Ephesians: Walking in Wealth

Ephesians has been called the Grand Canyon of Scripture. In it, the apostle Paul expounded on the depth, breadth, length, and height of God's redemption, love, mercy, and salvation—and all while he was in a Roman prison.

The main theme of Ephesians is how God builds a new family, a new society with new values and standards, all operated by not just listening to truth, but obeying it. Paul explained how to grow as a believer, how to walk as a believer, and how to fight as a believer.

But it all starts with understanding the wealth we have in Jesus Christ. Ephesus was a financial center of the Roman Empire at the time, so it's fitting that Paul emphasized this aspect of our relationship with Jesus. He wanted the Ephesians to know about the spiritual wealth they had in Christ so that they would then walk in it.

The same goes for us today: all believers are rich in the spiritual assets given by God, but only by taking hold of that wealth can we enjoy it and walk in it.

Think It Through

How many spiritual blessings do you have in Christ (see Ephesians 1:3)?

What does it look like to live like you're spiritually wealthy? How does understanding your spiritual wealth affect how you live toward believers (see Ephesians 4)? Unbelievers (see Ephesians 5:1-20)? Your family (see Ephesians 5:22-6:4)?

Christianity is not a playground; it's a battleground. Read Ephesians 6:10-18. What are the weapons you have in this spiritual war?

A Word of Encouragement

What good is it if you have a bank account filled with spiritual resources and wealth, but live your whole life unaware of how much you have? Once you realize who you are and what you have in Christ, you'll live a transformed, victorious life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank You that through Christ Jesus, I'm spiritually wealthy. I pray that You would help me take hold of this doctrine and then translate it into duty—that I wouldn't just sit in this truth but walk in it. Help me fight from victory, not for it, because I am in Christ.

Land and Explore

To learn more about the riches you have in Jesus Christ, download this series from Pastor Skip on the entire book of Ephesians.