulging in impure activities and craving for more and more.

       As new creation in Christ, We are expected to put off our old characters (old self corrupted by deceitful desires) and to be transformed in Character and attitude (New self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness).

      We ought to exercise control in our talks (stop lying and speak truth), control anger (that ends in making harms and destroying relationships), work ethically, earn and share with those in need. God sealed our relationship with Him by giving His Holy spirit to be within us – controlling, correcting, convicting, counseling, empowering us to live and grow in Him. At times when we fail to be led by the promptings of Holy Spirit, He is grieved.

   We are encouraged to make efforts to build up interpersonal relationships, avoiding malice, rage, anger, slander etc. , to develop mercy,compassion, forgiveness etc. We are expected to imitate the love of God in our relationships. Our love of others is revealed by how we give and forgive.

 

 

Unity, the need of the hour Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:51 am

 

Paul had the tradition of laying the doctrinal foundation before providing the practical guidelines for spiritual life in his epistles. Similarly in Ephesians, he highlighted the role of church in the first half and in the second half, he detailed on the orderly life that a Christian has to live.

Paul had hard time, removing the cracks (divisions) in the churches those days. The divisions and the lack of oneness in the body of Christ cause the decline the morality in Christendom and ineffectiveness in Christian ministries, undertaken.
Knowing the divisions expected in the body of Christ, Lord Jesus Christ prayed for the unity of the believers.  It is hard to find oneness even in the hand full of believers.

The main reason behind the divisions is self, which wants to divide and rule and is fueled by pride, greed, hatred and bitterness, motivated by selfish ambitions, lust for fame, name and money.
There could be more excuses for justifying the cause for divisions but we have sufficient factors, compelling for the unity in the body of Christ. We have
One body – the body of Christ, the universal church
One Spirit – the Spirit of God, Holy Spirit
One hope – the resurrection from the death and eternal life
One Lord – Lord Jesus Christ
One faith – the fundamental belief in God the father, Jesus, the Son of God and Holy Spirit
One baptism – baptized by Holy Spirit into the body of Christ
One God – the maker and the ruler of all things, visible and invisible

The purpose of different ministries (apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, teachers) is to build the body of Christ (not to divide on the basis of ministerial gifts).

Each ministerial gift and ministry has to complement each other than being compelled to compete. The ministries we do in the body of Christ has to motivate us to help to build unity (setting aside all differences) in faith and to build the knowledge of the son of God and enabling growth towards Christian maturity , attaining the fullness of Christ

 

In Christ Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:49 am

A christian is

“A mind through which Christ thinks

A voice through which Christ speaks

A heart through which Christ loves

A hand through which Christ helps”

 

Before the Crucification of Lord Jesus Christ, non-Jews did not have the tradition of following the God of the Bible. Jews were having the revelations of God and was considered as chosen race. But the death of Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross bought Jews and non-Jews together as members of one body, Christ being its head. The non-Jews became heirs  and sharers together with Jews in the eternal inheritance promised by God to His people. This is mystery and is been revealed through the Gospel.

 

In Christ, we are born again in Spirit, being adopted as a child of God and are being confirmed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Having found new life in Christ, living thereafter successfully for God, obeying Him and living up to His expectations is not a easy task as we have to fight against our carnal desires, attractions of the world etc., daily. The power through the indwelling Holy Spirit and right understanding about the depth, height, length and breadth of the immeasurable love of God would enable us to grow and move towards spiritual maturity. May He empower us and grant us the right perspective about His love for us

 

Christians’ life following his/her Spiritual birth Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:46 am

Paul highlights the transition happened in a Christians’ life following his/her Spiritual birth.

 

Then………

We were dead (in sins and transgressions) following the ways of the world and being controlled by the Spirit of the world that controls those who are disobedient to God. The focus of old life was on gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following its desires and sinful thoughts. As the result we were condemned as objects of wrath

Now……..

By His great mercy and love, God has made us alive in Christ, saving us from the penalty/power of sins and we are God’s workmanship created in Lord Jesus Christ to do good works. Christ, by His death on the cross abolished the divisions (between Jews and non-Jews) and enabled each one of us to have direct access to the father by the Holy Spirit. Consequently, We became partakers in the fellowship with God and being built as Holy temple (on the foundation of Apostles and prophets,built on Corner stone Lord Jesus Christ) in which God dwells by His Spirit

As a born again Christian and  believer in Christ, we are expected to exhibit the Characters of transformed life in Christ but the sad part is that our characters and activities features the properties of our old life….being dead……being in rat race following the ways of the world, clinging on to the ungodly (worldly) life styles, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following its desires and sinful thoughts. Do we need to repent? Or to continue living the same life, deceiving ourselves? One cannot be dead and alive at the same time.

 

Did you receive the Spiritual blessings?………………………. Wednesday, Jan 28 2009 

Thoughts by Prithvi - Ephesians prithvionnet 2:44 am

In Ephesians 1st chapter, Paul highlights the Spiritual blessing we have in Christ. At the time of this writing (AD 60), Paul was a matured Christian and leader (under house arrest in Rome), and he had known the various factors influencing the Christians whiles experiencing  persecutions on one hand and the miracles on other hand. While meditating these verses, any logic mind can ask “Why is the author talking not talking about the worldly blessings? What is the significance of Spiritual Blessing in our daily life?

In this context, Paul outlines at least 5 Spiritual blessings that a Christian is blessed with and they are

- We are chosen to be holy and blameless in his sight (If our life style is not holy and blame less, we have to question our claim of being chosen)

- He selected and predestined as His children by adoption (By His grace and will and for His glory. If our life and activities does not promote glory to God, our claim as Child of God is questionable )

- We are redeemed from penalty of our Sins by the blood of Christ (purely by the grace of God).

- We are revealed the Mystery, which was hidden for ages (Mystery is that through the gospel, gentiles has become co-heirs with Israel in the inheritance promised by God to His children)

- We are included in the fellowship with God and the relationship is sealed by Holy Spirit

 

Having briefed on the Spiritual blessing enjoyed by the believers in Christ, he emphasized the two significant qualities that can be found only on the followers of Christ. They are Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Love for mankind. The amplitude of our faith and the love (refer 1Cor 13 for understanding the characteristics of Love) we have for others would reveal our maturity in our Spiritual life.

Maturity in Spiritual life will never lead to stagnation. The expectation on the growing Christians is revealed in the prayer uttered by Paul for the believers. We can also pray as “God, give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that I may know you better. Enlighten the eyes of my heart in order that I may know the hope to which you have called me, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints and your incomparable great power for me who believe”