Ephesians 1 Part 10 (5-29-05)

Ephesians 1 Part 10
Bible Study Time 5-29-05

In verse 15 of Ephesians, Chapter 1, the Apostle Paul says, “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” This says so much about the Apostle Paul and the believers at Ephesus.

God wants us to look for opportunities to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but when we have the chance to lead someone to the Lord, it is so important for us to followup with that person. We need to pray for them, and we need to communicate with them so that we can encourage them in the things of the Lord.

We know that God is going to be working in their lives and doing miraculous things, but the devil is also going to be working. The devil tries to blind the eyes of unbelievers so that they can not see the gospel, but when the Holy Spirit breaks through the darkness to reveal the light of Jesus Christ, the devil steps up his attacks to keep the new believer from growing in the truth of Jesus Christ.

Paul had labored for about three years in Ephesus. He had seen God do miraculous things, both physically and spiritually, but it had been a long time since he had seen them face to face. However, he never stopped thinking about them. He never stopped praying for them. He never stopped trusting God for their spiritual welfare. But he was also acutely aware of the devil’s spiritual warfare.

He had seen the division and strife in Corinth, as well as overt immorality. In II Corinthians, Paul said in effect, “We have to be on guard lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

He had seen the judaizers come into the Galatian churches where the people were turning back to the Law of Moses. Paul told the Galatian believers:

Gal 3:1 (NKJ)
1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?

Traveling was difficult in those days, so it probably had been a long while since Paul had heard from the Church in Ephesus, but when he got word that their faith in the Lord Jesus was strong and their love for all the saints was well known, his heart rejoiced.

I’m sure he was excited to write this letter to the Ephesians so that he could once again encourage them in their walk with the Lord. He said, “Since I heard this good report concerning your faith and your love, I have continued to thank God for you and pray for you without ceasing.”

What prayers did he offer on their behalf? First, he prayed that God would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God.

Which God? The God of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Which God? The God of glory.

These believers had come out of the corrupt pagan religions which taught the existence of many gods. Paul wanted to encourage the Ephesians in the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God of glory.

The nation of Israel, as a whole, thought they worshiped the true and the living God, but they did not, for they did not worship the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. They had rejected Jesus Christ as God’s Son and as their messiah.

When Jesus told the Pharisees, “You do the deeds of your father.” They said, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”

Then Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God.”

Paul not only emphasized that the one true God is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ but that God is the God of glory. Paul wanted to reemphasize that we have every reason. We have every motivation to believe in Jesus Christ. He is our hope for future glory. Paul said:

Rom 8:18 (NKJ)
18 . . . I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

The nation of Israel had the presence of God’s Shekinah glory dwelling with them in the wilderness. Today we have the glory of God dwelling within us, for our bodies serve as the temple of the Holy Spirit. However, someday we are going to leave behind our bodies of flesh, and we will be given a new and glorious body as we enter into the glory of heaven. This is our inheritance in Jesus Christ.

In I Corinthians, Chapter 2, Paul paraphrased the words of Isaiah and said:

1 Cor 2:9-10
9 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

From time to time in the scriptures we get a glimpse of the glory of God. As the angels announced the savior’s birth, the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and the shepherds were sore afraid.

When Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John were awakened from their sleep to see Jesus Christ in all of His glory.

Just before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed:

John 17:5 (NKJ)
5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Later, in that same prayer, the Lord said:

John 17:20-24 (NKJ)
24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. He took a body of humiliation and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.

And now in Ephesians 1, Paul reminds us that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ is the God of glory, and he prays that we who believe might know the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the saints.

As Paul writes the Ephesian believers from a Roman prison, he is well aware of the fact that the nation of Israel has rejected Christ as her messiah. From the time of his conversion to Christ, Paul had expected Jesus Christ to return to earth very soon to gather and glorify His saints and establish His kingdom of glory upon the earth.

He had told the Corinthian believers that they should not take any matter to a secular court because they would be judging the world in the kingdom. He also told the men of that congregation that if they were single, they should not seek a wife because, as Paul put it, “The form of this world is passing away.”

But now all of that had been set aside, and one would think that Paul would have been in the depths of despair. But quite the opposite was true.

Well, why is that?

As we saw in Ephesians 1:8 and 9, God had revealed to Paul the mystery of His will. Paul could see that God knew all along that Israel would reject Christ. God knew they would reject the Father in the Old Testament. God knew they would reject the Son during Christ’s earthly ministry, and God knew they would reject the ministry of the Holy Spirit during the Acts period. None of this took God by surprise.

God’s plan from the beginning was that Israel would reject Christ and be set aside on a temporary basis, while God created a new body of believers composed of Jews and Gentiles alike. A new body of believers saved by simple faith in Jesus Christ. This was and is the mystery of God’s will which was revealed to the Apostle Paul.

When Paul heard of the faith of the Ephesians and of their love for the saints, he prayed without ceasing that the Holy Spirit would give to them wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. He prayed that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened.

Paul certainly knew the blessing of joy and assurance that comes with understanding. Paul had always been very sincere, even when he was sincerely wrong. At one time, he sincerely thought that Jesus Christ was an imposter, but he was wrong. God had to shut his eyes in order to open them. When Paul met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul was blinded by the light, but the eyes of his understanding were opened, and he called Jesus Lord. He said, “Lord, what would you have me to do?”

At one time, Paul sincerely thought that the Jews would acknowledge Christ as their promised messiah within a very short time, but he was wrong. He had said, “There is coming a time when all Israel will be saved.” But he did not know that it would be thousands of years in the future before Israel’s salvation would occur.

Paul had a lot of growing to do in terms of his understanding, but the beautiful thing about Paul is that he truly wanted to know everything that he could possibly learn about God’s plan and purpose. Paul was not just trying to fine tune his theology so that he could attract a large following of converts. He was truly seeking to know God’s will.

Jesus said, “If you seek you will find.” And Paul found what he was seeking. God revealed more truth and deeper truth to and through Paul than through any other apostle. God revealed to Paul the mystery of God’s will.

Paul was praying that the Ephesians would be able to experience for themselves the joy that comes with having the eyes of their understanding opened so that they could know the hope of God’s calling and the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the saints.

Paul had been raised with an understanding of the promised Messiah. He had been raised with an understanding of the promised kingdom. His whole life had been dedicated to these two theological points. But when Paul saw that Israel’s kingdom had been set aside, and when he saw that Jesus was more than just Israel’s Messiah, he was overwhelmed. He was overjoyed. He knew that he could never express in words how marvelous, how wonderful, how glorious was the plan of God.

He just said to the Ephesians, “I pray that God will open your eyes to see the wonder of it all.”

Even still we today have to read between the lines. We have to read between the words. We have to read between the letters to get a glimpse of the glory of it all. It is truly too marvelous for words to fully express.

Paul essentially said, “I could never have guessed that the Messiah could be all that Jesus Christ is, but I am praying that your eyes will be opened to see what I have seen. It is through Christ that we see the exceeding greatness of God’s power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He accomplished in Christ when He raised Him from the dead.”

Is it possible for us today to grasp the full impact of these words? Well, we can, but only by the wisdom and revelation which is given by the Holy Spirit, for today Christ has not only been raised from the dead, but He has been seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Never, throughout all of eternity, will there ever be a name which carries more weight of authority than that of Jesus Christ. Which implies more might or more power than that of Jesus Christ. Never, throughout all of eternity, will there ever be a name which reveals more love or more grace than that of Jesus Christ. Even now God has put all things under Christ’s feet and has given Him to be Head over all things to the Church which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

When Paul accepted Christ as his Savior, he had no idea the depth of wisdom and revelation that God was going to give to him, but whatever God had for him, Paul knew that he wanted it. Many times if you talk to people about the things of the Lord, they will say, “Well, you really need to talk to my preacher about that.” Or, “My church believes this or that.”

God has so much to reveal to us, but the truths of God’s word have to be applied individually. Our churches can only grow if we grow as individuals. God wants to deal with each one of us on a personal level. I don’t know about you, but I love the one on one attention I get from God.

All believers today are members of this church which is revealed in the book of Ephesians. We are members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and Christ is the Head of our Church. Therefore, we can take every word written to the Ephesians and take as if it were written directly to us. God wants the eyes of our understanding to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit so that we may know the hope of God’s calling for us, so that we may know the riches of the glory of God’s inheritance in the saints.

Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning. It has been a pleasure being with you, 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 1 Part 9 (5-22-05)

Ephesians 1 Part 9
(Bible Study Time 5-22-05)

According to Ephesians, Chapter 1, the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance in Jesus Christ. When we witness the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we have assurance that our inheritance is secure. However, we must realize that the changes we see here and now are but a glimpse of the total glory which we will someday experience.

When Christ who is our life appears, then we also will appear with Him in glory. But even now, our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that is may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.

Because this inheritance is guaranteed, we can say with full assurance that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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.

The Holy Spirit is God’s seal of acceptance upon our lives. Manufacturers in our country often work hard to earn the seal of approval which independent researchers offer. The American Dental Association has a seal of acceptance which is placed upon certain products which have been tested and approved. Only those products which have passed the test are given their seal of approval.

Well, God has placed His seal of approval upon us. We are accepted in the beloved. He was tested in every way. According to the book of Hebrews, Jesus Christ can sympathize with our weaknesses because He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Christ was tested in the wilderness by the devil. He had had no food for forty days and forty nights when the devil came to him and said, "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Jesus quoted the scriptures and said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

The devil took Jesus up to the top of the temple and said, "Cast yourself down, and angels will lift you up." Jesus passed the test and said, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

When the devil offered Jesus all of the kingdoms of this world if He would but bow down and worship the devil, the Lord Jesus remained faithful to the word of God and said, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve."

Later, the Lord Jesus was repeatedly tested by the scribes and the Pharisees. The Bible says that the Pharisees plotted to entangle Jesus in His words. They asked, "Is it lawful to pay taxes?" Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar those things which are Caesar’s."

They asked, "If a woman is married to seven brothers, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?" Jesus said, "In the resurrection there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage."

They asked, "Which is the greatest commandment of the law?" Jesus answered plainly, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul and mind, and the second greatest commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’."

Jesus Christ was the spotless Lamb of God, who came to take away the sin of the world. He was tested and tried in all points such as we are, yet without sin.

God placed His seal of approval upon the Lord Jesus. At the time of Jesus’ baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration, God spoke from heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

While Jesus was dying upon the cross, He cried out, "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?" But this time the heavens were silent. There was no voice from heaven to comfort and console, for God had turned His back on His only begotten Son. The Bible says that Jesus cried out again, with a loud voice, but again the heavens were silent, and Jesus yielded up His spirit.

They took his body and laid it in a grave, but the grave could not hold Him. On the third day Jesus came back from the dead and was taken up into heaven where He was glorified and exalted. He was given a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. And we who believe are accepted in Him and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

There is no indication that God would ever, under any circumstance, take away the Holy Spirit from those who believe. There is no indication that God would take away the salvation which He has given to us. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.

God knows the end from the beginning, and there is nothing that takes Him by surprise. He planned our salvation in consultation with all the members of the Godhead before the foundation of the world. Therefore, it is inconceivable that God would grant salvation one day only to take it away the next.

In Galatians, Chapter 3, Paul answers those who theorize that salvation must be maintained by good works even after we are saved by faith. In verse 2 we read:

Galatians 3:2-3 (NKJ)
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Paul was reminding the Jewish believers that they had kept the law for years and years, but they did not receive salvation until they put their faith in Jesus Christ. They kept the law faithfully, but they were lost in their sins until they experienced the power of faith in Christ.

Then Paul reminded them that when they got saved, the Holy Spirit gave evidence of that salvation by means of miracles, wonders and signs. People spoke in tongues. People were healed of their diseases. Demons were cast out. Paul asked, "Did these things ever happen to you as a result of keeping the law? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" Paul said in Galatians 2:

Galatians 2:18-20 (NKJ)
18 "For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 "For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.

Galatians 2:21 (NKJ)
21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

If God were to take away our salvation as a result of sin, then our salvation would be dependent upon our own good works, and we would find ourselves under the same curse as those who were under the law, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

If keeping my salvation depends upon my own goods works, then I will either live in doubt and fear of losing my salvation, or I will learn to disregard my sin as a spirit of self righteousness grows within my heart.

Since living in constant doubt and fear is too painful to endure, many learn that self righteousness is more tolerable. They may convince themselves that they are good enough as they compare themselves to others by the standards of society. But God does not think the way society thinks. He said:

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJ)
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," . . .
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

The essence of self righteousness is pride. Therefore, as self righteousness grows, pride also grows. What a paradox! The better we think we are the worse we really are. Proverbs 6 lists even a proud look as one of the seven things that God hates.

The Pharisees stand as the supreme example of those who were self righteous. They wrongfully accused an innocent man. They paid for perjured testimony in the trial, and on the basis of that testimony they executed the man. But, somehow, they thought they were innocent before God. Jesus knew their hearts and said, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

Our only hope of living a life that is pleasing to God is to humble ourselves before the Lord and ask for His help. If we seek we will find. Psalm 34 says:

Psalm 34:18 (NKJ)
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51 says:

Psalm 51:15-17 (NKJ)
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart__ these, O God, You will not despise.

Isaiah said:

Isaiah 66:1-2 (NKJ)
1 Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool . . .
2 "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.

The Lord Jesus had harsh words for the Pharisees. He said:

Matthew 23:13-15 (NKJ)
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who both went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee said, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men-- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.

The tax collector, on the other hand, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but he said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

Then Jesus said of the tax collector, "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

We are saved by God’s grace and accepted in the Beloved. We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, and by God’s grace He will keep us safe and secure in Jesus Christ until the day when God catches us up to be with Him in the glory of heaven.

If you are listening today, and you find yourself plagued with fears and doubts about where you will spend eternity, you can trust what God has said in His word. Jesus Christ died for your sins, and those who put their faith in Him are given eternal life.

You do not have to worry that God will take your salvation away. Jesus said:

John 10:27-29 (NKJ)
27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.

If you are listening today, and you find yourself thinking that God will accept you because you live a pretty good life, I would ask you to seriously consider your relationship with God. If you have never accepted Christ, humble yourself before the Lord and accept Christ as your Savior. Jesus Christ will enter into your life and fill your life with blessings.

If you have already trusted Christ but have continued to live with a determination to do good deeds so that you will be guaranteed a place in heaven, that is the sin of pride. Humble yourself before the Lord, confess your sin and God will give you the assurance that you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the redemption of the purchased possession at the rapture of the Church.

Psalm 34:18 (NKJ)
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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

Ephesians 1 Part 8 (5-15-05)

Ephesians 1:14
(Bible Study Time 5-15-05)

The book of Ephesians, Chapter 1, reveals some of the spiritual blessings that believers of our present age experience in Jesus Christ. In fact, Paul says that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and he says that we who first trusted in Christ have obtained this inheritance, that we should be to the praise of God’s glory.

As members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, we are among those who first trusted in Christ. This description sets us apart from those who will put their trust in Christ during the tribulation period. The entire nation of Israel and many others as well will be saved during the tribulation period.

But during that time of tribulation, God will send strong delusion upon the majority of mankind so that they will believe the lie of Satan. The antichrist will proclaim himself to be God as he sits in the temple of God.

However, in spite of all this evil that will take place during the tribulation period, God is already working out His glorious plan to reconcile all things to Christ, whether things in heaven or things on earth. But we are among those who first trusted in Christ. We today have been set apart from those who will be reconciled to God in the ages to come.

Paul says that believers today have redemption though the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins. However, he is very clear that our redemption will not be complete until we receive our new immortal bodies from God. Colossians 3 says:

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

Philippians 3 says:

Philippians 3:20-21 (NKJ)
20 . . . 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.

We have assurance that this will take place before the tribulation period because when Paul told Timothy about the perilous last days of our present age, he said nothing about the antichrist, the abomination of desolation, or anything else that relates to the tribulation period. He said only that:

2 Timothy 3:13 (NKJ)
13 . . . evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

And this gives us a clear signal that the evils of the tribulation period will not take place until after the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, are taken up to be with Christ in the glory of heaven.

In Ephesians 1, Paul uses a beautiful expression as he speaks of the rapture if the Church. In verse 14, he refers to the rapture as the redemption of the purchased possession. Paul told the Corinthians in I Corinthians 6:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJ)
19 . . . do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

We were slaves to sin and slaves of Satan, himself, but Jesus Christ paid the price for our freedom. He bought us for Himself, and then He set us free. He gave us the Holy Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

In Ephesians 1, Paul says that the Holy Spirit within us is the guarantee that someday God will complete the redemption that was purchased at the cross. When you purchase a house, you usually put some earnest money down as the guarantee that you will at a later time complete the transaction.

Well, God already has our reward, our inheritance, waiting for us, and He has given us the Holy Spirit as the guarantee that the transaction will be completed someday. When Jesus Christ catches us up to be with Him in glory, then He will have redeemed His purchased possession.

When you buy a house and you put down your earnest money, the seller is going to want something substantial, something real, to show the validity of your intentions, and when God gave us the Holy Spirit to live within us, He gave us verifiable, internal proof that He will someday complete the redemption that He has already begun in our lives.

When Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, the old man is crucified with Christ, and the new man is generated by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul draws a sharp contrast between the old man and the new man in Ephesians 4. Beginning at verse 17 we read:

Ephesians 4:17-32 (NKJ)
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ,
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

The new man is a beautiful creation of Jesus Christ, and we are going to look at each of these aspects of the new man in detail in a few weeks, but for now I think we can see the tremendous transformation that takes place in the heart of the believer when the Holy Spirit has the freedom to work.

God has given each person freedom of choice, and as a result, the Holy Spirit will not enter into a person’s life until He is invited to enter. He can draw people to Christ. He can convict people of their sin. But he will not dwell within the heart of a person unless He is invited in.

If you are listening today and have never invited Christ into your life to teach you, direct you and to protect you, won’t you invited Him in today? Salvation is just that simple. Ask and ye shall receive.

However, even after we receive the Holy Spirit, we still have the temptations of the flesh to deal with because we still have a body of flesh. We must guard against anything that would hinder our fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Ananias tried to lie to the Holy Spirit in Acts, Chapter 5, and he was struck dead. Stephen told the members of the Sanhedrin in Acts, Chapter 7, that they were resisting the Holy Spirit even as their fathers had done. As we read a few moments ago, Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God.

God has given us the Bible as the very word of God to strengthen us in the Holy Spirit. Paul said:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJ)
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, and the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to provide all that we need to live a victorious life in Jesus Christ. When we see the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts, this is the guarantee that our inheritance in Jesus Christ is certain. Paul calls the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit of promise, and the promise of our inheritance is that someday we will no longer have to deal with a body of flesh. We are going to be given a glorious body like that of the Lord Jesus when He redeems His purchased possession.

Notice that the Holy Spirit is not only the guarantee of the promise, but the Holy Spirit sets His seal upon our lives. When the President of the United States puts his seal upon a document, that seal gives the words of that document authority. The seal is the proof that the words are the words of the president.

The Church which is the Body of Christ is the purchased possession of God, and God sets His seal upon us to show that we belong to Him and to bestow upon us the power and the authority that we need to carry out the work that God has given us to do. In Luke 24, just before the Lord Jesus ascended up into heaven, He told His disciples:

Luke 24:49 (NKJ)
49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak with authority on God’s behalf. When the disciples spoke in tongues on the Day of Pentecost, Peter spoke boldly and said, "This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel." Then Peter went on to quote verse after verse from Joel, Chapter 2 as well as from the Psalms.

When God sets His seal upon us, He gives us the power and the authority to speak for Him. The power and authority of the disciples was made evident by miracles, wonders and signs. Today, however, grace is the mark of the Holy Spirit. As we saw in Ephesians 4, Paul said:

Ephesians 4:29 (NKJ)
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Colossians 4 says:

Colossians 4:6 (NKJ)
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

When we speak with the authority of the Holy Spirit, we should not speak so much with a dogmatic tone, but our speech should reveal the grace of God. We speak the truth, but we speak it in love. Our speech shows the tenderness and true concern of Christ. II Corinthians 2 puts it this way:

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (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?
17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

What a privilege it is to represent Christ and bear the fragrance of Christ as we speak the truth in love.

Well, I see our time is gone. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning, and be sure to tune in 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 1 Mother's Day (5-8-05)

Mother’s Day
(Bible Study Time 5-8-05)

We have been studying the book of Ephesians where we find the Apostle Paul describing the blessings that belong to the believers of our present age. When we are saved by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we are added to the Church which is the Body of Christ, and we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.

Our blessings stand in contrast to the blessings of those who lived under the Law of Moses. Those who lived under the Law were promised all physical blessings on the earth, if they would but live by the law. They were promised a public health system, a national security system and a nation economic system that would have been the envy of the world.

The Apostle John said that the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, and this statement shows clearly the superiority of Christ over Moses. However, this does not mean that somehow Moses was not a great man. His greatness did not compare to that Jesus Christ, but the book of Hebrews says that:

Hebrews 3:5 (NKJ)
5 . . . Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,

But since today is Mother’s Day, I wanted to spend some time talking not only about Moses, but about Moses’ mother. In the little we know about Moses’ mother, many great lessons are there for our learning. In Exodus, Chapter 2, we read:

Exodus 2:1-10 (NKJ)
1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.
2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.
4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it.
6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"
8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the maiden went and called the child's mother.
9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."

What a blessing it is to have a godly mother! As we look to Moses’ mother for characteristics of a godly mother, we find, first of all, that Moses’ mother was a godly wife. Verse 1 says that a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi.

Many young ladies have a great desire to be a mother because they love the idea of tending for and caring for a baby. But they would do well to prepare themselves first to be a godly wife. According to Exodus, Chapter 6, Moses’ mother was named Jochebed, which is derived from the word Jehovah, and I think we can safely assume that Jochebed was well taught in the things of the Lord and was well prepared to be a godly wife. A godly wife needs to know God, know about God, and have a desire to please God.

The role of the wife is so important in a home that is pleasing to God. Sometimes even when the marriage is not a particularly happy marriage, a godly wife can be the glue that holds everything together. God has great rewards for those who remain faithful to Him in difficult situations. God said through Peter:

1 Peter 3:1-4 (NKJ)
1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,
2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.
3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward -- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel --
4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

From this we are reminded of the fact that a young lady who wants to be a godly mother, needs not only to prepare herself to be a godly wife, but she needs to seek a godly husband. As a daughter in a priestly family, Jochebed married a son from a priestly family. She was not meant to married just any old boy that came along. She was meant to be a special blessing to a godly man, and she was willing to wait for just the right man.

It is a blessing to see families that are established in the love of Jesus Christ. In such families the blessings flow from God to the parents, to the children, to the extended family, and to society. But as Psalm 127 says:

Psalm 127:1 (NKJ)
1 Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it . . .

In verse 2 of Exodus 2, we find that God blessed Jochebed with a son whom we know today as Moses. The Bible says that Jochebed saw, as soon as Moses was born, that he was a beautiful child.

Isn’t that beautiful? Mothers have a way of seeing the beauty in their own children, maybe even when others can’t. Mothers, you should never be ashamed to think that your children are the most beautiful children in the world for every child is a beautiful gift from God.

Then we read that when Jochebed saw how beautiful Moses was, she hid him for three months. She knew that Pharaoh had given the orders for all male children born to the Jews to be killed. A godly mother will be keenly aware of the dangers that lie ahead for her children.

This world is not always a kind and loving place. Satan, himself, is the god of this world, and according Peter, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Children need to be protected and sheltered. They don’t even need to know about all of the dangers that surround them. Moses did not need to know that the king of Egypt was trying to kill him because he had a godly mother who was willing to hide him and protect him from all the dangers.

In verse 3, when Moses grew too big to hide, Jochebed made an ark of bulrushes and daubed it with pitch. She put Moses in the ark and placed the ark in the river where Pharoah’s daughter could find him. Jochebed was desperate to save her son, and as we know, desperate times call for desperate measures. Jochebed was anticipating future problems and was planning ahead.

Good parents look to the future, anticipate problems and begin solving them early. It is much harder to solve problems after you’re in a crisis mode. We need to start solving problems before they become a crisis.

In verse 4, Moses’ sister, Miriam, stood off to the side while Moses was floating in the river in his little basket. When Pharoah’s daughter discovered Moses, Miriam did not hesitate. She stepped right up and offered assistance. From this we see that a godly mother is able and willing to accept help from others when help is needed.

Many mothers need to realize that mommies can not do everything. Mommies are so good at what they do, they might try to do it all, but they can’t. And dads, you know what I’m going to say, you also need to realize that mom can’t do it all. Look for ways to help and try to learn from mom’s expertise. You can learn a lot if you watch, listen and learn.

When Pharoah’s daughter discovered Moses in the river, Miriam stepped out from her hiding place and said in effect, "If you would like for me to find a Hebrew nurse for the child, I think I know of someone who would be just perfect."

That took a lot of courage on Miriam’s part. We all need that extra measure of courage to do the things that God has called us to do. Miriam was not the type to shrink back. She stepped out and spoke right up. She must have loved Moses, almost as much as Jochebed did.

Mothers, if it’s true that you need help from time to time, be sure that those who help you love your child almost as much as you do. It is probably true that no one can love your child as much as you do, but there are probably people around who love them almost as much. Chose people like that to help you, and make sure that they have the courage to step up to the plate and do the right thing when tough decisions have to be made. Jochebed was wise to trust Miriam as her helper.

Next we see that when mothers are faithful to God, God is faithful to them. Pharoah’s daughter decided to allow Jochebed to be Moses’ nurse, and she even paid Jochebed to do it. We have to marvel at the goodness of the Lord. Who would have ever thought that God would provide for Moses in such a marvelous way? God is trustworthy. God is faithful. And godly mothers know Him and trust Him.

As I mentioned earlier, Jochebed’s name is derived from the word Jehovah which, among other things, means provider or savior. Jochebed knew of the dangers that faced her son, and she used her courage, her creativity, her family. She used every resource available to her to save her son’s life. And God, who is Jehovah, blessed her efforts. Moses’ life was spared.

Jochebed was paid to nurse Moses as a young child, and again I think we can safely assume that she took every opportunity to teach her son from the word of God the things that he would need to know to do what God had called Him to do.

Moses needed to know God. He needed to know the promises of God. He needed to know the faithfulness of God. She probably knew that she would not have much time so she took advantage of every opportunity to teach her son.

Godly mothers will realize that time is precious and fleeting. They won’t say, "I’ll teach my children tomorrow. There will be plenty of time tomorrow." No. They will teach today, and they will teach tomorrow. From the time that they first hold them in their arms, they will be singing, "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jesus Loves the Little Children." They will read them books that tell the Bible stories. They will tell them that Jesus died for their sins.

How precious it is to lead your own children to the Lord. I really appreciated Heather’s testimony a few minutes ago. Her mother was able to sit down and pray with her, and she accepted Christ when she was only 5 years old. Your children may not learn about Jesus unless you tell them about Jesus. Godly mothers teach their children about Jesus.

Then there is just one final point we need to see here in Exodus 2 and that is that Jochebed brought Moses to Pharaoh daughter, and Moses became Pharoah’s son. This must have been the hardest thing that Jochebed ever had to do, but in order to save his life, she had to realize that she had done all she could do. The time had come for her to let go of her son and trust God.

Like I said, some mothers want to wait until another day to teach their children about the things of the Lord, but the time for teaching has its limits. The day will come when your effectiveness as a teacher will be limited. If you do a good job of teaching when the children are young, you will be able to let go and trust God when they are older.

We don’t know how much contact Moses had with his mother after he moved into the palace. Probably not much. If she ever saw him at all, she probably had to chose her words carefully. I can just hear her whispering, "Moses, remember the God of Israel." And then she would pray. I think we can paraphrase James 5:16 and say that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous woman availeth much.

Jochebed must have known that God had something very special planned for Moses, but she could never have imagined the extent to which God would use him. God later said:

Numbers 12:8 (NKJ)
8 I speak with Moses face to face, and he sees the form of the LORD . . . "

God spoke to Moses, and God spoke through Moses. God used Moses to part the Red Sea. God used Moses to bring water out of a rock. God gave through Moses His perfect law. John said:

John 1:17 (NKJ)
17 . . . the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Moses indeed was faithful in all of his house, and all that he did, all that he accomplished came about because God saw to it that Moses had a godly mother.

To all of you godly mothers who are listening this morning. I want to say thank you, and I hope you have a Mother’s Day that is full of blessings from the Lord.

Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time. The Lord willing, we will be 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 1 Part 7 (5-1-05)

Ephesians 1:12-13
(Bible Study Time 5-1-05)

In Ephesians, Chapter 1, we have seen that we have an inheritance in Jesus Christ which was predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. This means that we have this inheritance because God determined that we should have it. Our inheritance does not relate so much to what we are going to get, but it relates to what we are going to be. We are going to be to the praise of God’s glory in every aspect of our being. As the Sons of God, we will be immortal with perfect bodies, perfect minds and perfect hearts.

Even today we are the sons of God for we have been made new creations in Christ, but we still have to deal with our fleshly bodies. So many times the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. In Romans 7, Paul said:

Rom 7:22-25 (NKJ)
22 . . . I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Praise the Lord, he goes on to say that the Spirit of God within us is stronger than the lusts of the flesh for:

Rom 8:1,5,14 (NKJ)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are (the) sons of God.

Therefore, we do have the power to overcome the flesh through the Holy Spirit of God, but we still have the flesh to contend with. When we receive our inheritance, which God predestined for us, we will have to deal with the flesh no longer. We will have been made perfect in body, mind, and soul.

Even now God is moving us in that direction for he has given us ministers

Eph 4:12-13 (NKJ)
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

When will that be? When will we actually reach the stature of the fullness of Christ? When we receive our inheritance. When we are completely and totally to the praise of God’s glory.

Paul says that this inheritance belongs to those of us who first trusted in Christ. Now it is kind of interesting that up to this point in Ephesians 1, Paul had used the pronoun "we" to describe those who are the beneficiaries of these heavenly blessings. In verse 12, he says, "We who first trusted in Christ have obtained this inheritance." But in the very next verse Paul says, "In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth."

Was Paul implying that the Ephesian believers were not among those who first trusted in Christ? Were the believers of Ephesus not among those who had obtained this inheritance? That would be inconsistent with the intent of Paul’s letter. Paul was not writing to tell these people about the blessings that someone else had. He was writing to encourage them in the blessings God had bestowed upon them.

So why did Paul switch pronouns? It may be that one reason for the switch is that Paul wanted to emphasize that they too were partakers in all of these blessings because they too were among those who first trusted in Christ. Keep this in mind as we read it again.

Eph 1:11-13 (NKJ)
11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, . . .
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

He says that they should not let anyone tell them that they were not recipients of these blessings that God has given." Some of the Judaizers would have required these believers to follow all of the traditions of the Law of Moses, but in effect Paul said, "No. God accepts you just like you are, simply because you trusted in Christ when you heard the gospel of salvation."

He was saying, "You too have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. You also have been predestined as Sons of God. You also have this inheritance that you should be to the praise of His glory." Then Paul goes on to say that when they trusted in Christ, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise:

Eph 1:14 (NKV)
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Therefore, Paul used the pronoun "we" all the way through the first 12 verses saying that we have all of these blessings in Christ, and then in verse 14 he reminds his readers that they also are partakers in these blessings.

As Paul writes this book of Ephesians, the Jewish hope of the kingdom had already been set aside. The Jewish believers no longer had a special calling within the overall body of believers as they did during the Acts period. We know that in Romans 1:16 Paul said that the gospel went to the Jew first and also to the Greek. He said this because the Jews at that time had a special place in God’s dealings with man. In Romans 9, Paul said:

Rom 9:3-4 (NKJ)
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;

Again, we see Israel’s special place among the believers? In Romans 10, Paul said:

Rom 10:19-20 (NKJ)
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation."
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: "I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me."

God’s plan even in the Acts period centered around Israel and her hope of the promised kingdom. One of the reasons that God was saving the Gentiles was to provoke her to jealousy. But here in Ephesians, Israel’s hope had been set aside. Paul says in effect, "We have this inheritance in Christ that we should be to the praise of God’s glory, and this includes all of you who also trusted in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation."

It is altogether possible that when Paul made reference to those who first trusted in Christ, he was referring to those of us who have trusted Christ now, in our present age, as opposed to those who will trust Christ in the ages to come. Our present age will end before the tribulation period begins, and the tribulation period will end before the kingdom begins. Paul clearly makes this distinction in Colossians, Chapter 1, where he says:

Col 1:18-21 (NKJ)
18 (Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, . . . whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

God is going to reconcile all things, but we have been reconciled now. The others will be reconciled later. Each group in its own order. This is parallel to what we see in Ephesians where Paul says that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, God will reconcile all things in Christ in heaven and in earth, but we who first trusted in Christ have this inheritance, that we should be to the praise of His glory.

In I Corinthians 15, Paul spoke of the resurrection and said:

1 Cor 15:22-24 (NKJ)
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

Here Paul says that Christ came back from the dead first, and those who belong to Christ will be resurrected at His coming. Then there will be a resurrection at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment when Christ delivers up the kingdom to God the Father.

But notice that in these verses Paul sees only two resurrections after the resurrection of Christ. These are the two resurrections that the Apostle John spoke of in Revelation 20 where John said that he saw those who were beheaded during the tribulation period and that they had been raised in the first resurrection. He goes on to say that the second resurrection will be at the end of the thousand year reign of Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.

Well, praise the Lord, in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul tells us that the Church which is the Body of Christ has a separate calling, a separate inheritance, a separate hope. Those of us who first trusted in Christ, or we could say, those of us who are reconciled to God now, we have this inheritance that we should be to the praise of God’s glory and that the Holy spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.

The purchased possession is the Church which is the Body of Christ, and it will be redeemed when it is caught up to be with Christ in the glory of heaven. We will be given a glorious, immortal body like that of the Lord Jesus. That is our inheritance and the Holy Spirit is our guarantee that this inheritance is certain.

In I Corinthians, Paul did not see the special calling of the Church which is the Body of Christ. He did not see our special inheritance. He did not see our special rapture or our special resurrection. He saw a resurrection at the coming of Christ and at the Great While Throne Judgment.

The word used for the of the coming of Christ is parousia, and the parousia will occur when Christ returns to the earth to destroy the antichrist and set up His kingdom. But in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul tells us that the Church which is the Body of Christ will be caught up, not at the coming of Christ, but at the appearing of Christ.

The word for Christ’s appearing is epiphaneia, and it is associated with the rapture and resurrection which will take place before the tribulation period. Col 3:4 says:

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

This is the rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ, and we have good evidence that it will take place before the tribulation period because when Paul described the perilous last days of our present age in II Timothy 3, he said that things will get worse and worse, but he never said anything about the antichrist, the abomination of desolation, or any of the things that relate to the tribulation period. We who first trusted in Christ will be first to be caught up to be with Christ.

Well, when we look back at Ephesians 1, we see Paul changing pronouns in verse 13 and another reason that Paul may have done this is that he wanted to share with them the specific things that he was praying for them. Paul said in verse 18, "I am praying that:

Eph 1:18 (NKJ)
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, (and) what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

He was praying that these believers in Ephesus would have enlightenment from the Holy Spirit so that they could understand the hope of God’s calling for them and the glory of God’s inheritance in them. It was not the same calling or the same inheritance that had been promised to Israel.

As members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, we have a glorious hope. Someday, we will be caught up to be with the Lord in the glory of heaven. We will be given a glorious body like that of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will be to the praise of His glory. This is our inheritance, and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation as we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our position and our blessings in Christ.

I see our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for listening and be sure to tune in again next week at this same time for Bible Study Time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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

Ephesians 1 Part 6 (4-24-05)

Ephesians 1:10-11
(Bible Study Time 4-24-05)

The Apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians, Chapter 1, that God takes great pleasure in those who believe in Jesus Christ. It was according to the good pleasure of His will that He predestined us to adoption as sons. It was according to His good pleasure that He revealed to us the mystery of His will, that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, He will gather together all things in one. Whether things in heaven or things in earth, all things will be gathered together in Jesus Christ.

God has already started this reconciliation process. In Colossians Paul wrote:

Col 1:19-21 (NKJ)
19 For it pleased the Father that in (Christ) all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, . . . whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled

We who believe in Jesus Christ have the distinct privilege of being among the first of all creation to be reconciled to God, and as such, we have obtained an inheritance which was predestined according to the counsel of God’s own will. We have already seen that we were predestined to adoption as sons before the foundation of the world, and now we find that our inheritance was predestined as well. What is that inheritance? Verse 12 of Ephesians 1 says,

Eph 1:12 (NKJ)
12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Back in verse 3, Paul said, "Blessed be God," and this literally means to speak well of God or praise and exalt Him. The heavens declare the glory of God, and His invisible attributes are clearly seen in the creation itself, but we have to turn to the word of God to find out about His marvelous grace.

John 1:14 (NKJ)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

When Jesus Christ, the living Word, was taken up into heaven, God completed His written word. The Bible is God’s written declaration of Himself. In it, God declares not only His righteousness, but His love, His mercy and His grace. It was by His grace that God gave us an inheritance: that we should be to the praise of His glory.

The glory of God is magnificent and overwhelming. When Isaiah stood before the throne of God, he said:

Isa 6:1-3
1 . . . I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
2 Above it stood seraphim; . . .
3 And one cried to another saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!"

King David saw the glorious works of the Lord and said,

Ps 34:1-4 (NKJ)
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

When David gave the ark a permanent home in Jerusalem, he appointed a group of Levites to continually sing praise to God before the tabernacle. It was their job to praise the Lord in song. We today have this inheritance, that we should be to the praise of His glory.

When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, he knew not where he was going, but by faith, he went out to the place where he was to receive an inheritance from God. When Abraham got to Canaan, God said:

Gen 12:7
7 . . . "To your descendants I will give this land." And there (Abraham) built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

Later on, God spoke to Abraham again and said:

Gen 17:2,6 (NKJ)
2 "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly."
6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

I can imagine that Abraham was starting to get pretty excited about this time. God had promised him all of this land as an inheritance, and now God was saying that nations and kings would come from him.

In Genesis 22, God told Abraham:

Gen 22:18 (NKJ)
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

The fact is that Abraham was very excited about this inheritance which God had promised to him, but Abraham did not take these promises to mean that he should go out and conquer the world. He did not even try to conquer the promised land. Abraham was smart enough to realize that he could not build the kind of kingdom God was talking about, the kind of kingdom in which all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. That kind of a kingdom could only come by the power of God.

As a matter of fact, God actually told Abraham that he would die and be buried at a good old age, and his descendants would serve the people of another land for 400 years before the promised kingdom would come. Did Abraham shrink back in unbelief? Not at all. Abraham knew that the promise of God was worth waiting for. Hebrews 11 says:

Heb 11:9-10
9 By faith (Abraham) dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

It was never revealed in the Old Testament scriptures, but Abraham had been told that God was going to send a city from heaven down to the earth, and Abraham was willing to wait patiently for that city realizing that what God had promised, He would provide. Hebrews goes on to say that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Heb 11:13-16 (NKJ)
13 . . . all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Abraham was not called to build a city. He was called to wait for a city, that city from heaven.

When the Lord Jesus began His earthly ministry, He went preaching, as did John the Baptist, that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Their call to the people was to repent. That heavenly kingdom for which Abraham had patiently waited was near at hand, but the hearts of the people were not ready to receive it. The Messiah had come. The kingdom was at hand. But the nation of Israel rejected the blessings of God.

As a result, God told the Apostle Paul that it was time to reveal the mystery of God’s will. The fact that Israel rejected the Messiah did not take God by surprise at all. He knew all along that the Jews of Jesus’ day would reject Christ, and He knew that the promises which were made to Abraham could wait for a time when the nation of Israel would be ready to receive her inheritance.

Accordingly, God set Israel’s inheritance aside and began calling out the Church which is the Body of Christ. This Church is specifically revealed in Ephesians, Chapter 1, where Paul says:

Eph 1:22-23
22 God has put all things under Christ’s feet, and has given Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

As we look at this Church in Ephesians 1, we see that we, as members of this church, are not waiting for the heavenly city to come down from heaven to the earth. We are not waiting for the kingdom of heaven to come to earth. That inheritance which was given to Abraham has been set aside, and the hope and calling of the Church which is the Body of Christ has come to the forefront.

Paul says that the inheritance of this Church is simply this, that we should be to the praise of God’s glory. How beautiful! How marvelous! Our inheritance is that we are what God has made us, and we will be what God is making us. Our inheritance in Christ does not relate to any earthly possession, but it is all about what we are and what we are becoming in Jesus Christ.

I would like to ask you today how you define your self. How do you define who you are? Is your concept of who you are wrapped up in your family? Are all of your hopes and dreams wrapped up in your family? As much as we honor and revere the family, our family is not to define who were are.

Is your definition of self determined by your job? Would people look at you and say, "He lives for his job" or "She lives for her job?"

Is your definition of self determined by your possessions? When people think of you do they think of the car your drive or the house you live in?

If you define yourself in these ways, please consider that these things are temporary. These things will pass away. Those of you who know the scriptures know that Job was one who found out just how temporary these things are.

God knows that who we are and what we are is so much more important than the earthly things to which we so often cling. If we get a clear mental picture of our inheritance in Jesus Christ, that our inheritance in Christ is that we should be to the praise of His glory, our rejoicing will be continuously in Him, and our rejoicing will never fade throughout all of eternity.

Eph 2:4-7 (NKJ)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
6 . . . raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Our citizenship is in heaven. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. Our inheritance in Christ is that we should be; that our very being should be to the praise of God’s glory now and forever more. It is what we are, not what we have or expect to have that is important.

What’s so special about what we are? Well, there is nothing special about our old nature. But in Christ, we are holy, we are without blame, we are accepted in the Beloved One, we are predestined to adoption as sons of God. What a rich blessing it is to meditate upon and rejoice in all that God has made us in Christ. We have an eternal inheritance in Jesus Christ, and it’s all about who we are in Jesus Christ.

Next week we are going to examine the significance of the fact that this inheritance belongs to those of us who first trusted in Christ. We will see that we first heard the word of truth, then we believed, and then we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

I see out time is gone for this morning. Thank you for listening and be sure to tune in again next week at this same time for Bible Study Time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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

Ephesians 1 Part 5 (4-17-05)

Ephesians 1 Part 5
(Bible Study Time 4-17-05)

Ephesians, Chapter 1, is a chapter which enumerates one blessing after another, and these are blessings which the faithful in Christ Jesus were all predestined to enjoy in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have already seen that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame in the sight of God. We were predestined to become sons of God because of the complete and total redemption that is ours through the blood of Jesus Christ.

All of this has been provided for us according to the riches of God’s grace, which Paul says has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. God’s plan for man’s redemption was not a plan which God just put together on the spur of the moment.

God put this plan of redemption together before the foundation of the world with much forethought and after diligently considering all of the various ramifications of the plan. God would not simply forgive sin without the penalty for sin being paid. This would lower His own standard of righteousness. Romans 3 says that we are:

Rom 3:24-26 (NKJ)
24 . . . justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, (Why?) to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

God would not simply forgive sin and neither would He just stand by and watch as all human beings suffer the devastating consequences of sin. To do that would be inconsistent with the character of His great love. God’s plan took this into account, as we read in Ephesians 2:

Eph 2:4-5 (NKJ)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

If God had allowed all humans to be destroyed in hell because of sin, Satan and his fallen angels would have gained a great victory. God would never allow that to happen. According to Ephesians 3, God’s plan for redemption was meticulously analyzed and formulated with:

Eph 3:10 (NKJ)
10 . . . the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

This plan had to be thorough and exact in order to accomplish all of the various purposes which God had in mind, but at the same time it had to be simple for man to understand it. Man’s intellectual and emotional capabilities are so limited that God had to keep it simple. By nature, man is limited by the futility of his mind, the darkness of his understanding, and the ignorance that is in him. Furthermore, man is in no condition to respond to God emotionally because his lewd and greedy behavior has rendered him past feeling. John 3:16 says:

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.

What could be more simple? God, in His wisdom and prudence, made the plan of salvation so simple that even a small child could receive it, and yet at the same time, it met every single requirement of God’s overall plan and purpose.

Some people see the simplicity of God’s plan of salvation, and they reject it because it seems too simple. They say, "How could simple faith counterbalance all of my sin or all of the sin of others? How could the Son of God be born of a virgin? Why would God require the shedding of blood?" Paul addressed this very issue in I Corinthians, Chapter 1, where it says:

1 Cor 1:18-21 (NKJ)
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Another reason that people reject the gospel is that Satan has put a veil over their eyes. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:

2 Cor 4:3-4 (NKJ)
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

In the previous chapter, Paul had been comparing the glory of the Old Covenant to the greater glory of the New Covenant. He said that the Old Covenant was so glorious that Moses had to put a veil over his face because his face was shining so brightly. This symbolized that the Old Covenant Jews were separated from the glory of the Old Covenant by their sin. Paul went on the say that the veil is taken away in the New Covenant by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit living within the believer.

Then he said that if the gospel is hidden or veiled today, it is hidden only to those who are perishing, because Satan, as the god of this world, has blinded their eyes. Oh how much Satan hates God’s plan of salvation. God has devised a wonderfully simple plan to remedy a very complex problem, and Satan works effectively in those who are perishing to obscure the simple truth of the gospel.

But in Ephesians 1, Paul says that God’s plan for the redemption of mankind was a plan that revealed the riches of God’s grace and that the revelation of this plan only now shows God’s wisdom and prudence. Verse 9 says:

Eph 1:9 (NKJ)
9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

We are the ones who have been predestined to be the "Sons of God," and it gives God pleasure to reveal the details of His plan to us. God has chosen to fully reveal His will to His Sons, and it gives Him great pleasure to be able to do so in an open forum such as the Bible. In the past God could not openly reveal the details of His will. Paul says in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2:

1 Cor 2:7-8 (NKJ)
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Obviously, for God to accomplish His plan, God could not fully reveal the details of His plan in an open forum such as the Old Testament scriptures. Accordingly, the rulers of this world did not know about God’s plan concerning the cross because this mystery was hidden in the scriptures.

David spoke of one whose hands and feet were pierced and for whose clothing they cast lots. He also spoke of the Holy One whose body would never see corruption. Isaiah spoke of one who would be wounded for our transgressions. Daniel spoke of the time when the Messiah would be cut off.

Even so, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day had no explanation for these verses, and they had no idea that the death of the Lord Jesus was part of the perfect plan of God to provide redemption for mankind. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Mysteries such as this were hidden in the Old Testament scriptures, and one could only understand them by direct revelation from the Holy Spirit. Paul continues in I Corinthians 2:

1 Cor 2:9-10 (NKJ)
9 . . . "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

1 Cor 2:12 (NKJ)
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

1 Cor 2:14 (NKJ)
14 But 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.

However, in Ephesians 1, Paul says that according to God’s wisdom and prudence, He has chosen to make known to His sons the mystery of His will. Now this is not a mystery which is hidden in the Old Testament scriptures such as the death of the Messiah. This is a mystery which was never even hinted at in the Old Testament scriptures. Let’s read verse 10:

Eph 1:10 (NKJ)
10 that in the dispensation 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 - in Him.

The mystery revealed in Ephesians is a mystery concerning the dispensation of the fullness of the times. In Galatians 4, Paul said that God sent forth His Son when the fulness of the time was come, and that meant that God sent His Son at just the right time. But here in Ephesians, we are dealing with the dispensation of the fullness of the times.

A dispensation is literally an economy or an administration. It is a program which has been set forth. According to Jamison, Fawcett and Brown, the fullness of the times is an expression which literally means, "the moment which fills up or completes the appointed seasons." Therefore, the mystery here in Ephesians 1 is the mystery concerning the program which brings to completion the many different programs in God’s plan and purpose. It is a dispensation which brings to completion all of the appointed seasons of God, so to speak.

God has had many different programs since the time of the creation. We can see the dispensation of innocence in the Garden, before sin. There was the dispensation of human government which was given after the flood. The dispensation of promise began with God’s promise to Abraham, and the dispensation of Old Covenant Law was given through Moses at Mt. Sinai. The Lord Jesus shed His blood to bring in the dispensation of the New Covenant which was to be the foundation of the dispensation of the kingdom.

However, when the nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ as her Messiah, God revealed to us this great mystery concerning the dispensation which is the culmination of all dispensations. It is the dispensation of the fulness of times in which all things in heaven and earth are brought together in Christ.

Today, we are in the very beginning stages of this dispensation. Paul put it this way in Colossians, Chapter 1:

Col 1:18-22 (NKJ)
18 (Jesus Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Notice that Christ already has the preeminence over all things.)
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (God is already in the process of gathering all things together in Christ through the blood of His cross.)
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight–

We who believe today are just the beginning of the process which will ultimately bring all things together in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth, and God has chosen according to His good pleasure to openly reveal to His Sons this mystery of His will.

Well, I see our time is gone this morning. Thank you again for listening, and be sure to tune in again next week at this same time for Bible Study Time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

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

Ephesians 1 Part 4 (4-10-05)

Ephesians 1 Part 4

(Bible Study Time 4-10-05)

Last week we looked at Ephesians, Chapter 1 and verse 5 where the Apostle Paul said that believers today were predestined to be sons of God. We saw that Hosea first gave the prophesy that the nation of Israel would someday be called "Sons of God." He said that in spite of the fact that Israel was facing destruction by the Assyrians. The prophecy of Hosea relates to the future kingdom in which the unbelieving nations of the world will call Israel the "Sons of God."

In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul spoke to the Jews and said:

Galatians 3:24-25 (NKJ)

24 . . . the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Then he spoke to Jews and Gentiles alike and said:

Galatians 3:26-29 (NKJ)

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Obviously, Paul was writing to a group of believers who were anticipating the earthly kingdom which was promised to Abraham and his descendants. But in Ephesians, Chapter 1, Paul says that the members of the Church which is the Body of Christ were also predestined to adoption as sons of God. However, he never said that we are Abraham's seed or that we share in the promise that was given to Abraham.

In Ephesians 1, Paul says that this calling of the Body of Christ to be sons of God is according to the good pleasure of God's will. The word for good pleasure is the same word that is used in Luke, Chapter 2, where the angel announced the Savior's birth and the hosts of heaven shouted, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

The word for goodwill is the same as that for good pleasure, and this indicates that the will of God is truly favorable toward man. The goodwill that God has in his heart toward man was expressed in the person of Jesus Christ. In like manner, God predestined us to be adopted as sons because of His favorable purpose and will for mankind. He wants only the best for man. God is not sitting in heaven waiting for man to fail so that He can pour out His judgment. No. God wants all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth, but sin has separated man from God's good pleasure.

When Adam sinned in the garden, he ran to hide because he could no longer sense the good pleasure of God. Sin had broken the beautiful fellowship they had enjoyed, and sadly enough, today, there are people who think that God does not love them, that God is angry with them and that there is no hope for them to be reconciled to God.

Jesus Christ came to earth bringing God's peace and God's goodwill toward men, and it is through simple faith in Christ that people can begin to experience a sweet and beautiful fellowship with God that confirms His genuine love. Those who get to know Jesus Christ, get to know the good pleasure of God and that it was according to His good pleasure that He predestined us to adoption as sons.

In the Garden of Eden, God promised that the Savior would come through the seed of the woman. Therefore, even then, God was revealing the good pleasure of His will. God said that the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, but the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Satan bruised the heel of Jesus Christ, so to speak, when the Jews crucified Christ upon the cross. But Jesus Christ bruised the head of Satan when Christ rose from the dead, triumphing over the principalities and powers of darkness.

This whole plan is a glorious plan which brings glory to God. When the angels in heaven see sinful, fallen men accepting Jesus Christ by faith and becoming the sons of God, the hosts of heaven sing anew, "Glory to God in the highest."

When Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven to be born in a stable and into a relatively poor family, he did not come just to provide a partial salvation for those of us who believe. No, He came to provide total salvation for everyone who believes. When we are saved, we become new creations in Christ. God gives us a new heart. But we can praise the Lord that there is more to our salvation than that.

Someday God is going to redeem our bodies. We will be caught up to be with the Lord, and we will receive a glorious body which will never die. Which will never see disease. Which will never feel pain or shed a tear. There will be no more sorrow. It seems apparent when we look at the context of Hosea, that this term, "Sons of God", refers particularly to believers of the future who have already experienced total redemption, meaning the redemption of the body as well as that of the soul and spirit.

The total redemption that Jesus Christ provided for us is not just limited to human beings either. The total salvation that Jesus Christ provided will flow from the hearts of men and out into the created universe. In fact, Paul said:

Rom 8:19-23 (NKJ)

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Ephesians 1 says that this total redemption comes through the blood of Christ according to the riches of God's grace. The word for riches is ploutos in the Greek, and it is repeatedly used by the Apostle Paul to describe the character and blessings of God. Here he speaks of the riches of God's grace. Later in Ephesians 1, Paul will speak of the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints. In Romans 2, Paul spoke of the riches of God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering. In Romans 9, Paul referred to the riches of God's glory. In Romans 11, again he referred to the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

Paul spoke of the riches that are found in Christ 4 times in Romans, 5 times in Ephesians, once in Philippians, and twice in Colossians. This Apostle was obviously impressed with the spiritual riches that are to be found in Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus said that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will often choke out the effect of the word of God in a person's life, but this was not the case with the Apostle Paul, for he had a crystal clear vision of the riches that are ours in Christ.

For those who are interested in hidden treasures, Paul says in Colossians 2 that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. It is sad that people will spend their lives seeking to find the hidden treasures of this world, when all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in the One who says:

Rev 3:20 (NKJ)

20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

If you do not know Christ today and your life is meaningless and empty. If you want to experience the riches of God's grace and delve into the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are found in Christ. Simply open the door. Christ is standing at the door, knocking. Open the door by praying a prayer of faith. Say, "God, I want to experience all of the riches and all of the treasures of Christ in my life."

If you open the door, Christ will come into your life, and He will dine with you, and you will dine with Him. In other words, you will experience a fellowship with God that flows in both directions. You will experience the riches of God's grace, and God will find great pleasure in filling your life with the riches of His grace. You will dine with Him, and He will dine with you.

One of the many treasures that we discover as we fellowship with the Lord Jesus in His word is the rich glory of the mystery of the Church to which believers belong today. In Colossians 1:27, Paul was speaking about the believers of our present age and said:

Col 1:27 (NKJ)

27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What mystery was he talking about. Let's look back a couple of verses to Colossians 1:24, where Paul said:

Col 1:24-26 (NKJ)

24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

Paul was saying that he was called by God to reveal this great mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ and that the revelation of this mystery was a stewardship which was given only to Him. The mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ was hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to the saints through the Apostle Paul.

Paul certainly had first hand knowledge of the hidden treasures that can be found in Christ. He knew first hand about all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are in Christ, but he also knew that these treasures are often hidden in Christ.

When Paul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus came knocking at the door of Paul's heart, and Paul said, "Lord, what would you have me to do?" That is a great example of a prayer of faith. No one can tell you what to say to God. The words have to come straight from your heart. Paul's prayer was "Lord, what would you have me to do?"

When Paul prayed this prayer, the Lord Jesus came into his life and began to teach him and direct him, and little did Paul know that God was going to reveal to him treasures of knowledge which had been hidden in Christ throughout all of the centuries, namely the mystery concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Paul said that today, God is revealing the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, and he goes on to say that the end result of this mystery, on a practical level, is Christ in you, the hope of glory. As members of the Body of Christ, we are spiritually united with the One who holds the key to the future glories of heaven and earth. The hope of glory is in you in the person of Jesus Christ.

That's why Paul emphatically states in the next verse, "Him we preach!" In other words, Paul says, "We preach Christ." You have to get to know Christ and accept Him by faith before you can explore all of the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are found in Christ. But then in Colossians 2, Paul says that his desire was for these believers to acquire all of the riches of the full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of God. God wants us to enjoy all of the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are ours in Christ.

Well, I see our time is gone. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning, and be sure to tune in 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/