A Word for Today | Ephesians 1:15 After the apostle Paul had been converted on the Damascus Road, the first words said about him as a Christian were telling: “Behold, he is praying” (Acts 9:11).  Paul’s letters are filled with prayer because his life was filled with prayer.  He writes to the Ephesians: “I do […]

A Word for Today | Ephesians 1:14 In Ephesians 1:13, Paul described the Holy Spirit as a “seal” by which God marks us as His own and secures us for heaven.  In Ephesians 1:14, he adds another vital term for the Spirit, saying, He is “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of […]

A Word for Today | Ephesians 1:13 When John Bunyan’s Christian arrived at the gates of the Celestial City, in Pilgrim’s Progress, he presented a certificate he had received when he trusted the gospel and was forgiven his sins.  The document was carried to the King, who inspected it for authenticity.  When it was approved, […]

A Word for Today | Ephesians 1:11 One of the Bible’s most striking descriptions of God is that of the potter with his clay.  Jeremiah was shown a potter shaping the clay on his wheel, working it as “seemed good to [him] to do” (Jer. 18:4).  God explained, “O house of Israel, can I not […]

A Word for Today | Ephesians 1:7 As Paul’s hymn of praise to the Trinity enters its second section (you can read the first here), we advance from eternity into history.  God the Father chose us in Jesus Christ, adopting us as children, before there was any time.  Now Paul sings his praise to God […]

A Word for Today | Ephesians 1:5 Ephesians begins with Paul’s grand hymn to the grace of the Triune God, working out God’s grace to us through the sovereign work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  He opens with the grace of the Father, which centers on Him ordaining the salvation of His elect.  […]