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Whole Day 12 Whole Story Messengers: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Whole Story Messengers!

The Questions

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)

Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter approached him and asked, “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?”

22 “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.

23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle accounts, one who owed ten thousand talents was brought before him. 25 Since he did not have the money to pay it back, his master commanded that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt.

26 “At this, the servant fell facedown before him and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 Then the master of that servant had compassion, released him, and forgave him the loan.

28 “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

29 “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed. 31 When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. 32 Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

Original Intent

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)
The Book of Matthew, and the other Gospel books of Mark, Luke, and John, closely follow Jesus’ active ministry years from beginning to end. Jesus expends a lot of energy throughout His ministry emphasizing the importance of repentance and recognition of Him as Lord and Savior in order to be reconciled to God. Jesus describes one of the marks of a genuine, reconciled relationship with God as being how lovingly we engage in relationships with others. Though Scripture has much to say about loving and reaching out to those who don’t know God, these verses in Matthew 18 reference those already in Christ’s kingdom (Christians). Chapter 18 begins with Jesus’ disciples asking, “[W]ho is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”. (verse 1) This information provides us the contextual setting for Christ’s words in verses 21-35 which describe another aspect of what it looks like to be “greatest” in His kingdom. In fact, the whole of chapter 18 paints a picture of who is “greatest” according to God. As Jesus addressed the heart-posture of His followers, He spoke of attributes like childlike humility and tender care for individuals within Jesus’ flock, the Church. These characteristics reflect God’s unending forgiveness toward other believers as God has covered the believer’s sins with the blood of Jesus. It is this combination of forgiveness and patient endurance Jesus calls Christians to live out among each other in order to remain reconciled to one another. This love distinguishes His disciples from the world (John 13:35) and demonstrates to the world God’s offering of forgiveness for those who repent and follow Him.

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)
The Enduring Word commentary notes the traditional “holy” response from Jewish Pharisees was to forgive an offender three times. Knowing Jesus is gracious and compassionate, Peter extended that number to an extraordinary “seven times”. Jesus’ response, however, revealed His endless heart of divine love as He instructed Peter to forgive an offender more times than he could count by saying “seventy times seven”. (verse 22) Prior to this conversation, Jesus outlined explicit teaching for His gentle, loving approach to correcting and restoring a brother or sister who has sinned against another believer. Of greater importance even than the crucially important loving correction within the Church, Jesus focused on the vast forgiveness of God that ought to be reflected by His people. In verses 23-27, Jesus described a servant who owed the king ten-thousand talents. A commentary from the Working Preacher explains this would equal about 150 years’ worth of income. A nearly incomprehensible amount! The first servant had incurred a debt that was impossible to repay. Lavishly, the king did not provide any ultimatums to earn forgiveness, rather, the king was compassionately moved by the servant’s imploring and freely cancelled the debt. The king took the financial hit himself, wiping clean the record of debt just as Christ does for us as the substitutionary atonement offered between us and the King of the World. Christ took the hit of death and separation from the Father for our sin. Then, He made the offer of a cleanly wiped slate to all who trust Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Tragically, the servant left the king’s presence and demonstrated a total lack of mercy toward another servant who had incurred a lesser debt. His selfish greed reflected his lack of genuine sorrow or understanding of the grand forgiveness bestowed on him.

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)
As previously noted, the verses prior to this passage discuss a plan of correction when one believer has sinned against another. This discussion prompts Peter to ask his question of forgiveness. As we read the dialogue, Jesus’ response centers around His disciples loving one another. He is not explicit in this parable on the part of whether each servant was truly repentant. Instead, He focuses on the one in position to forgive or withhold forgiveness. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray by modeling what has now become well-known as the Lord’s prayer. (Matthew 6:9-14) When stepping back to scan the whole text, it is interesting that Christ pauses to reiterate forgiveness before shifting to the topic of fasting. The Lord’s prayer ties our request for personal forgiveness to our willingness to forgive others. (Matthew 6:12) Christ re-emphasizes forgiveness again in the verses following His model prayer. (Matthew 6:14-15) When studying an overview of Bible verses on forgiveness, I do not find direction or allowance to withhold forgiveness from one another until someone repents, but I do see plenty of calls for repentance before the LORD GOD Himself and for Christians to live peaceably with one another as far as they are able. (Romans 12:18) As I chew through these hard teachings of God’s love displayed through forgiveness, I see hope for the struggling and pained in this parable. In the end, the King returns to settle grievances and dole out justice. May we not find joy in another’s suffering of judgment, but comfort in the Lord’s righteousness and coming justice! (Romans 12:19)

Everyday Application

1) Who is considered a “brother” in this passage? Is it referring to Christians, the person next to you, or a biological brother? (verse 21)
Undoubtedly, we’ve all experienced hurt from others in life. Some hurts are small while others are so painful we would be well-served to navigate them with Christian counseling. When preparing to live overseas as missionaries, it’s often said the hardest people to love are those within God’s church. Hmmm, say that again?! The church is supposed to be the safest, easiest place to love others! In the context of self-sacrificing, generous, forgiving love, everyone will experience God’s love in action, which overflows into living peaceably. God teaches us how to love one another in His Word. God promises His Spirit is actively working in us to complete His work in us. (Philippians 1:6) God promises to use our perseverance in trial to lead us into deeper maturity as His sons and daughters. (James 1:4) When a Christian repents of sinning against God and is reconciled to Him through forgiveness and the blood of Christ, that person is not immediately made perfect and neither am I. Some of my own past thoughts and habits are not yet realized as to sin to me; I have more growing to finish. Or, if they are, self-control of them has not yet been worked out to the point of eliminating that sin. What has God most used to convict and free me from my sin over the years? The perseverance and patience of my Christian brothers and sisters. Their grace towards me and readiness to forgive me has played a crucial role. Authentic, loving believers who listen well and exhibit gentleness when I confess my sin spurs me on to follow Jesus more closely. While God’s church may, at times, be quite unbecoming, God is at work bringing us to completion through continued repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. May this love call the lost to Jesus!

2) Are believers ever permitted to stop forgiving someone or put them in their place? (verse 22)
My oldest child persistently uses unkind words toward his siblings and parents for attention. This child also happens to have a processing disability, including complex emotions. We take hours of time to converse again and again about how words hurt people. On occasion, he connects that if he wants something (a toy or reconnection) he can hug me with an apology of mumbled and jumbled words. At times, the apology is forced through a rehearsal. Frequently, perhaps within the hour, he will use hurtful words again. Does he actually understand and mean his apology? Do I continue forgiving him and encourage my other children to do so as well? How weary we feel at bedtime! This example might seem simple to forgive as you consider he was born with a disability, but are we really much different in our own deficits of understanding the ways of the Lord? Doesn’t a Christian spend their lives learning the depths of what Christ means for us to live out His joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control? (Galatians 5:22-26) We often respond based on a level of understanding that makes sense to us. Jesus prods us ever further to love like Him. R.C. Sproul wrote a helpful article noting that Scripture never commands us to forgive one who is unrepentant, but we do have the freedom to still offer forgiveness just as Jesus asked God to forgive those who nailed him on the cross. Scripture DOES command us to rebuke one another with the readiness to forgive and reconcile for even the same repeated offense. (Luke 17:3-4) We lack the ability to fix a fellow sinner who is, perhaps, wearing us down with their offenses, but we also have the never-ending call to be ready with reconciliation in the strength of the Lord.

3) Must believers forgive from the heart if the other person is not repentant? (verse 35)
Several years ago a devastating story was reported of a pastor who went to the gym and returned to find his home a crime scene and his wife murdered. Days later, the pastor publicly claimed he’d forgiven the murderer. This response perplexed me. Why and how could he say these things? Surely the Bible doesn’t call him to forgive these strangers who had shown no sign of repentance. The Enduring Word Bible Commentary provides helpful insights. First, there is a distinction between forgiveness, which is one-sided, and reconciliation, which requires two parties to participate in both repentance and forgiveness. Secondly, we are one sinner striving in relation with another sinner. As such, true forgiveness is only possible as an overflow from our relationship with the Lord. Only He, the divine God who perfectly loves and forgives, is capable of cultivating His forgiveness in us. (Luke 7:47) This is a different relationship than a sinner being fully forgiven by a holy God. We are not in a position of righteousness, but rather one who also needs the covering of Jesus’ forgiveness through His sacrificial blood. God is holy; He is the One most grieved by evil, even our smallest sins. Graciously, the LORD is also the most ready to forgive when a broken heart is burdened by their offense against the righteous LORD and harmed others. The LORD is also He who will one day carry out complete justice. This pastor, in his deep grief, knew that in order to live without bitterness, his heart must be always ready to forgive. (Ephesians 4:31-32) He had long leaned into the Spirit of God who had faithfully taught him to forgive. This man took his own sin seriously and he confidently trusted that His King would one day make all things right. (Psalm 94)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Whole Story Messengers!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Whole Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Eden Day 4 Altogether Lovely: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Altogether Lovely!

The Questions

1) What analogy is Paul making in this passage?

2) What distinct commands does Paul give for the wife and husband in this passage? (verses 23-28)

3) How does the marriage relationship represent Christ and the church? (verses 29-32)

Ephesians 5:23-32

23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

Original Intent

1) What analogy is Paul making in this passage?
In this passage, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, uses the relationship between Christ and the Church to discuss God’s intended design for the marriage relationship. He compares Christ and His relationship with His Church to the husband and wife relationship. The husband taking the role of Christ in the marriage and the wife taking the role of the Church. Paul uses marriage as a blank canvas depicting how God intended relational holiness and sacrifice to be played out in real life marriage just as He intended from the beginning in Genesis 2:21-25.

2) What distinct commands does Paul give for the wife and husband in this passage? (verses 23-28)
Paul provided explicit instructions for husbands and wives in this passage. In verse 23, verse 25, and verse 28, Paul spoke directly to the husband, calling him to love and sacrifice for his wife. He pointed to Jesus’ own sacrifice on the cross as the role model for this command. (Matthew 27:27-52) In the same way, Paul spoke to wives in verse 24, calling them to submit within marriage to their husbands just as the Church is designed to submit to Christ’s headship. This is a deliberate, thoughtfully chosen, intentional submission out of respect and sacrificial love born out of shared relationship. **Please note that biblical teaching never condones abusive twisting of this passage for personal gain. Biblical submission is mutual between spouses and is always within the context of love and respect. Christ never condoned abuse of His design for personal gain. (Matthew 21:13)

3) How does the marriage relationship represent Christ and the church? (verses 29-32)
Speaking of marriage and oneness in verse 32, Paul so eloquently states, “the mystery is profound”, and we nod our heads in assent! Beautifully, Paul uses the familiarity of marriage merely as a springboard to help us more clearly understand Jesus’ role as head of the Church. In shifting our gaze to the cross and the Son’s submission to the will of the Father, we see His selfless love as He offers His own life for the Church. The Church, in kind, submits everything to His authority out of trusting obedience and respect. In the same way, a husband should love sacrificially and work diligently to encourage and uphold his wife while a wife lovingly chooses to submit to her husband. Within the relationship, whether discussing Christ and the Church, or husband and wife, there is profound membership, unity, fellowship, and oneness bound together by sacrificial love.

Everyday Application

1) What analogy is Paul making in this passage?
God’s intention for marriage from the beginning is beautifully told in the context of perfection in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:21-25) As Paul explains Christ’s relationship to His people as the ultimate “Husband”, we begin to see God’s model for how the marriage relationship was always intended to exist. Sacrificial love connects the two together. Paul helps the reader understand the fullness of the gospel by using this familiar human analogy. Christ so loved His Church that He died on a cross giving up His life for His people as described in John 3:16. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, another one of Paul’s letters, he explains it is out of love that Christ, although being spotless and blameless for sin, took all of humanity’s sin on Himself in order to present His Church in holy splendor. This is the kind of self-sacrificing love God intends marriage to emulate. Paul used this picture of offering and submission to reveal the framework for God’s design for marriage.

2) What distinct commands does Paul give for the wife and husband in this passage? (verses 23-28)
Within the context of this passage, we see how life and marriage were supposed to be before sin entered the world. (Genesis 3) Sin taints what God intended for good, and just two of the many consequences for sin are shame and fear, which played out in the unfolding scene following Adam and Eve’s rebellious sin. (Genesis 3:8-13) In the Garden of Eden prior to sin, the husband, as a loving leader, upholds his wife with sacrificial love without shame and the wife submits to him, also with sacrificial love; together they build a strong, unified marriage that glorifies God and reflects the divine relationship between Father and Son. With sacrificial love as the undergirding foundation, this give and take of sacrifice and submission form an unashamed relational oneness flourishing with deep joy. With sin came a brokenness that marred that human relationship with chaos and the desire to serve self, but God’s heart desire for the marital relationship never changed. Through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, as we submit to Him, He equips us with the divine power and love necessary to sacrificially love and submit to our spouse. (2 Peter 1:3) It is in relationship with Him that we learn how to be in relationship with our spouse. In our commitment to Him, God empowers us to seek after His design and His glory. (Romans 8:1-13)

3) How does the marriage relationship represent Christ and the church? (verses 29-32)
God’s design for marriage started at the dawn of time when He created man and woman and they were unashamed and living in perfectly unified loving communion with one another and God. (Genesis 2:25) Out of this picture in the Garden of Eden, Paul writes about marriage and the relationship between Christ and His Church beautifully comparing the two. The relational roles each participant plays, and the characteristics of these relationships, were designed in likeness to one another. Despite the twisted, self-seeking shadow that sin casts upon every relationship, God gives us a secure hope for an eternal future where all will one day be set right. As we wait and long for that day, we can take heart in knowing God is working even now within our brokenness to bring Him glory. The perfect oneness of relationship between Christ and His Church and the altogether loveliness of human relationships with one another as they were intended will one day be restored when Christ welcomes His Bride Home. (Revelation 21:1-8)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Altogether Lovely!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Eden Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

The GT Weekend ~ Calling Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) What is your “why” as a follower of Christ? As we consider the magnitude of our eternal blessing of eternity in the presence of God, everything else in life seems to fade in comparison. When we grasp the depth of this truth, we ought to be stirred to invite others to share in the blessing with us regardless of any struggles we may experience as we share. When you read this study, did a name jump to your mind of someone you want to share Christ with? Maybe you have a friend who is far from God or someone who has drifted away from your church body in the last few months, realizing she doesn’t really miss the Lord. Maybe there is a college student you know who is struggling to reconcile her faith and her doubt. Set up a time to get together with this friend with the express purpose of sharing your faith and how God is working in your life. Commit to pray through Ephesians 3:14-21 for your friend every day leading up to your appointment. If you are struggling to come up with a name, have a conversation with God in your journal about what would keep you from setting this kind of appointment and ask Him to send someone into your life with whom you could share the gospel.

2) In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges the Ephesians to live in a manner worthy of their call. Those who have been called to follow Jesus have the honor, privilege, and responsibility to live focused on God, becoming the people He wants them to be. By practicing spiritual disciplines, we can learn and grow in our faith so we can walk in a worthy manner. In Galatians 5:19-23, we see two lists of behavior patterns and character traits to help us visualize and grasp what our way of living ought (and ought not) look like. Take some time to read these two lists again. Did any traits from the first list stand out to you as ways you have been living and need to change? Honestly evaluate your life before the Lord and write down the specific ways you have been living outside of a manner worthy of your calling. Repent of those things, and ask God to help you walk in a new way. As you look at the second list, consider how you have grown in your walk. Name a specific fruit of the Spirit God has developed in you. Write down a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the work He has done in your life.

3) The book of Ephesians talks frequently about living in unity with the body of Christ. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, we become a part of a new family, the family of God. With this new family comes a new set of expectations and a new way of living. This new way of living can only be authentic when it comes from the Holy Spirit working in our lives, changing us from the inside out. We can try to force outward actions, but true change can only come from imitating Christ and allowing Him to change our inner selves. Where in your life have you been forcing an outward change without submitting your heart attitudes to the Lord? Take some time to write a prayer asking God to reveal the heart attitudes you are holding onto that need His redemptive work. As you see those attitudes in your life, confess them and ask for His changing power in your life. Take part in your spiritual family by telling a trusted friend what you are struggling with and asking her to pray with you for true and lasting life change.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Ephesians 3:20-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer Journal
You, oh Lord, are able to change lives. You have come down from Your holy hill and made a way for Your people to be united to You and be one in You. You have given Your children great gifts and blessed us with a new way of living. Help me, merciful Father, when I fall short. Search me and reveal the ways I am trying to fix myself or make myself better without relying on Your power and transforming work. Help me to leave behind my old way of life, my fleshly desires, and my sinful tendencies. Make my heart soft to the spiritual fruit You are growing in my life. Help me to live my life so others see Your changing work. Thank You for the many ways you have already changed me. Thank You for setting me free from my old ways of life and for bringing renewal to my relationships. You have shown up for me in ways I could never have imagined. Give me courage to speak your truth to those around me, so they may also experience the life-changing work You do every day.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Calling Day 10 The Jesus Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 4:17-5:5
Colossians 3:12-17
Psalm 1:1-3

Calling, Day 10

What are some of your family traditions? Do you vacation at the same time in the same place every year? Do you have a unique way of celebrating birthdays? What marks your family as a unit, a team? What are your values?

Every family has certain characteristics setting it apart from other families. Each is unique in its own way, and the family of God is no different.

When we decide to follow Jesus, we make the decision to leave behind past ways of thinking, believing, and behaving. We become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We join a new family, and adopt a new set of values along with a new identity. We are called to leave our former way of selfish living and, instead, take on the character of our adoptive Father, with our thoughts and actions reflecting Christ’s.

But how?
How do we develop the mind of Christ? 

Our culture loves self-help books. Whether we need to better manage our time, money, business, or diet, we can find many resources to help us succeed. While we might run across a few tips, lasting change requires more. We all know the motivation bought by those helpful tricks will wane after a few weeks, because our hearts and minds remain untouched.

In contrast, Jesus calls us to a radically transformed life, beginning with our inner selves. (Ephesians 3:16) Lifelong change will only grow from a renewed mind and transformed spirit.

True change, working from the inside out, will, in turn,
display the power of Jesus to a watching world.

I love preschoolers! Their hunger for learning and amazement with the simplest of concepts inspires me to approach life with wonder. One experiment I’ve loved performing with them is to place a white flower into a vase of water tinted with food coloring. After a day or two, the children note the flower petals are no longer white, but have become the same color as the tinted water.

Simple experiments teach the most profound lessons in life. Just as the flowers take on the color of the water in which they are placed, so we must be careful what we allow into our minds. God has graciously given us His Words, contained in the Bible, to show us how He expects us to live and why those expectations are necessary.

For example, we are told to treat each other with compassion, to encourage each other, to forgive each other just as God has forgiven us. (Ephesians 4:32) We can fake all of those behaviors to a point. Occasionally, we can force the action, much like a child who has been told to apologize turns with contempt to the one he’s wronged and mumbles an insincere “sorry.” Empty words have been spoken, but no heart change or reconciliation has taken place.

This heart change is only possible as we saturate our minds and hearts with God’s Word and by spending time in His presence through prayer. Colossians 3:16 encourages us to “dwell richly” in the Word of Christ and live together in unity. The more time we spend with Him, the more we develop the mind of Christ, and our actions will reveal His character.

The world today needs hope. As followers of Jesus, we possess that hope and are directed to share it with the doubting world. (Romans 15:13)

What are we showing the world? 

Are we showing love in our treatment of those who don’t know Jesus, and each other as brothers and sisters?
Are we known for building each other up, or are we tearing each other down over disagreements?
Are we forgiving, letting past offenses stay behind, as Christ has done for us?
Do we strive to mend broken relationships, believing the best in each other, or do we gossip to create further division?

In full transparency, I am guilty. 

This passage has wrecked me the past few weeks as I have wrestled with some attitudes which do not honor God or represent His character well. I am thankful we serve a Father who is generous in forgiveness, and continues to welcome me back into His arms. He listens to my apology and, with full knowledge I will certainly mess up again, He still chooses to love me and partner with me on His mission.

Sisters, shall we embrace this Jesus life?
Like my preschoolers’ flower and the tree described in Psalm 1, let’s deeply root ourselves in our Father through prayer, study of His Word, the exhortation and encouragement of fellow believers, and authentic repentance and reconciliation. As we are transformed from within, we will bear fruit in season, inviting the lost around us to join us on this journey, the Jesus life.

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Calling!

Calling Day 9 Live Worthy: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Live Worthy

The Questions

1) What is the calling received in verse 4 and how do we live worthy of it?

2) What is the gift Christ gives in verse 7 compared to the gifts in verse 8?

3) Why is there an emphasis on unity in these verses?

Ephesians 4:1-16

Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8 For it says:
When he ascended on high,
he took the captives captive;
he gave gifts to people.
9 But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? 10 The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Original Intent

1) What is the calling received in verse 4 and how do we live worthy of it?
When referring to the calling of the Ephesian believers, Paul reminds them they belong to Christ. Christ has called them to Himself and they are now representatives of Christ to the unbelieving world. Christ called them out of their life of sin, which brought death, and offered them the gift of eternal life. Paul is challenging the Ephesians to live as those who received that gift. Paul defines how the Ephesians can live worthy of the calling in verses 2-3, specifically, by living in humility, gentleness, patience, love, and in unity as believers. On the surface, these seem difficult, however, when Jesus is living through us these are the traits that flow out of us with the power of the Holy Spirit working from the inside.

2) What is the gift Christ gives in verse 7 compared to the gifts in verse 8?
Unlike most of the Ephesian letter, Paul takes an individualistic tone in verse 7. He is speaking to the individual believer and not the Church as a whole. Paul is reminding them of the gift Christ bestowed on them which is grace. This gift is in proportion to what Christ bestows on each individual. Gift is singular in verse 7, not plural as it is in verse 8. Paul shifts to a plural word in verse 8 and lists several of the gifts bestowed on believers in verses 11-12. The gifts listed in those verses are some of what Paul is referencing in verse 8. These gifts are given for the advancement of the Kingdom, and meant for the betterment of the entire community.

3) Why is there an emphasis on unity in these verses?
Together, the believers in Ephesus make up a local Body of Christ. They each have different gifts and roles to play. Paul is reminding them of the importance of unity throughout this section. He is speaking to the entire body of believers and not the individual. This unity is important because the church is only as good as those who are in actively working within it. As believers work together in unity, they are challenged to grow, and sharpened to work properly as Christ has called them. On an island alone, no believer can reach their true potential or calling. Proverbs 27:17 speaks to the sharpening of mankind. If there is no unity, there cannot be sharpening. We must focus on God, instead of ourselves, and allow Him to bind us together in unity if the Church is to be the Church as God designed her to be. True unity doesn’t happen without prayerful work and intentional discipline, and it doesn’t happen without staying focused on what binds the Church together, which Paul specifically states in verses 5-6. As each individual of the Church clings to the truth of unity under the truth of “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God” (verse 4), the Church is sharpened, and each gift is better used to advance the Kingdom.

Everyday Application

1) What is the calling received in verse 4 and how do we live worthy of it?
We are called Christians, bearing the name of Christ as our identity. The calling we received is that of belonging to Him. As we grow in relationship with Christ, who we are looks increasingly more like Him. Just as the Ephesians were representatives to the world around them, so are we. We are called to be Christ’s representatives to an unbelieving world. Our lives should be an overflow of what Christ is doing in us. When we are walking closely with the Lord, it His love and heart the world sees playing out in the characteristics Paul mentions in verses 2-3. Matthew Henry writes, “Christians ought to accommodate themselves to the gospel by which they are called, and to the glory to which they are called; both are their vocation. We are called Christians; we must answer that name, and live like Christians. We are called to God’s kingdom and glory; that kingdom and glory therefore we must mind, and walk as becomes the heirs of them.” Is this what others see when they look at you? Does the world see Jesus when they see you?

2) What is the gift Christ gives in verse 7 compared to the gifts in verse 8?
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:7) Each of us receives grace as Christ gifts it to us. Just as with the Ephesians, this gift is an individualistic gift of grace, providing believers not with what they deserve, but with something so much better, forgiveness and life. The gifts in verses 11-12 still exist today and no single believer is given all of them. Within the Body of Christ, the Church, we each have gifts to use to advance the Kingdom and pour into His Church. Christ entrusts each of us with gifts He intends to use through us. Much like in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, it is our choice what we will do with those gifts. We can choose to utilize those gifts and grow them, or we can choose to bury them away, using them for selfish purposes. Sisters, are you actively looking for opportunities to serve others with the gifts He has given you, or are you hiding them away? If you aren’t using them, I urge you to begin looking for outlets to serve using the gifts God has given. The Church was designed for each of us to use our gifts for His Kingdom! We need each other!

3) Why is there an emphasis on unity in these verses?
Matthew 28:16-20 provides the call on all believers to make disciples of people in all nations. When I think about this, I am in awe that God would entrust me with the task of sharing the Gospel! However, I am quickly reminded this is not a task I am capable of completing on my own. My job is to plant seeds in those who do not know Him, and allow the God of the Universe to water and grow those seeds. I am also quickly reminded this task of making disciples globally is not one I can accomplish alone. Yes, I have a role to play, as do each one of us who trust in Jesus as Savior, but alone it would be impossible. It is only as we band together in unity under Christ, who is the head of the Church, we can accomplish the mission set before us. When the world looks to the church and sees division instead of unity, the message of the Gospel is lost. When the Church cannot come together in unity under the one who saved us, we can never reach our potential. We need each other to make us better. If we all had exactly the same gifts, viewpoints, and passions, the Church would be pretty boring, but it would also not be able to work as God intended. We need each other to have a complete picture. Therefore, I ask you, are you allowing the differences to tear us apart or looking to what unifies us to make each of us better?

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Live Worthy!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Calling Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

The GT Weekend ~ Calling Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) What a breathtakingly stunning thought! The God of the universe is pleased to dwell among people! His desire is to have a deep and meaningful relationship with every beloved person in His church body. The opening poetry of Ephesians is full of magnificent truths about the believer’s position and identity in Christ. Rebecca gave us a list of declarations every believer in Christ can cling to as a promise of their standing with God. We do not need to wonder what God thinks of us because He tells us plainly in these verses. Go back and read through the list again! (Ephesians 1:1-14) Choose two or three specific promises and remind yourself of those truths in your life. Spend some time praying and imagining how God could change your life if you fully accepted those truths as part of your everyday. Write down those two or three declarations on a notecard or sticky note (make them pretty if you want!) and post them somewhere you’ll see them daily. When you see those cards, be reminded to pray to God for His help to live faithfully in light of His call on your life.

2) In Ephesians 1:15-23 we see the love Paul has for the Ephesians in his prayer for them, and we see the greatness of the calling of God on the lives of His people. Paul prays for the Ephesians to intimately know the call of God on their lives. If we believe in Christ, we share in this calling. By this calling, we can be confident in our rich, intimate knowledge of God, our value in His kingdom, and the power we experience through Jesus Christ. This truth should radically change how we live our lives! We experience God’s power when we obey His call on our lives. Identify one way in your life you are resisting submission to Christ’s call on your life. This could be a besetting sin you are holding onto or a step of faith you have been hesitant to take. Ask God to show you the greatness of His power by setting you free from whatever is holding you back, then make a plan to walk in obedience in this area, trusting God to sustain you. Consider sharing your plan with a trusted sister in Christ and invite her to check in with you about how you are following through.

3) When all we know is death, we can grow comfortable in the filth and stench of our own decay. Death feels like the inevitable pattern until we see the alternative. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-22 we were dead in our sins. But God, rich in mercy, made a way for us to be alive in Him. If you have believed in Christ, you are no longer a slave to the old, dead ways of living. You are alive in Christ! Rebecca challenges us to remember we are alive and then to live like we’re alive. Echoing her final thoughts, take some time to consider, and write down, answers to the following questions. Who can you love better? What is a tangible step you can take today to love God with your life? Is there a relationship in your life where unity is broken; what is a first step you can take toward reconciliation? Are you honoring the people closest to you? Ask God to help you take meaningful steps toward living like you are alive. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to share with someone in your life about how God has brought you out of death and into life.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Ephesians 1:17-19 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of His strength.

Prayer Journal
Oh great and merciful Father, how can it be that You would love me? I cannot fathom the depths of love You have shown Your people by making us Your dwelling place. You are not a God who is far off, watching at a distance. You are a God who is nearby, providing for Your children, displaying Your great power in our lives. I admit I have often learned facts about You simply to increase my own knowledge. Forgive me of my pride, and use the knowledge I have found to enlighten my heart and draw me into a deeper relationship with You. I know I often live in my brokenness, forgetting the power of the truth of my new life in You. Help me to be aware of my sin, to recoil at my old desires, and to truly live in such a way that reflects the power You have in my life. Thank You for Your great mercy in setting me free from my past. Help me to grow in my intimate knowledge of You and Your great love for me. As I grow in unity with You, help me also to grow in unity with Your Body, the Church.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Calling Day 5 Living Love Story

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 2:1-22
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
John 5:24-29

Calling, Day 5

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
(Ephesians 2:1)

This is not the way to start a love story.

Declaration of one’s death isn’t winsome or sweet, inciting feelings of depth and happiness. Unbidden, news of death reminds us of our own mortality, or experiences of walking the grievous pathways of heartbreaking, tragic loss.

A vibrant family diagnosed with two cases of brain cancer within months of each other makes me consider how fleeting and unexpected our lives are.

A fatal shooting of a 5-year-old on the news brings to mind images of my own precious 5-year-old, alive and well, but I’m haunted by “what if.”

My wonderful friend’s 2-month-old daughter is found lifeless in her crib, and my arms ache for the babe I carried inside, but never held outside my body.

death.
destruction.
fear.
impenetrable pain.
desperately alone.
death.

Here, in this setting of closed curtains and covered graveyards, Paul inhales deeply and pens to the Ephesians, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”

Sin feels easy, even as if it’s the only real pattern for life.

Gossip. Anger. Bitterness. Lies. Manipulation. Disrespect. Sharp words. Silent treatment. Lust. Pride. And so, the litany of our pattern for life continues gushing from us like a spring of poison.

Dead.

We have already been rendered deceased, by the very alive God, the moment we sinned.
Our sins chain us to our own cemeteries.

Dead.

In vast deception, we love our death.
We crave it.
We want more of it.

We move through our everyday completely oblivious to our own death stench, unaware of the emptiness of our actions as we chase incessantly after our lusts, our control, and our everything. (Ephesians 2:2-3)

However, a deception, no matter how hauntingly insidious, never negates the truth.

We were already dead,
and we deserved to stay there because of our illustrious love affair with sin.

But God loved us.
But God was merciful to us.
But God, intently focused on bringing dead things to life,
held
out
life
to
the
already
dead.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, 
because of His great love that He had for us,
made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses.
You are saved by grace!”
(Ephesians 2:4-5)

In the face of our rebellion and hearts that shunned Him, the Light of Life gave of Himself in such costly, glorious magnificence, we are left with only two ridiculously simple choices.
Life or Death.

Jesus Christ, wholly God, wrapped Himself in the frailty of human flesh, submitted Himself to the vast array of human emotion and devious temptation to live for Himself; yet from His first breath of oxygen as a tiny babe to His final, ragged gasp on a criminal’s cross, He was perfect.

He did what we never could because we are chained to sin, while He was free.

He lived sinless. Wholly without a single lustful thought, one self-centered angry word, or any other hint of sin. Then, with more humility than I can possibly conceive, He lowered Himself even more and willingly placed Himself under the punishment for sin that we deserve!

In His death, He took on our sin, and suffered the consequence of being an outcast from the presence of God.

death.
destruction.
fear.
impenetrable pain.
desperately alone.
death.

Lifeless, He lay in a borrowed tomb for three days, until, at just the right time, His cold limbs grew warm, His chest rose and fell, His pulse began to beat rhythmically, and His dead eyes opened.
Death had been defeated!

And so, Paul’s ominous entrance unfolds, indeed, to the greatest love story ever told.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. (…)
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love that He had for us,
made us alive with Christ”

Alive so that, miraculously, these once-dead-hearts now beat in tandem to the heart of God. (Ephesians 2:6)
Alive so that, unfathomably, God might continue to display His vast, magnificent love towards us with all richness in the eternity stretching out before us. (Ephesians 2:7)
Alive so that, astoundingly, we can walk into a new life filled to the brim with purpose and divine intention. (Ephesians 2:10)

Awakened to life, real life.

But since we have a tendency to forget this lavish gift was either once given, daily made new, or ever extended in the first place, the apostle implores, “So, then, remember….” (Ephesians 2:11)

Remember, you who have been made new and alive, remember what it was like to be dead.
Remember the destruction, the fear, the impenetrable pain, the desperate loneliness.
Remember what it was like to walk around faking life while you were dead.

Let that remembrance embolden you to live like you’re alive!

Love one another.
Love the God who set you free.
Fight for unity in your relationships, your families, and your churches.
Honor one another before yourselves.
And share this glorious gospel goodness with others who are dead, just as you once were!
May our everyday lives be living love story testimonies of the God who brings life from death!

Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!

Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper!     And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey!    Comment Here!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Calling Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Calling!

Calling Day 4 For The Church: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out For The Church!

The Questions

1) Who is the “you” in these verses?

2) What is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? (verse 17)

3) Why is there such an emphasis on Christ being above everything in verses 21-22?

Ephesians 1:15-23

15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Original Intent

1) Who is the “you” in these verses?
Paul uses the pronouns “you” and “your” several times in verses 15-19 therefore it is important to know who Paul is praying for, so we can have an accurate understanding of this passage. Originally, Paul’s letter was written in Greek. Thanks to ancient texts that have been preserved, Bible scholars can read the original words in its original language, which reveals how each instance of “you” and “your” in these particular verses is actually plural. If we read Ephesians 1:13, we know the audience had placed their faith fully in Jesus. “In Him you (y’all) also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you (y’all) heard the word of truth, the gospel of your (ya’lls’) salvation, and when you (y’all) believed.” Therefore, we know Paul is addressing the entire body of believers in Ephesus, not just one person.  He is praying for, and speaking to, the greater Church as a whole.

2) What is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? (verse 17)
Paul writes out his prayer request for God to give the Ephesians His Spirit of wisdom and revelation. True wisdom comes from the Father and is something we must look for in Him alone. (Proverbs 9:10) To fully understand “revelation”, it’s helpful to first understand the definition in Greek. Paul uses the word “apokalupsous”, which is the derivative for our word “apocalypse”. Vine’s Bible dictionary defines this word as “the communication of the knowledge of God to the soul.” This phrase is a deeply personal knowing of the God of the Universe. Paul is interceding on behalf of the Ephesians that they may know God in a fuller deeply, intimate, and personal way. However, this work is only done through the power of the Spirit. Bible commentator Matthew Henry says, “We have the revelation of the Spirit in the word: but will that avail us, if we have not the wisdom of the Spirit in the heart?”. It is only as the Spirit allows our hearts to be opened to His wisdom and through the work of the Spirit that life transformation happens.

3) Why is there such an emphasis on Christ being above everything in verses 21-22?
Paul clearly communicates Christ is above all in verses 21 and 22. He is above rulers, powers, titles, and is the head of the Church, His precious Bride. He is the ultimate authority over everything and every soul. Christ did what no one else could in setting the world right, which was broken when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Colossians 1:16 reminds us Christ was present at creation and all things were not only made through Him, but also continue to be sustained through Him. Paul goes on to emphasize Christ’s position as the head of the Church in Philippians 2:9 and Colossians 1:18. Paul is reminding the Ephesian believers that Christ is the head of this beautiful, timeless, global Body they belong to; this truth brings unity! He is reminding them this life is not an individualistic life, but one to be lived as a whole Body working together for the Kingdom under the authority of Christ. 

Everyday Application

1) Who is the “you” in these verses?
Paul wrote these verses to the body of believers in Ephesus, however, his words are just as much for the entire global body of believers today. In English, and a western culture mindset, it’s easy for us to read the words “you” or “your” and hear them from an individual perspective, which would be a pretty big mistake in the book of Ephesians. As we read these verses, and the book as a whole, it is important to read it through the lens of a collective body. Every believer is a part of each other. We are to live and walk and love together in unity as if we are one physical body. (Romans 12:5) Verses 22-23 remind us of this reality when Paul refers to the church as the body of Christ. “And He (God) subjected everything under His (Jesus) feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all thing in every way.

2) What is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation? (verse 17)
Paul isn’t asking God for wisdom and revelation for himself, rather, he is interceding on behalf of the Ephesians asking God to allow them to know Him in a personally intimate way. This should not be lost on us as believers today. We should find joy in interceding on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ, asking Him that they may “abound and increase more and more” (Matthew Henry) in their wisdom and revelation. In other words, we are to follow Paul’s example and beg God to reveal Himself to others in a deeply personal way as they spend time with Him. Wisdom, revelation, and knowledge don’t happen just because we ask on behalf of someone or a friend asks on our behalf, but the Spirit will use prayers of faith to prompt hearts to come to Him. We take Him up on this invitation as we choose to spend time in both the Word of God and in prayer as we sit quietly before the Lord. When we spend time investing in relationship with God, the Spirit of wisdom and revelation will change our lives! Sister are you willing to seek after God’s heart?

3) Why is there such an emphasis on Christ being above everything in verses 21-22?
Christ is the ultimate authority, holding lordship above all else. Paul reminds his Ephesian audience of this truth, but it is a truth we should cling to as well. Christ accomplished what was humanly impossible by paying the price we were incapable of paying, and restoring, the broken relationship to our Father God. To receive this reconciliation, we are to simply believe Him at His word, and receive the gift freely offered through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The truth found in these verses provides comfort regardless of where we find ourselves in life, whether our current season is a hill or a valley. There is absolutely nothing bigger than Christ! There is nothing He doesn’t rule over. While no promise is made of an easy life once we place our faith in Jesus, we are assured nothing we ever encounter will be bigger than Him. Nothing will ever catch Him off guard. He is prepared for it all, and the Good News is we know the end of the story is brimming with victory! He’s coming back, and when He does, all will finally be right. In a constantly changing world where we face death and disease, where injustice and inequality are rampant, and a pandemic has changed much of our life, I find myself clinging to the confidence that God wins the final victory. He is in control of everything! We need the reminder of the position of authority of Jesus. When we trust in Jesus, we have nothing to fear, because there is nothing too difficult, or impossible, for Him.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with For The Church!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Calling Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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Worship V Day 4 How Deep The Father’s Love: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out How Deep The Father’s Love!

The Questions

1) Who are the persons referred to as “Every family in heaven and on earth” in verse 15?

2) In this intercessory prayer, what purposes is Paul praying for the Ephesian believers?

3) How are these lofty purposes realized?

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Original Intent

1) Who are the persons referred to as “Every family in heaven and on earth” in verse 15?   
The concept of family is extremely important in the Bible, both physically and theologically. Jesus makes it very clear that in the kingdom of Heaven, the most important family connection is spiritual, not physical. In Matthew 12:46-50, He uses “family language” to describe the connection God intended for Believers to share with each other and the Lord. “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother…”
Of course, we understand “family” as a group of persons sharing a common father. Jesus directed His prayers to God the Father and He taught us to do the same. It is to “our Father God” Paul directs his prayers on behalf of those who are members of the family in Christ. Those who have received the “Spirit of His Son“ evidenced by calling Him “Abba! Father!”. (Galatians 4:6)
The family referenced in verse 15, therefore, are all those who are a new creation in Christ. This family is The Global Church consisting of all who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This family is drawn from “every nation, tribe, people, and language”. (Revelation 7:9) A defining characteristic of this spiritual family is love one for another which John writes, “A new command I give you, love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples if you love one another.”

2) In this intercessory prayer, what purposes is Paul praying for the Ephesian believers?
Paul prays for the church to know, in a deeply intimate and experiential way, the vast love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge. He prays this on their behalf in order for them to be fulfilled and overflowing with all the fullness of God. This deep knowing of Christ’s love is at the pinnacle of Paul’s prayer. Before this peak, Paul first prays for the Ephesians to be strengthened in their deep “heart” places within through the Holy Spirit. This strengthening leads to an ever-increasing faith for everyday living, which produces this pinnacle lens through which we are able to grasp in continuously greater degrees the vast richness of Christ’s love. (Ephesians 3:18)
Paul couches this precious exposition in the context of harmonious unity. This experience of Christ’s love explodes when the Global Church (all believers) live and grow together, going steadily deeper into understanding who Christ is through the Holy Spirit’s revealing power.

3) How are these lofty purposes realized?
In verses 14-19, Paul points to the source of a believer’s growth being the strength-imparting Spirit of Christ who dwells within every Christ-follow as teacher (John 14:26), comforter, and counselor (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit enables believers to flourish in an ever increasing, never complete, realization of the love of God the Father. The pathway of growth is discovered through prayer, faith, and submission to God’s revelation found in Scripture. The more we are willing to go deeper in trusting the Spirit of God living and active within us, the more we will discover, with awe and wonder, the glorious riches of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord! None of Paul’s prayed for purposes are possible apart from the work of God the Spirit; we cannot do it on our own strength or determination. He works in the believer’s heart and, in the process of our growth, obedience, and humble submission, He brings glory in the Church and to all generations for the sake of His Name! (verses 20-21)

Everyday Application

1) Who are the persons referred to as “Every family in heaven and on earth” in verse 15?   
The physical family is the most important building block in human society and should be nurtured and protected. When we are born again in Jesus, we are birthed into a spiritual family and are adopted as God’s children and He is our Father. (Romans 8:15)
The spiritual family is not bound or described by ethnicity, gender, or social standing. As Paul says, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed , and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)

2) In this intercessory prayer, what purposes is Paul praying for the Ephesian believers?
New Testament scholar and author of several commentaries, William Hendriksen, writes, “God is glorious in all His attributes, His power, His infinite Love, His mercy, His grace, His wisdom (…) Paul prays that all of God’s attributes be richly applied to those who are followers of Jesus Christ”. Hendriksen emphasizes how God’s character is embedded, nurtured, and grown to flourish within the heart of every believer through the work of the Holy Spirit when a person chooses to accept Christ as Lord of their life.
Just as Paul prayed for the Ephesians, so should we pray for one another within this family called Church as brothers and sisters, all children of our Father God. To know Christ deeply and experience His love, we begin with simple faith. Faith to receive Christ, faith to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He leads us deeper, and faith to continue leaning into the character of this God who calls us Beloved.
Let the Spirit of Christ transform in glorious ways!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) Be made new! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old has passed away; behold the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

3) How are these lofty purposes realized?
EASY! Well, probably not easy, but the process is simple and uncomplicated; the choice rests on us whether we will follow or not.
We begin with the knowledge that God’s Word, the Bible, is what we hang on to daily for wisdom and guidance and is the means by which the Holy Spirit transforms us and makes us new. The psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) This Word of God is for real, everyday life!
In verse 14, Paul notes, “I bend my knees to the Father”.  It is in honor to be welcomed into the presence of the Almighty God! Submission and worship to God the Father is the heart attitude allowing us to draw close to Him through faith. The more we give ourselves over to studying His Word and listening to the Spirit, the deeper faith will root our lives. As we lean into the Father, He grows our understanding of just how deep, high, wide, and long is His love for us as His children. His love is limitless!
Don’t let another day pass before becoming more intentional in your faith walk with God. Whether you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord, or if you’ve been trusting Him more every day for the last 80 years, keep on growing! There is more the Lord wants you to discover about His love! Read His Word. Pray continuously, all day in all situations. Worship God as Father, Son, and Spirit, praising Him for His plan to grow us, root us, and delight to show us His love! “Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children; walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with How Deep The Father’s Love!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.