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Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

Behind the Words

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

“Conducted” is from the verb anastrephō. This is made up of ana, meaning “again” and strephō, meaning “to turn.” So, literally it means “to turn again.” When used of a person it means “to move around,” that is, “to live one’s life.”

Epithumia is the Greek word translated “lusts.” It is made up of epi, meaning “over” or “above” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a passion or desire of the mind.” Thus, epithumia refers to “overly strong desires.”

The word “fulfilling” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it could be translated as “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “strong emotion, anger, or wrath.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that before we became Christians we lived according to the ways of the world system in which we live. Our behavior was influenced by Satan who controls those who don’t believe in Christ.

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our flesh. Another way of saying that is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Many Christians don’t like to think of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both. Those who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15)

Application

As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Ephesians 1:16 – Giving Thanks

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 1:16 – Giving Thanks

do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Truth to Learn

Thanksgiving is an important part of the Christian life.

Behind the Words

“Cease” is from the Greek word pauō, meaning “to stop” or “to pause.” It is expressed here in the middle voice (action done by the subject to the subject), so the meaning is “to stop myself.”

The words “give thanks” are translated from the Greek verb eucharisteō, which is made up of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and a form of charidzomai, meaning “to grant a favor.” Eucharisteō carries the meaning “to be thankful or grateful.” It is expressed as a participle; thus it means “giving thanks.”

“Making” is from the verb poieō, which means “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle in the middle voice. So, it literally means “making myself.”

The word “mention” is from the noun mneia, which is from the verb mnaomai, meaning “to remember.” Thus, mneia refers to “a remembrance” or “a recollection.”

“Prayers” is from proseuchē, which is made up of pros, meaning “to or toward” and a form of euchomai, meaning “to make a wish.” Proseuchē, therefore, is a wish or a desire expressed toward God.

Meaning Explained

In order to get the full impact from today’s verse we must combine it with the previous verse:

Therefore I also, having heard of the faith of those among you in the Lord Jesus, which you show toward all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making remembrance of you in my prayers.

As we saw in the previous verse, the church in Ephesus continued to grow, demonstrating their faith to all Christians. This so pleased the Apostle Paul that he continually gave thanks to God for the believers in the Ephesian church.

Paul here demonstrates that he practices what he preaches. He told the church at Thessalonica:

pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Thessalonians 5:17-18)

Prayer is a critically important part of our relationship with God. In the New Testament alone, prayer is mentioned more than 130 times. Jesus mentions it more than fifty times and Paul mentions it more than forty times. Jesus is said to be praying about fifteen times and Paul mentions himself praying about fifteen times as well. If it was that important to them, it should be just as important to us.

Application

Many Christians think of prayer as asking God for something. Indeed, we are told to make our requests known to God, but we are also told to thank Him. In fact, giving thanks is mentioned about fifty times in the New Testament. It is far more important than asking for something. Giving thanks demonstrates your recognition that God has already done something for you. It is an active indication of the strength of your faith. How many times have you prayed to God for something and then forgot to thank Him when He answered your prayer? Let’s take some time right now to thank God for what He has already done!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 10:5 – Earned or Received?

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Will

Romans 10:5 – Earned or Received?

For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “the man who does those things shall live by them.”

Truth to Learn

Eternal life can’t be earned by obedience.

Behind the Words

“Does” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it can be translated as “having done.”

The word translated “live” is dzaō, meaning “to live” or “to have life.” It is expressed here in the future tense. In other words “he will live” or “he will have life.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is quoting from Leviticus 18:5 which says, You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. Also in his treatise to the Galatians, who had tried to add works of the Law onto faith, Paul quotes this same passage.

Paul’s point is that the zealous Israelites who went about to establish their own righteousness by keeping all of the Law, were trying to fulfill the command of God who declared that the person who has kept all the commandments of the Law throughout his or her life shall live in them. Notice that this quotation does not declare that the person who has kept the entire Law “is alive,” but “shall live in them” (future tense).

The problem is, as Paul told us earlier in this letter, no one can keep the whole Law. Remember back in Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And if we look at the Galatians passage, we see that Paul is contrasting faith and works of the Law. In the book of Galatians he says,

So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “The just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “The man who does them shall live by them.” (Galatians 3:9-12)

In order to receive future life (that is, eternal life) from the Law one would have to keep the entire Law for their entire life, which is not possible for any man with a sin nature. But since the only man to ever live without a sin nature is Jesus Christ (as Paul explained earlier), it is impossible for any of the rest of us to fulfill the entire Law.

Therefore, no one can attain the righteousness of God by keeping the Law. And no one can get saved by following any methodology of any church, or by going through any kind of classes taught by a church, or of partaking of any sacraments of any church. Salvation (and God’s imputed righteousness) can only come through faith, that is, believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins. The perfect, sinless, Lamb of God was slain for us imperfect, sinful, human beings.

Application

We can’t satisfy God’s righteousness by obeying the Law or all the rules of our church. His righteousness is only granted by faith to those of us who know we don’t deserve it.

Thank you, Lord, for faith and for the sinless Lamb of God!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 7:15 – That Thing You Do

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Will

Romans 7:15

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

Truth to Learn

Paul battled his sin nature just as you and I do.

Behind the Words

“Doing” is from the word katergadzomai, meaning “to work fully, to finish, or to fully accomplish.” In other words, it is not simply something that Paul comes close to doing or that he does a little bit of, it is something that he does completely.

“Understand” is from ginoskō, which means “to come to know completely or to understand thoroughly.”

The words “what I will” are a translation of ho thelō, which means “that thing which I desire to do.”

“Practice” is from the Greek word prassō, meaning “to practice, to do habitually, or to do repeatedly.”

The word translated “but” is alla. It is an adversative participle which can best be expressed here as “but contrary to this.”

“I do” is translated from the Greek word poieō, which means “to make or do.” It is expressed in the present tense, active voice, indicative mood, implying continual action.

Meaning Explained

This is one of the most important verses of the entire book of Romans. It is Paul expressing the frustration concerning the power that his sin nature has over him. He starts out this verse by confessing that he doesn’t understand why he acts the way he does. The thing which he wants to do (be obedient to God) he doesn’t always do. He is not saying that he never does the things he wants to do. He is saying that he doesn’t consistently do them. Paul wants to obey God and do those things which will glorify Him, but he doesn’t always do them.

Instead, Paul finds that the thing which he hates is the very thing that he continually finds himself doing.

This is a very revealing (and to the rest of us, comforting) aspect of Paul’s walk with God. He is the Apostle to the Gentiles, the most prolific writer of the New Testament and probably the finest example of “Obedience to God” in the entire New Testament. And yet, he has a constant battle with his sin nature and has not reached a state of perfect submission to Christ. Allow me to paraphrase this verse,

I don’t understand my actions. For that which I want to do I don’t always do. On the other hand, that which I hate to do I keep on doing.

Application

Can you identify with Paul? Of course you can! Any Christian who is completely committed to God will undergo this same sense of frustration as he or she contemplates his or her daily walk with God. We want to be obedient, but we don’t always obey and we don’t understand why.

The answer, my friend, is our sin nature. It is constantly battling against us to produce sin in our lives, even when we want to be totally obedient to God.

But you must understand that doesn’t excuse us! We are still guilty of the sin, but confession, and forgiveness through the grace of God, will restore our fellowship with Him even when we do that thing which we hate!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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