Ricky Smith — Page 3

Have You disappointed God? | E.4:30

September 23, 2017 by rickysmith Leave a Comment

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4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption

Have you ever disappointed God? The very thought caused my stomach to churn! Much has been said about “grieving the Holy Spirit”. The word literally means to disappoint or sadden. I recall as a child often wanting to please my parents and even often seeking affirmation. While others may need physical discipline, I have the type of personality that can be broken by knowing that I have let someone down. The ultimate failure is knowing that I have disappointed or saddened my God.

Ephesians 4:30 is written in the context of how important it is to use words that build up and promote unity. When we don’t extend grace in response to the grace he has extended to us, it breaks His heart.

We should honor Him in all things, to include our words and love others. We read in Ephesians 1:13 that we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. This truth is repeated here in 4:30. While our sin cannot remove us from the hand of God, our actions which grieve the Holy Spirit can damage the seal which historically exists to affirm the authority of the Sealer. The point is that our actions and words ultimately serve as evidence of our redemption and a witness to the Hope of Glory.

In a positive respect, our commitment to building others up serves as a positive witness to point others to Jesus. On the flip-side, our refusal to obey the Lord in this regard can inhibit others from seeing the seal of the Spirit in our lives and the glory of God. This breaks His heart and should break ours as well with a motivation toward holiness.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 4:30). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Righteous Anger | E.4:26

September 14, 2017 by rickysmith Leave a Comment

4:26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Paul’s challenge is strikingly similar to Psalm 4:5, which states, “Be angry, and do not sin”. An allowance to be angry on the surface seems contradictory to the loving life to which we have been called. For example Ephesians 4:31 speaks against anger. It is important to note that there are 4 different words used for anger in the New Testament and all are forbidden except for one. Even in Ephesians 4:26 there are two different words for anger. One is allowed and the other is forbidden.

Anger that is allowed is of a righteous indignation. We should be angry against sinful acts. We should hat evil and be angry when it triumphs. Wuest writes: “A righteous wrath is acknowledged in Scripture as something that not only may but ought to be, and is seen in Christ Himself.”

This anger can shift into sin when we allow it to harbor ill will or negatively impact a relationship that should be driven by love. Romans 12:18 commands us to strive to live in peace. This daily commitment should result in efforts to make peace even before the end of the day.

Strive to live in peace, and walk in a way that hates sin!

Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Eph 4:26). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 4:26). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

A New Standard | E.4:20

August 31, 2017 by rickysmith Leave a Comment

4:20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—

I remember as a child often hearing three phrases from my parents. One was, “You know better than that.” The second was , “I expect more from you than that”. The third was simply, “You better not ever let me catch you doing that.” Most often these challenges were mentioned when an observation was made of another person’s sinful actions, and a reinforcement of God’s and their expectation of my conduct. This standard of high expectations comes to mind when reading Ephesians 4:20. There is a new standard that should be considered.

In essence, Paul is a spiritual father or mentor to the Ephesian church. After a long discourse in the moral depravity of the Gentile community, Paul reminds the recent converts of the challenge and expectation to live a life that is dependent on Christ, and reflects Him to the world.

Take note of the word “learned”. Jesus even said Himself in Matthew 11:29 that we should learn from Him. While regeneration is a single act, there is a process to sanctification. The verb tense used in this verse suggest more of a specific time of change, rather than a process. While it is reasonable to recognize the process of maturing toward a healthy state of being “in the world but not of it”, it is critical to note the change that takes place in a person’s life when they give their heart to Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that a new man has been born. As believers we must recognize that God expects more from us, and that “we should know better than that”.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 4:20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Three in One Every Day | E.2:18

May 18, 2017 by rickysmith Leave a Comment

2:18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

As believers we have the privilege of daily experiencing the work of the Triune God in our life. In Ephesians 2, Paul has offered explanation for God’s work to establish the church and extend His grace to both Jews and Gentiles. For them, and for us today, we are able to witness the Godhead, Three in One, work in us and for us.

In John 14:6 Jesus adamantly stated, that “He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, but by Him.”

Imagine the ancient cultures of royalty and the approval process required to speak to the King. We see Esther boldly working around this protocol. We see again in Acts 9:27-28, as Barnabas validated Paul when he was presented to the apostles. We know that we required a Mediator (Isaiah 59:2), and we are blessed to have one in Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus gives us access and we are validated through the covering of His blood.

It is then the Spirit that works in us to produce a disposition of the mind that receives what the Father speaks. The Spirit also works to produce unity among the body of believers as they together seek God’s face. Given the context of this passage overwhelmingly speaks to the church, the unity through the Spirit is an important point to note.

It is then that God speaks and we can boldly approach His throne of grace. It is not because of what we have done, but because the blood of Christ has granted us permission and the Spirit of God has prepared our heart to receive His words.

For the individual believer we have confidence that every time we pray, we are experiencing the work of the Triune God. As a community of believers, we must confidently seek the Lord and rely on the Spirit to develop unity in our hearts so that we hear the same message from the Lord.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 2:18). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Stop & Drop | Phil.4:6

May 6, 2017 by rickysmith Leave a Comment

^{Philippians 4:6}

^“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The common command used in an emergency fire is to “Stop, Drop, and Roll”. Surely this is great advice to extinguish a flame that is causing external pain, but what command can be applied when the internal flame of anxiety burns uncontrollably?

According to the AADA, anxiety affects 18% of adults in American and 1 in 8 children. Approximately 30% of those seek help and for all of them, it is highly treatable. While counseling is incredibly beneficial, the ultimate remedy comes from God. His challenge is provided in Philippians 4:6, when we are given the command to “Stop and Drop”.

In Philippians 4:6, Paul commands believers to stop being anxious. Jesus gave a similar mandate in Matthew 6:25, when He said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or distress in view of possible danger or misfortune. It can be a legitimate problem, or an unnecessary worry. Whether warranted or not, the emotion is real. Paul challenges the Philippians, and us, to not worry about anything. That literally means nothing. How can this be done? It ultimately is a matter of trust and an issue of control.

If a person can reach a place of being comfortable with not being in control, perhaps they can trust the Creator of the world to orchestrate His plan for their best interest. Recognizing His power and control can lead to a peace that is promised in Philippians 4:7.

To simply hear, “Stop it”, does not help a person struggling with anxiety. They would love to just make it stop. It is important to also focus on an action. Surely to “stop” is important, but we must also “drop”.

Many coping techniques are taught to an anxious mind. Redirection, focus, and relaxation are all important techniques to calm the mind and body. Paul, however, provides the ultimate action, and that is prayer.

Jesus wants us to pray about everything. Often a person resorts to prayer when nothing else works, and often uses prayer for issues they can’t fix themselves. What if we learned to pray about matters big and small, and sought God’s plan and will at the beginning of an issue rather than after we had done all we could. Once again, this is a matter of control and trust.

Interestingly, Paul separates pray and supplication. Initially, this seems redundant, but a closer look at the words results in clarity. Prayer is the common action of offering requests to a higher power. This refers to a general attitude of submission. Supplications are more specific and denote a desperate plea for a specific need.

Whether general or specific in nature, we are challenged to pray with thanksgiving. This ingredient is critical. God has promised that He hears our prayer. Consider 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” Therefore, we should expect an answer, and thank Him in advance for hearing our cry.

Imagine if our prayer included a statement like, “God, thank you for hearing me and I expect and answer; so I will thank you in advance.” While His answer and timeline may be different than what we hope, the confidence by which we approach His throne will be with a different attitude when we apply a heart of thanksgiving.

The ultimate experience and promise are peace. God offers the peace that is beyond our comprehension when we trust Him. The anxious heart naturally struggles with trust and the anxious mind constantly wonders what might happen. While is may seem unnatural, we must fully submit our control to God. He is able to keep us. He is able to provide for us. He is able to correct any mistake. He is able to heal. He is able!

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Php 4:6). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
https://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 6:25). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 312). New York: United Bible Societies.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Jn 5:14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Truth Bomb – Eph.2:14

April 27, 2017 by rickysmith Leave a Comment

2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

Recent news briefings can leave one highly anxious of what could be when we read of turmoil in the Middle East, in Korea, or even in Chicago. It is easy to live in fear of what could be and be absent of peace. Bombs are dropping, or threats of missle attacks occur daily. Consider a truth bomb of peace.

Peace is desired by many, yet experienced by few. Nations war with each other, and individuals war within themselves. Whether globally or personally, there is a longing for peace.

Ephesians 2:14 reminds us of our Source of peace. Christ himself is our peace. This word structure suggests that He alone, in His own Person, can offer true peace. In other words, without Him, peace cannot be attained.

Peace comes from the word eirō (εἰρω) which means “to join”. Literally peace joins two things together. In the context of Ephesians, Paul is expressing the Gospel’s ability and intent to break down barriers between Jews and Gentiles.

This contextual principal can easily translate to any two people, or nations, who war among themselves. Peace can be achieved when we allow the only Provider of peace to rule and join hearts together. Politicians would be wise to heed this counsel. Marriages would be wise to put Christ as the center of their home. Business partners can work in harmony when they allow the Peacemaker to give what only can come from Him.

Being made in His image, all of God’s creation longs for peace, and through Him all walls of division can be broken. Perhaps some politicians should consult Him!

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 2:14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.