SUNDAY April 7, 2024
Commissioned by God
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God....
Ephesians 1:1
It was customary among the Greeks and those in the early church to always insert their name first in the beginning of the letter, not at the end as we do. This way, the reader already knew who was writing to them. The Apostle identified himself as the writer to the Ephesians by using his Gentile name, Paul. In the Greek language, Paul means “little one.”
In Paul’s salutation, he declared himself to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. The word apóstolos in the Greek language means “one to be sent out,” “a delegate,” “an ambassador,” “a commissioner,” or “one sent on a mission.” According to our English vocabulary, Paul was “a missionary of Jesus Christ.”
Paul knew he was called to be an apostle by the will of God, not by the will of man. God appointed, anointed, and ordained him to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. People attempt to appoint men, but it is God who commissions and appoints them. Again, it is God’s doing and not man’s. With the call of God there is a specific task––a commission. That is why it is important for you to know who you are in Christ before you endeavor to do His will.
I saw something else that stood out to me in this verse. Between the words “Paul, an apostle” and “by the will of God” is the phrase “of Jesus Christ.” Listen, no one can ever be in the perfect will of God unless they first come though Jesus Christ. He is the Mediator between God and man: For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). So first you have to come to Jesus for salvation, then you learn who you are in Christ, and then you can become whoever God has called you to be by the will of the Father.
What has God called and commissioned you to do individually?
If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?
~David Livingstone~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
