Made New: An Ephesians Book StudyНамуна

Here’s something I know: If you’re reading this, you have experienced pain. It’s a part of our human experience. I also know that describing that pain as God’s grace wasn’t my first response when I walked through it. But that’s exactly how Paul describes his painful transformation. If you haven’t heard of it yet, go read Acts 9:1-19.

A quick recap: Paul was walking along, going about his business, persecuting Christians, when suddenly a light flashed, and a voice questioned his actions. This experience left him blind and unable to eat or drink for three days. Talk about pain! At the end of the three days, he was transformed and had a new purpose - to spread the good news of Jesus. Paul’s transformation was painful, but in Ephesians 3:7-13, he talks about this suffering as a gift.

In these verses, we learn that Paul’s new role would be “to make known to all unbelievers the mystery of Christ” (v. 9). He would walk from town to town and write letters sharing the Good News of the Gospel. Even though this took place centuries ago, we were a part of this plan. God had Paul share His divine plan for how the Gospel would be made known to the world through His church (that’s us)!

Pause and think about that. Before you, or your parents, or your parents’ parent’s parents were born, God had a plan for you. As a believer, you are a part of His family and church. You are called to make known the Gospel.

That can sound intimidating. You might think you can’t do that because you’re not a scholar, pastor, or whatever else you think stands in your way of sharing the Good News. But think of how Paul talked about his suffering. He shared that it was a “gift” and for “our glory” (v. 7, 9).

So, what if you looked at your suffering differently? What if you saw it in a way to bring glory to God? When we share our pain and how God brought us through it, we share the gift of the Gospel. It doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t need to be a theologian or a scholar. All you have to do is be willing to share what God’s done in your own life. We have all experienced pain, but not everyone knows the gift of Jesus Christ, who carries us through it.

Response
1. Think back over your life. Who was Paul to you? Who shared the Gospel in a way that helped Jesus become real to you? Who helped you take another step in your spiritual journey?

2. Are you making the Good News of the Gospel known? If so, how? If not, what keeps you from sharing your story of God’s goodness in your life?

3. Make a list of the people in your life who don’t know Jesus. Commit to praying for them regularly. Log this commitment in your calendar and/or set an alarm to remember.

Weekly Memory Verse
"I pray that out of His glorious riches, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:16-19

Written by Michelle White