Our identity in Christ changes how we relate to God. It also changes how we relate to one another. This is not an insignificant change, but rather a radical conversion from darkness to light. That change originates internally. We are renewed spiritually and mentally, and transformed relationally.

The responsibility for protecting the unity of the body of Christ lies with each believer. S/he must act in humility toward one another and develop maturity in Christ so as to promote that for which Jesus died.

If you ever struggle to know how or what to pray, turn to God’s Word to find out what God’s people prayed in times past. Paul finishes his interrupted prayer he interrupted by praying a prayer that we can pray for others and ourselves, the answer to which is always, “yes!”

Nothing was more important to the Apostle Paul than the Gospel. He gave up everything for it: reputation, a promising future as a leader among the Jews, his safety and freedom and eventually his life. Yet Paul didn't see it that way. He didn't think he gave up anything for the Gospel; he believed the Gospel was a gift he received. He saw himself as the steward of that gift and as the servant of the Giver.

Donald McGavran, a founder of the church growth movement, promoted what he called the Homogenous Unit Principle. The HUP is, simply put: birds of a feather grow a church together. The problem with the HUP is it looks so little like the early church. The early church was so diverse that unity was achieved only through the blood of Jesus.

Thoughts on Ephesians 2

Christians ought to be the most hopeful people on the planet. Living in this dark and oppressive world as we do, we need divine insight to be able to see the incredible hope we have as God’s inheritance, and to realize the incredible power available to all who place faith in Christ.

All of history has been leading up to the moment when Christ would reconcile all people to God. By making it possible for all people – no matter their background – to be adopted as his children, God has enabled a world of brokenness and discord to achieve unity as followers of Jesus.

Submission is something we avoid. The idea of voluntarily placing one’s self beneath the authority of another goes against our hyper-individualized culture with its focus on rights and privileges. It is different for Jesus’ followers. We willingly yield to one another out of reverence for Christ and for the building up of the community. A Christian marriage is one of mutual submission.

Submission is something we avoid. The idea of voluntarily placing one’s self beneath the authority of another goes against our hyper-individualized culture with its focus on rights and privileges. It is different for Jesus’ followers. We willingly yield to one another out of reverence for Christ and for the building up of the community. A Christian marriage is one of mutual submission.