August 20, 2016: Day 83 – Ephesians 4

Unity is always a good thing when we are talking about churches, right?  Yes, that is right.  In fact, these verses underscore the importance of unity within a church and among churches.  Look at vs.4-5 and we find that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.  Wait, did that just say one baptism?  Yes.  That means that if you were dunked or sprinkled, it is all the same?  Yes.  That means that if you were baptized as an infant or as an adult it is still baptism and both “count”?  Yes.  Don’t ever let a Christian tell you that your baptism doesn’t count if it wasn’t done when you were an adult.  Point to this verse and say, well if it is good enough for Paul, it is good enough for me.  There ought to be unity among the churches but unfortunately some churches feel as if their way is the only way that is right.  I praise God that the Presbyterian Church has a very broad tent which gathers many people from all sorts of walks of life and embraces them in the unity of the Gospel.

If you know the Apostles’ Creed you will find a part of it in vs.9-10.  You know that part where we say “..and he descended into hell.”  In these verses it states that if he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God then it must mean that he also descended in order to fill all things.  What that means is that Jesus went into hell to introduce himself to those who were not saved so that they could experience him and have a relationship with him.  You see the same message in I Peter 3:19-20.  What a comfort to see God fulfilling the words of Psalm 139:8 where the writer states: if I make my bed in Sheol (hell), you are there.  The pursuit of God, or rather God’s pursuit of us always leaves me breathless and with a smile on my face.

Vs.26 also gives us the words to which pretty much every couple ought to subscribe: do not let the sun go down on your anger.  He says this within the context of some very basic rules for a new life, which includes, thieves, don’t steal.  That’s good to know.