Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1-4 (NIV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Sometimes I skim over the greetings in the New Testament letters in order to get to the “heart” of the matter. But what I need to remember is that all scripture, even the introduction in letters, is God-breathed and included for a purpose. Thus I shouldn’t be surprised that it was the first four verses of Ephesians that grabbed my attention today.
Paul begins by addressing the young church as “God’s Holy people in Ephesus” and continues to tell them that we have been chosen to be holy and blameless in God’s sight.
I think people overlook the need to be holy, or dismiss it as something that comes a lot further along in our journey of faith. Yet we are told in the book of Hebrews that without holiness no one will see God. So we then need to cultivate that attitude of Holiness and let it grow. In my opinion, the church will not come fully into a place of revival without a desire to be holy and be like Christ. But being holy, or seeking to be, isn’t always popular. I think that’s why some of what we are seeing in the news about certain elements of the Christian Church makes me uneasy. But it’s not for me to judge, it’s for me to draw close to God and be holy because that’s the path He has chosen for me.
Dear Lord,
I don’t claim to be where I should be, but I do feel that draw to holiness. Draw me nearer I pray. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.