God's Power Changes Relationships - Ephesians 2:11-22

This lesson uses the literature produced by Life Way Publishers that is used throughout the Southern Baptist Convention as its guide in publishing a weekly lesson for this Sunday school classes. Specifically this is the Adult Commentary entitled “Explore The Bible,” My commentary appears in the weekly papers of Des Ark “White River Journal” and of Heber Springs “The Sun Times” and is sent by email to over three hundred class members for their timely use in their classes the following Sunday. The writer started teaching at Griffithville, Ark. in 1947 and had to give up weekly classes in 2009’ but have continued writing as a ‘labor of love’ for God’s Word and His children.

I always try to acknowledge any direct quotations used, and now acknowledge that the following introduction to this lesson is taken from this week’s LifeWay commentary. It is interesting to me that the behavior of elephants teaches us much that we should know about human relationships.

Dr. Ben Garner, author for LifeWay says, “Elephants are amazing creatures…huge, heavy, and slow-moving, they are intelligent, expressive and social animals. They live in tight-knit herds ruled by the oldest female, the matriarch, in family herds of 6 to 12 members that are her sisters and or their offspring. Adult males live primarily solitary lives and only join a family temporarily. A family moves, rests, and feeds as a single unit; they defend each other and care for offspring. If a mother dies, the “aunts” watch over the young much like a human godmother might do. One of the aunts will adopt the cub to care for it as her own.

How wonderful to observe the family unity that is part of God’s design in the animal kingdom! How much more awesome to see God’s plan for family unity being lived out in the church! In this week’s lesson, we learn about God’s work to unite Jewish and Gentile believers into one new people, one family in Jesus Christ…In Christ, we as believers are brought together joined together, and built together.”

In this lesson today we will look at man as he lived B.C. and then as he change in the period A.D. Since Paul was a Jew first and then a Christian, he is making sure that his people think of themselves as a Gentile first and then as a Christian. Read the first two verses of chapter 2. Paul speaks of the condition of the Gentiles before Christ came. He was the apostle to the Gentiles, but he never forgot the unique place of the Jews in the design and the revelation of God. This is his attempt to draw the contrast between the Jew and the Gentile. This contrast is a severe one that still explains why we sometimes have so much trouble accepting those who do not share our religious beliefs.

The Jewish law demanded circumcision, which was a physical man made thing—not spiritual. And Jews called the Gentile the uncircumcision and had a great contempt for them. This was probably the greatest of the divisions between the two. The Jews actually taught that “God had created the Gentile to be the fuel for the fires of Hell.” It was unlawful for a Jew to render help to a Gentile woman in childbirth because this was helping bring another Gentile into the world. Dear Sunday school member, there are some severe differences between the beliefs of some Christians today, but I dare say that none are more severe than these. If a Jew married a Gentile, they performed a funeral for that Jew. Jews were unclean if they even entered the home of a Gentile. Jews often criticized Christ because he visited non Jews.

BC the Gentile had no hope of a Messiah—The Authorized Version of the Bible says that “they were without Christ.” The Jewish hope was a positive direction upward toward heaven—and on the other hand, the Gentile hope was going no where. To the Gentile, history was a march to no where—while the history of the Jew was a march toward God. Then BC became history [Christ was born, lived, died, was buried and resurrected] and AD arrived in what we know as the New Dispensation… Christ came and with His coming the Gentile entered into that new view of history in which a man is always on the way to God…Both Jew and Gentile…Ladies and gentlemen…Christian friends…we were and are the Gentiles…This was the greatest day of our lives. All people, regardless of race, color or creed can accept Jesus Christ as Savior and immediately be on the road to Heaven.

You and I [Gentiles] were aliens from the Israelite society. If you have not studied Jewish history, you may wonder what this means. Their history says that they were hagois laos, or the holy people. Hagois means different; therefore they wee different people from Gentiles. How were they different? They were God’s people. God was their king. The gentiles of this age were Roman citizens under the rule of the Roman Emperor. Others were under a dictator, democracy or aristocracy—but Israel was a theocracy; their governor was God. In Judges 8: 23 Gideon told his people the Lord shall rule over you. The Psalmist sang in Psalm 145: 1 “I will extol thee, my God and king.” He literally meant that to the Jew, their God was both God and King. They had Exodus 6:7 which says “I will take you for my people, and I will be your God.” This promise was under the old covenant which the Gentiles knew nothing about. [Gentiles did not have access to the Jewish writings.]

All through the Old Testament, God’s design had always been worked out through a specific nation. They did not realize that God’s choice of the Jew did not show favoritism or special honor to the Jews—but it was to place a special responsibility on them. They were supposed to accept him and then teach others to do likewise. They failed. They crucified Christ. I personally believe that God turned to America as His special choice to take the plan of salvation to all other people.

The end of this barrier was broken down as you can learn by reading verses 13 retouch 18. The language Paul used here is referring to the construction of the temple which had walls or barriers that prevented the Gentiles first, then the women, the court of the Israelites, then the Court of the Priests, and finally the Holy of Holies which could be entered only by the High Priest. Under law, only the High Priest could enter the throne room and speak to God. When the barriers came down [salvation became available to all who believe] and now we intercede for our sins directly with Christ. Specifically when did it happen? It happened while Christ was on the Cross—the moment He died—the curtain was rent from top to bottom and the throne room was opened to you and me. This event was announced through a mighty storm of lightening and then total darkness during the day and was witnessed by everyone present in Jerusalem that day.

Now under the New Covenant, both the Jew and the Gentile [all, everyone, regardless of race or nation] have the right of personal access to God the Father of Jesus Christ. The word that Paul uses for access to God is prosagoge which is a word of many pictures. It means bringing a sacrifice to God…bringing men into the presence of God…it was used to introduce an ambassador to a national assembly…and above all prosagoge is used to introduce a person to a king. This new unity in Christ produces Christians who are friends with God. Now read verses 19-22.

Paul paints two pictures of the new Christian. A] Gentiles are no longer foreigners. B] Gentiles are now full members of the family of God. Through Jesus Christ we are at home with God. I personally cannot understand how or why so many different men…churches…denominations have decided to enforce their own barriers…barriers beyond what Christ demands. That is why we have the confusion that has been brought about because of these differences of rules and regulations. There should be no rule or regulation required by a specific church that can not be documented as totally scriptural. The greatest tragedy of the Church is that it is sometimes more exclusive than God teaches that we should be. The Bible teaches us that there are many things that we SHOULD do, AND WE SHOULD! But the Bible teaches us that there are only a few things that WE MUST DO—AND IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE FEW THINGS REALLY ARE… AND WE MUST DO THEM!

God’s Power Changes People - Ephesians 2:1-10

In the lesson taught last Sunday, Paul told us that the answer ‘yes’ to two questions constitutes the acid test that tells you that you are a Christian. The questions were do you have ‘faith’ in the Lord Jesus and do you have ‘love in your heart’ for mankind. I truly believe that I have the abiding faith necessary, never doubting the saving power of my Lord Jesus. It has been harder for me to be positive that I love all people everywhere. I am sure that I have no hate in my heart toward any person. But then I asked myself this question. If I did not love people would I take the time required each week to prepare these lessons for no other reason but to hope and pray that someone would respond by accepting the Lord Jesus as their Savior or that some hungry Christian might find Spiritual food for thought? These are my reasons. Pray for me that I might be inspired to rightly divide His word so that others may prosper by my studies.

Do you know how to pray for the people you love? From my study of the first chapter of Ephesians I have learned a new way to pray for my fellow believers. I believe that it is important to be able to make every word in my prayers relevant to a known need. In old age, time is our most important asset and we should consume every moment we have in some kind of positive action. Bible study and prayer are excellent ways to use a major part of your growth time.

There are three very important elements of any prayer that God helps me offer up to Him in behalf of those I love. a] My first desire is for God to enlighten [help us to know without a shadow of doubt] us regarding God’s call in our lives. b] I should pray that we fully understand the glorious inheritance that awaits us in Heaven. And c] I should pray that we realize the extent of God’s power and that we appreciate God’s mighty power that can change people and secure their future. People need security and security is only safe and sure by and through God’s power.

Having prayed for these three blessings, then my prayer should give proof that God’s power raised Jesus from his death on the Cross and exalted Him to His right hand in Heaven—far above all other powers now an forever. Then I pray that all believers will know that Christ is the head of the church and therefore over all believers. To complete this prayer for the saints, I now pray that we know that we were spiritually dead in our sins but that God through his Son, Jesus Christ, has raised us from sin’s death and assigned us a seat in heaven with Him. Just think…and know assuredly that we deserved his wrath but received life through God’s power. Please know that I have just now prayed for you that you will immediately obtain these blessings. You may wonder why I say emphatically that you deserved wrath. I only repeated what Paul told you. You should study carefully the first ten verses in chapter two. This scripture is so simple that it looks like there could be complete agreement regarding its meaning. This is not so. There seems to be more disagreement here than about any other passage that contains so few words. Maybe we can find some agreement today.

Paul is writing directly to the saints at Ephesus, the other churches that this letter would be delivered to, and to the Christians [saints] of all time. The letter was not written to unbelievers because he says emphatically that “We all lived the same kind of life as these children of disobedience do.” And this implies that “Christians do not live in trespasses and sins.” When Paul uses the word ‘you’ he is speaking of Gentiles and when he uses the word ‘us’ he is talking about Jews…his fellow countrymen.

Before you were saved—you gentiles were dead in your sins and trespasses. You lived a life of sin just like the unbelievers of today. We were all at the mercy of the desires of our lower nature and deserved nothing but the wrath of God.

Now let us look at the one word that you and I may differ on. At least there are a lot of differences of opinions among many who claim to be Christian. What does the word ‘sin’ mean? We probably agree that a murderer, robber, child molester, drunkard, gangster, terrorist, liar, shop-lifter are all sinners. However, do we agree that all are equal in God’s sight? Some of our audience may lie occasionally, or even grab a snack bar and run without paying because we in a big hurry. Some drink occasionally, but have never been drunk more than a couple of times ever. If we are guilty of some of these, then it is hard to classify all of them as sin.

If you will go to an old Jewish dictionary and look up the terms that describe a shooter of the bow and arrow, you will find that if the shooter misses his target it is called a hamartia. The shooter lifts the bow, and takes aim at a specific object, pulls and releases the string and sends the arrow on its way. If the arrow head goes over, under, on either side, and hits anything other than the target—if the shooter misses the target he will say—that is a hamartia. In Ephesians 2: 1-3, when Paul writes about “sin” he uses the word “hamartia.” He says that anyone that has missed the target of perfection has sinned. We can agree to some degree that sin is sin but since most of us are respectable citizens, really deep down in our hearts, it is hare to admit that I am a sinner. Since I work so hard, always trying to do the right thing, and never intentionally doing anyone wrong, I just can’t see why I am a sinner. Do you resent being called a hell-deserving sinner? The book says that “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” No hunter has ever lived a lifetime with a perfect shooting record, and if he missed one time he made a hamartia and is no longer a perfect shooter.

Are you the best child you can be? The best parent? Do you love even your enemies? Have you ever broken the heart of your parents or your children and saw the hurt in their eyes, and realized that you put it there? When we come to realize what sin is—we can see that it is not something that Paul or other writers have invented. In any sphere of life it is failure to be what you should be or failure to do what you should do. It is simply missing the mark.

By the way—the other word that Paul used here was translated trespasses [in our sins and trespasses] from the original word [paraptoma]…and it literally means to SLIP OR FALL. It means one has slipped away from truth. We may have been headed the right way but slipped and fell back losing our direction. This is not something that we choose to do, but we are born in the sinful condition.

God realized that man was born and living in a sinful condition and decided to send his son Jesus to die on the cross in such a way that his perfection would cover our imperfection. John says that God loved us so much that he gave his son Jesus to die in our place. This gift of Jesus was a perfect act of grace toward sinful man. While man could do nothing to save himself, God extended his grace toward him. And now by grace through faith we are saved.

This plan is so simple that it causes many to miss the mark.

God's Plan Involves Power - Ephesians 1:15-23

God’s word is true! Last Sunday we learned that God’s plan is eternal and today’s lesson tells us that “GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES POWER.” This is not just the kind of power required to lift, pull, or move stationary objects, but it includes all powers available including the supernatural power required to create all things that are from required materials that were nonexistent at that time. For in the beginning the earth was null and void—and from this condition of nothingness—God created ALL that now is. If you believe God’s word to be truth, then you believe or accept this fact by and through your faith. God is sovereign which means that He has always existed. God is omnipotent, [almighty/ all powerful], omnipresent, [always present in time and space] and is omniscient, because He knows all things. God is veracity which means that everything that he has ever said is perfect truth.

Saul was a Jew legally persecuting Christians when God found him on the road to Damascus. [People do not find God. He finds us.] [If you are a Christian—God found you. How? The Holy Spirit invited you. The encounter on the Damascus road left Saul blind and troubled. When he completed the instructions God gave him, he was a new creature, and he was now Paul the Apostle, a new creature in Christ Jesus. In this lesson today, Paul is an itinerant Christian missionary who has traveled from city to city preaching Christ and Him Crucified. He has already visited the Ephesians twice, while he was on his second and third missionary journey.

The second meeting was one to be remembered and the account tells us that there was great love and respect for him. You can learn much more about this final meeting by reading his farewell address to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20: 18-35. “After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them. There was a great deal of weeping by everyone. Embracing Paul, they kissed him, grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again” [acts 20: 36-38].

Now, hit your fast-forward button in time and you will find that he is now a Roman prisoner “in chains” in a prison in Rome, Italy. As a prisoner, he could not visit them again in person, and so he wrote this letter to them. The letter was no doubt shared with other believers in other early churches and we know that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit it was intended for all believers everywhere and in all earthly time yet to come, which includes all Christian churches today. You and I have never received a personal letter from anyone else, that was more timely and important, and even stained by Paul’s tears.

One of the greatest statements ever made started in verse 3 and ended with verse 14. It covered the problem we have in knowing that we know God, Christ the Lord, and the Holy Spirit and UNDERSTANDING that they are one in three or three in one, all the same but serving and working differently. The Apostle seems to turn now to the Ephesians [and to all Christians everywhere, then and forever] to show the application of what he has been saying.

Remember now, that this is a personal letter that has a practical purpose. Paul was not a theologian that sits down to write a theological disquisition; which is a formal inquiry or discussion, but his object was to help Christians be strengthened and encouraged in their daily lives. Paul believed that the best way to help Christians is to teach them the true doctrines of the Faith and then to apply the doctrine to his students. I think Paul was right and I do not believe he failed, but I believe that we have failed to the point that this is the most dangerous problem in the church today. I believe that far too many so called believers do not actually know and understand biblical doctrines. Most of you will say, “I believe in God” but that is not enough!

Paul had heard that the saints had not only entered into the Christian life but that they were continuing in it. [Remember the two test of a Christian are faith and love]—he had heard that they had both faith and love for each other. How can you know you are a Christian? How can others know that you are a Christian? You are, only if you have a saving faith and love your fellow man, especially your brothers in Christ. The danger of missing the mark here is what the biblical definition of faith and lover really is. No pun here…and no politics here either, but you even must know what “is” really means. You may say you are a Christian. People may believe that you are a Christian. However these are not the proofs. What is the truth?

There are many other ways to judge a man, but Paul says that these two tests are really the only ones needed. Note that faith regards what you believe and in whom you believe and love refers to what you practice. They go together and simply stated we are dealing with faith and works, and James tells us that without faith the other is dead. Paul states that faith comes first and must be in the Lord Jesus, but it must be followed by love. To have faith in the Lord Jesus means that you trust him utterly, entirely, and absolutely without any hesitation or reservation. It is the Lord Jesus and what He did for us in his life on earth, on the Old Rugged Cross, in the grave, in his resurrection and ascension that paid our sin debt and made our salvation free. Without the Lord Jesus and the cross there would be no salvation.

We must not put our manner of living in the first place. There are many good…moral…benevolent…lovable people that may even be your closest neighbors—but they are not Christians. On the other hand there are many who do not claim to be Christians; they may be violent opponents of the Christian faith—but in regards to their daily life and their treatment of others, they may seem to be good people. These statements let us know that this is not the point of our beginning. These attributes are only valid when used in the obituary of one who has died without knowing Christ as Lord. It is so sad to read that a great man has died, and left a vast array of good deeds that he has done, but the writer can not truthfully say that he had a saving faith in his Lord and Savior and loved his fellowman. We must do a word study and pay attention to every term the apostle used. Far too many today just pick and choose what they want to pertain to their salvation—and this will not work. It is very important to note that Paul has already referred to THE LORD JESUS fifteen times in this chapter. These two words refer to the same person, but are not the same in total meaning. Jesus is our Savior but he must also be the Lord of our life. Paul is saying that He has several names—but it is absolutely necessary that we acknowledge the minimum of names…our LORD AND SAVIOR.

Now look at the second term in the test—LOVE. It is hard to love everyone, even your enemies, and only a Christian can do that. Peter in 1:22 says “See that ye love one another with a pure heart reverently. Surely, if any man can do this he must have a new nature. John said in 3:23 “This is His COMMANDMENT that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another.”

Our lesson today is entitled GOD’ PLAN INVOLVES POWER and we have now come to the Apostle’s third particular prayer for the Christian. It is clear that the Epistle is emphasizing the power of God in the saints rather than the power which God gives to the saints. This introduces two different views. The first is that salvation is the result of something I do, plus the power that is given to me by Jesus—my power or me plus the power of God. The second view is that salvation is the result of God’s power at work in me and through me, and I believe this is what Paul means. Paul is emphasizing the power of God in us.

Surely I also believe that God gives us strength and power, and we would be fruitless and desperate without it. If that were the question at hand we should teach it with all sincerity and belief, and I would.

Paul is deep and very clever and there is no doubt that it is because of his deep inspiration from God. He makes it clear that the call itself is founded on the character of God. Then he has given us a glancing view of the transcendent glory for which we are destined and now he is helping us to recognize the power of God working through us. In his prayers the apostle is concerned about Christians. He knows that Christians are redeemed and safe but he still prays for us all the time. He prays, not that they be saved, but that they may constantly gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of what the Christian life really is and what possibilities it has for all believers. He offered two prayers and this last one became inevitable.

It can not be avoided because not even a Christian can fully understand what inheritance and glory we will have without understand the power of the source—God. We dimly understand the glory waiting, and we fully understand our sinful nature and we are automatically doubtful that our future can be so beautiful. Have you ever thought in the back of your mind—“surely this is not all possible for me.” The weakness in our understanding and knowledge of the gospel truths are the devils tools to cause us to be doubtful. It is not an unpardonable sin to doubt. It is a sin for one to continue doubting without studying God’s word in an effort to find the truth. Truth removes the doubts and sets you free.

V 20 says that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. The future of the Christian is bright—not because of our works—but because of God’s power at work in us. Have you opened the door of your heart and allowed him to work his power in and through you? If the answer is yes, you have nothing to lose and heaven is your gain.

God's Plan Is Eternal - Ephesians 1:1-14

As we begin our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, I confess that I do so with considerable temerity. There are only six short chapters with a total of 154 verses in the Epistle. I have more commentaries on Ephesians than any other book in the bible. I have one set of commentaries that contains eight books with over 3200 pages all devoted to Ephesians and in addition I have at least five other books by different authors. Needless to say, I have a concerned interest in this book and I am not alone. If Paul is one of your favorite authors, you will be pleased as you study his epistle to the Ephesians. If you love God’s Word to man kind, you will enjoy reading this epistle.

It is difficult to write and talk about the book in a controlled manner because of its greatness and its sublimity. Most of the commentary authors have tried to describe this Epistle in regards to its importance to the New Testament as a whole. One said that it is “The crown and climax of Pauline theology.” Another said that it is “The distilled essence of the Christian religion, the most authoritative and most consummate compendium of our holy Christian faith.” [Please read this quotation again, slowly and study it carefully—it is rich.] I surely can not compete with these writers who write as eloquently as these have written.

We have just completed a study of Corinthians where Paul discusses the plan of salvation and tells about many problems that he had with the church at Corinth. However, in this epistle he seems to write from a heavenly perspective; as he says himself it is from ‘heavenly places.’ The results are that there are very few controversies; all he seemed to want to do was let us know of the wondrous and glorious works of God the Father and Christ the Son. Martin Luther says that it is the most important document in the New Testament. I personally can not say that one book is more important than another, it is all inspired by God and there is not an idle word or thought included. I believe all are of equal importance—but I do recommend that you study this book in more depth, because you will find “all you need to know in order to be saved and this writing is the heart and soul of the gospel. There was only one purpose for the Lord’s earthly life, and untimely the death of Jesus Christ. “He came to seek and to save all souls that were lost.” HOW? It is “By His grace and our faith, both given to us by Jehovah God”.

Paul started writing this letter by listing the only two claims to fame that he possessed. First, he wants everyone to know that he was an apostle of Christ, and then he wants all to know that his appointment or call to be an apostle came from God, in a miraculous way. He was blind and was made to see; he was Saul in the hands of Satin and became Paul on a mission for Jesus Christ. Paul is the most productive, and effective of all apostles.

I am thoroughly convinced that most of the problems we face in our homes, in our churches, in our government and country are brought about by only one reason. Far too many do not believe that the Bible is God’s book, and many believe that they can pick and choose the parts that pertain to them. Our thinking must always start with God and not with ourselves. The tragic errors that became our nemeses beginning in the 1950’s came about when the governing majority became so interested in ourselves, overwhelmingly subjective and egocentric and forgot that God is in command, not man. The message in the Ephesians epistle, and in the entire bible from Genesis to Revelation, is God’s plan designed to bring us back to Him, to humble us before God, and help us see our relationship to God.

Paul eloquently develops the theme which brings us face to face with God, what and who God is, and what he has done for us; he emphasizes the glory and greatness of God as the Eternal One, the everlasting one, and absolutely the ONLY ONE—and He is still ALIVE AND WELL.

This great theme appears constantly in the various phrases which the Apostle Paul uses. Here are examples, and I quote: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will’—‘Having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to His good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself’—‘In whom we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will’—‘God the eternal and everlasting God, self-sufficient in Himself, from eternity to eternity, needing the aid of no-one, living, dwelling in His own everlasting, absolute and eternal glory.” Man can not start by examining his own needs; we must start with God’s ability to meet our needs. Stop; listen; I believe you must be able to hear through your mind’s ear God speaking to you right now as he did to Moses of old when He said; “Take off thy shoes from off thy feet for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground.”

Oh listen, dear Christian friends, as the bell tolls against public prayer, against the Ten Commandments, establishing laws that are erasing or omitting God’s name, both the proponents and those that do not stand against such actions are treading on holy ground.

Surely you are interested in how you are forgiven. Paul says that we have redemption through the blood of Christ. There is no Christianity without ‘the blood of Christ. It is central, it is absolutely essential and there is nothing without it. Salvation depends on the person of Christ, but in particular, his death, His shed blood which is his atoning substitutionary sacrifice.

The teaching of the New Testament Epistles is directed only and solely to Christians, that is, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; just ordinary church members. This means that this epistle is directed to us, today. What is a Christian? The Apostle Paul describes a Christian in three main terms. He says we are “Saints” because he wrote this book to the saints at Ephesus. You may say, “Well, I am surely not a saint.” But if you are a Christian, you are, because you have been “set apart”—you have been separated; and that means you are separated from the world in general. You are ‘in the world’ but not ‘a part of the world.’ The Old and New testaments say that we are ‘God’s own people’—‘a chosen generation’—a royal priesthood, ‘an holy nation, and a peculiar people’—we are God’s particular possession and interest. Therefore a Christian is a man primarily who is segregated from the world. We are cleansed inwardly. Cleansed from sin because sin is what separates us from God. Only His blood can cleans anyone from sin.

The second meaning of saint is the term—‘faithful.’ This kind of faithfulness means that we are ‘exercising our faith.’ It is a believing faith. One must believe that God is…that Christ lived, died, and was resurrected. A Christian must truly believe these specific truths that are based on Christ. A Christian…a saint has an unwavering faith [belief] in the God head. You know in your heart of hearts that Jesus was God’s only son; that he became man and dwelt among us…that He was both human and deity…and that he died on the cross to pay the price for man’s sin. “The wages of sin is death.” Someone must pay the debt. Christians believe that Christ paid our sin debt and that we do not have to die in our sins.

The third definition of a saint or Christian is contained in the phrase “In Christ Jesus.” We belong to Him. We are united or joined to him; Paul says that “Ye are the body of Christ”. In Romans six, Paul says that when Christ was crucified we were crucified with Him; when he died we died with him; and in Ephesians he says that “God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ. I am, and you are a member of the body of Christ. I am not my own but was bought with a price… [His blood paid the price]…He is the head and I am one of the members of his body…All of our blessings come because we are in Christ.

Three of my greatest blessings are GRACE, PEACE AND GLORY. Paul tells us that these are ours because of who we are in Christ. The two greatest words with the most importance to Christians are grace and peace. The human mind cannot comprehend the meaning of grace, and I can not fully explain to you all that it means. It is at a minimum “unmerited favor’ and that means that it is favor that you receive but to which you have no right or title in any other way, other than through Christ. It is his love come down to man—and it is all for free.

The peace blessing is not peace from war—or calm rest—or a quiet mind and spirit. It is all of these, but more because it is an inward feeling or condition that can not be explained. In war, I will not loose; in illness I will not die; in pain I will overcome; in distress I will be comforted; in loss I will realize gain. Paul even said that “For me to die is gain.” It means union even after separation; it means reconciliation will prevail over any kind of separation. Romans 5—“Therefore being justified by faith, we have PEACE with God.” We can have within us “The peace of God which passeth all understanding.”

Oh! How I hope and pray that this feeble effort has made you feel better about the fact that you are a Christian. I fear that I have only scratched the surface and that you will still completely miss the depth of meaning that is contained in the words Christian…saint…believer… and being God’s chosen and set apart child of the one and only Jehovah God.