Author: Ben Bourland

Prefaces QTVOTD & BITE (Title Attributions) are being deprecated since I have categories that represent those different types of posts.

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 [NIV

Tacking onto yesterday, our worthy walk has some characteristics Paul calls out here. One thing that stood out to (and what supports the command in verse 3) is that there are no defensive or offensive intent/objectives in the words Paul uses to talk about our walk and the keeping of unity. Instead, he uses “Humility”, “Gentleness”, “Patience”, and “Perseverance” to describe the ‘keeping’ of unity together as a church.

The way we live out our Christian faith truly matters. It’s not about being confrontational, especially with one another. Instead, it’s about embodying these attributes above. We should give each other the benefit of the doubt and bear with one another. Colossians also expounds on these principles in greater detail in Colossians 3:5-17 (especially verse 12). Let’s look at the Biblical meaning of each of these characteristics of the Christian Walk in unity.

HUMILITY:

A lowliness of mind. This was not something that was regarded as a strength during Paul’s time, rather a weakness. But in Old Testament times Judaism did view it positively. It is the opposite of arrogance, a character trait Paul condemns elsewhere (Rom 11:20, 12:16).

GENTLENESS:

Normally gentleness is a term use in the context of conflict. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. Gentleness does not imply weakness, but self-controlled and a tempered spirit.

PATIENCE:

Patience, as described in the Bible, embodies forbearance and self-control. It’s about willingly waiting upon God and aligning ourselves with His will. This steadfastness of character remains unshaken even during trials and tribulations. Patience originates from God, is a fruit of the Spirit, and is closely tied to self-control and godliness. We see Christ exemplifying patience, and it’s through challenges that we grow in this virtue. Gentleness and patience go together hand in hand. In challenging relationships, patience and gentleness band together to not destroy what is there in Christ.

BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER:

Bearing with one another in love enables us to navigate the conflicts that inevitably arise in relationships. It involves enduring certain behaviors and then actively working through them. Unity demands relational tolerance without compromising on truth.

The pursuit of unity within our Christian communities involves applying virtues like humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance. Our eagerness to maintain this unity is crucial. It’s not about gaining peace; rather, it’s about actively preserving it. The unity we seek is grounded in the shared Spirit among believers. Love, like a glue, plays a similar role. Colossians 2:19 uses the imagery of ligaments binding the body together. Our intent should be to uphold the unity achieved by Christ’s work in the Spirit.

…and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

Colossians 2:19 [ESV]

Application:

Sometimes I can have a sinful response to defending something I firmly believe in that does not threaten the 5 non-negotiables of my faith. 1) God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all GOD. 2) Only Jesus can save us from our sin. 3) The Bible is the infallible, complete, and sufficient to answer every question true Word of God. 4) Everything to the glory of God alone. 5) Only faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus can our sins be forgiven and through that faith be granted (through grace) eternity with Him forever. Everyone in the body of Christ is on their own walk to learn the truths of God through His scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Only the Lord knows the heart and when I respond in a way that is not humble, gentle, patient, or forbearing, then I am the one who needs to be admonished. Lord Jesus, help me to see these failures in myself and help give me the strength turn around my behavior when I do.

Today’s Psalm:

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Psalms 34:19-22 [ESV]

​ I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 
Ephesians 4:1 [ESV]

In the first half of this letter, Paul talks about the core elements of the church’s identity. We now start the second half of Ephesians which is all about ‘Application’ so for the Quiet Times for the rest of this letter, I will share the application I take away to my own life from each day’s passage. — Fair warning: this will go slow as I can’t even read one verse without stopping and seeing what I need to take away from it. —

For most of Paul’s ministry he was under some type of bondage in jails or on the run for what he was teaching. So much so that he identifies himself as such, a prisoner. As he opens, Paul exhorts us to ‘walk’ in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. Walk is translated in some versions as ‘leading a life’ or ‘living a life’ worthy…but I think that misses out on the ‘Step-by-Step’ aspect of walking. Our process of sanctification is exactly that, a journey of steps that lead to place of being closer to looking like or resembling our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The calling – so what was that again? Well, back in Eph 1.:18 Paul tells us.

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18 [ESV]

The ‘Calling’ is the Hope we receive in and through the Gospel. When we listen to what the Gospel says in Who God is, who we are relative to God’s Holiness, and what Jesus did for us because He loves us, it is the hope of eternal life, saved from a destruction and punishment we deserve. So, the life we live as a step-by-step process should be reflective of that gift we have been given in Jesus.

Application:

Every day of my life must begin with an acknowledgement of the Hope God has called me to through His grace and love. If I start every day this way, then I have an automatic heart condition that is bent toward a gratefulness of what the Lord has done for me. I am nothing, He is Everything. It is because of Him that I am something and that something is an identity IN Jesus. When the God of the universe looks at me, He sees the face of His Son. I have been bought with the ultimate price and my service should be to the One alone Who gave everything for me. That heart condition is powerful! It will affect my tone with my kids, my wife, my friends, my co-workers, and the church body God has called me to guide, guard, and grow.

Today’s Psalm:

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalms 34:15-18 [ESV]

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 [ESV]

The whole of this 3rd chapter of Ephesians has so much packed into it, passage after passage; building on each preceding block of thought. First, Paul talks to the reader about his calling to the gentiles. Then he prays that the church at Ephesus would be strengthened through His Spirit in their inner being. Then drawing on that strength to under the love of Jesus so that they would be filled with the fullness of God. Finally, we come to the last 2 verses in this chapter.

These last 2 verses draw our attention to the goal of being filled with the fullness of God…it is to Glorify God above all else. Now TO HIM Who can do far more than we can ask Him or even think about. TO HIM be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever.

So, in the end, when we align ourselves with the love of Christ, to share that love in service to others, and when we give God all the glory…that is where the real power comes. God’s will can then be completed through us. When we are aligned, our thoughts and desires are God’s thoughts and will. No matter what circumstance or situation we find ourselves in, even if it feels unfair in a ‘worldly’ sense, we will know in our hearts that the Lord is working in and through our circumstances and situations toward His will and purposes. We rest in freedom with our minds and hearts focused on the eternal life we will have with our God and Savior in Heaven.

Today’s Psalm:

Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

Psalms 34:11-14 [ESV]

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19 [ESV]

First things first -> BELLA IS HOME! We picked her up from the airport last night and then had dinner all together at McD’s. All of Bella’s sisters were so anxious to see her. Since Marianne and I just got to see Bella in Guatemala, we got all our tears out then but see the love of these girls for each other made us well-up again. So excited to spend some time together with her as a family, love on her, and hear all the stories of her trip to Thailand, Cambodia, South Africa, and Guatemala.

Today’s passage is Sophie’s life passage. When I really started into memorizing scripture, committing my family’s life verses was the first thing I did. We start here from my previous quiet time’s passage which is the start of Paul’s prayer, on his knees before God, asking for strength in the Spirit that has been placed in our inner being. So that, “Jesus might dwell in our hearts through faith.”

I really like the building of this prayer with steps that precede one another.

1. Indwelling of the Spirit (vs 16)
2. Jesus dwelling in our hearts through faith (v 17)
3. Rooted and grounded in love (v 17)
4. Produces strength to wrap our brains around the totality and greatness of the love Jesus has for us (v 18)
5. Which in turn helps us ‘know’ the love of Jesus which cannot be understood with just human understanding (v 19)
6. So that -> we may be filled with the fullness of God. (v 19)

Throughout my Christian walk, I have seen these play out. The important part of reading these verses is that we must stay true to God’s Word in obedience, trust, and love for more knowledge of Him. When we let the idols of this world creep in with prominence, this chain is broken and we must start back a number 2 again…inviting Jesus to have ownership of the desires of our hearts.

What step are you at in your walk as a believer? Have you accepted Jesus to receive the indwelling of the Spirit? Have you surrendered your life and heart to Jesus? Is your faith grounded and anchored in a love for Him? Has your love for Jesus grown because of the ability to understand the greatness of His love for you? Because you now know how undeserving you are of the grace and love you have been given, had your life transformed in a love for others? In service to Jesus in love, have you experienced a filling of the fullness of God?

Today’s Psalm:

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Psalms 34:8-10 [ESV]

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Ephesians 3:14-16 [ESV]

These next 5 verses of Ephesians are very important and significant for me and our family. I will explain more on that tomorrow. The big takeaway from these verses today is that whole aspect of the opportunity we have to receive strength and power here in this life through God’s Spirit Who lives IN us. You might notice that in my posts I tend to capitalize ‘in’ often. That is because that little word is so important in understanding what we have in our Salvation -> a power given by the grace of God to overcome whatever this world throws at us. That power comes through God being in us.

When my inner man was recreated (reborn) at the time of my salvation, that part of me was reconciled to God forever. At the same time, that part of me exists in this carcass of flesh here on earth. While my inner spirit desires to be with God, my flesh desires the things of this world. What is available to me is a power from God through His Spirit which resides in me to combat the desires of the flesh. When that relationship between my inner man and the Spirit of God Who lives in me, is nurtured, reinforced, and vibrant, there is power and ability to overcome anything this fleshly body tries to subvert in that relationship, and the strength I have to choose against a sinful action, is huge.

Application:

The application is obvious but putting that into practice is predicated on a love for God that is founded in the work He has done for me on the cross. Preaching the gospel to myself everyday kindles that love for my Savior because He first loved me. It is then that my desires are driven to know more about Him, spend more time with Him, and be more like Him.

Today’s Psalm:

I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Psalms 34:4-7 [ESV]

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Ephesians 3:6 [ESV]

Well, I know that it has been a week since I posted. Last week I was working normal office hours from 8am to 6pm and then heading to a test location here in the Puget Sound area to working until 2am before getting back home to bed and back up for work at 8am to start that process over again. It was a big slog, but I was able to catch up on my sleep this weekend and thankful to be back to a normal schedule this week.

I love this passage of Ephesians where we get to see the full nature of Paul’s ministry come to life. Paul the apostle to the Gentiles (non-Israelites/non-Jews) tells the church at Ephesus that Jews and Gentiles are now one big family in the Lord Jesus Christ. For those that accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, reap the gift of sons and daughters of the Almighty God and will inherit eternal life.

One of the theological stances I have heard in the past is that once Jesus came, that Israelites (sons and daughters of Abraham) do not have the promise the Lord gave to them through Abraham in Genesis 17. That the remnant in Israel spoke of in Revelation is only those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. I struggle to see this as a firm point for one reason alone; God always keeps His promises. In Genesis 17, the promise is clear and at the same time, through Jesus there is so much more available to the Jews than what they have without Him.

The mystery revealed through the Gospel that Paul speaks of is so powerful. When you read back in Genesis of the promises made to the Children of Israel through Abraham, it is an amazing thing that God would choose a people for Himself. To know now that I have an equal place adopted into that family as a child of the Living God, is so amazing! The Holy Spirit I have received as a believer also provides me with a ‘help’ that assists me in navigating this life before being called home with my Savior.

Today’s Psalm:

I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.

Psalms 34:4-5 [ESV]

"For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."
Ephesians 2:14-16

Today I am in the somewhat lengthy explanation that Paul has for how we (Gentiles) are now joined together with Israel; being brought near (or able to enter) into the peace that is in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:11-22). Paul is explaining how Gentiles need to remember from where they came, separated from the promises and protection of God. But now, Jesus has come and not only preached to both Jew and Gentile but in His death, eliminated the wall that had been between them. Jesus had torn down all the laws and regulations the Jews had been living under, now bringing Gentiles into the promise IN Jesus.

This whole passage ends with “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph 2:22). I see this as meaning that both Jews and Gentiles now make up the “Church Body” in Christ. To the Jews, this was very difficult to digest as their whole lives they had been raised to believe that ‘not being Jewish’ meant banishment and elimination from the peace and relationship with God. In Christ, everyone (regardless of heritage) had equal access to the Holy Spirit through Salvation.

Application:

Before Jesus I was utterly lost. Following on from yesterday’s quiet time, I sit here and preach the gospel to myself. Thankful that Jesus came to live the life I could never live, to die the death I deserve, and in resurrection to be the only One I serve. I love that my Psalm today uses the ‘Our’ and ‘We’, thinking about what I read in this passage in Ephesians today.

Today’s Psalm:

Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

Psalms 33:20-22

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10 [ESV]

One of the most amazing passages of the bible. These verses wrap up the basis of not only our security but also a blueprint for the life we are to live IN Jesus.

BY GRACE:

…we have been saved. It is out of Gods love for us in unmerited favor, that we have a way out of just punishment of our sin.

THROUGH FAITH:

There is only one medium by which we take hold of our salvation, that is through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is a committed, heart felt conviction that something is true, something will happen, or even that something is happening. Faith is believing on something unseen. Romans 12:3 tells us that God assigns us the measure of our faith. I believe that God grows our faith by revealing Himself and His hand in and through our circumstances, trials, and suffering.

NOTHING WE CAN DO:

There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. we are inherently sinful and there is no way for us in our own power to eliminate that sin.

IT IS A GIFT:

God in His great mercy extends salvation from our sin through the work of Jesus. We can do nothing, Jesus has done every thing. The only action we can do is RECEIVE the gift extended.

GODS GLORY ALONE:

The reason there are no works or any thing we can do is because it is God alone who is glorified. Since all we can do is receive this gift of God, there is nothing of our own action or pride we can hang our hat on. God alone is the recipient of thanks, gratitude, service, and warship because of what HE has done.

WE ARE BORN-AGAIN:

When we are saved, we are given a spiritually infused life that has a capability it previously lacked. God has created us as new creatures with an ability to communicate with Him unlike before our re-creation. Our heart become softened and a desire to simply please God above all else is placed in us.

WE WERE CREATED WITH A PURPOSE:

God’s redemption also comes with a purpose → GOOD works. Good works is a product of salvation, not causing it. Good work is simply living our lives in ways that honor Him. How do we know what honors Him? We seek Him and what honors Him in His word. We follow the guidance of the Holy spirit within us. We are not saved by works → we are saved for works. We are now able to live in the ways God designed.

Application:

There should be a marked difference in the walking I do now compared to the way I walked before God’s gift. God’s grace and power through the Messiah and in the Spirit have made that possible. God has designed a path that He has now equipped me to follow. Am I honoring God in my walk? Have I thrown off boasting? What works for Jesus in light of His instruction and sacrifice am I missing out on completing?

Today’s Psalm:

The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

Psalms 33:16-19

"and [God] raised us  up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:6-7 [ESV]

This morning I paused here and read it over and over again. One of the things that we have been learning in Biblical Counseling class is that our counselees must have a renewed inner-man before the teachings of God in His word have any impact or effect. When we genuinely accept Jesus into our hearts and surrender our lives to Him, it is God raising us with Christ from spiritual death. The togetherness with the resurrection of Jesus cannot be understated. The concept of our accredited glory is forever linked to who Christ is and what He did for us.

The second thing we must acknowledge here is that God seated us with Christ in the heavenlies. Remember in chapter 1:21-22 where Paul tells everything that has been put under Jesus and for all time….well, that is the heavenly place that we spiritually sit with Jesus and is a piece of the full redemption to come. There is nothing in the earth, heavenly places, principalities, domains, or anything else that is not under the feet of Jesus and we are IN Him. All that we have today in our Salvation, has secured for us the immeasureable riches to come; through the lavish kindness and grace we have because of our position IN Jesus.

Application:

Two things – 1) I need to remember that those who are not raised in Jesus from their spiritual deadness, cannot be expected to respond to biblical teaching or counseling. God must call them to Himself and they must accept the free gift of God’s grace through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. 2) My situation, my circumstances here on this earth are not the end. What awaits me at the end of this age is unthinkable joy and togetherness with my Savior in the light of His glory. What I have to endure here is nothing in comparison. My plight while I am here is to draw as close as I possibly can to my Lord and Savior and be sure that I am taking every opportunity to be used by Him to draw others to or back to Himself.

Today’s Psalm:

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

Psalms 33:10-12 [ESV]

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
Ephesians 2:4-5 [ESV]

All throughout these first 2 chapters of Ephesians, Paul uses “You” and “Us” as separated groups of people. ‘You’ refers to the Gentiles and when he says ‘Us’ he is referring to the Jews. Next time you read Ephesians, pay close attention when he uses these pronouns and how they are applied.

“But God…” – this is my call out for today. Reading through yesterday’s passage about where I was in my trespasses and sin as well as by my nature being an object of wrath, this is such a huge statement – ‘But God’. In the NIV it is translated, “but, because of His great love for us, God…” However, I prefer, for my own reading to read the ESV version of this passage. Before, I was spiritually dead, being entirely separated from God. I was in a state of depravity that oozed into every decision I made because the desires of my heart were inherently sinful and due to my nature as an object of wrath, I had no means to look to things a different way. But then, God called me to Himself and saved me in the ugly place I was…why? Because of His great mercy and overwhelming love for me…a sinner. He MADE me alive in Christ. “Made” is such an important word because it means only God Himself could do it. Nothing I could have done; no work of my own hands or mind could change my situation, I needed the loving God of the universe to save from from the depths of my sin.

Application:

When I ask myself ‘Why, why would God do this for me; for a creation of his who sinned against Him so much? I am so undeserving of being saved in such a powerful way as being ‘alive’ in Christ.” I am led to the final stanza of this passage -> it is ‘by Grace’ I have been saved. I didn’t deserve what He extended to me; but God in His great love for me…did it. This is the mindset I must walk into every day of my life with. When I think and dwell on these truths, all pride is removed. All entitlements are negated. And I am filled with a gratitude and outlook that makes me like a well oiled tool ready to be used by God to do His work.

Today’s Psalm:

For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

Psalms 33:4-5 [ESV]