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.

Relationships: The Improvement Factor - 2 Corinthians 10:1 - 13:3

The author of this lesson as published in LifeWay literature mentioned that he and his wife enjoy the home improvement programs that that frequently shows an older run-down home being completely renovated from foundation to the roof. Changes are likely to take place at any place and old walls removed or new ones added change the space; while new and different flooring materials, colors, cabinets, decorations or even furniture change the looks. He said the results are usually but not always great. And then he wondered why churches do not practice the same kind of improvement programs. To my knowledge, we do not have writers today that have designer abilities in their vocabulary but the weakest of us can look back to the apostle Paul and get some good ideas about how to go about the job ahead.

When we say that God is the same yesterday, today and forever it should ring a bell of consistency in our minds regarding what the church should be. Two thousand years have rolled by, and there have been changes in communication, transportation, and conveniences that should make the job easier for us than it was for Paul. But some things haven’t changed such as sin still exists; and people are still plagued by their sinful nature. The Word of God has not changed; it is just more available in both written and electronic forms, and almost every body has one of these forms available. Generally speaking, the New Testament churches in Paul’s day had the same problems that we encounter today in the twenty-first century churches. Just think about it—there are no problems in the church, family, community, state, nation or the world that are not people related. In other words, a church, state or country does not have problems, only the people in them do—and people haven’t changed that much even since Paul’s day.

If there is one thing that threatens the peace of every church at one time or another, it is the struggle over authority. All good strong churches have strong leaders, someone has to take the lead and the question is always who that will be. There had been a power struggle in Corinth that caused Paul much grief. The extreme of the problem came when some of the members declared themselves to be teachers and apostles equal to Paul and insisted that the church come under their authority rather than the teachings of Christ which Paul had used in its foundation. Our church today faces two problems that are very similar to and maybe even more extreme than Paul and the Corinthians had. One is the struggle over power or leadership that arises between the pastor and the congregation and sometimes between factions in the congregation. This conflict is more visible and explosive and will either divide or skill the church and its witness.

A second kind of problem has grown into magnitude proportions during the last few decades. We are suffering in the United States because of the power exerted by officials that have embraced liberalism to such extreme that it approaches socialism and communism. There are extremes in immorality that have become the way of the people in the screen and television business. These new sanctions that are embraced by the liberals have encroached upon the sacred pews of the church. It requires both a fundamentalist pastor and a Bible centered congregation to successfully battle the sinful encroachment of liberalism into our worship services.

False apostles had opposed Paul in Corinth and he was hoping that his letters against these false teachers might prevent a major church disruption when he finally got back to see them. These false apostles were seemingly accusing him of begin two-faced. They said that he was timid when in their presence, but when away, his writings were bold and strong. There are several times in this chapter where Paul responded by boasting of his past accomplishments and the price he had paid just to survive. No other apostle could use this tactic in a more deserving way. Always desiring to protect the church from error, Paul continued to resist those leaders in Corinth who opposed his authority. If I were a minister of the gospel, I would want my name to be Paul, however, it would be most important that my leadership be as strong as his was.

Paul was planning to return to Corinth for his third visit. He had already been delayed until some were unhappy with him, and he was trying to do what he could to heal the hurts before he arrived in person. It is hard to discipline children when you are with them, even harder to discipline adults by mail. Paul tried. John Calvin once said “Discipline is like a bridle to restrain and tame those who rage against the doctrine of Christ; or like a spur to arouse those of little inclination; and also sometime like a father’s rod to chastise mildly and with gentleness of Christ’s Spirit those who have more seriously lapsed.” Paul knew that his opposition was strong enough to cause difficulty at the time of his return and he wanted to calm things so that his revisit would not be in vein.

Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians to prepare for his next visit. He especially wanted them to have a receptive attitude so that his time for Christ would no be wasted through conflict. He really did not know how the visit would go. It could be a time of rebuke and argumentation or a time of rebuilding strength in the Lord and he knew that it was really up to the Corinthians to decide.

Paul had never lived at the expense of the Corinthians, but had paid his own way; but for some reason his enemies argued that his return would be very costly for the church. He assured the church that this was not true and that he would not accept money from them for his own personal use. It has been made well known that Paul was a tent maker by trade and that he had worked his way through his missionary journeys. It is amazing how the opposition will use untruths that are very obvious to all concerned and how these untruths will still be successful in blocking good things that should have happened without opposition.

I truly believe that the greatest threat to our church today is the gradual acceptance of liberalism both in our every day lives and our spiritual lives. I only hope that God will find a way during these last two years and the next two to come—to affect our improvement factor in America. Lord, allow our churches and our country to grow stronger side by side, and without any further church and state conflict.

Relationships: The Long-Distance Factor - 2 Corinthians 7:5 - 9:15

Do you ever look back over your life [especially if you are middle age or more] and remember old friends that were at one time close, caring, and concerned; but have become cold and distant. You may not have had a letter, a call or even a Christmas card in years and you may not have sent one. One or the other moved to another location and the long-distance between is a part of the problem. One or both married and became interested in their new family and made new friends and there is nothing wrong with this. It should be that way, but at the same time, old friends that are good friends are sometimes irreplaceable and are worthy of the effort it takes to renew long-distance communication. Just remember that it is never too late to renew old friendships.

We have utilized a considerable amount of our lesson time lately discussing our personal relationships. We have looked at family relationships as well as church related and then just friendly relationships as relating to problems that arise in each category. Beginning with the fourteenth verse of chapter six, Paul introduces a specific problem that is to be avoided whether you are choosing a mate, joining a church, or cultivating a friend. What ever you are doing, there is no exception to this rule that Paul has given us.

Paul speaks plainly and makes it easy to understand when he simply says; “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” Since we are discussing and comparing the church family and the personal family and how certain rules apply to both, it is imperative that we consider this statement fully, because it clearly does belong to both situations. If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ you must understand that no matter how much you would like to get married—you should never (not ever) marry an unbeliever. Young people find it very easy to become infatuated with the opposite sex and either think they are in love or maybe actually fall in love with anyone they are dating frequently. Therefore, the only way to avoid an unscriptural marriage is to select Christian friends of like belief. Do not date an unbeliever because it is too dangerous.

This rule applies to any believer that is seeking membership in a church. No Christian should join any church that does not teach and preach the bible as they believe it should be. There is only one way for you to be sure that you are making the right choice. First, you must know what you believe to be the essentials—that is, the basic teachings of the Holy Bible, and then you must know that these basics are being taught in the church of your choice. You should seek help from a pastor or Christian counselor in whom you have a strong faith. However, the only way you can be absolutely sure that you know the basic teachings of the Bible is for you to read and study the Book and pray for guidance in your understanding. Right now, immediately, you should turn to… and read… and study the last verses in chapter six where Paul will give you good reasons why you should not be un-equally yoked together.

Allow me to give you a few examples that are so very simple and even crude that I hate to take the time and space necessary—but theses are realistic examples of troublemakers. You are the believer and you want to go to church Sunday morning, your unbelieving spouse wants to spend the day on the golf course or lake. You want to spend money available to buy needed furniture; your spouse wants a new boat or golf clubs. You want to spend a quiet night at home, the spouse wants to go to a strip joint. You want to save a few dollars; the spouse wants to play the lottery. The children need clothing and food, the spouse buys alcohol or drugs. You want to save and he/she wants to spend.

If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, and know that you were saved by grace through faith and there is no other way—you will surely become unhappy when the teacher or preacher starts talking about salvation by works. When the church condones false teachers, or tends to be no more than a liberal social organization you will not be happy in this setting. If you believe in water baptism by immersion you probably will not be happy with sprinkling.

Paul’s reason for bringing this subject up is that he was having all kinds of problems with the members of the church at Corinth. He had been there with them, witnessed to them regarding the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and His will for the church. Then Paul left these good friends in the early days of their Christian life and continued on his missionary journeys. He had planned to get back to see them, to worship with them and teach them more of the truths about Christ’s teachings, but the stumbling blocks of life prevented his return. Their friendship grew cold. They lost their love and trust in and for him and began to marry nonbelievers, and allow their church to be influenced by non-believing leaders that claimed to be Christians. They were definitely all mixed up regarding the teachings about the resurrection of the dead and the second coming of Christ.

Given the problems they had with communication and travel in those days, the best he could do was write them four different letters while they were apart, and try to make sure that one of his helpers got back to the Corinthian Church to help them with their problems. One and possibly two of these letters were lost, and so they actually only received two that we know to be the first and second Corinthians. [We believe that at least a part of one of the lost letters is included in 2 Corinthians.]

If you and I have old friends that have drifted away or from which we have drifted away, our means of communication are much better today, and we literally have no excuse not to reaffirm our love and concern for our old friends or to make new ones. You know what I mean, but to insure that you recognize the simplicity of this task I remind you that you have inexpensive phones of all colors and kind, slow mail that is sure, fast e-mail that is free, a good car that makes it no more than a three day drive anywhere in the country. A plane reduces the trip to only a few hours. We really have no excuse and should maintain important friendships. Somewhere, someone needs an encouraging word from you today.

Paul is my hero. He worked hard and long under some dire circumstances, and I believe he tried as best he could to be a continuing friend to all that he won to Christ. However, he amassed quiet a number that criticized him for not keeping up with his long-distance friends, those he made and then left behind as he started another missionary journey. You and I might be surprised to know the number of old friends we have that would receive a real lift in life if we would let them know anew that we still care and that Jesus our Lord will never stop caring for them.

Relationships: The Reconciliation Factor - 2 Corinthians 5:11 – 7:2-4

The study of relationships in this lesson refers to the condition that exists between two or more people. Generally it refers to the conditions that are present within a family between parents and children or within a church between the church and pastor or among the members of the church. Some individuals are difficult to know and love and then there are issues that arise, moral or otherwise, that causes conflict among those involved in the situation. The end result is always destructive unless there is room for the reconciliation factor to operate. Hearts are broken and friends are lost when the individuals are unwilling or unable to reconcile their differences.

The satanic powers that operate on earth search for and find the differences that can be stirred between two or more people and use them to drive wedges of division between friends, family members and among the members of the church. These problems have always existed. The problems that arose in the Corinthian Church are the examples used by Paul, but they are the same kinds of problems that arise within families that drive them apart. Anyone that chooses to be a peacemaker in these situations must have a heart capable of reconciliation and cannot be prideful or selfish, but must always be willing to give as well as take.

Have you ever really centered you mind and soul on what Paul meant when he said that “if you are in Christ” meaning, if you are saved, “you are a new creature?” Your original sinful nature is changed, and you now have a new bodily nature. This change comes directly from God who reconciled you [and me] to himself [God] through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Your ability to be reconciled to others is a ministry; it is your ministry to others. The bible teaches us that our ability to say that we forgive our enemy will heap coals of fire on their heads but when we are able to demonstrate by our actions that we truly forgive them it speaks an even stronger message. It is better to give than to receive; however it is even better to forgive our adversaries than to be forgiven by them.

Only Christ and Jesus only can truly forgive; man alone cannot. Therefore when you are able to forgive and demonstrate that you have, it is not you alone but Christ makes it happen. That means that your ability to forgive others indicates that Christ is in you and you are in him. In times past Christ died to prove he had forgiven us and in our lives our act of forgiveness proves that he is now living in us and furnishes us with the power of forgiveness. The story of the Prodigal Son is a human example of how the Holy Father is able to forgive, welcome the son home, and restore him. The other son [the brother] is a human example of how forgiveness is impossible without the love of Christ in you.

You and your family may have experienced a difference of opinion and you are separated. Someone has sinned against you—and now through your ability to reconcile—you are able to no longer count their sins against you. You do not have to ‘agree’ but you must forgive their sin.

In Verse fourteen Paul reminds us that Christ’s love compels us. He loved us so much that he died for us. Included in this thought we must realize that one died [Jesus on the cross] to save [all] of us from the penalty of sin—therefore all of us died. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. He paid our penalty. When we believe; accept his death as the price for our sin, through our belief we die to our self and sin and live for Him.

It is sad to think about; but the other side of this truth is that if we refuse to accept his death and believe in him—his death seems to point to our physical and spiritual deaths which will result in eternal separation from Him. Dear friends, apart from the Cross of Christ, life is but a few days and full of trouble. Apart from the Cross of Christ, nothing else matters.

I am concerned about our ability to reconcile our differences with other Christians that we deal with today. The bible is clear regarding the matter. It teaches us that if we have differences that are straining our relationships, with a Christian attitude, we are to go to the one who has offended us and through reconciliation, we are to seek restoration. If you go to an offender and they refuse to discuss the matter or refuse to reach a solution, then you are to take a brother or sister of the church with you and talk to them. In eighty seven years, I have heard of very few instances where two or more have tried to settle their differences in the biblical way.

In cases where a family is divided because on has chosen to sin against the family or another member of the family one must be very careful how they approach the problem. An outright demand that the person ‘change or else’ is a sure way to close the bargaining door. There is a good example in the scripture. Several Christians found a woman who had committed adultery and ask Christ if she should no be stoned to death as the law commanded. Christ agreed and suggested that the one among them who had no sin in their own life should cast the first stone. According to the scripture—one by one they all bowed their heads and walked away from the scene. When they were gone, Christ asked her, “Where are your accusers”? Then he said, “Neither do I condemn you, go your way and sin no more.” I believe that the strong message here is simply that we should make sure our life is ‘right with God’ before we condemn others for their sins. If our love ones are willing to ‘go their way and sin no more’ we should be willing to forgive them just as Christ forgave the lady that had been accused.

In the beginning, when man sinned against God, it required one who was perfect [Jesus Christ] to reconcile sinful man to God. Today, when a person sins against you it requires a person who is “Christ Like” to bring about Christian reconciliation. Therefore we must know that we are worthy of reconciliation before we ask our brother to be reconciled.

The scriptures say that one man owed his lord a huge debt that he could not pay, and ask that the debt be forgiven. His lord forgave him. Soon the man demanded that a small amount of money that he had loaned to a friend be repaid, and when the friend could not pay the loan on time, he was punished. His lord heard about the injustice, and brought charges against him. The moral is that we should do unto others as we would that they do to us—and that we must practice what we preach before we preach.

If you are dealing with a problem where some other person has hurt you be sure that you pray to God that you will approach it in a Christian manner and never ask more than you would be willing to give. Look at your face in a mirror and make very sure you do not see a “better than thou attitude”.

Especially in my later years, I worry that I will slip along life’s way and ask you to do for Christ something that I am failing to do. I pray that God will not permit me to make this mistake.

Relationships: The Faithfulness Factor - 2 Corinthians 3: 1 - 5: 10

I want you to know that I realize that I am using me, my and I far more than a writer maybe should, but it is for a cause that seems to be legitimate. Juanita and I are 85 and 86 and have been happily married for 66 years. There must be very few couples living that have spent more time in hospitals than we have, and very few have had more “tight-money days” than we have experienced, and we have moved into six new communities that required the forfeit of old close friends and re-adjusted living habits and conditions. All of these are conditions that often cause strained relationships between husbands and wives. We learned last week that strong marriages require integrity and now we add faithfulness as a factor that must be present on both sides. Evidently our integrity and faithfulness factors have been high enough to make our life together worth holding up as an example for weaker bodies to follow.

Paul is holding his life and his work up as an example for the Corinthians to use in their everyday lives. Some of his critics and false leaders had started carrying forged letters of recommendations to introduce their work, but Paul let the people know that his long life of service was all they needed. They had his life as proof of his worth, and he had the lives of the strong Christians in the church as the proof he needed to proclaim his job well done…first verses of chapter 3. No family is strong, and no witness is competent on their own but competency comes from the spirit of Christ.

There is a great truth here; it is both an inspiration and a warning—and that is that every man is an open letter for Jesus Christ. Every man, every woman, and every family whether you want to be or not, are an advertisement for Christ. You can believe that someone is reading your sign. Is it one that proclaims faithfulness to God and your fellow man?

Paul refers to Moses meeting God and receiving the writings in stone on Mt. Sinai, that was the law that even at that time was fading away and being replaced with the coming of Christ and the new covenant. Paul gave God the credit for all his accomplishments while the false teachers were boasting of their power and prestige. Without the Holy Spirit, our talent and abilities can carry us only so far—as Christ’s witnesses we need the character and special strengths that we can find only by trusting in God.

In 3:6, Paul explains we can not be successful by trying to keep the old laws but that we must depend on the new spirit of Christ for salvation. The law had its purpose; it was needed, and is needed today for it helps us know right from wrong. It makes us realize our sins. Now that all are sinners, they are made whole through the spirit, under the new covenant. Paul contrasts the glory of the Ten Commandments with the glory of the life giving spirit. The law led to death, so now the new spirit leads to life. The old covenant had its glory…so now think how much more beautiful is the new covenant that leads to life. To help his readers understand, he referred to Moses who had to hide his face when he had been in the presence of God. It was so bright that they could not look him in the face and he wore a vial. Paul also indicates that the vial was used to keep the people from seeing the glow as it faded away which may have caused unbelief.

Paul refers to the fact that the Ten Commandments were written on Stone, but that the new covenant is written only on willing and receptive hearts. He is emphasizing that these hearts must remain faithful. Every man is an open letter for Jesus Christ. We judge an artist by their paintings; a shoe cobbler by the quality of foot wear he makes; and a church by the quality of Christians produced; therefore men judge Christ by his followers. For these reasons I believe the greatest problem we have in our churches is caused by unfaithful members. Men who claim to be Christians who are living unsatisfactory lives are writing the wrong kinds of records in our churches.

Paul goes on to say something about four different kinds or sets of people. At first he talks about himself. He never looses heart and stays with the task he has been given. Two things keep him going and they are his consciousness of a great task and his vivid memory of all the mercy he has received. Secondly, Paul wrote something about his enemies, his slanderers. Paul continues talking about those that refuse to accept the gospel. He says that the God of this world [the devil] has blinded their minds so that they cannot believe. This is a very scary thought. If you have some doubts about the word of God being total truth, could it be that the devil has blinded your mind to the truth?

One thing is very important to those of us that have chosen the gospel way and that is that we must live a life of Christian endurance. In the last part of the lesson today, Paul deals with the secret of endurance in our lives. Here again we fine that the secret of endurance does not abide within our strengths but is afforded us because of our faith.

Excuse me again…but at my age I can tell you that all through life it must happen that a man’s bodily strength fades away but all through life it is the right thing that a man’s soul strength keeps growing. I would be a man most miserable if I could not tell you that my faith is growing faster in the last few years than in all the years before. I really believe that suffering that leaves a person weak in the body really strengthens the sinews of the soul.

Paul was convinced and he told us that anything he had to suffer in this world would be as nothing compared with the glory he would enjoy in the next world. If you can have the kind of faith that helps you believe this, then there is nothing ahead that can cause you serious problems—they will be only bumps in the road. I must not leave you thinking that the best is yet to come and that it requires no more of you and me. As the lesson heading indicates, there is always THE FAITHFULNESS FACTOR.

I have told my Sunday school class a thousand times that the most important work of a Christian is to keep His [God’s] commandments. Can you pass the Peter test? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? Peter answered yes. How do you answer? How do you know you love him? Christ told you how you could know. “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” That is keeping the faithfulness factor!

Relationships: The Integrity Factor - 2 Corinthians 1 - 2

The bible teaches and I believe that the family unit is the most important brick in our wall of success as an American nation. God created man and woman and directed that they become one in marriage and bear children—and He did not give us any alternate or different instructions [same sex instructions, how to pre-marital instructions or instructions on how to commit adultery successfully]. He did give additional instructions to the family. To the man and woman first: He called for fidelity from both [each faithful to the other] and then from their children he demanded that they honor their mother and father. Any member of a family without integrity can be compared to a rotten apple in the barrel.

I lived in a Godly home with my parents from 1924 until I graduated from high school in 1943 and I do not remember of any close friends that lived in broken homes. I am sure there were a few but they were the exception rather than the rule. The local school officials tell me that more than fifty percent of the school children today are from broken homes. Because of pre-marital sex, adultery and abandonment, some of these children do not know who their mothers and fathers are. This is a sad day in the American home and it is here because of intolerable personal relationships caused by lack of integrity. The sad side of this problem is that there are so many citizens of America, even our friends and neighbors who are unconcerned about the trend.

I have no way of knowing how many of—or what percentage of our population has espoused the concept that fidelity in marriage is not important especially if it gets in the way of selfish desires. I do know that my knowledge is limited and I still know of several cases—and some are as close as within my own family. The truth is that these persons either do not know what the bible teaches or they know and are willingly rejecting its teaching.

It is a sad day when a parent can not talk to their own son or daughter, when grandparents can not discuss the sin of adultery and premarital sex with their grand children because they are already involved in the sinful practice. There is no circumstance that places more strain on family relationships. Look at the other side of the same problem and try to realize the situation that children are facing when their parents divorce. The problem for children grows harder to bear when their divorced or widowed parent takes up a life of illicit sex, or becomes involved in a live-in situation. How can a child council their own parents about their sinning ways without developing a strain in relationships, or vice versa?

I wish that could give you a sure plan to follow that would bring the wayward to their senses, help them redirect their lives, mend broken hearts, and restore the strained relationships—but I am afraid that a sure plan does not exist. I do know that harsh and/or forceful condemnation and rejection will only drive families further apart. No matter how distressed or hurt you are, you must continue to express your love for the wayward without ever agreeing with their lifestyle. Above everything else you must demonstrate that you have integrity and will not forfeit your position.

If you can relate to the setting I have presented for this lesson, and especially if you are experiencing such a condition at this time, I urge you to read slowly and comprehensively and study hard the ways that Paul chose to relate to the Corinthians in the church at Corinth after they had bitterly disappointed him. Paul is relating the strained relationships that had occurred in his ‘church family’ and I am comparing this to the problems today that are present in so many of our personal families. There is a parallel that I hope you can see and relate to.

There were many strained relationships between Paul and the Corinthians. He wrote four letters to this church, one was lost: and it maybe that only a part of the fourth letter is contained in 2 Corinthians. Paul got word that many of his converts had become disgruntled with his leadership; and Paul was surely disappointed in the fidelity of general church membership. I can not be their judge but maybe they had a right to fuss about him promising to visit them and then changing his mind. And in the same way, he had a right to be disappointed in their failure to follow the teachings of Christ that he had laid down for them to follow, and their willingness to dabble again in the carnal sins of the age.

Paul lived a troubled life so he understands how to deal with a church family who are in trouble. Their life style was the cause for the pressure bearing down upon them. He used the Greek word thlipsis for pressure. One example of the meaning of thlipsis is that it was one of the ways used to execute a person by placing a heavy weight on the body and crushing the person to death. According to this language the church was in the process of being crushed to death by some who had turned against Paul and were causing the problems in the new church. Lack of integrity in any church will lead to its destruction. It has always been and still is always a costly thing to be a true Christian—just remember that there can be no Christianity without its cross.

In the early verses of this book, Paul praises God for being the farther of compassion for him [Paul] and His people, the Corinthians, and he reaffirms that he is the God of all comfort. Paul explains that his call as an apostle gave him the same ability to extend compassion and comfort to the people.

Beginning in verse eight, Paul tells us of his great hardships that even threatened is life. This is where he first talks about being under great pressure [thlipsis] which was far beyond his ability to endure. He was actually afraid for his own life. Paul had promised to visit the church at Corinth on two occasions and had failed to make it and some of the members had not forgiven him, and accused him of not keeping his word. One or more of the members had gone too far and even been punished by his supporters in the church. Paul felt that there should be no more punishment handed out, and that the better way was through love and compassion and Christian forgiveness. Paul teaches us that the use of rebuke in correcting someone doing wrong may not be the way to go, and if used too harshly it will drive offenders further away.

Now to bring this lesson to a successful close I think that we must reemphasize that your love one gone astray must first believe in the bible and be willing to pattern his/her life by its teachings. Once that is confirmed, the use of God’s word can be quoted when the opportunity occurs to use it in giving guidance and leadership. It is very important that the life of the counselor must be beyond reproach, that is, not guilty of the same kind of sin or something even worse. Do not rush for or even expect an instant answer, sometimes it just takes time for a person to realize their folly; and do not use rebuke, or cut off all communication. You must remain on a friendly basis in order to reach anyone in a positive way.

Lastly, always remember that God is a forgiving master and he will continue forgiving the sinful not just seven times but seven times seventy.

[Prayer request: My wife, Juanita fell and broke a hip on July 22, successful operation was next day, please pray for quick recovery. Thanks. John Vandiver]