Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 24

Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and Gentile being placed into one Eternal Body is God’s Mystery Revealed Part 3

Ephesians 3:6-7 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His Promise in Christ by the Gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. KJV

We find the Apostle Paul very fond of reiterating a point again and again as he is so prone to do in all of his letters and we can therefore; conclude that God likes to make His points over and over again because He (through the Holy Spirit) is breathing into Paul the revelation of this great mystery to all of humanity at the time of the penning of this letter. Paul has already declared to these Ephesian believers that “He (God the Father) predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Ephesians 1:5) and Paul said earlier that “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him” (Ephesians 1:9) and the pronoun “us” he used in this passage includes these Ephesian believers and all true believers of every generation. Also Paul has already said that “we have obtained an inheritance” (Ephesians 1:11) and that Christ Jesus “might reconcile them (Jew and Gentile) both in one body to God through the Cross” (Ephesians 2:16) and lastly to conclude our recording of Paul’s fondness to retell, repeat, or restate a point that is so dear to him and important to the saints he’s writing to, he said this earlier to these same Ephesian believers, “but you (Gentiles) are fellow citizens with the saints” (Ephesians 2:19).

Now to cap-off his discourse in explaining God the Father’s Mystery hidden in Himself alone but now revealed through Paul, he says those same things above in this manner, “That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs” (Ephesians 3:6). The English word fellow-heirs Paul uses here in his reiteration of his point made many times earlier in this same letter is translated by the Greek word sugkleronomos which means a sharer by lot, that is, an inheritor (literally or figuratively); by implication a possessor: co-heir, that is, by analogy a participant in common, a joint heir. In other words, Paul was very excited, eager, and enthusiastic to inform these former pagan idol worshippers of the goddess Diana in the self-named temple, that they now have been so brought out of darkness that they are God the Father’s “little children” and heirs that will inherit all that belongs to Him by virtue of them being “in Christ” as Paul wrote it in this very well described manner to the Roman believers when he said, “The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.” (Romans 8:16-17).

When Paul declares to them that Gentiles are “of the same body” (Ephesians 3:6), he means literally the True Christian Church that makes up the Body of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ as He Himself said with these words spoken to the Apostle Peter, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hell will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18). When Paul declares to them that the Gentiles are “partakers of His Promise in Christ by the Gospel” (Ephesians 3:6), he speaks here of the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit in the inner man and inner woman of every Gentile that hears the Gospel of Christ or the Gospel of Grace and is born of the Spirit. The English word partakers Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word summetochos which means to be a co-participant; participation, that is, intercourse, or fellowship. In other words, Paul declares that only through the reception of the Holy Spirit can any sinner Jew or Gentile have fellowship with God the Father.

This is exactly what Paul means here by “His Promise in Christ by the Gospel” and this is what our Lord Jesus meant when He said these words recorded by the Apostle John, “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39), likewise we have these words also (speaking of the promise) recorded by this same Apostle John, “As for you, keep in your hearts what you have heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the first dwells {and} remains in you, then you will dwell in the Son and in the Father [always]. And this is what He Himself has promised us--the life, the eternal [life]. I write this to you with reference to those who would deceive you [seduce and lead you astray]. But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing (the Holy Spirit) teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do].” (1 John 2:24-27).

Paul has a two-fold meaning when he declares that he was commissioned by Christ to proclaim His Gospel of Grace when he says, “Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power.” (Ephesians 3:7). The English phrase “I was made” Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word ginomai a prolonged middle form of a primary verb meaning to cause to be. Paul did not go to school as he did when he sat under the highest Pharisee in Judaism, but he was made/ginomai a minister of the Gospel is clear to me because it was nothing less than the Mighty Power of God’s Grace that saved such an obstinate Pharisee as Paul who was striving in works religion to attain and achieve the highest place he could in Judaism as he himself documented with these words written to the Galatian believers, “You have heard of my earlier career {and} former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted {and} abused the Church of God furiously {and} extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it {and} destroy it. And [you have heard how] I outstripped many of the men of my own generation among the people of my race in [my advancement in study and observance of the laws of] Judaism, so extremely enthusiastic {and} zealous I was for the traditions of my ancestors.” (Galatians 1:13-14).

Paul was such a zealot for Judaism and the strict observance of the “Law of Moses” that nothing but the Mighty Power of God’s Grace through the Cross of Christ and by the Power of the Holy Spirit could have opened his blind religious eyes to the truth as he again himself declares with these words written to the Corinthian believers, “For I am the least [worthy] of the Apostles, who am not fit {or} deserving to be called an Apostle, because I once wronged {and} pursued {and} molested the Church of God [oppressing it with cruelty and violence]. But by the Grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God I am what I am, and His Grace toward me was not [found to be] for nothing (fruitless and without effect). In fact, I worked harder than all of them [the Apostles], though it was not really I, but the Grace (the unmerited favor and blessing) of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10) and also as he wrote in these words to the Galatian believers, “But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his Apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognizing the Grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” (Galatians 2:7-9). Note: The Grace of God was active and operative, that is, being in force, having or exerting force mightily in the inner man of the Apostle Paul causing him to endure the attacks, hardships, physical pain, emotional pain, etc. that he experienced from the day our Lord Jesus Christ saved him to the day he had his head chopped off dying for Christ’ sake and bringing glory to Christ Jesus our Lord.

Secondly, the Mighty Power of God’s Grace was the only thing that could have turned these Ephesians from their idolatry (worship of the goddess Diana) to the One True Living God Jesus Christ as Paul declared equally of this fact to the converts in Thessalonica with these words, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10) and also with these words to them, “For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God. You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own Kingdom and Glory. For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:9-13).

My own Personal Note: Those who have truly sorrowed for sin will sorrow upon every remembrance of sin. This will not hinder their service for and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ but rather will increase their joy in the Lord Jesus and in His abundant, life-changing mercy and grace. Repentance is a complete redirection of one’s life demonstrated by profound changes in lifestyle and relationships. The experience of repentance always precedes salvation. Faith is living one’s life in constant submission to Christ and in relationship to Christ. Excerpt from my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 23

Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and Gentile being placed into one Eternal Body is God’s Mystery Revealed Part 2

Ephesians 3:3-5 How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit; KJV

As we declared in the previous study, Paul had early on in the beginning of his letter briefly talked about this mystery of the Body of Christ being the spiritual abode, residence, and home of both Jew and Gentile together (despite God the Father withholding it from His Prophets of Old) (Ephesians 1:9-10). Paul again repeats this same reference. The great stumbling block for the Jews was that YAWEH was reaching out to the Gentile people through only the Gospel of Christ and that they would not be required to follow the Mosaic Law. The idea that the Mosaic Law was to be abolished or completely done away with and made of no more significance is what caused the Jews extreme anger and hatred for the Apostle Paul who was once one of the most adamant proclaimers and defenders of it in all of Israel. Note: It was the purpose and will of God the Father to hide the complete revelation of the Gospel of Christ or the Gospel of Grace from the Jews before the foundation of the world in order that He would bring in every Gentile sinner into the sheepfold and then gather all the (remnant) true believing Jews into that same sheepfold being the Body of Jesus Christ (Romans 11:1-5) (2 Timothy 2:19).

Paul declares that “by revelation He made known unto me the mystery” (Ephesians 3:3). The English word revelation the Apostle Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word apokalupsis which means to take the cover off of something that is hidden, that is, to disclose it or reveal it to all (i.e. to make known to everyone that which was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret until the appropriate time it was to be made known or visible). In other words, the Apostle Paul was the Father’s, the Son’s, and the Spirit’s chosen vessel to make known this mystery or sacred secret known only to the Triune God from before the foundation of the world as Paul declared with these words he wrote to the Galatian believers, “For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed {and} made known by me is not man’s Gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]. For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” (Galatians 1:11-12). This same Greek word apokalupsis used here in Ephesians 3:3 is also used by Paul in Galatians 1:12.

The direct revelation/apokalupsis Paul received form our Lord Jesus Christ is what conditioned, characterized, and certified Paul to preach this Gospel of Grace to the Gentile world as he wrote in his greeting to the Galatian believers with these words, “Paul, an Apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)” (Galatians 1:1). Paul knew he had been commissioned or given official approval to act as the ambassador of the Sovereign God with this critical, crucial, and credible message to the Gentile world that they too can know YAWEH through faith in Jesus Christ as recorded for us by Dr. Luke these words our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ spoke directly to Paul as Paul gave his defense before king Agrippa, “‘While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from Heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” (Acts 26:12-18).

Paul also further testified of being revealed this Gospel to the Galatians with these words, “But when God, who had set me apart even from my Mother’s womb and called me through His Grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were Apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.” (Galatians 1:15-18). Some commentators believe that these three (3) years Paul refers to here in Galatians 1:18 speaks of his time spent in Arabia being taught by our Lord Jesus all of the deep mysteries, revelations, and knowledge found in his epistles, but Paul never says this specifically anywhere here in Galatians or in any of his other epistles, but it is most likely that he began his declaration of the Gospel of Grace in Arabia and was taught all of the deep things written in all of his letters as his journeys continued by the Holy Spirit as our Lord Jesus declared He would do with these words to the first Apostles, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:12-15).

Paul so desperately wants them to understand that he says, “when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:4). The English phrase Paul uses here “when ye read” is translated by one Greek word anaginosko being in one word the combination of a primary preposition and adverb ana having in its meaning the idea of intensity and repetition and ginosko being a prolonged form of a primary verb having in its meaning to know something absolutely or totally and definitely; without question. In other words, the Apostle Paul wants these Ephesians to know (without question or doubt) that what he preaches and what he writes (here in this letter) is direct revelation/apokalupsis from our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father by way of the Power of the Holy Spirit. Paul then even more strongly affirms his desire by the use of the English phrase “ye may” which is translated by one Greek word dunamai which means that they be able or to be of power to “understand” and this English word is translated by the Greek word noieo meaning to exercise the mind (observe), that is, figuratively, to comprehend or heed. Paul’s only concern was that these Ephesian believers grasp the truth of the Gospel that he preached to them and all the rich treasure that was theirs and ours today in Christ which is what inspired his prayer for them before he digressed into this discourse. Note: “Every sermon reveals the preacher’s grasp of ‘the mystery of Christ.’ If he has no insight into Christ, he has no call to preach.” (Robertson’s Word Pictures).

The Apostle Peter gave credence to this desire in the heart for these Ephesian believers by the Apostle Paul when writing of Paul’s revelation, wisdom, and knowledge from our Lord Jesus with these words warning those in his epistle, “So, beloved, since you are expecting these things, be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts]. And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul’s safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him, Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist {and} misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures. Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you be carried away by the error of lawless {and} wicked [persons and] fall from your own [present] firm condition [your own steadfastness of mind]. But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition {and} knowledge {and} understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!” (2 Peter 3:14-18).

With these words written to the Colossian believers “in Christ” Paul sums up the essence or heart and soul or the most vital part of this mystery or sacred secret, “Of this Church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the Word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, WHICH IS CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” (Colossians 1:25-28).

Lastly, Paul declares that the complete revelation of this Gospel of Grace being freely dispensed into the Gentile world was not known in the complete fullness by which it has been revealed to him by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit working in Paul mightily (Colossians 1:29) in any other generation of humanity and even the great Apostle Peter who walked with, worked with, and witnessed with our Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry had to be re-educated by our Lord Jesus one day on a housetop while he (Peter) was praying (Acts 10:9-16), but even then Dr. Luke records in the Scripture this concerning Peter after the visions, “Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be” (Acts 10:17), but Acts 10:18-20 declares that Peter obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and went with these men to a Gentile’s house named Cornelius, for before this instance Peter never once carried the Gospel of Christ into any Gentile city let alone into the home of a Gentile, but the Apostle Peter went and spoke to them and Dr. Luke records these words that close Chapter 10 of the Book of Acts, “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the Gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.” (Acts 10:44-48).

When Peter went back to Jerusalem and reported what he saw and heard among the Gentiles this was the first response he received as recorded by Dr. Luke with these words, “Now the Apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.’” (Acts 11:1-3). However, after Peter fully testified to the Grace of God through His declaration of the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles with these words, “‘And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. ‘And I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ‘Therefore if God gave to them the same Gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?’” (Acts 11:15-17). The response was completely understandable from the Jews in the Jerusalem Church and it was this, “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’” (Acts 11:18).

“Let us observe that the conversion of the Gentile world to the faith of Christ was an adorable mystery, and we ought to bless God for it. Who would have imagined that those who had been so long in the dark, and at so great a distance, would be enlightened with the marvelous light, and be made nigh? Let us learn hence not to despair of the worst, of the worst of persons, and the worst of nations. Nothing is too hard for Divine Grace to do: none so unworthy but God may please to confer great grace upon them. And how much are we ourselves interested in this affair; not only as we live in a time in which the mystery is revealed, but particularly as we are a part of the nations which in times past were foreigners and strangers, and lived in gross idolatry; but are now enlightened with the Everlasting Gospel, and partake of its promises! The Apostle informs them how he was employed in this office, and that with respect to the Gentiles, and to all men.” Matthew Henry

“This great truth had been hitherto concealed, or but partially understood, and Paul says that he was appointed to make it known to the world. His ‘knowledge’ on the subject, he says, could be understood by what he had said, and from that they could judge whether he was qualified to state and defend the doctrines of the Gospel. Paul evidently supposed that the knowledge which he had on that subject was of eminent value; that it was possessed by few; that it was important to understand it. Hence he dwells upon it. He speaks of the glory of that truth. He traces it back to the Counsels of God. He shows that it entered into His Eternal plans; and he evidently felt that the truth which he had communicated in the former part of this Epistle was among the most important that could come before the mind.” Albert Barnes

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 22

Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and Gentile being placed into one Eternal Body is God’s Mystery Revealed Part 1

Ephesians 3:1-2 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the Grace of God which is given me to you-ward: KJV

First of all, we must be reminded that these epistles or letters when originally written by the Apostle Paul did not have Chapter and verse designations, but this was done later for the purpose of allowing readers the ability to recall sections of the New and Old Testament Scripture. Paul wrote one continuous letter, therefore, we find him continuing his theme and thoughts from the end of Chapter 2 by beginning with the phrase “For this cause” which is translated by one Greek word charin which is in the form of a preposition written in the accusative case meaning on account of or for the sake of something. In this case, Paul has a twofold meaning, the first here being on account of you Ephesian believers “being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22), “I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” (Ephesians 3:1).

In other words, Paul was violently hated by the Jews for going to the Gentiles with the message that they could and would be saved by the same God the Jews worshipped through faith in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ as he described with these farewell words to the Ephesians recorded for us by Dr. Luke (one of Paul’s fellow-workers for the Gospel), “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, ‘You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’” (Acts 20:17-21).

Paul regarded himself to be the prisoner of Jesus Christ having been arrested, that is, attracted to and captured and fixated upon Him and His Love for Paul that he might preach the Gospel of Grace to every Gentile as he declared with these words to brother Timothy, “For that [Gospel] I am suffering affliction {and} even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained {or} imprisoned! Therefore I [am ready to] persevere {and} stand my ground with patience {and} endure everything for the sake of the elect [God’s chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2:9-10).

It is God’s Grace (divine influence upon the heart) that worked in the Apostle Paul giving him purpose, power, and protection to boldly declare the Gospel of Grace to the Gentile Nations and people despite many of their opposition to it and despite the Jews hating him for doing so. Paul knew that our Lord Jesus Christ was directing, guiding, and most certainly protecting him as he declared the truth of the Gospel of Grace to not only these Gentile Ephesians, but to all Gentiles in the known world at that time as confirmed with these words spoken by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ directly to Paul to encourage and strengthen him for his work in the city of Corinth, “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.’” (Acts 18:9-10).

The second reason that Paul began with the words “For this cause” was that he wanted them to have full and complete understanding of his three (3) descriptive metaphors of this new eternal brotherhood between Jews and Gentiles in the Eternal Spiritual Body of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, so he began to pray for their understanding, but then he digressed in order to speak of this Mystery and how he was made privy to it and for what purpose, then he picks up with his initial desire to pray for them in Ephesians 3:14. Note: This writing digression of Paul here is one of many instances that prove that God the Holy Spirit did not subdue, subvert, or sabotage the “unique personalities or styles” of each of the writers of Holy Scripture in the Word of God. Paul now in his digression from praying for them, declares to them that he has been charged with the task or been given Heavenly approval “of the dispensation of the Grace of God which is given me to you-ward” (Ephesians 3:2).

The English word dispensation Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word oikonomia which means the administration (of a household or estate); stewardship or a house distributor (that is, manager), or overseer, that is, an employee in that capacity; by extension a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively a preacher (of the Gospel). In other words, the Apostle Paul had been commissioned and ordained by our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ to parcel out or to give out or to deal, dispense, and distribute the Gospel of Grace to the people (Gentiles, who formerly were far off) that had never even heard of YAWEH or knew that there was such a God in existence as he already wrote to them with these words at the beginning of this epistle, “Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed {and} set forth in Him, [He planned] for the maturity of the times {and} the climax of the ages to unify all things {and} head them up {and} consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10).

God the Father’s hidden mystery from the Old Testament Prophets was that the Messiah that many of them Prophesied of would not only come into the world to deliver the Jews, but that He (Christ) would also gather together the Gentiles into His Flock as He said to some of them with these words while He walked about during His earthly ministry, “I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with One Shepherd.” (John 10:14-16).

My own Personal Note: Paul was akin to a Doctor who was a specialist in a certain medical field capable of diagnosing and treating certain rare strains of viruses or diseases adequately with much success, but in Paul’s case he was a Spiritual Doctor who was equipped by God’s Grace to dispense the cure (the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16)) to every infected soul with the disease of sin.

“Dispensation should be rendered, ‘stewardship.’ We are God’s trustees for men. To each of us is given some special phase of truth which we must pass on to others by the force of our character or by the teaching of our lips. It was given to Paul to make known the great truth that Gentiles might enter the Church of God on equal terms with Jews. During the earlier stages of human education this secret had been withheld; but with the advent of the Son of Man, the doors into the Church had been thrown open to all. Paul’s insistence on this truth was the main cause of the hatred and opposition which checkered his life.” F. B. Meyer

“The compound particle eige, which is commonly translated if indeed, in several places means since indeed, seeing that, and should be translated so in this verse, and in several other places of the New Testament. Seeing ye have heard of the dispensation of God, which is given me to you-ward: this they had amply learned from the Apostle during his stay at Ephesus, for he had not shunned to declare unto them the whole counsel of God, Acts 20:27, and kept nothing back that was profitable to them, Acts 20:20. And this was certainly among those things that were most profitable, and most necessary to be known.” Adam Clarke

“A prisoner in the service of the Lord Jesus; or made a prisoner in His cause. Not a prisoner for crime or debt, or as a captive in war, but a captive in the service of the Redeemer. This proves that at the time of writing this, Paul was in bonds, and there can be no question that he was in Rome. This would be more correctly rendered, ‘For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner,’ etc. So Tyndale renders it, ‘For this cause I, Paul, the servant of Jesus, am in bonds.’ So also Locke, Rosenmuller, Doddridge, Whitby, Koppe, and others understand it. By this construction the abruptness now manifest in our common version is avoided. Made a prisoner at Rome on your behalf, because I maintained that the Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles; see Acts 22:21-23. He was taken first to Cesarea, and then to Rome. The cause of his imprisonment and of all his difficulties was, that he maintained that the Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles; that when the Jews rejected it God rejected them; and that he was specially called to carry the message of salvation to the pagan world.” Albert Barnes

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 21

Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and Gentile are placed into one Spiritual Building

Ephesians 2:20-22 And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. KJV

Paul’s final metaphor he uses here is that of an Architectural Building or Structure that is huge and grand and captivating in size, and in quality of construction. In this final metaphor, Paul declares that the foundation or the basis for which this spiritual house is built or constructed seeing that the Gospel of Grace was begun by and explained and expounded throughout Israel by the Prophets of old such as Isaiah who spoke these words referring to Jesus Christ and His Gospel of Grace hundreds of years before our Lord, Master, and Savior was even born into the world, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” (Isaiah 28:16). Likewise the Apostles along with the Prophets also spoke of this foundation throughout the entire known world of which Paul is an Apostle and it was he that said, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the Grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:9-11).

Just as in an actual physical building the foundation is the most important part of the Structure as it is the Structures sturdiness, strength, and stability, so is our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ and His Gospel of Grace that He foretold through the Prophets of old like Isaiah and handed down to His Apostles declaring “true faith” as the Apostle Jude spoke of with these words in this manner, “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” (Jude 1:1-3). Paul refers to our Lord Jesus as the “chief corner stone” of the spiritual building and this phrase is translated by one Greek word akrogoniaios meaning one belonging to the extreme corner; according to W.W. Lloyd it is the primary foundation-stone at the angle of the structure by which the architect fixes a standard for the bearings of the walls and cross-walls throughout.

In other words, Jesus Christ is THE Standard and nothing outside of Him or vital union with Him will bring any soul peace here on the earth or in eternity or take them to Heaven at the moment of their physical death as our Lord Jesus Himself informed the Jewish leaders when He spoke these words, “Jesus asked them, Have you never read in the Scriptures: The very Stone which the builders rejected {and} threw away has become the Cornerstone; this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? I tell you, for this reason the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the fruits of it. {And whoever falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom It falls will be crushed to powder [and It will winnow him, scattering him like dust]. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and explain), they perceived that He was talking about them.” (Matthew 21:42-45). That Spiritual building or temple is the Body of Jesus Christ (the True Church) (Matthew 16:18).

Paul declares that it is our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ that has everyone in His Body “fitly framed together” (Ephesians 2:21). This English phrase “fitly framed together” is translated by one Greek word sunarmologeo and this word denotes union meaning to render closely jointed together, that is, organized compactly; to be fitly framed or joined together in an appropriate manner. In other words, it is complete harmony of true love, faith, and doctrine within the Spiritual Body of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ and He joins together both Jew and Gentile constituting One True Church kept by His Mighty Power and made up of every nationality as the Apostle John wrote with these words, “And [now] they sing a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to break the seals that are on it, for You were slain (sacrificed), and with Your blood You purchased men unto God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth!” (Revelation 5:9-10).

Paul declares that those who are in the Body of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ “groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). The English word groweth Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word auxano which is a prolonged form of a primary verb meaning to grow, that is, enlarge (literally or figuratively, actively or passively); to increase. In other words, true believers are growing in the grace and knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18) by virtue of God the Holy Spirit indwelling us. Paul declares that this growth is into a holy temple in Christ Jesus our Lord because every true believer is called the temple of God as Paul wrote with these words to the Corinthian believers, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) and also these words, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God the Father dwelt with His people Israel in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) and this was where the Glory of God was manifested here on the earth. However, now when all true believers come together in one place there is where God dwells along with His Glory inside of every true son and daughter of His.

Paul just as he wrote these words above to the Corinthian believers, he now puts forth the same premise by calling these Ephesian believers “an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). The English phrase “an habitation” Paul uses here is translated from the Greek word katoiketerion which means a dwelling place such as a house resided in or lived in permanently. In other words, God has settled down eternally in the hearts (i.e. the inner man or inner woman) of every sinful soul regenerated and born again by His Holy Spirit and we are now able to worship God the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:24) as the Apostle Peter declares with these words in this manner, “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

My own Personal Note: In the process of passing from death unto life, I had an experience that only a born again child of God can truly understand. It was a mysterious change, but an undeniably positive change. It was as though my old heart was taken out of me and cleansed, all its filth washed away, before it was put back into my soul. It was for me “a new heart and a right spirit”: a mysterious but yet an actual and real change! I immediately began to love people whom I formerly despised. To be truly converted, regenerated, or born again is a process by which the Holy Spirit ignites an explosion inside a person. The bomb (Holy Spirit) explodes on the inside of a person and destroys, or subdues, the old nature (sinful fallen corrupt nature) and the person is flooded with the (agape) love of God. 1 John 3:1 (AMP): “Behold, what manner (of what possible sort) of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!” Romans 5:5 (AMP): “God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.” Excerpt from my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs”

“The apostle now applies the metaphor to the purpose for which he produced it, retaining however some of the figurative expressions. As the stones in a temple are all properly placed so as to form a complete house, and be a habitation for the Deity that is worshipped there, so ye are all, both believing Jews and Gentiles, prepared by the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, under the influence of the Spirit of Christ, to become a habitation of God, a Church in which God shall be worthily worshipped, and in which He can continually dwell. Of this glorious Church every Christian soul is an epitome; for as God dwells in the Church at large, so He dwells in every believer in particular: each is a habitation of God through the Spirit. In vain are all pretensions among sects and parties to the privileges of the Church of Christ, if they have not the doctrine and life of Christ. Traditions and legends are not apostolic doctrines, and showy ceremonies are not the life of God in the soul of man.” Adam Clarke

“Throughout the Pauline letters we have frequent references to edifying, a phrase which has been so vulgarized by much handling that its great meaning has been all but lost, but which still, rightly understood, presents the Christian life as one continuous effort after developing Christian character. Taking into view the whole of the apostolic references to this continuous process of building, we cannot but recognize that it all begins with the act of faith which brings men into immediate contact and vital union with Jesus Christ, and which is, if anything that a man does is, the act of his very inmost self-passing out of its own isolation and resting itself on Jesus. It is by the vital and individual act of faith that any soul escapes from the dreary isolation of being a stranger and a foreigner, wandering, homeless and solitary, and finds through Jesus fellowship, an elder Brother, a Father, and a home populous with many brethren. But whilst faith is the condition of beginning the Christian life, which is the only real life, that life has to be continued and developed towards perfection by continuous effort. ‘Tis a life-long toil till the lump be leavened.’ One of the passages already referred to varies the metaphor of building, in so far as it seems to represent ‘your most holy faith’ as the foundation, and may be an instance of the doubtful New Testament usage of ‘faith,’ as meaning the believed Gospel, rather than the personal act of believing. But however that may be, context of the words clearly suggests the practical duties by which the Christian life is preserved and strengthened. They who build up themselves do so, mainly, by keeping themselves in the love of God with watchful oversight and continual preparedness for struggle against all foes who would drag them from that safe fortress, and subsidiarily, by like continuity in prayer, and in fixing their meek hope on the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. If Christian character is ever to be made more Christian, it must be by a firmer grasp and a more vivid realization of Christ and His truth. The more we feel ourselves to be lapped in the love of God, the more shall we be builded up on our most holy faith. There is no mystery about the means of Christian progress. That which, at the beginning, made a man a Christian shapes his whole future course; the measure of our faith is the measure of our advance. But the Apostle, in the immediately following words, goes on to pass beyond the bounds of his metaphor, and with complete indifference to the charge of mixing figures, speaks of the building as growing. That thought leads us into a higher region than that of effort. The process by which a great forest tree thickens its boles, expands the sweep of its branches and lifts them nearer the heavens, is very different from that by which a building rises slowly and toilsomely and with manifest incompleteness all the time, until the flag flies on the roof-tree. And if we had not this nobler thought of a possible advance by the increasing circulation within us of a mysterious life, there would be little gospel in a word which only enjoined effort as the condition of moral progress, and there would be little to choose between Paul and Plato. He goes on immediately to bring out more fully what he means by the growth of the building, when he says that if Christians are in Christ, they are ‘built up for an habitation of God in the Spirit.’ Union with Christ, and a consequent life in the Spirit, are sure to result in the growth of the individual soul and of the collective community. That divine Spirit dwells in and works through every believing soul, and while it is possible to grieve and to quench It, to resist and even to neutralize Its workings, these are the true sources of all our growth in grace and knowledge. The process of building may be and will be slow. Sometimes lurking enemies will pull down in a night what we have labored at for many days. Often our hands will be slack and our hearts will droop. We shall often be tempted to think that our progress is so slow that it is doubtful if we have ever been on the foundation at all or have been building at all. But ‘the Spirit helpeth our infirmities,’ and the task is not ours alone but His in us. We have to recognize that effort is inseparable from building, but we have also to remember that growth depends on the free circulation of life, and that if we are, and abide in, Jesus, we cannot but be built ‘for an habitation of God in the Spirit.’ We may be sure that whatever may be the gaps and shortcomings in the structures that we rear here, none will be able to say of us at the last, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 20

Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and Gentile are Citizens of Heaven and God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; KJV

Paul writing completely under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit still was allowed by Him to use his own personality, background, and style in his writing and here we find Paul doing what he was so eager and enthusiastic to do in all of his letters and that is the use of metaphors to paint a word picture for his readers. Paul uses two (2) completely different but equal in meaning metaphor’s here in this verse to describe both Jew and Gentile who are now one “in Christ” (i.e. a city or country, and a family or household. First, we recall from the last study that Paul concluded that both Jew and Gentile “have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18), therefore, he declares to these Ephesian believers that they are now “no more strangers and foreigners” (Ephesians 2:19). The English word stranger used here by Paul is translated by the Greek word xenos meaning literally an alien or by implication a guest. In other words, as we today categorize someone from another country being an “illegal alien” if they cross over the American border without permission from our country, Paul here declares that this is exactly what these Ephesian believers were before they heard and believed the Gospel of Christ to the nation or country of Israel, however, now through Christ’ Blood they are no longer strangers/xenos, but are now legal residents in the city or country of God.

YAWEH had made Jerusalem (located in Israel) His special dwelling place on the earth as He declared in this manner through the Prophet Joel, “The Lord will thunder {and} roar from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the Heavens and the earth shall shake; but the Lord will be a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the children of Israel. So shall you know, understand, {and} realize that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Zion, My Holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be Holy, and strangers {and} foreigners [not born into the family of God] shall no more pass through it.” (Joel 3:16-17). This is exactly what these Gentile Ephesians were before Christ and His Gospel “strangers {and} foreigners [not born into the family of God]” (Joel 3:17) as the Prophet Joel proclaims in this text of Holy Scripture, but now Paul declares them to be “in Christ” and therefore, “fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). The English word fellowcitizens Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word sumpolites meaning a native of the same town as are others; figuratively it means fellow Christians or born ones. In other words, not only were these Gentile Ephesians no longer “strangers and foreigners”, but now according to Paul’s first metaphor they were natives or citizens of the city (Jerusalem) or country (Israel) of God along with and just as every Jew belonging to our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ were through the new birth (John 3:3).

This city or country of God is in Heaven being the “New Jerusalem” as the Apostle John describes with these words, “He who overcomes (is victorious), I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God; he shall never be put out of it {or} go out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which descends from My God out of Heaven, and My own new name.” (Revelation 3:12) and also the Apostle John says this, “And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2). Paul himself referred to our citizenship being no longer solely here on the earth, but now that we are “in Christ” we have become instantly citizens of Heaven as he declared it with these words written to the Philippian believers, “But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in Heaven, and from it also we earnestly {and} patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior, Who will transform {and} fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to {and} be like the body of His Glory {and} Majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21).

Lastly, the English phrase “of the household” Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word oikeios meaning the dwelling place of a domestic or relative being those of the same house, home, and family. In other words, Paul declares these Gentile Ephesians and every native Jew to be brothers and sisters of the same Heavenly Household having the same spiritual blood from our Lord Jesus Christ. The Ephesian believers now have a new family totally separate from their earthly families and of far greater bond also than their earthly families (Galatians 6:10), even with the Jewish believers in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ as put very crisp, concise, and compact with these words, “Sin has divided mankind, but Christ unites by His Spirit.” (Warren Wiersbe). This reality of a Heavenly Family is precisely what God the Father had in mind when sending His Son (Jesus Christ) to reconcile lost and sinful man back to Him as the Apostle John was so amazed and astonished at when he wrote these words, “SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named {and} called {and} counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him. Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes {and} is manifested, we shall [as God’s children] resemble {and} be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is.” (1 John 3:1-2).

My own Personal Note: Titus 3:3-5 (AMP): “For we also were once thoughtless, senseless, obstinate, disobedient, deluded and misled; [we too were once] slaves to all sorts of cravings and pleasures, wasting our days in malice and jealousy and envy, hateful (hated, detestable) and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior to man [as man] appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by the cleansing bath of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:3 paints us a picture of our state before regeneration or new birth occurs in our hearts. Recall that in chapters 2 and 3 we discussed the evidence of our unregenerate nature as defined in the scriptures. Now what actually happens to us when we receive this cleansing bath of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit? In Matthew 18:3 (AMP) Jesus explains how we will be changed when we allow Him to enter our lives and change us: “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted (change, turned quite around, reversed) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, and forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].” Little children hang on every word and action of their earthly parents. They want to follow their earthly parents wherever they go and eagerly look forward to spending all their time with them. Children accept everything their earthly parents say as the truth and in essence “worship” their earthly parents. They fear and even revere their earthly parents. In a similar way, conversion, regeneration, or new birth demonstrates those qualities of absolute trust and eagerness. That should be the new character and behavior of all true Christians or Disciples of Christ. The word “Christian” is used only twice in the entire Bible. It comes from the Greek word Christianos, which means “follower of Christ” or “little Christ.” When we encounter the living Christ, we begin to follow Him, wherever He leads, as a little child does his earthly parents. Excerpt from my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs”

“In this chapter the Church of God is compared to a city, which, has a variety of privileges, rights, etc., founded on regular charters and grants. The Gentiles, having believed in Christ, are all incorporated with the believing Jews in this holy city. Formerly, when any of them came to Jerusalem, being, strangers, they had no kind of rights whatever; nor could they, as mere heathens, settle among them. Again, if any of them, convinced of the errors of the Gentiles, acknowledged the God of Israel, but did not receive circumcision, he might dwell in the land, but he had no right to the blessings of the covenant; such might be called, sojourners - persons who have no property in the land, and may only rent a house for the time being.” Adam Clarke

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

Our Redemption “in Christ” Detailed to the Ephesians Volume 19

Paul declares to the Ephesians that both Jew and Gentile needed to be Reconciled to God

Ephesians 2:16-18 And that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. KJV

The Jew was satisfied in and with their worship of YAWEH by way of the Mosaic Ceremonial laws that were given to them through Moses. Therefore, they saw no need to be reconciled to God because they thought they were already right with God. On the other hand, the Gentile Ephesians did not even know about YAWEH and were satisfied in and with their pagan worship of the goddess Diana. However, Paul declares here in this passage that “He might reconcile both unto God” (Ephesians 2:16) that is Jew and Gentile despite neither seeing their need to be reconciled. The English phrase “that He might reconcile” Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word apokatallasso which means to be off or away from something that is near; it denotes separation or departure; to change mutually or to make different; figuratively to compound a difference or make (one thing) compatible with (another). In other words, both the Jew and Gentile were not acceptable to God the Father as they were still in their sins, so He sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make the Ephesian Gentiles and the Jews able to stand in His Presence because without our Lord Jesus, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are unapproachable as Paul declared of our Lord Jesus with these words to Brother Timothy, “Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power {and} dominion. Amen (so be it).” (1 Timothy 6:16).

This reconciliation brings the hostile Jewish and Gentile relationship into harmony (as we saw in the last study Volume 18), but now more importantly it breaks up the war between man and God due to man’s sin and brings about peace with God the Father as Paul wrote in this manner to the Roman believers, “THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” (Romans 5:1). Paul declares that our Lord Jesus Christ has “in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Ephesians 2:16) has quieted or appeased the offence that man’s sin has been to God the Father. Because God’s perfect justice demanded a punishment for man’s sin, then it was satisfied by the battered, brutalized, bloodied, and broken body of our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary. Paul uses the phrase “having slain” here which is translated by one Greek word apokteino which means to kill outright or put to death; figuratively to destroy. In other words, our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ by taking sin upon His Body and paying sins eternal penalty which is death (Romans 6:23), destroyed its condemnation over every Jew and Gentile reconciled in Christ New Body (the Church) as wells as freeing each one of us from sins gripping power and enslavement in our lives.

Paul declares the enmity between God and man is what Christ slew and this English word enmity is translated by the Greek word echthra which means to hate or be hateful (passively odious or actively hostile); by implication a reason for opposition. In other words, sinful man (whether aware or unaware) is hostile toward God and at war with God because of sin and is sensual, fleshly, and carnal i.e. marked by the appetites and passions of the body through and through as Paul declared to the Roman believers with these words, “[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please {or} satisfy God, {or} be acceptable to Him.” (Romans 8:7-8). At the same time, God the Father is so Holy and free from sin that even to behold it is odious and detestable to Him as the Prophet Habakkuk declared with these words, “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?” (Habakkuk 1:12-13).

Our Lord Jesus Christ after His Resurrection and right before His Ascension commanded the Apostles (the sent ones) to preach peace to the Jew and Gentile. The Jew was near to God, yet still devoid of true righteousness (Matthew 5:20), while the Gentile Ephesians were far from God (Colossians 1:20-22), but now both have had the Gospel of Grace or the Gospel of Peace proclaimed to them as the Prophet Isaiah foretold with these words, “Peace, peace, to him who is far off [both Jew and Gentile] and to him who is near! says the Lord; I create the fruit of his lips, and I will heal him [make his lips blossom anew with speech in thankful praise].” (Isaiah 57:19). It is through Christ Jesus our Lord only that Jew and Gentile Paul declares “have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). The English word access Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word prosagoge which means to approach or to bring near or draw near; admission. In other words, this passage alone (although the fact is supported everywhere in the Bible) declares that there is one and one way only to approach the One True and Only God and that is through Jesus Christ as He Himself declared with these words, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am THE WAY, and THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE; NO ONE comes to the Father but through Me.’” (John 14:6).

You can be a good Hindu, good Muslim, good Buddhist, good Witch or Wicca, or good Mormon, or good Jehovah Witness, or good Mason, or good friend, or good person, good whatever, but if you are not born again by the Spirit of Christ Jesus you will be a good whatever perishing eternally being tormented forever with every other soul that belongs to Satan in the Lake of Fire as the Apostle John declares with these words, “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hell gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:10-15).

In complete contrast these Ephesian Gentiles and ever believing Jew that comes to and through the Cross of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ is affirmed with God the Father (Hebrews 7:23-28), and assured of being secure eternally (John 10:26-30), and have continual, constant, and continuous access/prosagoge to the Father (by the Holy Spirit) (1 Corinthians 12:13) knowing and being confident that He (the Father) hears us always as the Apostle John declares with these words, “The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:10-15).

My own Personal Note: Ephesians 6:10 (AMP): “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].” We have no strength of our own. That is why we must surrender our will to His will. To be “strong in the Lord” is to be strong or courageous in His cause; to feel that He is our strength, and to rely on Him and His promises. Philippians 4:13 (AMP): “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” The Holy Spirit will reveal to us—that is, give us revelations—from the Word where we find all of His promises, hidden truths, and instructions to empower us in our daily duty, walk, and living. We must give close and thoughtful attention to what the Lord Jesus speaks from the Word each day and apply the truth of that Word to our circumstances and problems. Excerpt from my Book entitled, “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs

“Now the effect of this peace is the free access which both Jews and Gentiles have unto God (Ephesians 2:18): For through Him, in His Name and by virtue of His Mediation, we both have access or admission into the presence of God, who has become the common reconciled Father of both: the Throne of Grace is erected for us to come to, and liberty of approach to that throne is allowed us. Our access is by the Holy Spirit. Christ purchased for us leave to come to God, and the Spirit gives us a heart to come and strength to come, even grace to serve God acceptably. Observe, We draw nigh to God, through Jesus Christ, by the help of the Spirit. The Ephesians, upon their conversion, having such an access to God, as well as the Jews, and by the same Spirit” Matthew Henry

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…