Bible Studies

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A Prisoner of Christ

I received power when the Holy Spirit came to live in me, and I became a witness for Jesus Ð at home, in my neighborhood, at school, everywhere I go. If you donÕt recognize that verse of Scripture, itÕs because IÕve taken it from the NIV translation in Acts 1 and personalized it. I made it my own. Hence, youÕll see LV, which stands for Living Vierbicky, after the address for our verse this week in the Mountain Time Moment below.
When I started to memorize the third chapter of Ephesians, I decided to write GodÕs purpose for my life Ð not just PaulÕs life Ð onto the table of my heart. As you read the Pauline Epistles, youÕll see that the great Apostle Paul knew his calling. He knew that God had chosen him for a great task, and he worked diligently as He followed Christ, striving to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. Paul knew Christ so well, in fact, that he longed to leave this life and be face to face with His Master. Yet Paul knew he was a captive, chosen to bring the Gospel light to the Gentiles.
However, it is not just Paul who is a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I used to be a slave to sin, as well, but now I am a slave to righteousness because of what Christ has done for me. He opened my heart to the truth and gave me the faith to believe, just as He did for Paul. That is true not just for me, but for you and every Christian that has ever walked the planet.
However, we donÕt always see what we believe translated into daily, faith-based actions. Could it be due to that lack of time we spend with God Ð alone in His word, confessing our sin, praying, meditating, and memorizing? Could it be that we donÕt delight in the Lord as much as we delight in our job, our friends, the beach or the golf course? Could it be weÕd just rather fish for fish instead of fish for men? Those are questions we each need to answer.
As I recite the first three chapters of Ephesians from memory each morning, the Holy Spirit reminds me of GodÕs blessings to the church - you and me. It reminds me, because of all that God has done for me in Christ Jesus, to do everything for His glory. For this reason, I am not only thankful, but I understand my responsibility in a better light. The only way for me to overcome any sin is to admit that I like it, though God says I shouldnÕt, then call on Him for help. When we confess, or agree with God about our sin, acknowledging that we have been negligent, complacent, or just outright rebellious, His grace and mercy free us to serve Him as willing prisoners. And we can do that with joy, for the sake of those in our path.

Mountain Time Moment

For this reason I, Keith, am a prisoner of Christ Jesus,
for the sake of the souls God puts in my path,
just as Paul was ChristÕs prisoner for the sake of the Gentiles Ð

Ephesians 3:1 NIV/LV
entire article with verse links in blue at:
http://home.comcast.net/~flgrace/Ephesians301.pdf

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