Ephesians 4 Part 7 (10-30-05)

Ephesians 4 Part 7
Bible Study Time 10-30-05

In Ephesians, Chapter 4, the Apostle Paul says that there is one faith and one baptism. These two things bring to perfection the unity of the Spirit.

When God brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt, he gave them the Law of Moses, saying, “If you do these things, I will bless you, but if you do not do these things, I will curse you.” The nation of Israel, in general, took this challenge to mean that God judges all people on the basis of their good works, and many people today feel the same way.

The Jews of the Old Testament quickly realized, however, that no one can really keep the Law perfectly in every detail. As a result, they concluded that God simply accepts those whose works are better than everyone else. In other words, nobody’s perfect, but if you work really hard, you might earn God’s acceptance.

This kind of thinking seems logical to man, but it is not at all logical to God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. God said that those who fall short of His perfect standard will find themselves cursed of God. Paul said in Galatians 3:10,

Galatians 3:10 (NIV)
10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

This is a difficult thing for us to understand. Why would God give the Law if it was going to result in everyone being under the curse of the Law? Was it given simply to guarantee that nobody would be able to enjoy the blessings of God? Not at all. The Law itself promised Israel peace and prosperity, but God had given greater promises than these to Abraham 400 years before the giving of the Law. In Genesis 18:18, God said:

Genesis 18:18 (NKJ)
18 " . . . Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

This promise of a worldwide kingdom goes far beyond any of the promises of the Law, and it was not based on Abraham’s good works. Genesis 15 says that when Abraham believed God’s promise, God counted his faith for righteousness. Paul was referring to this very thing when in Galatians 3 he said:

Galatians 3:9-13, 21-23 (NKJ)
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."
11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

Paul then asked,
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

The New International Version says that we were locked up by the law until faith was revealed, but I prefer the versions of the Bible which say “until The Faith was revealed.” According to Strong’s Greek Dictionary, the definite article is present.

Paul made it clear in the previous chapter that The Faith is the faith which is fully invested in Jesus Christ who died upon the cross for our sins. Paul stated in Galatians 2:

Galatians 2:16
16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Then Paul went on to say:
Galatians 2:19-20
19 "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Faith in the Son of God is The Faith for which mankind had been kept or preserved under the Law. All were found guilty under the Law, but now all have the opportunity to be set free from the Law through faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith in Jesus Christ is The Faith because Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except through faith in Christ. When we come to the point of believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins, then we can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.”

But faith in Jesus Christ not only allows us the opportunity to put the old man of the flesh to death, but it allows us to live in and through the power of Jesus Christ for Paul went on to say, “The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

The one faith of the Bible is the faith which carries us through the crucifixion of Christ and into the resurrection power of Christ. Romans 6 puts it this way:

Romans 6:3-5 (NKJ)
3 . . . do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

These believers in Rome had been baptized in water, and Paul wanted them to know that their water baptism was just a symbol of a spiritual reality which was far more significant than the water to which they had submitted.

They had been baptized in water when they put their faith in Christ, and Paul was saying that it was their faith in Christ which had brought about a greater baptism than that of water. By faith they were spiritually baptized into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

When James and John came with their mother, seeking a position of honor in the kingdom, the Lord Jesus asked, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” When they said, “we are”, Jesus said, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.” (Matt 20:22-23)

Of coarse, the Lord Jesus was speaking of His death, burial and resurrection for He had just finished telling them that when they got to Jerusalem, the chief priests and scribes would mock Him, scourge Him, spit upon Him, and kill Him, but that He would rise again the third day.

To receive a position of honor in the kingdom, they would have to be willing to be baptized with the baptism of the Lord. They would have to be willing to be crucified with Christ. In that same way, believers today must be willing to be spiritually baptized with the baptism of the Lord. We must be willing to be crucified with Christ so that we can be raised with Him to new life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The book of Romans was written during the Acts period while water baptism was being practiced. It was a ritual which was associated with God’s offer of the New Covenant Kingdom. Paul knew that the believers in Rome had been baptized in water, but he wanted to make sure they knew the spiritual significance of that outward symbol.

By the time the book of Ephesians was written, God’s offer of the New Covenant Kingdom had been temporarily set aside, and God was using the Apostle Paul to reveal the details of the Church which is the Body of Christ.

As you may recall, the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 3 that God had given him the revelation concerning the one body of our present age to which Jews and Gentiles alike are added. He said that this revelation was a mystery which had never been revealed to the sons of men in previous ages.

Now, here in Ephesians 4, Paul reveals that there is only one baptism for the Church of the one body. This stands in contrast to the book of Romans where the believers had been baptized in water but had to be reminded that there is another spiritual baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ which is far more significant.

Colossians is another book which Paul wrote after the setting aside of Israel’s kingdom program. In Colossians, Paul confirms that for believers today there is only one baptism. In Chapter 2, he said:

Colossians 2:8-12 (NKJ)
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

In this passage, Paul goes straight from his warning about detrimental and even deceitful traditions of men into a discussion of rituals. When he says that we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, Paul was clearly warning us that submission to physical circumcision would rob us of certain spiritual blessings. Submitting to such rituals would deny the exalted position of Christ as the head of all principality and power. This is confirmed later in Colossians 2 where Paul says:

Colossians 2:18-20 (NKJ)
18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations--

Circumcision was a symbol of death, while baptism was a symbol of death, burial and resurrection. Circumcision was appropriate for the Law for it was a covenant of death. Baptism was appropriate for the New Covenant for it was a covenant of new life through faith in Christ.

Today, we have been rescued from the lower or more basic principles of the world, and we have been raised into the glory of the heavenlies. Let us guard against any philosophy or doctrine which would rob us of that glory. Even without physical circumcision, we have been circumcised by the circumcision of Christ. Even without physical baptism, we have been baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Paul goes on to say:
Colossians 2:13 (NKJ)
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Members of the Church which is the Body of Christ are complete in Christ, and the physical rituals can actually serve to hinder our fellowship in the fullness of Christ. Therefore, Paul said in Colossians 3:

Colossians 3:1 (NKJ)
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

For members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, there is one faith which results in the one baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The one faith is the faith which believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins.

As Paul neared the end of his ministry, he said with eager anticipation:

2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NKJ)
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.

I see our time is gone for this morning. 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 4 Part 6 (10-23-05)

Ephesians 4 Part 6
Bible Study Time 10-23-05

The Spirit of God works in a fully integrated environment in that every aspect of the Spirit is fully compatible and fully functional with every other aspect of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul puts it beautifully when he speaks of the unity of the Spirit. When we as believers walk in the Spirit, we begin to sense a personal spiritual unity, and we realize that we are indeed complete in Christ.

As Paul describes the unity of the Spirit in Ephesians 4 he says that there is one Lord and one God and Father of all. This stands in contrast to the pagan religions of Greece and Rome. They had many gods who represented the worst of human characteristics.

It’s little wonder that many of the Gentiles converted to Judaism when they came into contact with the true and the living God. They must have been filled with a sense of wonder and relief to hear that there is really only one God, who is Lord over all of creation and who is the Father of all people.

How satisfying it must have been to learn that the one true God does not spend His time trying to help people accomplish their own diabolical schemes, but that His goal for mankind is personal fellowship with Him.

In Luke, Chapter 7, we read about the Roman centurion whose servant was ill. He asked his friends of the Jewish synagogue to go and talk with the Lord Jesus. He thought that maybe they could convince Jesus to come and heal his servant. Obviously, this Gentile had come to know the God of the Jews.

When he was ordered to his post in this remote region of the Empire, he may well have wondered what he had done to offend the gods. But little did he know that the true and the living God was calling him to Himself. When his Jewish friends came to Jesus, they said that he was deserving of the Lord’s attention because “he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”

In Acts, Chapter 8, we read about the Ethiopian who traveled to Jerusalem to worship the God of the Jews. The Bible says that this was a man of great authority in Ethiopia, but in spite of his power and authority in his homeland, it was the God of the Jews who had captured his heart. He was willing to travel through the desert to Jerusalem to worship the one God who is sovereign over all the earth.

Did these men perceive some sort of personal political or social advantage for themselves by joining the religion of the Jews. That could hardly have been the case for God had made it clear that the Jews were His chosen people. The only people who could hold a position of authority within the Jewish system were those of Jewish descent.

Many people would find such a system offensive, but these men were attracted not to the religious system of the Jews but to the God of the Jews. They must have found the joy that comes with laying one’s personal ambition aside to love and serve the God creation.

The Bible starts at the beginning and tells us why we are here. The first verse says:

Genesis 1:1 (NKJ)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

For thousands of years, the devil has very effectively sold the idea that man evolved from the elements of nature. The pagans all worshiped the elements of nature and believed that the gods behind the forces of nature determined the course of human events.

The purpose of this doctrine of evolution was and is to deny the authority of God as the creator. If God did create all things then He has the right to determine what is right and what is wrong for His creation. He has the right to determine the standard by which all men and all things are judged.

The Bible reveals the truth about God and about man’s relationship to God. Genesis, Chapter 2, says:

Genesis 2:4-8 (NKJ)
4 This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

In passages like this the pagans found at last a logical explanation for why we are here. It makes much more sense to believe that there is one God who is the Father us of us all than to believe that somehow man just appeared as an accident of nature.

The devil is very persistent with his corrupt doctrines, however. In the mid 1800’s Charles Darwin brought the doctrine of evolution over into the realm of science, explaining man’s evolution on the basis of natural selection through genetic mutation. The devil has used this doctrine through the years to corrupt not only theology but science as well.

Jeremiah tells us that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and certainly this can easily be seen in the fact that mankind in general has accepted the doctrine of evolution. Just as many pagans converted to Judaism because they longed for the truth, even so many a calloused heart has turned to the theory of evolution in an effort to escape the God of creation. The Apostle Paul gave a stern warning to Timothy when he said:

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

The fact that scientists continue to believe and adamantly fight for a doctrine which has no critical evidence to support its assumptions is evidence in itself that the doctrine of evolution is a doctrine of demons.

King David was a man who rejoiced in the fact that there is one Lord and one God who is the Father of us all. He said in Psalms 33:

Psalms 33:6-11 (NKJ)
6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.

David also saw the implication of the fact that God created all things. In Psalms, Chapter 7, he said, “The LORD shall judge the peoples” and then he said, “Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me.” He understood that God has the right to judge because He is the creator.

Isaiah says in Chapter 42, “Thus says God the LORD” but before he quotes the LORD he describes the LORD by saying, “He is the one:

Isaiah 42:5-8 (NKJ)
5 . . . who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it:

Then, Isaiah quotes the Lord as He speaks to the nation of Israel saying:

Isaiah 42:6-8 (NKJ)
6 "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles,
8 I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.

God is the creator and as such He has the right to judge, and He will not give His glory to another. When I read this passage, I can understand why the pagans were drawn to such a powerful and almighty God who is at the same time kind and compassionate and faithful.

Isaiah actually had the opportunity to see the glory of the Lord at the time of his commissioning. He said (Isaiah 6:1) that he saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Then, he said that the Lord told him to preach this message to Israel:

Isaiah 6:9-10 (NKJ)
9 . . . Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'
10 "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."

The Lord told Isaiah the he would preach to the nation of Israel until they covered their eyes and plugged their ears but that he should not expect the people to heed his message.

This passage was quoted many times by the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry and by the apostles during the Acts period. On one such occasion the Apostle John quoted this verse and then said, “These things Isaiah said when he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke of Him.” (John 12:41) John’s message is clear. The one God of the Old Testament is the one Lord of the New Testament. The Lord Jesus is the creator God of the Old Testament.

When the centurion saw the miracles of Jesus in his hometown of Capernaum, he believed in Jesus and called Him Lord. When the Ethiopian was told about Jesus, He said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” These men had hearts that were open to the truth of God’s word. Unfortunately, the Jewish people did not.

The Lord Jesus left the Pharisees speechless when He questioned them about the identity of the Messiah. He asked:

Matthew 22:42-46 (NKJ)
42 . . . "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David."
43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:
44 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool" '?
45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"
46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

The Pharisees believed in the coming Messiah, but they wanted Him on their terms. They wanted to dictate to God who the Messiah would be. As a result, they missed their opportunity to believe in the Messiah and receive the salvation of the Lord. The Pharisees accused Jesus of making Himself equal with God, but the Messiah had to be equal with God in order to be the Messiah.

Paul said in Philippians 2:

Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJ)
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore 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.

There is one Lord, even Jesus Christ, and there is one God who is the Father of us all. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.”

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 4 Part 5 (10-16-05)

Ephesians 4 Part 5
Bible Study Time 10-16-05

In one of the Peanuts cartoons Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. “What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?” asks Linus. “These five fingers,” says Lucy. “Individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold.” “Which channel do you want?” asks Linus. Then, turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, “Why can’t you guys get organized like that?”

In Ephesians, Chapter 4, the Apostle Paul tells us that we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and certainly one of the many splendors of God is the unity of the Spirit.

The concept of unity is very similar to the concept of integrity because integrity literally means completeness, and it refers to an integrated oneness. Because every aspect of the Spirit is fully integrated, the love of the Spirit is complete love, the joy of the Spirit is total joy, the peace of the Spirit is absolute peace. When we as individual believers walk in the Spirit, we attain a singleness of purpose and direction which results in personal integrity.

In Ephesians, Chapter 4, the unity of the Spirit is seen under a magnifying glass as Paul reveals that:

Ephesians 4:4-6 (NKJ)
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 (There is) one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Nowhere is the unity of the Spirit more clearly seen than in our present age. It is no coincidence that Paul begins his description of the unity of the Spirit by declaring that there is one body. In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul revealed that today Jesus Christ serves as the head over all things to the church which is His body. In Ephesians 2 he announced that today God is creating in Himself one new man from believing Jews and Gentiles.

This unity within the ranks of believers has not always been the case. About 2000 years before Christ, God called a man named Abraham and set him apart from the rest of the human race. God gave the land of Palestine to Abraham and promised that all the world would be blessed through one of his descendants. Later God narrowed the focus of that prophecy when He promised David that it would be one of his descendants who would establish an everlasting kingdom upon the earth.

Therefore, during the 2000 year period from Abraham to Christ, God’s program for man centered upon Abraham and his descendants. Even when Israel was carried away into captivity because of her sin, God did not forsake His promises to Abraham and David. There in a strange land the prophets all confirmed that God would someday fulfill all of the promises.

However, when the Lord Jesus came to fulfill those promises, He was rejected and killed. When He was raised from the dead, He was again rejected in spite of the many miracles, wonders and signs which were done by the apostles.

At the end of the Acts period, God temporarily set aside the promises contained in the covenants of Israel and revealed through the Apostle Paul the Church which is the Body of Christ. This did not at all frustrate the plan and purpose of God, for God had planned it all along. In fact, the calling out of the Church revealed the magnitude of the manifold wisdom of God.

Someday God will call the Church of our present age home to be with Christ in the glory, and then He will resume His dealings with Israel. After a time of great tribulation, the nation of Israel will be purified and then glorified as they inherit the kingdom which was promised to Abraham and David so many years ago.

But today, there is one body in which there is neither Jew nor Gentile. Today, there is no covenant which separates or differentiates between the nations of the world. God’s offer of salvation is open to all people everywhere regardless of one’s ethnic heritage. In spite of the fact that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, it is God’s will for all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth that Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man, and whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.

It is vital that we recognize the one body of our present age and that this body is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. If we allow ourselves to think of the Church of God as a fragmented group of earthly organizations, we will have very little chance of keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

After announcing the one body of our present age, Paul announced with jubilation that there is but one Spirit. This was not to deny the fact that there are other spirit beings in the universe. Paul would later say in Ephesians 6 that:

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJ)
12 . . . we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The spiritual power of demons is very real, but Paul knew that the Gentiles had come out of the spiritual quagmire of paganism. They knew all too well the horrors of demonic oppression. They knew what it was like to be held captive by a twisted, demonic religion which was based on a superstitious lust for power, pleasure and prestige. God had miraculously opened their eyes to the fact that their pagan religion was a religion of destruction and death.

Paul was rejoicing with them in the fact that there is only one Spirit who has the ultimate authority over all of the spirit world and that is the Holy Spirit of God. What a thrill it must have been for them to realize that the Spirit of God is decent and kind and pure and holy, and hopefully that is something that thrills our hearts as well.

The Lord Jesus spoke often with great enthusiasm about the coming of the one Spirit. He said that Spirit would work with singleness of purpose to draw all people to Jesus Christ. He referred to the Spirit as the Helper and said:

John 15:26 (NKJ)
26 " . . . when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

John 16:13-14 (NKJ)
13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

It was the Spirit of God who taught us about Christ, convicted us of our need for Christ, and then brought us to a personal faith in Christ. Then He sealed us in the Body of Christ and taught us of the one hope of our calling in Christ.

When the Lord Jesus catches up the Church of the one body at the time of the rapture, He is not going to take only some of the believers and leave the rest on the earth to go through the tribulation period. No, all believers of our present age have the same hope. Whether living or dead at the time of the rapture, we will all be caught up to be with the Lord in heaven before the tribulation period. Our hope for the ages is to enjoy the exceeding riches of God’s grace in the heavenly places.

The nation of Israel, on the other hand, has the hope of the earthly kingdom. During the tribulation period, God will purify Israel and make her ready for the kingdom. Peter said that God called the nation of Israel with a special, or peculiar, calling. In I Peter 2, he said to Israel:

1 Peter 2:9-12 (NKJ)
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles . . .

Peter speaks of the time when Israel will serve as a nation of priests during the earthly kingdom. Hosea predicted the captivity of Israel and said that Israel would go through a period of time when God would no longer claim them as his own. But Hosea also said that there would come a day when Israel would return to the promised land, and at that time they would be called the Sons of God.

Peter was reminding his Jewish readers that they were a chosen generation, called to experience the fulfillment of that prophesy. He said, “You once were not a people, but you are now the people of God.”

When Peter said, “I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims” he was reminding them of the fact that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all sojourners in a strange land, even though that land had been promised to them as an everlasting inheritance. Peter was confirming to the Jews of the Dispersion that they had the same hope as that of Abraham even though they too were still sojourners in the land.

Paul, on the other hand, wrote to the believers of our present age, to the members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and he said that we too are a special or peculiar people but not in the same sense as the Jews of the Dispersion. He wrote to Titus:

Titus 2:11-14 (NKJ)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

(In our present age, the salvation of God has been revealed to all men.)

Titus 2:11-14 (NKJ)
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Paul’s focus was upon the present age, and he said that the blessed hope of the Church is the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:4 (NKJ)
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then (we) also will appear with Him in glory.

The Church which is the Body of Christ has a special calling separate and apart from Israel just like Israel has a special calling which is separate and apart from the Church which is the Body of Christ. Israel has an earthly calling, while the members of the Church are a heavenly people with a heavenly calling.

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.

Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJ)
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

The unity of the Spirit that we experience in our present age is truly a marvelous thing, for today all believers have this unique, heavenly calling as a member of the Church which is the Body of Christ. Today,

Ephesians 4:4 (NKJ)
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;

Well, I’ve enjoyed studying with you this morning. I trust that today you will enjoy to the fullest the unity of the Spirit that is ours as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. 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 4 Part 4 (10-9-05)

Ephesians 4 Part 4
Bible Study Time 10-9-05

The past few weeks we have been looking at Ephesians, Chapter 4, where the Holy Spirit begs us to walk worthy of our calling. This is critical because our conduct is a direct reflection on the Lord Jesus. Everything we do should declare the worth of our calling, and everything we do should declare the worth of Jesus Christ.

Although Paul’s prison epistles are well known for their clear presentation of God’s salvation, which comes by grace through faith, Paul never missed an opportunity in these epistles to emphasize the importance of a worthy walk. Paul said that he prayed for the Colossians that they might walk worthy of the Lord. He told the Philippians that their conduct should be worthy of the gospel of Christ. And then, here in Ephesians 4, he says that we should walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called.

When the President of the United States calls a person to serve on his staff, the one who is called knows immediately the significance of such a high calling. They know that they will constantly be in the public eye and that everything they do will reflect not only upon themselves but also upon the President.

When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him as our personal Savior, God calls us to be ambassadors for Christ. As such, everything we do is dissected and analyzed by the world, and every deed reflects on the character of Christ.

At this point in the book of Ephesians we know our calling. We were chosen before the foundation of the world and predestined to become the Sons of God by Jesus Christ. We are seated in the heavens as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and we have the glorious hope of experiencing the exceeding riches of God’s grace now and throughout all of the ages to come. Therefore, Paul begs us to walk worthy of this high calling.

When Paul says that our conduct should be characterized by humility and longsuffering, we begin to understand that God is more concerned with who we are than He is with what we do. What we do is merely an indicator of who we are. Paul really drives this point home in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13, where he says:

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NKJ)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

As we continue in 1 Corinthians 13, we see that real love produces humility and longsuffering. Verse 4 says:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJ)
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We can be this kind of person only if the old nature is crucified with Christ, and we have become new creations by the power of God’s Spirit. We can be like Christ only as we yield to the Spirit of Christ within us. Therefore, Paul says in Ephesians 4 that we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

On each day of the Feast of Tabernacles the priest would draw water from the stream of Siloah which flowed under the temple mountain. As he poured the water upon the alter, the crowd would erupt in loud jubilation and sing the words of Isaiah 12. This ceremony was accompanied by such ecstatic joy that it was seen as the very definition of rejoicing.

On one such occasion the Lord Jesus was there. It was the last day of the feast, and the priest had drawn the water in golden vessels. As he poured the water on the alter, the people sang, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.” At this point Jesus stood up and cried out, saying,

John 7:37-39
37 . . . "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

The crowd grew silent, spellbound by His proclamation. They sensed that these were the words of God, and many of them believed in Jesus. Of coarse, Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who brings peace and joy and life even as water gives refreshment to the the land which is parched by the sun. Jesus later told his disciples:

John 14:16-17 (NKJ)
16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:26-27 (NKJ)
26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Lord Jesus promised the Spirit of God and with Him would come the peace that passes understanding. To walk worthy of the calling with which we are called, we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

However, if the Spirit of God is like living water, then the world is like oil. The Spirit of God and the world do not mix. Notice that Paul did not say we should strive for unity with all people. The world calls for peace, peace where there is no peace. God calls for peace and unity within the realm of His Spirit.

The things of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural mind. The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples that they should love one another, but then He went on to say:

John 15:18-20 (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 . . .

When the Lord Jesus addressed the disciples at their commissioning, He warned them that they would not receive a warm welcome from the world. In verse 11 of Matthew 10 He said:

Matthew 10:11-15 (NKJ)
11 "Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out . . .
13 "If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
15 "Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

What did they have to do to be worthy? They had to receive the disciples and hear their words. They had to believe the gospel in order to escape the coming judgment.

Now the disciples did not know that Israel’s kingdom program was going to be set aside for 2000 years while God added believers to His Church in the heavens. As far as they knew, they were in the tribulation period which had to come before the setting up of the kingdom.

They knew from the prophets that God was going to miraculously preserve the faithful remnant during the tribulation period. However, this did not mean that they would not suffer at the hands of unbelievers. In Matthew 10, the Lord warned His disciples that they were about to enter a combat zone. Verse 16 says:

Matthew 10:16-17, 34 (NKJ)
16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
17 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues . . .
34 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

The Apostle John confirms that the world is at odds with the Spirit of God. I John 4 says:

I John 4:1-3 (NKJ)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

When we accept Christ, God separates us from the world and makes us His own. Paul told Titus that Christ gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Paul told the Romans that we as believers should not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds.

As God’s chosen people, we have been call out of the world, and we must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We must do this in an individual sense. If we live in sin, we can not fellowship with the Spirit of God. However, if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and He alone can bring peace to the heart that is troubled by sin.

We must also endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in a corporate sense as the Church which is the Body of Christ. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)

It is such a blessing to fellowship with believers who share together the experience of walking with Jesus Christ. When we are worn down by the pressures of the world, we have the assurance that we have a haven of peace and rest and healing in the assembly of the saints.

In October of 1993, the survivors of the Black Hawk Down incident in Mogadishu, Somalia, had been pinned down throughout the night in an intense firefight. When morning finally came, a convoy was sent to rescue them, but there was only room on the vehicles for the wounded and the dead. Those with able bodies realized that they would be running along side the convoy in the midst of a barrage of gunfire.

In an incredible show of courage, they worked their way out of the city to the field hospital which had been set up in an empty soccer stadium. One can only imagine their sense of exhilaration and relief as they pulled into an environment that was relatively safe and peaceful. They were met by a well trained team of specialists who were responsive to their every need. How wonderful it must have been to escape the battle and receive the care they needed.

By the same token, we as believers need a designated place to go to escape the battle we face with the world. If we stay too long in the world without support, the results can be devastating for us and for the ones we love. Praise the Lord, God has given us the Body of Christ to lend us support and provide the spiritual therapy we need. Hebrews 10 says:

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJ)
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another . . .

But can you image how demoralizing it would have been for those battle worn soldiers in Mogadishu if upon their arrival at the hospital they had found the team of specialists fighting among themselves and unresponsive to their needs.

I’m sure we would all agree that such a thing would be inexcusable, but I’m afraid that too often our churches are not responsive to the needs of those who have experienced the horrors of doing battle with the world. Internal conflicts often serve to distract us and weaken our position.

We have a common enemy in the world, but the good news is that we can overcome the world if we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. Thank you 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/