March 24th, 2026
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.“
Ephesians 1:1-2
I want you to notice how Paul starts his letter to the Ephesian church. He greets them as “saints,” then quickly indicates a saint is one who lives faithfully in Christ Jesus. We must note this carefully: A mature Christian is not one who merely professes faith in Jesus. He or she strives to live faithfully. The faithful are “in Christ,” a common Pauline phrase used frequently throughout the letter.
“In Christ” implies we not only find our salvation in him, but also that Christ dwells within us. Faithful living takes place only when we are “in Christ.” We cannot miss the impact of this truth. Through our conversion, a marvelous thing has happened. We are not only saved and live in Christ, but Christ dwells in us. It is only when our souls are united with the Spirit of Jesus that we can live faithfully.
If we see Christ as one who is external to and outside of us, we will struggle in living the Christian life. We will remain as immature believers; redeemed with saving faith in Jesus but will be of little use in the Kingdom of God on earth. To serve God faithfully, Christ must be in us, and we must be in Christ and faithfully follow Him. Jesus’ presence within the human soul provides the motivation and power for us to live faithfully. A mature Christian is one who is in union with Jesus Christ and lives in the light of that truth.
This union with Christ is no peripheral matter. It is fundamental in our pressing on to maturity (cf. Phil. 3:13-14). This intimate spiritual union is what creates the wheat of true faith and destroys the weeds of hypocrisy within us. Paul wrote this to the Corinthians: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Cor. 13:5). In asking them to examine themselves, Paul did not ask them to recite the fundamental doctrines of the faith or to confirm whether they were baptized correctly, as important as those matters are. Paul considered something else more fundamental.
Paul invited the Corinthians - and us – to take a look within our hearts. In that quiet reflection, is there the realization Jesus is there and dwelling within? Is it obvious he is directing our thoughts and behaviors? Paul does not explain the nature of this indwelling. While he calls this a “mystery” (Col. 1:27), mature Christians are certainly aware of His presence.
Each of us alone is aware of the content of our inner life. Amid all the richness of our thoughts, feelings, memories, hopes, and dreams, do we perceive Jesus there, too? As we live life aware of Christ’s indwelling presence, God is able to make us increasingly useful members of the kingdom of God. And we live up to what Paul has called us, “saints . . . the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Blessings,
Pastor David
Ephesians 1:1-2
I want you to notice how Paul starts his letter to the Ephesian church. He greets them as “saints,” then quickly indicates a saint is one who lives faithfully in Christ Jesus. We must note this carefully: A mature Christian is not one who merely professes faith in Jesus. He or she strives to live faithfully. The faithful are “in Christ,” a common Pauline phrase used frequently throughout the letter.
“In Christ” implies we not only find our salvation in him, but also that Christ dwells within us. Faithful living takes place only when we are “in Christ.” We cannot miss the impact of this truth. Through our conversion, a marvelous thing has happened. We are not only saved and live in Christ, but Christ dwells in us. It is only when our souls are united with the Spirit of Jesus that we can live faithfully.
If we see Christ as one who is external to and outside of us, we will struggle in living the Christian life. We will remain as immature believers; redeemed with saving faith in Jesus but will be of little use in the Kingdom of God on earth. To serve God faithfully, Christ must be in us, and we must be in Christ and faithfully follow Him. Jesus’ presence within the human soul provides the motivation and power for us to live faithfully. A mature Christian is one who is in union with Jesus Christ and lives in the light of that truth.
This union with Christ is no peripheral matter. It is fundamental in our pressing on to maturity (cf. Phil. 3:13-14). This intimate spiritual union is what creates the wheat of true faith and destroys the weeds of hypocrisy within us. Paul wrote this to the Corinthians: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Cor. 13:5). In asking them to examine themselves, Paul did not ask them to recite the fundamental doctrines of the faith or to confirm whether they were baptized correctly, as important as those matters are. Paul considered something else more fundamental.
Paul invited the Corinthians - and us – to take a look within our hearts. In that quiet reflection, is there the realization Jesus is there and dwelling within? Is it obvious he is directing our thoughts and behaviors? Paul does not explain the nature of this indwelling. While he calls this a “mystery” (Col. 1:27), mature Christians are certainly aware of His presence.
Each of us alone is aware of the content of our inner life. Amid all the richness of our thoughts, feelings, memories, hopes, and dreams, do we perceive Jesus there, too? As we live life aware of Christ’s indwelling presence, God is able to make us increasingly useful members of the kingdom of God. And we live up to what Paul has called us, “saints . . . the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Blessings,
Pastor David
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