Not too long ago, Elvis Costello asked the musical question, “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding?” A couple of thousand years before, Paul told his friends in Ephesus that peace, love and faith are a VERY big deal. In many ways, they are the main thing when comes to following Jesus. The apostle begins signing off his note to the Ephesians by writing, “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (v23). Peace. Love. Faith. He hits the highlights of his letter. Peace. Love. Faith. These are the main things. As he wraps things up, he summarizes the big ideas. Peace. Love. Faith.
Keep the main things the main things.
Too many times I blow right past the opening and closing lines in Paul’s letters. I want to get to the good stuff. I want to get to the meat. But the apostle doesn’t waste any words. This IS the good stuff. This IS the meat. So let’s slow down. And let’s dig in. Because Paul uses these parts of his epistles in very important ways. They almost always contain the big ideas. The main things. His letter to the Ephesians is no different.
From a prison cell in Rome, the apostle wishes “peace to the brothers” (v23). This is so much more than a call for folks to stop fighting. He uses the Greek word eirene, which means harmony, welfare, freedom from anxiety and tranquility. In many ways, Paul is referring to the wonderful old Hebrew term shalom. Throughout the Old Testament, this word describes the perfect rhythm of God’s original created order. Think back to the way things were in Eden before we jacked up the whole deal. Everything flowed together in divine synchronicity. God created His handcrafted paradise for Adam and Eve to enjoy. Other than one tree, our first parents could eat and savor every bit of God’s unspoiled goodness. And don’t forget about the fact that clothes had not been invented yet. This is the perfect rhythm of our Creator’s original design. Shalom. Peace. It’s completeness. It’s contentment. It’s the absolute opposite of the chaos that our sin brought on the scene.
If you thought that it was a big deal that Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, check out what Jesus has done. He’s bringing peace back. He’s bringing shalom back. He’s bringing God’s perfect rhythm back. That’s why it’s one of the main things in Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. Right out of the chute, the apostle tells his readers, “Grace to you and peace (Gr. eirene) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:2). This peace isn’t just an idea. It’s a Person. Jesus “himself is our peace (Gr. eirene)” and has smashed the walls divided all races, religions and cultures (Eph 2:14-15). Christ showed up and “preached peace (Gr. eirene)” to both insiders and outsiders (Eph 2:17). This makes a ton of sense when we look back at what the prophets said about the Messiah to come. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah announced that He would be the “Prince of Peace (Heb. shalom)” (Is 9:6).
The Prince of Peace isn’t just the embodiment of God’s peace, He gives us peace as a gift. He gives us His peace so that we can begin to live in that perfect rhythm of God’s original creation. We see the impact of this peace on our church. A big part of walking in a manner worthy of Jesus’ calling on our lives is living “bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 4:1-3). An important part of God’s armor are the cleats which make us ready to share “the Gospel of peace (Gr. eirene)” (Eph 6:15). Yeah, peace. It’s kind of a big deal.
Keep the main things the main things. And one of those things is peace. God’s peace.
Next, Paul encourages his readers to realize and practice God’s “love” (v23). Another one of his main things. This is the Greek noun agape. If you’ve been around the church for any length of time, you’ve heard this word. The problem is that God’s idea of love is nothing like our culture’s definition of love. Movies (especially romantic comedies) have corrupted the idea of love as simply the emotion of a deep and warm fuzzy feeling. But that’s NOT God’s definition of agape. This love is a choice that’s put into action. This is a love that does. This is a love with hands and feet. Love isn’t just a feeling. Love is a verb! As a matter of fact, the verb form of love is agapao. Want the greatest example of love the universe has ever seen? “God shows His love (Gr. agape) for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Love doesn’t just feel. Love does.
Love is one of the three main things in Paul’s letter to his friends in Ephesus. Let’s hit the highlights. “In love (Gr. agape)” God handpicked us for adoption into His family (Eph 1:4). We used to be among the Walking Dead but God brought us to life in Jesus “because of the great love (Gr. agape) with which He loved (Gr. agapao) us” (Eph 2:4-5). God gives us His Spirit so that we have a chance to wrap our minds around “the love (Gr. agape) of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph 3:16-19).
Once we’re blown away by God’s love, we can’t help but love. We’re to imitate God by walking “in love (Gr. agape) as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) us,” living a life of self-giving and sacrifice (Eph 5:1-2). Over and over and over, Paul tells married men to follow Jesus’ example of love in action. “Husbands, love (Gr. agapao) your wives, as Christ loved (Gr. agapao) the church...husbands should love (Gr. agapao) their wives...He who loves (Gr. agapao) his wife loves (Gr. agapao) himself...let each one of you love (Gr. agapao) his wife...” (Eph 5:25-33). Yeah, so do you get Paul’s point? Love is kind of a big deal.
Keep the main things the main things. And one of those things is love. God’s love.
The apostle makes the very important point that God’s love doesn’t travel by itself. Elvis Costello missed on this one. It’s “love with faith” (v23). Paul uses the word pistis, which means trust, belief and assurance. He’s encouraging us to place our faith in the only truly reliable Person to ever walk the planet. Jesus. We place our trust in the fact that He’s done for us what we could never, ever do for ourselves. We place our faith in His flawless faith. He was faithful to live the perfect life that I completely failed to live. He was faithful to die the brutal death for my sin that completely deserved to die. And He rose to a breathtaking new life that absolutely do not deserve. I place my faith in who He is and what He’s done. That’s why Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved through faith (Gr. pistis). And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).
Our faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done becomes the one thing that draws us together no matter our backgrounds. We’re to be unified in “one Lord, one faith (Gr. pistis), one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Eph 4:5-6). God uses human leadership to build up His church so that “we attain to the unity of the faith (Gr. pistis)” (Eph 4:13). Paul tells us to never forget to take our “shield of faith (Gr. pistis)” into battle as protection against Satan’s attack (Eph 6:16). You see, our faith isn’t based on how much faith we can muster. It’s not based on the strength of our faith. Our faith is completely dependent on the Object of our faith. That’s Jesus. He’s totally and unshakably faithful even when we’re not (2Tim 2:13).
Keep the main things the main things. And of those is faith. Faith in Jesus.
Elvis Costello was close. Very close.
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