Chapter 1

1.  God's people are faithful.  They aren't perfect but they have a desire to please the savior Jesus Christ.  They are faithful to want to do what is right even though they sometimes do wrong.  They're faithful in their belief that Jesus is their savior and that he is the only reason they will be in heaven.

2.  Real peace about being set for eternity can only come through Jesus Christ.  Those who practice some other form of religion, or spirituality and say that they have peace are deceived.  They may have a spiritual numbness; they may be in a mental stupor, but whatever they have is only temporary.  Their false sense of serenity will be shattered immediately upon their death as they plunge thru the gates of hell into everlasting flames for rejecting the savior.

3.  Whatever a Christian needs to be fit for heaven and to live Godly down here on earth is theirs in Christ.  Jesus gives us the complete package when we receive him.

4a.  From our point of view as Christians we chose Jesus, and continue to choose him.  But the bible says that God chose us. Jesus says that no one can come to him unless the father draws them.  Under girding our choice of Christ is God's choice of us.

4b.  I don't understand all the theological implications of our free will and God's sovereign choice but I do know one thing for sure.  God chooses us so that he can change us.  Jesus saves sinners to make them saints.
Holiness is a process that will not be completed until we reach heaven but meanwhile we can take comfort knowing that through Christ we stand before God blameless.  We sin, but in Christ, God does not blame us for our sins.

5a.  When God predestines something that means he decides that something will happen before it happens, and nothing can stop it from happening.  Which means that every Christian is a member of his family because God said: that's how I want it to be.  That doesn't eliminate man's free choice to reject Christ or accept him, and don't ask me how it doesn't eliminate man's free choice because I don't know and honestly no one else knows either.

5.  In roman society an adopted child became an heir to his father's estate.  He ate at the family table.  He was loved, and accepted, just as much as any natural child.  Jesus is God's eternal, (natural) son.  Christians are God's adopted children.  But in Christ we are loved as much as Jesus.  We can talk to our father like Jesus does.  We will enjoy the new earth in the same type of body that Jesus has.  It's all the same because of what Christ did for us.

6.  God the father accepts sinners in the beloved.  That means Christians are accepted by God through the merits of his son Jesus Christ.  A Christian is no more worthy to be accepted by God then the heathen, but they are accepted.  Christians are accepted by God because the bible says they are in Christ.
There are certain places which do not allow children but if the child is in his mother's womb they are accepted.  They are accepted in their mother.  Sinners are not allowed in heaven.  The wicked are not allowed in heaven.  Those who have failed God in any way are not allowed in heaven. But we Christians will be there, we will be there in Christ.

7.  Redemption means that Jesus paid for our sins when he died on the cross.  That redemption is the thing which makes receiving Christ worth doing.  That redemption is the thing which makes confessing our sins to God worth doing.  If Jesus doesn't pay for our sin then we could confess until we lose our voice but it wouldn't do us any good; our sins would remain with us.

7,8.  God gives his children wisdom.  Wisdom is the ability to think straight.  Wisdom is the ability to think like God.  Wisdom from God is the ability to solve life's problems.
The more we understand the word of God the more wisdom we receive and the more uncomplicated life becomes.  When you know the bible the answers to what is right and what is wrong, and to behavior problems become very clear and uncomplicated.

9.  Almighty God  devised the plan of salvation.  It was his idea.  It was his master plan, and only God can cause a sinner to understand it. If you invent something then only you can write the instructions on how it works. If you have an idea then only you can communicate the meaning of that idea.  The holy spirit shows people the way to be saved.  The holy spirit is the one who convinces lost sinners that they must repent and receive Christ because he's the only way to God. You cannot convince your friends or relatives to repent and receive Christ. It doesn't pay to nag them or plead with them or reason with them. Give them the simple truth of Jesus Christ and let the Holy Spirit go to work.

9,10.  The fullness of the times is another word for the day when God creates a new heavens and a new earth.  It's the fullness of times; God has declared it.  God determines the time for everything.  Today is just another step along the path that will take the world to the point where God will destroy the old and make everything knew.  When Jesus returns he will cause all of creation to function in perfect harmony with the will of God.  Everyone whether they be men or angels, and everything will operate exactly the way God wants it to and that's what will make eternity so wonderful.
By the way, the more we operate under God's authority today the more harmony there will be.  The more we operate under God's authority the more joy we will experience.

11.  The world has many problems, and every one of them stem from sin.  Man has a freewill.  Man can choose right or wrong.  God lets man make his own decisions and since God is just man must live with the consequences of his decisions (right or wrong).  That is precisely why there's so much evil in the world.  The consequences of man's sinful decisions must run their course.  However because God is God he will use it all to bring about his sovereign purposes.  God doesn't like everything that happens.  He doesn't like everything, but he is using all things to bring about his final plan. Every event, every action, every word, is a stroke of God's brush until the complete picture is finished at the end of the world.

11,12.  Whenever a sinner comes to their senses, repents, and says God I believe the bible; I know that I am destined for hell because of my sin and I want Jesus to save me; that honors God.  Knowing that we are sinners is a tribute to God's ability to pierce the hard hardheadedness and hard hardheartedness of rebellious mankind.  Knowing that we can have forgiveness through Jesus Christ is a tribute to God's ability to convince someone who knows they are totally depraved that God still loves them enough to forgive them.  All these things are to the praise and Glory of God's grace.  We wouldn't know any of these things without the grace of God.

13a.  In order to be saved from hell people need to hear the word of truth.  That means they need to hear the bible proclaimed clearly.  The clear word of God upsets some people but the very word that upsets the rebellious will save those who are humble.  No one ever gets saved by hearing a vague presentation of what God has to say about sinners, hell, Jesus, and forgiveness.
Preachers who try to entertain, or be cute may draw crowds, but they're not being faithful to Christ or helpful to Christians or to lost sinners.  It is an outrage for any so-called preacher to stand behind a pulpit and try to be cute, or entertain, or draw attention to themselves in any way.

13.  Back in bible days a seal signified ownership.  It was like a brand on cattle.  The moment a sinner repents and receives Christ God puts his mark of ownership on them. Then you have the devil who is a spiritual cattle rustler. He wants to steal Christians from Jesus. Then you have the enticement of sin which when tolerated draws a christian away from Christ; that also is a spiritual cattle rustler.  But unlike the dumb longhorns on rawhide or gunsmoke a christian can say I don't want to be rustled away from Jesus and I will not go. No one can snatch a Christian out of God's hand. We can volunteer to leave but no one can steal us.

14.  God says to Christians: someday you will have a new body.  Someday you will live on a beautiful new earth.  God says someday you will never be sick, and you will never die.  He says someday you will be reunited with your friends and loved ones who know Christ.  Those are big promises and sometimes it is more difficult to believe good news then it is to believe bad news.  Consequently even though God's word is true, and he cannot lie, he graciously gives us his holy spirit as a personal pledge that all these wonderful things and much more will be a reality.  You say, the holy spirit is invisible, I can't see him so how do I know if I have him?  His person is invisible, but his presence is easy to perceive.  Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?  Do you have a heart for Christ?  Do you want to obey Christ?  Do you feel horrible when you sin?Do you repent when you sin? Do you confess when you sin?  Do you want to live the right way?  If the answer to those questions is yes then those are signs that the spirit of God lives inside of you.

15,16.  The moment the apostle realized that these people were Christians he started to pray for them. God's word commends prayer so it must be useful.  Our prayers help us, because God answers prayer and because there is value in the act of praying itself. Our prayers help others because prayer can help keep other Christians on track with Jesus.  They also can bring a backslid-en Christian back to their spiritual senses.
Of course prayer is a faith thing.  It's a faith thing because you can't see what goes on in the spirit realm as a result of it.  You can't see the stir it causes in the spiritual realm, but prayer kicks up the supernatural dust.  You can't see it, but sooner or later you see the results of it.

17.  Revelation knowledge which goes deeper than the surface level facts of scripture comes as a result of prayer, which is one reason the apostle prayed for the Ephesians.  The bible is just a religious text book until one opens their heart to God through repentance and prayer.  That's when you start getting in touch with the lord, and that's when you start enjoying his company.  Prayer makes the word of God come alive.  Prayer enlivens the bible.  Prayer quickens the word of God to our soul and causes it to make a difference in our life.

18.  No one would go through the pain of having a tooth pulled if it didn't remove the tooth ache.  Most people wouldn't work a lousy job if they didn't get some sort of a paycheck.  Well God asks Christians to live for him even when it means sacrifice.  He calls for a deep commitment that is willing to endure suffering.  God knows that the sanctified life is often a difficult life which is why God wants Christians to understand that living for him will be worth it.  God is the one who has said that the laborer is worthy of his pay.

19.  If a homeowner has 10 gallons of paint and a house that needs painting it does not need painting because the owner doesn't have what he needs.  The house is a mess because the owner doesn't use what he has.  The bible is clear, if you're a Christian you don't need psychology, psychotherapy, or anything else other than Jesus Christ to live the way God wants you to live moment by moment second by second.

19,20.  How much power does God have on our behalf?  Enough power to raise Jesus from the dead and then take him up to heaven in his physical body.  Nothing we need.  No sin that we must overcome.  Nothing that we are doing that we need to stop doing.  Nothing that we are not doing that we need to start doing.  None of these things and nothing else either, calls for more power than what God almighty has already displayed when he brought Jesus back from the dead and took him up to heaven body, soul, and spirit. You have plenty of power to do whatever is right in the eyes of God.

21.  Which is why the bible says that every knee will bow to Jesus.  All human titles, celebrities, superstars, athletes, politicians, presidents, prime ministers, and dictators, who other people may think are impressive will be as nothing when we are all in the presence of Christ.
Venus is the brightest object in the night sky except for the Moon.  But Venus's light disappears when the sun comes up. Venus is still there but the glory of the sun way outshines the glory of Venus.  Some people seem to be important but in the presence of Christ we all fade and become as nothing.

22,23.  If your brain's signals to your arm are cut off because of a stroke your arm goes numb.  Jesus is the head of his body which refers to Christians.  If Christians allow sin to break the connection between them and Jesus then they suffer a spiritual stroke.  Those Christians become spiritually limp.  They lose their joy and they lose their effectiveness for Christ.  Jesus said, apart from me you can do nothing.  If we aren't connected to Christ, if there are unconfessed sins in our life than we are useless to our lord.



Chapter 2

1.  Death doesn't mean annihilation. Death doesn't mean to cease to exist. Death means separation. When one is physically dead their soul is separated from their body. When one is  spiritually dead it means their soul is separated from God. Eternal death occurs when ones soul is permanently separated from God in hell.
To be dead in trespasses and sins means to be separated from God because of sin.  There is no communication with God for someone who is spiritually dead.  There is no hope for one in that situation unless they repent and make Christ their lord and savior.  There is no hope because if their sins are not forgiven by the time they die then their spiritual death turns into eternal death in the eternal flames of hell. You don't want to die in a state of separation from God.

1,2.  There is a spiritual vacancy in the soul of the unsaved; God is missing.  There is an empty place in their soul which  Satan does his best to fill.  Satan offers all sorts of substitutes for God. Entertainment is the Devils substitute for joy. Religion is his substitute for a relationship with God. Feelings are a substitute guide for God's holy word.  Satan is the spirit which is at work in the children of disobedience.  No wonder the world is such a mess! We have several billion people following the lead of unclean spirits rather then the Holy Spirit.

3.    The unsaved; the non Christians of this world are by their nature children of God's wrath.  The unsaved have a rebellious sin nature.  The sin nature of man naturally rebels against God.  Because of that the unsaved naturally use their body to express what is in their soul and it's not good; it goes against God.  Rebellion and sin comes natural to sinful human beings.  Because of that God is naturally angry at them and they deserve his wrath.  Sinful man is constantly irritating holy God. That's why verse 3 says that the unsaved, non Christians of this world are by nature children of wrath.

4.  It's true that man is filled with sin; he is rebellious by nature, but God is rich in mercy.  God has more mercy then the worst sinner has sin.
By the way, God's mercy is his love in action.  God's mercy is how he loves us.  Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve.  Maybe God doesn't always give us what we want but that's no reason to say that he doesn't love us.  He does not give us everything that we want, it's true.  But he doesn't give us everything that we deserve either which proves that he loves us.

5.  As I mentioned a few minutes ago and as God mentions again here the unsaved are spiritually dead because of their sin; they are cut off from God.
Physical death keeps the body from being able to perceive or respond to anything around it.  You can poke a dead person and they won't respond. You can tell them a funny story and they won't laugh.  Physical death makes a person unable to perceive anything that is going on around them.
In the same way sin has killed man's spirit and has made him incapable of perceiving or communicating with God.  That's why the unsaved can read the bible and it makes absolutely no sense to them.  It means nothing to them because their spirit is dead.  Their spirit is like a broken receiver that cannot pick up even the strongest signal from God.  But the second a person receives Christ their spirit comes alive and the communication lines between them and God are open.

5,6.  Christians are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.  The second you receive Jesus Christ as your lord and savior you become a citizen of heaven.  The second you receive Christ your soul and your spirit experience a big change.  The bible says you are from that point on seated with Christ in heavenly places.  Heavenly places simply refers to the place where God rules.  It speaks of the place where God reigns.  God rules in heaven.  Nobody disobeys God in heaven.
To be seated with Christ in heavenly places means that your soul has new priorities.  Your soul wants to please God; it wants God to rule, just like the Christians in heaven want God to rule and actually submit to His rule perfectly. We Christians on earth do not submit as perfectly as they do but we want to and when our bodies are seated with him up there along with our soul then our submission will be perfect.

7.  We Christians showcase God's grace.  Christians are God's first place trophys of grace.  God wins first place when it comes to showing grace.  The fact that God saves no good, worthless sinners, who are not worth saving, who have rebelled against him, is all the evidence anyone needs to prove that God is gracious.  I'm a trophy of God's grace and so is every other Christian.
Over the years I have heard Christians and even preachers say, you are so valuable that God sent his son to die on the cross and pay for your sins. That sort of statement completely misses the point because it has absolutely no biblical support at all.  In an effort to make sinful, rebellious human beings feel good about themselves, and give them a high self esteem they say, you must be valuable or God never would have left heaven and died on the across for you.  Like old man potter said on it's a wonderful life " sentimental hogwash".  Jesus didn't die for us because we were of such great worth .  He died for sinners who had lost their worth. Romans says that we have all become worthless.  He died for us because he is abundant in grace and mercy.  Jesus died for worthless sinners to the praise and Glory of his grace and that is it. Dying for the unworthy is what makes his grace so amazing.

8,9.  When God says something once you can take it to the bank.  When he says something five times in five different ways in two verses  a person has to be out of their mind to doubt it, and that's what he does here.  Five times in five different ways God tells us that we're not saved by our works but by his grace.  To anyone who thinks that they can contribute or earn their way to heaven listen again to vs. eight and nine.
For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.  No one in heaven ever boasts about how they are worthy or even slightly worthy to be there.  Believe me when you are in the presence of God you will not be thinking about your self worth.  2 seconds in the presence of God and you will know that Jesus didn't die for you because you were worthy.
No one in heaven will ever boast that they did anything to earn their salvation.  That is because grace, which is how we are saved and good works do not mix.  In fact the moment you try to add self effort of any kind to your salvation you negate the grace of almighty God.  It has to be one or the other.
If a person on earth is boasting about how they are earning salvation, or how they deserve salvation and they really believe it then they will not boast in heaven because they won't be there.

10.  Notice how Christians are God's workmanship and that we are created for good works.  It doesn't say that we were saved because of our good works.  That would contradict the five things that God just said in the previous two verses.  However, God made plans for every Christian long before they were even born.  God has an itinerary of good works planned out for every Christian.  If someone isn't doing good works to please Christ then they are not living the itinerary which God said a saved person lives which means that person isn't saved.
According to Paul here in this book; according to Peter; according to James: no good works equals no salvation.  The faith that saves people makes people holy as well. The faith that changes a persons destiny changes their lifestyle also.
11. God chose the Israelites to be His people back in Old Testament days. He did not choose them because they were better, or smarter, or prettier then anyone else. God chose them because he wanted to and that was it. He chose them to be his people so that they would go out and tell the rest of the world about the one true God, but they didn't do that. Instead they became haughty thinking that God had chosen them because they were better then everyone else. They became arrogant and looked down on the rest of the world. They felt that the rest of mankind was hell bound and who cares.

12.  The gentiles were not God's people. They were not God's people and they did not know they could become God's people because no one from Israel told them. That didn't make God very happy I can tell you that. He did not want the gentiles to be separated from him and without hope, but they were until the Apostles started telling them about the savior Jesus Christ.

12.  Verse 12 describes the condition of the unsaved whether in old testament times or today.
To begin with they are without Christ.  God only funnels his spiritual benefits to us through Christ.  Consequently, no Jesus equals no forgiveness, no eternal life, no way to avoid hell, no hope.

12.  If Christ is not a person's lord and savior then the bible says they are without hope.  Without Christ there is no hope of heaven, no hope of escaping hell, no hope of anything good in eternity.  Any religion that instructs its people to get to heaven apart from trusting Christ is a fairy tale religion.  I don't care how good it looks, I don't care how good it sounds, I don't care how many charitable deeds they do, I don't care how many hospitals they build they are eternally useless.  They are a false religion and therefore should begin all their services and all their Sermons with the words once upon a time in the land of make believe because that's what they're doing; they are playing make believe with the souls of people.  Make believe everything will be OK when you die when reality is there is no hope apart from Christ.

12.  God loves all people but not all people have God in their life.  The only way to have God in your life is to make Jesus Christ your lord and savior. No Jesus in your life equals no God in your life.  Verse 12 says that people who are without Christ are without God.
Nothing is a suitable substitute for having Christ.  There are many good people who do many nice things who are without God and without hope for eternity because they refuse to repent and make Christ their lord.  They are without God, they may not believe it but it's true.  You say, Jesus is that important?

13.  Jesus is the key.  It's the blood of Christ plus nothing else that builds a bridge between sinners and God.  The blood of Christ takes people from hopeless to hope.  The blood of Christ takes people from not having God to having God.  The blood of Christ takes people from hell to heaven.  Jesus is the key!

14.  Jesus is the key. Jesus breaks down the ancient barriers between Jews and Gentiles. When one receives Christ they are united in the spirit with all others who receive Christ regardless of their ethnic social or racial background.

15,16.  In other words, we have been reconciled to God through the cross if we have received Christ as lord and savior.  We have been reconciled to God.  God did not budge a moral inch in an attempt to get on friendly terms with sinners.  God remains steadfast in his demands for moral perfection.
God never compromises his holiness standards in order to get along with sinners.  We Christians have been reconciled to God not the other way around.  If God would have reconciled himself to us then he would have said: what's the big deal, those humans will never be perfect, I will lower my standards and learn to live in the presence of sin.  But God couldn't do that because that would violate his holiness and his justice.  Instead God devised a plan that would reconcile us to him.  He would take our punishment in order to satisfy his justice.  That would open the way for us to be reconciled to him by receiving Christ.

17. The bible teaches that God has come through Jesus to preach peace to us. A college professor who taught a class on world religions once said that the bible is the record of man's search for God.  That man never read the bible.  Scripture has nothing to do with man searching for God.  Beginning in Genesis and continuing on through the last book of the bible scripture contains one example after another of God reaching out to sinful man offering him a way to be reconciled to his creator. The gospel of Jesus Christ is about God offering peace to man.

17.  The Jews were near because they had scripture.  The gentiles were far off because they didn't have scripture.  But near or far doesn't really mean anything.  Near doesn't count, close doesn't count.  If you die without Christ you go to hell and it won't do any good to cry out, God, I almost received Jesus Christ is my lord and savior.  I just about repented. Well then you just about avoided hell didn't you? Unfortunately that will not make the flames less hot.  Nearly receiving Christ doesn't mean anything.  Receiving Christ is the only thing that matters.

18.  Christians are the only people on earth who have God's permission to come into his presence.  God will receive anyone who has received his son Jesus Christ.  If Jesus is our lord and savior we are welcome any time.  You can go to God's throne, spiritually speaking, anytime you want to if you are a Christian.  You can talk to him about anything that's on your mind, anytime you want to.  He will always make time for you.  You don't need an appointment.  There's never any waiting.

19.  NASA spends over $1,000,000 for one space suit.  If astronauts didn't wear a spacesuit during a space walk they would die immediately because man is an alien in outer space.  We're not made for outer space so without a special suit we die on the spot.  God says that non Christians are aliens to the kingdom of heaven.  It's not just that God will not let them into heaven if they're not a Christian.  He won't, but even if he would, they would die on the spot.  No one can stand before God with sin on their soul.  His holiness would destroy them faster then they would die in outer space without a suit.  Jesus makes us fit for heaven; Jesus is our heavenly spacesuit.

19,20.  The cornerstone was the most important stone on those old buildings.  It had to be strong to support the other stones, and it had to be laid correctly because every other stone or brick was built off of it and therefore in line with it.  If the cornerstone wasn't straight the entire building would be off.
Jesus is the church's cornerstone.  He is the cornerstone of the kingdom of God.  Remove Jesus as the focus, and replace him with committees, entertainment, human philosophies, or psychology, and your church becomes spiritually useless and your walk with the lord disintegrates into nothing.  Ignore Jesus and you have removed the cornerstone.  It won't work.  Everything has to line up with Jesus or the church will be crooked, and our lives will be crooked.

21.  In other words, Jesus, and Christians are joined together in the spirit as parts of God's temple.  Together we form a habitation for God.  All Christians combined make up the mystical body of Christ.  We're all individual cells in the body of Christ.  We're all individual parts in the body of Christ each one of us with our own unique function.  God wants us to be healthy cells in the body of Christ not cancer cells and not dead cells.  We become a useful part of the body of Christ by doing something useful for Jesus, by helping to get out the word of God, by living his way, and by not having any unconfessed sins in our life.

22.  You could spend millions making a building look holy but that would not entice Jesus to move into it. There are certain churches with big beautiful stained glass windows that are nothing more then religious Muslims because they have long ago stopped preaching the word of God.  Christ is not looking for a building made with hands.  He wants to move into the body and souls of people.  He wants to and he does the second someone asks him to be there lord and savior.
Which means if we are Christians then Christ goes where we go.  If we are Christians then whatever we watch on TV he watches in us.  We include him in everything we do, that's what scripture teaches.  Consequently if we wouldn't want Jesus to accompany us when we act a particular way then we shouldn't act that way because he's with us all the time



Chapter 3

1.  Paul had been a prisoner for five years.  He had been falsely accused, arrested, and detained.  I'm sure he didn't like it, but he lived with it. God sometimes asks his people to live with what they do not like.
Paul accepted his situation by faith even though it was not good, because he believed it was God's will. God is either in charge of our life or he isn't. God is either winning or the devil is winning and the devil isn't winning. This is God's world. God is the one who is working all things after the counsel of his own will. God is the one whose plans and purposes cannot be thwarted.  Which is why even though the Apostle was sitting in a Roman prison guarded by a Roman soldier he said that he was a prisoner of Jesus Christ.  Jesus had Paul in prison. Jesus had Paul in that difficult situation and he knew it.  The apostle did not ask why nor did he complain.  He accepted the fact that Jesus had a good reason for the bad, and he knew that Jesus knew what was best.

1,2.  Jesus needed someone to take his message of salvation through Christ to the unsaved world.  He told Paul to do it and he did it.  The mission was given to him.  He did not ask for it; he did not apply for it.
Many of the things in our life are things we did not volinteer for or pray for but we have them.  Paul's responsibility was to go where no Christian had gone before and put up with sacrifice in the process in order to tell people about Christ, the only way to heaven.  Our responsibility is to be the best we can for Christ right where we are until he shows us something different, and allows something different.  Paul had his stewardship and we have ours.

3,4.  Reading the bible enables us to perceive truth; it makes us aware of truth.  The more we read the more we will perceive.  The more we read the better we will know God.  The more we read the more truth we will have stored up in our soul for when we need it.  It's not hard to get something out of scripture.  We just need to be saved and prayed up so that the holy spirit can store truth in our soul.

4,5.  Old testament greats like Moses and David and Daniel were inspired by God to write much of scripture but often they didn't know what they were writing about or how it would be fulfilled.  God didn't explain it to them.  They just wrote what they knew was the word of God and trusted that God would someday explain it to his people which he has done today.  We have much more understanding of God's plans then they did in the old testament days.

6.  In old testament times there was a lot of animosity between Jews and gentiles.  One of the mysteries of Christ which wasn't understood in the old days is that Jews and gentiles would be brought together as the people of God through the blood of Christ.
Jesus bridges gaps.  If Christ can bridge the jew and gentile gap and cause them to get along because they are sold out to Christ then Christ can bridge any gap between any two Christians if they are willing to walk in the spirit.

7.  Paul was a minister of the word of God.  Minister does not mean big shot, it means servant.  The apostle was made a servant of God's word which should be the case with every minister and every preacher and every pastor.
There is a God given drive inside those who he commands to preach his word.  They have no joy unless they are proclaiming God's word.  I've heard Christians say, oh he's driven to get out the word of God because he's a "type A" personality.  Or, he is driven to get out to the word of God because he suffering from some sort of psychological co dependency. I left the denomination I was licensed with because I was up to my eyeballs in that type of psychobabble mumble jumble. No one would suffer if that rot was never heard within the walls of Christianity again.  Get back to the word of Almighty God and stay there!  Here's how it works: God says: you are my servant; I'm telling you to pray, study, and preach my word, so do it.  And the person who God says that to does it and does it and does it until he loses his voice or dies.  Paul was a minister of God's word.

8.  Paul never forgot what a terrible sinner he had been.  He knew that he wasn't chosen by Christ to be an apostle because he was better than others.  He was inspired by God right here to declare that he was the worst of the worst.  But he also recognized that God saved him and put him in his family.  He was loved even though he was unlovable.  He knew he was unworthy which made him love and appreciate Christ all the more.
We will never take God for granted if we don't forget how unworthy we are of his forgiveness and how much we have been forgiven.

8.  Every Christian has unsearchable riches in Christ. You say I don't feel rich and my bank account confirms it. You are rich in Christ. You have great riches in Christ.  What are some of them?
You will not burn in hell forever like the Christ rejecting sinners of the world; I actually don't need to go any further then that as far as I am concerned, but I will. God loves you unconditionally.  In Christ he accepts you unconditionally.  You stand before God righteous in Christ even though you still commit sin in this life.  God does not allow bad into your life unless he will use it for good.  You have the holy scripture which contains everything you need, to know God, and to be holy.  These are just some of the unsearchable riches that we have in Christ. I'd like to tell you what they all are but I cannot because they are unsearchable; all we can do is scratch the surface of what we have as Christians.

9.  The plan of God which called for Jesus to pay for our sins on the cross and which would save all who receive Christ was conceived by God before the foundation of the world.  In other words, God knew that man of his own free will would choose sin.  Before he created anything God knew that in order to save man from his just wrath he would have to become a man himself and pay for mans sins with his own death.  He knew all that and yet he still created us.
God isn't hard to figure out; he is impossible to figure out and that's because the bible says God's ways are not man's ways.  God created us even though he knew he would have to redeem us.  He did it for the sake of those who would come to Christ and therefore would enjoy eternity on the new earth in their resurrected body.

10.  Principality's and powers as I have mentioned before refer to angels.  Angels are pretty smart, but they don't know everything and in the past they didn't know anything about God's mercy and forgiveness. Consequently God is using the church to teach angels about, mercy, and forgiveness.
Angels knew all about the power of God; they watched him create everything in six days.  They always knew that God is everywhere at the same time.  They always knew that God knows everything about everything.  But they didn't understand God's mercy and his forgiveness and that's because mercy and forgiveness were unheard of among the angels. They didn't even know the terms existed.  But the cross teaches the angels about the mercy and forgivness of God.  After seeing how God's plan of salvation maintained his justice and yet brought about the forgiveness of sinful man the angels understood God's forgiveness and mercy and also his great wisdom.

10,11.  God had an eternal plan that would fulfill his eternal purpose.  His eternal purpose was to save sinners from hell.  But he kept his eternal plan concerning how he would do that a secret from everyone including the angels for thousands of years.
The angels always knew that God was just and holy so they figured that God would have to eventually send sinful man to hell along with the devil and his demons.  They figured that the entire human race would burn in hell along with the demons because after all God cannot simply overlook sin and what applies to demons must apply to sinful mankind as well.  The angels never dreamed that God had a secret plan to save souls.  They never dreamed that God himself would become a man and die to pay for man's sin. The angels must have been shocked to see the eternal son of God leave heaven and become an embreol in the womb of Mary.  What in the world is he doing that for; what's going on?

12. Christians have boldness and confidence before God. Of course boldness does not mean reckless.  Boldness does not mean brashness.  And confidence does not mean arrogance.  The Biblical definition of boldness before God is the ability to come into his presence  without fear of being destroyed on the spot.  Boldness certainly doesn't mean, as some suggest, that we can be demanding in our prayers, that we can approach the throne of God pounding our fist and insisting that God do things our way.  Boldness before God means you come into his presence without fear.  However you do it with humility and with respect which is what our creator deserves.

13.  The Apostle Paul had been in prison for years because he preached the word of God.  His word to us; more importantly, God's word to us is: don't be discouraged because suffering is often part of God's plan.  The bible says that through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God. Tribulations do not automaticly mean we lack faith. Tribulations reveal that God knew what he was talking about.

14.  Paul was a praying man.  He was a praying  man which is why he was a humble man and also a spiritually powerful man.

14.  God is our father.  Jesus said when you pray say our father.  Someone says, my dad was no good, therefore I cannot accept the fact that God is my loving father.  Some people need to shake the psychological muck off their their souls and clothe themselves with the word of God instead.  It's time to get past that sort of unbiblical, man's centered thinking if one is a Christian.  I understand that some fathers are better than others but no father is anything like God the father.  It is ridiculous for anyone to look at their human father and judge God the father by him, no matter what kind of father they may have had.  One doesn't have anything to do with the other.
Study the scriptures.  Get some firsthand knowledge about God the father and see what he is really like.  Develop a relationship with God the father based on who he is not on what some human father is like. It may take awhile but it will happen.

15.  Some of God's family is on earth, some, the fortunate ones, believe it or not, are with the father in heaven.  God is our father on earth and that relationship does not skip a beat while we're going through death, or after death.

16.  Notice the words "according to".  God grants us according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthened with might.  I'm glad God didn't say that he grants us "out of" the riches of his Glory.  He grants us according to the riches of his Glory.  If I have $10,000,000,000 and you don't have anything and I give you a dollar I have given you out of my riches.  If I give you $1,000,000 I'm giving you according to my riches. God gives us according to his riches; God is not stingy toward his children.  God is omnipotent.  His power is infinite.  Meaning this: we have at our disposal enough power and strength to do what ever it is that God wants us to do.  He gives us power according to his power.  In other words whatever we need.

16.  Our inner being.  That is, our soul needs to be strengthened so that what happens to our outer being, IE, our body, doesn't make us unfruitful, and strain our relationship with Christ. A strong soul will carry a weak body through very difficult times.

17a.  Christ dwells in every Christian.  This verse is talking about Christ feeling at home inside of a Christian.  It's talking about Christ being comfortable in us because we are living holy lives.  Jesus does not feel at home in Christians unless the holy spirit is controlling them.
If you have ever been someplace were you haven't felt welcome then you know how out of place and uncomfortable that feels.  That's how Jesus feels in Christians when they tolerate sin in their life and do not confess it.  He feels out of place.  He feels unwanted.  He feels unwelcome.

17.  If we're not rooted in God's love for us then the least little thing will send us into a spiritual tailspin.  God wants us to know that his love for us is unconditional.  Even when we act unlovable God's love for us never skips a beat.  We can't possibly have the deep joy and peace that God wants us to have unless we know for sure that we are grounded in his love through Jesus Christ.

17,18.  Long, wide, high, and deep refer to the extent of God's love for us. It refers to the fact that God's love is infinite.  God's love touches all humans, animals, and every part of his creation.  God doesn't care who he loves.  He's not fussy about who he loves.  He loves the most important executive on Wall Street, and he loves the drunk who sleeps in the park.  He loves those who serve him; he loves those who reject him.
Sinners can block the benefits of God's love through disobedience but no one can stop God from loving them.

19a.  When we submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of life we will experience a tidal wave of God's love.  We will feel his love when we praise him.  We will feel his love when we read the bible.
Experiencing God's love in that way is important because when you know that he loves you you're gonna love him back.  When that happens you will know God's love in a supernatural way that cannot be explained, only experienced.

19.  To be filled with the fullness of God. To be filled with something means to be controlled by that something. To be filled with joy means to be controlled by joy.  When someone says I'm full of joy they are saying joy is controlling me.  When someone is filled with anger it means they are being controlled by anger.  To be filled with God means to be controlled by God.  Which means self is not calling the shots.  It means that our life revolves around what God wants not what we want or what someone else may want.
Fill yourself with praise, worship, prayer, and the word of God.  Those good things will flush sin and self will out of your soul and will replace them with God.  You'll be filled with God and then you'll experience his love and his joy the way he wants you to.

20a.  God wants to do what is best for us, and he is always able to do what is best for us; never doubt that.
If our sun was hollow 1,000,000 earths would fit inside of it. The largest star known to man is called epsilon.  If that star was hollow it would be large enough to contain 27 billion of our suns.  God made Epsilon with his spoken word on day 4.  If he did that believe me He can handle anything that we need.  If you can imagine it then God can do it.  If you say, I cannot imagine a way out of my mess.  No problem because God can do what is beyond our imagination.  God's power is bigger than our imagination.

20.  If you are a Christian do not say, I can't, I wouldn't, God can't, or God wouldn't.
When we are totally surrender to God he will use us in ways we never dreamed, to do things we never thought we would ever do.  And when he does, we will be happy that he did.

21.  To God be the Glory in the church.  If it doesn't point people to God almighty than it doesn't belong in church.  If the end result of something doesn't get people to focus on Jesus, then it is wrong, it's not Christian, nor is it scriptural.  Someone says, the modern church has moved beyond that; we're more sophisticated now.  Oh really?  Then the modern church is a sorry excuse for a church because the bible says, to God be the Glory in the church throughout all generations.  All generations includes today.



Chapter 4

1.  That's really not too much to ask for.  Think about it, God does not want some morally depraved, vulgar, self centered person running around saying that they are a Christian; that they are in God's family.
If I go to a restaurant and the guy cooking is full of tattoos, piercings, and has long greasy hair I'm not going back; I'm not eating anything that he and his hepatitis has touched.  Now, if restaurant workers need to have standards, how much more should those who claim to be Christians have holiness standards. The next verse tells us what God requires of His children.

2a.  Jesus the son of God, our creator, had rights; he had the rights of God.  However he did not demand his rights while he was here.  Jesus was humble.  Instead of demanding that people bow before him, and serve him, he served them. Instead of demanding that he be treated with the respect that he deserved he allowed others to treat him badly and was even kind to them in return.
I have heard evangelical Christians encourage self assertiveness as if it was a positive thing.  How far we have fallen from what scripture teaches, and that really is the problem.  Christians need to practice humility, instead of demanding their so called rights. Christians need to be more like Jesus. Self assertiveness training? The bible says that Jesus was silent like a lamb led to the slaughter. That's not being weak; it is living out the truth that spiritual things are more important then the things of this world.

2.  Gentleness is power under control.  A gentle Christian is like a race car.  Nascar engines produce about 450 horsepower but that power is harnessed and under the control of the driver.  A Christian who is full of the holy spirit is riding on a spiritual engine that has infinite horsepower.  They are strong, but they are also under the control of the holy spirit.  That means they use their strength, and express their emotions  in a biblical way.

2.  Long suffering, or patience means behaving the way God wants us to behave even when it's not appreciated and even when there are no immediate rewards.  Patience is the willingness to endure bad for doing good.
With no sign of rain and no lake anywhere close Noah continue to build his 450 foot long, 40 feet high boat simply because God wanted him to do it. He worked at it for 100 years and was ridiculed for 100 years but he didn't quit. He was mocked but he did not quit doing what God told him to do; that's patience.

2.  If you love someone you're not going to nit pick over every little thing they do that you don't agree with.  God says that we are to bear with one another in love.  That would include not making a big deal out of something that isn't a big deal.  If God forbids something it's a big deal.  If it's just our personal preference then it's not a big deal and we should mind our own business and accept others as they are.
If the issue is a big deal and therefore we cannot let it slide then we should still approach the situation with kindness in an honest effort to correct the person. But remember no one is perfect including us, and it's also good to remember that God continues to love us even after we sin and that's what he wants us to do with others.

3.  Unity and peace do not happen without effort.  As God says here, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit.  Peace takes effort because the natural bent of sinful human beings is to be self centered, and self contentedness is a peace killer.
Jesus did not get revenge when his feelings were hurt.  He did not demand his rights.  He was not self assertive.  There can only be peace between people when they are determined to put others first, and to be patient with each other, and to serve each other.
God has provided what his people need to be at peace with each other and it begins with his holy spirit.

4a.  There is one holy spirit and he is living in every Christian.  The bible says that if anyone does not have the spirit he does not belong to God.  The mind, emotions, and will of God are inside of every Christian.  You say, how does that help Christians to get along?  Well  if every Christian would listen to the holy spirit in them instead of suppressing his voice with their own emotions, thoughts, and desires, all Christians would get along because there wouldn't be any personal agendas.
Having a personal agenda instead of having a God agenda is the thing that kills harmony.  If two Christians are walking in the spirit they will get along.  If they have disagreements (and there will be disagreements because people see things differently) it will be a kind disagreement and will be worked out with grace, forbearance, and humility.
The holy spirit helps us to get along, but there is something else that works to do that as well.

4.  There's one overriding hope that every true Christian has and it is a unifying thing.  Our hope is to experience the lord.  Every Christian who truly is a Christian wants to be closer to Jesus.  Consequently, Christians can talk about their devotion to Jesus; they can help each other work toward those things; they can pray for those things  and that makes Christians want be around other Christians.
There are other things that help to unify Christians and keep the peace.

5.  There's one lord.  There's one boss.  There's one person who all Christians must look to for directions and should always obey and that's the lord Jesus.  If every Christian was led by Jesus there would be agreement on the important things and harmony in the midst of  disagreements over lesser things.  There would be cooperation, with everyone pulling their own weight in the body of Christ and everyone using their God given gifts for the good of all, and most of all for the good of Christ.
When Christians follow Jesus they are an encouragement and a help to other Christians and that makes for joy and peace.

5.  There is one faith.  That's talking about orthodox, historically accepted, Biblical truth.  There are certain fundamental teachings that a person must accept an order to be a Christian.  Adherence to those orthodox truths are what separates true Christianity from cults.  There's one body of truth and it is found in the bible.  That one body of truth is what we live by;  it's what we believe, and what connects us as Christians.

5.  There is one baptism.  The bible says by one's spirit we have all been baptized into one body.  That baptism is a spiritual baptism which occurs at the moment of our salvation.  The moment we become a Christian the holy spirit places us into the spiritual body of Christ.  We're all a different part of Christ's body.  We all have different functions.  We all have different gifts.  But when we are walking in the spirit obeying Jesus and obeying the word of God our gifts work in harmony.

6.  When it says that God is over all in all and through all it doesn't mean that God is inside of every single person and that God is inside of every single thing; that would be pantheism.
Pantheism teaches that God is in the trees, grass, snowflakes, and in everything else.  Pantheism teaches that there is a little piece of God in everything and when you combine it all together you have the total God.  Of course that's totally unbiblical.  That would make God a part of his creation when in fact God is separate from his creation.  The bible says, in the beginning God created everything.  Which means he was before the material universe, and also separate from the material universe.  It is true that God is everywhere, but he doesn't live inside of everything, and not everything is a piece of God. The "all" in whom God dwells refers to Christians.

6.  Again the all refers to Christians. God is the Christian's Father which means that he is over us plus the Bible says that he is in us. How many mothers over the years have gotten their naughty children to behave by saying, wait until your father gets home. Our father is home alright, he's really home; he is in us. The more we live in that reality the better off we will be.

7.  God gives us grace as needed.  In other words, God gives us what we need, to do what we need to do, when we need to do it; that's his promise.  He doesn't promise to give us what we need before we need it.
Christians fall into worry when they think about the future and they wonder, what if this happens or what if that happens.  They think, how will I handle this bad thing or that bad thing if it should happen.  How will they handle it?  They will handle it by the grace of God.
If on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst, your situation is a three then God will give you level three of grace to handle it.  If tomorrow your situation is a level nine then God will give you level nine of grace tomorrow exactly when you need it, and not a second before.  That's why Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow.
God balances pressure with the exact amount of grace needed to handle the pressure when you are experiencing it.  God balances bad with the exact amount of grace needed to handle the bad when you are experiencing that bad.

8a.  From Able to Jesus Godly people went to a place called paradise after they died.  It wasn't heaven, as we think of it, but it was nice.  You say, I thought they went to Heaven. No, not before the crucifixion. The reason the old testament people of God didn't enter heaven after they died was because the blood of bulls and goats and lambs which they offered in old testament days could not take away sin.  Those sacrifices simply covered sin for those who offered them until Jesus came, died on the cross, and paid for sin.  Consequently after Jesus died he was able to go to paradise pick up the righteous souls and lead them to heaven whose gates his sacrificial death had opened.

8.  After Christ arrived in heaven; actually 10 days (earth time) after he ascended which was the day of Pentecost, Jesus sent the holy spirit to earth.  Jesus instructed the holy spirit to take with him all sorts of spiritual gifts.  He told the holy spirit to indwell every Christian and give each one at least one spiritual gift that they can use in service to Christ.  Which is why everyone of us who knows Christ can do something for Jesus and should be doing something for Jesus.
Christianity is not a spectator sport were amateur Christians sit in the audience and pay a professional Christian to do the work of the ministry.  The church is a body ministry with everyone doing their part; that's why God has given every Christian a spiritual gift and the grace to use it.

9,10.  Jesus fills all things.  In other words, he is sovereign both in heaven and on earth.  Jesus rules heaven, earth, things seen, and unseen, angels, people, and demons.  Jesus is lord of all.  You say, if Jesus is lord and he rules why is there so much bad?  Because people are not submitting to his lordship, but they will.  The rebels will know that he is lord when he throws them into hell for not obeying, and for rejecting his mercy.  No one can get away from the lordship of Jesus Christ; it eventually catches up to them.

11.  Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are gifts given by Jesus to his church.  They are gifts more than they are titles.
People who insist on a title are perhaps looking for recognition.  Spirit filled Christians are more interested in being used by Jesus through whatever gift he has given them then they are being called by the title that may correspond to their gift.

11,12.  Being a Christian involves continual spiritual growth.  Christianity is more than church on Sunday.  Christianity is a way of life with God; it is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
If you segment a relationship with someone to an hour a week it will die, and it deserves to die.  A relationship between people, or between people and God should influence, to some degree, every part of life.  Segmenting God to 1 hour a week is not a relationship; it's nothing!  It is cold, dead, formal religion and it is meaningless.
Christianity is suppose to be a way of life; an ever growing relationship with Jesus.  As we are taught the word of God we grow spiritually.  God gave the gifts mentioned in verse 11 so that we would grow.

13.  The whole measure of the fullness of Christ is the goal.  The whole measure of the fullness of Christ is a fancy way of saying: be like Jesus.  The goal as a Christian is to think, act, and talk like Jesus.  And the only way to become like Christ is to grow closer to him.  It's not about following a list of "Christian rules".  It's about knowing Jesus more intimately.  The Christian life begins by receiving Jesus as lord and savior and it continues as we get to know him better.

14.  God says, then we will no longer be infants tossed to and fro, blown here and there by every wind of teaching.  One thing about infants is that they have no discernment at all.  If it's within their reach they will pick it up and they will put it in their mouth.  Infants don't think before they put something in their mouth.  They don't consider whether it's good for them or bad for them, whether it is food or a rock; something that is edible or something that will kill them.  Everything goes in their mouth and a lot of it is bad.
Immature Christians are like infants because they'll grab hold of anything that sounds good.  They'll accept any teaching, any doctrine, that feels good.  Some nutty preacher proclaims something totally unscriptural and they will nod their head in agreement; they'll put it in their mouth; they'll accept it.

14.  Because they are so young, children do not have a foundation of knowledge and wisdom to draw from.  That's why they often grab anything that looks appealing.  That's also why they are easily taken in by strangers.
There's a period of time when a new Christian or one who hasn't been taught scripture correctly is just as vulnerable to false teaching as a child is to strangers who offer them candy.  There is only one way to grow out of that vulnerable stage and that is to learn the word of God.

14.  There's some fast talking preachers out there who want you to follow them and want your money so that they can build their religious empire.  If anyone thinks that slick talking religious charlatans are above using trickery and deceit then they are naive.  God is warning about that very thing right here.

15.  Speaking the truth in love.  If you speak the truth without love you rub people the wrong way.  If you speak the truth without love you start an argument or turn people off to the truth entirely.  If you speak the truth with love you'll still rub haters of truth the wrong way, but seekers of truth will pay attention.  If you speak the truth with love those who want truth will receive it.

15,16.  Trying to get a piece of truth from verse 16 is like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose.  It comes at you so fast and so full that knocks you over.  I will try to crystallize the teaching of Verse 16 as simply as I can.
The more a Christian does their part the stronger they become spiritually.  As we grow in our knowledge of Jesus, as we read God's word, and as we obey the lord, we become stronger Christians.  And the more Christians there are who do those things the stronger the church as a whole becomes.
You can't do anything about your fellow Christian but you can make sure that you are doing your part, and that's true of all of us and that's where God wants us to focus. Focus less on what your neighbor is or is not doing and focus more on what you should be doing.

17.  In other words, Christians must not live like non Christians. There is no virtue in a Christian being so relevant to the world that the distinction between saved and unsaved, Christian and non Christian, followers of Christ, and not followers of Christ disappears.  The world's ways are not the standard which God's people are told to live by.  No one becomes a christian by watching a christian act like a non christian.

17,18.  God warns sinners of the danger of developing a hard heart.  A heart becomes hard, in other words truth cannot penetrate it, when one has (overtime) refused to accept truth.  One rejects a little nugget of truth here and there because it makes them feel uncomfortable.  One rejects truth because it threatens to hamper their lifestyle.  At first rejecting truth makes them feel uncomfortable but then after a while they get used to it.  Eventually they reach the point where they can't even recognize truth anymore.  That's when a person is in big trouble.  They're in trouble because at that point they're led by what is wrong, and what is false instead of what is right.  They're in trouble because at that point they can't correct their wrong thinking and their wrong actions because they don't even recognize right and wrong anymore.
People like that are on the road to hell because they're cut off from God.  They don't see that they're cut off from God.  They don't think about the fact that there cut off from God.  They don't care that their cut off from God.  Why?  Because their mind has been darkened, their hearts have become hard.  They seal their doom.

19.  When a person loses touch with God, and consequently loses all sensitivity to right and wrong they have nothing to guide them except what their appetites crave, except what their body craves.  Consequently, they pursue what their body wants, but when they get it they discover it doesn't satisfy; it's never enough.  Consequently they continue to lust for more in a futile attempt to achieve satisfaction apart from God.  That's how people become addicted to things.  They crave more and more for that which doesn't satisfy.  They crave more for that which leads to misery and a ruined life.  The whole miserable sequence begins when a person loses touch with God.

20.  Indulging the sin nature is not how one gets to know Christ.  In fact spiritual growth is stunted when a Christian (for whatever reason) decides to indulge in sin.  If anything a gap between them and Christ begins to emerge when sin is tolerated.

20,21.  Those who are driven and controlled by wicked desires have not learned to be that  way from Jesus.  Teaching that comes from Christ is in line with the character of Christ. Jesus doesn't tell us to have a quick temper. Jesus doesn't tell us to say mean things to someone or to do bad things to others. People do not get those ideas from Christ.

22.  In other words, you're a Christian so don't entertain and don't feed and don't indulge your filthy, vial, sin nature.  Cut it off, or as God says here, put it off.  Our old sin nature is corrupt to begin with and the more we indulge it the more corrupt it becomes.
No one stays the same morally. People either get better or if not then by default they get worse.

23.  A Christian's mind needs to be continually cleansed and renewed.  I'm talking about filling your mind with God's thoughts from his word.  Don't fill your mind with the world's values, and priorities, and stuff your brain with what the world calls entertainment.  When a Christian puts that kind of trash in their mind it warps their soul; it leads to sinful thinking and sinful behavior.  Putting God's thoughts in your mind will lead to holiness.  It all starts in the mind.  That's why the bible says we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind.

24.  Our new self refers to what we become on the inside when we become a christian. We become a new creation on the inside. The Holy spirit comes to live inside of us. The Holy Spirit regenerates our spirit.
God creates that new nature in us so that we become more like Him. The job of our new nature is to make us holy. God wants us to starve our old sin nature and feed our new nature. Let the old shrivel away and let the new grow stronger.

25.  God says don't lie to each other.  Speaking the truth can be a fearful thing sometimes.  Speaking the truth may cost you friends.  Speaking the truth may cost you popularity.  But it is better to endure the consequences of the truth than to prolong a lie, and have to deal with the destruction it causes.

26a. Which means that not all anger is sin. It's OK to get angry if we are angry at the correct things.  There's a place for righteous indignation.
God gets angry; the bible says that he is angry at the wicked every day.  God gets angry, and if God is living in us then whatever makes God angry should make us angry as well. Sin should make us angry. There is something wrong with us if we don't get angry at sin. We should hate sin, and be angry at sin because of what it does to God and because of the trouble it causes in this world.

26.  In other words, don't let righteous anger turn into the sin of bitterness.  It's very important for Christians to deal with righteous anger in a Biblical way.  It's very important to release the energy involved in righteous anger in a way that lines up with scripture, in a way that honors God.  So again this is a caution from God, deal with righteous anger in a Biblical way so that it doesn't fester into the sin of bitterness.

27.  The devil knows our fallen sin nature like a book.  I'm convinced that his demons, of which there are probably multiplied billions,  know what buttons to push to get us to act sinfully.
One thing Satan and his demons know how to use very skillfully is anger.  If they notice anger they will pounce on it.  The devil will use anger in a person as a springboard to other sins. Don't let the Devil win; do not let sin win.

28.  In other words, do honest work.  Make an honest living and put your money to good use.  Do not use your energy to do bad things use it to do good things and then use your earnings to do good things as well. Share what you have with God and with other good causes.

29.  God is saying don't speak words that corrupt others spiritually.  Talk that isn't intended to make someone better or produce something good should be avoided altogether.  We're better off not saying anything if that's the case.

30a.  The holy spirit lives in you if you're a Christian.  We can either make him happy or we can make him sad.  We can either make his stay a pleasant one, or a miserable one, depending on how we act.

30.  Good news!  We are sealed with God's brand of ownership once we become a Christian.  Even better news!  He does not remove his brand every time we sin.  We may not always act like Christians.  But God knows if we belong to him.  He recognizes his brand on us, and as long as we want Jesus Jesus wants us.

31.  Wrath and anger are two sides of the same coin.  Wrath is a quick hitting outburst that does a lot of damage real fast.  Wrath is a nuclear bomb.
Anger is like a ground war.  It is slow, but persistent.  Anger is not as noticeable as wrath but it is just as destructive and just as sinful.  Anger destroys the soul of the one who is angry and anger causes people to do hurtful things to the one they don't like.

32.  .  The bible says that we Christians should forgive as God forgives.  That means don't make someone beg for forgiveness, or pay for forgiveness.  It also means do not delay forgiveness.  It means don't bring up offenses that we say have been forgiven.
When someone confesses their sin to God he forgives and in essence says, let's move forward and forget the past.  If God does that with us then we should be that way toward others.  Holding a grudge is not an option.  The bible says if we don't forgive others than God will not forgive us.




Chapter 5

1.  God is normal.  God defines normal by his character, by his law, by his word.  He wants us to be normal and to have a normal life which is one reason he tells us to act like him.
We can't have normal if we don't act normal and normal is righteous.

1,2.  With Christ in mind God wants us to give up what we want for the good of others.  Life is  not about us.  That's the devil's attitude.  That wasn't Jesus attitude, and it shouldn't be ours.
God's goodness to us is a good enough reason to be good to him by being good to others.

3.  Not even a hint of these things.  Don't even get close to being greedy.  Don't even go in that direction.  The moment you start craving for more than what you need repent and confess; it is the sin of greed.  The moment you start complaining because you don't have what someone else does have repent and confess the sin of greed.
Don't even get close to sinning sexually.  Don't even get close to being impure.  If you get too close you'll fall in, and even if you don't fall in completely these sins can splash on you and mess up your life and your testimony. It doesn't take much to do a lot of damage.  All it takes is a tiny bit of these sins to get a Christian going in the wrong direction.
These sins may be normal for the world but they are abnormal and improper for God's people.  We have a higher standard than the average person.  God expects more from Christians than he does from the unsaved of the world.

4.  I cringe whenever I hear a professing Christian say something that can be taken in a profane way.  The only person who uses suggestive humor is one who has a corrupt soul. The holy spirit in a Christian abhors that kind of thinking and certainly that kind of talking.
God is saying that we are to stay away from using any words which would stir up thoughts or attitudes in anyone that would contradict the word of God.  God's people shouldn't have anything to do with anything that would do that.

5.  This doesn't mean that anyone who has ever had an impure thought, or has ever been greedy at some time in their life is going to hell for sure.  If it meant that then the entire human race would burn in hell.  What it means is, if a person lives in these sins; if this is their consistent attitude and it doesn't bother them, and therefore they don't repent, then they won't make it to heaven.  Anyone who is characterized by these sins gives clear evidence that either they were never saved, or they turned their back on the savior and lost what they had.  But one thing is certain they are not saved right now. You say how can you be so sure? Because God says such a person has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. I can only speak dogmatically about what God has said and I am a sorry preacher if I don't.

6.  Don't believe those who say that you can live in sin and still be saved.  Don't believe those who say you can make Jesus Christ your savior but not your lord. Do not believe those who say it's OK to not care about being righteous as long as you have been baptized or prayed the sinners prayer; don't believe them.  God says don't let them deceive you with their empty words.  Their words are empty because they contradict God's word.  People say, you won't experience God's wrath.  God's word says, because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedience.
Someone says but I'm not disobedient, I've been baptized, I've been confirmed, I've gone through the four spiritual laws and prayed the sinners prayer.  Do you live in sin?  Yes. Don't you feel the need to repent? No.  Well then don't expect God's salvation expect his wrath because that's what the bible says you've got coming.  Someone says, I sin, it doesn't bother me that much, I don't feel the need to repent and I've been told that I'm a Christian and I am saved.  Well who ever told you spoke too soon.  Who cares what someone says.  Care about what the bible says.

6,7.  If you're a Christian then don't support teachers and preachers and pastors who teach that you can sin and sin and not care and still be saved.  Don't be a part of a group like that, don't be partners with so called Christians who live that way; do not support preachers who talk that way.  It's not right.  Anyone who teaches such immoral, unbiblical nonsense, should be condemned not supported.

8.  We shouldn't be surprised when the unsaved do not know their right hand from their left when it comes to morality.  We shouldn't be surprised when they don't act like Jesus. Why should they; they are in spiritual darkness. But Christians are not in darkness. With Christians its not that we don't know what is right; our issue is to do what we know is right, and that's what we want to do.

9.  Some people live in sin and yet insist that they are right with God.  Because of that, and to clear up any confusion that might be out there, God says: if you are walking in the light; if you are walking with me, then these things will characterize you: you will be good, and you will speak truth.  And by the way, good and truth are defined by God's word not by what people think they are.

10.  As we live a good life our understanding of what pleases God will increase.
Discernment of truth increases as our obedience increases.  The longer we live for Jesus the more discerning we become.  Eventually we get to the point where even something that is only slightly off kilter spiritually stands out to us.  That's where we should be as God's people.

11a.  The works of darkness would include sin and any teaching or belief which contradicts scripture.  The deeds of darkness are unfruitful. In other words they are a waste of time and energy.  Believing contrary to scripture and behaving contrary to scripture is like planting a garden in a sandbox.  All your energy will be for nothing.  Only sin is worse than planting a garden in a sandbox.  It's more like planting a garden in a sandbox that is filled with poisonous vipers who pop up and bite you.

11.  Today if a preacher or any Christian for that matter takes a stand against sin they are labeled harsh, narrow minded, and judgmental.  They are accused of having a critical spirit for pointing out right and wrong.  Right and wrong?  Many in the world today say there is no right and there is no wrong. Right is what I want to do, and wrong is what I don't want to do.  You are harsh, narrow minded, and judgmental to say that something is morally wrong today simply because the bible says so.
People will say what they will say and who cares? When you speak the truth and point out what is sinful you are simply exposing the works of darkness, and that's part of our job as children of God, and it is especially the job of the preacher.

12.  I don't see a whole lot of shame or embarrassment when certain sins are talked about today.  In fact I see a lot of people demanding the right to not just commit, but flaunt their sin. Some of the sins which are flaunted today are the same sins that were too shameful to even mention when I was growing up.  That is an indictment on the world we live in.  It is also an indictment on preachers who for far too long have been afraid to preach against sin; specific sins by name.

13.  Two people in a room, both unsaved sinners, both talking filthy, and both feeling comfortable doing it.  Then, a Christian, enters the room and does not join their conversation and does not laugh at their filth.  Without even realizing it that Christian has just shined a bright spotlight on the moral filth of those sinners, and if their hearts are not hard beyond repair they're going to feel some discomfort.  They may say what's the matter with you; why don't you join in; what's the matter with you?  Nothings the matter; you feel guilty that's all.  The holy spirit just made you feel guilty. The light of God, the light of holiness just exposed your sin
God wants his people to be holy.  If we are not, then he does not have a witness in this world.  If we are not holy, if we simply join in with the sinful people of the world then no one ever repents.  Repent of what?  How can they repent when they don't feel any guilt. How will anyone repent if their sin isn't exposed by the holiness of Christians, and by the word of God?

14.  To lukewarm Christians God says, wake up, and get holy. Let the light of God shine out from you. It will anger some people; some will think twice about their sin; a remnant will repent and receive Christ. But one thing is certain, no one will repent because they are in the presence of a christian who acts like a lost hell bound sinner.

15.  It is foolish for a christian to behave like a non christian.

15.  Fools go to hell because a fool is one who rejects Christ.  Anyone who does not take advantage of all that Jesus has provided for us through his death on the cross is a fool. Refusing to give up the  temporary pleasures of some sin and burning in hell forever as a result is a bad deal by anyone's definition.  Someone says' I don't mind being a fool. Not now, but after two seconds in hell you will mind.  Christians should not act like fools.

15,16. The days are evil. The only people who do not see that the present times are full of evil are those who have aquiest to evil themselves. They are too engrossed in the filth of this world to recognize that it is abnormal. God says be careful, take heed that you don't start thinking that sin is normal. Once a person starts thinking like that there is no guarantee that they will snap out of that mindset.

17.  Christians sometimes treat God's will as if it is a mystery, but it isn't.  God's will is very clear.
Do not sin.  Do not sin, but if you do sin confess and repent; that's God's will.  Do nothing contrary to scripture; that is God's will.  You as a Christian are free in Christ to do anything within the bounds of scripture.
You don't have to go crazy trying to figure out if God wants you eat hamburger, or pizza for supper, or whether you should live in the city, or in the country.  It doesn't matter.  God's will is: stay within the bounds of scripture, and within those boundaries there's a lot of room to roam.  Make choices prayerfully, and within the guidelines of Scripture.

18a.  To anyone who thinks that being a drunk is a disease consider the word of God.  Did you ever notice that God never commands us to not get a sore throat.  He never says bring a sin offering when you get the flu.  God never says thou shalt not get cancer. He doesn't say heart disease is an abomination to me.  He doesn't say those things because they are illnesses, they are diseases, and you can't repent of being sick.  However God certainly does say, do not get drunk!  He does say that drunks will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Drunkenness is not a sickness, it is not a disease, and we don't do anyone any favors by telling them that it is. I can understand the world calling it a sickness because they are spiritually dead but I do not understand how preachers can call it that.  It is a sin that can be forsaken, not a disease that must be cured.
When people understand that they are committing sin, and that they do not have a disease they have hope, because the choice is theirs.  A person committing sin is not locked into it like someone who is locked into cancer.  A sinner simply has to repent.  My dad would have been thrilled to be able to repent of the lung cancer which eventually killed him, but he couldn't because it was a disease not a sin.  That's the difference between a disease and sin, and by the way no one has any right to define something as a sickness once God has called it a sin.  How dare any preacher even consider doing something like that.  In case they haven't noticed they are altering the holy word of God which the lord warns us not to do.

18.  Sin is a sorry substitute for the good things that God offers. EG: God says don't get drunk instead be filled with the holy spirit.  God makes the comparison between drunkenness and being filled with the holy spirit. Why get drunk when you can be filled with the Holy Spirit? Someone says I get drunk because I'm happy when I am drunk. You don't know what happiness is until you are filled with the Holy Spirit.
I know people who get drunk when something bad happens . That's a big waste of time and it doesn't solve anything . Someone says it makes me feel better. No it doesn't. That's a lie! You cannot get drunk enough to make your problems go away or even to forget your problems. Like a bad dream they are always right there in your mind.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit and living for Jesus is the only thing that works; it is the only thing that can make things better permanently.

18,19.  That's a happy person!  They're happy because they're filled with the holy spirit.  It is natural for spirit filled Christians to have the joy of the Lord which transcends circumstances.

20.  Thank God for everything!  Thank God for the good, that's easy enough.  Thank him for the fair, that is sometimes  hard to do.  Thank God for the bad that happens; that's impossible to do apart from faith in his word.  The bible says that God is working all things together for our good; if we believe that then we can thank him for everything, even the things that we do not like.
Sometimes we have to rise above our feelings and say thank you God; I don't like it, but I trust that it has been allowed by you for some good reason.

21.  In the fear of God every christian should treat other Christians as if they are better then themselves. Every christian should be a servant to others especially the members of their family.

22.  It is God's will for the Christian husband to be the head of the Christian home.  It is God's will for the wife to let her husband lead.  It is the will of God for a wife to serve her husband, and yes it is also the will of God for a husband to serve his wife as we will see.
Actually verse 22 isn't so much about a wife submitting to the husband as it is a wife submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ which is why it says submit to your husband as to the lord.  A Christian wife's submission to her husband is her service to Christ. That's the way Jesus wants it to be.

23.  God demands order in the home, and he has ordained that the husband must be the leader.
God wants husbands to be Godly, to love Jesus, to go to church, to read the bible, and to pray.  In short God wants Jesus to be the most important thing to a husband.  Only then can a husband be the type of man that God wants him to be.
I've said it before and I say it again, the best advice I could give any Christian man is: never marry a woman who will not let you lead.  And to a Christian woman I would say: do not marry any man who you don't think it is Godly enough to lead and therefore would not trust to lead.

24.  No one in their right mind would say that Jesus should submit to Christians.  No one in their right mind would say that the church should tell Jesus what to do. That would be completely backwards.  No one in their right mind therefore should suggest that it is OK for a Christian wife to have authority over her husband.  That's not the way God set it up.  The Christian wife is commanded by God to let her husband lead.  That means she should let him lead in spite of her feelings.  It means she should let him lead without complaining just as the bible teaches that Christians should to submit to Jesus in spite of feelings and without complaining. That's not to say that there can't be dialog between a husband and a wife, but in the end it is the husband who must answer for what goes on in the home.
I know that what I'm saying will go over like a lead balloon with any non Christians who hear it and that's OK because God isn't talking to them anyway.  This message is for Christian husbands and Christian wives and that is it.  I also know that this message will go over like a lead balloon with many Christians who hear it, and to that I say you've let the world influence your thinking more than the holy word of God.

25.  In scripture love means seeking the greatest good of others.  God wants Christian husbands to be good to their wives; to do what is in their best interest. Be good to her even if she is not good back.  That's how Jesus is toward us.
By dying for us and paying for our sins Jesus treated us as if we were worth more than he is.  Consequently, a husband is to treat his wife like she is worth more than he is.
Someone says but my wife doesn't let me lead; she is always giving me a hard time. What do I do? You obey God; you love her as if she was as submissive as the virgin Mary herself. You say, that's not fair and that's not easy. Since when has God said doing right would always be easy and fair. That's not in the bible.

26- 28.  God commands husbands to care for their wives as they care for themselves.  In other words, love your wife to the same degree that you love yourself.  Someone says I don't love myself. Hogwash; everyone loves themselves as we will see in a minute.  God wants a husband to strive to make their wife happy, to do what is in their best interest.  In short, husbands should love their wives as they do their own selves.

29a.  It is a myth, an unbiblical, unscriptural myth to suggest that some people do not love themselves.  We not only love ourselves, according to God we cherish ourselves.  God has placed self love in people so that they will take care of themselves.  Now, caring for self is sometimes done in a twisted, sinful way, but people do nourish and cherish themselves.
People want to like how they feel and how they look because they cherish themselves. People get upset when they don't like how they look or when they don't like something else about themselves. Why? Because they cherish themselves.  You can search the bible from cover to cover and you will never see God commanding his people to love themselves.  He doesn't have to because self love is a given.

29.  God is saying that people love themselves with the same intensity that Christ loves Christians.  And that is the same kind of self sacrificing, caring love that God wants a Christian man to have for his wife.

30,31.  Men are to leave their mom and dad when they get married.  In other words, parents of married children have no right to tell them what to do or how to run their life.  Give suggestions, maybe, but that married couple is a brand new family unit; autonomous before God.  The man must answer to God for how his new family functions not to his mother and father.

32.  All this talk about a man and his wife is designed to illustrate the relationship between Christ and his church.  The wife was made for her husband just as the church was made for Christ.  A husband is to care for his wife just as Christ cares for his church. If a husband wants to bless himself then he ought to be a blessing to his wife. If a wife wants to bless herself then she should be a blessing to her husband.

33.  A Christian marriage should be mutually submissive, loving, and self sacrificing.  A husband should love his wife, and be ready to sacrifice in order to meet her needs.  A wife should submit to her husband; meaning: she should be willing to sacrifice what she wants for the sake of her husband.  When those things happen you have a happy family. There is no other way. No one needs any marriage counseling beyond that because if they are not will to do that nothing else will work anyway.



Chapter 6

1.  Some Christian psychologists say that parents should always explain to their children why they want them to do something.  "Don't just tell your children to do something but explain to them why."  That may be a appropriate at times but the bible never says that parents must do that; in fact just the opposite.  Children obey your parents; why?  Because it's right; because God says so.
God doesn't always explain to us why things are the way they are and people don't do their children a favor by teaching them that they always deserve an explanation.  They will have a hard time with God later on in life if that's their attitude.

2.  To honor means to respect the parents authority.  It's important for children to learn to respect the authority of their parents because their parents represent God and their authority is a reflection of God's authority.  If children don't respect their parents then they do not respect and they will not respect  God.

3.  Failure to obey will result in unpleasant consequences; at least it should.  It should not go well with children who do not obey their parents because that sends the wrong signal.  Letting children get away with rebellion teaches them that they can rebel against God and not suffer.
Children who are disciplined in love have a big advantage over those who are not disciplined at all and over those who are disciplined but not in a loving way.

4.    Fathers are to raise their children in love.  Children need to be disciplined; they need to be taught right and wrong; willful rebellion needs to be punished, but there should be understanding and patience as well.  Fathers should strive to be like God the father and when they fail, be honest enough to admit it to their children so that the children don't get the wrong idea about God the father.
One way to provoke children to wrath is for a parent to make foolish, petty, demands just to show that they can do it.  A child soon learns that those mindless little rules have nothing to do with their parents training and loving them, and since no one likes being a punching bag they will be provoked to anger.

5.  It doesn't matter who signs the payroll checks, Christians work for Christ.  Jesus is our boss.  Everything a Christian does at work or at school should be done with the idea that Christ will call them into his office and evaluate their attitude, and effort because one day he will do that.

6,7.  God says don't work hard when the boss is watching and then horse around when he is not.  A christian student shouldn't behave only when the teacher is in the room either.  This is a command for good character.  Character is who we are when no one is watching except God.

8.  Our job whether it's at home or outside the home is a ministry unto Christ if we are a Christian.  Which is why it is so important to always give our best.  Number one it's the right thing to do and Jesus deserves it.  Number two Jesus promises to reward us.
If we are underpaid or under appreciated Jesus will make up the difference.  Jesus says that the laborer is worthy of their pay.  If a person isn't getting the pay they are worthy of then you can bet that Christ will make sure they get it one way or another.  Example: slaves in Egypt.

9.  Everyone has a boss.  If someone is a boss on earth it is good for them to remember that they have a boss in heaven.  They have a boss who is watching how they do their job and how they treat those who are under them.  The worker better be treated with the dignity that a human being created in the image and likeness of God deserves.  God demands hard work from employees and fairness from employers.  He demands hard work and loyalty from employees and he demands kindness from employers.

10.  The strength of God, and the power of God fills a Christian in proportion to how much time they spend with Jesus.  God's strength and power are by-products of our relationship with Christ.  The tighter the relationship the more strength and power there will be.  We can't afford not to spend time with Christ if we want to be good husbands or wives or employees or employers,or good Christians in general. That's the one thing that's important. Jesus himself said only one thing is needed and he was talking about time spent with him.
I am convinced after 31 years of being a Christian that you could take the much of the stuff in Christian bookstores, dump it and the church would not be worse off for it.  How to books; tape seminars on how to be a good spouse; tape seminars and books on how to be a good dad or good mom are a dime a dozen and yet things do not get better.  These things are busy work; often distractions from what is really important and that is for individual Christians to spend time with Jesus.  For nearly 2000 years spirit filled Christians managed to be the way God wanted them to be without the aid of anything except the holy spirit and the word of God enhancing their relationship with Jesus.

11.  The devil is tricky.  The devil and his demons know us better than we know us.  They have a plan that is tailor made to make us sin. They do not use the same things on me that they use on you; everything is custom built.  They are slick.  They send the wrong things our way wrapped in a pretty package.  They disguise bad things as good things and if we're not constantly guided by the word of God we will fall victim to their wiles.

12.  If our enemy was flesh and blood than God would provide every Christian a gun and a box of bullets.  However our enemy is spiritual; our enemy is the devil and his demons.
It is laughable to think that we can defeat our spiritual enemies with any fleshly weapon.  We cannot defeat Satan: our spiritual enemy, or our flesh, or the world, with committees, programs, or force.  We cannot beat the spiritual host of wickedness with pitiful human intellectual effort either.

13.  The enemies of our soul are spiritual so God gives us spiritual weapons to defeat them, which we will see in the next few verses.
By the power of God Christians can stand firm and remain faithful.  The devil has better things to do then try to defeat a Christian who is close to Christ.  He will go find one who is reading a how to book, or a workbook on how to survive a bad day, and really believes that that sort of thing is the road to spiritual success.  He will work on someone like that because they are a pushover.

14a.  Truth here refers to personal integrity.  Personal integrity is one of our weapons. God is saying be honest, and reliable even when it isn't easy.  An unreliable or dishonest Christian is an easy target for the devil.  He can use a person like that; he can expose a person like that, and bring reproach to Christ as a result.

14.  In those days a soldier without a breastplate could easily suffer a fatal wound.  Righteousness is our spiritual breastplate; righteousness is our protection.  Righteousness is one of our weapons.
When we sin we are vulnerable to all sorts of problems.  Sin opens the door to trouble from within and from without.  Righteousness protects us.
The promises of God for protection and strength and blessing are to his righteous children. The only promise that God makes to the unrighteous is forgiveness if they confess and repent.

15.  The gospel of peace refers to the assurance that God is on your side as a Christian.  When it seems like everyone is doing it, remember, everyone is not doing it.  Hopefully you are not doing it, and certainly God isn't doing it.  In other words, you are never alone when you go against the sinful crowd and do what is right.  God is always on your side whenever you do the right thing.  It could be that sometimes it's you and God and that's it, but that's pretty good company.
I never lose sleep because someone might not like something that I say or do.  But I don't sleep very well at all if there is some unconfessed sin in my life.  The gospel of peace refers to the assurance that God is on your side because you're on his side.

16.  The shield of faith refers to our faith in God's word.  Our faith in God's word will keep us from going astray.  Our faith in God's word will keep us from being deceived by high sounding arguments the devil sends our way. It will keep us from being deceived by the wrong things that feel so right which the devil sends our way.
If something comes along that seems to make sense but you know it contradicts scripture lift up the shield of faith and reject it.  Follow what the bible says; follow what you know is true, and the devil won't stand a chance.

17a.  The helmet of salvation refers to the fact that Jesus saved you from hell.  You are not going where the devil is going.  You are not going where the fools who follow him are going so it doesn't make sense to act like them.
If we remember how good we will have it in our resurrected bodies on the new earth it will be easier to say no to any sinful foolishness today.  The helmet of salvation reminds us that we have something much better than the sinful things of the world.  We can live for eternity because it will be much better than anything this world has to offer.

17.  The sword of the spirit is the word of God.  God's word has the power to hack temptation to pieces.  Like a sword it slices and dices and destroys anything that would destroy us.  When temptation hits read the word of God out loud, or quote it if you have it memorized and the temptation will retreat.

18.  Pray always with all prayer which means pray and pray until your prayer is answered one way or another.  Pray until the answer is a clear yes or a clear no or until you no longer have the burden to pray for it.
God says pray and watch; which means be sensitive to what the holy spirit may say to you during or after your prayers.  Many times God instructs his people immediately using a still small voice even before their prayer is over.  We are never more sensitive to God; we are never more close to God than we are when we are praying.

18-20.  How the word of God is received is not the issue.  It is God's word whether anyone accepts it or not.  It is God's word and therefore it deserves to be proclaimed boldly and with authority.  The voice of the creator must be heard loud and clear.  It must be proclaimed boldly.  We represent God when we speak his word, and since God is always right and since God is the authority the word of God must always be spoken with authority and without apology.

21.  The apostle did not want to write about himself in this God inspired letter so he will let the deliveryman tell the readers how he is doing.
Preachers, should not talk about themselves, or draw attention to themselves during those times when they should be delivering the word of God.

22.  Paul didn't want these Christians to worry which is why he wanted them to know how he was doing.  He was not well physically, plus he was under arrest, but he seems to be more concerned about the Ephesians concern for him then he is concerned about his own trouble.
This reminds me of Jesus on the cross when He ministered to the criminal next to him and took care of his mother who was by the cross as he was suffering horribly on the cross. Jesus was  always thinking about others just as God would like us to do.

23.  Real peace only comes from God through Jesus Christ.
There can never be real lasting peace in the Middle East, or on our streets, or in our family's, or at work, or anyplace else until people have received Christ and are first at peace with God.

24.  A Christian's love for Jesus is not always perfect even though it should be.  But Christians sincerely love their lord and appreciate his sacrifice on the cross for us.  Christians sincerely want to please him by obeying the commandments.  If our love is what it should be we are willing to give up anything for him, if called upon to do that. That's loving Jesus sincerely.