NorMel House Devotions

Read Ephesians 6:21-24 It's rather interesting that Paul wrote a long letter to the Ephesians without our expected contents. Most letters are written to tell how the writer has been doing and inquire after the readers' well-being. Paul, however, writes a beautiful letter, not to correct an error, as his letters typically do, but to further instruct and teach what God's eternal purpose is, and how we, as Christians, ought to live to that purpose. The letter to the Ephesians reminds the reader several times that our salvation and every good thing are by God's grace alone. In chapter 2:5, he writes, "it is by grace you have been saved." Again in chapter 2:8, he says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Paul does not boast about his own God-given tasks, but three times in Chapter 3, he reminds the reader that it is by God's grace that he was sent to the Gentiles. It's n...

 Read Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul wrote to the Ephesians with many instructions on how we, as Christians, are to live our lives. He comes to the close of the letter addressing how we will be able to live the way he has instructed. Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God, being strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Why? Because we are in the midst of a war! We are fighting spiritual warfare against darkness and the spiritual forces of evil, both here on earth and in the heavenly realms. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, "For though we walk in the flesh we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." How can we, simple and sinful beings, possibly hope to fight the things we can not even see? Paul tells us to stand firm, to "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." Some believe that Paul had Isaiah 59:17 in mind, as it says ther...

Read Ephesians 6: 5-9 Today's text is a difficult subject. Slavery was not part of God's intended design, so why do we see it in the Bible? Paul does not condone slavery; however, because of the socioeconomic situation of the Roman occupation, it was an embedded institution. The Christians Paul wrote to were subject to Roman laws, and therefore, many Jews were either slaves or masters.  Paul wrote a lot about our attitudes and how we should live our lives in the various roles we are placed in. This is why he wrote to slaves and masters. As with so many of his instructions, Paul addresses both perspectives and points them to God. No matter your station or status in this life, we are equal, in Christ, before God. Although we do not have slavery in our society here now, we can compare this relationship to that of an employer and employee. We can look at what Paul instructs and use it in whatever our job is here and now. What, then, should we ascertain from today's passage? Thr...

  Read Ephesians 6:1-4 In our passage today, Paul continues to describe how we ought to live in regard to our relationships. Last time, we saw how the relationship of a husband and wife must mimic Christ's relationship with the church. Our passage moves on to the relationship between children and their parents. As sinful people, our inclination is to rebel against authority,  but Paul starts off reminding us that children ought not only to obey their parents but to honor them. This is so important it is one of the ten commandments. In Matthew 19:19, Jesus tells a rich man that you must "honor your father and mother." In Matthew 15:4, Jesus tells us, "Honor your father and your mother, and whoever reviles father or mother must surely die." Honoring our parents is so important that the punishment for disobedience was death! Its importance is also shown in the promise given for obedience. Verse 3 of our text says, "that it may go well with you and that you may...

Read Ephesians 5:22-33 and 1 Corinthians 11:3 There's a very distinct hierarchy given in our passage today. Christ is the head of the church, and the church submits to Christ. This relationship is compared to the relationship between a man and his wife. Just as the church submits to Christ, so also, wives should submit to their husbands. Our society balks at this idea because they don't understand what it means. The relationship between a husband and wife is a beautiful thing. As a wife, it is easy for me to submit to my husband because I've been blessed with a loving and good man. This doesn't mean he's perfect; only Christ was perfect, and He loved us so much He was willing to suffer and die for us. He "gave Himself up for her (the church) to make her holy" (Verse 25).  The love of a husband should be Christ-like. In all he does, a husband should love his wife more than he loves himself. He should feed and care for her, "just as Christ does the chur...

Read Ephesians 5:1-20 Our passage today continues with the theme of living as children of the light. Here, we are told to be imitators of Christ. This isn't a new concept; 1 John 2:6 says,  "Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked." And again, in 1 Peter 2:21-22, "For to this you have been called,  because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth." So, to live as children of the light means we have to be imitators of God. Our passage goes on to tell us what that means. To imitate Christ means not only to do as He did but also to avoid the things He didn't do. Verse 3 tells us we are not to be sexually immoral, impure, or greedy because those things are improper for God's holy people. We are not to defile our bodies for those who do will not receive the inheritance. Christ is God and was perfect, and so, we ...

Read Ephesians 4:17-32 Paul, the writer of Ephesians, wants his readers to live, not as the gentiles do, but rather, live lives of Christian purity. In our text, he gives us a basic guide for how to put off our 'old selves' and not follow our deceitful desires. Paul points out that a life without God can lead to a life of impurity. Purity is essential for Christians. We are to put on our 'new selves' as we were created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:23). What does a life of purity look like? Paul gives us several examples of how we are to behave and what we shouldn't do. In verse 25, he tells us not to speak falsehood but speak truthfully to our neighbors. It is not enough to not lie. We MUST speak the truth. He also tells us that we must not sin in our anger. Not all anger is sin. However, we must not dwell in our anger. Dwelling on your anger gives the devil a foothold in your life (Ephesians 4:27). Paul then tells us it's not e...

Read Ephesians 4:1-16 As Christians, we are called to live Christ-like lives. We are called to be the body of Christ, and God gives us what we need to live a life worthy of our God-given call. The church is the body of Christ, and as there are many different parts to the body, so too, we have different callings in life. Some are to be apostles and prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, etc. In order to live Christ-like lives and fulfill our calling, we must be humble, patient, gentle, and bear with one another in love. Each has a part and needs to do its work. As there is only one body, there is also only one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father, and we are called to one hope. Christ is the one head, and from Him, the whole body is joined together, grows, and is built up in love. So live lives worthy of your God-given calling and realize we don't all have the same calling. For, "If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hea...

A prayer for the Ephesians.  Read Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul wrote the book of Ephesians to broaden the knowledge of his readers in regards to God's grace and providential plan. It's really no surprise that he stops to pray for his readers. What's interesting to note is how he starts his prayer. Typically, at that time, people stood to pray. Kneeling was done for royalty or people in positions of authority. It was a sign of respect and reverence. So, even in his praying, he is teaching his readers more about God. We should show all respect and reverence to God, and thus, like Paul, we ought to kneel when we pray. He continues to teach the reader by the things he prays about. Paul acknowledges that Christ is already present in the Ephesians' lives, but he wants them to have Christ in their hearts. He prays that Christ will be part of their whole being, and tells them how this is possible. Only God has the power to strengthen our faith. The Spirit is the one who works in our ...

  Read Ephesians 3:1-13 (see below) Paul writes to say that God revealed to the apostles that the gospel is also for the gentiles.  They are fellow heirs, members of the"same body" and partake in the promise in Christ, through the gospel. It's God's grace Paul was sent to outreach to the Gentiles and that through him God's plan for them would be made known.  All this is according to God's plan.  Paul packed a whole lot into these verses. He reiterates that man, including himself, can do nothing to earn salvation. God chooses us and has a plan. He uses us to fulfill the plan and gives us what we need to do the works He has set for us. Any Jews reading the letter would have had a hard time with Paul's next point. The Jews believed that only the Jews would be saved; they didn't share the gospel with the nations around them. It was probably hard to be open to Paul's God-given task. The gospel is not only for the Jews but also for the gentiles! Paul tel...

Read Ephesians 2:11-22 (see bottom) In our text, Paul is talking about the reconciliation of the Jews and Gentiles. This falls within God's greater work of reconciling man from sin and death to life. God does not save us by our "keeping the law." Our salvation comes from Christ, by His blood. No matter how good a person thinks they are, they can not earn their salvation. We need Jesus's saving work and to be cleansed by His blood.  Paul reminds us of how we were before, as unbelievers. We were separated, strangers, and hopeless. But all who trust in Christ have been reconciled and made one by His blood. There is no unity without the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can break down the "wall of hostility" and grant forgiveness through the cross. The Father planned salvation, the Son was sent to accomplish salvation, and the Spirit was sent to apply our redemption. This is how we are made to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that you are a temple of the ...

  Read Ephesians 2:1-10 In today's text, we can see that Paul is really trying to drive home the point that we are saved BY GRACE, not by anything we've done or will do. He mentions God's grace twice in chapter 1 and 3 more times in the first 10 verses of chapter 2. He points out several times how sinful, selfish, and corrupt we are as humans and purposely points out that we are rescued from these sinful lives by God's grace. Oh, how good it is to hear that salvation does not depend on us. If it did, we would surely be lost in our selfish sinful desires and push God away. Paul even points out that we were created for his works, not that we contribute, but that God does in and through us! We can take no credit for salvation or for any good thing we may have done. How sweet it is to be loved by Him! It's interesting to note that the first 3 verses talk about how we are sinners and would only live in selfishness if we were left on our own. The next 6 verses again remi...

Read Ephesians 1:15-23 (see bottom of page) The first part of the chapter, Paul talks about our blessings in God's plan for salvation. That it in no way relies on us as God predestined us and knew all that would happen before we were even concieved. I think we need to keep that in mind as we read further in the chapter. In verse 15 He tells them that he is so thankful for their faith in God and love to the saints. Its interesting because he's telling them he's thankful for something they didn't do, but are blessed with. The text reminds us that God gave all authority to Christ and Christ is the true head of the church. Not a minister, not a preacher, but Christ. This alone gives me the peace and confidence to be part of a church filled with sinful human beings. Ministers can screw up, elders and deacons can make the wrong choices or decisions, but ultimately we're not there for the people. Yes, we can enjoy fellowship with God's people; the communion of saints c...

Read Ephesians 1:1-14 (see bottom of page) Its interesting that this devotional happened to be about who we belong to, and what our purpose is in this life. I have been pondering this alot lately. Where we fit in in life is so important, being an adopted and undeserved child of God is truly a gift of His Grace. Do you find you're satisfied with the purpose we're given in this text? I often struggle with feeling like I dont have a purpose but today's text has a description of what our purpose is. God's plan for this purpose is found in verse 10 "...as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth." Ephesians 1:10 ESV If you keep reading you'll find that vs 12 ("so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:12 ESV) tells us our purpose is to be to the praise of His glory. He knew us before we were even formed, He called us to be His children, and...