Paul wrote an encouraging and edifying letter to the Ephesian church while he was in a prison cell. But that’s not why he called himself a prisoner in the Lord here. He wanted to remind his readers that living one’s life according to the Gospel of Christ wouldn’t be popular or easy. Even so, he exhorted them to maintain a daily attitude of Christ-likeness, a manner of living found worthy of the calling they’d received. The word “calling” can trip some people up. We tend to view a “call” only as a special gift that sets the called apart from all others. When we define it that way, we might think we haven’t really been given any specific calling. But the truth is, every Christian has been called—invited—to a new kind of life made possible by God’s grace. If you claim Jesus as Lord, you’ve been called! We’ll explore more of what that means as the week progresses.
You May Also Like
The Father’s will
When you think about it, you realize Jesus had the power to resist going to the cross. After all, He deliberately prevented the Jewish leaders from arresting Him before the time was right according to His and God’s plan. Even as the hour approached, He prayed for God to take…
You are loved
Jesus laid down His life. Read that again: Jesus LAID DOWN His life. No one took it from Him. He willingly went to that cross, and He did it out of obedience to the Father and out of His great love for you and me. He knew we could never…
Hymn day: “Whosever Means Me”
HYMN DAY! “Whosever Means Me” by J. G. Badger isn’t commonly known (it’s a fun bouncy tune worth listening to!), but the words are wonderful. Even if you don’t know the tune, let the words speak to you. 1 Wond’rous love of Jesus, spread the news around; Pardon freely offer’d,…