Author Archives: Drew Haninger

Ephesians Overview – Vision and Practice

Quick Overview of Ephesians

The book of Ephesian was written by Paul the apostle. The six chapters can be divided into two parts.
1.  Chapter 1-3 Vision as God sees it from the heavens (not from earth)
2. Chapter 4-6 Living the Christian Life – Application and Practice

Top Keywords in Ephesians:  Jesus Christ, God, purpose, glory, church, inheritance, economy.

God’s goal for the Church 

  • Christ has broken down walls between Jews & Gentiles, making peace and removing hostility (2:14ff)
  • Jews & Gentiles fellow citizens of heaven & members of household of God (2:19)
  • Jews & Gentiles are fellow heirs in Christ  (3:6)
  • Edify itself in love (4:16)

The Two Great Prayers in Ephesians

  • Ephesians 1:15-23 – a prayer that God would grant the believers  a spirit of wisdom and revelation (so we believers could see what God sees)
  • Ephesians 3:14-19  – a prayer for spiritual strength so that Christ could dwell in our hearts through love (so that the riches of the vision could be practical in the believers lives)

Relationships among Christians in the early Church

  • Members together of the family of God (brothers and sisters in Christ)
  • Body of Christ
  • Marriage being a type of Christ and the Church (chapter 5)
  • Faithful service, exemplified by Tychicus (6:21)
  • Comfort and encourage one another (6:22)
  • Peace between brothers (6:23)
  • Recipients of God’s grace (6:24)
  • Mutual love resting on their mutual faith
  • Top “Church” keywords:  church, Body of Christ, family, household, brother, marriage, husband and wife, members,

Who you are in Christ

  • Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ (1:3)
  • God has had a plan (purpose) for me since eternity past (1:4)
  • Adopted son of God (1:5)
  • Accepted in the Beloved (1:6)
  • Redeemed from slavery to sin (1:7)
  • Forgiven (1:7)
  • Recipient of His rich grace (1:7)
  • Can understand the mystery of His will (1:9)
  • An heir of God (inheritance)
  • Sealed in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, therefore eternally secure (1:14)
  • I am the beneficiary of His great power (1:19)
  • Because He was raised from dead, I will be too (1:20)
  • Made alive together with Christ (2:1; 2:5)
  • I am in Christ positionally—security (2:6)
  • Saved from wrath of God by grace through faith (2:8)
  • Have boldness of access to God with confidence (3:12)

The believer’s mission 

  • Gospel presentation (bold ambassador for Christ) (6:20)

How you should behave in light of your identity 

  • I should live to the praise of His glory (1:13)
  • Have love for all the saints (1:15)
  • I should do the works God has prepared for me to do (2:10)
  • Walk worthy of the calling I have in Christ (4:1ff)
    • Lowliness
    • Gentleness
    • Longsuffering
    • Bearing with one another in love
    • Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
  • Speaking the truth in love (4:15)
  • Exercise the spiritual gift God has given me to edify the Church (4:12ff)
  • Do my share to help edify the body in love (4:16)

 How you become able to live as God wants

  • Strengthened with might through His Spirit in inner man (3:16)
  • Through Christ dwelling (being at home) in my heart through faith (3:17)
  • By being  rooted and grounded in love (3:17)
  • He does the work according to the power in us (Holy Spirit) (3:20)
  • Know God’s Word so I am not tossed about by every wind of doctrine , and subject to the trickery of men (4:13ff)
  • Put on whole armor of God (6:10ff) – warfare
    • Truth (6:14)
    • Practical righteousness (6:14)
    • Gospel of peace (6:15)
    • Shield of faith (6:16)
    • Helmet of salvation (6:17)
    • Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) (6:17)
    • Praying in the Spirit (6:18)

Prayer – lots is needed

  • Praying always in the Spirit (6:18)
  • Watchful in prayer (6:18)
  • Perseverance in prayer (6:18)
  • Make supplications for all saints (6:19)
  • Pray for open doors for the gospel (6:19)
  • Pray for boldness for those who are ambassadors of Christ (6:20)

Daily Devotions – Prayer

Psalms 109:4 “In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer”. Or some translations have it “but I am a man of prayer”.  Too many times we are in a big hurry in our time for daily devotions. We just have so many things to do but no time for God. How can we develop a Spirit of prayer if we do not spend time with God in prayer. How can anything be accomplished without times of solitude and private time. So our time when we have daily devotions is crucial to developing a relationship with God.

Prayer to be Holy in Christ

It has been my continual prayer that God might use what is written to increase in His children the conviction that we must be holy, the knowledge of how we are to be holy, the joy that we may be holy, the faith that we can be holy. And may He stir us all to cry day and night to Him for a visitation of the Spirit and the Power of Holiness upon all His people, that the name of Christian and of saint may be synonymous, and every believer be a vessel made holy and meet for the Master’s use. — from the preface to “Holy in Christ” by Andrew Murray.

When we are Low, the Lord is our Strength

10 Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.”  Nehemiah 8:10  — this is something to remember when something in our day pulls us down.  It seems every day there is something to effect us, so remember the joy of the Lord is our encouragement.

Prayer and Joy in the Morning

Look at these Bible Passages on prayer and joy in the morning.

Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Psalms 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment,and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night,but  joy comes with the morning.

Christ comes from Letting Go!

Notice the word “loss” and what Paul gained. Paul gained Christ. Each loss is pared with Christ.

Philippians 3:7-8 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Forgiveness and Bitterness

Jesus in Matthew 6 teaches us to pray:  “Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ”  Then He says:  14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.

Jesus mentions the word “forgive” six times, it must be significant.  The opposite is to hold a bad feeling, and eventually get bitter.  Bitterness is subtle and hurts ourselves more than others.   Both an unwillingness to forgive and bitterness will hinder prayer.  That’s why the Lord mentioned it in Matthew 6 when talking about prayer.