Paul was in prison in Rome because he brought the gospel to the Gentiles. He wasn’t bitter about prison because he had known since the beginning that suffering was going to be part of his calling in life. He was a preacher and evangelist and not everyone appreciated his message.

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. Who is equal to such a task?” 2 Corinthians15-16

Paul held the keys to two great spiritual mysteries: The way to have eternal life, and who was eligible to receive this great gift.

The way to eternal life was through faith in Jesus Christ, and, while this good news had first come to the Jews, it was also for the Gentiles – which meant that everyone on earth was eligible to receive it.

“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” Ephesians 2:7-9

Paul’s Prayer

Paul didn’t want his hard circumstances in life to put anyone off, and he wasn’t asking for sympathy as he wrote from prison.

“I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.” Ephesians 2:13

Instead Paul demonstrated how to use a prison experience to its highest advantage. Chained up in his rented house he got on his knees and poured out his heart to God on behalf of God’s people. His heavenly Father had glorious riches in store for them and Paul asked that the Holy Spirit would strengthen the people to receive those riches.

Most of all Paul wanted the Ephesians to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep Christ’s love was for them. Paul had encountered this love on the road to Damascus when Jesus confronted him. He was on his way to destroy the church in Damascus and persecute Christ’s people when he was stopped in his tracks by grace. Instead of punishing Paul, Jesus pressed him into his service and made him an ambassador of the gospel.

Years later Paul was able to say,

“God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20 – The Message

Be Christlike

Ephesians 4:1-16 is a manual for discipleship. It lists the virtues Christ’s followers should aspire to.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3

One way to test these virtues in your heart is to think of the person who irritates or grieves you the most. Are you able to humble yourself and be gentle in your thoughts and actions toward that person? You may feel you are trying to be patient and bear with them, but do you also love them? Do you pray for their peace?

These virtues infused every interaction Jesus had with the people in his life. When He was in Gethsemane and Judas came to betray him, Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came for.” (Matthew 26:50) The Lord Jesus gave a humble, gentle, patient response even to the man who betrayed him to death.

Jesus was God, of course, so how can mere people ever hope to be that gentle and patient?

Going back to Paul’s prayer at the beginning to today’s reading we see that the Spirit of Jesus makes us able to be like him: “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” Ephesians 3:20

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” Ephesians 4:7

Put Off the Old Self

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” Ephesians 4:17

Paul pointed out that people with the old, sinful nature were spiritually dead. They lived for their selfish appetites and greedy desires.

“They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Ephesians 4:18

Believers in Jesus were set free from that darkness.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24

Make a Trade

Paul describes the old self as if it’s an old set of clothes that a person can change out of. In fact, thinking about the old self that way is very helpful. When you notice a big hole or an ugly stain in your shirt, you probably take it off and put on a clean one. It’s the same with the old sin nature.

Say you notice your heart is full of anger or some other troubling sin. You confess it to the Lord and ask him to replace it with something more Christ-like. When you confess your sin, the Lord takes it from you and gives you something new from his glorious riches in Christ – like gentleness, patience and love.

You may find that you have quite a wardrobe of old, sinful thoughts and behaviors, but you can exchange them all, and put on Christ instead.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

Live in the Light

Paul was hard-core when it came to God’s people forsaking sin.

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” Ephesians 5:3-4

People count on their friends to be good to them; we don’t expect someone we care about to deliberately offend us. God feels the same way about his children. He doesn’t want us to do things that we know break his heart.

“You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” Ephesians 5:8-12

Paul told his readers to wake up and pay attention to what the light of Christ exposed in their lives. If they persisted in sin after it was exposed they lived like spiritually dead people, as if they hadn’t been born into new life in Christ. Paul literally gave people a wake up call when he said,

“This is why it is said, ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Ephesians 5:14