What Have We To Offer to God? What Is The Concept of Grace?

What Have We To Offer? The Concept of Grace.

Introduction:

As all of you know, I have been sick for the last five or six weeks. Initially, I thought it was just allergies, as I frequently have such attacks. But it persisted, and I became genuinely ill.

Alex took my place that next Sunday, and for the following weeks. I have missed a month of services, much of it in bed asleep, or trying to rest. Two weeks into my absence, I contracted Covid. But, when that went away. the symptoms from before continued. I felt pretty useless, and I truly was doing nothing constructive at all.

In the middle of all my “uselessness,” Ann fell and broke her wrist. Some of you saw the X-ray photos of the surgical repairs it took to repair the broken bones. Several people commented, “You really don’t need this!” But is that true? How do I know what is needed?

We Confess The Sovereignty of God

For the last twenty-three years, I have been one of the primary teachers at True Hope Christian Fellowship. I didn’t plan for that, nor did I seek that responsibility. But God had His plans.

For seven years, Richard Banham and I served side by side, as the primary shepherds here. Then he “graduated,” at nearly 89 years of age. Ever since then, I have asked the men of this church to start searching their hearts, to see whether God is calling them to begin the task of shepherding the Flock: feeding the Flock, along with me.

I warned all of them that the day would come when I would get sick, be in a car wreck, or in some other way become unavailable. The flock must have multiple shepherds who are prepared to step in and function.

Meanwhile, Ann’s parents had become increasingly frail: about five years ago, she had begun making their meals, just because they were no longer eating well or even cooking good meals for themselves. Their health improved temporarily, as she fed them, but their medical issues continued to pile up until they could not safely be left alone.

So, on April 21^st, 2022, Ann moved into her parents’ house as their full-time caregiver. Her own health was suffering, too, but there seemed to be no other options that were agreeable to all those involved. So, she continued serving there until a few weeks ago, when she broke her wrist.

After the initial shock and sorrow of knowing my wife was injured; after realizing that, because I was sick with Covid, I couldn’t even help her, it dawned on me that all of these circumstances were orchestrated by God. And I confessed the Sovereignty of God. He is in control! I am not!

**And, The Church Functioned as It Should Function**

I was blessed to see the other leaders in the church step in and do the work of feeding the flock. Numerous brothers and sisters called, offering to help in any way they could. Some brought food, which we are still eating today. Others brought flowers and cards. And so many prayed!

A monthly men’s meeting sprang up, upon which I have had no influence at all: and it is doing well. I have experienced great peace, knowing that the Lord is faithful to shepherd His Flock.

And, What About Ann’s Family?

They finally understand that Ann cannot continue as their caregiver. She still wants to help, but she is no longer physically stable enough to care for them herself. They have accepted the idea, and now they will be seeking other options.

It was a hard way to arrive at this conclusion, but the facts are clear, and no one can deny them.

So, The Question Is: What do We Have, That We Can Offer to God?

The truth is that we have nothing to offer the Lord but our faith, our love, and our obedience. There is nothing we can do to earn any of His care for us. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from our own self-destructive tendencies. We are not even able to stop sinning, without His controlling presence. We were slaves to sin, without Him as our Savior, and without His power in us today, as we submit ourselves to Him, we are still trapped by our old sin nature.

But What Does He Offer to Us?

Last week, we had a dead light bulb in one of the lamp fixtures here in the sanctuary. When the power is shut off, all the bulbs look dead. But they are not dead…they only look that way, and they act that way, just because they are temporarily separated from the source of power.

The dead bulb had faithfully lived out its useful life. It had to be replaced. But without the power of the electrical wiring in this building, none of the bulbs can function. They all “look dead.”

What is the Connection?

Similarly, each of us has been placed into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The moment you placed your full trust in the shed Blood of Jesus as God’s chosen sacrifice for your sins, He placed you into the Body of Christ, permanently!

Can you “disconnect from His power?” Yes! Very easily! Sin separates us from fellowship with God, just as surely as flipping the wall switch separates all the light bulbs in this room from the electrical power in this building. But they are still installed in the lamps! Their position has not changed! Only their condition has changed.

Please turn to John 15:4-14. Jesus used the object lesson of Grape branches receiving the power to live and to bear fruit, only from the living Vine that bore them. If a branch is disconnected from the vine for any reason, it cannot bear fruit. And humans find such “branches” useless, and they reject them. Notice it says that men gather those branches, and they are burned.

The Result of continued Sin

Christians who habitually separate themselves from the life-giving power of God through neglect, carelessness, or overt sin, eventually are rejected by the World. The World sees them as phonies, and their testimonies are rejected as false. They are called hypocrites, when in fact, they may just be colossal failures. They could be a genuine believer, but one whose life has become a shipwreck, and they can no longer serve their God.

We see examples of such people in scripture. It is disturbing to us, to read of how Lot became so entrenched in the culture of the World that no one could see a difference in him…and when he attempted to warn others of the coming judgment, they thought it was a big joke.

We saw how Samson became so ensnared by his sin that he gave up his holy calling: he was blinded, and he was enslaved by the enemy. And we confess that such things are still possible today. We look at world events and we wonder how the Lord could tarry much longer. We try to tell our friends and family that Judgment is Coming. How do they respond? Could we fail in the same way that Lot and Samson failed? (Yes, we can!)

So, Consider The Call of God

God called Isaiah in an unusual way. Isaiah did not see himself as being “superbly qualified to speak for God.” Quite the contrary: He saw himself as contaminated, “a man of unclean lips.” But, when he confessed his unworthiness to serve, God made him worthy! And then God said, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

Isaiah did not ask, “What’s the assignment?” He didn’t ask “What’s in it for me?” He blurted out “Here am I, Lord! Send me!” That is the kind of response God asks of us, too!

God declares us righteous on the basis of faith. We have no righteousness of our own. He confers that gift of His righteousness upon us when we confess that we have no righteousness of our own and that we need Him as our Savior, and we confess Him as God’s chosen sacrifice for our sins.

Then He begins to teach us to walk with Him. He loves us because we are His newborn children, born again, by the Living Word of God. God is pleased with our toddling efforts to imitate His Love and His Mercy. He leads us along as the lambs of His Flock.

This is The Concept of Grace!

That is how Grace works! It is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”…and it is freely given to us.

We cannot earn it, but, having received the gift of eternal life, we begin to see that, because we are His children, it makes perfect sense that we should “be about our Father’s business.”

If you have been born again, then you are the “called ones of God,” and you have a part in His work! What is it? I can’t tell you! But, if you walk with Him, He will lead you where He wants you to go.

He led us here, 23 years ago. I have no idea how long we will be allowed to continue. But each of you is called to walk with Him, individually, and to bless those around you as befits the children of God. Ephesians 4:16 says that every single part has a purpose in the Body of Christ. Walk with Him. Study His Word, and find out what He has for you to do!

Lord Jesus, we ask that each of us will be stirred by Your Holy Spirit and respond as the Called Ones of God. Teach us to walk in Your footsteps and to fulfill Your plan in each of our lives. Make us to be the Men and Women of God that you have called us to be.

October 18, 2024October 18, 2024

Three Points Are Needed In Our Testimony As Believers

The Testimony of a Believer

Ephesians 2:11-22

Introduction

Last week we took a rather quick trip through Ephesians chapter 2. Today we will go back and pick up some details.

We often hear people encouraging us to “share our testimony” with others. Sometimes that seems difficult to do. The fact that so many “celebrities” have given “dramatic” testimony on television, the radio, or in public forums doesn’t make it any easier.

We are left to think, “Well I guess I have nothing to say! I didn’t sell drugs on the street, or lead a motorcycle gang, or star in ungodly movies, or run a multimillion-dollar business, or anything like that, and I certainly don’t have a very interesting life.”

But drama is not what the believer’s testimony is about. We are told to very simply share our testimony, to present the good news of salvation, as if we were each just one beggar telling another beggar where to find free food.

What Makes a Salvation Testimony?

Every Christian, in the simplest analysis, has the same testimony:

I was lost
Jesus saved me
I am saved, and (hopefully) am enjoying my new relationship with God. (Details vary.)

Where is the “drama” in that? The only real drama happened at the Cross. If people want drama, they can read the gospel story, and see the crucifixion, and hear Jesus’s promise to the thief on the cross, “Today, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise!” That’s real Drama! And that part is true for every believer. We will be with Jesus forever.

Let’s look at Ephesians 2:11-22, and see what Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus, during the first century.

**Our Old Position**

The people to whom he wrote were all believers, but they were predominately Gentile believers. There had been at least a few Jewish believers in that church originally, and I assume that there still were, but evidently, it was mostly Gentile, and he addressed them as Gentiles, reminding them of their OLD position.

Remember, we have talked about positional truths so far, in most of the book of Ephesians. The subject is about to change to “conditional” truths: things that should be true of all believers, but often are not.

Remember!

Paul said, “Remember…” It is good for us to reflect on the facts of our life,

before salvation,
at the time of our salvation, and
in our life since then.

Paul told them (the Ephesians believers) to remember that they HAD been Gentiles in the flesh—born as heathens—with no connection with God. They were still “genetically Gentiles,” of course, but it no longer affected their relationship with God. The following twelve verses explain what changed, and what resulted from that change.

He said “…remember that you were “called the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision in the flesh, made by hands.” Those who called them that were only outwardly changed. In reality, they were just as separated from God as the Gentiles whom they scorned.

He said, “…at that time you were without Christ” (no Messiah was promised to the Gentiles, specifically—though the Messiah promised to the Jews was also the Messiah for the Gentiles—but most Gentiles knew nothing about the promised Savior.)

He said, “…you were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel…” (Israel rejected them, and the Gentiles were unable to join their ranks without major changes forced upon them.) He said, “…you were strangers from the covenants of Promise….” None of the promises to the Jews were specifically TO the Gentiles, though there were plenty that involved them.

We Were Without Hope

Paul pointed out that at that time, before their salvation, they were without hope, and without God—”lost as a ball in high weeds,” effectively. They were in the world, and lost; without hope and without God.

Now—did this only apply to the “bad” people— those who were criminals, or immoral, or something? No, it applied to ALL who were “without God.” That is always the deciding factor.

Think back to Genesis. When Noah went aboard the Ark, and his family went with him, and two of every kind of animal—what happened to those left outside? They all died. Just the wicked? I suppose that could depend on your point of view, since God says we all are possessed of a wicked nature—but good, bad or indifferent, everyone outside the ark was lost. And everyone who is without God (whether they know it or not) is also without hope.

A few verses back, in verses one through three of this same chapter, God described the lostness of the whole human race. And his solution, there (verse 4) and here (verse 13) is the same. In verse 4, it began, “…But God, who is rich in mercy…” here, in verse 12, it says, “But now in Christ Jesus…”

So, What Changed?

This is the transition, in everyone’s testimony. “Yes, I was on God’s ‘death row’, but Jesus died in my place!” or, “I was lost and didn’t even know it—I was just happily headed for Hell—but God sent someone to shine a light on my life, and let me see my lost condition, and Jesus became my Savior when I placed my trust in His shed Blood!” That is the transition, the change—the “What Happened” part of the story.

What does God say about that transition? He says that we have been brought near to God, by the blood of Christ, and that we are in Him. Though we were far away, we have been brought near, in Christ. See verse 13.

He goes on to say that Jesus is our peace, as he has made the two human groups (Jew and Gentile) who once existed side by side, but were always at odds, to be one group, healing the rift between them. In his own flesh, He abolished the enmity between Jew and Gentile.

And, How?

How did he do it? By completely fulfilling the Old Testament Law, that had stood as the divider, for all ages. He fulfilled it for himself, by living a perfect life.

But how did he fulfill it for me? I had already broken the Law, and the Law had only one thing to say to me…it said, “You must die!” Ezekiel 18:4 says “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” So Jesus fulfilled the Law for me…by dying in my place.

Turn to Galatians 2:19…There, Paul stated, “for I, through the Law, am dead to the Law, that I might live unto God.” Through Jesus keeping the Law for me, I am dead to the Law—when God’s Law looks at me, it sees a dead man, upon whom judgment has already been completed. There is no further condemnation because that judgment was poured out at the Cross. Now I can live for God. I am actually free to do what I was designed to do.

Back in Ephesians again…when Jesus had completed the fulfillment of the Law, he preached peace to us all—Jew and Gentile. Jesus himself had predicted this in John 10:16 by stating, “…other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” I’m not at all sure that the disciples understood that statement, but in light of the rest of scripture, it is pretty easy to see, and to know that this passage in Ephesians is making the same statement.

**What is Our New Position?**

The bottom line becomes the fact that we have all gained access to the throne of God by the Holy Spirit. The Jews assumed they had access because of being Jews, and because they professed to keep the law. But God says, in Romans 5:2 that we only have access to His Grace by faith—that is the access offered to the whole World.

Ephesians 2:18 states that, as believers, we have access to God, via the Holy Spirit. We cannot approach Him in the flesh. This is a key point to understand. We have been joined to Him permanently; we are saved eternally, but, in terms of relationship, we can only draw near to Him by the Holy Spirit. So, we have to learn to walk by faith, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, if we want to consistently have access to the throne of God. We do so via 1^st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Then we go back and obey again.

Still In Christ

Are we always “happy” in Christ? Nope. We get frustrated, and cranky, like a bunch of little children whining from the back seat, saying “Are we there, yet??” We still have an old nature…we are still sinners…just saved sinners. Sinners saved by grace. We either learn to walk with God, confessing our sins and learning to obey Him, or we live lives that are up and down…sometimes happy, sometimes not. As a little child, learning to walk, the secret to success is in getting up more often than you fall down.

What else does Paul say about our new position in Christ? He says that we are no more strangers and foreigners. God no longer sees me as a heathen. In fact, he says I am a fellow citizen of heaven, right along with all the saints that have gone before—and, more importantly, I am part of the family of God. I have been born again, and God is my real Father.

What does the Future Hold?

Together with all the believers of this age, we are being built together as a habitation of God. The Holy Spirit lives in each of us individually. But God lives in us collectively. And, collectively, we are called the Temple of God. I don’t feel like a “brick,” or a “doorpost”…but God says I am part of that living temple that He is building for his own glory and pleasure. And that is a good reason to learn to live for Him today. We are now the living temple of God!

We are already placed in His body, as members of the Body of Christ. He says we are currently being built together as a habitation of God. We want God to be glorified in us…so the book of Ephesians is written to that end. God wants us to know how to go about it. We have learned about our new position in Christ, and in the coming weeks, we will examine the rest of what God says about our walk with Him.

But, For Now:

In the meantime, remember that your testimony has three parts, just like the testimony of the Ephesian believers. You can accurately say, I was lost—I was without God. Then you can tell how you were saved…what Jesus did at the Cross for you, and when it was that you received Him as your Savior. Finally, you can tell what it has been like to live as a believer. It is not always easy, is it? Then say so! But then you can tell how Jesus has met your needs in the hard times.

The more frequently you share this story with others, the more natural and easy it will become. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.” Let’s begin to show that kind of wisdom, and look for opportunities to win souls, as He has commanded us.

Lord Jesus, open our eyes to the lostness of the world around us. Open our hearts to feel their pain. Help us to reach them with the Good News of the Gospel: the free food that was once offered to us, and which we now offer to others. Allow the light of Your presence to shine through us, to Your Glory.

October 5, 2024October 5, 2024

“Dead or Alive?” What Does That Mean, in the Bible?

Dead or Alive

Ephesians 2:1-7, 8-10

Introduction:

In the old days, they tell us, in the old west, a reward poster might be distributed, stating that a particular desperado was out and about, location unknown. He was judged to be so dangerous that a bounty was placed on him: a cash prize was offered for his capture..

They didn’t particularly care how he was captured, and the reward was payable for his capture or killing. They would pay the reward for his body as surely as if he were brought in alive. The trial had already occurred. He was already guilty of capital crimes. The law required his death, and they weren’t particular about how he died. So, the poster said, “Wanted: Dead or Alive….” Fortunately, times have changed. We don’t really do that anymore, today.

But the fact remains that those are the only possibilities for each of us, as well. We are either dead or we are alive. There is no gray area in between.

**We Were All Dead (Ephesians 2:1-3 (read it))**

¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

God says that we all were dead in sins. How did we get there? 1^st Corinthians 15:22 states that “in Adam, all died”. Notice that in the Corinthian passage, it is a past tense fact of something that happened…we died (past tense) in Adam.

**We All Have Been Made Alive (Ephesians 2:4-7)**

⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

In the Ephesian passage it is a past state of being: we “were dead” in trespasses and sins. This points to a change at some point. It does not say you “are dead”, but you “were” dead. Something has changed. The phrase “…you hath He quickened…” tells us what changed. The old English word “Quickened” means “made alive.” He has made us alive, who once were dead in trespasses and sins.

Positional Truth

We have talked in the past about the differences between positional and conditional truth. This passage is a key text regarding those concepts, because it clearly states that our position has changed, for those of us who have trusted in Christ as our blood sacrifice for sin. We were dead in sin, in Adam. But now we have been made alive in Christ, and are, now and forever, alive in Him.

God says we once were dead, and we now are alive. There are no qualifiers added. God simply states that to be the case. He does go on to elaborate on just how dead, and alienated from God we really were. He says (v. 2) we “walked in (trespasses and sins) according to the course of this world”…we went along with the whole world of sin, as a general life direction. And “according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” We went along with Satan, in his rebellion and pride.

All of Us?

Yes…we all had our way of life among the children of disobedience. Jesus wasn’t overstating his case in John 8:44 when he told the Pharisees that they were of their father the Devil, and that they would do as he did.

That was our old heritage, too! We acted like him, because we were effectively spawned by him. When Adam was persuaded to sin, Satan corrupted not only Adam but all his progeny. Jesus said that Satan was a “murderer from the beginning.” So, who did Satan kill, and when?

He killed all of us, when he caused Adam and Eve to die, spiritually. We all died in Adam. When we read 1^st Corinthians 15:22 “…in Adam all died; but, in Christ shall all be made alive.” (Where did we die? In Adam! )That is a location…a position. And that is where we all started out. We were born there. We were by nature (by birth) the children of wrath (v.3).

“But God…!”

This is what makes the difference in life… “But God…!” I was lost, but God saved me. They were blind, but God healed their blindness. We were dead in sins (yes, all of us!) but God, who is rich in mercy….

“Rich in Mercy:” That has to be one of the richest ways one can be rich. Is God rich in possessions? Sure! He owns the universe! He owns every atom of every element. God owns the material universe and the immaterial—all the spirits and souls are His as well…He made them. We aren’t even sure what a soul or a spirit is, nor the difference between them. But God knows!

When Did It Happen?

“But God, who is rich in Mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us: (remember that it was his love that took Jesus to the cross. Our sins may have driven the thorns, the nails, and the spear, but his Love, the agapé love, is what made him a willing target.) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive) together with Christ (by grace ye are saved). I have emphasized the words “were” and “are”…why? The tenses are vitally important here. We were dead in sins…past tense. We are saved by Grace.

This comes across as present tense in English, but in Greek, it is actually past participle, so “…have been saved” would be how we would say it. However, the old English is accurate as well, in that it correctly carries the flavor of “it’s a done deal”. We might say, “Well, I have been sick with the flu, too, but I am not today!” But, Salvation is not a temporary thing.

Jesus became the author of eternal salvation, according to Hebrews 5:9; and, more to the point, Hebrews 9:12 states that “…he obtained eternal redemption for us.” We have been eternally bought back out of the marketplace of sin, to be eternally set free. (But God…!)

**All Alive…Together with Christ**

But God …for His great Love, wherewith He loved us, (“Herein is Love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us.”) Even when we were dead… hath quickened us together with Christ. He has “made us alive”, together with Christ. He has raised us up together (with Christ,) and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. (Where? In heavenly places, In Christ!) All of this is true simply because you are born again. None of it has anything to do with your behavior or subsequent service. In fact, it all happened the moment you placed your trust in Him as your Savior. It has nothing to do with works.

And what is God’s purpose in doing so? He says it was so “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

We are to be “eternal trophies” of His Grace. We are already seated in Heaven with Jesus, according to this passage, and we will be with Him forever! God says so!

Now, What?

What do I do about the position in which I find myself?

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

In verses 8-10, we see what is supposed to happen: we have been saved (and are saved) by Grace, through Faith. That salvation was the gift of God…we did not earn it! But the new creation, our new self that was created the moment we were born again, was created unto Good Works. We are His workmanship; (His new creation, it says elsewhere) and our purpose is to bring glory to God through good works. In fact, it says that He has already prepared those good works for us to do. All we have to do is walk in them.

Our New Job

He gave a special assignment to the whole church: He made us ambassadors of His Grace to the lost world around us. But He prepares a specific path of good works for the individual believer, as well. And all we have to do is walk in them, by faith. Colossians 2:6 says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” How did you receive Him? By Faith! And that is how we walk in Christ as well: by faith, daily seeking His will and submitting ourselves to His hand.

You were dead in sin, but you have been born again, and you are now alive in Christ. Please learn to seek His face in prayer, and then allow Him to lead you.

Lord Jesus, teach us to rest in You, and not to be tormented by our frustrations and fears. We are confident of your Love for us. Teach us to rest in your Grace.

September 28, 2024September 29, 2024

What Should be the Result of Being “In Christ?”

In Christ—A Continued Study in Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15-23

Foundation for progress: Framework for prayer.

Introduction—Review

In our study of God’s Word, we find that some promises and commands are given to a single individual…and not to anyone else. Some are to a particular family or a particular nation. But, as a rule, the New Testament epistles are to every believer during the Church age. (The word “epistle” just means a “letter”—a written message. They are mostly instructions to the Church.)

A few weeks ago, we discussed positional truth; things that are true of us because we are in Christ. We learned some precious truths from Ephesians 1:1-14. As a brief review of our position in Christ: If you have placed your dependence upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, then:

Positional Truths

The book of Ephesians is written to you! (v.1)
You are one of the faithful in Christ Jesus. (v.1)
God has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ. (v.3)
God chose you in Christ, before the foundation of the world. (v.4)
You are holy and blameless before him, in His Love. (v.4)
You are predestined to be recognized as a full heir of God. (v.5)
Also, you are predestined to fulfill the good pleasure of His will. (v.5)
You are predestined to be to the praise of the Glory of His Grace. (v.6)
He has already accepted you “in the beloved” (that is, “in Christ”.) (v.6)
You already have been redeemed through His blood. (v.7)
You already have full forgiveness of your sins, according to the riches of His Grace. (v.7)
God has already abundantly blessed you in His wisdom and prudence. (v.8)
He has made known unto you the mystery of His will…one piece at a time. (v.9, 10)
Your inheritance in Him is secure. (v.11)
You will eternally be to his glory and praise. (v.12)
Your position in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit. (v.13)
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the “down payment” of the rest of the glorious inheritance promised to you. You are secure in Christ because He says so, and because the Holy Spirit is your guide, your guard, and your seal until the redemption of the purchased possession. (v.14)

A Foundation for Progress:

These precious promises are the foundation for everything that follows. All the instructions to believers are based on the security of our position in Christ. Without that foundation, none of what follows would be possible, and most of it would be incomprehensible.

In verse 15, Paul has drawn some conclusions: He says that, based on their faith, and their secure position in Christ, he is praying for them. Praying for what? That they should win the lottery? To “live long, and prosper?” No: He says he gives thanks for them, every time he thinks of them. But he goes on to pray for certain specific things.

¹⁵Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, ¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

A Framework for Prayer:

We can pray for any person, saved or unsaved. We can pray for physical health and prosperity for any person, saved or unsaved. But the things Paul chose to pray for, about the believers, can only be done for believers.

Without our foundation in Christ, none of what Paul is praying for is even possible. There is no point in asking God to fill an unbeliever with His wisdom, for instance. I will certainly pray for the health and welfare of non-Christians—but the very best thing I can pray for them is that they will be saved…that the Gospel will break through their resistance, and bring them to Christ. Believers are a different story: There are very definite things for which we ought to pray on their behalf. So, let’s see what Paul does ask for:

¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

“The Spirit of Wisdom”

Paul prays that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ will give unto the believers the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. This is not about the Holy Spirit, who is resident in the body of every believer, but rather the result of His work in the believer’s life.

When 2^nd Timothy 1:7 says God “did not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind,” He is not suggesting that there are several possible “spirits” he could have given, to be contrasted with the Holy Spirit, but rather that the result of the Holy Spirit in our lives should be that we are characterized by power, love, and sound thinking.

Similarly, because of the Holy Spirit’s work in my life, the Word of God should be increasingly open to me. I freely admit there are portions of God’s Word I have never understood. I am thankful that today I understand a good deal more of His Word, and of His character than I did 50 years ago, but I attribute this to God’s Grace, and His Holy Spirit, not to any particular strengths or gifts I possess, nor to hard work on my part.

“And of Revelation”

Paul prayed that the believers would be filled with God’s wisdom; and that He would reveal himself to them (remember they did not yet have the New Testament.)

We look for God’s revelation within the Written Word. Often, in my own study, I will suddenly “see” something that has always been there…a connection between two passages, or a pattern I had not previously grasped.

God continually reveals Himself to His people…just as Paul prayed He would. And He does so as His people seek to Know Him—that is, to gain an experiential, working, personal knowledge of the Living God (Gr. “ginosko”– in Spanish it would be “conocer.”)

This is not just being “aware of a fact.” There is a separate word in Greek for that—the word “eido.” (Spanish has this same structure: “saber” means “to know as a fact.” English lacks this distinction.) People may “know” that there is a God, for instance, but they can’t know Him personally until they approach him through Jesus Christ. And, even then, it will be a growing, deepening relationship, not a “once-met, fully-understood” idea.

“In The Knowledge of God”

So, how can we “Know God?” According to Proverbs 1:7, the beginning of such knowledge is the “fear of the Lord.” When we first recognize our sin and our hopeless guilt before the God who we now recognize as our Judge, we have experienced that initial fear of the Lord.

Then we approach Him as lost sinners, and we cast our hope upon His blood at the Cross. We still fear his displeasure, but now He is our Redeemer and our Savior. And now we can draw still nearer to him, as our provider, our teacher, and our friend. We read His Word, and we try to discern His will. And we pray, seeking to know His direction for our lives. We learn to love Him and trust Him more and more. And in the process, we learn a pattern of obedience, and we begin to reflect His likeness in our behavior.

Paul says this “relational knowledge” should produce the spirit of wisdom and revelation in our lives. His wisdom changes our behavior, and His constant revelation of Himself to us through His Word satisfies our souls.

Paul Prays that the “Eyes of Our Understanding” May be Enlightened.

¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Physical eyes are useless without physical light. People frequently talk about having good “night vision”, but even cats, owls, and other such nocturnal animals cannot see in total darkness. All eyes require at least some light…it is just that some require less than others. But the source of light for “the eyes of our understanding” is the Word of God, alone!

John 1:1, 14 states that Jesus is the living Word. Revelation 19:13 calls Jesus “The Word of God.” John 1:9, 10 says that He is the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the World!” Jesus is our only source of enlightenment. When Paul prayed for the eyes of our understanding to be “enlightened,” he expected it to be done through the agency of the Word of God—(Jesus, specifically, but the written Word, as well.)

So, what happens when eyes receive more light? Usually, they see more, right? So, what does Paul expect us to see, and understand, as our understanding is enlightened through God’s Word?

What Does Paul Expect Us to See and Understand?

We can understand and know what is the hope of His calling. God wants us to “dig in” and find out what it is He offers us…and truly understand the joy of what is yet to come. We are attempting to do exactly that in this study and others.
That we may know the riches of the Glory of His inheritance in the saints—not our inheritance in Him. I don’t fully understand this. I do know Jesus says his saints are a “treasure” to Him. But, quite frankly, I don’t see us that way. We are a bunch of rebellious, stubborn sinners, that He has somehow transformed into a body of believers. He has declared us to be righteous in Him. And it is literally so! But I can’t grasp that on an intuitive, emotional basis.

¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Three Words For “Power”

Paul also prays we will understand the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe…the same power that He used when He raised Christ from the dead. There are several words translated as “power,” in the Bible, and three of them are used in this passage. The most common one is “dunamis”—this is the word from which we get the word “dynamo” (a power-generating device) and the word “dynamic.” It is the “Can Do” power of God: The “Is there anything too hard for me?” power of God. This is the first word translated as “power” in verse 19. It is His ability toward us who believe.

The second word for power, in verse 19, is the word “kratos”—meaning “dominion:” Rulership… ruling over things or persons. Because God has dominion over all things, He could raise Jesus from the Dead.

²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

The Importance of Authority

But another word translated as “power” is “exousia”—it means “authority.” Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth…” and He meant authority. But the “dunamis” power (the “can-do” power) is also His. So, because He is the Ruler, God possesses both the authority and the ability to do anything He desires, in this world and the world to come. And, He wants to exert that power through us to reach the world around us.

Notice that in verses 20 and 21, Jesus was not only “raised from the dead:” He was set at the right hand of God the Father (the proper place for God the Son), and He is “far above” every other authority (power,) including not only all human authority but all super-human (angelic) authority. This is where the word “exousia” is used in this passage…to point out that the authority of Jesus Christ exceeds all other authority. The Father and the Son are in perfect agreement—there is never a conflict there. But when we fear that some local “conflict of authority” may “limit” God’s protection for us, God says His authority exceeds all others.

Jesus is The Head of the Body, the Church

²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

God has made Jesus the head of a new creation—the Church: His body. The Church, proper, includes “all believers from the day of Pentecost to the moment of the Rapture.” I don’t understand everything about that Body. Verse 23, says that we are His fullness: I don’t understand how that is so, but it refers to Church-age believers, only. Not the Old Testament saints. I don’t know why God does things the way he does—and that is OK. He is God: what He does is right, and good, and Holy.

Now, notice: in the short outline for prayer that Paul laid out, he talks about things that are far beyond our scope of natural understanding:

He wants us to fully know the Hope of His calling
He prays that we will fully know the Riches of His inheritance in the Saints…the Church!
God wants us to fully know the utter enormity of His limitless ability, His dominion, and His authority, which He applies on our behalf.

And with that enlightenment of “the eyes of our understanding,” we have a reasonable hope of understanding at least a fair amount of it. All of the wisdom, understanding, and joy he offers is dependent upon us seeking a growing, deepening relationship with Jesus, the author of wisdom. This is a conditional promise, unlike the “positional” promises in the first 14 verses. Backing up further, it all depends upon our being “IN Christ” in the first place. The prime “condition” to all these promises, is our position in Him: having received Christ as our Savior.

Conclusion:

The first question, then, has to be: “Where are you today, in your own life?” Are you in Christ? Have you placed your trust in Jesus’ shed blood as full payment for sin? If so, then you are “in Christ,” a member of His body, and you are heir to all the things in Ephesians 1:1-14. The promises and blessings in the first 14 verses are all unconditional. If you belong to Jesus, then all those things belong to you, permanently. Salvation is a gift: it is completely dependent upon what Jesus did at the Cross. All God asks is that you place your faith in His completed work.

However:

The things in the last nine verses are conditional…they depend first upon your being a believer, and second, upon your choosing to grow!

We must choose to deepen our relationship with God. And, even while consistently choosing to draw near to God, there is an endless continuum, in which we can continue to grow; from today until the day when He takes us home forever.

Rewards are not a gift; they are dependent upon our obedient response in this area. If, as a believer, we choose to go our own way, we will not lose our position in Christ, but our condition will surely suffer, and our rewards will certainly diminish.

Whatever your position or condition today, I pray that you will respond to the call of God, and draw near to Him. May the Lord give you the strength to do so.

Lord Jesus, fill us with the desire to know You personally, and to learn to learn to walk with You.

September 21, 2024September 21, 2024

What is the Result of the “Federal Headship” Doctrine?

Romans 6:1-10; compare Romans 5:12 and 1^st Corinthians 15:22

Introduction:

Two (and three) weeks ago we talked in detail about our new position in Christ, reading from Ephesians 1:1-14. Last week we talked extensively about the concept of Baptism, specifically how we were baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. Today we will look at both our position in Christ and that Baptism by the Holy Spirit, reading from Romans 6:1-10.

In the past, we talked briefly about the doctrine of “Federal Headship.” Since Romans 6 is so heavily involved with that particular doctrine, it seems good to spend more time with it today.

Romans 5:12

If you remember anything of the previous teaching, you will remember that when Adam sinned, we sinned with him…in him. God counted Adam’s fall into sin as our fall into sin> He acted as our representative. As a race, we have consistently demonstrated the truth of that bit of history, in that all of us continue in sin, to varying degrees.

Adam exercised his authority (probably unknowingly; truly ignorant of the outcome) to make a decision on behalf of the whole human race. He became the head of the entire fallen race of Man. We had no real choice in the matter, though it is evident that we would have made the same choice as Adam did. Collectively, we were “dead in sin,” as Paul teaches in Ephesians chapter two.

1^st Corinthians 15:22

But the other side of the Federal Headship concept is the fact that Jesus is the head of a new Man. Jesus exercised His authority as well; in full knowledge of what he was doing, to make a decision for all of humanity. But in this particular case, God gave us a choice. We can stay “in Adam,” where we were born, or we can be transferred into Christ via the new birth. Today, the text in Romans 6 speaks to those who already consciously have chosen to trust in Jesus’ blood sacrifice: those who already have been born again as members of that “New Man.” This letter is to the members of the Body of Christ.

Romans 6:1-10

Dead to Sin

Just as we fell into sin with Adam, and were dead in sin, we were crucified with Christ and are dead to Sin. We have no consciousness of either one. Both actions were done on our behalf. The one was done without our knowledge, and we had no personal choice—it is simply a fact. The other was also done without our knowledge, but, having heard the Gospel, we did have a choice: we could either receive that gift of Eternal Life, through Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection… or reject it.

We know, too, that Grace came, in the Person of Jesus Christ, as God’s only solution for Man’s sin. So, Paul first poses the question,

¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ²God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Should we sin more to get more Grace? Absolutely not! It is unfitting for us to remain in sin, because that is no longer where we live! We are dead to sin. This is Paul’s opening statement of fact, and upon its truth and exactitude hangs all the rest of the argument.

How Are We Dead To Sin?

How can Paul say that we are dead to sin? I certainly don’t feel dead! On the other hand, I doubt that I would have said I felt “dead to God,” before I was a believer. I felt pretty alive, and wouldn’t have even understood the concept of being “dead to God.”

Think back, though: when Adam fell into sin, he died spiritually the moment he physically ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was separated from fellowship with God. Yes, 930 years later, his spirit was separated from his body, as well. We call that “physical death.” But at the moment he ate that fruit, his spirit was separated from God. He died spiritually.

God’s Intervention

Had God not intervened with Grace, and restored fellowship, Adam would have been lost… permanently separated from God. In my own case, as an unregenerate man, I was separated from God… I was dead to God. I was born that way. Had I physically died in that state I would have been eternally lost. That is the simple truth.

But now, being joined to God through Jesus’ sacrifice and by God’s Grace, I am “separated” from sin as a principle. In God’s sight, I have been separated from my old sin nature, because He gave me a new nature in the new birth. Now it is possible for God to fellowship with me, and it is possible for me to love Him…because I have a new nature.

From God’s perspective, the old sin nature is dead. He does not propose to patch it up, correct all its ills, or restore fellowship to it. If we read Romans 8:7, we can see that the old sin nature is (still…present tense) antagonistic toward God, and it cannot be made subject to Him. God says it can’t be done.

So, the only way He can redeem a fallen human is to offer them a new birth. The old sin nature had to be set aside. I have not lost my old sin nature, but I am “separated” from it. God wants fellowship with the new Me; He does not seek to change the old Me; but rather to let it starve as He feeds the new Me. So, how did I die to sin, then?

Baptized into Death

³Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

The baptism to which Paul refers, here, is not water baptism. There is no water in this passage. Water baptism is only an object lesson—a picture, or a demonstration— of something real that has already happened. Water baptism (in the New Testament) is reserved for believers because it announces that the baptism by the Holy Spirit has already occurred…that the believer has been placed into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. (1^st Corinthians 12:13)

So, Water Baptism announces what has already happened: I have been separated from my old sin nature, because Jesus’ death is reckoned as my death. I died with him: just as I died in Adam, and was lost, I have been crucified with Christ, and my sins have been dealt with at the Cross. I am separated from my old sin nature through that death. When did it happen? The moment I trusted His completed work at the Cross as being full payment for my sins. At that moment, the Holy Spirit placed me into the Body of Christ, though I was completely unaware of it.

But Paul says that “death with Christ” is not all I gained there: I also gained eternal life!

Baptized into Life

⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Just as I was fully identified with Adam in his sin and his spiritual death, and I was born that way, I am now fully identified with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection, to the extent that God expects me to start living in that reality. Why?

Because I have been re-born that way. In short, He says that because I already have been re-born a literal child of God, I am to begin acting that way. And his reasoning is very clear: he says that I am dead to sin—separated from it. I have a moment-by-moment choice to make as to which nature (old or new) will be manifest and prominent in my daily life. I am to “walk in the newness of life.” As I mature in my Christian life, that walk will become more consistent.

Two Natures

When I started Bible school, one of the staff members had two children living there in the school: I assumed they were much older than they truly were. The older girl seemed to be in her early twenties, but occasionally she acted like a 16-year-old. Her brother seemed to be ten or twelve, but occasionally he acted like a five-year-old. This was very irritating until I learned that she actually was 16 and he actually was five (but large for his age.) Both usually seemed fairly mature, but both kids occasionally just “acted their age!”

Sometimes Christians are under the control of the Holy Spirit, and we are impressed with the grace in their lives. Occasionally they “act their age,” so to speak, and behave like “natural” men. (And, YES, it is sin!) But that does not make them a hypocrite—it proves that they have two natures, just like you! We need the constant control and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives to have any sort of consistent walk with Him.

The next phrase (verse 5) assures me that since I have been buried with him (in him—this is what Federal Headship implies), then I shall be (future tense) also in the likeness of His resurrection. From the moment I was born again, when I believed the Gospel and received Christ as my Savior, I’ve been guaranteed a resurrection, to be with Him and like Him forever!

A Done Deal

In fact, in Ephesians 2:6, he states that God has already “raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.” There’s that “location clause” again. This is positional truth. The only conditions are the ones laid down by Jesus himself: (John 5:24) “He that heareth my words and believeth on Him who sent me…” Those who have heard the Gospel and believed it—placed their full trust in the completed work of Jesus at the Cross, are placed into Christ, and they are safe in Him forever.

The identification is so complete that God views it as already done. He will never again see me as a lost sinner; my old self is separated from the new me—“dead”—and the new person (created at my new birth, whether I knew it or not) is free forever from the curse of the Law. What an amazing change! My old position, in Adam, left me completely doomed. My new position, in Christ, leaves me completely blessed, and fully accepted by God.

What Should the Result Be?

⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin.

If I know that I am dead to sin, and dead to the Law, what should the result be? I should begin to place my trust in that fact, and not give in to the desires of sin anymore. This is not just self-control; it’s recognition that those desires are no longer “mine”—they are the desires of my old sin nature, and, though it still exists within me, it is an “enemy within the gates”, so to speak.

I have to be conscious that it is there, recognize its movements and inclinations, and defend my heart against them. Fortunately, I am not alone in this battle. I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He is faithful to warn me and to guide me, so that I can see what to avoid.

Only By the Spirit

Is it easy? No! In fact, without the constant empowering and enabling of the Holy Spirit, it is utterly impossible. Unbelievers, through self-control, can appear to be good persons, and do good things, and avoid bad things, etc., but their actions are still controlled by their old sin nature (the only one they have as an unbeliever.) So, the scripture says (Isaiah 64:6) that even their “righteousnesses are as filthy rags”; and so are mine, if I try to “do good things” in my own fleshly power and motives. This is true of the whole human race.

I have nothing to offer God except my new nature, and the work the Holy Spirit can do through me. As an unbeliever, even my thoughts and prayers were corrupted by who I was as a sinner. The only prayer of an unbeliever that God commits Himself to answer is the one that confesses Him as Savior and places faith in His Grace.

God’s Guarantee

⁸Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

God has given us a guarantee that we will live with Him eternally; He asks us to start living in that reality today—now. He says that since Jesus can never die again, and can never be tested again, and has paid the price for sin, once-for-all, we should take heart from that fact and step forward into the liberty He offers us as well. As a result, He says we can be free from the ravages of sin in our lives!

We do not have to be torn apart by fear, jealousy, pride, anger, and lust. We can be free from the destructive, conflicting desires of our old nature, only because we are part of a new creation. It is because we have been separated from our old nature to the extent that we no longer have to obey it. I will freely tell you, however, that while this is completely true, I certainly have not mastered this concept. I find it a very difficult idea to grasp.

Next time we will discuss how that is supposed to work.

Lord Jesus, lead us into the truth of your Word. Enable us to walk in the newness of life!

September 7, 2024September 7, 2024

In Christ—Comparing “Position” and “Condition:” Part Two

“In Christ”—Comparing “Position” and “Condition”

© C. O. Bishop

Introduction

Last week we began examining the difference between our “Position” in Christ, and our “Condition” as His people. In the process, we spoke briefly about the difference between being born into the family of God through the new birth, and being “adopted.”

I tried to point out that human adoption, as we know it, always means taking someone who is not your offspring (the Greek word is “teknon”, meaning “born-ones”) and declaring them to be your child. It means legally taking responsibility for their well-being. This is true whether the overall experience is wonderful, good, bad, or terrible; and, regardless of the motives involved.

Good and Bad

There are wonderful examples (and we have personally known many of them) of people who adopted and reared numerous children, with wonderful results. The children grew up considering the couple who cared enough to shelter and provide for them and loved them unconditionally to be their “real” parents, because, as one woman told her son, “anyone can plant seeds: it takes a farmer to raise a crop.”

On the other hand, I have personally known families who deliberately adopted large numbers of children, to use as labor on their farm, or for other nefarious motives. The same is true for those who have biologically produced lots of children for similarly bad motives. The real issue becomes the question of “parenting” at that point, not whether one human is the biological source of another human’s genetic makeup.

I have known people whose only memories of their father (sometimes multiple “fathers,”) were bad…terrible. Their experiences were so negative, and the abuse had been so horrific, that when they hear the words, “Heavenly Father” they are repulsed. All their experiences were terrible, at the hands of those who claimed that position, so they cannot think of God in those terms. They are emotionally damaged, and only the Lord can heal their hearts.

He is the perfect parent and caregiver, and our very best example.

Identification

Sometimes agencies government attempting to solve a crime, or, perhaps trying to verify a claim upon an estate, use genetic mapping to determine family relations. When people insist that they are the offspring of some rich celebrity who recently died, DNA sampling may be the only way to defend against a false claim or to prove a legitimate claim to an inheritance.

In the case of solving a crime, however, police agencies often have a DNA sample from a crime scene, and they hope to find the person to whom it belonged. In recent years, they have used computer databases to find family connections, and then find those families and investigate whether some relative of theirs could have been in the area where the crime was committed at the time it happened. Occasionally, that method results in positive identification of the perpetrator, and justice may be served.

Spiritual Identification

In John 3:7 Jesus told Nicodemus “You must be Born Again!” 1^st Peter 1:23 says that we have been “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” And, in Revelation 19:13, we see Jesus identified as The Word of God.

In 1^st John 3:9, God says that the implanted Word has another effect: we cannot remain in the same old patterns of sin. He says we cannot continue to practice sin, because His seed remains in us. The Prodigal Son, while feeding the pigs in a far country, had been a Son, all the time, but he reached his limit, realized that he did not belong there, and he chose to return to his father’s house. The fact that he was a Son is what eventually turned him away from his foolish behavior.

How are the Children of God Identified?

In 2^nd Corinthians 5:17, God specifically points out that we are a New Creation in Him!

The only sure identification we have as God’s Children is the one that God can see: He sees us as his offspring from the moment we are born again. Lot was of God’s offspring, by faith, just as his uncle, Abraham was. But, Abraham lived his faith, as a rule: Lot did not.

If we only had Genesis chapters 13-19 to work from, I would have guessed that Lot was probably not a believer. But 2^nd Peter 2:7, 8 says that he was! God said Lot was a “Just man”…a Righteous man! God only declares sinners righteous through faith. Abraham believed God’s promise and God credited it to him as Righteousness. That is the only way anyone has ever been declared righteous by God. So, we conclude that Lot must also have placed his faith in God, though it had very little outworking in ways that we can observe.

It Depends on Who is Looking

Other humans identify us by our appearance…the things we do and say, and how we treat other people. God sees the heart. Other humans may refuse to admit that a person who commits some specific sin could be a believer. Scripture teaches us that, while the implanted Word does make some changes, it does not make the same change in every individual, and the outward appearance is not a reliable proof of a person’s spiritual identity, either way.

There are “good people” who are “as lost as a ball in tall weeds,” and people like Lot, and like Samson, whose lives do NOT reflect the Grace of God, nor His righteousness, but whom God has claimed as his own.

How Does God See Us?

God identifies us through His implanted Word. He speaks. We either believe His Word, or we don’t. When you first took God at His Word and believed that Jesus’s Blood was the full payment for your sins, He implanted His Word in you, and you were born again. At that same moment, the Holy Spirit placed you into the Body of Christ. You are now in Christ. And He is now in you! You have been permanently identified with Him. You have his spiritual “Genetic code” planted in you, if you want to use that illustration. (Be careful with that idea: I only mean it as an illustration.)

The credentials God requires, however, for us to enter His eternal presence include having been born again into His family.

But, What about Adoption?

As we taught, last week, the New Testament concept of Adoption is that “God takes all those who through the new birth are already His offspring, and declares them to be His heirs.

Romans 8:23 tells us when that will happen. Romans 8:15 says we already have the Spirit of Adoption. But the Adoption itself…the “placement of Sons, ” as we read verse 23, will come when we get our new bodies.

Moving On With Ephesians Chapter 1

Ephesians 1:8-14

⁸ Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

God says he has abounded his Grace toward us in all wisdom and prudence. We may try to “do our best,” perhaps, but the fact is, we cannot say this of ourselves regarding how we raise our children—we may try to abound toward them in Grace, love, wisdom, and prudence, but each of us who is honest looks back and says, “There are some things I wish I had done differently.”

God will never have to say that—His character is so completely perfect that he never has to struggle over a decision—he does what his character demands that he does, and it is always exactly right—full of His Grace, Love, and Wisdom. God never blesses indiscriminately—He blesses to produce more blessings and more righteousness.

⁹ Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

This may refer to the mystery God is going to reveal through Paul, in chapter 3—or it may simply be the fact that in all the Word of God, he has revealed the mystery of His will at one level or another. No one ever got the whole picture—they all got pieces of the picture. Even though we have the completed Bible, we still don’t know the meanings of many of the prophecies yet to be fulfilled. So, although it could be in reference to the general revelation, I suspect it refers to the specific revelation coming about two pages later… a foreshadowing, if you will. This is borne out in verse 10:

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Verse ten says, as a continuation of verse 9, that the mystery is the fact that God intends to join together in one, things previously kept separate, namely, as we will see in Chapter 3, the Jewish and Gentile believers.

A Secure Inheritance

¹¹ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

According to verses 11 and 12, the things that follow are guaranteed to be eventually true in us, because of our position in Christ. The inheritance is ours, period. We will be to the praise of His Glory. Who will? Those who have trusted in Christ. Not just the believers of the first century—all of us!

How Does it Work?

¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

How did we get saved? We heard the word of truth, the Gospel, and we believed—then, he says, the immediate result was that we were sealed, by the Holy Spirit—where? It says we were sealed in Christ! If the Holy Spirit has sealed you in Christ, you are saved! You are secure!

¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Paul concludes by saying that the “Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance…” the “down payment.” if you will. He is with us for the duration, to give us the confidence to know that our inheritance is secure in Him, and the guidance to know how to live for God.

For how long? Until we sin too much? Nope! It is “…until the redemption of the purchased possession.” In other words, we are sealed in him, and The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until Jesus comes to take us to Himself.

Conclusion

So, what have we found to be true of us, based on our position in Christ? Let’s review: If you have placed your dependence upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, then:

The book of Ephesians is written to you! (verse 1)
You are one of the faithful in Christ Jesus. (verse 1)
God has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ. (v, 3)
You were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. (v. 4)
You are holy and blameless before him, in His Love. (v. 4)
You are predestined to be recognized as a full heir of God. (v. 5)
You are predestined to fulfill the good pleasure of His will. (v. 5)
You are predestined to be to the praise of the Glory of His Grace. (v. 6)
You are already accepted in the beloved (Christ.) (v. 6)
You already have been redeemed through His blood. (v. 7)
You already have full forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace. (v. 7)
God has already abundantly blessed you in His wisdom and prudence. (v. 8)
He has made known unto you the mystery of His will…one piece at a time. (v. 9)
Your inheritance in Him is secure. (v. 11)
You will eternally be to his glory and praise. (v. 12)
Your position in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit. (v. 13)
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the “down payment” of the rest of the glorious inheritance promised to you. You are absolutely secure in Christ because He says so, and because the Holy Spirit is your guide, and your guard; and He seals you in Christ until the redemption of the purchased possession. (v. 14)

The Foundation is Laid

These precious promises are the basis…the foundation…of all that follows in the book of Ephesians. All the instructions to believers are based upon the security of our position in Christ. In the coming weeks, we will continue to learn from Ephesians what God would have us to know about our relationship with Him.

Please take the time this week to read back over these truths, in Ephesians chapter one, and reflect on what it means to be in Christ. We will talk about it more in the coming weeks. Next week there will be several baptisms, here: We will see how both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are testimonies of the Gospel.

Lord Jesus, please awaken in us the heartfelt desire to know You for who You truly are, and to rest in You as our final refuge. Give us a heart to obey You and to honor You with our lives.

August 31, 2024August 31, 2024

Compare your “Position” In Christ vs. Your “Condition”

In Christ—Comparing “Position” and “Condition”

(Part One)

Ephesians 1:1-7

Introduction:

Recently, questions have come up in our Bible Studies which convinced me that we should take a break from 1^st Corinthians. We need to address some foundational truths in Ephesians. Please turn with me to the book of Ephesians, chapter one.

Ephesians 1

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: ² Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

To The Believers

The Apostle Paul initially addressed his Epistle to the church at Ephesus, but he used words showing that it truly is addressed to all believers, everywhere, throughout the Church age. The first major theme is that the believers are “in Christ.”

Paul said the letter is to the Saints at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. That includes all the believers of the Church age. He offers to all believers the Grace of God which results in the Peace of God. Another thing: he referred to the believers as “Saints”…we tend to think of saints as “super-Christians.” But the word means “holy; sanctified; set apart for God’s purpose”—it does NOT mean problem-free, or sinless.

The saints here are the “faithful in Christ Jesus”—and if you are a believer, that includes you. (Notice it does not say, “…those who are faithful to Christ.” but rather “…those who are the faithful in Christ”) That means the believers—this letter is addressed to you—these truths apply to you. (Listen carefully, because the book of Ephesians is a letter from God to you.)

**Grace, then Peace**

Now: notice that Grace always precedes Peace in the Christian experience. This is especially true at Salvation, where God’s Grace had to be extended to me before I could have peace with Him. But, it is also true in daily life, where I continue to need God’s Grace to experience His peace. The one peace is the peace with God; the other is the peace of God.

One is named in Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Compare Ephesians 2:8, 9 “By Grace are ye saved through Faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” ) Romans 5:10 says that we were enemies of God. But now we are at peace with God.

The other (the Peace of God) is identified in Philippians 4:6, 7. “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the Peace of God, which passeth all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I need to seek God’s Grace all the time—He is my sustenance, and by His Grace, I live. He’s the true source of peace. Peace with God means God no longer holds my sins against me. His Justice and Holiness were truly satisfied at the Cross. The Peace of God is what sustains me in everyday life—especially in rough times. But both are the result of His Grace.

All Spiritual Blessings

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

It is strange, how we extend our blessing back to God…but we do—and it is something that is very consistent throughout the scripture. It would seem logical that only He can bless us…but the reality is that we also bless God. It is a form of worship.

And the next thing it says is that He has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. This is the introduction to the next section…He says four things:

God has blessed us—(that’s past tense…He already blessed us)
With all spiritual blessings—(there is nothing lacking)
In heavenly places—(not all the blessings are visible: we accept His blessing by faith.)
In Christ—(the blessings are in Him, and they are ours because we are in Him.)

All Spiritual blessings are already yours, because of your relationship with Jesus Christ. This is called a positional truth. If you have received the Lord Jesus as your Savior, all the things in this passage are already yours. Some may argue that this statement only means that the blessings are in Christ, but we will see that not only are we “In Christ.” but we are also “seated in the Heavenlies” with him, though we certainly don’t feel that way. Ephesians 2:6 says you are already seated in the heavenlies. But, most importantly, you are in Christ.

There Are Two Possible Positions (Locations):

1^st Corinthians 15:22, lists two positions: “in Adam,” and “in Christ,” with the results of each. These two possible positions (or locations) can be compared with the same relative positions regarding Noah’s Ark. When the flood came, everyone on earth was in one of two places—they were either in the Ark, or they were not in the Ark. Similarly, everyone today is either in Christ or not in Christ…in which case they are still in their natural state, “in Adam.” Let’s see what the Bible says is true about you, because you are in Christ.

⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

This is where it says we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. Now I could take that at least two different ways. I could say that “we” who believe were chosen in Christ (that is, as a group—“those who would believe”) or I could say that each of us were hand-picked for his glory. And I believe both are probably true.

Why Two Positions?

1st John 2:2 says Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but not all people choose to receive Him. The majority do not! In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” But, in John 12:32, He also said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” His Grace is extended to all, but not all believe.

This agrees with John 1:12 “…but as many as received Him, to them gave He power (exousia: “authority”) to become (genesthe: “be generated as…born as”) the sons (the word here is tekna: “children”—literally, “born-ones”) of God, even to those who believe on His name.”

There is an element of personal choice, as confusing as it may sound. To be honest with God’s Word I have to teach both ideas—God’s Sovereignty, and Man’s free moral agency. It is a powerful, precious, and dangerous gift, this gift of choice. Use it wisely. Choose Christ.

We are Chosen to be Holy and Blameless before Him.

This is in the context of positional truth, so I’ll address it that way first. You are holy to God—you are blameless in His sight. This is simply a fact, (Ephesians 4:24 says that our new nature…the one we received at the new birth, is “created in righteousness and true holiness.”)

This is a positional truth…it is true because you are in Christ. Now: based on that reality, you are also called to live a holy life and to live a blameless life. But God says He will give you both the will and the ability to do it. Philippians 2:13 says “It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Our position does not dependon our condition. We will talk more about position and condition. For the moment, remember that:

“Position” is WHO you are, and WHAT you are, because of WHERE you are (In Christ!)
“Condition” is HOW you are doing, and WHAT you are doing.

Practical Application

Your position in Christ is perfect: your condition may be terrible. Samson was in terrible “condition” as a believer—but his position was perfect.

Lot was in such bad shape as a believer that no one would have guessed he was one. But in 2^nd Peter 2:7, 8, God says Lot was a righteous man. As believers, because we are in Christ, our lives are lived under the mantle of God’s unconditional Love. He no longer sees us as lost sinners. He sees us as His dear children, born to Him by the new birth. Therefore, He brings us along, step by step, as He molds us into His own image. He is pleased with our toddling efforts to learn to walk with Him. He no longer condemns us for our failures.

What is Biblical Adoption?

⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

As believers, we are predestined to what God calls “adoption.” (The Greek word is huiothesis:) It means the “placing of sons.” It is a legal term, an official term: not a familial term. Adoption is not how you became a child of God: Adoption is how you, as a born child of God will be recognized as a full heir of God. This idea comes from Greek and Roman society, where a man had to officially recognize an heir, before that child was recognized as a “Son”—a “huios.”

Romans 8:23 says the completion of that process will not happen until you receive your new body. We already have been born again, begotten of God. We are called “teknia:” His “born-ones”—His offspring… His little children. But we will not be fully established as Sons, until we are with him. However, we have received the Spirit of adoption, according to Romans 8:15.

No Confusion Needed

To avoid confusion, it is good to understand the difference between the kind of “adoption” that is common in our society and the one that is spoken of in the New Testament. In our society, adoption always means “taking responsibility for someone who is not your offspring and treating them as someone who is your offspring.” But, the Bible word “adoption” always means taking your own offspring, and declaring them to be your legal heir.

Remember that in our form of adoption, our adopted child will never take on our genetic characteristics, because they were not born to us. In the New Testament, while Jesus declared that not all are God’s children, He also said that all could become God’s literal children by faith, through the new birth. The invitation is to “whosoever believeth in Him.”

Incidentally, it is probably good to notice that it is “according to the good pleasure of HIS will” that He does this—not because we want Him to, or any other reason. He is the Sovereign God and the Eternal Father. (Do you want something to think about, and puzzle over? Read Isaiah 9:6, 7—Then ask yourself, “Who is the Everlasting Father?”)

What Will Be The Result?

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

I will be “to the praise of the glory of His grace!” By His Grace, He has (past tense) made me accepted in the Beloved…I’m accepted by God, in the Beloved(Jesus Christ.) There’s that “position” thing again…because I am now found in Christ, I am accepted by God in Him.

I can’t overstate the importance of your position in Christ: If you are not in Christ, then none of these things are true about you. They don’t apply. You are not accepted, not predestined to the adoption of sons, etc. So. Where is the “dividing line?” How do I know whether I am “in Him?” Well, that is the next verse!

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

The redemption is through His Blood. If I have placed my dependence in His Blood, as the only possible payment for my sins, then I now have redemption in him. I have now been “bought back” out of the marketplace of Sin. Redemption is a precious concept. This Greek word, “lutroō,” means to be set free—it is used together with another word (exagorazo) meaning “bought out of the marketplace, not to be sold again.” They mean I have been bought out of the slave-market of sin, with the express purpose of being set free, forever. (Wow!)

How Can We Know for Sure?

So, “How can I know if I am in him?” The answer is fairly simple—it is on the strength of Jesus’ promise in John 5:24. “Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”

Because of that promise, I can confidently say: “If you have heard the good news of Jesus’ death for your sins, and His resurrection, and have placed your faith in His finished work at the cross, then you have eternal life (read the promise again—that’s exactly what it says), you will never be condemned, but rather, you have crossed over (there’s your “dividing line”) from death unto life. It can’t be any simpler.

What Have We Learned?

The Book of Ephesians is to you!
You are one of the faithful in Christ Jesus. You are a Saint: God’s private property!
God has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ.
Along with all believers, You were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.
You are holy and blameless before God, in His Love.
You are now predestined to be recognized as a full heir of God.
Also, you are now predestined to fulfill the good pleasure of His will.
You are now predestined to be to the praise of the Glory of His Grace.
God has already made you accepted in the beloved (in Christ.)
You already have been redeemed through His blood.
You already have full forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace.

Next week we will continue into Ephesians 1:8-14. By the time we complete the first 14 verses of this chapter, we will see seventeen things that are all true of you, because you are “In Christ.”

Lord Jesus, take us in hand and teach us the elements of Faith, so that we may stand firm in the perfect position You have purchased for us, and learn to behave in a manner appropriate to that position.

August 10, 2024August 10, 2024

How To Find Examples By Which To Live

By What Examples?

1^st Corinthians 10:1-14

¹ Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; ²And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; ³And did all eat the same spiritual meat; ⁴And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

⁵But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

⁷Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

⁸Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

⁹Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

¹⁰Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

¹¹Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

¹²Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

¹³There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

¹⁴Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

Introduction:

Bear in mind that virtually all of both Corinthian letters is given to corrective teaching.

Paul Makes Several Odd Statements in this Passage:

Speaking of the Whole House of Israel that emerged from Egypt, following Moses, after they had all partaken of the Blood of the Lamb at the Passover, he reminds the Corinthian believers that of all those people,

All were under the cloud
All passed through the sea
They All were baptized unto Moses (identified with him) in the cloud and in the sea
All ate the same spiritual meat (food…Manna)
All drank the same spiritual drink (water…miraculously delivered)
- They All drank of a Spiritual Rock that followed them (KJV) or accompanied them,
- And that Rock WAS Christ.

Without this passage, I would have supposed that the Rock was, well …just a rock! And I assumed they either circled around, somehow and came to the same place, or it was two different rocks. But God said the Rock went with them and the Rock WAS Christ! Amazing!

So, he says that, collectively, they all had the same “foundation,” as believers.

But!

He then says that God was not pleased with all of them! As a result of their constant rebellion and sin, thousands of individuals and the entire first generation (all those who were over twenty years old when they exited Egypt) died in the wilderness and never entered the promised land.

In most Western cultures we assume that the “Promised Land” is analogous to Heaven. But it is not! Remember that those who did enter the land were immediately immersed in a war that lasted their whole life! They literally, and physically, had to fight enemies to gain every bit of land they gained, even though God gave it to them, positionally, the condition was that they had to fight for it…and He backed them. That would be a pretty rough “heaven,” compared with what little we know about it from the Bible (no fear, no danger, no death, no sorrowing, etc..)

No, the “Promised Land” is analogous to the Normal Christian Life. We, too, were immersed in a spiritual war, the moment we crossed over into life with Christ. That is why Ephesians spends half a chapter explaining the Spiritual Armor God has given to believers.

So, those who died in the wilderness for whatever reason, though they were genuine believers, never got to begin the battle for the Land. They never crossed over into the normal life in the land. In most cases, as we read the specifics of why they died in the wilderness, it turns out that there was some sin from their old way of life that they refused to let go of. Let’s look!

Bad Examples (Do Not🙂

Lust after evil things
Practice Idolatry
Commit Fornication (sexual immorality)
Tempt Christ (pushing your luck…testing His Judgment)
Murmur (complaining…desiring to “go back to Egypt,” which is a picture of the World.)

Where Do These Examples Come From?

Paul referred to Old Testament Examples in Every Case, Here:

“Lusting After Evil Things”

It can simply mean yearning after whatever feeds our old sin nature. In Israel’s case, it was very simple: They wanted meat to eat, and they were despising the manna that God miraculously supplied. So, in Numbers 11:18, 20, 33, 34 we see that the people demanded that Moses give them meat to eat. God said in verse 20 that He wouldsend meat for them. He said that they would eat meat until it came out their nostrils!

He sent millions of quail through the camp. Everyone harvested them, piling quail meat all over the camp. But, they had disrespected God and despised the manna of God. So, he sent a plague along with the quail. Verses 33 and 34 say the plague struck “while the meat was in their teeth.” Many people died. We don’t know how many, but verse 34 says they named the place “Kibroth-hattaavah:” the “Graves of Lust,” because they buried so many people there, due to the plague.

“Practicing Idolatry”

We don’t tend to think about idolatry very often. We think of it as “something people in other times and places did.” But when we focus more solidly on something other than God, than we do upon God Himself, then we are tending toward idolatry.

Colossians 3:5 says that, from God’s perspective, covetousness (greed…avarice) is idolatry. So, in the form of covetousness, idolatry can be a nearly invisible sin, because only the heart and mind can do it. No other part of the human body can “covet.”

Idolatry is always a heart issue. When we fix our hopes, dreams, plans, and desires on God, we are truly free from idolatry. When we fix our heart on anything else, the further we go toward that thing in our commitments and desires, the further we find ourselves away from a clean relationship with God. But there are other types of idolatry:

The people of Israel set an example for us that was very easy to identify. The passage Paul cites is in Exodus 32, where while Moses was on Mount Sinai, Aaron made the golden calf and the people worshipped that calf, and evidently they were naked (according to verse 25.)

Paul quotes Exodus 32:6, specifically, though the whole chapter gives us the context. Three thousand died by the sword (verse 28), and who knows how many by the plague (verse 35.)

God is serious about sin!

“Committing Fornication”

We are very familiar with sexual immorality in our culture. Our culture has become saturated with it. But Paul is referring to Numbers 25, where the men of Israel went to the pagan worship feasts with the Midianite and Moabite women, and committed fornication with them, both there and in the camp of Israel. In Numbers 25, it says 24,000 died of the plague due to that sin.

Here in 1^st Corinthians 10:8, it only mentions 23,000… but that is the number who died in one day! It certainly does not deny that there were others, after that day, as a continuing result.

God IS serious about sin!

“Tempting Christ”

This is a strange phrase, to us, because we only use the word “tempt” in the sense of luring someone else to sin. But, in scripture, it usually carries the connotation of “testing.” Putting someone to the test: Seeing “just how far you can go,” in pushing them.

In Numbers 21:5-9, the people accused God and Moses, blaming them for all their complaints. But God responded by sending migratory desert vipers through the camp, by the thousands. Many people were bitten and died.

In John 3:14, 15, Jesus used that story (the bronze serpent) as an example, a teaching platform by which to present the Gospel. Paul used the sin of the people as an example of “what not to do if you want to learn to walk with God.” Don’t push your luck. Jesus is still the Eternal Judge!

“Murmuring”

This “murmuring went far beyond just public complaining. Numbers 14 is the passage Paul cites. The twelve spies had just returned from the “inspection tour” of the promised land, and TEN of them said, “Yeah, the land is great, but the giants in the land will eat us alive! Don’t go in!”

The remaining two spies (Joshua and Caleb) were faithful and said, “The land is exactly what God said it would be! He promised to fight for us! We can’t lose! Let’s go in immediately!”

But the People believed the ten spies. Not only were they discouraged, but they also wanted to stone to death Joshua and Caleb, replace Moses with a new leader, and head back to Egypt!

God’s response was to declare that none of the adults who had come with Moses out of Egypt would enter the land. And He destroyed the ten unfaithful spies, by plague, on the spot!

How Should We Respond to These Examples?

All these were Examples for us: the Church age believers! They are warnings to take our walk with Jesus seriously. You can’t lose your position in Christ, but your condition can become so miserable that you are no longer walking with Jesus at all: no longer living as a child of God.That is why he says,^“wherefore, let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” If we get cocky, we are headed for a fall!

**God Has Also Provided Good Examples**

Examples for us to Follow

James 5:10 says, “Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”

1^st Peter 2:21 says, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.”

John 13:15 says, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Examples for us to Be

1^st Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation (meaning behavior…conduct…how we live), in charity (Agapé Love), in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

1^st Peter 5:3 says to the elders, “Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.”

Paul’s Conclusion:

¹⁴Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

God is with us, and He oversees the testing that we endure. He provides His Grace into which we are called to flee, to find rest and help in time of need. We have been given access to the Throne of Grace, and He invites us to come there boldly, not timidly. We belong there!

Don’t allow anything to come between you and Jesus!

Lord Jesus, we ask that You bind our hearts to You, so that we willingly choose to follow in Your steps and learn from You as disciples. Solidify our Love toward You, and make us strong in Your Love for us.

July 20, 2024July 20, 2024

What does “Strive for Mastery” Mean? What if We Fail?

How Do We Strive for Mastery? What if We Don’t?

1^st Corinthians 9:19-27

¹⁹For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

²⁰And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

²¹To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

²²To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

²³And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

²⁴Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

²⁵And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

²⁶I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

²⁷But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Introduction:

Paul introduced several concepts, here in the latter half of 1^st Corinthians chapter nine. He says that he:

Chose to be a servant to all, that he might gain more (reaching souls for Christ.)
Lived as those around him lived, so as not to cause an offense and turn people away.
He did all these things for the sake of the gospel…not to deceive them in any way.
He did so, that he might be a partaker in the Gospel with his hearers. He wanted them to serve Christ with him, and to be in Heaven with him!

Paul reminded the people that there is usually only one “first-place prize” in a race. The analogy only goes so far: the point is that we want to apply ourselves as if we were striving to win, not just participate. We can win collectively and individually. But if we are not giving diligence to the things of Christ, then He will reward us accordingly. Ultimately, we are slacking, and we are not “in it to win,” either individually nor as part of a group,

God has given each of us a task: If we are not applying ourselves diligently to that task, then we are not “Striving for Mastery.” We are treating our service to God only as a hobby, not a calling…and we ARE His “called ones!”

What Does it Mean, Then, to “Strive for Mastery?”

In his 93^rd year, the famous cellist, Pablo Casals was still practicing his cello three hours per day. Someone asked him why, at his age, he was still practicing so diligently. He replied, “I think I am seeing some improvement!”

If anyone had truly mastered the cello, he was the one. And still, he “strove for mastery!” He continued to work toward improvement. We cannot easily attain mastery. Perhaps a true expert would say “Mastery is never truly achieved…it can only be more and more closely approached.”

Some people (mistakenly) think that I am a master at violin making. (I absolutely am not!) There are men and women whom I consider to be masters at the craft. They might be kind enough to approve of my work, but none would say I have mastered any part of the craft. At best, they might say, “You have come a long way, Chet! Your work is improving!”

All I can do, one by one, is, try to make each instrument better than the one before. I can try not to keep making the same mistakes over and over.

So, What is Our Goal, as Christians?

In Hebrews 12:1, the writer (probably Paul) says, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, (Meaning, the collective testimony of the Old Testament saints in chapter eleven) let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.”

All we can do is “press on!” 2^nd Corinthians 10:12 says we are not to compare ourselves with others. “¹²For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

The race is not a competition against one another. Philippians 3:14 shows that it is a striving forward, pressing on into Christ, reaching forward “toward the mark for the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We contend “against the course itself,” in a sense: (the race that is set before us.)

When I was trying (and failing) to maintain a regimen of running, my brother advised, “Never let the course beat you!” He explained, “Set small goals, as needed, but follow through and complete the course. Don’t allow yourself to establish an accepted pattern of failure.” I never did establish such a pattern of diligence and I have suffered the consequences, physically.

However, I have occasionally been able to apply that concept in other areas. For example, at work, I analyzed my tasks and tried to determine where I was behaving inefficiently. I found ways to optimize my efforts so that I accomplished more work in a day. It was not that I was competing against other workers: I was competing against my own track record. I was striving for mastery.

God Sets Goals Before Us

In Philippians 2:5-8, He says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus….” And then he enumerates the steps of “kenosis” (the self-emptying) that Jesus followed, to be the Servant of God that He was. We can see a seven-fold self-emptying, here:

He did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped at—or clung to;
He set aside the honor and prerogatives of deity (making himself of no reputation) and literally became a “nobody”. Jesus was not honored as an important member of His society.
Jesus took on a much lower form—that of a created being, though he was the Creator; that of a servant, though He was the ultimate Lord and Master.
He was made in the form of a man—in fact, arriving as men arrive—a naked, helpless baby; completely dependent upon others for food and care.
He humbled himself. There was no hint of pride in anything Jesus did on earth. There were no “Look at me now!” moments.
He was obedient in all things, big and little, convenient and inconvenient.
He was obedient even though it cost him his life.

Then, in the following three verses (9-11,) we can see the seven-fold reward He received:

The Father has Highly Exalted Him:
Has given Him a Name which is above every name
That at the name of Jesus, Every knee shall bow
Of things in Heaven (the holy Angels, the righteous resurrected dead, and the raptured church)
And things in Earth (whoever is living on the restored Earth…in the Millennial Kingdom, apparently), and
Things under the Earth (I assume he means the inhabitants of Sheol), and
That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.

Each Person Has His or Her Own Assignment

Jesus had a different assignment than we do, and yet, we are told to see Him as our supreme example. He told us to emulate Him. None of us can become a savior for anyone else. But we can exhibit His nature as we “run the race that is set before us.”

In 2^nd Peter 1:3-11, he says, “³According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

⁴Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

⁵And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

⁶And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

⁷And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

⁸For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

¹⁰Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

¹¹For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Let’s Examine What Peter Said, There:

In verses three and four, he said that God has given to us (past tense) everything we need to live godly lives, through the knowledge of Him that has called us!

How has he given us this ability? Through the Word! He says it is by the “exceeding great and precious promises” that we can become partakers of the Divine Nature.

Which promises? Effectively, all of ‘em! But the journey begins when we place our trust in His Promise of salvation through His Blood! Romans 3:25 says, “He is the propitiation (the satisfaction of God’s Righteous Judgment of our Sin) through faith in His Blood.”

Jesus reiterated that promise in John 5:24. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent me, Hath everlasting Life, and shall not come into condemnation; but has passed from death unto Life!”

Believing that promise (applying it to our own need by faith) brings us into the family of God as newly re-born children of God. From that point forward, he exhorts us to begin learning to live like His children because we ARE His children.

Next time I am teaching we will examine these things in detail.

For now, we will close, and celebrate communion together. I will be out of commission for at least a week, as I go back for the surgery on my left eye.

Randy will be teaching next week.

Lord Jesus, help us to learn to walk with You in such a way as to not cause offense, and to know You more closely, every day.

June 22, 2024June 22, 2024

Last Thoughts on Marriage: Marriage In Troubled Times

Last Thoughts: Marriage In Troubled Times

1^st Corinthians 7:25-30

²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. ²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. ²⁷ Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

²⁸ But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you. ²⁹ But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;

³⁰ And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; ³¹ And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

1st Corinthians 7:31-40

³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: ³³ But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

³⁵ And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. ³⁶ But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

³⁷ Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. ³⁸ So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

³⁹ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.

Introduction: What is Paul saying about Marriage, here?

We always want to compare scripture with scripture; We saw earlier that God ordained marriage in Genesis 2:24. God blesses it still today, (Hebrews 13:4. ) We also see that it is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church, in Ephesians 5:31, 32. In fact, in verse two of this same chapter, Paul said “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” Paul already gave full approval!

So, then, why does it seem that Paul now suggests that “believers are better off to stay single?” Is that even the point of the context?

Notice that, in verse 26, Paul prefaces the entire following passage with the phrase, “…this is good for the present distress…” (WHAT “present distress?” What does he mean?)

Temporary Distress Can Temporarily Change our Priorities.

When all is well in a transoceanic flight, the passengers may care about which in-flight meal they are to receive. They may be slightly concerned with what in-flight video is offered. But if an engine seems to be failing, no one cares about the “comfort” issues for the moment! They are only concerned with survival. For the immediate future, their priorities have changed!

In Matthew 24:19 Jesus said that a time will come , during the great tribulation, when to be pregnant or to be a nursing mother will be a very dangerous thing. The “present distress” of that time will be the trauma of the Great Tribulation.

The “present distress” in Corinth (at that time) was that the Temple of Aphrodite was the center of their civilization. It was on the highest peak of the city, and it dominated the skyline from any part of the city. At that time, (according to Encyclopedia Britannica,) it boasted a staff of 10,000 temple prostitutes, both male and female. It attracted people from all over . It was almost certainly a “trading house” for every kind of disease, as well as the gross immorality involved.

How Did This Become Such a Problem?

There was a very narrow, low isthmus at Corinth, between the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea. They used teams of Oxen to hauil ships out on log rollers. It was cheaper and safer to drag ships across the isthmus than to sail around the coast. So, most trading ships stopped there, just for economy and safety in their travels.

And, naturally, their crews often took a port-liberty while the ship was being transported across the neck of land. Sailors from all over the known world came up from the port area, walking through the city to approach the Temple of Aphrodite and everything it entailed. Whatever diseases they brought with them were also spread there in Corinth, to be passed along to anyone else who practiced this sin.

This was the depraved society into which the fledgling church at Corinth had been born. There, in the midst of them, was the biggest “house of ill repute” in history, and it enjoyed the full approval of everyone except these born-again children of God.

They had become outcasts within their own society, but Paul did NOT tell them to “pack up and leave town:” Paul told them to live holy lives, separated from the wickedness of the world.

So, then, within the context of that situation, we address the continued question about marriage.

**Under What Circumstances Might Marriage Be a “Bad Idea?”**

Paul suggests that under the circumstances the Corinthian believers were enduring, marriage might be a questionable option. In a culture so soaked in immorality and (probably) sexually transmitted diseases, how likely are you to find a “safe” marriage prospect? And how likely is your spouse to share your desire to live for the Lord?

Paul has already shown that, in general, marriage is a good idea, because it provides a moral, legal, and safe outlet for normal, God-given human desires. And in other places, as we said earlier, he confirms that marriage was God’s plan before sin entered the world. It was and is a holy gift from a Holy God.

But, he now says that because of the corruption of the human race, we need to think carefully before we plunge into marriage. He hastens to tell us that, regardless of the “present distress” it is not a sin to marry. He warns, though, that it will not be an easy life: There will be heartaches and hazards, along the way.

In What Way Does Marriage Change Our Walk with God?

In my case, marriage has absolutely enhanced my walk with God. My wife is my very best friend and companion and my very best help in all things, including my spiritual life.

However, I remember that when we were first married, in August of 1981, there was a sharp economic downturn, nationwide, and I lost my job, along with millions of others. Had I been single, “footloose, and fancy-free,” as they used to say, I could have drifted across the country looking for work, and probably I would have suffered little stress. I would have said, “The Lord is faithful! He will provide!” (And it was true!)

However, as a new husband, with a lovely young wife expecting our first child, I failed to think “The Lord is Faithful! He will supply!” I felt that it was my responsibility to care for my wife and child and to earn the money for their upkeep. And I was failing to trust the Lord.

I was not “cheerfully waiting on the Lord, while actively seeking work.” I was actively seeking work, and obsessing over where I could earn money for our groceries and housing. My first waking thought. every morning, and my last waking thought, every night, was “What can I do to earn some money?!”

My Focus Had Changed!

I was not resting in Christ at all! Now, was that Ann’s fault? Of course, not! I had allowed my focus to become redirected to my own strength instead of God’s supply. That was my fault, no one else’s! But the context was that of a newlywed couple in a harsh economy. I was distracted by the rigors of unemployment and my unrelenting responsibility.

Keep in mind that God has assigned that responsibility! He does hold me accountable for how I care for my family! But He also says, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!” He says, “Be anxious for nothing, but, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the Peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

And I was totally missing the mark by ignoring those promises. I had no peace because I was not willing to trust God for the needs of my family. I chose to think that my responsibility somehow negated God’s promises.

Don’t Allow Marriage Or The World To Alter Your Relationship With Christ

Verses 29-31 tell us that married or unmarried, in joy or tragedy, in business or in pleasure of any kind, we are not to allow circumstances or relationships to interfere with our walk with God. This is one reason he later says to not be “unequally yoked” together with unbelievers.

But verses 32-35 tell us that the whole issue is about being distracted and weighed down by our cares. Paul says God desires that we be able to avoid unnecessary distractions.

He admits that there may come a time when, despite the circumstances, marriage is a wise choice, to avoid other issues; A man may begin to behave inappropriately toward a young woman to whom he is attracted. That may be a “red flag” that he probably should marry her, rather than continuing to court disaster.

What About a Widow?

Paul says a widow is “freed” from her husband. He says she is free to remarry, provided the new man is also a believer. But Paul concludes that his personal opinion is that she will be happier in the long run if she can learn to live cheerfully without a husband.

Why? Because she has been “set free” from what may or may not have been a profitable relationship, and she may find, given a little time, that she feels happier and freer alone. This is certainly true if the alternative is to marry someone who will not treat her as Christ treats the Church (See Ephesians 5:26.)

So…Is This “Just Paul’s Opinion?” Or Is It God’s Word?

Some teachers insist that passages such as this (along with 1^st Corinthians 7:10-12) are “not authoritative.” They teach that “this was just Paul’s opinion.”

I choose to believe when God said, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2^nd Timothy 3:16, 17) that He meant “ALL!”

It is just fine for God to give “Law” in some areas, “Guidance” in other areas, and “Full freedom of choice” in others.

But if there are portions of the scripture that are truly not His Word, then I am in trouble, as it means I will have to either declare myself to be the arbiter of what “is or is not His inspired Word, or I will have to find someone else who claims to have that wisdom. (I know I do not possess inerrant wisdom. My experience and God’s Word both tell me that other humans are not reliable, either.) Ultimately, I am forced to make a choice: Believe God, or believe someone else!

I choose to believe what God says. It is God’s Word!

He tells us what the issues were in Corinth, and why “sometimes” marriage may not be a safe bet. But sexual sin is always wrong! So, he has given us a set of choices and tells us that, while it is not a sin to marry, a Godly Single Life might be a better plan in some cases. Paul outlined the “Pros and Cons,” but he leaves the choice up to us.

God Leaves Us With Choices, Too!

Throughout the scriptures, God gave commands, some to specific people, some to all believers. But He also taught principles for living: He gave solid, wise counsel by which we can make good choices, and have better lives for having made those good choices. Finally, He gave each person a choice: You can heed His counsel or ignore it.

He offers Salvation to all: Eternal life, based on the simple choice of Believing His Promise or rejecting it. You can either believe Him or not.

To all who have chosen to believe His promise, and who have received His gift of eternal life, He still offers a choice: walk with Him in obedience; or fail to do so. To those who choose to serve Him, He adds reward to their redemption. All those who follow His advice invariably find it to be wise and good.

He has told us the consequences of our bad choices. God warned us from the very beginning that Sin results in death. He allowed Adam to make a choice that affected the entire human race.

Your choices will not be as earthshaking as Adam’s choice was. But your choices will have consequences, for good or evil. And He leaves those choices to you!

Lord Jesus, help us to learn from Your Word: Help us to make Godly choices, so as to honor You with our lives and thus to have Your Blessing.

What Have We To Offer? The Concept of Grace.

Introduction:

We Confess The Sovereignty of God

And, The Church Functioned as It Should Function

And, What About Ann’s Family?

So, The Question Is: What do We Have, That We Can Offer to God?

But What Does He Offer to Us?

What is the Connection?

The Result of continued Sin

So, Consider The Call of God

The Testimony of a Believer

Introduction

What Makes a Salvation Testimony?

Our Old Position

Remember!

We Were Without Hope

So, What Changed?

And, How?

What is Our New Position?

Still In Christ

What does the Future Hold?

But, For Now:

Dead or Alive

Ephesians 2:1-7, 8-10

Introduction:

We Were All Dead (Ephesians 2:1-3 (read it))

We All Have Been Made Alive (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Positional Truth

All of Us?

“But God…!”

When Did It Happen?

All Alive…Together with Christ

Now, What?

Our New Job

In Christ—A Continued Study in Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15-23

Foundation for progress: Framework for prayer.

Introduction—Review

Positional Truths

A Foundation for Progress:

A Framework for Prayer:

“The Spirit of Wisdom”

“And of Revelation”

“In The Knowledge of God”

Paul Prays that the “Eyes of Our Understanding” May be Enlightened.

What Does Paul Expect Us to See and Understand?

Three Words For “Power”

The Importance of Authority

Jesus is The Head of the Body, the Church

Conclusion:

However:

What is the Result of the “Federal Headship” Doctrine?

Introduction:

1st Corinthians 15:22

Romans 6:1-10

Dead to Sin

How Are We Dead To Sin?

God’s Intervention

Baptized into Death

Baptized into Life

Two Natures

A Done Deal

What Should the Result Be?

Only By the Spirit

God’s Guarantee

“In Christ”—Comparing “Position” and “Condition”

© C. O. Bishop

Introduction

Good and Bad

Identification

Spiritual Identification

How are the Children of God Identified?

It Depends on Who is Looking

How Does God See Us?

But, What about Adoption?

Moving On With Ephesians Chapter 1

Ephesians 1:8-14

A Secure Inheritance

How Does it Work?

Conclusion

**And, The Church Functioned as It Should Function**

**Our Old Position**

**What is Our New Position?**

**We Were All Dead (Ephesians 2:1-3 (read it))**

**We All Have Been Made Alive (Ephesians 2:4-7)**

**All Alive…Together with Christ**

1^st Corinthians 15:22

**Grace, then Peace**

1^st Corinthians 10:1-14

**God Has Also Provided Good Examples**

1^st Corinthians 9:19-27

1^st Corinthians 7:25-30

**Under What Circumstances Might Marriage Be a “Bad Idea?”**