Ephesians 1:18-19 – “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, responsibility and accountability echoed in my heart and mind.   The work of Grace and our personal responsibility challenged me deeply.

Too often we pray, “God, change me.”   He usually says, “I did.”   We want God to arbitrarily take things from us without any commitment or effort on our part.  That is the epitome of laziness and shirking responsibility.  God’s Grace opens the Door, and our commitment invests in the work leading to transformation.

The Holy Spirit challenged me with Ephesians 1:18-19.  My heart has eyes, and what my eyes focus on, my heart embraces.   In Ephesians 2:21-22, we discover that as we mature, make the needed commitment, and exercise the required restraint, we are molded into the Body of Christ as a functional part.

God has placed the five-fold ministries in the Church for a specific purpose. It is not hierarchy or even structure, but ministry.  They are there, gifted and commissioned to “equip.”   That requires cooperation and discipleship.   How long is that function?   It is Until.   Until?  Yes, until we all come into the Unity of the Faith and the Knowledge of Jesus as mature believers functioning in our gifts and calling.

In Ephesians 4:22-32, we have a detailed explanation of our personal responsibility.

• We Lay Aside (abandon) our former lifestyle.
• We become renewed in the Spirit of our Minds.

How? What we focus on and how we permit ourselves to live.

• We take definitive action to stop things detrimental to godliness.

Ephesians 5:15 tells us to pay close attention to how we conduct ourselves. Then in verses 18-20, he exposes the practice of becoming inebriated with any intoxicant other than the Holy Spirit.   With booze, you lose!   You lose control of your soul.

The key to maturity and living victoriously is found in Ephesians 6:10-18. Want to be strong? Put on or become one with the one who is strength, Jesus!   He is the Full Armor of God through the Holy Spirit.   He is the Truth. He is Righteousness.   He is the Good News.   He is Faith.  He is Salvation. He is the Word of God.  He is our Door to the Father through which we go in prayer!

We must do as Ephesians 4:23-24 instructs.   Lay aside our old self with the corrupt desires.   Become renewed in the spirit of our minds, enabling us to embrace the new self that is created to be like Jesus.   We lay aside anger, bitterness, and vileness.   Take to heart the warning of Ephesians 5:3-5. God will not overlook some things and expects us to rid ourselves of them.   He gave us Grace, which opens the Door to life.   We must walk through it.

Our accountability and responsibility are to utilize His Grace and cooperate in the transformation.   He saved us and will transform us as we cooperate.   We must make the choice!

It is time to “oil the shield” of our hearts.   Isaiah 21:5.    Embrace the ministry and indwelling of the Holy Spirit!