Ephesians 3 Part 6 (9-11-05)

Ephesians 3 Part 6
Bible Study Time 9-11-05

“Oh, how marvelous. Oh, how wonderful. Is my Savior’s love for me.” We have to stand amazed when we come to Jesus and see the great love with which He loves us. Shedding His blood upon the cross of Calvary for your sins and for mine.

In Ephesians, Chapter 3, Paul prays that we,

Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJ)
17 . . . being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;

In other words, Paul prays that we may be able to know that which passes knowledge. At first, that may sound like nonsense, but doing what can not be done is the essence of our relationship with God. Whenever, God calls someone to Himself, He calls them to do things which they can not do. He calls us to do that which we can not do, and He calls us to understand that which we can not understand. Paul told the Corinthians that:

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NKJ)
14 . . . the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

With God, all things are possible.

God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens and the sands of the seashore even though Abraham was 100 years old and had no children. With God, all things are possible. Abraham and Sarah had a son named Isaac and from Him came the nation of Israel.

God told Moses to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt. To be sure, it was one man against the strongest nation on the face of the earth. It’s little wonder that Moses was somewhat hesitant. With God, all things are possible. Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and crossed through the middle of the Red Sea on dry land.

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to rule as King in an everlasting kingdom and die for sin. How could He do both? With God, all things are possible. After 3 days in the grave, the Lord Jesus arose from the dead and is now in heaven ready to rule the earth in an everlasting kingdom.

Well, here in Ephesians, Paul prays that we might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. More specifically, he prays that we might be able to comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of God.

We live in a world that is three dimensional, but here we see that the love of God is 4 dimensional. It’s no wonder that the love of God is beyond human comprehension.

When we want to understand spiritual things, we need to turn to the word of God, and the first thing that we need to see from the word of God is that God loves us. In fact, John says that we love God because God first loved us. Paul says that God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, and Paul goes on to say that even while we were the enemies of God, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. John put it this way:

I John 4:10 (NKJ)
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

When the preschoolers at Trinity Lutheran in Crown Point, Indiana, got up to give their end-of-the-year program, they were adorable as usual, and everyone was a little amused when they held up their cards which spelled out, “DOG LOVES YOU”.

Well, no matter how you spell it, God does love us, and He loves us with an everlasting love.

The second thing we need to see from the word of God is that God is love. I John 4:16 says, “God is love and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

It is impossible to abide in love and not abide in God. If anyone says that they love people, but they don’t believe in Jesus, they are lying. No one can love people unless they know God, and no one can know God unless they believe in Jesus.

Of coarse, John says that the inverse is also true. He says that:

I John 4:20 (NKJ)
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

In other words, if someone says, “I love God,” or “I love Allah,” or “I follow Buddha,” but they hate their fellowman, then they do not love God, for God is love.

The other day the National Geographic Channel had a special called “Inside 9/11.” They told how the man who used a truck bomb to bomb the Word Trade Center in 1993 was actually the man who came up with the idea of using commercial airliners as flying bombs to destroy the targets of 9/11. This man was described as a person who used all of his imagination coming up with plan after plan after plan for killing innocent people. John said that anyone who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar.

There was a mother who told about her daughter, Rosemary. This mother said that when Rosemary was three, she had a little rag doll, and Rosemary loved that rag doll. As the doll got older and dirtier, it got too old to wash and too dirty to play with. It was ready for the trash, but if you loved Rosemary, you had to love the rag doll too. It was a package deal.

Rosemary’s mother went on to make the point that if we love God, we have to love His rag dolls too. Even if they don’t meet our personal standard of respectability, we still have to love them. If anyone says “I love God” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.

The third thing we need to see is that nothing can separate us from the love of God. We do not have to worry that God’s love will be here today but gone tomorrow. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His love is just as constant as He is, for He is love. Romans 8 says:

Romans 8:35,37-39 (NKJ)
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 . . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

One day Charles Spurgeon was walking through the English countryside with a friend. As they were walking, Spurgeon noticed a barn with a weather vane on its roof. At the top of the vane were these words: GOD IS LOVE. Spurgeon remarked that he thought the weather vane was not an appropriate place for such a message because weather vanes are changeable, while God’s love is constant. Spurgeon’s friend disagreed and said that the weather vane made a good point, namely, that regardless of the way the wind blows, GOD IS LOVE.

The fourth point in regard to God’s love relates to the fact that we are called the children of God. Again, we turn to John who said:

I John 3:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Even now we are the children of God, but it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. When Jesus Christ is revealed in heaven, then we shall be like Him.

Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJ)
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we might:

Ephesians 3:19-21 (NKJ)
19 . . . know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that (we) may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Then he sums it up by saying:

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I see our time is gone. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch_ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/

Ephesians 3 Part 5 (9-4-05)

Ephesians 3 Part 5
Bible Study Time 9-4-05

I was reading the other day about a soldier who was brought before his commanding officer. He was accused of communicating with the enemy because he was seen coming out of an area where enemy troops were known to patrol. The soldier was obviously nervous as he began his defense, saying that he had slipped away from camp to pray.

The commanding officer asked the soldier if he was in the habit of praying, and the soldier said, “Yes, Sir.”

The commanding officer then replied, “Never in your life have you been in more need of prayer than now. I want you to kneel and pray out loud for all of us to hear.”

The soldier got on his knees and began to pray, pouring out his heart to God. He prayed for God to intervene in his unfortunate situation, and His faith in God was clear to everyone.

When the soldier finished praying, the commanding officer said, “You’re free to go. No one could have prayed that way without a long apprenticeship.” Then he added, “It’s the soldiers who have never attended drill who are ill at ease when it comes time for the review.”

Well, in the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul shows just how familiar he is with the exercise of prayer. In Ephesians 2, Paul taught that through Christ both Jews and Gentiles have access by one Spirit to the Father, and then in Ephesians 3, he said that believers today have boldness and access to the Father with confidence through faith in Christ.

The prayers revealed in the book of Ephesians give us a glimpse inside the private prayer life of this great apostle. In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed:

Ephesians 1:15-20 (NKJ)
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Then in Ephesians 3, Paul prayed once again, saying:

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NKJ)
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Last week, we looked at the fact that these prayers were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that we can take comfort in the fact that these are the kind of prayers that the Holy Spirit prayers for us as He makes intercession for us. We don’t always know how to pray as we should. We don’t always know how to pray in keeping with the perfect will of God. Therefore, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with prayers such as these.

Paul prays in Ephesians 3 that we would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in the inner man because the inner man is the battleground of spiritual warfare. When we accept Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the inner man, and we become partakers in the divine nature.

However, we still have the body of flesh which lusts against the Spirit, even as the Spirit lusts against the flesh, for they are contrary one to another. According to Romans 8, if we live according to the flesh we will die, but if by the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body, we will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. In John, Chapter 6, the Lord Jesus said:

John 6:63 (NKJ)
63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

It is interesting to note that in Paul’s letters he does not emphasize praying for physical needs. He was acutely aware of the fact that the real issues of life are the issues that relate to the Spirit. Does this mean that he did not care about physical needs? No, Paul actually took up an offering to relieve the poverty of the Jerusalem saints. Does it mean that we should not pray about physical needs? Not at all. We are to cast all of our cares upon Him for He cares for us. However, we do need to realize that our spiritual needs are our greatest needs, and we should focus our attention on spiritual needs, even as Paul did.

Therefore, Paul prayed that our inner man might be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be spiritually strong, and we will be, if we yield to the Holy Spirit. We must be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit, or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.

We know that God often uses fire as a means of judgment. The Lord rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, and He told Joshua to burn the cities of Canaan with fire. John the Baptist said:

Matthew 3:10-12 (NKJ)
10 " . . . every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 "His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

After the judgment of the Great White Throne, those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire.

When the Lord appeared in smoke and fire at the top of Mt. Sinai, the children of Israel were afraid. That fire appeared to be a consuming fire. The Bible says that at that time,

Exodus 19:18-19 (NKJ)
18 . . . Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

When Moses gave his Deuteronomy address about a month before his death, he challenged the nation to remember that it was the love and kindness of the Lord which brought Him down to Mt. Sinai. In Deuteronomy 4, Moses said:

Deuteronomy 4:7,9-12 (NKJ)
7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us? . . .
9 "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, . . .
10 "especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
11 "Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, . . .
12 "And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.

Moses went on to say that the Lord is a consuming fire for He is a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24), but then he asked,

Deuteronomy 4:32,33,36 (NKJ)
32 " . . . since the day that God created man on the earth, . . .
33 "Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, . . . ?
36 "Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire.

Moses wanted Israel to remember that out of that consuming fire came the voice of God, calling the nation of Israel to Himself. He was calling them to Himself so that He could love them and protect them and provide for them, so that he could make them heirs to the promises which had been given to their fathers.

Even today, the Holy Spirit may appear from a distance to be a consuming fire because the people of this world do not like to hear about sin or the consequences of sin, but those who draw near to God through Jesus Christ hear the voice that comes out of the fire of the Holy Spirit. They hear God calling them to join the family of God. They hear God calling them to a life of joy and peace and to the promise of everlasting life.

To those who believe in Jesus Christ, the fire of the Holy Spirit is not a consuming fire, but it is a fire that purifies the heart. David said:

Psalms 143:10 (NKJ)
10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalms 139:23-24 (NKJ)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

To those who believe in Jesus Christ, the fire of the Holy Spirit is a fire that gives light. When the children of Israel traveled from Egypt to the promised land, God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and He went before them by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. Though we may live a world that is full of darkness, God gives us the light of the Holy Spirit to illuminate our path.

When we drive along our highways, there are traffic safety signs along the way. These signs have a reflective surface so that they can be seen at night. That means they can only be seen at night when a light is reflected off the surface. In other words, the Department of Transportation provides the sign, but we have to provide the light.

When our path seems dark, the fire of the Holy Spirit is our light. With his light we can heed the warning signs along the way.

John Bunyan, who wrote Pilgrim’s Progress and Grace Abounding, was preaching in Bedford, England, shortly after he was saved at the age of 25. Prosecutors from London cooked up some charges against him, and he was put in prison for over 12 years. The local jailer was somewhat sympathetic to Mr. Bunyan’s cause, so he would allow him to leave the jail and go home from time to time. When the prosecutors in London heard rumors to that effect, they sent a party to pay a surprise visit to the jail.

On the night they were to arrive, John Bunyan was at his own home, but he had this uneasy feeling about spending the night away from the jail, so he returned to the jail. Not long afterward the inspectors arrived and demanded to see John Bunyan. After the inspectors left, the jailer told Mr. Bunyan, “You may come and go as you please, for you know better than I when you need to be here.” We need the light that comes from the fire of the Holy Spirit.

We are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness because we have been called to walk as children of light. We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord for we have been delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.

Moses saw a burning bush in the desert. It caught his attention because the bush was never consumed. Moses went near the bush, and God spoke to him out of the fire. As far as we know, the bush was never consumed. It just kept on burning. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is the fire that burns within us, but we are never consumed. On the contrary, the fire of the Holy Spirit is the fire that gives us strength in every trial, comfort in every sorrow, joy in every victory, and that fire is designed by God to keep on burning throughout eternity. It is the true eternal flame.

If your life is empty and full of frustration and anxiety, you can experience the fire of the Holy Spirit which gives purpose and fulfillment in this life as well as the promise of eternal life. Simply put your faith in Jesus Christ. Believe that He died for your sins and then rose from the grave.

John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Thank your for listening to Bible Study Time. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch_ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/

Ephesians 3 Part 4 (8-28-05)

Ephesians 3 Part 4
Bible Study Time 8-28-05

Toward the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, while he was still at Corinth, he wrote to the Romans believers and said:

Romans 15:25,30-32 (NKJ)
25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.

As it turned out, when Paul left Corinth for Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit made it clear that Paul would face great persecution upon his arrival in Jerusalem. Many people along the way pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but he was determined to accomplish the task that God had given Him to do. In Acts 20 and verse 22, Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders on the shores of the Aegean Sea and said:

Acts 20:22-24 (NIV)
22 " . . . compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he was arrested on bogus charges and sent to Rome for a trial, but Paul could see the Lord’s hand in all of these things. From Rome, he wrote to the Philippians and said:

Philippians 1:12-14 (NKJ)
12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

In other words, even the people in Rome could see that Paul had been arrested simply because of his testimony for Jesus Christ, and it was in this same context that Paul wrote to the Ephesians and said:

Ephesians 3:13 (NKJ)
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Then, he went on to say:

Ephesians 3:14-15 (NKJ)
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Paul was brought to his knees before the Father not only because of the great stewardship of truth which had been given to him concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ but also because he knew that all of his tribulations and afflictions which he had endured were being used by the Lord to further the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As usual, Paul wanted to give all of the glory to Jesus Christ, and he did so by acknowledging the fact that the whole family in heaven and earth is named after Jesus Christ for God has put all things under His feet and has given Him to be head over all things to the Church which is His Body. Christ is seated in the heavens at the right hand of the Father where:

Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJ)
9 . . . God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ is, in fact, the one mediator between God and man for no one can come to the Father except through Him, and here in Ephesians 3, Paul says:

Ephesians 3:14,16,17 (NKJ)
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

Now, as Paul prays for these dear friends of his in Ephesus, this is a prayer that is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it’s the kind of prayer that the Holy Spirit prays for us as He makes intercession for us. In Romans 8, Paul said:

Romans 8:26-27 (NKJ)
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Well, here in Ephesians 3, we see the kind of groanings which the Holy Spirit makes on our behalf. It is wonderful to know that the Holy Spirit prays for us in this way. We all know how much it means to us when people pray for us, especially when we go through a difficult time. We can feel the effect of those prayers, but how much more effective are the prayers of the Holy Spirit.

Paul said that we should pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Well, that makes sense, doesn’t it? If the Spirit is the One who is making intercession for us, then we should pray in the power and authority of the Spirit. That simply means that we need to be in intimate fellowship with the Spirit.

It is a powerful blessing to know that the Holy Spirit of God is praying for us with prayers like this one in Ephesians. He prays that we would be strengthened with might in the inner man through the Spirit of God according to the riches of God’s glory.

We know that God will supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory, and certainly one of our greatest needs is to be strengthened with might in the inner man through the Spirit. We can trust God to supply that need because He has all of the resources to supply that need. God will supply our need, not according to our own ability to receive it, but according to the riches of His glory.

This strengthening that comes to us by the Spirit is literally infused into the inner man. The outer man is still the same as it was before we were saved. It’s still a body of flesh. But the inner man is being shaped and molded by the Holy Spirit as He infuses the character of Jesus Christ into our inner being.

We need to be strengthened with might because the outer man still carries the old sin nature. According to Galatians 5:

Galatians 5:17 (NKJ)
17 . . . the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another . . .

It was Paul’s prayer that our inner man would be completely dominated by the Holy Spirit, not by the body of flesh. Peter put it this way in 2 Peter 1:

2 Peter 1:4-8 (NKJ)
4 (You) have been given . . . great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of God is willing to infuse the character of Jesus Christ into our inner being, but we need to diligently strengthen and fortify our hearts to secure the work of the Holy Spirit. We do this by exercising self control, perseverance, kindness, and so forth.

So that we will know whether we are being led by the Spirit or overcome by the flesh, God has given us a list of the things that relate to each realm. Galatians 5 says:

Galatians 5:19-25
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

If we take a look inside and see sexual impurity, hatred, selfish ambition, drunkenness, and so forth, then our inner man is not being strengthened by the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be strong when it comes to overpowering the fleshly passions.

If we look inside and see genuine love, joy and peace, then we know that these things come only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Contrary to popular thought, no one is born with a sweet nature. Deep down inside the old nature is there. From the day that children of born, we need to pray for the day when they will put their faith in Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Spirit. Only then can they experience the divine nature.

Fortunately, children have a tremendous capacity to believe in Jesus. In fact, most adults today, who know the Lord, accepted Christ as their Savior when they were children. That tells me that God wants us to pray for our children and emphasize our ministry to children. Children are born into an earthly family, but they have to be born again to join the family of God. That family which is named after Jesus Christ in heaven.

After children accept Christ as their savior, then we can pray and the Holy Spirit will pray for them too, that they will be strengthened with might through the Spirit in the inner man.

When we allow the Holy Spirit complete control of our inner being, that is when we will experience true fellowship with Jesus Christ. Only then can we experience the indwelling presence of Jesus Christ. That is why Paul prayed that we would be strengthened with might in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.

The Holy Spirit does not leave us if we walk in the flesh, but if we walk in the flesh, we will not experience the presence of Jesus Christ. John said:

I John 1:6-7 (NKJ)
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

When we are strengthened with might through the Spirit, we will sense the spiritual reality that we are seated in Christ in heaven with continuous access to the Father. But if we walk in darkness, we will sense the natural reality that we are literally billions of miles away from the throne of God.

When we walk in darkness, we quench the Holy Spirit. That means that we put out the fire of the Holy Spirit. We need the fire of the Holy Spirit burning within us so that Jesus Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.

As we close this morning, I would like to ask you this, “Is your heart the dwelling place of Jesus Christ? Do you sense a fellowship with Him that is real and meaningful?” If not, you can. Call upon Him, and He will answer thee. Believe that He died for your sins and that he was raised from the dead to give you the hope of eternal life.

When you believe, you will receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will burn like a fire within your heart, purging your heart from the passions of the flesh and making your heart a fit dwelling place for Jesus Christ.

If you know the Lord, but can not sense His presence, confess your sins to God, and He will renew your heart so that you can experience the presence of the Lord.

I see our time is gone for this morning. I want to thank you for listening, and I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch_ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/

Ephesians 3 Part 3 (8-21-05)

Ephesians 3 Part 3
Bible Study Time 8-21-05

Ephesians 3:12 says that in Jesus Christ we have boldness and access to the Father with confidence through faith in Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, and the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God, was opened up to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

This reality is the summit of the stewardship of truth which God committed to the Apostle Paul for it is the result of the fact that believers today are members of the Body of Christ, members of His flesh and of His bone. As such, we are seated in the heavenlies in Christ at the right hand of the Father, and from this privileged position, we experience constant communication with the Father.

E.W. Bullinger was once asked about the essence of prayer. His reply was that:

Prayer is the breath of the new nature. Just as the natural breath is the sign and evidence of physical life, so prayer is the mark and sign of the possession of spiritual life. No knowledge of physiology is required for one to take a natural breath, and so it is that no knowledge of theology is required for one to pray. The moment we reason about prayer, we make it artificial for true prayer is spontaneous.

He illustrated this point with a humorous rhyme which went this way:

The centipede was happy quite
Until the toad, in fun
Said, “Pray, which foot goes after which?
Which moved his mind to such a pitch
He lay distracted in the ditch
Considering – how to run.
(E.W. Bullinger – A Biography by Juanita S. Carey pp. 120-121)

Dr. Bullinger’s point is an excellent one. There is no formula which will yield effective prayer. When one is placed into the Church which is the Body of Christ, his fellowship with the Father is one that is natural and pure because it is guided by the Holy Spirit.

Paul was writing these words to the Ephesians from a Roman prison, and in verse 13 of Ephesians 3, Paul says that because of this great revelation of the mystery concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ, the Ephesian believers should not be discouraged because of his tribulations. He was concerned that some believers might shrink back from the gospel out of fear for their own safety, and he was keenly aware of the fact that the enemies of the gospel might use his imprisonment to turn people against the truth.

Paul wanted the Ephesians to know that the persecution he was suffering was all a part of God’s glorious plan. He wanted believers everywhere to rejoice in the fact that God was using his suffering to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. To the Philippians he wrote:

Philippians 1:12-14 (NKJ)
12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul was not about to let his prison chains prevent him from spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had been given a stewardship of truth concerning the fact that anybody, anywhere could be added to God’s heavenly Church by simply believing in Jesus Christ. Because this was a stewardship, he knew that he would be held accountable for the manner in which he managed the dispensing of this magnificent truth. Therefore, He gave his whole heart to serving the Lord and doing what God had called him to do.

Paul warned Timothy that he too should be prepared to endure affliction. In fact, he said that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. The Lord Jesus also warned His disciples that they should expect persecution. In John 15, He said:

John 15:18-21 (NKJ)
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

But He also said:
Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJ)
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Paul was persecuted in every city as he went spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he was arrested when he went back to Jerusalem. He was turned over to the Roman authorities in Caesarea, and they were not particularly hostile toward Paul or his message. Although he was kept in prison, he was not mistreated by either Felix or Festus.

When Paul was ultimately sent to Rome, he began to see God’s hand at work in the things that had happened. His life had been spared, and he was steadily earning the respect of the Romans who knew him. From the guards who watched him to the officials who interrogated him, he was being presented with opportunity after opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ. He pleaded with the Ephesians, saying:

Ephesians 6:19-20 (NKJ)
19 . . . (Pray) for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Many of the Gentiles in Rome had no real understanding of the Jewish religion or the events relating to the death of Christ. Paul’s dedication to the gospel as well as his genuine love and concern for the lost must have made a tremendous impression on the people there in Rome. It was obvious to all of the palace guard that Paul had done nothing wrong but was in chains for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that he could not control how people would react to the gospel. That was in God’s hands. But Paul was fully persuaded that God could soften those hearts which were callused by sin and bring conviction in those hearts which were blinded by ignorance and rebellion.

Before Paul was imprisoned at Rome, he had written to the Corinthians, saying:

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NKJ)
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Paul was trusting God for miracles. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul had cast out demons and healed the sick, but now Paul was praying for the miracles of the heart. He was praying that people would come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that they would give themselves completely and totally to Jesus Christ.

It was at this time that Paul wrote to the Ephesians and said:

Ephesians 3:13 (NKJ)
13 I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Do not be discouraged on account of my afflictions because God is doing marvelous things which go beyond all that we could ask or think. Apparently, many people there in Rome had put their faith in Jesus Christ, and Paul was being treated fairly by the Roman courts. In fact, his letters show that he was anticipating his release from prison. To Philemon he wrote:

Philemon 1:22 (NKJ)
22 . . . meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

In Philippians, Chapter 1, he said:

Philippians 1:19-26 (NKJ)
19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,
26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.

In Philippians, Chapter 2, Paul spoke of Timothy and said:

Philippians 2:23-24 (NKJ)
23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.
24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.

It would appear that Paul was released from prison and at some point went with Titus to the island of Crete for in Titus 1:5, he wrote to Titus:

Titus 1:5 (NKJ)
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you--

However, it seems that during the time that Paul was released from prison, the great fire of Rome occurred, and Nero seized the opportunity to blame the Christians and persecute them. At this time, Paul was again arrested, and it became increasingly obvious to Paul that he would soon be going home to be with the Lord. He wrote in his second letter to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NKJ)
6 . . . I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The persecution of Christians would continue to be the norm throughout the apostolic period. It seems that Peter may have been referring to the persecution of Nero in I Peter 4 when he said:

1 Peter 4:12-19 (NKJ)
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

The persecution of Christians has continued through the years even since the apostolic period. Today in the Word is a publication of Moody Bible Institute, and a few years ago they recounted an incident which happened during the Boxer Rebellion in China in the year 1900. The article said:

During China’s Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing squad.
(Today in the Word, Feb. 89, p. 17)

But today, as always, we are called to bear the cross of Jesus Christ, and if we suffer according to the will of God, we commit our souls to Him, as to a faithful Creator.

Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/

Ephesians 3 Part 2 (8-14-05)

Ephesians 3 Part 2
Bible Study Time 8-14-05

In Ephesians, Chapter 3, Paul states that God has given him a stewardship or a deposit of truth which he calls the stewardship of the grace of God. Last week we discovered that this stewardship of truth was a multifaceted deposit of truth which covered the mystery concerning the one body in which Gentiles have been made fellow heirs with the Jews, and it also covered the mystery concerning the fullness of times when God is to gather all things in heaven and earth together in Jesus Christ.

Paul said that this body of truth which was given to him was a mystery which had been hidden in God through the ages. It was never revealed to the men of previous generations, but God has chosen to reveal it at this time so that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

Which church is this that has been given this glorious opportunity? Was it the church in the wilderness which Stephen referred to in Acts, Chapter 7; that Jewish church which God sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because they refused to go into the promised land?

Was it the church of Acts, Chapter 2; the Jewish church whose members sold their possessions and lived together as they waited for the Lord Jesus and His kingdom?

No, this was the church of the mystery which had been revealed to the Apostle Paul. The church of the one body to which Jews and Gentiles are added. The members of the Church which is the Body of Christ have been chosen by God to reveal the wisdom of God to the powers in the heavens.

As Paul writes to the Ephesians, the covenants of Israel have already been set aside and the rituals of the Law have been abolished. Therefore, Paul is free to reveal the Church which is the Body of Christ.

In verse 11 of Ephesians 3 we read that God planned all of these things according to the eternal purpose which God accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul taught in Chapter 1 that God has now made known to us the mystery if His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.

God had this great purpose in mind when He created the universe. In Genesis, we see that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, but in the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus Christ was there with the Father in the beginning and that all things were made by Jesus Christ. Now we see that even before the beginning, the members of the Godhead purposed in their hearts that someday they would gather together in one all things in heaven and earth in Jesus Christ, the Son.

Then in verse 12 of Ephesians 3, we find that those of us who have been accepted in Christ have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Christ. In Hebrews, Chapter 4, Paul told the Hebrew believers that they had a High Priest who had passed through the heavens, even Jesus the Son of God. He encouraged them that their High Priest could sympathize with their weaknesses because He had been tempted in all points but was still without sin. Because of these things, they could go boldly before God’s throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in their time of need.

Here in Ephesians, however, we find a different picture for the members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. The members of this Church are seated in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ. We are accepted in Jesus Christ because we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. In Jesus Christ, we have redemption through His blood, forgiveness for sins, and we are blessed with all spiritual blessings. We, as members of the Church, the Body of Christ, are not pictured as coming boldly before the throne of God, but we are pictured as having continuous access to the Father with confidence because of our position in Christ.

In the Old Testament, Queen Esther had access to the king, but she did not have access with confidence. King Xerxes had signed a decree that all of the Jews of his kingdom should be killed. When Mordecai asked Esther to go before the king and plead the case of the Jewish people, she said:

Esther 4:11 (NKJ)
11 "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."

Mordecai reminded Esther that she and her family would be in danger also a members of the Jewish community and that they might be in even more danger than some of the others who lived in the more remote regions of the kingdom. Ultimately, Esther agreed to go before the king, but she wanted all of the Jews in that region to fast for three days and three nights. She said:

Esther 4:16 (NKJ)
16 " . . . And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"

The commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown says that Xerxes name comes from two Persian words which together mean lion-king. Their commentary also says that this lion-king was “capricious, fickle, reckless of human lives, and immersed in sensual pleasures.” It is no wonder that Esther was more than just a little fearful when it came to going before the king without an invitation.

However, when we consider the fact that Xerxes was just a man, how much more frightening it would be for sinful men to stand before a just and a holy God. Before God descended upon Mt. Sinai, He told Moses to consecrate the people for three days to prepare them for their encounter with the Lord. Then God said:

Exodus 19:12-13 (NKJ)
12 "You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, 'Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.
13 'Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain."

Moses had the special privilege of going into the presence of the Lord while the average person was not even allowed to touch the base of the mountain, or he would surely be put to death.

What a privilege is ours today! We have constant and complete access to the Father with confidence because we are accepted in Jesus Christ, the beloved One. We are told to:

Philippians 4:6 (NKJ)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJ)
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJ)
14 (For) this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Romans 8:32 (NKJ)
32 (For if God) did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

During Old Testament times, the High Priest had direct access to the dwelling place of God only once each year. It was such a fearful thing that the priest wore bells on the hem of his garment so that as he performed his duties in the Holy of Holies, the people waiting outside would know that the priest was still alive by the sound of the bells.

At the time of Christ’s death upon the cross, the veil in the temple, which partitioned off the holy of holies, was torn in two from top to bottom. This signified that the blood of Jesus Christ had given the average person access to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

According to the covenants of Israel, no Gentile had direct access to God. Even the circumcised Gentiles were permitted only as far as the gate of the court of Israel. But as a result of the work of Christ on the cross, the rituals of the Law were abolished, and God created the Church which is the Body of Christ. According to the riches of God’s grace, Gentiles now have equal access to the Father with the believing Jews.

Though this great privilege of access to the Father has been made available to us, we all too often fail to avail ourselves of this opportunity. Often we may feel that we are just too busy to pray.

I recently read about some African converts to Christianity. These converts believed in the power of prayer, and each believer was given a special place to pray outside the village. As a result, each one developed his own pathway to his assigned place. When grass began to grow on one of these trails, it was evident who was neglecting their time in prayer, and then it would not be long before someone would encourage them to pray by gently saying, “There’s grass in your path.”

I’m afraid that too often there is grass in our path that leads to our prayer sanctuary. We can not expect to be effective in our service for the Lord if we neglect our time in prayer. Without prayer we become anxious and fearful about the things of this life. We are to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we are to let our requests be made known to God.

Psalm 37 presents a simple plan for avoiding anxiety. It says that we should not fret, but we should trust in the Lord. We should delight ourselves in the Lord. We should commit our way unto the Lord. And we should rest in the Lord. A very important part of living a life of joy and peace is to commit our way unto the Lord.

Daniel was living in a foreign country where the people were hostile to the true and the living God, but Daniel made it a point to pray. The Bible says that:

Daniel 6:10 (NKJ)
10 . . . (Daniel) knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Daniel was accustomed to committing his way unto the Lord, and it is interesting to note he prayed and gave thanks before his God. Even in difficult times, we have so much to be thankful for. We are to let our requests be made known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

We should never presume that God will give us everything we want. He promises to supply our needs, not our greeds. But we should never hesitate to present our true desires to the Lord.

In the days of Alexander the Great there was a renowned philosopher who came to Alexander with a request for money. Alexander told the philosopher to withdraw from the treasury whatever he needed. When he went to withdraw a very large sum of money, the treasurer hesitated and said that he needed to verify that this large withdrawal was authorized. When the treasurer my his inquiry, Alexander said, “Pay the money at once. This philosopher has done me a singular honor. By the largeness of his request he shows that he understands both my wealth and my generosity.”

The wealth and generosity of our heavenly Father go far beyond that of Alexander for God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

In the Old Testament, the Jews had the opportunity to enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, but today we have been given an even greater honor. We have been given a position in the Body of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. We are accepted in Jesus Christ, and we have boldness and access to the Father with confidence through faith in Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament there were those who entered the gates of the temple, but their hearts were not right with God. Today, access to the Father is reserved only for those whose hearts are right with God. To become a member of the Church which is the Body of Christ, one has to understand his own sinfulness and accept the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ.

I sometimes ask people if everyone in the Church is saved, and some will say, “No, not everyone.” But when I tell them that I’m talking about the Church of the Bible which God is building in heaven, they smile and say, “Oh yes, everyone in that Church is saved.”

No one can have boldness and access to the Father unless his heart is right with God. If you don’t know the Lord today, and you have never been added to the Church which is the Body of Christ, you can take that step today. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and the moment you believe, God will add you to the Body of Christ. Then you too can experience that bold and confident access to the Father.

Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch_fw.com/

Ephesians 3 Part 1 (8-7-05)

Ephesians 3 Part 1
Bible Study Time 8-7-05

Last week we studied Ephesians, Chapter 2, where the Apostle Paul said that today God is creating one new man, one body, from Jews and Gentiles alike. Any Jew, anywhere, can accept Christ and become a part of this one new man. Any Gentile, anywhere, can accept Christ and become part of the one new man whom God is creating in the heavens. In Ephesians, Chapter 1, Paul called this new man the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Jesus Christ went only to the Jews in His earthly ministry, but today He is preaching peace to the Jews and to the Gentiles. This was made possible by the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary because his work upon the cross abolished that aspect of the Mosaic Law which was contained in ordinances. The Mosaic Law required a person to be circumcised to participate in the temple worship. When Christ shed His blood on the cross, He did away with that requirement so that today Jews and Gentiles fellowship together with Christ in one body.

The Apostle Paul starts Ephesians, Chapter 3, by saying, “For this reason.” Obviously, something is going to happen because of the revelation which was given in Chapter 2, but rather than finishing the thought, Paul digresses to provide a few more details regarding the revelation of the new man. In fact, Paul does not return to this thought until verse 14 where he says:

Ephesians 3:14 (NKJ)
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Paul was obviously overwhelmed by this revelation concerning the new man, and his response was to bow before the One who was wise enough to conceive this marvelous plan.

Now let’s go back to verse 1 to see what it was that diverted Paul’s attention. In verse 1, we read:

Ephesians 3:1-6 (NKJ)
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:
6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,

Paul first of all reminded the Ephesians that he was in prison because of his ministry among the Gentiles. Paul had ministered in Ephesus for three years, and just before Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, he had stopped in Miletus and called for the elders of Ephesus. When the elders arrived, Paul said:

Acts 20:25 (NKJ)
25 "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

Paul went on to remind them of the fact that he had ministered among them for three years and that he had worked with his hands to provide for his own necessities. Then we read in verse 36 of Acts 20:

Acts 20:36-38 (NKJ)
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37 Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,
38 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

They knew the message that Paul had preached among the Gentiles. He had come to them preaching the kingdom of God and demonstrating through the power of the Holy Spirit that God was saving the Gentiles apart from the works of the Jewish law.

Obviously, as Paul set off for Rome, these gentlemen were fully aware of the fact that many of the Jews in Jerusalem were furious with Paul because of his ministry among the Gentiles. Their sorrow at Paul’s departure was justified for shortly after Paul got to Jerusalem, he was arrested and eventually sent to Rome.

Therefore, Paul said in Ephesians 3 that he was the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, and he went on to speak of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to him for the Gentiles. The word for dispensation in the original language is oikonomia. It means a stewardship. It is the same word used by the Lord when He told his disciples of the steward who was wasting the resources of his employer. The Lord said that the steward was called to give an account of his stewardship, and the word for stewardship is oikonomia.

It was the word used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9, where he said:

1 Corinthians 9:17 (NKJ)
17 . . . if I (preach the gospel) willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.

In this passage, Paul expressed the fact that he was pleased to go beyond the call of duty in his service for the Lord. He was not content to fulfill only the basic requirements of that which God had entrusted to him. When he said that he was entrusted with a stewardship, the original is again oikonomia.

Clearly, oikonomia simply means a stewardship, and if we use that definition in Ephesians it will help us clarify some of the complicated doctrines of that letter. In Ephesians 3, Paul said that God had given him the dispensation, or the stewardship, of the grace of God.

God has always saved people by His grace, but now Paul says that he has been given a special stewardship that relates specifically to the grace of God. He goes on to say that God had made known to him a mystery which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, namely that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body with the Jews. Then in verse 9, Paul says that God has called him to reveal to all people the fellowship of this mystery, and here again the word for fellowship is oikonomia which means stewardship.

At this point we have seen the stewardship of God’s grace and the stewardship of the mystery concerning the one body, but these two stewardships appear to be related to the stewardship of Chapter 1, where Paul said:

Ephesians 1:9-10 (NKJ)
9 (God has) made known to us the mystery of His will, . . .
10 that in the dispensation (or the stewardship) of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth . . .

Certainly, this stewardship in Chapter 1 relates to a future time, but it also relates to our present time for God is already in the process of gathering all things together in Christ. Colossians 1 confirms that God is already in the process of reconciling all things together in Christ.

Therefore it would appear that the two stewardships of Ephesians 3 and the stewardship of Ephesians 1 are really just one multifaceted stewardship which had been given to Paul. God gave to Paul the stewardship of His grace which relates to the union of Jews and Gentiles in one body known as the Church which is the Body of Christ, and which also relates to God’s larger purpose of gathering all things in heaven and earth together in Christ.

Now back in Chapter 3, Paul speaks of the mystery of the one body and says that he had written briefly about this mystery on a previous occasion. Specifically, he said:

Ephesians 3:3-4 (NKJ)
3 . . . by revelation (God) made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

Since Paul never revealed this great truth of the one body until after the Acts period, and since we know of no other letter which Paul wrote to the Ephesians after the Acts period, Paul must have been referring to his previous statements in this same letter.

As we have mentioned, in Chapter 1 Paul said that God is gathering all things together in one and that God has given Christ to be the Head over all things to the Church which is His Body. In Chapter 2, Paul said that God is now creating one new body from believing Jews and Gentiles and shows that this new body has no relationship to Israel’s covenants of promise. Now in Chapter 3, Paul says that his stewardship of God’s grace is a mystery concerning the one body in which Jews and Gentiles are fellow heirs.

Paul says in Chapter 3 that his stewardship concerning the one body was not made known to the sons of men in previous generations but that it has now been revealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets. In Romans 16:25, Paul spoke of the mystery concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ and said that that mystery was even at that time being made manifest by the prophetic scriptures. But this mystery in Ephesians is a mystery which is now being revealed to the prophets, not by the prophets. In Romans, Paul was revealing truths which had been hidden in the prophetic scriptures, but in Ephesians Paul was revealing truths which had been hidden in God.

According to the mystery of Ephesians 3, believing Jews and Gentiles are saved by the same gospel as the believers of the Acts period because they too are partakers of God’s promise in Christ through the gospel. But unlike the believers of the Acts period, these believers have become fellow heirs and of the same body with the Jews.

Paul admitted that he viewed himself as being less than the least of all saints, but that God had called him by the gift of His grace to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Again we see that the truth concerning the Church, the Body of Christ, is nowhere hinted at in the Old Testament scriptures for the word for unsearchable literally means untraceable. There is no trace of these truths in the writings of the Old Testament or in any other historical document. These riches of Christ belong specifically to the members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. They are untraceable, and they were unknown to man until God revealed them through Paul.

In verse 9, Paul declared that this great truth of the Church which is the Body of Christ was hidden in God from the beginning of the ages so that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the Church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

When I first read this, I had to wonder, how does the Church of our present age reveal to the principalities in the heavens the wisdom of God? Then I thought about the fact that none of the prophets knew that the Messiah was going to come to the earth twice. The prophets taught that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and would grow up to establish an everlasting kingdom. Some of the prophets hinted at the fact that the Messiah would be rejected by the people and killed, but none of the prophets even came close to suggesting that the Messiah would be rejected again by the Jews after His death, burial and resurrection.

When God revealed to the Apostle Paul at the end of the Acts period that Christ was going to be rejected again by the Jews, Paul was astonished to learn that God had a whole new plan for mankind which God was going to implement and which Paul was going to reveal. God’s plan was to create the Church which is the Body of Christ.

The rulers of the darkness of this age had worked very effectively within the hearts Israel’s religious leaders to kill the Son of God, and they must have thought themselves victorious over the plan of God, that is until Christ was raised from the dead.

When Christ was raised from the dead, they were put to an open shame, but they quickly regrouped. They continued to work within the hearts of the Jewish people, blinding their eyes to the message of the Apostles and to the miracles which they did. Steadfastly, the Jewish people refused the grace of God, and rather than believe the truth of God, they chose to believe the lie of Satan.

The Jewish people rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, and the rulers of darkness must have thought once again that they had won the day. But when they heard Paul’s revelation concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ, they knew that they were no match for the manifold wisdom of God.

Because of the existence of the Church which is the Body of Christ, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places now know that God is sovereign over all the universe. They now see that everything they do fits perfectly into the plan of God. Though they are full of rebellion and bitterness toward God, every step they take, every move they make, fits perfectly into the plan of God.

The truth concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ was a stewardship of God’s grace which was given to the Apostle Paul, and it proves once and for all the manifold wisdom of God. It is not because of anything that the Church does or does not do which proves the wisdom of God. It is the very existence of the Church which proves God ability to work all things together for good to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose.

Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning. I’ll look forward to being with you again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
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http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/