What Does “Walking as Children of Light” Look Like?

What Does it mean, to “Walk as Children of Light?”

Ephesians 5:8-17

Introduction:

⁸ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Last week we finished up at Ephesians 5:8. It is God’s command to “Walk as Children of Light.” Logic requires us to ask, “But what does that mean? How does it look, to “walk as Children of light?”

We observed that the character of light is to “dispel darkness.” And (looking ahead) in verse 13, God says that, as light dispels darkness, it also “makes things visible.” It makes known the things that previously were invisible or (at least) obscure.

God Says, Walk as Children of Light

We saw that 1^st John 1:5-7 says, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” He is not speaking of physical light, made of photons, etc. The light in question is Spiritual, Moral light. God is the ultimate source of all light, spiritual, physical, educational, or moral. He is the One who shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never overpower His light (John 1:5). He says that the only way we can have fellowship with Him is to walk in the Light, as He is in the light.

And we choose to walk with Him, because we want to have fellowship with Him. We want to join Him in His work, reaching a lost world. (See John 4:34) We all started out as the children of wrath, according to Ephesians 2:3. We committed ourselves to the works of darkness, even if we did not admit that to ourselves.

Perhaps it was only the “self-will” that characterizes all humans, and we may not even have seen it as sin. But we begin by confessing that we are…lost sinners. When we see our need for a Savior, and when we place our trust in the completed work of Jesus at the Cross, He counts that faith as righteousness, and He permanently claims us as His own!

So, was that true of me? Was I really a lost sinner? Yes! I truly was! But, should that sin be reflected at all, in my life today? No! I am now a child of God, and therefore a child of light.

I desire to walk in the Light, with Him! So… I need to know how to do that.

What Should “Walking as Children of Light” Look Like?
⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; )¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

The true “goodness and righteousness and truth” that God requires of us is only possible as the result of the Holy Spirit working through us. The full description of the nine-fold Fruit (singular) of the Spirit is in Galatians 5:22, 23. God says that all true goodness, and righteousness, and truth emanates from Himself. “Do-it-yourself” righteousness is not what God requires. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “Apart from Me ye can do nothing!” And He meant exactly that!

He wants us to experience, and demonstrate God’s will in our lives. We show that His Will does work: That the promises of God are valid and good. The word “proving” means to experientially “test the theory,” so to speak. In Industry, there are certain “proof-tests” technicians apply, to ascertain that structures are safe to use. Those tests give the workers in that shop or on that job-site the confidence to use the tools, cranes, manlifts, etc., knowing they have been tested.

We are the continuing demonstration of the Grace of God, working in our own lives. Others will see that demonstration. They may not understand why we are suffering. But the Grace that they see in that suffering will draw them to Christ.

Our lives are supposed to be “living proof” that the Grace of God is alive and functioning in our lives…so unbelievers around us should see the constant invitation to join us in that Grace.

What Does “Light” Do About Sin?

¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We don’t like the prospect of “reproving sin”—but our lives will do so, if we are walking in the Light, and, occasionally we will verbally confront evil behavior. If we live the way God says to live, our lives will be demonstrating the shortfalls of the world. (SeeJohn 16:8-11)

And that light will never be popular with people. Other people will accuse you of thinking you are “too good” for them because you have abandoned the life-patterns you once followed. You will be shunned because you no longer fit their pattern.

¹² For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

It is neither desirable nor profitable to describe, discuss, or “repeat news” of the evil deeds that lost people do. There is some sick part of our old sin nature that loves to hear such things and “experience it vicariously:” But this is a shameful thing in our nature: don’t indulge it!

We sometimes see this pattern in gossip, where one believer tells another, “Let me tell you about this so you can pray about it…” Sorry…God warns against that sort of thing. It is an easy trap to fall into, but He specifically says that it is a shame to speak of such things. Besides, it is also an unloving thing. God says that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1^st Peter 4:8), but that it is an evil heart that wants to “tell all.” (Proverbs 11:13)

**Light Does “Make Manifest!”**

¹³ But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

We don’t have to get into a detailed discussion of the evil in the world. But if we walk in the light, we can’t help reflecting that light into a sin-sick world: And some people will see themselves in that light, and they will be ashamed. Then, they will either run from the light, or they will turn to it for salvation. (John 3:19, 20) The way they respond to the light reveals the content of their heart. There is a common saying: “The same warm sunlight that softens wax, hardens potter’s clay: That saying is true… but that metaphor assumes that some of us are “made of different stuff.” (Which is not true….)

We All Have The Same Flaw

God says we were all formed of the same dust, so the difference has to be somewhere else. A rat in a barn, at night, runs for cover when someone walks into the barn with a lantern; but it is because the rat has learned that the farmer doesn’t want him there, and will kill him if possible, as a destructive, filthy, disease-carrying animal: a threat to everything the farmer holds valuable.

The finches, however, and the swallows, living among the rafters of the same barn, will respond quite differently. They may actually mistake the light for sunrise, and they may begin to sing. They would be afraid, too, if the farmer got too close to them, but in general, they do not see him as an enemy, and they always welcome the light.

A tame rat, though, raised as a pet, in clean surroundings, does not fear the light. It does not fear people, and is quite bold, as it sees humans as a source for handouts. The squirrels at a park, for example, begging for treats, demonstrate the same idea.

So, Why Do Some Respond In Faith, and Others In Indifference Or Rebellion?

What Is The Difference?

The difference appears to be relational. Before He created the Earth, God chose to receive those who would respond to Him in faith: Those who would believe His Word, allowing His light to dispel the darkness in their souls. Remember: the “thief on the Cross,” who now is famous for his faith, initially was mocking Jesus along with the crowd and the other thief. He did not initially respond in faith: but he repented, confessing that he was a sinner, and asking that Jesus remember him. He responded to the light he saw in Jesus.

Faith Is An Obedient Response To A Revealed Truth.

Abram (“Abraham”) lived in “Ur of the Chaldees” (modern-day Iraq) when God called him. He was not far from ancient Babylon, a center for idolatrous worship, where they attempted the construction of the Tower of Babel. The confusion of languages occurred there only a generation before.

But, God told Abram to leave ther, and Abram went: He partially obeyed. (God told him to leave his extended family behind, but he brought them along; possibly because his father insisted on it.) Later, God called him again, and he still brought his nephew, Lot. But Abram’s life was beginning to demonstrate faith, and worship. Finally, after God separated Abram from Lot, God made him a promise, and, (Genesis 15:6) Abram believed God, and God credited it to him as righteousness.

This is what God is looking for, both initially, in salvation, and as an ongoing lifestyle. Think about how your own life either reflects this or fails to do so: are you really believing God over your own fears and the constant arguments of the World around you? Are you trusting God, on a day-by-day basis? Hebrews 11:6 says Faith is what pleases God. Obedience (as the result of faith) is the fruit of that relationship.

God Calls for a Change!

¹⁴ Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Since we know that, before we were saved, we were dead in sin; and that when we walk in sin now, we are truly living as “walking dead men,” it is entirely fitting that he would say, “awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”

Do you really want the light of God to rule in your life? Then let go of that old, dead pattern of sin and unbelief, and allow Jesus to fill you with the light of His Word. 2 Peter 1:19 says that the light upon which we are to focus our attention is the written Word of God!

Learning Wisdom

¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, ¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Yes, there are many possible “demonstrations of faith and wisdom,” but there seems to be a connection here, when I consider verses 15 and 16 together, and then consider the other parallel passages. Let’s read and compare Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.” Isn’t it interesting that God says a soul-winner is behaving wisely? And, reading on, see what He says about how we use our time:

See Colossians 4:5, 6 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without…” (unbelieving neighbors and friends) “…redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with Grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man.”

Compare, also, 1 Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness and sin not: for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” I really don’t think I can safely overlook these connections in God’s Word, nor can I deny that all of these are in direct reference to practical, relational evangelism.

Choose Wisdom!

Romans 10:17 assures me that Faith does come by hearing, and that hearing comes by the Word of God. We are responsible for those in our daily sphere of contact. We cannot simply shrug, and say, “Well, whatever they believe, it is their business, and I ‘don’t feel called’ to try to persuade them to believe something else.” God says that we are called; and we are His ambassadors, and that our primary task is to persuade men, and reconcile them to God. (2^nd Corinthians 5:18-20.)

¹⁷ Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

How am I going to know God’s will? I am to begin by looking in His Word. Only there will I learn the principles by which He wants me to live. God says I am to learn wisdom there—learn to make good decisions habitually—and to learn to have the same values as God does. (Jesus stated His priorities in John 4:34) Then I can hope to find the life of obedience to be a sweet experience rather than bitter drudgery, and I can learn how to guide my steps.

I want my life to count for eternity. The only way I can hope to see that outcome, is if I allow Jesus to work through me. I cannot achieve eternal re4sults working with temporal tools. Only Jesus, as the Author of our faith, and the only source of eternal life, can achieve eternal results.

Lord Jesus, we desire to see our lives transformed into Your likeness. We desire to be transformed from the inside, out, and sow the seeds of righteousness and peace, and see lives changed by the Gospel. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and allow us to serve.

January 25, 2025January 25, 2025

How to Walk Worthy of the Calling of God (3)

Walking Worthy (3)

Ephesians 4:17-32
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,

Introduction

On the basis of all that went before—Paul says “Therefore…” we are not to be like the World anymore. There is One Giver, though many gifts. All the gifts were given with one purpose, the edification and maturation and blessing of the whole Body. Therefore, our lives are to change.

The Underlying Contrast

Paul says the unbelievers live in the vanity of their minds. They have chosen to trust in their own wisdom, and they live lives characterized by futility…nothing they do has any eternal value. They cannot please God, and they are headed for a Christless eternity.

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:

Their hearts are completely blind to the light of God. This is a willful blindness. When we ignore some portion of God’s light, we become blind in that area. Judicial blindness results from willful disregard for light— the truth of God’s Word. We become calloused to the truth, and are even less likely to listen, the next time we hear it.

¹⁹ Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

They serve the flesh, and greedily feed upon sin. They only have one nature, so it controls everything they do and say: even if they wanted to change they simply cannot. Romans 8:7 says our sin nature is not subject to the Law of God, nor can it be. So, even when we try to “do good,” in our flesh, it is contaminated with sin. (That’s the “Bad News.” Unpleasant, but true: Jesus confirmed it.) Their sin nature is all they have to offer.

Our Sin is the Problem

Consider: Someone with a fatal disease may want to donate blood. They mean well: They know there is a need for blood donors. But their blood would eventually kill anyone who received it.

God is Holy:

The offering of an unregenerate soul is contaminated with a far more deadly disease —it’s called sin. We inherited it from Adam, through physical birth. And there’s only one cure. It, too, is “blood-borne,” through the Cross: Jesus’ blood is the only sacrifice God will accept, and the only way to receive a new nature, by rebirth…being born again.

**What Have You Learned?**

²⁰ But ye have not so learned Christ; ²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

We have not “learned the Person of Christ” in a context that allows us to continue in Sin. If we still live like unbelievers, we can’t say “Well, that’s the way we were taught.” Paul says, in effect, “You know better than that!” The Holy Spirit indwells every believer: He is completely faithful, and He prompts our hearts to do right. If you read your Bible at all, the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to teach you right from wrong, and to show you the right way to live. So…you can’t say you didn’t know!

We have not “so learned Christ” We have at least some degree of understanding, that God is Holy, and that, as a Holy God, He has the Right to require us to be holy as well. (1 Peter 1:16 “…because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy.”)

Who or What is The Old Man?

(You have been taught…)
²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

God says we have put off, or laid aside, the old nature. Does this mean that we have “eradicated” it? No—if that were the case, (and I fervently wish it were), we would have no need for teaching at all, because by nature, we would do only the things that a holy child of God does—we could never be tempted, because our only nature would be our new nature. Having put off the old man means we have “dethroned” the old nature—we have set it aside. Positionally, we are dead to sin. But our condition is that we still have two natures.

Incidentally, the word, “corrupt” in verse 22, is a “present continuous” adjective—it literally says, “being corrupted”. Your old nature is not only completely self-centered and corrupt, but it also feeds on sin, and it is getting worse, not better. God says He has nailed it to the cross, with Jesus. In terms of position, that’s where it is. In terms of condition, we have to live with it until we are forever set free, in our glorified bodies. But, for now, we have some choices to make.

Our Choices:

²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

We are to continually go to Him for renewal. This begins with confession (1^st John 1:9) to put us back in fellowship with God. It then continues with obedience to His Word, and frequent feeding on His Word. We DO have two natures, and whichever one we feed will grow stronger.

Someone wrote the following ditty to show the truth of the two natures of the believer:

“Two natures war within my breast—the one is curs’d, the other bless’d;
The one I love; and the one I hate; but the one I feed will dominate!”

That seems an appropriate statement. You have to choose which nature to feed.

The New Man

²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Notice that God says your new nature is completely holy and righteous. So, if this were the only nature you had, you would have no problems with temptation. It simply would have no effect on you—you would have no desire to do evil. But since we do have a sin nature, we continually have to make the choice to live in submission to God, so that the new nature is dominant, not the old. Paul goes on to give some examples of how that choice behaves:

New Man: New Lifestyle

²⁵ Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Remember, this goes along with the command back in verse 15—“speaking the truth IN LOVE…” This is not a license for “telling everyone off,” and having a vicious tongue. There is no excuse for any kind of unwholesome, ugly talk, as we will see later. It is specifically an injunction to not deceive, made on the basis of our unity in Christ. The fundamental command of Christ to the church is John 13:34, 35—“…Love one another as I have loved you…” All other relational commands are to be carried out within the framework of that one command.

What about Anger?

²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Here’s another verse that is sometimes misused—many people try to use this as an excuse for anger—they say, “Well it says here, ‘be angry’—so it can’t be sin!” But in the very same context, five verses later, he says “Put all anger away from you…”

I believe that “righteous indignation” is a possibility, because God exhibits it. But it is rarely experienced by humans. We quickly cross over into what God says is sin. However, knowing that anger is a normal human emotion, God tells us, “don’t let it result in Sin”. He goes on to say, “Don’t let the sun go down, with you still angry.” In other words, “Deal with it quickly”.

This is a tough thing to do. When we think of the thing that angered us, we get angry all over again. Someone said that anger is like a big heavy bell—if you stop pulling the rope, it will still ring for a while. But if you yank the rope again every time the bell rings, it will never stop. You have to choose to stop “pulling the rope”—it requires confession of sin on your part, forgiveness toward those who hurt you, and deliberate submission to God, by committing the situation to Him for His solution, rather than seeking your own. Remember this when reading verses 31, 32.

Anger can be an Invitation to The Enemy!

²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.

If you do cling to your anger, it allows Satan a foot-hold in your life—and he doesn’t require much of a toe-hold in order to wreak havoc. Anger is not truly unidirectional—if you hold onto anger, even though you may think you are only angry at one person, eventually it will begin to leak out into other areas, and you will increasingly become, by character, an angry person. It will affect every relationship. Deal with anger quickly, and decisively. Don’t let it destroy you and others.

More Contrasts:

²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Here’s another contrast—He says that a thief is to stop that behavior, permanently. But, not only that, he must seek to accomplish the reverse, by working, so he will have something to give. What if we applied this principle across the board? We wouldn’t simply “not do bad things,” but we would deliberately do the good that would be the opposite of our natural bent. Think about it: What are your natural tendencies in the area of sin? Now, what would be the opposite of that sin? What can you do to practice the opposite of your natural tendencies?

**The Change Requires Opposing the Flesh**

²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

It is more than just “bad language:” It is about the purpose and result of speech. Speech can “edify” (build up.) In contrast, it can also tear down. Speech can “minister Grace” to the hearers. In contrast, it can also deny others the experience of God’s Grace.

Is your mouth “building up” others? Is it strengthening the believers around you? Are you helping others to experience the Grace of God in their lives? If not, then meditate on this passage. I frequently do so, when I am convicted that what I have said (or thought) does not glorify God. There is a sense in which we can bless God. The way we think, and talk, can be part of that process, or stop it cold.

³⁰ And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

How does one grieve the Holy Spirit? The indwelling Holy Spirit is a person. He is grieved by anything that we do that takes away from Jesus’ glory. John 16:14 says that much of His ministry, (in fact, the underlying principle of His whole ministry) is to Glorify Jesus. When we do the opposite, we tear down the work He came to do. Can you see how that would grieve Him? And then he has to drop his ministry of teaching and blessing us, and begin convicting and correcting us. He desires to fill our lives with Grace. It grieves him when we sin.

What to Do With Anger

³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

God knows our thoughts: He says “ALL”. We think that our anger is mostly righteous. God says it isn’t. He says get rid of all of it. Recognize it while it is little, and weed it out. Which is easier; to pull a tiny, baby weed, or to wait ‘til it is huge, and then pull it? Of course, it is easier when it is little. It is easier to confess and repent of minor irritation, than to deal with flaming rage!

If I learn to recognize anger when it is small, and deal with it then, it can never “blossom,” and “go to seed”. It will cause no strife, to bring new irritations and new anger. Proverbs 15:1 says “a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up strife.” A soft answer is easier when you have confessed your irritation as anger, and have forgiven the offending party, than when you are on the brink of mayhem, and are no longer in full control of your thoughts.

Finally:

³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

The Love of Christ is practical: It results in kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness, based upon the forgiveness already given to us through Christ. God does not warn that we will “lose our forgiven status, if we fail to forgive;” He urges us to forgive since we are forgiven. There is great security in knowing that my sins have been forgiven. That security allows me to forgive others. God says that I am to base the way I treat others on the way He has treated me.

How do you treat the people in your life? Does God treat you that way? Has He ever “talked bad” about you? God has never been rude, or short-tempered, or selfish toward you, has He? Has He ever treated you with less than Grace? He may not always do what you want Him to do, but that is because He is God. (And we are not!)

How Do You Treat Others?

Consider how you speak…is it always geared to minister grace to the hearer? Do you speak the truth in love? What about anger? Do you secretly feel that it is OK to “tell people off?” Do you usually feel that when you are angry, “it is OK” because you are “right”?

These are all symptoms of the spiritual disease we share, called Sin. We all still have our sin nature. Yes, our sins have been forgiven, but sometimes we behave as though they had not been. God says we are no longer slaves to sin. We truly can choose to do right. We can choose to love one another, and to treat each other with kindness.

Lord Jesus, transform our lives into Your image: Change us from the inside out, and draw us along, raising us up as Your disciples, the Men and Women of God You have called us to be!

January 11, 2025January 11, 2025

How to Walk Worthy of the Calling of God

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:

One Body
One Spirit
One Hope of our Calling
One Lord
One Faith
One Baptism
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. 1^st John 3:2 says that when we see him, we shall be like Him…not before. In 1^st 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 (1^st Corinthians 13:8-13, Ephesians 4:13, and 1^st 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.

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025

Beginning a New Year, and Considering the New Foundation

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.

1^st 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?

1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st 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.

November 30, 2024November 30, 2024

Approach God on His Terms: How Did Paul Pray?

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

How Should We Pray? How Did Paul Pray?

Read Ephesians 3:1, 14-21
(With 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st 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? 1^st 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:

That you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but rather
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
Part of a growing body of believers that collectively form a habitation of God—a Temple, specifically, and because
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:

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
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
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
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!)
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
Filled with all the fullness (pleroma—utter completeness of fullness) of God, so
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:

The equipping of the believers for
The work of the ministry; (the believers are to do the work of the ministry…which is)
Building up the Body of Christ (for how long?)
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;
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?)
But (instead) that the Church will speak the truth in Love, (sound preaching and teaching) and
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 2^nd 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.

November 24, 2024November 24, 2024

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

What Have We To Offer? The Concept of Grace.

Introduction:

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

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

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

We Confess The Sovereignty of God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And, What About Ann’s Family?

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

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

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

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

But What Does He Offer to Us?

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

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

What is the Connection?

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

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

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

The Result of continued Sin

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

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

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

So, Consider The Call of God

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

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

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

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

This is The Concept of Grace!

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

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

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

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

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

October 18, 2024October 18, 2024

Three Points Are Needed In Our Testimony As Believers

The Testimony of a Believer

Ephesians 2:11-22

Introduction

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

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

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

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

What Makes a Salvation Testimony?

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

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

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

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

**Our Old Position**

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

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

Remember!

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

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

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

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

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

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

We Were Without Hope

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

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

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

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

So, What Changed?

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

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

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

And, How?

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

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

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

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

**What is Our New Position?**

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

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

Still In Christ

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

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

What does the Future Hold?

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

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

But, For Now:

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

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

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

October 12, 2024October 12, 2024

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

“But God…”

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.”

2^nd Corinthians 5:21

Turn to 2^nd 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 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st Corinthians 6 states that “your body (singular) is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you….” The one in 1^st 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 1^st 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!”

October 5, 2024October 5, 2024

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

Dead or Alive

Ephesians 2:1-7, 8-10

Introduction:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Positional Truth

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

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

All of Us?

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

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

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

“But God…!”

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

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

When Did It Happen?

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

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

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

**All Alive…Together with Christ**

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

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

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

Now, What?

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

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

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

Our New Job

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

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

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

September 28, 2024September 29, 2024

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

In Christ—A Continued Study in Ephesians

Ephesians 1:15-23

Foundation for progress: Framework for prayer.

Introduction—Review

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

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

Positional Truths

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

A Foundation for Progress:

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

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

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

A Framework for Prayer:

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

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

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

“The Spirit of Wisdom”

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

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

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

“And of Revelation”

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

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

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

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

“In The Knowledge of God”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Does Paul Expect Us to See and Understand?

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

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

Three Words For “Power”

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

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

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

The Importance of Authority

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

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

Jesus is The Head of the Body, the Church

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

However:

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

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

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

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

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

What Does it mean, to “Walk as Children of Light?”

Introduction:

God Says, Walk as Children of Light

What Should “Walking as Children of Light” Look Like?9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; )10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

What Does “Light” Do About Sin?

Light Does “Make Manifest!”

We All Have The Same Flaw

So, Why Do Some Respond In Faith, and Others In Indifference Or Rebellion?

What Is The Difference?

Faith Is An Obedient Response To A Revealed Truth.

God Calls for a Change!

Learning Wisdom

Choose Wisdom!

Walking Worthy (3)

Introduction

The Underlying Contrast

Our Sin is the Problem

God is Holy:

What Have You Learned?

Who or What is The Old Man?

Our Choices:

The New Man

New Man: New Lifestyle

What about Anger?

Anger can be an Invitation to The Enemy!

More Contrasts:

The Change Requires Opposing the Flesh

What to Do With Anger

Finally:

How Do You Treat Others?

Walking Worthy (1)

© C. O. Bishop

Introduction:

What Is Our Calling?

Submission to God

Longsuffering

Forbearance

Endeavoring to Keep the Unity of the Spirit

Seven God-given Unities are Listed:

The Gifts of Christ

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

The Office Gifts…Gifts of Christ

When Will The Gifts Cease?

Beginning a New Year, and Considering the New Foundation

Introduction:

The New Foundation

How Was the Foundation Laid?

What is the Problem With Sand?

No Other Foundation

So—What Now?

One Test For Eternal Value

Only God Builds Eternal Structures.

Making it Personal

A Warning From God

The Continuing Contrast

How Should We Then Live?

How Will You Choose?

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

How Should We Pray? How Did Paul Pray?

Introduction:

New Testament Prayer

Prayer for Unbelievers

Prayer for Believers

The Facts:

Seven Specific Things:

Seven-fold Prayer for the Church

Prayer for One’s Self

Paul’s Prayer

Concluson

What Have We To Offer? The Concept of Grace.

Introduction:

We Confess The Sovereignty of God

And, The Church Functioned as It Should Function

And, What About Ann’s Family?

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

But What Does He Offer to Us?

What is the Connection?

The Result of continued Sin

So, Consider The Call of God

The Testimony of a Believer

What Should “Walking as Children of Light” Look Like?
⁹ (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; )¹⁰ Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

**Light Does “Make Manifest!”**

**What Have You Learned?**

**The Change Requires Opposing the Flesh**

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

**Our Old Position**

**What is Our New Position?**

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

**“But Now…” (v. 13-17) (read it)**

2^nd Corinthians 5:21

**So: Now What?**

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

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

**All Alive…Together with Christ**