Letter to a Prisoner

     Occasionally, I have had the opportunity to minister to people in jails. I have found one of the most encouraging things I can do is help them become better Bible readers. The Bible has such encouragement for those going through such discouraging times, and the Bible has the power to change them from the inside out. Here is a letter I wrote, where I offered observation and application questions about Ephesians 4-6. J. had already done an excellent job interacting with the first three chapters.

Hey J,

     Thanks so much for the note. I’m sorry for your delayed court dates. You are exactly right to believe that God is at work. I have used a story about driving in Atlanta to show that if we knew all that God was up to, we would rest in his wise plans instead of getting upset. Imagine if you had to stop at a red light when you were running late to a meeting. As you are tempted to get upset at the delay, suppose that God let you know that he had prevented you for getting into a terrible crash just one block ahead. 

     You would be so grateful, but also kind of ashamed for getting so mad at the red light. That shame represents our doubts about God’s sovereignty, goodness, and faithfulness. If you think about it, if we really believe that God is all of those things all of the time, why would we ever be upset? If God is doing so many good and wise things behind the scenes, shouldn’t we rest in that as we experience the unfolding of his good plans? Of course, that doesn’t excuse us from taking responsibility to be pleasing to him, but it does allow us to cheerfully trust him even when life looks so rough.

     Great job on your thoughts on Ephesians 1-3. I’m glad that my questions helped. 

     You are in for a big treat now in the practical section in Eph 4-6. Look carefully at Eph 4:1, it is the hinge verse of the entire letter. (Did we talk about the fact that Paul was in jail as he was writing this letter to the church in Ephesus?) The key words are therefore, walk, worthy, and calling. 

     “Therefore,” shows us that all of the practical instructions he is about give is based upon what he just said in Eph 1-3. The calling he mentions is about their salvation calling and all of the blessings of salvation in Christ that he has just been talking about. The word walk is a lifestyle term. How you walk is about how you live. 

     When you add in the “worthy” word you get the old-school kind of scales (like that blind justice statue at the Supreme Court). In one pan, which is attached to the arm by the chain, you have our salvation blessings. In the other pan is your lifestyle. Paul says for us to balance those scales. Live a live worthy of all of those salvation blessings. Certainly, we can never pay God back for all that he has done for us, but shouldn’t we be so grateful and try to live in light of his grace to us? 

     As you go through these chapters, look for the word “walk.” It shows up repeatedly all over Eph 4-6. The whole section is filled with lifestyle commands. The Holy Spirit will use this section to reshape your heart and lifestyle. This is the key to real change and living a life that pleases God. 

     Let me point you to a couple of key sections to reflect upon in these chapters, in addition to noting the things that jump out to you. 

    In Eph 4:11-16, Paul gives a dynamic picture of what healthy churches are like. Try to identify the role of the pastor (and the other gifted leaders). What is the goal of ministry? What is the danger of spiritual immaturity? What is our method of ministry? 

     In Eph 4:17-32, Paul gives the put-on/ put-off dynamic for change. Notice that it is not enough to not do bad things, but we must replace our vices with virtues, with God’s help. How many put-offs and ons can you find?

     Chapter 5:3-14 contains a very strong warning about sexual sins. 

     Then in chapter 5:15-21 there is a section about walking in wisdom. What gets really interesting is that 5:22-6:9 goes on to break in down into three pairs of household relationships. See what observations you can discover about those pairs of relationships. 

     The last section I want to point out is Eph 6:10-17, which is about spiritual warfare. Some of the teachers that you have listened to in the past believe some strange things about spiritual warfare. Compare what you have heard with this passage, which is the longest section about spiritual warfare in the Bible. It is always good to compare what we have heard in the past with what God says is true. 

     Now, could you please pray for me? I am off to speak on the LGBT issue at a Christian conference out of town. It is certainly a hot topic and quite controversial. I need to be bold and gracious (like Eph 4:15). Please pray that God will help me strike his balance.

     When I get back, I can try to get you some more resources. In the meantime, all of my sermons are online at www.faithbiblechurch.us and at www.sermonaudio.com. I’d love to hear your feedback.

     May the Lord help you to rest in him and to have as good of a day as you can.

In Christ,

Pastor John