Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.  Amen.

Ephesians 6:24

Our God is the God of Grace He is full of grace Himself and grants grace unto all humanity by ‘causing the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.’  He ‘gives grace to the humble.’  He also gives grace to those whom He saves by showing Christ to them Who is, ‘full of grace and truth.’  As Paul concludes his epistle to the Ephesians, he expresses his desire for them to have grace ‘who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.’  To that he adds, ‘Amen,’ the ‘so be it’ of the prayerful.  It was by grace that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.  It was by grace that He predestinated us unto the adoption of children.  It was by grace that Christ redeemed us; the Holy Spirit sealed us, indwelt us, and fills us.  All of the good which God has ever done to us He has done by grace.  The sincere love we have for Christ is the result of grace.  The grace God gives to us who love Christ in sincerity will again be by grace.  Christ has brought us to Himself, made us what we are, and enabled us to love Him in sincerity.  Because He would have us become like Him, He will continue to add grace unto that which He has already given.  To Him be all the glory, for He is worthy.

Our Good and Gracious God,
we praise You that You extend grace unto us in every way.
We rejoice that as the Holy Spirit works within us,
so grace will increase until He conforms us completely,
to the Image of Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:23

Paul wants the best for his Ephesian children in the faith.  As he closes his epistle to them he pronounces a fatherly benediction.  He desires that they should experience ‘peace’ and ‘love with faith.’  Paul knows that the only way for them to experience these things is to receive them from ‘God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.’  We desire the best for our children, both the natural and the spiritual ones.  If we know God and His Christ, we know that the only way for our children to have ‘peace’ and ‘love with faith’ is to have them from God and through Christ.  Paul’s parting desire becomes our desire as well.  This leads us to Christ, and to make much of Him.  Peace and love with faith arises out of our vital union with Christ and the application of the whole of the redemption He has purchased to us by the Holy Spirit.  Mere religion will not do it, nor will moral and ethical behavior wrapped in religious language.  Peace and love with faith are the direct effects of our genuine experience of Christ.  As we intercede for our children, let us intercede for them that God would show them Christ by the work of His Spirit.  Let us pray that He will enable them to experience Christ so that they may have peace and love in faith.

Our Good and Gracious God,
we rejoice that You are the God of
peace, love and faith.
We praise You that You impart
these things unto Your children,
through Christ, by His Holy Spirit.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:  Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

Ephesians 6:21-22

Christ ‘knows our frame and remembers that we are dust.’  Because He does, He knows that we often become discouraged by adverse circumstances, both our own and of others whom we love.  Because the Ephesians had deep love and high regard for Paul, they would have been saddened and perhaps distraught because of his being in prison.  Paul, being aware of their spiritual condition, wanted them to know of his situation more fully.  To this end he sent Tychicus to ‘make all things known to you.’  The purpose was ‘that he may comfort your hearts.’  Christ takes good care of His people.  He uses one person to minister to another portion of His Body.  By doing this favor for Paul, Tychicus was effectively ministering to both Paul and the Ephesians.  He was comforting Paul, because Paul would know that the Ephesians were well informed.  He would comfort the Ephesians by clearly setting forth the affairs of their father in the faith.  Thus Christ used Tychicus to do for Paul what he could not do for himself to comfort his beloved children.  We do not know how much the simple things Christ gives us to do will benefit His people.  We do know that everyday affords us opportunities to practically do good to others in the hope that Christ will use us to minister to them.

Our Gracious God and Heavenly Father,
we rejoice that You comfort Your people.
We praise You that You use us in relation to others
who are the members of Your Body,
to point them to Christ.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:19-20

It is good to know that people are praying for you. As Paul moves toward the completion of his epistle to the Ephesians, he requests prayer for himself.  He is a spiritual father asking for the prayers of his children in the faith.  His particular request is fascinating.  He is in prison, but does not ask for freedom.  He does not request an improvement of his circumstances.  He desires that the Ephesians pray that God would give him boldness to make much of Christ.  He wants opportunity and ability ‘to make known, the mystery of the gospel.’  The ‘mystery of the gospel’ is the Person and Work of Christ.  Of all the things for which Paul could ask, he asks for the ability to proclaim Christ.  Because Paul was ‘in bonds’ he was unable to move about freely.  This gave him opportunities to speak to soldiers and jailors who were essentially a captive audience.  He desired boldness enough to ask for it twice. If Christ is worth knowing, then His message is worth telling.  If the Spirit can produce fruit in us, then He can give us boldness.  Our circumstances may be good or bad, our prospects bright or dim, yet the Lord has divine appointments for us wherever we are.  He who has saved us can enable us to speak boldly.

Our Wise and Holy God,
we rejoice that You intend for us to proclaim Your Truth.
We praise You that You are able to give us boldness,
to make Christ known.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Ephesians 6:18

One of the greatest services we can do for others is to pray for them.  In this we imitate Christ.  When Christ prayed His High Priestly prayer in John 17, He set the tone for praying for others.  As Paul comes to the closing of his letter to the Ephesians, he is pointing them to engage in the Christlike behavior which He has shown.  How did Christ pray?  He prayed ‘always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.’  He was ‘watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication (or petition) for all the saints.’  If we would learn to pray as Christ prayed, we must rely upon His Spirit to enable us to genuinely intercede at the Throne of Grace.  We may do so with the confidence that God will hear our prayers because Christ ‘ever lives to make intercession for us’ and because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us ‘with groanings which cannot be uttered.’  Therein lies our confidence in the place of prayer.  God hears us for the sake of these who never fail in their intercession.  Their success guarantees our success in praying ‘for all the saints.’  Today, let us pray with confidence, not in ourselves, but in Christ and the Holy Spirit, Who will enable, us to pray, ‘for all the saints.’

Our God of Grace and Glory,
we rejoice that You have given unto us the great privilege
of praying for one another.
We praise You that day by day,
we may look to Christ, to teach us
how to better intercede for all the saints.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning