If I asked, “How can I pray for you?” What would you answer? I am always deeply appreciative when someone thinks enough of me to take the time to pray on my behalf. In Ephesians chapter 1, the Apostle Paul explains why intercessory prayer is so important in the body of Christ. Paul informed the saints in Ephesians that he continuously prayed for them (vv. 16–17). Then he became even more transparent and shared with them specifically what he was constantly asking God to do for them.

First, he prayed for them to have the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” so they could know God better (v. 17). Second, he prayed for them to know the hope to which they were called, of being his “glorious inheritance” (v. 18). Lastly, he prayed for them to know the “incomparably great power” of God for those who believe in Him (v. 19). How great is this power? This is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and exalted Him to the right hand of God! In other words, He has all power and according to verse 22, He did it for the church!

Paul sets an excellent example for us to follow as believers. We should not only pray for one another but also know what to request on behalf of one another. He explains that it is very important for us to pray for one another lest we become prey. Paul understood this potential danger: “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all saints” (Eph. 6:18). It is a privilege to pray for fellow believers.

I have the privilege to serve as a professor at Moody Theological Seminary. When I was hired, I was informed of my benefits. Benefits include vacation time, medical coverage, or retirement savings plans. The older I get and the longer I work the more I see that benefits are just as important as the salary.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul was informing the church in Ephesus of the benefits we have received by being chosen in Christ. In the original Greek (vv. 3–14), Paul writes one long sentence that sets the tone for the rest of the letter, explaining what it means to be in Christ. “In Christ” or “in him” is mentioned at least 10 times in 12 verses and many more times throughout the letter.

Jesus Christ is the source of who we are and all we have as believers. He has chosen us, and as a result, “has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing” (v. 3). He has made us “holy and blameless in his sight” (v. 4). He has adopted us (v. 5). He has redeemed and forgiven us (v. 7). He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit and guaranteed us our eternal inheritance (v. 13). All this is done for the praise of His glory!

Unfortunately, many believers live without fully understanding the blessings we have in Christ. God has “made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (v. 9). Mystery refers to what was once hidden, but now God has revealed it to us. In this study of Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians, we will learn what it means to be in Christ and all it entails to the praise of His glory!

What does it mean to be “heavenly minded”? The negative stereotype is of a person whose head is in the clouds. Their hope is so fixed on the world to come that they are useless in this present world. I would say that today, we move too far in the opposite direction. We lean away from heaven and concentrate on the world. We are activists who would rather work than wait.

Heavenly-mindedness is, first of all, a way of thinking about ourselves in terms of our relation to Christ and the world. It assumes that a fundamental change in our spiritual condition has occurred. Our inclusion in the resurrection of Christ means that we have moved from death to life. We have been “raised with Christ” (v. 1). Paul is not talking about the believer’s bodily resurrection, which is still in the future but about our inclusion in the resurrection of Christ. When the apostle urges believers to set their minds on things above, he is not telling them to fantasize about heavenly life by dwelling on streets of gold and a “mansion just over the hilltop.” He is describing a mindfulness that begins with understanding Christ’s victorious position and its power to transform us (vv. 7–10).

To be heavenly minded is to live in a way that demonstrates the earthly effects of heavenly reality. But Paul’s assertion is more than a general exhortation to “be good.” It is a call to engage in an ongoing struggle with sin on this side of eternity. The sinful actions Paul lists have no place in the heavenly sphere. But willpower and discipline alone are not enough to defeat them. The cross is their only remedy because it has been made effective by the vindication of Christ’s resurrection and ascension.

What does it mean to be “heavenly minded”? The negative stereotype is of a person whose head is in the clouds. Their hope is so fixed on the world to come that they are useless in this present world. I would say that today, we move too far in the opposite direction. We lean away from heaven and concentrate on the world. We are activists who would rather work than wait.

Heavenly-mindedness is, first of all, a way of thinking about ourselves in terms of our relation to Christ and the world. It assumes that a fundamental change in our spiritual condition has occurred. Our inclusion in the resurrection of Christ means that we have moved from death to life. We have been “raised with Christ” (v. 1). Paul is not talking about the believer’s bodily resurrection, which is still in the future but about our inclusion in the resurrection of Christ. When the apostle urges believers to set their minds on things above, he is not telling them to fantasize about heavenly life by dwelling on streets of gold and a “mansion just over the hilltop.” He is describing a mindfulness that begins with understanding Christ’s victorious position and its power to transform us (vv. 7–10).

To be heavenly minded is to live in a way that demonstrates the earthly effects of heavenly reality. But Paul’s assertion is more than a general exhortation to “be good.” It is a call to engage in an ongoing struggle with sin on this side of eternity. The sinful actions Paul lists have no place in the heavenly sphere. But willpower and discipline alone are not enough to defeat them. The cross is their only remedy because it has been made effective by the vindication of Christ’s resurrection and ascension.

When a reporter from the New York Journal contacted Mark Twain to find out whether rumors that he was seriously ill or perhaps even dead were true, Mark Twain told him that the rumors had confused him with his cousin who had been ill in London and had recovered. “The report of my illness grew out of his illness,” Twain explained. “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

The opposite is often the case with legalistic spiritual systems. They assume there is spiritual life in those who are actually dead in sins. This was the spiritual condition of the Colossians when the gospel came to them. “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ,” Paul reminds them in verses 13–14. “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Because Christ took upon Himself the penalty for our sins, we are not bound by any custom, observance, or regulation that claims to make us right with God. Even the regulations in the Law of Moses were only “a shadow of the things that were to come,” while the reality “is found in Christ” (v. 17). The appeal of many of these legalistic systems is that they offer the appearance of holiness with the rigor of their demands. But in reality, they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence (v. 23).

When Paul tells us not to let anyone judge us in such matters, he means that we should not let them impose their practices and standards on us. For the Colossians, these were regulations about food, festivals, and observances. Righteousness is not earned by obeying rules.