The Blessedness of Being a Christian
Posted by nedcook | Posted in Nursing Home Talks | Posted on 22-07-2006
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Read Ephesians 1:1-3
Our reading is from the book of Ephesians, which deals with the subject of LIFE IN THE HEAVENLIES. It’s the New Testament counterpart to the book of Joshua in the Old Testament. The book of Joshua, you will remember, describes the entrance of the Children of Israel into the promised land, the land of plenty, the land flowing with milk and honey. It describes a life of triumph and victory through the power of God. It describes a life of conquest and overcoming. And so likewise Ephesians describes a life lived in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That doesn’t mean of course that the book is impractical and removed from everyday circumstances. Paul was writing from a dungeon, in all probability chained between two soldiers 24 hours a day. The epistle was written to Ephesian believers, most of whom were probably slaves of some sort or another. So although it talks about life in the heavenlies, it is also very down to earth. Someone has said that the book of Ephesians begins in the heavenlies and ends in the kitchen. In other words, it begins by pointing out the rich inheritance that we have in Christ as believers, and describes us as seated with Christ in heavenly places; and then it applies that to everyday life–for example the life of a household slave working in the kitchen.