Ephesians 3:7-13.   

When I was 18, my family adopted a 10-year-old boy. In the time leading up to the adoption, he spent time with our family so we could get to know each other better. Finally, we got word that the few remaining barriers to his adoption had been removed, and he would be joining our family.

That evening in conversation, I said, “I’m going to grab my mom real quick,” to which my almost-brother responded, “You mean you need to go get mom real quick.” Something had changed. No longer was this boy a casual acquaintance of my family. He was family and therefore had the rights and privileges of a son, not a guest.

In Ephesians, Paul is writing to a mixed household, a church made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Having spent the first three chapters describing the majesty of God’s plan of salvation—a plan that brings all people together into one family—Paul describes a new reality. Because of what Jesus has done, every single one of us who trusts fully in Christ can “approach God with freedom and confidence.”

God is not simply my Father or your Father. God is the Father of all. Stand in the confidence of a beloved child.

Author: Stephanie Lobdell