Weekly Devotional: April 9, 2026
GOD’S WORD
Ephesians 1:1-2
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God's holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
DEVOTIONAL BY
This eight-week-series will be excerpts from the late Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee's book “Heavenly Places Revealed."
PAUL, an APOSTLE
Who Am I?
How a person introduces himself or herself depends on the circumstances. If in an official capacity or where authority needs to be established, a title might be used such as professor, doctor, or captain. If meeting a person on a date, it is usually simply by a first name. If in a social situation where the people are unfamiliar, first and last names are in order. The introduction is the first step toward an outcome, whether that be establishing or deepening a relationship, or assuming a task. I confess to times of being uncertain how to introduce myself, particularly when I am confused about the expectations of a social setting. When crossing cultures, this can be even more confusing.
Paul, an Apostle
Paul wasted no time in introducing himself by the only credentials that count, "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God." Although the Greek root for apostle means "sent one," here it is likely used by Paul to establish his authority in an official office he held along with the original Twelve. In his capacity he wrote this letter to a cluster of churches rather than a specific one.
Far more important than his office was that he was where he was, writing to them in this moment, with all that follows because he was there by the will of God. This is not some wistful claim but one rooted in certainty, in authority. When one is certain that she is in the will of God there is no need to approach any given task with an apology or sheepish-ly, but rather assertively.
The will of God is not only where we are rooted as believers in our actions. It is what will prevail over all of creation when our Lord establishes His rule once and for all on earth and by extension, over all of creation. If you are in the will of God, you can say confidently that you are a sent one, armed for the battle with every confidence that God is with you.
God's Holy People
Paul addressed this letter to God's holy people, the ones set aside for His purpose and His glory.
This holiness is not the result of something we as His people have grasped but what He has freely bestowed upon the hearts fully abandoned to Him.
Though you might blush to make that claim, to fail to testify to God's sanctifying power and presence in you is to deny Him and His power. Jesus came among us not only to provide the means for our forgiveness and to allow us to be born again but so sin would no longer mark our days or define our lives.
Holiness not only speaks of the quality of our experience but our position. We have been set apart, the literal meaning of the word "sanctify." Not set apart from people so that we live over and above them, not deigning to stoop down to their level.
Instead, we have made our hearts His offering, and live our lives for His glory. We have been set aside for Him and so we set aside everything that stands in the way of Him, having His complete way within our lives.
ARE YOU HOLY?
Faithful in Christ Jesus
Paul then addressed them as the "faithful in Christ Jesus." Faithful in what?
First, they were faithful in their witness. In these days, there were no casual believers, no nominal Christians. To take a stand for Christ was to risk everything. For some it meant death. For others it meant the loss of property and livelihoods. For still others, it meant the scorn and daily indignities that come with being universally despised. As it still is in some parts of the world, to claim Christ meant that a believer was disowned from her family, dead to them. Yet, these believers were faithful in their witness so much so that the truth of their lives laid bare the emptiness of those without Christ.
Second, they were faithful in their beliefs. These letters of Paul were not just initiated by him. The early church was hungry to know the full particulars of their doctrines. They had the Old Testament, and this was a solid grounding, but Christ's coming had opened up new understanding, new experiences, and the implications were enormous. It affected what people ate, how they conducted their social lives, how their relationships and family lives were structured, how they worked and worshipped. For the Jews who had been converted, it was a reboot of their understanding. For the Gentile believers, it was a whole new world that shook every concept upon which they had formed their lives. They wanted to know the how, the what, the where, and the who.
When Paul and the other apostles taught, believers wanted not to only learn something new but to faithfully put into practice what was being taught.
Thirdly, they were faithful in their love for the Lord. It was not only when they worshipped with other believers or sought to evangelize, but they sought the Lord in their quiet moments, in the tiny choices where the reality of what they professed was tested in choosing what their Lord wanted over what might have been otherwise acceptable. He was not only Lord over the mighty moments of triumph but over the little opportunities for obedience. Here love was proven in a fleeting whispered prayer, in a truth that sacrificed an advantage to stand firm, in a gentle answer when an angry one first came to mind.
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
- How is the present day similar to first-century Christianity? How is it different?
- How does it feel to say, "I am holy"? If it is uncomfortable, why is that? If you can do so confidently, upon what is that based?
- How do you define faithfulness to God?