Joy in Serving God

A Summary of Lessons from Ephesians

As we draw to a close the epistle of Ephesians, let’s reflect on some major lessons learnt in the epistle.

1.       Remembering our RICH blessings in Christ

His Grace

1:7-8 “We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us through all wisdom and understanding.”

His Peace

1:2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our Sonship

1:5 “He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,”

We have the privilege to fulfill His pleasure and purpose

1:9 “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him”

We have the privilege to glorify Him

1:12 “so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory”.

His calling of us and us gaining His inheritance

1:18 “you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,”

His Power and Strength to us

1:19 “what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.”

His Love for us

2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,”

We are His workmanship

2:10 “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared of time so that we should walk in them.”

His Spirit Strengthening Us Spiritually

3:16 “I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit,”

His Offering and Sacrifice for Us

5:2 “And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”

His Armor for Us

6:13 “This is why you must take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.”

With so much richness in Christ, what is our response?  Not interested, not concerned? Is this whole thing just fictional, some cleverly invented tale? Or yes, I want the riches but with regards to the costs, I am not willing to pay the price yet as I am still young? For now, I just want temporal earthly riches which will vanish like a vapor instead of storing treasures in heaven for eternity that will not root or decay?

Let us seek Christ’s richness. It infinitely surpasses earthly riches. Even the financial rules of present/future value will prove this. Temporal present value vs Eternal present value. Do the math.

Still finding it hard to seek Christ’s richness?

Let me tell you three verses from Matthew.

13:44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy, he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.”

13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearls, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.”

Are you feeling weary, depressed, empty? There is joy like no other in the richness of Christ. For it brings eternal REWARDS. How do we have joy in service? Aim for the heavenly rewards which result from the richness of Christ. This is the TRUE PROSPERITY GOSPEL. The Heavenly Prosperity gospel. It far exceeds the material prosperity gospel which spurs the lust and greed of the human heart for material wealth distancing oneself from God.

Matt 5:12 “Be glad and rejoice, BECAUSE your reward is great in heaven.”

It is perfectly ok to have joy because of striving for that reward in heaven.

Matt 10:37-39 “The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.”

It is not self defeating or simply being a passive, negative, sorrow filled believer that we take up our cross to follow Jesus. It is for the sake of truly finding LIFE. Finding the riches of Christ. Finding the rewards of Christ. Striving for it.

Heb 11:26 “For he considered the reproach because of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since his attention was on the reward.”

1 Cor 9:24 “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.”

Php 3:14 “I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

Pursue the Riches and Rewards of Christ. It brings about true, heavenly, fulfilling joy.

More summary lessons in future posts…

Eph 6:10-20 Putting on the Whole Armour of God

Eph 6:10-20 Putting on the Whole Armour of God

Paul commands us to be strong in the Lord by putting on His armour (v10).  This is for the purpose of standing firm against the schemes of the devils (v11-12). To stand firm means to resist when evil and temptation surrounds us (v13). The analogy that Paul uses is that of a warrior preparing himself for battle. We are spiritual warriors preparing ourselves a battle against the forces of wickedness.

Too often we are comfortable Christians, refusing to stand up for biblical truths in daily living. We refuse to stand up to errors. We refuse to confront wickedness.  We refuse to put on the armor and go to the front lines. We stay at the back, turn our backs on the battle, and refuse to pay a price that involves going to battle. We just want to lead a comfortable Christian life. If you refuse to preach the gospel, you may lead a comfortable live for no one will criticize you, for thinking that you are weird, for thinking you are too arrogant, claiming that Christ is the only way. If you refuse to stand up for Christian principles, you will not invite controversy, for things like homosexuality, gambling, pre-marital sex are just relative choices. You may have a few good years of sleep. But only temporarily, before you have to stand before God and give an account of your actions, or inactions.

We are commanded to put on the armor of God to go to war. This is not a vain war where the struggle is just against nations, but rather, this war is purposeful. It is intended by God, for His glory, to battle against the forces of wickedness. It is a war worth fighting. We are to battle against falseness, against sin, against unrighteousness, and to bring the gospel truth forth. Putting on the armour conveys permanence, indicating a lifelong putting on of the armor. Armor is continually wore on in battle.

When waves of confusion hit us, we are to remain standing firm. When waves of and ridicule and persecution hit us, we are to remain standing firm. When waves of discouragement hit us, we are to remain standing firm.

We stand firm

• ·         by girding our loins with truth
• ·         putting on the breastplates of righteousness
• ·         shodding our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
• ·         Taking up the shield of faith against flaming arrows of the devil
• ·         Taking the helmet of salvation
• ·         Having the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
• ·         By praying at all times in the Spirit, being alert with all perseverance and petitioning for all the saints to preach the gospel with boldness

To summarize, we remain standing firm by embracing the Word of God hence being alert to falseness, by preaching the truth gospel, by having faith that God will prevail, by prayer for saints to preach boldly.

How should we response? Obedience to put on the armor. Continually put on the armor. Familiarity in the armor. Alertness in the armor. If we fall asleep while in battle, quickly resume your positions.

Put on the armor today. Now let’s identify what are the schemes of the devil that we face today? 

Ephesians 6:1-3 Obey our Parents

Ephesians 6:1-3 Obey our Parents

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” - which is the first commandment with a promise, - “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

We have come to the final chapter of Ephesians, in which Paul is coming to the end of teaching the Ephesian churches valuable practical lessons. We come now to an important lesson that we ought to remind ourselves, obeying our parents.

This is so basic and simple, but yet it risks our over-familiarity with it that we just brush it off without examining our own lives to see how we fall short of this.

Obey Your Parents as You Would the Lord

In the NIV, the verse writes, “Obey your parents, in the Lord.” In the HCSB version, it writes, “Obey your parents, as you would the Lord,” Naturally, Paul is saying, how you have obeyed the Lord, you ought to likewise obey your parents in a similar fashion. Paul assumes here that the reader is in obedience to the Lord. This will also lead the inference that, if we don’t obey the Lord in the first place, chances are, we are not going to obey our parents. If your spiritual life is bad, your relationship with your parents will be bad. 

When you do not have a sense of your heavenly father, you will not have a sense of your earthly father.

In a sense, our testimony in church mirrors our lives outside the church. Members of the church who do not seem serious about serving, not interested in pursing ways to submit to the Lord, often, they have a strained relationship with their parents. They are haphazard about service in church, and they are haphazard about serving their own duty in the household. They only want to indulge in their interests but are not concerned about the needs of the family.

We are constantly fighting to establish ourselves as authority that we need to be reminded about submission to God ordained authority through Him and through our parents.

Obey our Parents because they are God’s Ordained Authority in our Lives.

The child in the home is to be willingly under the authority of parents with obedient submission to them. Our parents are the agents of authority our Lord has placed over us. We have to obey our parents as though obeying our Lord. Obeying our Lord will bring forth true obedience to our parents. How we submit to the Lord, we should submit to our parents too. They are God’s ordained authority in our lives. This is the way God has designed and required it.

Col 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

If you claim God as Lord, you will obey your parents. Else, you might just be a seemingly fervent religious fanatic but yet is a hypocrite. You serve fervently in church, but yet at home, you put on a different face. May we examine ourselves in this.

Obey Our Parents not just Physically but in Inward Attitudes, Honor them as well

Verse 1 speaks of action. We are to obey our parents. Verse 2 tells us of our attitude. We ought to honor them. This is the motive behind the physical actions of obedience. We should treat them in high respect, esteem. There is a chinese saying that when a young bird starts to have its wings hardened, it will fly away. 

We naturally treat our parents in awe during our young age. But when we grow up, and grow decreasingly reliant on them and increasing independent, we tend to decrease our respect and esteem of them.

Our respect and esteem for them should be the same. You may realize some short comings of your parents, but don’t you have them too? Your abilities may exceed theirs, but don’t your abilities come from God and are for His glory, not for your pride?

This is a stern reminder to adults especially, when they are at their peak performance age and everything seems under control. They start to view their older parents as a liability, as a time waster, as a money waster. Treat them as dementia incapacitated. Put them in old folks home. This is a great sin. We have to HONOR our parents no matter what condition they are in.

Obey our Parents because they are Wiser than Us.

 As the chinese saying goes, they cross more bridges than we cross roads, they eat more salt then we do rice. Youths often become impatient and quickly brush off advices/recommendations from parents, most of the time, to the detriment of themselves. Reflect how in the past when you have not listened to your parents, you ended up in trouble?

Read for yourselves what the wisdom in proverbs say.

Proverbs 1:8-9 “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, for they will be a garland of grace on your head and a gold chain around your neck.”

4:1-2 “Listen, my sons, to a father’s discipline, and pay attention so that you may gain understanding, for I am giving you good instruction. Don’t abandon my teaching”

4:10 “Listen, my son. Accept my words, and you will live many years. I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths.”

Obey our Parents because it is a Source of Blessing. Disobedience brings about Judgement.

“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Although submission to our parents should first of all be for the Lord’s sake, He has graciously added the promise of special blessing for those who obey this command. When we obey our parents, God’s promises are that first, it will go well for us, and second, we will enjoy long life on earth. Consider the case if we do not obey.

30:17 “As for the eye that ridicule a father and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it.”

But what about when our parents have not done their duty as parents?

The bible recognizes that parents themselves have shortcomings. Hence in Eph 6:4 it Paul exhorts to fathers, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

To put it simply, no matter what, we are to honor our parents. When we honor our parents in obedience to the Lord, we manifest the testimony of Christ which WILL bring about a God-transforming change to the entire family.

But what about when we are told to obey something contrary to the bible?

In the NIV, the verse writes, “Obey your parents, in the Lord.” It simply means that we are to obey our parents as long as it is in accordance to biblical principles. We should study hard, not be a slacker, not come home too late/stayover at night, not watch too much tv/internet at the expense of not doing housework, homework, use vulgar language, have modest dressing, watch the pool of friends we are mixing around with.

But what about not being allowed to come to church, to serve, to be baptized, other spiritual matters etc.? 

These exist because there is first a gap between our parents and God. We have to pray that this gap be bridged through faith in Jesus Christ just as it has bridged our gap between us and God. As long as this gap exists, there will be conflicts when we seek to obey our Lord and at the same time, try to obey our parents.

In Summary

There are times when you just feel inpatient, feel having little time for yourself, feel that you have enough worries as it is already and often, we vent it out on the people we love most. Our parents. We treat outside people so warmly yet do not give the same kind of treatment to our parents. It is a God given gift to have parents. They love us, brought us into this world, brought us up. We have to obey them. Honor them. Love them. 

Ephesians 4:17-19 Be sensitive to the sin of sexual immorality

Eph 4:18-19 "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, …"

Paul uses the imaginary of hearts being harden, and losing all senses. When your skin is hardened, you cannot feel softness, hot, cold. You cannot feel pain. You cannot detect something that is hurting you. In the hardened heart, it cannot detect something that is injuring it. It has lost its senses. And because of this, it is not aware that 

it is hurting itself but continues to indulge in things that are harmful to it.

The world does not realize that the sexual images shown everywhere, from tvs, billboards, advertisements, magazines, are hurting itself. Yet, the world craves for it. The magnitude of fornication increases as the world gets deeper and deeper into it. The world does not realize that the number of molest cases, the number of paedophiles, the number of women raped, increase in correlation to the number of sexual images shown in public and in the media. 


Man does not realize this as they have hardened their hearts, they have lost all sensitivity, because they want to indulge in it. It is poison to oneself and others. It hurts oneself because you cannot see man/woman respectfully but instead see them as objects of sex. It hurts others because they are the victims of sexual predation.

Be sensitive to sexual immorality. Flee from it. Do not be curious after it. Do not google it. Be a Joseph, not a David. Flee, run. Engage in things profitable to you that you are not left with idle time for the tempter.

Ephesians 4:1-6 Walking in Unity

Ephesians 4:1-6 Walking in Unity

Eph 4:1-6 Paraphrased. “Therefore, Paul, the prisoner of the Lord implores us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which we have been called by God. To walk with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and on Spirit, just as we also were called in one hope of our calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

Doctrine to Duty. Principle to Practise. Position to Behavior.

We enter in a transition here from the first three doctrinal chapters of Ephesians and enter the latter three practical chapters of Ephesians. From doctrine, to duty. From principle, to practice. From position, to behavior.

The Cost of a Christian Walk

Paul by mentioning his imprisonment again just as he did in 3:1 gently reminds us that the faithful Christian walk can be costly and that Paul had paid a considerable personal price because of his obedience to the Lord.

Knowing Our Salvation. Matching up to it. Live a life worthy of our calling

Through earlier chapters, we know that God has sovereignly chosen us to be saved. This is entirely out of grace and not of our own works that we should boast. We have also highlighted that being saved involves the following of good works. That is, Paul repeats it here that our lives should match up to our identity that we are called to! We should live an obedient, God honoring Christian life that matches worthy to our call to salvation from God.

Too often, we mis-represent this doctrine of election by self-assuring that we are saved, yet our lives remain unchanged. We still follow the ways of the world. Pursue the standards of the world. We worry about tomorrow. We neglect study of God’s Word. We indulge ourselves in careless words. We do not see the necessity of proclaiming God’s truth and salvation to people around us. We do not think it necessary to content for God’s truth when there is mis-representing of God’s word. We have strifes and quarrels with one another in the church, hating instead of loving one another. Destroying instead of building up one another.

Our position in Christ is an esteemed one. Let us be everything the Lord desires and empowers us to be living a life worthy of our calling today.

Living a Life Worthy of our Calling – Humility, Gentleness, Patience, Tolerance in Love

We will see the humility, gentleness, patience and tolerance in love expounded by Paul in the next article.

Ephesians 4:7-16 God's Grace. Be Humble. Serve. Build. Unite. Mature.

Ephesians 4:7, 11-13 

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Humility through Understanding God's Grace

Paul continues encouraging the believers to be united. This time round, expounding on the HUMILITY of the believer. How can we be humble? To know that the intellect, skills, abilities, wealth we have, is by the grace of God and has been given by God in proportion. He gave some more, some less. Hence, we should remind ourselves not to be boastful about ourselves, but be reminded that they are given by Him.

Purpose of God's Grace - To Serve. To Build the Church.

It is important to know the purpose of these graces given to us. It is to equip us for works of service, to build up the church. It is not to used just in the world to live for ourselves and neglect the church. It is to build up the church through serving, till all reach unity through maturity in the faith. Maturity in the faith is attained when we understand the fullness of Christ.

How do we build up the church that we reach unity in the faith? Pursue understanding of His Word.

Ephesians 4:14-16

 ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Pursue Understanding of His Word

When we understand His Word, we will not be deceived by this false teacher, or that false teacher who preaches because of his own deceptive objectives. Not for the sake of preaching solely God's word.

Speak the Truth in Love - Gentleness, Patience

Other than understanding, we should not be prideful of having understood and start condemning others but to speak the truth in love. This ties back to the quality of gentleness. This ties back to the quality of patience. Being gentle, not judgmental, being patient, not quick to give up, on a brother, that he will grow to be mature and be part of the church. 

Eph 3:14-16 Praying for Others Spiritual Strengthening

Eph 3:14-16 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”

As mentioned in the earlier posts, our primary prayers for others should be their spiritual health more than their material needs. Paul prays earnestly here, describing that he is in knelt position, praying yet also praising to God. Too often our attitude towards prayer is haphazard. We see that prayer should be done in attentive attitude, reverence respect, to God.

Paul gives us a lesson on praying for others. We ought to pray for others they are strengthened in the inner man. That is, we pray for their spiritual health, that they possess the faith to trust in God no matter what difficult circumstances they are facing currently, that they do not worry about the needs of this world, that they cast their anxieties upon God, that their spiritual lives grow in maturity.

This ability to be strengthened spiritually comes forth from the Spirit working in us. Throughout the epistles of Galatians and Ephesians, we see Paul repeatedly emphasizes upon the Spirit working in us, bringing forth faith, salvation, bearing godly fruits.

Amongst the Charismatic and Pentecostal movement, there is a strong emphasis that being filled with the Spirit involves speaking in tongues, having dreams and visions, shaking profusely. This is however not biblical. A true person filled with the Spirit is one who submits to the Spirit, bears the fruit of the Spirit, is reminded and rebuked of the Word of God by the Spirit. In short, he is no longer living in habitual sin in the world but is sensitive to the submission of the Spirit.

We have to beware against prosperity gospel teachings. Do these teachings remind us to live, submit to the Spirit or do they invoke further lusts in our old self of greed, covetousness and self-centeredness?

Let us be strengthened spiritually in the inner self. To be better Christians, living, submitting to the Spirit instead of being self-deceived and self-reasoning to be living in the ways of the world of which Paul says in Eph 2:1-2
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world...of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."

Ephesians 3:1-8 Serving By the Grace of God

Praying for others Spiritual Strength


¹ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles

For the unity of the Jewish and Gentile believers, Paul, who was imprisoned for the cause of Christ for the Gentiles, prays for the Gentiles.

We often pray for ourselves. We seldom pray for others. Even if we pray for others, we often pray for tangible blessings for them, like they would enjoy the material blessings of God or be healed from an illness. However, many times when indeed others are blessed with materials or healings, their reliance on God comes to a halt. They forget about God. They start to have confidence in only themselves again. Their spiritual lives weaken.

We learn from Paul here to pray for others and not only ourselves. Also, when we pray for others, we are to pray for their spiritual strengthening more than any other thing. Only with spiritual strengthening that man can gain the true spiritual blessings of Christ which transcends over material blessings.

More on this in the next article.


By the Grace of God

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 


Paul by the grace of God was made known the mystery of Christ in the Spirit, that Gentiles are fellow heirs and members of the same body of the promise of Christ and the unfathomable riches of Christ. The unfathomable riches of Christ are all His truth, all His blessings, His salvation, all that He is, and has.

The reason why Paul can administer to the Gentiles the gospel was by the grace of God.

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 


Hence, when we serve, be it in sunday school, fellowship, visitation, evangelism, we cannot rely on our own strength but knowing that its by God's grace. Serve with humility. The gifts, talents we have, are of God's grace. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:10 "By the grace of God, I am what I am. " 

Luke 8:4-21 Learning to Listen to the Word of God

As we reflect on our spiritual growth through the years, we may realize that even after many years of listening to sermons, our spiritual growth is minimal. Worse, it maybe stagnant. Even worse, its in degradation. Where does the problem lie? Often, its lies in our listening to God's Word.

Luke 8:8 "...He who has hears, let him hear."

We listen, but we don't receive. We listen, but we do not yearn for it. We listen but we do not retain it. We listen, but we do not practice it. Hence, what we listen, we forget. When we forget, our lives immediately are filled again with the worries and concerns of the world.

Luke 8:5,7, "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell into among the thorns and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out."

Hence, when we listen, let us YEARN to listen. THIRST to listen. Yearn for the Word of God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus says in Luke 8:8 "Other seed fell into the good soil and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. " Good soil does not happen automatically. We become good soil when we yearn for the nutrients and fertilizers given to us.

Next, PREPARE your HEART for the Word of God. Good soil is only good soil because someone has previously dug it to soften it making it fit for planting. Prepare your heart to listen. Be in good condition to listen. Do not come hurriedly, come late, go hurriedly, with your minds full of thought of doing something else, that you are distracted from listening.

Lastly, RETAIN the Word of God through NOTE-TAKING, MEDITATING and PRACTICING the Word of God. Take notes of sermons. Follow along with the preacher. Listen actively. Mediate on what you have listened. Mediate repeatedly. Practice it. Obey it. Live it.

Luke 8:21 "...My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and DO IT."

Unity and Peace with God, with Man through Christ

The Former Alienation of the Gentiles from the Jews


Eph 2:10-12 (paraphrased) "Because we are the work of God, created in Christ for good works, which God has preordained that we would do them, hence remember that we Gentiles were formerly in the flesh, uncircumcised, we were previously separated from Christ, excluded from the blessings of Israel, strangers to God's promise, with no hope and without God. "


But in Christ, through His blood, through the Cross, Unites, Brings Peace, Reconciles Both

2:13-16 (paraphrased) "But now in Christ, we have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Christ Himself is our peace who made both Jews and Gentiles into one and broke down the dividing wall. Through the flesh of Christ, He abolished the ceremonial laws, feasts and sacrifices so that in Him, Jews and Gentiles are made into one new man thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross."


No longer Aliens but Fellow Citizens, in the same Household, built on the same Foundation with Christ as Cornerstone, both forming the same Building, built together as a Holy Temple


2:17-22 (paraphrased) "Christ came and preached peace to you who were both far and near. Both to Jews and Gentiles. For through Christ, both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens but fellow citizens with the saints and of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."


Are there any groups of people whom you are in enemity with? Are our hearts resistant to letting the peace and reconciliation through Christ unite us?

Eph 2:5-10 Saved by Grace through Faith. Good Works Follow.

Eph 2:5-7 This is a result of us being saved by grace. Together with Christ, we were not only raised but seated in the heavens that in the coming ages we will receive the immeasurable richness of God's grace to us in Christ Jesus.


In the previous article, we know that we were once dead in our transgressions/sins. Unable to respond. Only able to be swept around by the tides and ways of the world. But why is it that we can be made alive and be awakened?

Eph 2:8-9 Why? For you are saved by grace through faith. This is not our own work, but God's. God's gift that no one can boast.


It is only by the grace of God. We cannot save ourselves from indulging in sin. Only when God saves us, through moving in our hearts that we have the faith to embrace Christ, that we are made alive in Christ. It is not by our own work, but God’s gift. It is not that we choose God, made a decision to accept Christ and determined our own salvation in our time, but that God chose us, in His time, worked in our hearts through faith in Christ.


We cannot boast that we have made the ‘right’ decision and made a reasonable decision to choose Jesus over other choices. It is solely by the sovereign choice of God, prepared beforehand by Him.


Asking Ourselves


If we are saved by God's choice, why do we then still have to preach the gospel to people around us?


Good works follow


What is subsequent and resultant to being saved and made alive in Christ is good works.


Eph 2:10 For we are created in Christ for good works which God has pre-ordained.

Like our salvation, good works of ours are not by our doing but ordained by God before time began. Hence, do not boast about your salvation, or boast about your good works, for these are the work of God, that all praise be to His glory.

Asking ourselves

Are we just having faith without good works? Understanding but not application? Knowledge without living?

Eph 2:1-5 From Being Dead in Sin to Being Alive in Christ

Paul having demonstrated God's power in Christ, through raising Him from the dead (Eph 1:20), seating Him at His right hand in heaven above all authority (1:21), putting everything under His feet (1:22) for the church, makes the point in chapter 2 of Ephesians that we were once dead in sin, but now brought to life by Christ.

Paraphrasing Eph 2:1-3, We were once dead in our trespasses and sins when we previously walked in the ways of the world, being controlled by the ruler and spirit working in the disobedient. We lived in our fleshly desires, thought in the flesh, acted in the flesh. Because of these, we were under the wrath of God.

Someone who is dead cannot respond. They cannot react. A fish which is dead cannot swim. Needless to say, it cannot swim against the tide. It can only float while rotting, in the water being brought about by the current to where ever the tide brings.

We were once dead in our sinful ways. We drift according to the sinful trends of the world. We cannot react against the depravity of the world for we identify with it. Jealously, covetousness, hatred, sexual immorality, reigned in our hearts. This is even more so today where media surrounds us almost all the time. Television, movies, posters, magazines, websites, facebook, blogs, all portray sex, crime, adultery as something to be accepted, even to the point that it might look cool. Vulgarities, words of hate are carelessly spoken of or typed out in tweets or posts.

Take for example the recent riots by youths in the UK. Thousands of them stealing, hurting, putting fire, damaging property. While drifting along, we are constantly rotting. We are degrading our morals, being more and more insensitive to sin, because we are dead in sin.

If one can tolerate this, it is because he is dead in the ways of the world. Because he belongs to the disobedient, where he is ruled by the evil spirit (2:2).

We might think that we might get away with it. Since no one knows. The law cannot enforce itself on us. The police have no judicial rights on me. But 2:3 says that we are under the wrath of God.

The wrath of God on us sinners is the curse of death. Of eternal punishment. It cannot be taken lightly.

Eph 2:4-5 But our merciful God, because of His great love for us, made us alive in Christ while we were dead in our sins.


But we thank our merciful God, though having incurred His wrath and having every right to judge us, yet He loves us greatly and pulls us from the graves of sin back into life in Christ. He pulled us away from the wide path heading towards destruction, and placed us back on the narrow path heading towards life. He transforms us from sexual immorality to purity. From covetousness to contentment. From jealously to thanksgiving. From hatred, to love. From opposing Him, to submitting to Him.

God does this awakening through Christ, that we recognize Him, His dying on the cross for us, His resurrection, His ascension, His redemption, His lordship, His coming again, His rulership for eternity.


Friend, are you still in opposition to God yet in accordance to the world? Are you drifting in the tides of the world's ocean being tossed and turned by the waves of the world not realizing that you are sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of death? Are you still treating yourself as the absolute authority based on your own intelligence yet not considering the spirit's moving in your heart of heavenly authority as revealed through the bible?

Make Ephesians 2:4-5 apply to you. But our merciful God, because of His great love for _____, made _____ alive in Christ while _____ was dead in his/her sins. 


In the next article, we will consider why one is able to be revived from death in sin, to being alive in Christ.

Asking ourselves

Is everyone really dead in sin? How about the 'good' people who do charity, feed the poor, help the weak?

Eph 1:15-16 True Faith brings about True Love

Eph 1:15-16 “This is why, since i heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks in my prayers.”

Paul here upon hearing the faith of the Ephesus believers and their love for one another, gave thanks to God continously. Over here, we see from the example of the Ephesus believers that true faith is accompanied by love for one another. This is reverberated in Galatians 6 where Paul encourages believers that true faith in Christ brings true love which will share one another’s burdens. With this kind of love, there is no need for the law.

How often, we affirm sound doctrines of theology and are able to quote this verse and that. Yet, we lack in the exercise and show of love. We listen, we read, we sing, we may even preach, yet when it comes to a show of love, we bring about dragged feet, unwilling hearts. Help us to learn from the example of Jesus.

He was busy in the ministry. He preached forth truth. He rebuked, encouraged, warned people with truth. Yet, He was never too busy to stop by a blind or lame man and heal him unless when he was utterly exhausted or submitted to the Father for another ministry. Never too busy to take a route down Samaria and have a sincere chat with a Samaritan woman and reveal His messiah-ship. He was never too busy to dine with tax collectors and sinners. He was never too busy to attend a wedding, to visit Mary’s house or take a detour which involved the risk of murderous attempt on Him just to heal Lazarus.

True faith, brings about true love. For those being ministered to, that involves true love for your shepherd. For those ministering, that involves true love for the flock. And for all, true love for one another.

The Purpose of the Spiritual Blessings - For God's Glory

What is the purpose of God giving us these spiritual blessings?

Eph 1:12 "so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory."

Eph 1:14 "He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory."

The Reason We Receive Spiritual Blessings - God's Choice

Why do we receive such spiritual blessings? Did we do a special something or are we morally better than others? No.

The reason we receive these spiritual blessings,

• He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4)
• In love, He predestined us...according to the kind intention of His will. (1:5)
• having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, (1:11)

Our identity is that we have been chosen by God. Let us live a life that matches up with this identity. Holy, Blameless.

Eph 1:9-10 Have Wisdom and understand that everything is brought together in Christ

Eph 1:9-10 "He made known to us to the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him for the administration of the days of fulfillment - to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him."

God's gift of spiritual richness in Christ besides letting us have wisdom and understanding towards His Word, the ultimate understanding is that in His time and will, EVERYTHING will be brought together in Christ.

When Adam first sinned and sin entered the world, there was gulf between God and man. In God's will, He temporarily allowed sin to manifest. Man hated one another, murdered one another, both privately, and in public wars. Man indulged in their lusts. There was envy, jealously. God's judgments came in response to man's sins. All these will culminate in a climax when the anti-Christ comes during the seven years of tribulation (Revelation).

Yet, in Christ, the gulf of God and man is bridged. For those who embrace Christ as their Lord and Savior, Christ's righteousness is imputed onto them hence making them holy and blameless before God. Yet for those who reject the revelation of Christ, they will be judged for their sins. Christ though died, resurrected and ascended to heaven, will come once again at the end of the tribulation years and He will judge all man. He will overcome and thrown the Anti-Christ and Satan with the rest of the opposing angels into the great abyss. He will reign victory. If your name is not in the Book of Life, you will be thrown in the Lake of Fire. If you through Christ have your name in the Book of Life, you will be enter the Kingdom of Heaven of which Jesus has prepared for you and in that place, there are many rooms.

Christ will then begin His millenial Kingdom rule. Everything under heaven and earth will be brought together under Him. He will RULE.

This is further elaborated by Paul in Eph 1:18-23 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Do you believe this? God gives wisdom and understanding that we have faith and hope one day, everything will be brought under Christ where He will reign forever and ever. Exalted above all things.

If you do not believe, perhaps you have not been blessed with this wisdom and understanding in the mystery of God. Trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, where true grace and peace will abound in your hearts, and have wisdom and understand the mystery of God's will

Coming your way on the iPhone.

Eph 1:8-13 - Understanding of God's WIll. Wisdom to Live it Out.

Ready for more spiritual blessings in the epistle to the Ephesians?

The second set of spiritual blessings.

• Gives us wisdom and insight (1:8)
• Made known to us His will (1:9)
• Obtained an inheritance (1:11)
• Sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise (1:13)

God gives us wisdom and understanding to know His WILL which is that Christ will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth. How do we know God's will? Through His Word. Hence, the second set of spiritual blessing centres in around understanding the Word of God.

God gives us understanding. He also gives us wisdom to understand His word enough that we can obey it and live it out in the many details of our lives. In other words, to APPLY it. To be able to apply God's word, we need to be reminded of it enough such that we can REMEMBER it when a situation in our lives requires the need for it. Often Christians keep talking about applying God's word when they are not interested in understanding it and remembering it. How then do we apply it?

Hence, let us READ, UNDERSTAND, REMEMBER, APPLY. By man's own intelligence, God's word is but foolishness to him (1 Cor 1-2). Even Christians sometimes feel that God's Word is irrelevant to him, is an embarrassment to him before friends/family, that he cannot live it out in his life. Do you feel so? If yes, God's Word is but foolishness to you, for you belong to the world. But to His children, He gives them wisdom and insight to understand it enough that it can be brought to reality in their lives.

And from where does a man gain the ability to apply understand God's word? Through the Holy Spirit sealed in us (1:13) which reminds us not to live by the flesh, but live by the Spirit. Not to sow to the flesh, but to sow to the spirit. Not to bear the rotten fruits of the flesh, but to bear the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5-6). It rebukes us and reminds us the teachings of Christ (Jhn 14, 16).

This is later further elaborated by Paul in Eph 1:17 " that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."

In the next article, we will consider the understanding of God's will that Christ will bring all things to unity.

Eph 1:4-7 - Yearning for the Spiritual Blessings of Christ - Made Holy, Blameless. Being Adopted. Redeemed. Forgiven. Lavished.

We have talked about setting our hearts to yearn for spiritual blessings in Christ. Now just what are they?

• We would be holy and blameless before Him. (Eph 1:4)
• Adoption as sons. (1:5)
• Redeemed through His blood. (1:7)
• Forgiveness of our trespasses (1:7)
• Lavished on us the riches of His grace (1:7)

Do we find the above blessings relevant? Are you yearning for it? If not, it is because we have our eyes still fixated on the blessings of the world? For where our treasure is, our hearts will be also. But by the mercy of God, let us learn to yearn for spiritual blessings.

The spiritual blessings of Ephesians which God lavished on us richly (1:7) have compared to the analogy of a bank cheque book which you can write any amount and any number of cheques and the account will NEVER run dry. You can always, seek from God, these riches and it will never run dry. Its like a fish who drinks from the ocean and the ocean will never run dry. Its like breathing air from the vastness of the earth and never running out of oxygen. Let's study what these blessings are.

First set of Spiritual Blessings: Made holy and blameless. Adopted as sons. Redeemed. Forgiven.

We are drenched in our sin. Lavish lusts, sexual lusts, lies, jealously, hatred. Sinful to the core, that no one can fathom. Yet God, is willing to make us holy and blameless? Willing to forgive us?

There was a story of a mongolian king, who wanted to stem crime in his country, set a law that whoever was caught committing a crime, who have to have his arm cut off. Because of this law, the crime rate subsided. Yet one day, it was brought to his attention that someone got caught! As he met the criminal, he got the shock of his life. The criminal was none other than his own mother. He wanted to spare his mother, however, everyone including his mother and himself was under the law. She had come under the curse of the law and the law requires a penalty for it.

In order to spare his mother and yet without her having to have her arm cut off, the king could only do one thing. Had his own arm cut off to substitute that of his mother. In doing so, he had paid the penalty of the law. He had ransomed his mother's crime. He had redeemed her iniquity.

We likewise are like the mother who committed a crime. Our sins requires a penalty which is eternal destruction. However, our loving Father sent His son, to pay the penalty for us by dying on the cross for us. Through the blood of Christ, we are made holy and blameless righteous before God, forgiven by God.

We are sons of sins. Yearning to sin. We have no value. Yet, God is willing to spare no efforts, even to the point of killing His son, to adopt us as sons? To redeem with such a huge price, people of absolute zero value?

What does this purification, adoption, redemption and forgiveness mean? That we do not have to stand before the great white throne of judgement, receiving sentences that condemn us to eternal hell. But rather, we stand before the seat of Christ, preparing to receive our rewards. Do you appreciate this? Have you ever thanked God for this?

More spiritual blessings to consider in the next article.

Eph 1:3 - Yearn for the Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"

The book of Ephesians is often labeled as the epistle with the most spiritual blessings. And rightfully so, as in the starting verse 1:3, "...who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing...". Remember that this epistle was written by Paul to the churches in Ephesus when he was in jail. Hence, when someone in jail who has no equity on money, status, assets, time, strength, opportunities yet still can exhort believers that they are blessed with every spiritual blessing, it means something.

What spiritual blessings was Paul talking about?

Firstly, the spiritual blessings are in the heavenly places in Christ. The spiritual blessings are in God's complete, eternal, heavenly domain. Not primarily on the earthly world's, incomplete, temporal domain. Hence, if the blessings that you seek are just earthly blessings, fame, fortune, assets, leisure, you will be disappointed. For the blessings that Paul refers too are of a greater nature, those of heaven. But the heavenly blessings are of an infinitely greater worth! I remember Jesus words in Matt 6:19-21,

"Do not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also."

If we focus on just blessings in the earthly nature, we will be sorely disappointed. In finance terms, they will depreciate. We see that happening now. Investments have lost much of their value when the US Treasury got a downgrade from S & P. As inflation strikes, value rots away. Treasures on earth get stolen too. They get stolen in a failed venture, failed investment or in a lawsuit over ownership of property. Earthly blessings though may bring us temporal happiness, but after the party is over, when the lights are turned on again, joy and happiness vanishes.

Hence, Jesus exhorts us to turn our eyes upon spiritual blessings where, moth and rust do not destroy. Again in finance terms, they have true intrinsic value. They WILL NOT DEPRECIATE. And they belong solely to yours. They will not flee from you. They will not be stolen from you. And when, we set our eyes on heavenly spiritual blessing, they will hearts be also. Away from the envy, jealously, bitterness, coveteousness of this world, but in the peace of God, joy in God's presence and in the contentment of His blessings.

In the next article, let's look at what spiritual blessings we gain in Christ.

Marks of a Good Pastor

A Good Pastor in the Pulpit.

1. The bible is his foundation, his centre.

2. A good pastor fades in the background and exalts Christ. He is an ambassador of Christ and not of himself.

3. A good pastor speaks with authority, not with suggestion, not for entertainment. He is under divine authority to be under the authority of the Word and to be an out channel of that authority.

4. A good pastor does not lord over the congregation, but serves the congregation.

5. A good pastor speaks with balance. Both what's true and to warn of what's not true. He preaches both the positive to pursue, and the negative to avoid. He does these to protect the flock.  Titus 1:9, "exhort in sound doctrine and refutation of those who contradict."

The Pastor and his People

1. A good pastor has a personal relationship with his flock. He loves them and that's why he protects them. He is called to ministry, not to elevate himself, but to love and protect the flock. People are the reason for a pastor.

2. A good pastor affirms his flock. He encourages them with God's presence in their difficulty.

3. A good pastor expresses aspirations for his flock. He expresses how his flock should pursue spiritual maturity. He expresses that his flock not pursue wealth and health that suits the carnal desires, but promotes joy, holiness and the assurance of eternal life rather than temporal carnal desires.

To the People.

1. Appreciate a good pastor.

2. A good pastor is a gift from God.

How to Recognize a False Teacher

How to Recognize a False Teacher

1. A false teacher preaches that the way is not narrow. It is broad. He might preach of God and Christ. He might preach of sin. But he does not preach that Christ is the only way.

2. A false teacher does not claim that he is a false teacher. He is a wolf but in sheep's clothing. He claims to speak for God, to proclaim truth. He affirms some truth, but changes the meaning of important words. He is like Satan, disguising as an angel of light. He is subtle. He will not necessarily tell you something that is wrong, but he will not tell you the complete truth.

3. A false teacher has no genuine concern for his sheep.

4. A false teacher's lifestyle is recognized by his fruits.

Five Questions to Ask Regarding a False Teacher

1. When does he talk about the holiness and wrath of God? Romans 1:18

2. When does he talk about eternal judgment and the wrath of God? A teacher teaches the whole counsel of God. Not just the positive things.

3. When does he talk about sin and repentance? Luke 24:47

4. When does he talk about forgiveness of sin through Christ alone?

5. When does he talk about the substitutionary atonement of Christ?

What are the marks of a True Christian?

The Marks of a True Christian

1. He embraces scripture. He doesn't merely acknowledges scripture, but he embraces them with all his life. Embracing it as his highest authority in life. He embraces the bible with all his heart.

2. He embraces Christ personally as savior and sacrifice of his sin. He embraces Christ as not just a man, or prophet, but God in human flesh. He does not seek Christ for earthly reasons, to have a better marriage, or better health, or better wealth but...

3. He submits to Christ as Lord. He repents personally and trusts in Christ. He recognizes Him as authority in his life. Nothing in his life he does not withhold from His authority. His desire is to be obedient to Him.

4. He exhibits sanctification. He thinks rightly about the love of God. He does not measure the love of God by fluctuating circumstances. He knows how Jesus loves him just as how He loved him 2,000 like he was standing at the foot of the cross. And when he understands such a love, he will love his brethens.

How the "Messiah" was written

One bitterly cold winter of 1741, Handel received a package in his lodging. It contained a text made up of scripture from his friend Charles Jennens.

"Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God...Behold! A virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us...and His name shall be calleed Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God..."

Excitedly, he read on. "He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows...I know that my Redeemer lives and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth...King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujiah!"

Handel rushed to the piano with pencil in hand and began to write the music to the immortal Messiah. For two weeks, he labored incessantly. He saw no one and refused food and sleep.

At last, he finished the great oratorio. Tears were streaming down his face as he said, "I did think i did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself."

The composition was first heard in Dublin where it was an overwhelming success. Then in London, where the King rose to his feet at the great "Hallelujah Chorus," and the audience followed his example. Today, audiences all over the world still rise and remain standing during this Chorus.

Later, George Frederick Handel became poor and blind. But he neber permitted his misfortunes to overcome his spirit.

Bach's Biblical Music

Almost 250 years after he died, Bach's music still lifts the hearts and energizes the soul.

Bach wrote his music for God. Most of his works are explicitly biblical. The famous missionary doctor Albert Schweitzer, who was also an expert on Bach, called him the "Fifth evangelist." Bach's music is undisputably in a league by itself.

Bach set before himself and accomplished the seemingly impossible task of preparing a different cantata for every Sunday for a three year period. And remember that he not onlt had to create the music, but also get it copied for the performers and rehearse with them.

Do not mock God

We take God for granted. We take His grace for granted. We do not take Him seriously.

We only seek Him when we are in trouble. The moment our troubles are resolved, we depart from Him again and indulge in our own interests and only come back to Him when we need help.

God is not to be mocked. Either we are in His grace, or we are in His judgement. His judgement might not come immediately, but it will come if we continue in our own wilful ways and refuse to submit to Him despite the many chances to.

Remember that judgement is not immediate only because God is patient with everyone, giving them time to come to repentance. But there is a limit. Burst it and you can only regret for eternity.

You might not like what i have just posted. But trust me, this post is one which i post with responsibility.
With the responsibility that i do not lead your soul to the wrong end but to the right one.

Would you rather that i keep on encouraging one to drive on and over the cliff to plunge to his/her death? Or should I alert those on the road to deviate away from the path that leads to destruction and onto the narrow path that leads to eternal life?

You don't have to like me. But when it comes to the matters of God, please think twice before you hastily reject Him.

Please consider what your own heart and conscience tells you about God. Listen to yourself. Are you suppressing the truth?

Consider who created this universe? Consider who sustains it? Consider what comes after our temporal lives on earth.

Reflecting on the past week.

Its been a week since Luke was born. I still remember one week ago, i was still waiting outside the operating theatre waiting anxiously for Cat to come out. By God's grace, Cat's bleeding stopped and she soon returned home. There wasn't much subsequent bleeding after that.

I think i have to thank God for the alert doctors who noticed Cat's profuse bleeding and initiated action towards it. It was already a miracle that she got pregnant and further, the entire pregnancy went well without periods of threatening. And finally, Luke was born.

The same goes for Caleb as well. There is just too much to thank for.

Though Luke's jaundice level went up too high and was referred to KKH, after 3 days 2 nights of photo therapy, his jaundice level has stayed consistently in healthy ranges.

I thank God for hearing and answering my pleas to Him to keep my family safe.