2023-Q3-L14

2023-Q3-L14: Ephesians in the Heart

Read for This Week’s Study: Entire letter of Ephesians

Memory Text: Memory Text: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV).

Mystery (of the Gospel)

Transformed Paul's life. We simply do not need to know about it; we need to be transformed by it.

Ephesians 4:22-24: to put off the old man, which belongs to your former way of life and is corrupted through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new man, created according to the image of God in true righteousness and holiness.

1st: Give up your old self. Otherwise, the spirit cannot do anything

2nd: Renewed mind.

3rd: Change of life (practices)

As to the Lord:

Ephesians 5. Submission, love, and respect. Women love to be loved. Men love to be respected.

Ephesians 6. Parents/children: Obedience, discipline (discipleship/mentorship), and instruction. Slaves/masters: Respect, service and fairness (equity).

Fight in the strength of God. Put on the WHOLE armor. In the evil day.

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The Church is an instrument of revelation. {3:10}. The message: the manifold wisdom of God.

Who are these messages for: the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.

Metaphors (4): hot/cold. "is" vs. "like"

1. the body of Christ. {4.1-17}

2. the Church as the Temple. {2:20-21}

3. the Church: the Bride of Christ. {5:22-33}

4. Church militant {6:10-20}

Ephesians overview:

Letter divided in 3 parts:

1. Seated with Christ. {chs. 1-3}. We are "in" Christ.

Election: {1:4-6} Chose you from the foundation of the world to the praise of His glory

Salvation: {2:8-10} Saved by grace through faith

Transformation: {3:20-21} to him who is able...according to the power at work within us, to him be glory

key ideas: the church, one body, God's wisdom, God's glory

2. Walking in Christ. {chs. 4-5 to 6:9} . Christ is "in" us.

Stewardship: {4:1-16} walk in a manner worthy of the calling; He gave gifts to equip the saints, for building up the body of Christ

Fellowship: {4:32; 5:21} Be kind to one another; imitators of God; submit to one another

Relationship: {5:22-6:9} Love/respect: husbands-wives, children-parents, slaves-masters

key ideas: built thru spiritual gifts, caring community, Christ's bride

3. Standing for Christ. {6:10 to end}

Power: {6:10} Be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might

Poise: {6:11-17} The armor of God

Prayer: {6:18-20} Praying at all times in the spirit

key ideas: An army of believers

Notes

Overview of Ephesians:

Chapters 1-4. The hidden message revealed in Christ:

spiritual blessings; saved by grace; peace and unity; thru the church the wisdom of God made known; grounded in love; the body of Christ; put on the new man (4:18-32).

Chapters 5-6: Imitators of God: walk in love; walk as children of light; walk careful and wise; spirit of submission

Understand the Gospel: We are supplied with armament

Helmet of salvation is gifted to us by the grace of God. Eph. 2:5; 3:2, 7

Shield of faith is gifted to us by Christ. Eph 2:8; 3:12

Breastplate of righteousness is gifted to us by Christ. Eph 2:8-10

Feet shod with gospel of peace. Eph. 2:14 ("he is our peace")

Belt of truth is gifted to us by Christ. Eph 1:13 ("word of truth). The written word of God (3:3-4)

Prayer. Eph 1:16. There is never a time when you don't need the help of God. Pray constantly to retain the armor of God.

COL 333.1: As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.

Sword of the Spirit.

Revelation 19:11-16 (WEB): I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. 13 He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” 14 The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. 15 Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod.Psalm 2:9 He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 20:4: I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Self defense: Luke 22:36.

Seven pieces of the armor

Belt of truth. Jesus is the truth. It is centered on him. It is truth from without; not from within. It is not "my truth" but God's truth. It is not from intuition but from inspiration. It is God breathed. The truth will set you free. The truth must not lonely be understood, but experienced. Eternal life is to KNOW God (intimitely.

Breastplate of righteousness. Elements of goodness that we are not capable of on our own. The breastplate protects the heart, the seat of emotions. The source of happiness is centered on God's presence.

Gospel of peace. Shoes to protect the feet on the journey. To maintain steadiness and balance. We go in the right path.

Shield of faith. Large protective armor against arguments leading to doubt.

Helmet of salvation. Protects the mind from distractions and lies.

Sword of the spirit. It is the spirit's sword not our sword. It is the sword given to us by the spirit to use in our earthly lives. The "word" here is not logos but rhema. The word rhema often refers more to the words that are spoken. Just as a sword is only effective when it is used, the word of God is most effective when it is spoken.

Prayer. The spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Prayer

1. Supplication: the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.

2. Persistence.

3. Intercessorship.

4. With boldness.

Prayer is part of the whole armor. It is not the whole armor. You can pray, and not have the truth on the matter. You can pray, and not have the faith. You can pray and not have the righteousness that God requires and provides. You can pray and not have the peace of God.

{6:20} “an ambassador [bound] in a chain.” The particular word for “chain” (G254, alysis) in this verse is a slight chain by which he was “coupled” round the right wrist to the left of a soldier. Paul may have intended a double meaning here. That is, while physically bound by a chain to a soldier, he was nevertheless spiritually “bound” to Christ as his ambassador. His prayer request is also double in purpose: to receive the gift of utterance and the gift of boldness (or freedom) to speak.

MH 182.1: Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour. By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go.

Grace

Charis:Good will, loving kindness (Romans 2:4), favor, keeps, strengthens, increases their faith, knowledge.

Unmerited favor. Is the "process"; not what it is. It is the "how" not the "what."

Grace is a gift. It is a favor.

Is grace deserved or undeserved? Answer: As an unrepentant sinner, it is undeserved. As a believer, it is deserved by the merits of Christ.

Does a person in need of food and water, deserve humanitarian treatment. Example, the Good Samaritan. What love compels.

We have value by "who" they are, not "what" they do. And our value takes on a new perspective when we become believers.

Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor (grace) with God and man.

One can increase in favor (i.e. grace) with God and man. That is, you become more valuable (have more merit).

As grace can be extended to us, we can, in turn, offer it to others.

John 1:14, 17: ...full of grace and truth.

Ephesians 4:7: each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.

What God cannot do:

God cannot sin; cannot be tempted by evil;

God cannot create character. He can create sinless beings, but it is up to them, by way of free will to create their characters. Through cooperation with God, that individual can be changed into God's image.

Sin is a state of being. The choice we have is whether we will accept Grace or not.

The Pharisees in Jesus' day thought in terms of actions. Jesus taught in terms of heart-condition. If you covet in your heart, you have sinned. The outward "act" may or may not happen, but the condition of the heart is already judged.

Temple Cleansing

Daniel 8:14, 7:13; Temple Cleansing by Jesus and the 10 Virgin parable are the same event. It is the cleansing of the heart; the purification of the saints.

GC 426.1: The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14; the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of Days, as presented in Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by Malachi, are descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25.

DA 161.1: In the cleansing of the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as the Messiah, and entering upon His work. That temple, erected for the abode of the divine Presence, was designed to be an object lesson for Israel and for the world. From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being, from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. God designed that the temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the significance of the building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as holy temples for the Divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem, filled with the tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the temple of the heart, defiled by the presence of sensual passion and unholy thoughts. In cleansing the temple from the world's buyers and sellers, Jesus announced His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin,—from the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the soul. “The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver.” Malachi 3:1-3.

Notes (2)

Ephesians 1:3-14. "In Christ" (or through Christ): historical, spiritual, ecclesiological, eschatogical, ethical.

"Salvation is not an interruption of sin. Sin is an interruption of salvation." In other words, God had already destined man to be higher than the angels, but sin interrupted God's plan. It had to be rerouted through the cross.

At the end of time, no one will be lost because of sin.

SUNDAY. We Are Blessed in Christ

MONDAY. We Are Redeemed for Community

TUESDAY. We Are the Church of the Living God

WEDNESDAY. The Unity of Faith

THURSDAY. We Are Recipients and Givers of Grace

FRIDAY. Further Thought:

APPENDIX