Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:1-2
There are two ways to live the Christian life. You can live it either for the heart of Christ or from the heart of Christ.
Dane Ortland, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
What is the source of our ability to live the life of faith?
I find it interesting that in Ephesians 1, Paul does not commend the Ephesian church for being faithful to Christ Jesus, but instead being faithful in Christ.
The power for our obedience, and faith, is made available to us through the work of Jesus. How we live in light of this has to do with our heart.
Living From the Heart of Christ
Our understanding of faithful Christian living has a profound impact on the way we approach the Gospel. Either we view it as obedience leading to acceptance or we view it as acceptance leading to obedience. We are either living to impress God and win His favor and good will or we are living in God’s favor and good will which leads to obedience and faithful living.
Spiritual security leads to faithful living. When we trust God that He is better and has our best in mind, we are happy to submit to His will about how we should lead our lives.
Living Faithful In Christ
What is God calling you to be faithful in today? This week? This year?
How can you live faithfully in Christ?
Jace is the host of The Digital Wellbeing Podcast. He also writes about life, faith, culture, and justice at www.jacebower.com.