In mid-March, I resumed doing one of my all-time favorite things, teaching adult Bible class. I alternate with another teacher, and now it’s my turn! We’re studying the New Testament book of Ephesians. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Ephesus while he was in prison in Rome. Paul is a fitting example for us, in pursuing his purpose and being concerned about others even when things are going bad for him personally.
No matter what you believe about God, everyone knows wrongdoing ought to be punished. We all have an innate sense of justice and a desire to see justice done. We also know we have personally done wrong and deserve punishment. We want mercy for ourselves. The desire for mercy and belief in justice make two fundamental truths of Christianity almost unbelievable. We were once on the way to hell but are now promised heaven.
In Ephesians 1, Paul reveals that Christians are the redeemed children of God who possess extravagant spiritual blessings.
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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:3-7 NAS)
In the second chapter of Ephesians, he explains we formerly were children of God’s wrath, who followed the devil and walked in wickedness.
And you were dead in your offenses and sins, in which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. (Ephesians 2:1-3 NAS)
On the one hand, it’s difficult to believe our sins are so bad that a loving God would send us to hell forever, probably because we make ourselves the judge and convince ourselves that our punishment will reflect our standards. The reality is that God is the judge and punishment will reflect God’s standards not our own. Recognizing this fact should make us more grateful for the forgiveness we have received through our faith in Jesus Christ. Recalling God’s disgust and indignation with sin can also help us when we are struggling with temptation.
On the other hand, being called children of God, sealed with the Holy Spirit, promised the glories of heaven can be equally hard to grasp. We don’t deserve it. Yet, accepting this reality frees us to live joyously and confidently. The knowledge that our move from darkness to light came about by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus, not any merit of our own, eliminates pride. It also eliminates fear of failure. We are free to focus on doing the good works God created us to do, knowing even when we fail we are secure as children of God. Our faith remains on Jesus, the one who was and is perfect, not on ourselves.
These truths require thought and constant focus on what is true and real. The devil’s tricks include distractions so we focus on ideas that seem true, but they are false such as:
“Nice people like you won’t be sentenced to hell for not believing in Jesus,” and “God could never use someone like you, who has lived so wickedly for so long.” These statements are both lies.
What do you think? What truths do you think may be hard to believe? Let me know in the comments.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash