A. INTRODUCTION

Letter writing, for some, can be very difficult. Because while some find it easy, others find it not so easy indeed.

And this can be for a number of reasons. For example, sometimes we may not know what to say. Other times we may know what we want to say, but just don’t know how to say it. And then there are the issues of handwriting (and who can read it), and being super conscious of our grammar and language skills.

Now if the issue of letter writing hits a chord with you today, then take comfort, you are not alone. Because I’m sure we’ve all received letters from time to time, that are not so easy to read for one reason or another.

But the reason I’m even saying this to you, today, is not to put you off letter writing. On the contrary, I think we should all be encouraged to write letters (warts and all), because it is a basic means of keeping in contact. No! the reason I am raising this, today, is by way of an introduction to someone who excelled in long sentences, no punctuation, and bad handwriting. He also had an uncanny knack of raising important topics only to get side-tracked onto another issue. As a consequence, his letters were—and still are—very difficult to follow. But despite that he also had some very important things to say.

B. OUR PART IN CREATION

Now, of course, the person I’m describing is the Apostle Paul. An educated man who in this epistle alone wrote one sentence ten verses long. However, the message that he had to give—in that short extract alone—makes persisting with his letters all the more worthwhile.

But because of his writing style I’ve needed to rearrange the verses; I’ve changed the order in which he makes his points. And I’ve done that, because I think that it makes it easier to understand what he had to say. And there four important things which we would do well to note:

1. God’s Sovereign Plan (10)
And the first point is that despite the state of the world—and two thousand years ago it was not a lot different from today—Paul wanted to reassure his fellow believers to have hope. To believe that despite everything, in the end everything would be alright.

And what he meant by that, was that even though the world was made perfect—and had been corrupted through mankind’s disobedience to the point where endless disorder and disintegration reigned—life could still be built on hope.

So whether your country is occupied by Roman forces, or you’re living in times of constant terrorist threats and attacks, or whatever the issue is, Paul suggested that we should live knowing that in the end God’s creation will be restored to its former glory. And restored to its intended function. And this will be marked by the fact that all things, without exception, both in heaven and earth will be brought, united, under the headship of one person—his son, Jesus Christ.

Now in a world that is falling apart, that is good news. It was good news then, and it is good news now. Because although that doesn’t mean necessarily that the world will be put to rights in our own lifetime, we can and should live our lives knowing that in the end all wrongs will be righted, all injustices will be dealt with, and all contamination and decay will be brought to an end. And that should give us reason for hope even in the most difficult of times.

2. The Responsibility of Believers (11-13)
The second point is that whilst we continue to live through this process of corruption and decay, all believers in God—all who put their trust in him (without exception)—have a role to play. And we cannot excuse ourselves because it is inconvenient.

Initially, in history, this was through the selection of a nation of people by God—from the calling of Abraham to the establishment of the Israelite nation. However, since the birth and death of Jesus Christ it has included all other believers as well.

And the role that Paul says we are to play, is that we are to bring praise and glory to God. We are to praise him for the things that he does for us, for the blessings he provides, and for the guidance he gives. We are to thank him for who he is and what he has done. We are to give him glory, and play our roles in pointing people everywhere—who do not know him—to their creator and God.

Now this responsibility of believers wasn’t something that God made up as he went along, after, perhaps, having realised he’d made a mistake in the creation of the world. No! Paul says, that even before the world was created, God knew what the outcome of giving us freewill would be. As a consequence, he’d already built in to his design the need to make the world perfect again, and the part that believers would contribute while the world was in a state of decay.

As a consequence, even we—believers of today—have a role to play, preordained before creation itself. And our role is to continue to give him praise and glory. Not only because that is his due, but because of the effect of what our witness will be on those who do not have faith.

The spreading of the story, the good news, by the faithful, has always been part of God’s plan. And in spreading it, the knowledge of the truth of the gospel can be heard. This can lead to faith, and a restored relationship with God.

3. The Marks of a Believer (3-9)
As a consequence, because of our role and our responsibilities, the third point that Paul wanted to make is that there are certain features which should be part of a Christian’s life—that should mark us out as a believer, and as a person of God.

a). Lifted Above the Commonplace (3)
And the first of which is that our lives should be lifted above the commonplace.

Indeed, that we should live in the world to some extent—and deal with the same problems as everyone else—but we should also live in heaven, and that all issues should be dealt with on a heavenly plane.

As a consequence, we should expect a continuous flow of blessings from God. But not just of the material things, but in terms of the spiritual, which transcend the material, as well.

b). Humility (4a)
The second mark, for a Christian, relates to humility regarding election, or being chosen by God.

There should be a realisation, and acceptance, that we have not been chosen because we deserve to be, because we’ve led a good life, or whatever else we have done. On the contrary, we should live life knowing that because we were chosen by God before we even existed, our election by God is based on his grace, rather than something to which we can boast.

As far as a believer is concerned, faith is not something we can do, but something that rests totally on the work of God himself.

c). Living a Holy Life (4b-5)
The third mark of a Christian is that a Christian should try to live a holy life.

Of course, that doesn’t mean to say we will always be successful. But we should at least try to live according to God’s standards and not the world’s.

We may have been chosen to enjoy the fruits of eternal life, but we have also been chosen to live and display holiness—God’s way of living in this world. We have been set apart by God, not to do the world’s thing, but to do God’s thing. And that should include, making a concerted efforts to eliminate our own faults as well.

Mankind was created to have fellowship with God. And although that privilege was forfeited through sin, restoration to sonship has been made possible, through Christ—whose perfect life and example we are meant to follow.

d). Grace (6)
The fourth mark of a Christian is that a Christian lives by grace.

Nothing we can do merits any kind of acknowledgment from God. We’re just not good enough; we don’t meet his standards. If we live a good life, or if we do good deeds, that still will not take away or make up for our other imperfections.

Whatever we get, whatever we receive from God is completely undeserved. And it is only his divine favour towards us that makes any relationship with him or any blessing possible.

e). Redemption (7)
The fifth mark of a Christian is that a believer has been redeemed.

In God’s divine favour we have been bought back from the brink of hell. As a consequence, we have been forgiven our mistakes and failures.

The forgiveness we have received through grace, then, is a rich gift beyond man’s understanding. And it is infinitely beyond any earthly wealth. But the setting aside of sin was not done lightly, it was at a price. And the price was what Jesus had to do to fulfil the Old Testament sacrificial system—to sacrifice himself so that we might have life.

f). Wisdom and Prudence (8-9)
And the sixth mark of a Christian is that God gives believers the ability to see the great ultimate truths of eternity—the things that unbelievers just cannot understand.

He gives wisdom and prudence. But a believer only has them because God has chosen to reveal his will concerning the goal and purpose of life; the details of how it will all unfold and our place within it; and the desire to receive insight. A gift that only God can give. Because it cannot be obtained by our inventiveness or cleverness, or by another way.

4. Conclusion – The Christian Experience (14)
And as a consequence, of all that Paul had written regarding the state of the world—with the hope that a believer should have; the responsibility of a believer in giving praise and glory to God; and the marks of a believer, the things that mark out a true believer to be different—Paul was able to conclude, with his fourth point.

And that is, that he can sum up the Christian experience in terms of our lives now—that what we experience (guided by the Holy Spirit) is only a foretaste and a pledge of what a believer will inherit at the end of time.

Indeed, the gifts, the blessings, the insight, the reassurance, the guidance, the everything that God does now, will pale into insignificance with what we will inherit in the afterlife.

As Christians we may continue to live in this world, but we have a foot well entrenched in the next world as well. And what we are faced with now—in terms of the heavenly we experience now—is only a shadow of what is to come.

Even our redemption—the setting free of our slavery to sin—is only partial, and hence we will continue to make mistakes. But while it is only partial now, in the end we will experience it in all its fullness. And in the kind of world that we live in, that should give us much hope and much to look forward to in the life to come.

C. CONCLUSION

Now we started off today with the problem of writing letters. And for some people that is an issue that continues to be a sore point. However, the example of the Apostle Paul—who could write one sentence ten verses long, with no punctuation, and who got side-tracked so easily—shows us that there is indeed much value in even the worst writers putting pen to paper.

Paul’s writing skills may have been poor, but the things that he said make the struggle to work out what he was trying to say all the more worthwhile.

For believers there is hope in a lost world. However that does bring responsibilities. And it should reflect on the way that we live our lives. Indeed, the reflections of someone like Paul should give every believer strength and encouragement, as we seek to find meaning and purpose and our place in the world.

Posted: 17th June 2021
© 2021, Brian A Curtis
www.brianacurtis.com.au

If we want to a join an organization or club, we usually have to do certain things.

We may have to wait until there is a vacancy. We may have to meet certain requirements. We may have to complete an application form and pay a membership and/or annual fee. And we may have to endure some sort of initiation ceremony.

Indeed, when I was at residential college, I was given a task to do to be accepted into the life of the community. (And the tasks that year included: measuring the front of a department store with a string of sausages, and cleaning the post office steps with a tooth brush.) Then once my task had been completed, I had to be immersed in a bath full of a soupy goo to be accepted into the life of the residential community.

Now, of course, that is one extreme—and a silly one at that. But it shouldn’t surprise us, that there is an initiation ceremony when it comes to the church too. It’s called “baptism,” or as it is more commonly known “christening.” (Although properly “christening” should involve the adoption of a new name to distinguish one’s new life from the life that had been led before.)

And the reason the church uses baptism . . ? It’s to give us an opportunity to admit past mistakes and for us to promise God that will try to do better. It’s also about committing ourselves to God and entrusting our eternal welfare into his hands. It’s about admitting we are totally helpless when it comes to that department, and it is about committing ourselves to practice the faith. It’s about promising to put into practice the things that we say we believe, and not just when it suits our other plans. And it’s about committing ourselves to be there for our fellow believers too.

In other words, initiation into God’s church is unlike anything required by any other organisation or club. As a consequence, wanting to join God’s band of followers is not something that should be taken lightly.

Having said that, however, what God promises—the benefits of joining—are many.

They include the restoration of our relationship with our creator. Indeed, God cares, and the one thing he wants above all else is to build a relationship with his people—us. He wants to communicate like a parent and a child. He wants to share our joys, concerns, and troubles. And he wants us to open to a God who offers solutions to the troubles we face.

The benefits include the guarantee of membership in God’s kingdom. Indeed, we can confident about where we are headed and what awaits us when we die. For although everyone will rise from the dead, only the faithful will live with God in eternity.

And the benefits include being a member of a new family—the family of God’s people. And whilst they are perfect—far from it—they should still provide the care, support and encouragement we need to live life, and help us in our spiritual journey.

Joining clubs and organisations, then, is a normal part of life. And initiation ceremonies are very much a part of that. But there can be no more important initiation ceremony than baptism. Because baptism is basically our “yes” to God. It’s where we accept him for who he is; it’s where we accept our own limitations; and it’s where we accept his solutions to life and his gift of eternal life.

As a consequence, baptism is not just any initiation ceremony. It is the most important initiation ceremony of all. But the rite is only the start of the process. What happens after—how we live it out; putting our beliefs into practice—is what living the faith is all about.

Posted: 2nd January 2020
© 2020, Brian A Curtis
www.brianacurtis.com.au

Most food items these days, are required to have a use-by or best-before date, stamped on the packaging. It’s a good system, and it’s designed to let the consumer know when the item is likely to be past its best, or needs to be thrown away.

On many occasions, however, I have wondered whether we need use-by dates for organisations too. After all, how many organisations have been started with good reason, and yet today … Well, you wonder why they still exist? Indeed, you wonder if they have reached their use by date too.

Having said that, however, one of the organisations that many would consider to have passed its use by date would have to be the church. After all, over the years, the church in the western world has been in decline, and many would say that it is no longer relevant in modern-day society.

With that in mind, then, I’d like to refer to Ephesians 4:1-6. Because it gives seven reasons why the church should exist. Then we can ask, “Are these a feature of our church today?”

One Body
And the first is that there is a need for a body of people, separate from any association or society in this world, who can meet and encourage one another united in a common faith. Now this isn’t supposed to be a secret society. Rather, it is a body of people who practice their faith in terms of caring for people, and in teaching spiritual truths.

One Spirit
The second reason is that there is a need for a body of people to bring a message of hope to the world. The church isn’t supposed to be a club existing for its own members. Rather, it is supposed to be an organisation, united by God’s Holy Spirit, telling the world of the opportunity for eternal life.

One Hope
Thirdly, there is a need for hope, in a world where many people live in false hope. So, their needs to be a body of people to correct misunderstandings and share true hope—the hope that salvation brings.

One Lord
The fourth reason is there is a need for a body of people who are united in a common allegiance to Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus may have died for people’s sins, but their needs to be a group who declare that faith is more than lip service. That faith is about commitment.

One Faith
The fifth reason, is that there needs to be a storehouse of vital truths. After all, over the years there has been a tendency for individuals and groups of people to twist and change truths to suit themselves. And that is a very dangerous practice. There needs to a be a body of people, therefore, who continually monitor what is being said, and who to continue to uphold the truth.

One Baptism
Sixthly, their needs to a body of people who administer the sacrament of baptism—the outward expression of faith—in terms of people’s commitment to God, and their commitment to uphold all that the church stands for.

One God and Father of All
And, seventhly, their needs to be a body of people who remind the world that we are all God’s created beings, and that we all need to acknowledge him as the creator—and not just in a superficial way.

When we start to think of organisations in terms of use-by dates, then, does the church today still meet the purpose for which it was created? Indeed, does it still adhere to the seven principles that Paul laid out in his letter to the Ephesians?

Because whilst some organisations may have fulfilled their purpose, or even gone passed there use-by date, we should make sure that the church is just as relevant today, as it was at Pentecost, on the day it was created.

Posted: 9th September 2017
© 2017, Brian A Curtis
www.21stcenturybible.com.au

A. INTRODUCTION

In life, people face a number of battles.

On the world-wide stage, there are the well-publicised struggles. There are the wars that are fought—like the ones that have been (or still are) being fought in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Sudan, to name just a few. There are the battles for survival—where there is a lack of food, little or no health resources, where people’s life expectancies are low, where disease is rampant, and clean water is absent. And we have the injustices—where people get paid a pittance for the jobs that they do, and often for the benefit of richer nations.

On a more local level, we have some very well publicised struggles, but we also have ones that often get ignored. There are the family disputes—some of which are a bit more than just heated. There are the fights with government departments and businesses—as people fight for their rights, and try to get organizations to perform in accordance with their stated aims. And there are fights over health, and the simple day to day need to survive.

And in all of this, in all of these kinds of well publicised battles, there is one type of battle that often gets ignored. And that is the one that all Christians face: the spiritual battle. The struggle to remain faithful to our God despite some very strong opposition.

And the reason for that, is that the spiritual battle is not one that is taken as seriously as it should. We have it too easy. After all, in twenty-first century Australia, aren’t we free to believe what we want? Or that is what is said.

And yet, whilst to some extent that may be true, I’m going to suggest that we shouldn’t dismiss spiritual warfare so lightly. Because the battle is very real, and we need to take it very seriously indeed.

B. THE CHRISTIAN CONFLICT

1. Background: Paul, Part 1
And to illustrate what I mean I’d like you to imagine with me: The Apostle Paul, confined to a single house, in Rome. A house where he could entertain visitors, but from which he was unable to leave. He was chained by the ankles to two jailers—one on each side. And he was there because of his stand on the Christian faith.

And as he was sitting there reflecting on his life, and on the spiritual battles that he had seen, witnessed, and been involved in—as he’d moved around preaching the gospel of Christ—he was concerned with the spiritual battles that others in the church faced too.

After all, he’d faced battles where people were encouraged not to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. He’d faced pressure where people were encouraged to deny their faith. He’d faced the challenge to water down his message. And he’d faced battles on a number of other fronts as well. But for Paul, the spiritual battle was an everyday reality. And as a consequence, he was concerned on how he could encourage his fellow believers, who faced similar trials and similar battles.

And as he sat there, he felt compelled to write a letter—a letter designed to encourage people in the faith, and a letter warning people against complacency in the spiritual life. And the letter that he wrote was the one we now know as “Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians.” And yet, it probably wasn’t a letter specifically written to the church at Ephesus at all. Indeed, it was a circular sent to a number of churches and to a number of believers.

And, in the letter, he outlined the basics of the Christian faith. He warned believers that regardless of their situation, by the very nature of their belief, they would face spiritual battles. And he warned them that anyone who suggested otherwise was fooling themselves.

And as a consequence, when we think of our own situations, then Paul’s letter has a lot to say.

2. The Fact of War (12-13)
Because, firstly, Paul identified where the spiritual attacks would come from. Indeed, Paul’s concern was with “the devil’s schemes, the rulers, the authorities, and the powers of this dark world fighting against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms” (11-12).

In other words, Paul was saying, that the spiritual battle that all Christians face, is not one that just involves us being physically or mentally wounded. It is a battle for our souls. The battle isn’t just a worldly battle but includes attacks from the spiritual realm as well. The battle can be either blatant or subtle, and can come not only from outside of the church but from within it as well.

Now Paul doesn’t specifically say in this letter what that warfare would consist of. But then, as I said, this letter is of a rather general nature. However, from his teaching in his other letters, Paul did warn the different churches of a variety of issues. To the Corinthians he warned them against divisions within the church, drunkenness, greed, spiritual pride, and resistance to helping other churches in need. To the Thessalonian church he warned them against idleness, and the tendency to stop meeting together. And that’s in addition to the many exhortations to stand firm in the faith despite physical persecution.

For Paul, then the spiritual battle was very real. And even though we may not feel we are in danger of any physical harm, the implication is that there is still a battle being fought for our very souls.

3. Our Inability to Fight Alone (10-11,13)
And secondly, Paul identified that the battle that believers face is so strong, the opposition so powerful, that we cannot fight the battle alone. The conflict may be fierce and sustained—and left to our own devices we will fail—so we need God, and we need his strength and power to see us through.

Only at great peril, Paul suggested, would his warning be neglected. The Christian warrior needed to “stand” against great opposition. There would be an evil day—a time when conflict would be so severe that we would be unable to face it alone. As a consequence, we need to depend upon divine assistance.

4. Background: Paul, Part 2
Now I’d like you to imagine Paul again, sitting in that room and chained to those two Roman soldiers. Because, as he looked at those soldiers—with all their armour—his situation may have seemed frightening and hopeless.

But, you know, as he thought about the spiritual battle that all Christians face—and to which he was intent on warning as many as he could—he became inspired. The kind of protection that the Christian needed was precisely like the kind of protection those guards were wearing. And with the armour, he had a perfect illustration for the very point he wanted to make. So, if a believer was unable to fight the spiritual battle on their own, and if they needed God to help them in the fight, what was it that the Christian needed to do?

5. The Defence of War (14-18)
And so, Paul’s third point is that all believers need to put on the armour of God—armour that makes a Christian invincible from the attacks on their souls.

And of course the armour comes in many parts:

a). The Belt of Truth (14)
The first part, the belt of truth, isn’t really part of the armour at all. But in the days where flowing robes were the order of the day, those robes needed to be tied up before the armour could be put on. Otherwise, even the soldiers would have been tripping over their own clothes in the heat of battle.

What Paul was saying, then, was that before any race can be run, or a battle fought, there are certain things that need to be got into order. And lack of integrity, and lack of sincerity are two things that would hamper someone at every turn.

Paul, therefore, was suggesting, that sincerity in beliefs is vitally important. Because it is no good going through the pretence of putting armour on for our own protection, if there is no genuine belief on which it can be placed.

b). The Breastplate of Righteousness (14)
The second thing, Paul said, is that we need to do put on the breastplate of righteousness.

Now believers are to be heavenly warriors. And the righteousness of God, in this instance, is not the righteousness which God gives us, but the uprightness of character that every Christian should enjoy.

In other words loyalty in word and deed to God, is a vital part of any Christian’s armour. And to neglect what is known to be a right act is to leave a gaping hole in the armour, and to lead one open to attack.

c). Feet Fitted with The Readiness… (15)
The third thing Paul said is that we need to dress our feet appropriately for the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Now in this whole section the whole point of the armour is not about being ready to attack or to be on the offensive. Defence is the major theme throughout the passage.

So what Paul had in mind here, then, is that a believer should have a firm foothold in the Christian faith. Because from this point it will be much harder to be moved in the event of an attack.

We are called, then, not to be ignorant about the Christian faith. But we are to be actively involved in studying the faith, working out what we believe, and being eager in learning more about our God.

Having said that, however, taking a defensive position, is not the only position a Christian should take. Because it should not prevent us from taking the message of the gospel—a message of reconciliation and peace—to the world.

d). The Shield of Faith (16)
The fourth part of putting on the armour is the need to put on the shield of faith.

Now, the shield in Roman days would have covered up just about every part of the body. And consequently the image made a very good symbol for the subject of faith.

But the thing about faith is that it is outward looking. It’s not being introspective—about what we can do for ourselves—rather, it is outward looking in terms of acceptance of what God has done for us. The call then is for reliance on God, and the acknowledgment that only a reliance upon God can stop and deflect the weapons that are hurled at us.

e). The Helmet of Salvation (17)
The fifth thing that a Christian is to do is to put on the helmet of salvation.

Now salvation is not only God’s gift against the penalty of sin, but it is the confidence that we have, the help when we are tempted, the hope that fortifies us, the knowledge that we have been delivered, and the confidence that we have been rescued from our bondage to sin. Without that salvation we will be mortally wounded in the conflict.

f). The Sword of The Spirit (17)
The sixth item to note is the sword of the Spirit.

Now the words of wicked men, are said, to wound as a sword. But in the bible God’s word is also a sword in his hand.

The sword is therefore important because it cuts, and divides. And from a Christian perspective it separates fact from fiction, truth from lies. God’s sword, therefore, can not only tell us right from wrong, but it can be used to bring judgement or to bring salvation. And as a consequence, should be wielded by his messengers in the lives of others.

g). Prayer (17)
And the final item, which is not really an item of armour at all, is the need for prayer. Because all of the pieces of armour are to be put on with prayer.

Prayer is for every occasion. And is to be offered with utter earnestness and constantly, not only for ourselves, but for every Christian soul.

The individual Christian is not just to think of his own spiritual conflict but is to be concerned for the rest of the Church as well. In prayer, the Christian cannot really arm himself with Christ, and use his armour, without getting nearer to his brothers and sisters in Christ as well.

6. Summary
For Paul then, writing to the church universal, the spiritual battle was very real. As a consequence, he outlined the source of the conflict, he acknowledged that it wasn’t a battle that we could fight on our own, and he gave some pretty sound advice to his readers on how the battle should be fought.

The battle, for Paul, was mainly defensive. But he doesn’t ignore the need for Christians to use opportunities, no matter how slight, to share the Gospel with others, as well.

C. IMPLICATIONS

Of course putting all of this into a twenty-first century Australian perspective one could easily ask, “What sort of spiritual battles do we face?” But when we consider the practical every day fights that the people in Corinth and Thessalonica faced, we could easily come up with exactly the same issues as well.

Remember, the Corinthian church was faced with divisions within the church: drunkenness, greed, spiritual pride, and resistance to help out other churches in need. The Thessalonian church was faced with members being idle, not playing their part, and some had even stopped meeting together. All issues which face the modern church, even if we leave what we might consider normal persecution aside.

And so in many ways, things haven’t really changed. And consequently Paul’s message is just as relevant today as it’s always been.

However, whatever battles we face—whether blatant or subtle—we do have the armour of God that we can put on:

A belt—the integrity and sincerity we need so we can face the fight. A breastplate—loyalty in word and deed to the laws of God. Foot coverings—giving us a firm foothold in the faith and enabling us to be ready at all times to speak God’s word. A shield—total reliance on God in whatever situations that come our way. A helmet—the hope and fortification we need that comes from knowing that God has already rescued us from sin. A sword—the ability to separate the truth from lies. And prayer—the thing that holds it all together, but not just for ourselves but for others who stand with us in the fight as well.

D. CONCLUSION

Battles may be at the forefront of our television news. We may witness wars between nations and within nations. We may hear of family rows or gang feuds. We may even hear of disputes with government departments or other organizations.

But these battles are nothing to the spiritual battle we face, where the thing that’s at stake is not just our soul, but the souls of all the other members of Christ’s church as well. Our spiritual battle is real and let no one convince you otherwise.

Posted: 20th March 2021
© 2021, Brian A Curtis
www.brianacurtis.com.au