23 Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. Ephesians6:21-23
Ephesians has been called the "Grand Canyon" of the shorter Epistles. It is a breath-taking tour of:
* our Spiritual Blessings in Christ,
* the reconciling work of the cross in vertical and horizontal dimensions,
* prayers that me might comprehend the incredible love of God,
* the wonder of the church
* the urgency of the times we live in
* the potential of relationships that can be transformed
* and the reality of the spiritual struggle we are in.
So, how does Paul hope to end a letter of such epic proportions?
With two thoughts:
1. Community is important: Tychicus and the news he carries is a symbol of our belonging-together in Christ. Paul's assurance that he will connect the Ephesian Church with what Paul is going through is a vital aspect of our faith. We are not Christians alone.
2. Peace, Love and Grace are the most beautiful gifts we have as we understand the Gospel and understand the love of God. And as we experience Peace and Grace, we are able to love Jesus with an undying love.
What does your Christianity consist of? Do you know peace with God and do you understand that grace is free, undeserved and unencumbered by conditions? Do you have an unquenchable love for Christ?? If you do, then you have really SEEN Paul's Grand Canyon!!!
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This brings us to the end of Ephesians and the end of the devotions for the year. Thanks for reading my ramblings through the year and my only prayer is that they have helped, in some way, to clarify God's Word and inspire you to love Him more.
Thanks to those who have sent me encouraging notes through the year!
Have a blessed Christmas and may 2012 lead you to a greater commitment to our awesome God!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
