Catching Up on the Letter

I know I haven't posted in quite some time. My apologies to you. In order to catch up I'd like to offer an overview of where we have been so far in our messages on Sunday.

We began with Paul's big picture view of God's big plan for humanity and creation. In chapter one Paul points out God's decision prior to creating us and our world to chose us to be holy and blameless in Christ. The purpose of this is so that we can be adopted into his family. [a point that will be explained in detail when he will talk about community in chapters 4 and 5] Paul explains that God desires to bring all things under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. This desire shows us a God who wants to be with us.

Then Paul explains the change that God has affected in our lives. God begins that change from the inside out. He opens the "eyes of our heart" so that we might understand what he is about and how he desires us to be in relationship with him. He takes us from being "walking dead people" and transforms us into the people he has always desired for us to be - his masterpieces created to do good in the creation. This is none other than us bearing his image in the world. Through Christ, he takes away the hostility that exists within humanity and creates "one new humanity." This humanity is characterized by living in peace both with their fellow man and with God. The wonderful expression is given by Paul that we can now boldy enter into God's presence and be assured of his glad welcome. We no longer need to be afraid of a God we don't understand but rather we now know that this loving God desires us to be close!

Paul marvels at this. He expresses his shear wonder at the love that God has for us and the creation. He prays that by God's Spirit, we will experience all the dimensions of God's love in our lives through Christ, even though we may not comprehend it all! In all of this he then encourages us to live [his word is 'walk'] in keeping with what God has called us to be. He also encourages us to live in keeping with how God wants us to live - not as the pagans do in the futility of their thinking and in their selfish and evil desires. We are called to be light. The light that we shine is our new humanity in relationship with God. This new humanity exposes the darkness that others live in and calls them to embrace the new humanity that God has offered through Christ.

Rather than be drunk with wine, says Paul, and so make merry and party and submit to one another in unhealthy and destructive ways, be filled with the Spirit. Being a community that is filled with the Spirit, our behaviour toward one another, especially in our big relationships such as marriage, parent-children and employer - employee, will take on the character of the relationship that Father has with Christ expressed to us by His Spirit that lives in us. Only when we become this community can we truly join God to battle evil.

In my message next week, I will end the series with concluding how God calls us to join him to battle evil in the world. God wants us to be consistent and persevere in becoming the community he has called us to be so that evil can be driven back and His Kingdom can advance in our world. I'm looking forward to our rejoicing over who we are as His church and taking up the challenge in being what He has called us to be!