Being Pure - Ephesians 5:1-14

Nothing should ever be more important to us than to be known as a Christian. Any Christian that attempts to be a ‘Teacher of the Word’ will be held accountable by God for the things we teach. The bible says that a false-teacher would be better off if he had a stone weight attached to his neck and then he be cast into the sea. We must recognize that we must be doers of His Word as well as teachers of the Word. Our lives must be so lived that we are known as teachers that practice what we teach. Above all any Christian teacher must imitate the love and forgiveness of God. We must be imitators of God and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Paul establishes the pathway of Christians in chapter five and encourages the Ephesians Christians and us to be imitators of God, and walk in love—the life of PURITY. Each person is responsible for their actions and should not revert into a life of sin. We must stand against sin; and always do our best to expose it as our enemy and the enemy of God’s plan and purpose for our lives. We must use our time wisely and follow God’s will for our lives. This is possible only when we let the Holy Spirit influence and direct our behavior.

In verse 3 Paul starts looking at different matters that directly hinder in the lives of purity. By the way he shifts to examples of impurity; there must have been a problem of sexual immorality in Ephesus. He tells them that there should not be even a hint of sexual immorality or any kind of impurity, or greed, because they are improper for God’s holy people. Then he adds other examples of impurities such as obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place. Then the list grows by adding some sins that could easily be found in the lives of many of our so-called Christians in the churches of our day.

For this you may be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such as an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

You can be your own judge, as you listen to the conversations of Christian people today, do you ever hear yarns, or course joking that have shades of foolish talk. We are taught that we should avoid the very appearance of evil. Paul says here that improper language should have no place in the Christian’s conversation because it does not reflect God’s gracious presence in us. Do the words you use reflect the presence of God in you? There is no doubt that foul language is a sin but an unsaved soul should not expect the conversations at church to sound so similar to what he hears at the pool hall, bar or cattle barn. Our actions and conversations should reflect purity of heart.

At some time around Christmas we are often privileged to see a snow scene with a child who loves their parents walking in the indented footsteps of their father walking in the snow covered pathway to the front door of their home. No painted picture has ever expressed a better example of how we should feel toward our Godly parents, God the father and Jesus Christ his only begotten Son. It is also true that no better example of a Godly life will ever be lived than the one that depicts a Christian walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ who loved us so much that he died on the old rugged cross to save us from our sins.

It is important to avoid the “Fruitless deeds of darkness” [any pleasure or activity that results in sin] but Paul says that we must go even further and expose these deeds, because our silence may be interpreted as approval. God needs people who will take a stand for what is right and prove their sincerity by the example they set. The conditions of immoral America have reached a high during the last half of the last century because of the way we have lived. The Christians of this area have allowed these unacceptable trends to grow simply by failing to speak out against the ungodly teaching and false practices of the so called New Age movement.

Paul told his converts that they must not allow themselves to be deceived with empty words. How and why did this happen? There were voices in the ancient world, especially the Greek and Roman teachers that taught everyone to think lightly of bodily sin. One line of such thought was called Gnosticism. They believed and taught others to accept a false doctrine which contended that spirit alone is good and matter is always evil. Men are composed of both spirit and matter. God created both man and matter. He did not create evil. In Genesis He tells us that he looked upon each part of his creation and declared it to be good…not evil. Genesis also tells us that the evil came when sin entered the garden through the evil one, the devil. Man is both spirit and matter. We have a spiritual soul and a body made of stuff…matter such as bone, flesh and blood and/or iron, oxygen, nitrogen and etc. The Gnostic taught that the spirit only was good, but that the matter was evil. And therefore it does not matter what we do with or to our body…it is evil anyway. They taught that Bodily and sexual sins were of no importance because they were of the body and not of the spirit. The Christian teaching was that both spirit and soul were God’s creation and so they are equally important. This Gnostic teaching came from without the church.

However, there was a teaching from within the church that was equally as important and just as wrong. Some were perverting the teaching of grace. You will find this teaching expounded in the sixth chapter of Romans. They said that grace was so important and powerful that it could cover every sin and that is true. But they also said that since grace was so powerful, then a sinner saved by grace could go on sinning, living as they desired, and grace would abound over all these sins. They went so far as to teach that our sinning was acceptable by God because it gave grace more opportunities to do its work. Paul simply said…God forbid this kind of teaching.

The gravest sin a false teacher can show toward man kind is to teach him that he can think lightly of sin and get by with it. Why? Simply because the wages of sin is death and the debt must be paid. Man can not pay the sin debt. The debt was paid on our behalf by the sinless Son of God when he bled and died on the cross. We are saved by God’s free grace through our faith in Him and there is no other way. If for any reason you live a life that brings any doubt into the heart of any unsaved person, you will be held accountable. The bible clearly teaches that we are either the light of the world because of our belief in Christ and acceptance of his grace, and the life we live; or we are still in the dark, because sinners prefer darkness that does not reveal their sinful ways.

Being Different - Ephesians 4:17-32

It will be reasonably difficult for any teacher to teach this lesson without hurting the feelings of a friend, or making someone mad because of what they will feel are false accusations. Let me just say up front that what ever I say that offends you also confronts me with the same problems. I believe that sinful church members are the biggest stumbling blocks in the church today. There is no doubt that Christians are called-out people. After they are called, they must continue to live in the world, but they must no longer be of the world—like the world. If you are no different from what you were and who you were before your call or [conversion]—then you are not a Christian. If you are a Christian—you are different and that is a complement.

If you are of the age of accountability and have never accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior you are a sinner on the broad road to hell. If you have acknowledged your sinful state and ask God to forgive you—that means that you have accepted God’s call to Holiness and you are now a different person—traveling the high and narrow road to heaven. The bible teaches that there is a difference in an unsaved person and a saved sinner and in many circumstances that difference is quite obvious to another Christian observer. People are known by the fruit they bear. Christians are known by their works—not saved by works, but known by their works.

Paul is addressing the new converts at Ephesus and he is admonishing them to leave their old way of life and to turn to the new way of life taught by Christ. Far too many of the new members in this new church had verbally accepted Christ as Savior but had not made the changes in their way of life that testifies to the new change.

Ephesus was considered to be one of the greatest cities of the day, known for its commerce, culture, and trade and known for its art, music and theatre. It was one of the richest cities in the Roman Empire and the home of the pagan temple of Diana and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Diana was the god of sexual cravings and was worshipped in the temple of Diana, a worship center that practiced different acts of sexual sin as a part of the daily worship service. Paul describes Ephesus and the lives of those who lived there as the norm and then tells the Christians who have been called out that they must now be different. “Don’t live like that any longer!”

There is a paradox here that is hard for me to understand. Ephesus is described here as a great city. However, I am forced to ask you and Paul what you used as criteria to make this judgment. Some of the things named such as the temple of Diana would prevent a high rating on the city. Paul says that we can no loner live the life that the Gentiles in Ephesus live. In order to be different we must change. He says that “you must be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” This tells me that Christian people must have a different mind set. Our thinking pattern must change so that the things that we eat, drink or participate in will put us on a different minus.

Living and leading a sinful life on a daily basis has a destructive effect on man’s inter spirit. If one knows Christ as Savior then he also will recognize sinful acts and thoughts as they contaminate the body. You did not become a hardened sinner all at one time [no one does]. A born-again man will feel sorrow and horror when they commit a wanton sin. But if he continues to sin without feeling guilty he is approaching a time when he will sin without feeling anything at all. His conscience will petrify like wood in a hot desert. Paul uses two other terrible Greek words to describe the heathen way of life. He says that they have abandoned themselves to every kind of unclean conduct in the insatiable lust of their desires.

We are directed to judge not—lest we be judged by the same judgment. I can be your daily window to what is right and light unto God. I can use opportune times to make you aware of thing you do or say that seems wrong to me. However, God serves as your daily judge and you are being tried in his court as you face daily sins. Get to know your judge well, and predetermine what his verdict will be. If you are a new Christian your life will be different from what it was before conversion. If you are an old established Christian and not living a more Christ-like life than you did a few years [even months] ago, you can expect to receive a harsh verdict in you daily-life curt. If you think that you are a Christian of any age or length of time and still living life as the Ephesians were—you need to reconsider whether you are saved or still lost.

As your teacher, I can not tell you when you are right and when you are wrong. The bible does tell you, and through the study of His word you can know when you are in the will of God. Do you agape God? Christ has told you that without exception, “if you agape me, you will keep my commandments.”

Which do you enjoy the most—the fruit of the spirit or the daily desires of your lustful flesh? What kind of buildings can you enter and feel completely comfortable no matter whom you meet there? If you knew that Christ would return tomorrow at ten AM, where would you be tomorrow at ten AM? I would guess that here might be two or three choices such as my home, my church, or any wonderful setting so long as my family was with me.

If you knew that Christ would return tomorrow at ten AM, is there any place any where that you would definitely NOT WANT TO BE? If your answer to this question is no—then you need to take a good look in the mirror. Ask yourself where your priorities lie.

On the day of your conversion you must leave the old life and enter the new—put off the old coat that you no longer need because it either does not fit any more or it is too worn and tattered and needs to be renewed. What are some of the things that must be banished from the new Christian life? The first on Paul’s list was falsehood. Without exception the only reason for anyone to lie is to protect them selves or punish the innocent.

A Christian can not live peaceably and in truth if he is unable to control his temper. There will always be anger in life, at some time. Even Christ demonstrated the rightful use of anger…but anger must be controlled. We are told that we must not let the sun set before our expressed anger has been placed under spiritual control. A foul-mouth must be controlled. Thievery is unacceptable. Paul leads us to believe that it is a horrible sin for a Christian to grieve the Holy Spirit. He is our counselor and helper here on earth and we owe Him our love and gratitude.

I don’t like to be misjudged, even by good men and so I try to avoid it when possible. The one thing that will prevent being misjudged is that I use the kinds of evidence that God will use when he sits to judge me. Did I repent of my sins and accept Christ as my Savior? Yes! Am I trying to keep His commandments? Yes. How do I want others to judge my life? Am I living in accordance with the worldly daily desires of most of the good people around me or in accord with God’s will for my life? I pray that others will see me as one trying hard each day to live God’s Holy way.

Being in Step - Ephesians 4:1-16

Any one that has served in the Infantry has done a lot of walking. Regardless of whether the group marching was a squad or a company of soldiers, it was the rule of the Army that the troupes always be IN STEP. This rule became so impacted in our minds that it was very obvious when one or more of the soldiers was out-of-step. When some of the musicians in a marching band are out-of-step the band loses its power of showmanship. A major part of the Christian message is lost anytime members of the church fail to serve in unity—that is, when they fail to walk-in-step.

The first three verses of this fourth chapter of Ephesians introduces a new and major division of the book to the church at Ephesus. There are six chapters in the Epistle that can be divided into two divisions. We have completed the first division which dealt with the doctrinal message of the church—helping us understand the essential doctrines of our faith that are central and vital to our understanding of the plan of salvation. We move now to the second division of the book which deals with the application of this doctrine as we live it out in our daily lives.

The church has always suffered most because its members fail to walk the walk of the Christian way. Some are more faithful than others. Others differ in what they believe to be the right way. Still others strongly believe that they are right more often in their interpretation of what the bible teaches to be the absolute essentials. I believe that a long life of study and prayer has helped me to be more tolerant of those with whom I sometimes disagree.

Before we go any further in this chapter, let me remind you that the central thought in Paul’s letter to this church was to let them know they were disunited as Jews and Gentiles and Jesus is trying to bring this disunited world into a way of unity. A company of soldiers lived separately in many parts of the country and were disunited. When they arrived at Camp Robinson they moved into the barracks, lived together, and leaned to march to the same drummer. Band members may have not known each other until they started to school and joined the band and now the director has molded them into a unit of performing arts specialists. So it is with Christians, who are in the world but not of the world, but are now a unit of Christ like people through their faith in Him—who believe that it is the task of the Church to proclaim the message of good news to the entire world.

Think about this simple illustration. When you join the army, enroll in band, join the Rotary Club, or become a member of the church you take upon yourself the obligation to live a certain kind of life, act or perform in a certain way of life, and if you fail in your obligation you hinder the aims of your society and bring discredit on its name. In our lesson today, Paul paints the picture of the kind of life that a person must live when they enter the fellowship of the Christian Church. In the first three verses we find five of the basic words of the Christian Faith.

The first of these great words is humility. A knee that will not bend in prayer will never allow the prayer to be heard, much less answered. The OT says we must humble ourselves and pray for our land. Before the teachings of Jesus this word was thought of as qualities like cowering, cringing, servile qualities in a person. Humility comes from self-knowledge. Humility allows us to become conscious of our unworthiness. It allows us to place our life beside the life of Christ and fully understand our worthlessness without Him.

When people look at your life do they see one of meekness or gentleness? Or do they see a person with extreme anger. Anger is an absolute necessity of a strong parent or leader. God expects us to believe in ourselves and to be willing to respond to undeserved treatment. But uncontrolled anger is a potential time bomb. So, when we think of a meek or gentleman, I think it should be very complementary. Here is a man that is always angry at the right time but able to control himself—and never angry at the wrong time. The Greek word for meekness is praus. Prau is the Greek word for an animal that has been trained and domesticated until it is under control. A praus man then is a God-controlled man.

Paul’s third great word is long-suffering; in Greek it is makrothumia and really has a two pronged meaning. A long-suffering man will never give up and will always endure in a manly fashion to the end and reap the reward. On the other hand the same Greek word means “patience with other people;” some of which are hard to live with. The best example we have of the use of the word long-suffering is when it is applied to God and his patience with man kind.

Well here comes the biggie…the most important of all—LOVE. The Greek word for love as used here is agape. It is sometimes translated as charity. In the Greek language there are four different words used for the one English word love. 1] eros refers to the sexual feelings existing in and between a man and woman. 2] philia reflects a strong feeling of care between friends.
3] storge, which is characteristically the word used to describe the affection between family members. And then the biggie 4] agape, which refers to the love of God…Christian love…sometimes translated as charity because it is so strong that it will encourage us to be charitable toward each other.

Agape love is always toward others and not inwardly. It develops our desires for the good of others and is not self sustaining in any way. It is so deep that we must love God for who he is and what he has done for others and not just because we were included in his love.

These four great virtues in the life of a Christian—HUMILITY—GENTLENESS—PATIENCE—AND LOVE are our virtues extended to others to bring back to us our greatest possession—PEACE. Peace of mind and heart is what we get for what we have given. Paul’s urgent request is for us to preserve this sacred oneness that characterizes the true Church of Christ and our Living God. The best definition of the word peace is that it is the right relationship between man and man and man and Almighty God. Pride and selfishness have to go—first; our fellow man and God will come in—and then our personal peace is our reward.

The greatest soldier will fall out of step. A member of the super band will miss-step and detract from a perfect performance. The most sincere member of the Lord’s Church must try hard to always be in-step with God’s will.

Paul tells us that there is one body. Christ is the head and the Church is the body. There is one Spirit and one hope in our calling, one baptism which is a picture of the confession of faith, and finally only one God—the FATHER OF ALL.

God's Power Strengthens - Ephesians 3:14-21

If you and I believe in the power of prayer we must realize that we have access to God’s power through our prayer life. I sometimes I feel sad to say that I believe in the power of prayer and then fail to put it into practice to the extent that it stands as proof of my faith. A sincere prayer to our Savior is much like having a conversation with our friends and family in this life that we love the most. Most of us neglect to pray without ceasing, even though we are ordered to do so by most of the writers of the Gospel’s Good News. No matter where we are or what our condition, it is imperative that we maintain a constant verbal conversation with the Lord of our life. Paul was in prison when he instructed the Ephesians to place a high priority on their daily prayer life. He let us know that our intercessory prayers have the greatest priority. Then he proved his belief by going to his knees in prayer for his fellow Christian friends in Ephesus.

In verse 14 Paul said, “It is for this cause that I bow my knees in prayer before the Father…that according to his wealth in glory, he may grant to you to be strengthened in the inner man, so that Christ through faith may take up his permanent residence in your hearts.” In this third chapter Paul tells the church that God has revealed a great mystery to him; the mystery was that both the Jews and Gentiles have been united as one in the body of Christ and that Paul has been called to give them this message. Then he said that it is for this reason—or for this cause that I pray for you to receive the power of God so you can mature spiritually and understand the depth of Christ’s love for you.

There has been some misunderstanding regarding the word mystery as Paul uses it here. It does not mean that this mystery is mysterious or puzzling. It is not like some trick where a magician cuts a body in half and then restores it right before our eyes and we cannot understand how it is done. This word mystery is a technical term that refers to a condition that has always existed but has not previously been made known. God had always intended that both the Jews and the Gentiles were to accept him as their heavenly Farther. This was not made clear throughout the old dispensation and the teachings of the Old Testament. Christ has now made it known to Paul and directed him to teach both Jew and Gentile that they may now understand.

Many have told me that they just cannot pray in public. We do not have to pray in public because God is the object of our prayers and he is here with us, and the chief listener. However, I think that inability to pray in public indicates a weakness in a Christian’s life that needs attention. Charles Hadden Spurgeon said, “We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men.” Just remember that eloquence is not required. One of the most eloquent of prayers is very simple in words—the words are: “Dear God, I am a sinner and lost, please hear my prayer and save my soul.” Here is a very simple example of an intercessory prayer: “Dear God, my child is very ill; please hear my plea asking you to heal him.” Pray your prayer In Christ’s name and expect His will to be done.

Paul says that his mission included more than defining the mystery. He had to show all men alike exactly how God planned and carried out this plan from the beginning explained to the Jews in the Old Testament reaching back to the time of creation. The mystery was not a recent addition to God’s salvation plan but it is just a recent revelation to all the people.

In verse 14, Paul returns to his opening phrase of bowing his knees in prayer. The kneeling process represents humility and reverent worship of God in contrast to the common practice of standing to pray. The kneeling posture in prayer is directed to the Father in heaven—the father of all fathers. His prayer made four requests. The first was to plead for inner spiritual strength of the Christian. Some modern teachers say this is for self-discipline or ‘the power of positive thinking,’ mental renewing or self-talk, or turning a new leaf in you life—but it must mean more than this. This kind of prayer is a fundamental work of God from his spirit to our spirit.

The second request in Paul’s prayer is for deep faith. He did not mean for salvation faith. Why? Because he is writing to Christians who already have that deep faith of salvation. This is a personal revelation of Christ being at home daily in the heart of a Christian. This faith maintains the security of the one who already has a believer’s faith.

The third element of successful prayer is love. We have learned elsewhere that faith, hope and love are all important, but the greatest of these is love. To be where God approves of your action or reaction you must have love in your heart for God and others. This love can come from only one place—and that is the divine love of God, who loved so much that he gave his Son.

The last request is a prayer for God’s fullness. If one is filled with God’s fullness he is filled with the Holly Spirit, which is given by God—only to those who pray for the indwelling of the Holly Spirit on a daily basis. Paul prayed this four pronged prayer for the Ephesians and all Christians who followed them…to this day. In a nut shell this means that spiritually mature believers strengthened by the Holy Spirit comprehend God’s love and are filled with the fullness of God.

The last two verses in our lesson is Paul’s Doxology for this study. He has thanked God for his power to pray and live for Him, and now he praises God for all that He means to us. He is our sovereign God and can do whatsoever he will. This means that the greatest of our prayers or the weakest can be answered according to the will of God. Paul says God is omnipotent—he has all power over everything and manifested it when he created the world; again when he revealed the mystery and made it know to us. We now see His glory and know that all that he has done was to bring Him glory.

Today, as we watch God as he works through Christ in our church, we must respond in praise and worship, always giving God the glory. I hope that I am wrong. I am afraid that I am too close to being right. But I believe that my local church, where I worship condones a prayer life that needs to be strengthened.

We have a special prayer room, set aside and equipped for use in intercessory prayer time. The room is open to prayer partners seven twenty four and even adorned with a beautiful hand carved special door inviting all who will to participate. A calendar is provided which invites us to keep someone on our knees continuously. It just appears to me that the room is empty far too much. With the number of Christian members that attend the church regularly, there should be someone there in prayer most of the time. God forgive me for my neglect. I know many of the reasons given for our neglect, because I have used many of them personally. We honestly think that we are too busy serving God in so many other profitable ways. Are we?

God's Power Comes by Grace - Ephesians 3:1-13

We are saved by God’s GRACE—we do not receive salvation by our own works but we are saved by the POWER OF GOD—by His grace—through our faith in the Trinity…God the Father, Jesus his Son and the Holly Spirit. We then prove that we are saved by our works, because God tells us that if we LOVE HIM we will keep his commandments. Do you continually try to keep his commandments daily?—If you do, then this is your proof that you are saved.

John and Marguerite Barber joined our church several years ago and John became a member of my Sunday school class. They were two of the most faithful members in the church and proved it through daily serving in so many ways. When Brother J.R was called as our pastor a few years later, John became his constant supporter and has remained positive in his work and prayers for our pastor and the church. John recently went to be with his Master and Marguerite moved to live closer to her children, and it is a great loss to our church. What motivates people? What motivated this Christian family to serve our church with great commitment and passion? It must have been the same as that of Paul as he served the early churches because of God’s grace that was demonstrated toward him. They both met God on the road one day—maybe not the same highway by number, but the same name—the road to Heaven.

As you stand in the back of our church and observe you will find it evident that the grey hair, or heads with no hair, outnumber the ones that appear younger. We must find those young ones that will step forward and assume the responsibilities of Christians to serve. God is still calling His people to ministry based on his grace given to the servants. This lesson is a picture of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles being a gift of God’s grace through his power. The emphasis is on recognizing an opportunity to serve God as an offer of His grace. To all who are younger this is to encourage you to accept the opportunities to serve God with no hesitation or mental reservation.

Please take the time to read and study carefully the short thirteen verses of this challenge. 3: 1-13. The first verses will emphasize the need you have to recognize and accept God’s free gift of Grace. Then in 3 to 6 you must understand and receive God’s revelation of His Grace to you. Then there is no need to receive unless or until you are willing to respond; and finally you must realize that there is a time of rejoicing for those that are willing to participate. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus [2: 7].

The first verse in our lesson clearly states the message of the second chapter. The message is that Paul, a Jew, came to witness to the Gentiles. These Gentile Ephesians, who had been ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ who were ‘strangers from the covenants of promise and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, without hope and without God in the world,’ had been—‘made right.’ For some reason Paul digresses from this thought and tells us about his ministry until he reaches verse 14, and then he goes back to his original thought and tells them he has been praying for them and he tells them what he has been praying for them. I emphasize this because Paul had been charged by some critics for his digression in order to talk about himself. It was simply in Paul’s heart that the Gentiles must know that he had his problems to overcome and that they should not be dismayed at their own problems. Both had their problems.

It is now necessary that you consider verses 2-7 all together because it is one statement that has been divided into subdivisions or verses. He did this to help some of the Gentiles who were concerned that he had now become a prisoner. He lets them know that he glories in his prison sentence, his persecution, and that he wants them to be able to find glory, and praise in their persecutions.

Paul thinks that God made the mystery of salvation by God’s grace known to him in order for him to make the same revelation understandable to them and now it is being made known to the Lord’s holy apostles and prophets by His Spirit. No doubt that Paul could and did look intro the future as see the many other great leaders of the church [such as even Billy Graham] that have continued to evangelize the world. It is very difficult for me to realize what a wonderful revelation Paul has made. Most of his listeners were probably just common slaves and now they have become a part of God’s plan—and just by believing they are now a part of the eternal plan of salvation and are included in the scheme of God regarding sinful man. Paul told them that he was glorying in his suffering for God and he wanted them to do likewise.
We often find this word “mystery” used by different writers, so what did Paul and the others mean by the mysteries of God? False teachers would have you believe that the term “mystery’ means that salvation, the Christian message, or faith is something vague and indefinite and cannot be defined. Modern thought is one of God’s mysteries’ greatest enemies. They teach that the moment you try to define it and say what it is, that you have also said what it is not and this tends to destroy the mystery.

PAUL THE APOSTLE COMPLETELY DENIES SUCH AN INTERPRETATON. Paul says that the mystery has been revealed and that he is a preacher of the mystery because it has been revealed to him. It is not even vague and indefinite, but is a message that has been made known to those who know God’s word.

I have gathered from several sources some thoughts that seem to tell us without a doubt that all Christians can know many things but not all things about the mind of God. The word mystery as used most frequently in the New Testament pertains to the truth of God that is so great that the mere mind of man can never know all about it. Man is sinful and so by his own unaided mind he can not fully attain it.

The bible says that “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT; FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHETH ALL THINGS, YEA, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD” [Eph. 2: 6 to 10]. It is not a hidden wisdom but the wisdom of God that he has revealed unto those of us who study to show ourselves approved. This is why it is so important for a preacher or a teacher to make sure that they are revealing only that which God has revealed to us as absolute truth.

The Apostles were twelve men selected by God—one failed God and killed himself—and then Paul became the last of the apostles [12 in all] when he was personally called by God while on the road to Damascus. The prophets were men who were given a special knowledge of the truth and were commissioned to teach others. Only the writings of these men became a part of God’s word to man and therefore or also to the church as we know it today. The greatest preachers and evangelist of all time must preach the Word of God which came to us through the biblical writers.

I have heard some of the BIG PREACHERS on TV teach that we Gentiles would never have heard of the gospel if it were not for the fact that the Jews denied Christ. I personally believe that we were a part of his plan. All men were a part of God’s original plan. I do not believe that I am one of God’s afterthoughts. His plan was for me to accept his Son, Jesus Christ, who sits with his Father in Heaven and has invited me to be a part of that Holy Family. So long as I am in Christ I have an open door into the throne of God.

Paul closes this study with a prayer that his Gentile friends may not become discouraged because their best friend and leader is in prison. He did not want them to think that he was in trouble because he had fought for their right to know the secrets of God.

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.