What God is doing in the world and in all of creation, namely, transforming it and bringing it together under the Lordship of Christ (Eph 1:10), He is also doing in our lives. God is interested in transforming us from the old self to the new self.

Paul is intensely down to earth and practical with five groups of instructions. They are given with the pattern of: take off the old self, put on the new self, followed by the reason:

1. V25 – Put off falsehood and speak truthfully, for we are all members of one body.

2. V26-27 – In your anger do not sin, resolve your anger in a reasonable amount of time, do not give the devil a foothold.

3. V28 – Do not steal. Work, do something useful, so that you can share with those who are in need.

4. V29 – Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but speak helpful words, so that we can build one another up.

5. V31 - Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

To encourage all saints to exercise and develop their gifts to the fullest for the Lord. All the saints shall have different duties, but not in rank. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

(First Goal of Lord’s Peace Chapel as stated in the Constitution)

This past Sunday, we came across one of the key verses upon which Lord’s Peace Chapel was founded. It is the idea that every member of the church is called to service and ministry. It is the Biblical concept that a church consists of the priesthood of all believers. This core principle stands against the ‘conspiracy’ (as Dr. Packer described) in which one side says ministry is for the ordained and the other party acquiesces, sit back, and insist that it should be done by those who are paid to do it. This distorted understanding of how a church functions feeds the modern day consumer mentality. Jimmy clearly expounded the three main tasks of the believers in Eph 4:1-16.

This mystery is that through the gospel

the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel,

members together of one body, and sharers together

in the promise in Christ Jesus.

(Eph 3:6)

Mysteries are a favourite type of literature for many. Nothing quite as satisfying as solving a mystery whether it is Sherlock Holmes, Hardy Boys, Father Brown, or Murdoch Mysteries! Mysteries, in the Biblical sense, are things that are hidden by God, which can never be known by humanity through their own intelligence, and are only revealed by the Spirit of God. In Eph 1, Paul named one of the spiritual blessings of being in Christ is that God makes known to us, the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure (Eph 1:9). Here in Eph 3:6, Paul returns to this theme and explains the mystery revealed to him and to us.