Robert E Rasmussen.com

I had just begun studying Ephesians again when the Corona virus hit. My instinct was to set aside the writing from the epistle, as somehow out of touch with the crisis. But then God gave me the thought: What could be more appropriate for troubled times than timeless truths?

I have received a lot of response expressing appreciation for these brief reflections. Thanks for your interest. 

Before this storm arrived, God’s truth stood unmovable. And after the dust settles, His truth will be clearly seen, glistening in the light. 

We now enter Ephesians chapter two, and the beloved declaration of salvation by grace, apart from works. As I reflected on this passage, God brought it to me very personally. So I am going to invite you to personalize it, just as I have done.

Dear (your name),

Your soul was once doomed to destruction.

“you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (2:1-3).

You were in the clutches of the dark prince who planned to persecute your soul forever in conscious torment .You were by nature scheduled to receive wrath and produce it for others, to fall to deepest filth of your perverted mind, to prostitute your body in debauchery.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (2:4-5).

But now you are alive– not doomed but destined for eternal life! Your soul has been raised from death and restored to its created purpose — to live forever with God and for Him,

You are wedded to Christ Jesus, sitting with Him in the heavenly places, sharing in His glorious inheritance

“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” (2:8-9)

This is all because God is merciful, and longed to shower His grace on you. He longed to buy back your lost soul and reclaim it for Himself.

And you accepted this gift, by faith. You overcame doubts, and believed in simple faith.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (2:10).

And now at this very challenging time, God has works of beauty for you to do. God has given you gifts to share with others. Maybe those gifts grew stagnant through disuse.

Now is the time to

• stir up what God has placed with you
• simplify and prioritize, removing clutter from your mind and living space
• immerse yourself in larger portions of God’s Word so as to feed your soul which He has redeemed for His glory

This is the message God wants every soul to hear.

I have believed in Jesus for my salvation since I was a young lad, but today I have been startled to realize that I was born into a frightening future. My soul was doomed to a living hell because my very nature was fallen. Satan wanted to destroy me forever — a nice kid like me!

How I thank God today for reaching out to me with His grace.
I am saved! Rescued! Delivered! And Satan has no hold on me anymore!

Is this your story? Make sure today.
Don’t leave this most important decision untended. Be sure that you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ as your savior. Let Him rescue your soul from doom.

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Missed earlier posts on Ephesians? Click here to go back to the first one on my website.

Paul,the Mosaic scholar, the religious zealot who sought to eradicate all followers of Jesus whom he hated, who was confronted by the risen Christ and struck blind so he could truly see, and who, now as he writes, dwells in a prison for proclaiming the Christ he once despised — this extraordinary soul whose body was hindered by a disability which intense prayers could not remove, Paul now writes of divine realities which exceed the capacity of human language.

Consider his theme of fullness (a Greek word, pleroma, which should not be confused with a later heretical Gnostic myth).

1. The gathering in the fullness of times.

“that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and earth – in Him” (Eph.1:10)

When all is accomplished that God needs to accomplish, both in heaven and earth, then He will wrap up a grand gift to present to Christ.

We live in an unfolding story. Our time is known by God. The places we occupy are seen by God. He was there in what has happened already. He knows what is ahead. And He is with us right now, right here. He knows what is happening on earth, and has synchronized what is happening in heaven.

Surely, the churning on earth is kept in balance by the calm in heaven. The dark storms on earth cannot cast a shadow on the brilliance of heaven. And here is why.

2. Christ fills all in all.
    Christ is the head of the body, the Church.
    The Church is the fullness of Christ.

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph.1:22-23).

There are now, as then, principalities and powers in the heavenly realms. There are forces holding dominions, carrying names, whether holy or evil.

But there is One who died and rose again, who has now been seated at the right hand of God, far above every other power in the heavenlies. And that is His rightful place, not only now in this present age, but also in the future age which we will enter in the fullness of time.

This One, the Lord Jesus Christ, stands above all other powers, for “He put all things under His feet” (Eph.1:22). And the supreme Christ is connected in love and power to all His followers, as Head to body. This means that the Church is not subservient to any power other than Christ. So vital is the Church to the victory of Christ that we are His fullness, just as He fills everything in every way, in heaven and earth, in this age and the next!

Words fall short. The mind must let go and admit we cannot keep pace with such revelation.

As we stay in our homes to curb the spread of this virus, we are only as confined as our theology is small. Dear believer, your Savior, who knows right where you are, sits atop the tiers of heaven, yet lives in your soul. You are part of His body, and in Him you will flourish in this life and the next.

Permit me to round out Paul’s teaching.

3. Be filled only with the Spirit of Jesus.

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph.5:18).

To live into the fullness of Christ, Who fills all in all, we must be full of the Spirit He has given us. Accept no substitutes,

• neither wine nor medication
• neither lust nor human love
• neither plans nor property

Only Christ! Add nothing to Him. Take nothing from Him.
Let us be so emptied of self that there is room for Him to increase. Confess fear and welcome Him who is the fullness of love.

Let us do this till our final breath and we wake on the other side where we will see Him and understand the glory of His fullness.

My personal prayer as I conclude this lofty teaching must be:  Lord Jesus, how shall I live this day to enlarge my heart to be more filled with Your Spirit?

Covid-19 will significantly change our nation and world. It remains to be seen what those changes will be. Analysts observe several areas that are already changing in some nations:

• increased government role in surveilling citizen behavior and health
• government activism in supporting the economy
• nationalizing industries
• government-run medical systems
• sealing off borders

How will the Church change? As we seek to pray from our heavenly point of view, as Paul did in Ephesians, how do we understand the signs of our times so as to pray and live as Jesus would want?

Praying from the mountaintop must not detach us from serving in the valley of the shadow of death.

Books will be published by experts on these topics. I can only posit some preliminary thoughts from my vantage point.

I believe God would be glorified if the Church will enter into a lasting season of repentance and revival. We have been reminded that life on earth is fragile — that our few years here should be lived for the values of eternity.

This calls us away from self-preservation and toward risk for one another, especially the vulnerable in our world. Jesus calls us to extravagant love for the sick, blind, prisoner, the widow and orphan.

Those in developing countries are likely to be hit broadside with Covid-19 in coming weeks. Several factors make the situation worse:

• denial of the threat by leaders,
• close physical proximity in urban and slum areas,
• cultures of communal living,
• poor medical systems,
• hunger leading to unrest,
• government incapacity to assist financially

These and many other factors portend a tsunami of fatalities in poorer countries which could devastate nations.

Christians in the West must not look the other way while insuring we have enough supplies in our homes!

Millions of people in the global diaspora are now cut off from their families. Already struggling, many refugees face unemployment, no medical insurance, undependable housing, trauma, and little family support. Many are lonely and desperate. Yet what little they have has been shared with their needier relatives back home through remittances. Now, that flow of sharing is disappearing.

Wealthier countries will further draw up the bridges, shutting out desperate refugees in the name of self-preservation. We will see a lessening of opportunity for Christians to show the love of Christ to migrants who have never heard the gospel, nor seen it lived out.

The impact of this global crisis will take years to unfold. We must pray for a “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph.1:17).

We, the Church, need wisdom as to how to see the new world that is unfolding. We must pray that the Spirit would reveal the light of the gospel to millions before they enter an eternity separated from the God who loves them and sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

We must care passionately and pray fervently for our brothers and sisters throughout the world who face poverty, illness, and death this week.

We must pray against further calamity coming on top of the virus. I believe the Holy Spirit is restraining further evil and disaster. We must pray, and seize this moment for repentance.

We must long to see “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph.1:19). We have a miracle-working God who sees and honors faith.

This, of all times in our lives, is when we must step forward and believe God to be God on behalf of all humankind.