"By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
The believers in Ephesus were rich beyond measure in Christ, yet they were living as beggars simply because they were ignorant of their great spiritual wealth. In the book that bears their name, Paul began by describing the vast spiritual blessings they have received in Christ (chapters 1 - 3). He continued in chapters 4 - 6 with how a Christian learns to live a life rooted in that spiritual wealth.
Reflecting these spiritual blessings are the "inalienable rights" described in the Declaration of Independence. John Dickinson, a Pennsylvania Quaker and a signer of the US Constitution, wrote this in the very year that the Constitution was adopted: "Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness-we claim them from a higher source-from the King of Kings and the Lord of all the Earth. They are not annexed to us by parchments or seals. they are created in us by the decrees of Providence, which establish the laws of our nature. They are born with us; and cannot be taken from us by any human power."
This posting is the second installment by Church Triumphant pastor Larry Burn’s in his ongoing series, We invite you to comment, ask questions, and join in a dialogue.
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