INTRO – Concerns for the Christian community in this prison. Monroe Community Complex, and especially the Washington State Reformatory Unit, has come through one of its most difficult two-year periods since the murder of C/O Biendl.

• All of you have been directly or indirectly affected by it.
  • Directly – Changes in callout system, more restricted movements. Reductions in activities beginning to flourish in 2010.
    • 4th of July BBQ with dogs & burgers.
    • Outdoor concert / program with Katie Souza.
    • Vegetable / floral program behind Gate 7.
  • Indirectly – Subtle perceptual changes;
    • Some institutional resistance to programming.
    • Blame attached to the chapel.
    • Added cynicism about religious programming.
• I have been affected by this tragedy. As some of you know, I was the chaplain at WSR until May of 2011.
• For over two years I have wrestled with the implications of the Biendl murder, and why God allowed it to take place in a consecrated house of God, indeed for her to be murdered on the stage, the altar of worship.
• I regard this murder to be an act of sacrilege, an attack on God’s holiness, committed not so consciously by the murderer but by God’s spiritual enemies – the devil and his kingdom.
• I believe God will always act to vindicate His holiness. I believe God will strike His enemy back hard, using the momentum of the enemy’s attack against him.

BIBLICAL CONTEXT – Ephesians likely written in the early 60’s, when Paul was a prisoner awaiting his trial before Caesar Nero. This period likely preceded the burning of Rome in A.D. 64 that moved Nero to scapegoat and murder Christians en masse. Paul wrote some of his most important epistles to the churches in this time: Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians; also Philemon. Acts was written about this time.

Ephesians is divided into two parts between the first three chapters, where Paul explains the mystery of the Gospel that he was called to reveal to the world, culminating at the end of chapter 3. Read Ephesians 3:14-19.

• The Prisoner of the Lord – v.1a Significant that Paul is writing this passage as “the prisoner of the Lord.”
  • Paul’s Appeal, “I… implore [beg, urge, beseech, appeal]. Parakalō – vb. of parakletos – Holy Spirit
  • “Ambassador in chains.” Eph.6:19-20.
    • Paul imprisoned unjustly for Christ’s sake as blasphemer:
      • Jews: blasphemy “Christ is Lord” = God.
      • Romans: Christians were “atheists”, religio illicita.
    • Paul chained to his prison cell, what you haven’t endured.
    • Fed only by the charity of other Christians.
    • Paul in the perfect will of God, in spite of suffering.
  • Paul found freedom in Christ that made imprisonment insignificant.
  • Paul trusted in God’s sovereign goodness in spite of affliction. He knew the eternal glory that would result (Rom. 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
  • There’s a message of hope for you that the deep truths expressed in this passage can apply here and now to you.
• SEEKING UNITY IN A PRISON COMMUNITY
  • Community Shaped by Imprisonment – Proximity.
  • Community shaped by common burden – past conviction, various degrees of guilt for violating society’s laws, burden of societal judgment – implied by the title “offender.”
  • Community shaped by hope from above to rise above present circumstance. You, too, are in God’s perfect plan.
  • Community yearning for the glory of God.
    • Opportunity of Circumstance. Prisons are relatively barren of outside pleasures.
    • Opportunity to seek God’s highest and your eternal reward in contrast to temporal pleasure (Mt. 6:19-21)
• SEEKING UNITY AS GOD’S WILL (vv.1b-3)
  • Walk Worthily of Your Calling (v.1b, 4b) NLT: “one glorious hope for the future.” Our unique calling
    • Our Calling
      • Made in God’s Image
      • Bear God’s Holy Spirit – uniquely bi-spiritual beings
      • Be God’s Children, members of His Royal Family = Princes of the Universe forever
      • God’s royal Priesthood. (1 Peter 2:9; Rev.1:6)
      • Vice-Regents of a Living Universe to Come
    • Your Self-Image Guides Your Destiny
      • You are a unique and unrepeatable miracle of God.
      • If you let the devil convince you you’re worthless, then you will treat others the same way and dishonor God.
      • If you see yourself as immensely precious to God you will conduct yourself with dignity and treat others the same.
      • You can only love others as you love yourself.
  • Live Lovingly (v.2) Paul explains, amplifies v. 1. “with all…”
    • Humility is the foundation of Christlike living, for “God… gives grace to the humble” (1.Pet.5:5-6; James 4:7)
      • Tapeiphrosuné – low estate, mean
    • Gentleness (praus – meekness, kindness)
    • Patience (makrothumias – longsuffering)
    • Forbearance in love (anechomenoi) 1 Pet.4:8; Prov.10:12
  • Preserve Unity (v.3) “…of the Spirit
    • Be diligent – we are expected to actively seek unity
    • Preserve the unity of the spirit – implies that the Spirit of God creates a unity that we must maintain. We don’t create the unity, Christ does.
    • Bond of Peace – shalom, harmony, well-being, tranquility.
    • Unity is God’s Revealed Desire for His People
    • Unity prayed for by Christ. John 17:20-22
    • Paradox of Christ’s prophetic and divisive message – apart from Him there is no unity.
• SEEKING UNITY IN GOD’S TRIUNITY – vv. 4-6
  • We are one Body.
  • God Exists in Perfect Unity. God is one Spirit.
    • God is Triune in Nature: one Spirit, 3 persons. Nicene Creed
    • The Unity of the Trinity is the Perfect Model for Human Unity
    • Unity with Submission to Higher Authority. The Father is the supreme authority. The Father has given the Son all authority. The Holy Spirit has all authority to glorify the Father through the Son.
    • The Paradox of Delegated Power – the higher the authority, the lesser the active use of power.
    • The Paradox of Delegated Power – the higher the authority, the lesser the active use of power.
  • One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
  • One God Father of All
    • God is Father of All by Creation
    • God is Father of All who Know Him in Covenant
    • “Over all, through all, in all” – God doesn’t indwell every human with Christ’s nature, but inside ontologically.

Conclusion – Seek Unity in the Spirit as life goal. Unity is the basis of power that brings revival.

Rev. 19:10, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”