Introduction to Ephesians
Part 2
The
Expected Life of All Saints in Relation to other Saints and other People in the
World
Ephesians 1:1
Review: We noted our
expected life as a Saint in relation to God and we are pictured as sitting:
1. at rest in Christ
2. in a relationship
with Christ
3. resolved to the
purpose of Christ.
But Paul continues in
this study and he gives us a picture of our position in relation to other
Saints and others in the world.
The picture is, we are
created to " walk." Eph. 2: 10
Our "walk" is a Bible word frequently used
to describe our behavior, our lifestyle our practice, our habit, our
mannerism. Our walk includes our actions and our speech and even our attitudes
and how we express them.
Gen. 5:22
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and
begat sons and daughters.
He was not on a
literal 300-year stroll or hike, but his walk with God was his lifestyle,
habit, mannerism, his living and behavior.
What is the expected
walk of the Saint? Eph. 2:10
·· Our walk is to be experienced
according to His will …created … unto good
works that we should walk in them.
·· Our walk is measured by His Word...created in Christ Jesus…according to His dictates, by
His design (fabricated according to the idea and wishes and specifications
of the manufacturer).
·· Our
walk is enabled by His work…we are his
workmanship
But what is the will
and word of the Lord Jesus for our walk????
What does He desire of
me????
What is His
expectation of me?????
Saints are to walk
according to our heavenly position as opposed to our former condition.
Vs 6 made to
sit together in heavenly places,
Vs 19 fellow
citizens with the saints and of the household of God.
When we are
spiritually seated with Christ, of His household, one of His saints… there
should be visible evidence of it in our lives, it should be expressed in our
living on this earth.
Note Vs
12-13 One
ought not be able to go from being "without
God in the world" to being "in Christ
Jesus" without it being noticeable to those around us.
Note the language
of Scripture that points to a walk that contrasts our former walk and note
the changes that should begin to be noticed in our lives.
A. Our old walk of submission to the natural is
to be contrasted by our new walk of good works… Eph.
2:2-3 Vs 10
B. Our old natural childishness … Contrasted by our new
walk in maturity… Eph. 4:14-15
He describes some
childlike activity that we should grow out of:
1. Eph. 2:2-3 Children are easily controlled by their own
selfish ambitions.
2. Eph. 2:3 Children are easily angered.
3. Eph. 4:14-15 Children easily deceived.
When those things are
found in us and control us, they express that we are walking childishly. Having been positionally made to sit in the
Heavenly in Christ we are to mature out of that walk into a walk of
selflessness, temperance and discernment.
C. Our old natural mindset and wisdom and feelings and attitude are
contrasted by a renewed mind. Eph. 4:17-23
The mindset that says
live for today.
The mindset that says
all is fair in love and war.
I am my own god,
whatever makes me happy is right and acceptable…Vs 19
Vs 20 You did not get that
from Christ.
That old mindset and
heart content is to be contrasted by a mind and heart that says there
are absolutes and there is truth and there is right and wrong and a mindset
that allows God to established truth and mold your mind. Vs 23-24
The summary of our
walk in this age is that we are to be two kinds of different:
.. different than
we naturally were and
.. different from what the world thinks we should
be now as Christians.
II. Saints
are to walk as an orderly body, a unified family, as opposed to an individual
free-for-all. Eph. 4:1
A. We are to walk in the unity of the
Spirit. Vs 3
The wording is such
that we do not establish the unity of the Spirit or make up our own, but we
accept, embrace the Unity the Spirit has established.
.. Unity of the Spirit is only accomplished around the
truth of the
. Word…Vs 4-6
.. Unity in the absence of truth
is cult
.. Unity in spite of truth is a
compromise
.. Unity around and founded on
truth is God’s Church as it was meant
.. to be
B. Unity of the Spirit
is only truly accomplished in the bond of peace.
Outward assembly and
outward cooperation with internal and unspoken strife and contention does not
maintain the unity of the Spirit.
The Unity of the
Spirit has two co-essential ingredients: an external and an internal. The external is
truth, the internal is peace. Truth and
peace = unity.
Note something: If there
is a lack of unity and it is not over truth…it is always the result of our
walking by our nature.
We are to walk in the
unity of the Spirit with the grace given us to the measure of Christ …Vs 7
Even though we have
truth as a foundation and even though we are in the same family, we still need
grace to maintain unity…correct??? We still need grace to accomplish good. Vs 2
Example …We can have
agreement concerning truth and agreement concerning the Spirit, but we still
struggle accomplishing those ministries that build unity.
We are not all the
same maturity and backgrounds and culture and generation and we all have
baggage and likes and dislikes and disabilities and strengths and weaknesses
and ambitions and callings…and thus we need grace. Vs 2
Note this …We are
given grace according to Christ …According to the Lord’s recognition of our
need and the Lord’s acceptance of our motive and purpose.
.. The
Saint with contentious feelings or the Saint who got their feelings hurt or was
offended can look to the Lord for grace to do the right thing. Often are the
times I am not in the right Spirit and attitude and I have to ask the Lord for
grace …to make me want to do the right thing…to work on me inwardly…internally.
So if there is a lack
of grace for unity:
It is always either
the lack of pursuit of grace. Or
.. It is always the improper pursuit of grace.
Conclusion: But that is where we
were to walk
According to our new
position in Christ, different from the former.
As a united family,
accepting and maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Review ...We noted in
both services Sunday that we are Saints of God…being children we are also
Saints, and Paul attributes three postures to the Saints.
Spiritually Seated in
Heaven in Christ
Speaks of our rest
Speaks of our
relationship
Speaks of our resolve
to accept His will
On this earth we are
walking with Christ
Walking according to
our present position as opposed to our former condition
Walking in the unity
of the Spirit with the bond of peace
So Saints are seated
with Christ
Walking with Christ
Saints are also to be
standing with Christ.
Eph. 6:10-20
ILL.- On their way
home from church, the couple was discussing the preacher’s sermon. The wife
said, "It seems to me he didn’t put enough fire into his sermon."
The husband said,
"Well, in my opinion, he didn’t put enough of his sermon into the
fire."
Introduction: I Believe Satan is
doing some of his best work by:
.. Blinding
sinners… Sinners, those who are not yet Saints, do not know how to explain
evil…they do not want to recognize the Devil because then they would have to
recognize Deity.
II Cor. 4:4
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.
II Tim. 3: 7
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
.. Confusing
the Saints concerning the biblical stand of the Saints.
II Tim. 4:1 1I
charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2Preach
the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their
ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Now, we have to know
that the goal of Satan is the same, to blind the minds of men, and he does not
respect the ownership of the Lord over the Saints of the Lord. If he cannot blind us he would delight in
confusing the Saints.
But there is no lack
of clarity in Eph. 6:
Vs 10 The responsibility to
stand
Vs 11 The resources to stand
I.I.
There is a Divine strength available for Saints to stand. Vs 10
A. The
strength and resources available are complete for the whole Saint … "whole armor" Vs 11
B. The strength and resources available are for spiritual
victory against a spiritual enemy… "we wrestle
not against flesh and blood" Vs 12
C. The strength and resources available are
sufficient for every attack of any kind. Vs 16
All that man is told
of God indicates that he has the strength and resources to bring about victory
for His Saints. Look at Bible History…
A. Way
back, prior to man, in Heaven, 1/3 of the angels rebelled and with divine
strength He cast them out.
B. In
the Garden, His first couple was deceived and He made a covering for them.
C. In
the Old Testament, when the godless would outnumber His people, He would come
to their aid.
D. In
the New Testament, on this earth, in human flesh Jesus took on: diseases,
demons, divers temptations and even death was not able to hold Him.
E. He
gave His Church the assurance that the gates of hell would not be able to
prevail against it.
F. After
the Millennial kingdom on this earth, when Satan is released and invited to
make war, it is with fire from Heaven that God destroys the Devil’s last
hooray…and casts him into the Lake of Fire for all of eternity.
We need to be sure
that no matter how hot or intense or fearful or chaotic this world becomes,
there is strength available for the Saints…for every Saint, for every evil, for
the whole Saint.
Illustration: One of
our local television preachers the other day, after Sept. 11, made the
statement that God didn’t allow that tragedy, that Satan has full rule of this
present world, and what he was implying was that God could not stop it. Listen, as much as the Bible teaches
anything it teaches that God is Sovereign and nothing, below... above… heaven
or earth of humanity or spiritual creature, past or future will ever will
threaten His sovereignty.
Only if that is the
case can we be sure of strength available for us.
This divine sufficient
strength to stand is to be appropriated by the Saints…Vs
10 "…be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might."
"be" implies a state of
being, a condition, a permanent position… we purposefully remain strong in the
Lord.
A. Be strong in the
Lord …the person of the Lord, a recognition of our weakness and lack of
personal strength and an acceptance of His authority over all!!!!!
B. Be strong in the power …His practice or the promise of
His practice, His practice with His might.
I Cor. 10:
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are
able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.
A.C. Be strong in His might…
His present ability.
Illustration: Three
Hebrew Children...their strength was not in knowing what He would do, but
knowing He had all authority and would do as He pleased.
Dan 3: 16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17If it be
so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known
unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden
image which thou hast set up.
Question …How can one
"be strong" in another person or in the power or might of another????
Answer: When the Saint
is mentally, emotionally and spiritually confident, assured and fully persuaded
of the Lord’s authority, assurances and ability, he is "…strong
in the Lord and the power of his might…"
My confidence or lack
of confidence in the Lord determines the degree of the Lord’s strength I enjoy.
Illustration: David
proved that ... Remember how Goliath taunted the army of Israel and David came
along, not believing that Israel would let this giant verbally defy their God
…he asked in disbelief…I Sam. 17:4 for who is
this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
David later rehearses
the same question to King Saul and the end of the conversation is that David
volunteers to fight …based on his assurance and confidence and being fully
persuaded of the authority, faithful practice and ability of the Lord.
You know the account
and David’s testimony…I Sam. 17: 45 Then said
David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and
with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46This day will the
LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head
from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day
unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the
earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all this
assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the
battle is the LORD’’S, and he will give you into our hands.
What appropriated the
Lord’s strength into David’s life? David was assured of
the Lord’s authority, faithfulness, practice and ability. With that knowledge
he resisted. It is called being strong
in the Lord and the power of His might.
Note …Can you see that
preparation for standing is not primarily in knowing the strength of the enemy
or in knowing the weapons of the enemy…I am not saying we are to be ignorant of
them, but our victory is from being able to stand in the strength of the
Lord. David didn’t have a PHD in
Philistine culture, he just knew the authority, might and power of the Lord.
II. The
mightiest appropriation of the Lord’s strength is through a humble balance of
submission and faith… or submission in faith or submission with faith. Eph 6:18-20
Trusting as well as submitting
to the Lord.
Being assured of
His ability and I am respectful of His authority.
Being confident He
has the power but also confident He has the best plan.
Paul prays in faith
because he has confidence in the Lord’s power and ability,
but his prayer is not
to get out of jail, even though he is in jail, because he recognizes the Lord
has a plan and he willingly submits to it.
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.
You do not want to try
to resist the Devil before you have submitted to God. We are not in any strong condition if we try to fend off the
Devil without submission.
Prescribing the only
kind of victory that is acceptable, we are not submitted to God.
Demanding from God
Demanding He follow
our plan
Demanding when victory
comes
Insisting on the
outcome of our circumstances
The reason that is not
smart is because we do not have the wisdom to tell victory from defeat.
Some of our victories
bring the greatest ruin
Some of what we
perceived as defeat brought greatest strength.
Conclusion: Standing with the Lord
is:
Assured of His
authority and strength
Appropriating His
strength through faith in submission
