Ephesians 4 Humility a step into the full measure of Christ

Ephesians 4 (The Message)

verse 1-3

"get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences." (emphasis Mine)


I love to read this chapter in The Message it brings it to life for me! 
Because I love poetry, reading The Message version helps me to imagine Christ writing me a poem about life.


Ephesians 4 is one of my very favorite chapters in the Bible every time I read it I am taken by it all over again! 


Today the Lord made this verse Jump out: Ephesians 4:3 
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." This is in the NIV version though. But what Jumped out the most was the word completely. It implied that sometimes we think we are being humble but  are not completely humble. Sometimes we let our ego creep in and we look out for ourselves before we pour out ourselves for each other in acts of love. I want to be completely humble, Lord help me to be! 
In this society being humble is seen as a sign of weakness sometimes. We are bombarded with propaganda of self esteem-how to increase it and how to look out for number one. I believe the Lord wants us to be confident for he gives us power and through him we can do all things, but he does not want us to be proud he wants us to be humble-completely humble.
James 4:6 from the amplified version
But He gives us more and more grace ( power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). 


Proverbs 16:5 from the amplified version
Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished.


He taught us humility first hand and we are to follow his example. I don't want want to set Himself against me I want him on my side. So Lord, I pray help me to always check my motives and to be completely humble through your strength even when it is tough and my flesh wants to take over-with your power I will have victory!


I see humility as a a stepping stone on the road to obtaining the full measure of Christ. I love to dance, to watch dance, and to see how the music brings the dancer into rhythm. I want to be in rhythm with the Lord. I want to dance with him to the music of eternity that he has written in the scriptures for us. The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts that he has given us are the notes that keep us in rhythm with him so that we can become more like him everyday and not just that but He wants to make us alive in Christ.




Ephesians 4:12-13 from the Message
"He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ."

Ephesians 3

Epesians 3:14-21 
¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

I am absolutely encouraged by this prayer today!

Lord, I want to be filled to the measure of all your fullness. I praise you Lord because you delight in giving us more of you! although there are mysteries we will never understand on earth you desire to reveal more of yourself to us everyday! 

Ephesians 2

 Ephesians 2:3-10
³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.


This chapter made me so grateful because the LORD truly does have a plan for our lives to prosper us and not to hurt us to give us a future and a hope-Jeremiah 29:11
His grace gives me hope! because even when we were dead in our lives of sin He loved us so much that he gave his only son to die for us and then raised us up with Christ! All of this he did by grace we can not save ourselves on our own! Our good works are not enough! God wants to save us and then we can do good to all because he lives in us-on our own we can not do good works. We need the only one who is good to abide in us so that we can do good-which God prepared in advance for us to do!
If you just believe your life can be made new and whole!

Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:4-10

^"4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."

He chose us! thank you Lord! Not out duty bur for his pleasure! We do not bore him-we bring him pleasure by becoming his children from "adoption to sonship"

He does not only give blessings but he lavishes( pampers, showers, gives blessings like water, generously pours blessings) us with blessing! He is exuberant in how he treats us-the primary example- he sent His only son that we could be redeemed through his blood and be forgiven so that we could have direct access to him. We no longer needed a mediator because Jesus himself is our mediator at the right hand of God.-like I wrote earlier in the week we can now approach his throne with confidence! Not only that but his mercy is new every morning and everyday he takes us from glory to glory! 

So his desire is that we would be experiencing a unity in the Spirit with Him as it occurs in heaven because Christ made this possible!

Ephesians 1:13-14

When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

As soon as we believe in him we are sealed with the Holy Spirit! With this seal we can approach the throne with confidence because now we belong to him! I love knowing that he has made me his and likes to show that by sealing me with the Holy Spirit! For when the devil wants to come against us for harm he must first go through the Lord because now I belong to Him the Devil has no authority over me! Praise the Lord! 

Galatians 6 You always Sow what you reap

Galatians 6: 7-10
⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.


This passage really got my attentions on Saturday. It seems like I hear people say it all the time you sow what you reap-or as people call it now karma- although these two terms stand for completely different things. I wonder when they say it do they really understand what it means when you sow hatred you will reap hatred when you sow love you will reap love! that is huge to me because before I do something or say something I want to think about what am I going to sow and what I am going to get out of it when I reap the results. It is not just about people  getting punished because they have mistreated you. It is about all the decisions you make will they reap eternal life?
 Lord, help me to be purposeful about always doing good even when I am tired, stressed, and my patience is tried. Help me to pray always especially in these instances so that I will always sow love, joy, peace, kindness and tenderness so that I can reap eternal life with you!

Hillsong - I Give You My Heart - slovenske titulky

as I wrote this I thought of this song- Lord I give you my heart

Galatians 5 freedom in Christ

Galatians 5

Freedom in Christ

 ¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.


Paul begins by saying that Christ has set us free but continues to describe how our lives should be. He doesn't just say you are free now figure it out on your own;he says the following:

Life by the Spirit- verse 13-17

 ¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

 ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

We must walk by the Spirit -this again happens when we crucify ourselves to the cross and follow the walk the Spirit offers. 

Paul points out that the way to fulfill the law is by keeping this command, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Right from the beginning he is instructing put yourself last. Your ego no longer holds center stage. Just as the Lord Jesus gave his life for us by putting us ahead of his suffering and all that he would endure for us-so must we. 

This passage reminds of the time when Jesus was Speaking to the rich man:

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

Matthew 19: 16-22

 ¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”   ¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
 ¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.
   Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”
 ²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
 ²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
 ²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

The rich man could not leave his wealth because he was bound by sin. Although he thought he was following all the commandments that Jesus pointed out-He did not realize that he served another god-his wealth. This is what sin does it clouds our vision and we are not able to see that we are bound by your pride and sinfulness. We think that being good is enough but the Lord requires that we not only keep the commandments but also follow him-take up our cross everyday and follow him. Here is where the Spirit is so essential because it encourages us on our walk for he is our counselor who helps us!

So he gave up his place in heaven for eternity for his wealth that is temporary.

Mark 8:36
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

The freedom that we have in Christ enables us to live a life of triumph over sin because the Spirit produces in us his fruit that help us through this walk. 

Galatians 5:22-26

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

These fruit help us stay in step with the spirit because if we have the fruit of the spirit the works of the flesh can not take place in our lives.

James 3:11
Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

So I pray Lord, give me more of your Holy Spirit and continue to develop your fruit in me so they can come out of me to help others. I want to grow and bear fruit for your glory so I can finish this race. I surrender to you I crucify my flesh so that I will no longer live but you will live through me! 

I hunger and thirst for you my Lord. Have your way in me!