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How to Walk Worthy of the Calling of God (2)

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Walking Worthy (2)

© C. O. Bishop
Ephesians 4:11-20

The Gifts of Christ

Last week we began to look at the gifts of Christ to the Church. We saw the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Pastor-teachers.

But, How Many Apostles?

The original twelve Apostles, of course, became the Eleven, when Judas Iscariot died—so the eleven grabbed Matthias, and named him an apostle. Was he thereby an apostle? Maybe, but he was never mentioned again. And we do not see that God commanded them to choose him. On the other hand, we see no rebuke. And there are other apostles about whose lives we know very little, as well.

Paul, in contrast, was drafted by The Lord Himself, and that may have completed the twelve—though the scriptures do not say so. So, we do not know for sure who “The Twelve” are, now.

But other apostles show up, too—Barnabas was identified as an apostle in Acts 14:14. In Romans 16:7, Priscilla and Aquila were stated to be “…of note among the apostles.” (Some say that this only means the apostles took note of them…but that is not what it says, and, grammatically, it says they “are noteworthy apostles.” Perhaps grammar has changed over the years.) But there is no question about Barnabas. He is called an apostle.

And, in 1st Corinthians 4:1-9, especially v. 6, Paul seems to identify Apollos as an apostle, as well. So how many apostles were there? And what is the prerequisite for a person to be one? Some see the passage in 1st Corinthians 9:1 (having seen the Lord) as being a prerequisite. And, possibly it is…but, reading carefully, we see that it is a rhetorical question, with the answer being “yes” that Paul HAD seen the Lord. In 2nd Corinthians 12:12, Paul states that the “signs of an apostle” had been wrought among the people of Corinth. In both passages, he was defending his own apostleship, not defining what makes an apostle.

What Are the Signs of an Apostle?

We are not told what the signs of an apostle include, but we can see numerous examples in the Acts. It may also be noteworthy that, as the book of the Acts progresses, the “signs” are fewer and fewer. The signs may have been largely transitional in nature, and may still be extant, but only where unbelieving Jews are present (1st Corinthians 1:22; 14:22), or only where the Gospel is entering for the first time. Of all of these things I can only point to what the scriptures actually say…I have no solid conclusion to offer.

What an apostle is and does may be of greater importance. An Apostle is a “sent one”—each was sent by God to do something. Paul shows the central thrust of his ministry/gift in several places. One, in Romans 11:13, simply states that he was the “apostle to the Gentiles”. Parallel passages state that his job was to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8), and that he “laid the foundation…which is Christ” (1st Corinthians 3:10, 11).

So, perhaps we could say that a missionary (provided he/she is truly sent by God) could be called an apostle: He or she is “preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ” to the heathen, planting churches, leading people to Christ, “laying the foundation of Jesus Christ” in places where the Gospel has never gone before. Does that make them an apostle? I don’t know!

I have never known a person who claimed apostleship, and the few of whom I have heard who made such a claim, seemed to have done so falsely. So, perhaps the people who say that gift was only for the “apostolic age” are correct. I simply can’t support that conclusion from scripture.

What About Prophets?

Similarly, a prophet is “one who speaks for God”…not necessarily foretelling the future. Today, (present tense) according to 1st Corinthians 14:3 the prophet is to speak to edification, exhortation, and comfort. There is no reason to conclude that this gift has ended. But it certainly will end, according to 1st Corinthians 13:8. Perhaps the apostles have already ceased, and perhaps true prophets are becoming scarce. But the scripture does not say they are gone.

We know for sure that the time will come when “perfection” (completion) will have arrived, and all the gifts certainly will cease to function.

In the Meantime

In the meantime, we are to grow toward this goal:

14   That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

We are to stop being deceived by bad doctrine, as if we were little children, easily led astray. That, too, will be complete when we see Him, but in the meantime, that is the goal.

In banks and credit unions, they teach tellers and other employees to recognize counterfeit money by thoroughly training them in the recognition of real money. It is impossible to train a person to recognize bad doctrine by listing all the bad doctrine and showing why it is bad. There will always be new twists on old heresies.

Training to Recognize False Teaching

But a believer can become so familiar with God’s Word, and so accustomed to heeding the Holy Spirit that it is nearly impossible to deceive him/her, since they are always “measuring what they hear by the standard of God’s Word.” (That is exactly why the Berean church was commended: see Acts 17:11) Believers seek wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit, not trusting in our own prowess as a “Biblical Scholar.”

Even if we really are “Bible Scholars,” the Holy Spirit is God, and our wisdom cannot compare with His. We need His constant supervision and care. We need to feed on God’s Word, and constantly pray for God’s wisdom. Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

How We Speak

15   But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

We are told to grow up, then—it has not “happened” yet, in full, but the process has begun. We are to speak the truth in love. This is not a license to “blast everyone around us with our criticism, or our opinion of them or others.” The key words are Truth and Love…not the speaking. Unfortunately, we speak constantly, usually omitting either truth or love… or both.

It would be helpful if we could keep a tight enough rein on our tongue that we could consider how Jesus would have us speak before we actually do so.

16   From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This is where the “rubber meets the road” so to speak…this is where we “put shoe leather” on the gifts of God. Paul says that the whole Body of Christ—all believers—are joined together in Him, and are each individually responsible to contribute.

  • “the Whole Body”  
  • “Joined together”    
  • “Compacted”   
  • “Every Joint Supplies… ” 
  • “Effectual Working” 
  • “Every Part ”    

“…maketh increase of the Body, unto the edifying (building up) of itself in Love.”

Just as a physical body grows, and functions, with every member’s participation, so the Church is to grow and function with every member’s participation.

So, What Has to Change?

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

We are not to live as we used to live. Remember that in Ephesians 2:1-4, we saw that all of us, prior to salvation, were slaves to sin: We lived out our various desires, at whatever level, perhaps thinking we were “good:” But all of us were under the direct influence of Satan, and in reality, we lived to fulfill our fleshly desires. (That was the Bad News! The Good News is in verse 4: “But God, who is rich in Mercy, for His Great Love, wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. (By Grace ye are Saved!)”

Who Makes the Change?

You see, God stepped in to change our life trajectory: instead of being headed for eternal destruction, we are now headed for eternal Peace with God. And, as our Position has changed (we are now in Christ) He calls us to stop acting as though nothing has changed! Do not behave the way you used to behave! At that time, your understanding was darkened. You were ignorant of God, ignorant of His Holiness, and ignorant of His Word. In Fact, God says your heart was blind! He said that the unbelievers greedily go after uncleanness. But none of that is true of you anymore: So, don’t behave as if nothing has changed.

That is NOT what Jesus has taught you: It is NOT what the Holy Spirit is teaching you!

How Can We Apply This Truth?

We do not all have the same gifts, abilities, or capacities, but we have the same collective responsibility to submit to God, emulate His Holiness and Love, and to seek to win the lost.

In 1st Corinthians 15:34, Paul chided the believers, saying “make the most of every opportunity, for some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame.”

I don’t want to be ashamed when I consider my relationship with God…but I frequently am. It is all too easy to miss the opportunities he provides, and later realize  that yet another opportunity to serve, or to bless, or simply to behave in a Christlike manner has slipped through my fingers. And that opportunity is lost forever.

Each of us can pray. We all can worship. We all can tell someone how we became a believer. Each of us can strive to be a blessing to those around us. In John 6:29,Jesus said, “…this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.”  We all begin there, by believing God! We take Him at His Word. But we all can look for more opportunities to exercise faith, as He leads us. And… God definitely has called each of us to be transformed by His Spirit.

Next week we will see what the Church looks like when everyone functions.

Lord Jesus, awaken us to Your call on our lives and teach us to walk with You in such a way as to glorify You with our words, actions, and attitudes.

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How to Walk Worthy of the Calling of God

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Walking Worthy (1)

© C. O. Bishop

Ephesians 4:1-13
1   I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2   With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Introduction:

What Is Our Calling?

According to Romans 1:7, we are called saints—Holy ones. We are called holy by God (which by the way is authoritative: not just an opinion or wishful thinking.) And, we are called to BE holy, by the Grace of God.

But what does that look like? Do we wear white robes and walk around with a pious look, or a trance-like look? (Everyone would just think we were on drugs!) Paul goes on to explain “what it looks like” to walk worthy of the calling with which we are called. He says it involves humility, not pride, and yieldedness (meekness) not self-will.

Submission to God

We tend to “show up for work ,” before the Lord, and say, “G’mornin’ Lord! Here’s what I’m gonna do for You today…after I’ve had my coffee…heh heh…” But, God is interested in workers who will do His will, not theirs, in His timing, not theirs. And He wants workers who see themselves through clear eyes…soberly, as it says in Romans 12:3. We are to see ourselves as God sees us…saved sinners, indwelt by a Holy God. It is difficult to imagine such a person feeling smug about his own holiness, or stubborn about his own will.

Unity

Further, He wants us to get along with one another. We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God, and we still have trouble getting along. If we were to constantly remember our position in Christ, and our status as saved sinners, made holy by a holy God, it seems we would get along with one another, as well. He says we are to be longsuffering, and forbearing, toward one another.

Longsuffering

We tend to simply think “longsuffering” is patience…but I think, though longsuffering is almost an archaism, it is a stronger word. The word “suffer,” in old English, means to “allow.” Jesus told John the Baptist, “Suffer it to be so for now…” meaning, “allow this to happen.”

Longsuffering toward one another means that we are not to be irritated by one another, but to see everyone, even the unsaved, as precious souls for whom Jesus died, and the saved, particularly, as our brothers in Christ—precious to us. They may do things that are irritating, but, as God is longsuffering toward us, we must be longsuffering toward them. We are to allow them to be who they are, without becoming defensive or resentful.

Forbearance

“Forbearing” carries a similar idea—that we are to put up with one another. Not grimly hanging on, gritting our teeth, and rolling our eyes, as it were, and “putting up with” one another as a grievous burden, but “forbearing one another in love.”

There are things in the lives of people whom we love which we cheerfully endure as a part of the package that is “them.” Perhaps “endearing quirks” in our mate, or “amusing eccentricities” in our grandfather, or “cute” naughtiness in our children or grandchildren. These are the things that, in a co-worker or neighbor, or someone else’s child, we might find irritating, or even infuriating. But God says we are to treat all our brothers and sisters with the same tender forbearance that we would our best friend, our spouse, or our grandchild. “Forbearing one another in love.”

Endeavoring to Keep the Unity of the Spirit

3   Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Notice simply that the command is to “endeavor” – a continual attempt—to “keep,” not “make” the unity of the Spirit. This is the unity with which God is primarily concerned:  The unity of the Spirit…not the artificial “unity” that we create with pacts, covenants, and creeds, or church constitutions, with their innumerable bylaws.

This is the Unity that God created, by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are to make it our business to keep that unity, in the bond of peace. God says that we are to be at peace with one another, and that we are to maintain the unity that He created, in the bond of peace. Paul begins to lay out the basis for that unity, here, in the following verses:

4   There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5   One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6   One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Seven God-given Unities are Listed:

  1. One Body
  2. One Spirit
  3. One Hope of our Calling
  4. One Lord
  5. One Faith
  6. One Baptism
  7. One God and Father


If all these unities are in place, then I have no right to break unity with someone, even if I find them to be difficult to get along with. We may just have “some work to do” in our relationship.

Is the person, with whom I am struggling to be at peace, a fellow believer? Then we both belong to that One Body of Christ. We are indwelt by that One Spirit, and we share in One Hope of our collective Calling. Also, we have One Lord, and we admit no other. We have One Faith in His completed work at Calvary, and in the Risen Savior who is coming again. We have both been baptized into the Body of Christ with that One Baptism that the Holy Spirit accomplishes in every believer at the moment of salvation. And, finally, there is only One God, who has begotten us both anew, by His Grace, through faith.

Now—is the person simply someone who says they “believe in the One God ,” but who does not share our faith that Jesus’ blood is the propitiation for our sins? Then the unity is not complete, and, while we are still to love that person, there can be no true fellowship, as they are not saved. They are not part of that one Body, as they do not believe that Jesus’ blood is the sacrifice that satisfies God’s Holiness. They have not been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and the apparent “lack of unity” is simply a result of the Missing Unity.

We are to maintain the existing unity, not cobble together a man-made unity. What should that look like?

The Gifts of Christ

7   But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Paul goes on to explain that we are all given gifts by which to participate in the unity of the Body of Christ. As in a physical body, where every cell has a purpose, in the Body of Christ every believer has a function. (See verse 16) We are all to function as members of the Body. Our specific tasks may differ widely, but we still are members of that One Body, and need to function that way. Let’s read:

8   Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9   (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10   He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

“How” and “When,” first: then “What” and “Why”

Paul prefaces his remarks on function with an explanation of how and when the gifts came into being: When Jesus ascended back to God, he led a host of previously captive souls with him: Those who had been in Paradise, the “pleasant” half of Sheol, the place of the righteous dead, went with him into Heaven. The way had been opened with the tearing of the temple veil —It previously stood as a sign that the way to God was not yet open. But, when Jesus died, the veil was torn, and theway was opened for all who desire to enter in, by His Blood, and through that veil.

He goes on to say that at that time, Jesus endowed the Church with gifts. Paul does not give a list of many gifts, here …in fact, here he lists only four gifts (called the gift of Christ) that are given to the Church, and which are people, not practices. Other lists include the other gifts, given to individuals.

The Office Gifts…Gifts of Christ

11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12   For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The people listed here—or their offices—are gifts to the church…these persons planted, strengthened, taught, and managed the church. Their purpose was to equip the saints to do the work of service…the work of the “ministry.” Notice it does not say that they are to “do the work of the ministry :” They are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.

Many teachers assume that the Apostles and Prophets existed only for the time of Christ, and the transition period of the beginning of the Church age. There is some scriptural reason to think that: However, the following verses give me pause, as they contain a time–clause that has NOT been completed. The word “till” (or, “until”) in verse 13 establishes the longevity of the gifts.

13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

You see, none of the above has happened yet—we have not all come in the unity of the faith, of the full knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect (complete, or mature) man, etc.. We have not become fully mature, in the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

When Will The Gifts Cease?

It will not happen fully until we are with Him. 1st John 3:2 says that when we see him, we shall be like Him…not before. In 1st Corinthians 13:8-13, we see that the gifts will cease…and also when it will happen. It says they will cease when “the perfect comes.”

We will get our new bodies, and the church will be complete (perfect) in every sense, at the Rapture. Not before.

The perfect will have come; we will see Him face to face; we will know Him fully, even as we are also fully known, when we see Jesus face to face, as the completed Church. Not before.

From those three passages (1st Corinthians 13:8-13, Ephesians 4:13, and 1st John 3:2) I must conclude that all the gifts probably are still extant, though not in the way that the charismatic movement portrays them.

We will talk more about the gifts next week.

Lord Jesus, please draw us to believe Your Word, as opposed to believing the many voices teaching us otherwise. Sometimes Your Word is difficult to understand. Let us strive to understand what You actually say, not water it down and miss the meaning.

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Beginning a New Year, and Considering the New Foundation

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Beginning a New Year, and Considering the New Foundation

© C. O. Bishop September 2005 revised 2025

Introduction:

As a believer, I think it is good to occasionally take a “What Now?” Break: just to take stock, and determine our next step.

There are five ways we tend to make decisions:

  • One is by Habit—just do what we have always done.
  • Another is Convenience—just do what requires the least effort, or thought.
  • Another is Peer Pressure—Just do what pleases our friends, or family, etc.
  • A fourth is Default—we’ve made so many bad decisions, no good choices are left!

But God wants us to make decisions by Direction from His Word. God wants us to consciously align ourselves with His Word, and daily make the choice to obey Him. Sometimes it becomes a moment-by-moment battle, but it is always a choice.

The New Foundation

As believers, we have begun something new in our lives—maybe it was two, ten, twenty, or more years ago—we began a new life, in a new location. We were in Adam, but now we are in Christ. When we trusted Jesus’ finished work at the Cross, depending upon His shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins, we were born again, in Christ.

1st Corinthians 15:22 says that we were “In Adam”, and that we are now “In Christ”. “In Adam, all died: In Christ all shall be made alive…” The issue is our position, in Christ.

Ephesians 2:19-22, says that there has been a sharp change—I am no more a stranger to God, nor to His people. I am a fellow-citizen with His Saints, and in fact, I belong to His household. I am now a child of God. Furthermore, he says, I am “built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”

How Was the Foundation Laid?

1st Corinthians 3:10, 11 says, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me (doing what he is gifted to do) as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

So, the foundation IS Jesus, and the apostles (like Paul) are the ones who “laid that foundation” as they did their jobs as church-planters and evangelists. Jesus is the foundation and the cornerstone of the whole church: the Apostles and Prophets are part of the foundation of the church in the sense that through them came the Word of God, and the Church is founded upon God’s Word. But remember: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is still the whole foundation.

That new Foundation is firm: it’s secure. In Luke 6:47-49, Jesus said that anyone who hears His Word, and obeys it, is like a man who builds his house by digging deep and laying his foundation on a rock (the word here is “Petra” meaning “bedrock”—a monolith—not flagstone, or gravel). He says when the floods come, that house is unshakeable. The contrast is given in both Matthew and Luke, of the man who hears the Word, but does NOT obey, being like someone who builds his house on the earth, or, in Matthew, it says “the sand”, and when the floods came, the house fell because, effectively, there was no foundation.

What is the Problem With Sand?

Perhaps we have poured a slab of concrete: we bolted everything to that slab. We say it is a firm foundation. But if the concrete is on sand—and, if the groundwater takes away the sand, the foundation will move, and crack under its own weight, and the house will be destroyed.

Most sand is made of tiny pieces of rock. (Not all sand is rock —some is coral, or even seashells, ground fine by the waves.) But those tiny pieces of rock, though they are as hard, individually, as the original bedrock, are useless as foundations. They are fragmented. 

In Matthew 16:13-18 Jesus said (specifically about the truth that He is “…the Christ, the Son of the living God”,) “…on this Rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The word he chose there is “petra”—a feminine word, specifically meaning bedrock—a monolith. (He also called Peter “a rock,” but the word he chose there was “petros,” meaning a stone—something you can pick up and move.) This truth— the bedrock of the Gospel— is the monolith upon which we are to depend.

Other “truths,” whether creeds, ethical codes, or human standards, though seemingly dependable, are only a conglomeration of ideas. They are not firm as a collection: they are like “fragments of stone”…sand. Human reasoning, though it contains many truths, is still like “sand.” There is no underlying monolith…no bedrock of truth on which to build a life.

No Other Foundation

There is no other foundation that can be laid, and none is needed. Once the foundation of Christ is laid, we begin to build upon it. Jesus is the foundation of each believer’s life.

Each of you has placed your trust in the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Savior: God’s chosen sacrifice!  That one monolithic truth, the fact that Jesus Himself is God’s only solution to sin, death, the grave, and eternal judgment, is the only foundation we can have. That foundation is strong and eternal. It’s secure: It won’t crack, rot, erode, or burn.

So—What Now?

If that foundation was laid in my life, however many years ago, what should I do about it now? Should I just sit back and wait for the Lord’s return? I am already part of the building, right? Well, yes. But there is more to the story:

There is an individual sense in which Jesus Christ is not “just” the foundation of the whole church, but also the foundation of the individual Christian’s life.

Let’s go back to 1st Corinthians 3:10-15. (read it)

Paul says we need to pay attention to how we are building on the foundation in our lives.  We are constantly building—and in only two categories. (It looks like six, because there are six things listed, but they fall into two categories: combustible and noncombustible.)

One Test For Eternal Value

In the final analysis, the test will be on the eternal quality of the work we do. The Foundation is secure. Let’s read: He says “… every man’s work will be tested by fire—if his work remains, he shall receive a reward: if his work burns, he shall suffer loss, yet he himself shall be saved, though as one escaping through the flame.”

The Foundation is Rock…it will never burn. Our works, though built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ in our life, may or may not burn—it depends on Who initiated them—Who enabled them?  Jesus said, in John 3:19, that “…he that doeth truth (acting in obedience to the principles of God’s Word) comes to the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” Paul touches on the same idea in Philippians 2:13, saying, “…it is God who works in you, both to will and to do what pleases Him.”

Only God Builds Eternal Structures.

God laid out that same concept a thousand years earlier, saying, (Psalm 127:1) “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it…”

Jesus agreed, in John 15:5, that, “…apart from Me ye can do nothing.”  Now, if any human had said that (and humans HAVE said it), it would be the grossest arrogance. When Jesus said it, it was the simplest truth…Jesus is the Creator and the Sustainer of all things. Colossians 1:17 says, “In Him, all things hold together.” Neither we nor anyone else can even exist apart from Him, let alone accomplish anything of lasting value.

But His works have eternal value. And He says we will receive rewards for allowing Him to work through us. So…what should we do now? Paul says, “Take Heed!” Pay attention! Listen to what the Lord says in His Word, and make it a growing, vital part of your life. The Psalmist poses the question, in Psalm 119:9, “How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy Word.” The truth hasn’t changed over the years, though the circumstances often have changed.

Making it Personal

I am on the Rock Foundation of Jesus Christ. But what comes of that, in terms of reward, is entirely dependent upon my continuing response to His Lordship. If I take it lightly, he will hold no honor in store for me. 1st Samuel 2:30 says, “…them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” We would never go so far as to say we despised the Lord, but what else can you call it, when we ignore His Word?

Remember that He is so closely linked with His Word, that Jesus is called “The Word.” When we either ignore what we know of His Word, or we refuse to feed on His Word, so as to learn more, or we neglect to make Him the center of our life, we are despising His Word—and Him.

A Warning From God

Look at the context of 1st Samuel 2:30—this was a warning, actually a pronouncement of judgment, to a priest—a believer—a genuine man of God, who had become lax. He was no longer  “taking heed”. He hadn’t really heard the Word of God in years. When God chose to speak again, he did so through young Samuel. And the very first message was one of judgment.

I really do NOT want God to have to “shake his head and call me home,” as He did Eli, the priest.  I want to be faithful to His commandment. My desire is to obey God’s Word: to honor the Lord Jesus with my life and be a blessing to my family, to the church, and others. But, I cannot do it except by His empowering Holy Spirit. I have no capacity to live for God, on my own. When Jesus said, “Apart from Me, ye can do nothing,” He meant exactly that.

The Continuing Contrast

In Galatians 5:16-23 (read) Paul states a contrast between two things that sound like extremes: One seems to be total depravity as the result of living in the flesh. The other seems to be some sort of total sanctity, as a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to live through us. But the fact is, those ARE the choices. You either allow the Holy Spirit to live through you, resulting in the kind of a life that God can bless, and that produces works having eternal value (and rewards), or you live in the flesh, thus producing works of temporal value at best, and often of obvious negative value.

Our old nature is not only completely corrupt: Ephesians 4:22-24 says it is getting worse! And, the new nature is not just “better:” GOD says it is created in HIS likeness, in Righteousness, and in True Holiness. We do have a choice, but there is no middle ground. There is no in-between…there is no “neutral.” On a moment-by-moment basis, we are either building with non-combustiblematerials, or we are building with combustible material. And the day is coming when it will all be tested, simultaneously.

How Should We Then Live?

We need to be in the Word. We need to be in Prayer. Of course, we need to be in Fellowship with God, through obedience to His Word, and in Fellowship with other believers by deliberate choice to join with them, and to meet one another’s needs. We need to pray together, study together, and grow together. He calls us to love one another and to love the Lord together. We have the foundation, Jesus Christ. But living by his direction, in fellowship with Him is the only way to build on that foundation anything of lasting value. We have to choose to do so every day—every hour—sometimes on a moment-by-moment basis.

How Will You Choose?

  • Will you choose by habit, and just do what you have always done?
  • Might you choose by convenience, and just do what is easy?
  • Will you choose by peer pressure, so as not to alienate your family or friends?
  • Will you choose by default, because you wait until there are no more choices?

Or, will you choose by direction from God’s Word, and in obedience to His Holy Spirit? That is the only choice that will result in God’s blessing, and building for eternal reward.

I pray that I, as an individual, and that we, as a church, will choose to build wisely.

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Approach God on His Terms: How Did Paul Pray?

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Learn To Pray as Paul Prayed: How DID Paul Pray?

How Should We Pray? How Did Paul Pray?

© C. O. Bishop 2013 THCF 12/15/13

Read Ephesians 3:1, 14-21
(With 1st Timothy 2:1-4; Psalm 68:18; Ephesians 4:11-17, 6:19; Ezekiel 34)

Introduction:

We frequently say, “Prayer is simply talking to God!” And that is true, as far as it goes, but maybe “talking with God” is a little deeper than just “talking to one another.” Even when we are just talking with one another, we extend certain courtesies. In their absence, we see certain negative things. For instance: utter self-centeredness in other people offends us. Arrogance offends us. Guess what? Such things offend God, too!

Have you ever noticed that your prayers begin to sound like a child’s letter to Santa Claus? Full of “gimmes”, and not a lot of depth? Or maybe, sometimes, you have the feeling that God might not be listening—or that you are somehow “not getting past the ceiling,” so to speak?

New Testament Prayer

So how should we pray? The Disciples asked Jesus that question, and they received a model prayer that we recite together every week, though I am convinced that was not the intent—it was simply a model to be used, and a principle to apply. But, today; we are reading the book of Ephesians. Paul makes several prayers there, so we should examine the kinds of things he prayed for.

Paul was speaking by the Holy Spirit when he wrote this letter—he didn’t have any unconfessed sin, so he didn’t begin there. But I remember Psalm 66:18, which says that God won’t hear me when there is sin between me and Him. Along with 1st John 1:9, that tells me that confession is a good place for me to begin.

So, I begin there. If I examine my heart and nothing currently stands between me and the Lord, then I can move on…but I begin there, anyway. I keep in mind the acronym, “C.A.S.T.”—Confession, Adoration, Supplication, and Thanksgiving; Those things ought to be in our prayers; so, I don’t want to leave any of them out. (The word “cast” is taken from 1st Peter 5:7, where we are told to “Cast all our cares upon Him…”)

Praise is part of Adoration—Worship—so I haven’t forgotten that, either. The problem is that if I do not remember this format, I tend to drop anchor in “Supplication”, and forget that The Lord is worthy of so much more than being treated like a heavenly vending machine. And please don’t forget to say Thank You! That is good manners, even when dealing with other humans.

So… let’s take a look at what Paul prays for:

Prayer for Unbelievers

How did he suggest we pray for unbelievers? 1st Timothy 2:1-4 states that prayer is to be made for all men (all people), especially those in authority. This is partly so that they will make decisions that allow the Church a quiet and peaceful life; and partly because God desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. So, one thing we can always pray for unbelievers is that they will be saved.

God has already stated that this is His desire. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world…He didn’t do it for fun…He did it because he loved the people of the whole world, and He still desires that they be saved. You can at least pray for their salvation, and that you can be used to reach them. In that regard, it seems appropriate to pray that God will make us usable in His service. He uses clean vessels…not fancy ones, or specially gifted ones, but clean ones that are yielded to His will—committed to obedience. Give that some thought: “Am I usable for God?”

Prayer for Believers

Ephesians chapter 3 is divided into two major parts. We will touch on one of them today: the part where Paul prays for us. (Ironically, verse one begins a statement about prayer, based on all that went before, in chapter 2…but the second verse begins a parenthetic explanation that takes up twelve verses…which we will address at a later time.) In verse one, Paul says, “For this cause…” (Because of at least the previous four facts from chapter 2) he prays for certain things.

The Facts:

  1. That you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but rather
  2. Fellow citizens with the saints (in fact, he has already stated that you, yourself ARE a saint—called to be separated unto the service of God), and you are
  3. Part of a growing body of believers that collectively form a habitation of God—a Temple, specifically, and because
  4. You are part of what is making it grow;

He then prays certain things…but we have to skip all the way down to verses 14-21 to see what he prays, because of the parenthetical remarks in the intervening 12 verses. In verses 14-21, he lists

Seven Specific Things:

  1. He prays that God would grant that you be strengthened inwardly, spiritually, by the Power of God, via the Holy Spirit (Did you know that you can fight against God and fail to see this blessing in your life? Jacob did…until God broke him, to bring him into submission to Himself. You don’t want that—choose to submit to God early.) …so that
  2. Christ may dwell in your heart (katoikeo—“to settle in—make himself at home!” Yes, if you are a believer, He already “lives there,” in the Person of the Holy Spirit (if you have received Him as your Savior.) But is he comfortable with how you are treating Him? Can’t you choose daily to make him feel at home?) That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith (believing God, responding to Him, day by day), so that
  3. You, being “rooted and grounded” in Love (Those are botanical terms—“rooted”—”grounded:” In Psalm 1, the believer is likened to a tree, planted by rivers of water, and bearing fruit in its season, his leaf never withering, because he was meditating in God’s Word, day and night) He prays this for you, so that you may
  4. Be able to comprehend (katalambano—“completely receive”—really grasp) with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height. (Of what?….and why four dimensions? Is it because we need to know the length to which God has gone to save us, the breadth of his salvation, and the height to which He will take us…as well as the depths from which he has saved us? Do you fully grasp all those things? Spend some time meditating on those ideas, and read what God has to say about each of them!)
  5. And to know (ginosko— to be personally familiar with—experientially knowing—not just knowing about) the (agapé) Love of Christ, so that you may be
  6. Filled with all the fullness (pleroma—utter completeness of fullness) of God, so
  7. That God would receive glory through the Church, by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, forever.

So: speaking of the Church, how should we pray for the Church?

Seven-fold Prayer for the Church

When Paul prays for, or perhaps just speaks about the Church, it seems that he is simply stating what is God’s will for the Church as a whole: (Read Ephesians 4:11-15) He states that God gave gifted individuals to the Church at large, who were to accomplish one central thing:

  1. The equipping of the believers for
  2. The work of the ministry; (the believers are to do the work of the ministry…which is)
  3. Building up the Body of Christ (for how long?)
  4. Until we ALL come into the
    • unity of the faith, and the
    • knowledge of the son of God,Unto a perfect man (completion of the church?),
    • Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, with the result;
  5. That we be no more children (Grow up!) so that we will not be
    • Tossed and driven back and forth by every stray breeze of doctrine. (Why is it that the Church is easy prey to every charlatan huckster on TV, but is nearly immune to the Word of God, plainly taught, and the quiet urging of the Holy Spirit?)
  6. But (instead) that the Church will speak the truth in Love, (sound preaching and teaching) and
  7. That the Church will grow up into Christ.

Prayer for One’s Self

It is OK to pray for yourself, too! What did Paul pray for himself? We can see some very human things: He prayed for relief for himself and/or those around him (and sometimes was denied, as it was not in keeping with God’s will). Yes, God answers prayer—but He reserves the right to answer according to His own will and His own timetable.

Sometimes we have to wait. Paul evidently prayed for healing for Epaphroditus, (Philippians chapter two) who was extremely sick, and who nearly died. Epaphroditus eventually did get well, but not through “miraculous healing,” as far as we can tell; he just finally “turned the corner” and got well. And, Paul gave thanks for God’s Mercy in that case. You see, ultimately ALL healing is from God.

And sometimes He simply says, “No, my child.” Paul prayed for healing, in the circumstances that produced 2nd Corinthians 12 (about the “thorn in the flesh”) and God flatly refused him: God told him to “soldier on” by God’s Grace. So, what else did Paul pray for himself?

Paul’s Prayer

He asked for prayer by others, for himself, that he would be used of God,

  • That utterance would be given him,
  • That he would open his mouth boldly, to
  • Make known the mystery of the Gospel. (Ephesians 6:19)

If God has called you to leadership (of any sort) then you should read and meditate on Ezekiel 34, where God states the job description of shepherds. Furthermore, even if you do not think He is calling you that way, you need to read that chapter, because that is also where he says how believers are not to treat each other—and that He judges those who mistreat other believers.

Each of us can pray as individuals, for understanding of God’s Word. We can pray that God would change our hearts and that He would make us usable in His service. Probably we should also confess our unwilling hearts, and ask that He will cleanse us and fill us with His love: both for Himself and for others.

We can give thanks for all the ways that He already meets our needs, instead of always demanding more and more. As a matter of worship, we can give praises and thanks for His perfect character, His perfect wisdom, and His eternal Love and Grace. We can glorify Him for the beauty of the Creation, and the incredible variety around us. Obviously, we can also glorify Him for His unimaginable power, by which he rules the Universe. And, we can Worship Him as our Creator, Savior, and King. Again, we can pray for one another, in a sincere heart of love. We can give thanks for answered prayer.

Collectively, we can pray that God will grant us a collective understanding of His Word. Together, we can give thanks for the answers He gives us from His Word. He tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make our requests known to God. And the result will be that the Peace of God, that passes understanding, will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-9

Concluson

Do you already pray this way? Good!

But, if not, then perhaps you need to reconsider what Prayer means. Yes, it is talking to God; but just remember who God is: Remember His Holiness and His Authority: Prayer is not “just like talking to any other person.” Consider how God would have you focus your attention and desires, and then, “Pray without ceasing.”

Lord Jesus, draw us to Prayer. Draw us to Focus on Your holiness and love, and to pray with clean hearts, asking for Grace according to Your will.

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

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What Have We To Offer? The Concept of Grace.

© 2024 C. O. Bishop

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 21st, 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.

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“But God…” (What Changes Can God Produce In Your Life?)

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“But God…”

© 2024 C. O. Bishop

Ephesians 2:4-22

Introduction: (v. 4-10) (read it)

This is one of the most precious two-word transitions in scripture: “But God!” He steps in and He changes things. God injects Hope where there was none, He calls the dead back to life, and He brings water in the desert—not just a trickle, but a torrent. He is the difference between Lost and Found, Darkness and Light, Grief and Joy, Death and Life. “But God…who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ (By Grace, mind you! We have done nothing by which to earn His favor.)

Notice that this also is past tense. He is not promising “pie in the sky,” but eternal life, now! He has already done it! God has not only “brought us to life” (spiritually re-connected us to Him, and made us capable of fellowshipping with him,) but it is an eternal relationship, and we are already seated with Him. God says we are seated with Christ —in Christ— in the heavenlies. I do not claim to understand this truth. I only know that this is exactly what he says. My position in Christ is literal. It is not merely mystic, (or, worse, imaginary.) This is the place to which God has moved us…past tense. It’s already done!

But Why? And How?

Regarding the “Why,” God says (verse 7) that we are eternally to be the trophies of His Grace—that He will be able to eternally show the exceeding riches of His Grace, in His kindness toward us through Christ. (Show to whom?) Apparently one of the eternal purposes of the Church is to demonstrate to the Holy Angels the justice of God’s judgment on the fallen angels, by showing the riches of his Grace toward human sinners who do not have the extreme intelligence of the angels, nor have they ever seen God face to face as the angels have (see Ephesians 3:10, 11.)

And the “How” is explained in one of the most-quoted verses in the Bible: “By Grace, you have been saved, through Faith, not of yourselves—it is the Gift of God—not of works, lest any man should boast.” He goes on the give a little more information that we usually forget to quote: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” 

The good works that naturally follow true conversion are symptomatic of being “in Him:” They are not “how you get there.” Keep that in mind. By the way, not all fruit is visible. Love, patience, hope, etc. are not things we can necessarily recognize. So, we do not become “fruit inspectors”, trying to determine whether someone else is “good enough” to be saved. We are saved by Grace, through Faith; plus nothing. The works should follow, but they will vary all over the board, and they usually become more evident with increased maturity.

What is the Result?

Last week we considered the impact of the transitional phrase, “But God!” That is the reason we are here today. The World was lost in Sin and hopelessness, but God, who is rich in mercy, sent his Son to die for our sins. Each of us, individually, was in his mind, as he deliberately sacrificed himself, as full payment for our sins. And each of us has to choose regarding His sacrifice: Is that the sacrifice that will pay for MY sins? Or is it for “the world” but I have “other plans”?

Whether his death will actually result in an individual person having eternal life depends entirely upon how he or she responds to the Good News of His death, burial and resurrection. Remember that, when Jesus died, he made out a “check” to the amount of “eternal life,” in the name of every individual who would ever live, or had already lived. He signed it in his own blood, at the Cross. But to “cash that check” one must “endorse it” by faith. If you choose to not place your faith in him as your Savior, then his death does you no good.

Remember Where You Came From

The book of Ephesians is addressed to those who have already trusted in Jesus as their Savior. He made some very clear statements regarding all that is and was true of us, in chapter one and the first half of two. But now God invites us to look back from the perspective of salvation, and see where we came from.

In Ephesians 2:1-7 he told us where we had been, and what God did to save us, and why. Then, in verses 8 and 9, he says how we were saved. In verse 10, he explains what the results are to be, as a general principle. But in verses 11 and 12, he confirms the change that has been made, and says for us to look back:

You Were Without Christ (v. 11, 12) (read it)

Looking back, as God directs our eyes that way, I can see that I was indeed a heathen (that’s what “Gentile” means.) I was a lost sinner, rejected by the Jews as unclean, but now made clean by God. I truly was without Christ; without any connection or any way to be connected to the God of Israel. No part of the promises of God was to me, except the coming judgment.

God says, “At that time, you were without God, and without Hope, in the World.” It is sad, but it is simply the truth. Remember this, as you consider the necessity of evangelism: Apart from the Gospel, which perhaps you alone will offer to them, the one with whom you share the Gospel is truly hopeless, and they are “as lost as a ball in high grass.”

The Gospel that God calls us to share with them is the only hope that God has ever offered! Remember that! It is a precious privilege, and a sacred trust. This is the true “State of the Union,” so to speak. It is “Where the whole World really is,” and it’s where we also were, regardless of what we may choose to think.

“But Now…” (v. 13-17) (read it)

Consider how important the transition is, here, in verse 13: Because of the earlier transition, “But God…”, there is another one—“But Now, in Christ Jesus.” Things have changed for you. All those ugly truths that applied to you have been nailed to the Cross. Now God sees you only in your new nature. He says we are no longer “afar off” from Him, and that even the barrier between Jew and Gentile has been broken down.

He says that the “One New Man”, whom He is calling out from all nations, includes Jews and Gentiles. The same Gospel was preached to both Jews and Gentiles, and the ground is truly “level at the foot of the Cross.” Both Jewish sinners and Gentile sinners were reconciled to God through the same blood sacrifice. We were all under the same condemnation. God is Holy, and He hates sin. He cannot accept sin at any level. God the Father piled all our sin on Jesus at the Cross, so that Jesus literally “became Sin” for us. He did not become “a sinner,” nor “sinful”…He “became Sin.”

2nd Corinthians 5:21

Turn to 2nd Corinthians 5:21, please; this is an important concept. Jesus “became Sin,” so that we could do what? Do good deeds? Work great works? Change our lives? No! It was so that we could become the Righteousness of God, in Him. There’s that “position clause” again! We are In Christ! And, in Him, we are the Righteousness of God. That does not excuse our sins as Christians: God still hates sin…this is simply a statement of how God sees us, in Him.

Ephesians 2:18…God says that we are not only “in Him,” in some theoretical sense, but we “have access to the Father” through Christ, by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 10:19, 20 sheds more light on this truth: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest (the inner sanctum of the temple—where no one but the High Priest could ever go, and that only once a year), by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us, through the veil that is to say, his flesh…”

The veil in the temple, torn when Jesus died, was a picture of the final barrier between us and God, being broken down, by God! (It was torn from top to bottom: not the other way around. We have full access to the throne of Grace, all the time, through his death, burial and resurrection. The only thing that can hinder us is Sin.

Now Therefore (v.19-22)

Paul is about to draw a conclusion, but it is still a positional truth: He says, “Now, therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints…part of the household of God.” The “saints,” the “ones God has declared Holy:” That group includes us now. God says you are now as holy as they are. Give that some thought. “Holy” means “Set apart for God’s purpose.” Is that how you see yourself? Is that how you respond to life? Do you see His priorities as being first in importance? Or does God get the “leftovers,” so to speak?

The Living Temple of God

Notice what Paul says about us, in verses 20-22: he says we are part of a general structure, in which, collectively, we are becoming a “temple of God.” (Notice, please, that this is different than the fact that your physical body (See 1st Corinthians 6:19) is now a “temple of the Holy Spirit”—this verse says the whole body of Christ, together, throughout eternity, is one “holy temple in the Lord”…it is also so called in 1st Corinthians 3:16, 17.

This is where we hear the warning against “defiling the Temple of God,” It is not in reference to our mortal bodies which are destined to fail, and wear out, and are being destroyed by the using of them, but rather to the Body of Christ, collectively—the Church.

The passage in 1st Corinthians 6 states that “your body (singular) is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you….” The one in 1st Corinthians 3 says “ye” (plural “you”) “are the temple of God:” That is an entirely different idea. Give some thought to that idea: how would one “defile” the Church, the body of Christ? And what does God say (in 1st Corinthians 3)that He will do to those who “defile the Church?” Study that one out, and think about it. God takes the Church very seriously. We need to do the same.

Every Part is Called to Function

But Paul says we are being “fitly joined together” (not fragmented, but knit together in Christ), and collectively, we are growing together into a habitation of God, through the Spirit.

If we look forward to Ephesians 4:16, we see a bit more about that idea: it says we are “fitly joined together, and compacted, by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, making increase of the body unto the edifying (that means building up) of itself in Love.” (Doesn’t that sound like Evangelism? “Increasing” the Church? “Growing” the Church? Not just this little church: It is the Body of Christ at large!)

And notice that he says it is the collective work of “every part”—every member! “Only sheep make baby sheep.” Only Christians lead people to Christ. Did you know that the Angels do not have the privilege of sharing the Gospel with unbelievers? The only time an Angel does anything even close to that is in Revelation, during the Great Tribulation…and He is not preaching the Gospel of Christ: Rather, it is the “Everlasting Gospel:” that Men should worship the Creator.

So: Now What?

If you are in Christ, the facts are clear: you were “created in Christ unto Good works.” We will see more and more of what those “good works” entail, but one thing we have already seen is that because we are members of the Body of Christ, we are expected to function as such…to the “building up” of the Body of Christ…the “increasing” of the Body of Christ: We are to be helping to Build the Church; a habitation of God, through the Holy Spirit.

As we continue through the book of Ephesians, we will see what the “Normal Christian Life” is supposed to look like. For the moment, I would just like to say: If you belong to Him, it makes sense that you work for Him.  If you are really His, you should be serving Him! (Not “self.”)

Give this some thought and prayer as you seek God’s direction for your own life, and ask Him how you can serve.

Lord Jesus, we hear Your call, and we know that it is us You are calling. Help us to break free from the shackles of this world, and stand before You, saying, “Here am I, Lord: send Me!”

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

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Dead or Alive

© C. O. Bishop 2012 revised 2024

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; 2 Wherein 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: 3 Among 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? 1st 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)

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That 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 1st 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?

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For 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.

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

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In Christ—A Continued Study in Ephesians

© C. O. Bishop (Cornell Estates 2010 THCF October 2013) revised 2024

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.

15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease 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:

17 That 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 2nd 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.

18 The 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?

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

19 And 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.

20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far 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

22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which 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:

  1. He wants us to fully know the Hope of His calling
  2. He prays that we will fully know the Riches of His inheritance in the Saints…the Church!
  3. 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.

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

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

Romans 6:1-10; compare Romans 5:12 and 1st 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.

1st 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? 2 God 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

3 Know 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. (1st 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?  

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

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For 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!

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

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“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!”  1st 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 1st 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 2nd 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 2nd 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.

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