Category Archives: Ephesians

1 Corinthians, 2 Peter, 2019, Ephesians, Questions, Repentance, Salvation

The Response!

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17 So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls],  18 for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. source

Please see the brackets in the third line around unbelieving. It is really important for us to grasp Paul is penning about not just any Gentiles, but the unbelieving, as there were many Gentiles in the Community (Church, Body) at Ephesus. Another clue for us that when a Gentile became a follower of the Jewish Messiah, they became family. Yeshua (Jesus as you may address Him) has One Family, One community.

But what of these unbelieving Gentiles? It was a term his readers understood; well understood. Outcasts. Banished from the Commonwealth of Israel.

BUT look it’s self-banishment! It’s not GOD’s will that any be banished! (See 2 Peter3:9)

Self-banished. What a word! What does it mean? Banished means sent away as an official punishment.

A few questions.
How often do we send ourselves away from fellowship with GOD because we have deemed ourselves unworthy?
How many of us see the bottom layer of that thinking?
When we self-banish ourselves, who’s the judge, the jury and the executioner?
Who alone has that Office and Responsibility?
So what are we doing when we self-banish?
What would cause us to do that?
(Subtle Pride.)
But it’s still damnable pride, is it not?

But wait! Does not the Scriptures tell us to judge ourselves so that we will not be judged?
Absolutely! It does! See 1 Corinthians 11:31. So what’s the factor here? The Response!

Pride sends us away!
Repentance draws us close!

1 Corinthians 11:31 Amplified Bible (AMP) 31 But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. source

Please see it!  And correcting our behavior! That’s what repentance does. It corrects our behavior. Pride, even subtle pride, keeps us banished.

Repentance. Oh, what a beautiful, loving, holy gift!  Let us unwrap it as often as necessary!

Oh, Father, thank You, thank You for the gift of repentance! Pour out Your holy gift of conviction with repentance again and again that we may fellowship with You continually.  Amen and amen in JESUS name. 

Ephesians, Questions

That’s a Good Question or Two

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Ephesians 3:16 Amplified Bible (AMP) 16 May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality],  source

In verse 16 Paul sets forth what he is praying for the people.

To be strengthened.
Okay. Who of us does not need to be strengthened?

But he does not stop there.
He says he is praying they will be SPIRITUALLY ENERGIZED WITH POWER. And how and where is this power to come?
From themselves, their own undertakings and doings?
NO. THROUGH HIS SPIRIT.
And where is this SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD?
In them, it reads.

Is this still true? Is He in us? Then why are we not so spiritually energized? Why do we conduct ourselves as powerless people?

This is not a feel-good message, is it? Have we had too many feel-good messages? Is that why we conduct ourselves as people with little to no power to see GOD working and changing and transforming our lives and the lives of those we love?

So, now what?
Where will you go from this verse?
Where will I?
 

2019, Colossians, Ephesians, Sunday School Notes

Five Senses World

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September15, 2019, Sunday School Notes

Ephesians 2:1-10

Our lesson writer entitled this session Resurrected. Wait. This isn’t Resurrection Sunday why a lesson titled Resurrected in the book of Ephesians?

What does it mean to be resurrected?

I often refer to Webster. My favorite is Webster’s 1828 edition.  And that edition told me this:

Resurrection A rising again; chiefly, the revival of the dead of the human race, or their return from the grave, particularly at the general judgment. By the resurrection of Christ we have assurance of the future resurrection of men. 1 Peter 1:3.

 

Creation repeatedly demonstrates resurrection to us. GOD built it in for us to see. Each night when we go to sleep we are picturing death. While we sleep we are dead to this world; we know not what is going on in it, we must be awakened to participate in it.

Each morning we emerge from sleep, even before we open our eyes, our senses kick in and we know we are alive. Each morning we vividly picture resurrection.

Similarly, SPIRITUALLY we once were DEAD.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

We were dead to experiencing the HOLY SPIRIT. He was not in us; we were dead even though our body was much alive to our five senses, we lived by them. Then we were quickened as the Scripture states. We were RESURRECTED. In CHRIST JESUS we were made SPIRITUALLY ALIVE. So now we are physically alive and spiritually alive and the war is on! The five senses continue to SCREAM to be in charge and the HOLY SPIRIT quietly urges that we listen to Him. To whom we submit is the degree to which we experience RESURRECTION on a daily basis AND to the degree to which we experience our resurrection is to the degree that we demonstrate GOD to this five senses world we live in.

And that’s what I have so far. Good Intro, I think. :)

2019, A Quick Hello, Ephesians, For What It's Worth To You

Guide Ship

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Ephesians 4:(NIV) 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  source

Keeping the peace. Some aspire to keep the peace at all cost, any cost. Some, not so much. Is there a guide? Is there some way for us to know just how far to go, how much to compromise, what kind of compromise is reasonable to keep the peace? I think there is. I think our verse guides us.

When the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD gives you peace in your proposed way to keep the peace, go for it.

Making peace and keeping peace is imperative for us but never at the expense of UNITY with the HOLY SPIRIT. If He is not on board with our plans, by all means, let us jump ship.