Monthly Archives: April 2014

Faithful

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 1:1

What does the word FAITHFUL mean to you? This word has in it the idea of being honest, trustworthy, devoted, or true to someone or something. A faithful steward is someone who can be trusted to handle the business affairs of another and does. A faithful friend is someone who stands by you and is true to you through good times and bad. A faithful spouse is someone who is devoted to their partner and trustworthy in every regard in that relationship. Faithfulness, or the lack thereof, is clearly a reflection of one’s character and seen in one’s actions. It can be seen in how one lives, what one does, what one says, and how one responds. Faithfulness is also vital in our relationships and greatly impacts them.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is written to the saints at Ephesus and the FAITHFUL in Christ Jesus. A faithful believer is a person who is devoted and true in their relationship with the Lord. They are trustworthy in the things that matter to Him and that faithfulness can be clearly seen in every aspect of their lives.

Being faithful is important, especially to those with whom we have a relationship. If one truly loves and cares for another faithfulness is vital in that relationship and will be reflected in how we relate and respond to them. Think about the things Christ has done and is doing for you. Do those things matter to you? Do those things affect you? Are you true to Him? Are you devoted to His cause?   If I am honest I must admit I am not always faithful.  I also know that this is common because even the Apostles struggled.  When I take my eyes off of myself and the world around me, and look at Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, I understand and know that He loves me, cares for me, and is faithful to me in every way!!!  I must remind myself that He is certainly worthy of my faithfulness in return!!!

YOU DO MATTER!!!

YOU DO MATTER!!!
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 1:1

We live in a big world with over seven billion people breathing right now on planet Earth. Do you ever feel you get lost in the crowd or that you even matter? If you are a believer, YOU DO MATTER!!

Paul, the writer of Ephesians, addresses his readers as SAINTS. We often overlook this little word but it is filled with importance. This word is used throughout the Bible as one of the many names given for those who are saved. The origin of this word was used to describe a building used for a deity as being set apart because of its purpose or to whom it belonged. A TEMPLE was considered HOLY (The word HOLY is the same word used for SAINT – the Greek word “hagios”).

When God looks at an individual in this mass of humanity He sees one of two things: either you belong to Him or you do not. Because of Christ, a believer is SET APART from the rest of the world. They BELONG to the Lord; and the Holy Spirit of God LIVES within them. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Let me remind you that God loves all of mankind and desires everyone to trust His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior. But the fact remains that the majority of the world rejects Christ and a lot of people despise Him. The city of Ephesus had a lot of false gods and true believers faced a great deal of persecution for their faith in the Jesus Christ. I believe Paul used the word SAINT to remind the Ephesian believers and us that we MATTER to the Lord. The world may not see us but the God of Heaven sees us! The world may not know us but He knows us! The world may not care but our Heavenly Father cares! He lives in us and today we can pray, seek His presence, and request His help because we belong to Him. And one day, because we are SAINTS, we will spend ETERNITY with Him in Glory!!!!