GRACE BE TO YOU
“GRACE BE TO YOU”
Ephesians
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
September 27, 2008
Last week the Lord comforted us after the storm. This week we come to the Lord for His Mercy and Grace as we see our government struggling to resolve the present financial crisis. Those of us who have made the Lord our Provider and Provision have nothing to fear. Fear is the opposite of Faith. The Lord has made provision for us according to His riches in Glory. I believe the Lord has a message for us of the Grace we need for this hour in the Ephesians Epistle.
The temple of Diana was in Ephesus was the cultural and financial center of Asia. The commerce and lives of the people were regulated by it. The great temple involved and dominated the citizens. We can compare this with the stock market in New York City.
The Lord took Paul in to the Third Heaven and gave him these revelations. Paul chose to write this Great Epistle to the Church in Ephesus. In Verse 1, the salutation is to “the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Paul purposely characterizes the saints as believers. This is because those who served in the temple Diana were also called saints.
(2) “Grace and Peace be to you.” The word Grace occurs 13-times in the Epistle.
That means these fantastic spiritual promises are unmerited favor. I believe the United States needs unmerited favor at this time in our history. (Vs. 6) “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his Grace; wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”
(3) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”
“Heavenly” “in the heavenlies” occurs here five times. Paul has been caught up to the Third Heaven and is given permission to unveil God’s hidden mystery (3:9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
Jesus’ victory over satan was not merely physical, but extended to the 1st and 2nd heaven. Even before the universe existed, God chose us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. The plan included a means for bringing sinful men to perfection.
4:13: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The Lord did this that we might have fellowship with Him as friends, but also as sons. God wants to walk and talk with us in the same way he did with Adam in the garden. We were ransomed by the Blood of Jesus. Since Jesus was fully man, He could serve as our “Kinsman Redeemer.” And if that were not enough, He lavishes still more grace upon us by supplying the wisdom and insights which permit us to know and understand the inner workings of His plan. (1:7b) the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Recently Sandy Steele did a teaching at the Tuesday morning bible study on Wisdom and Understanding. I was so blessed by the teaching. The Lord has spoken to me many times, “Carolyn, your wisdom will be your understanding.”
I had not taken the time to search the scriptures for the meaning.
Sandy brought forth a scripture from Job that states exactly that. (Job 28:12; 28)
“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? (28) “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.”
Paul is affirming to us the Lord has abounded toward us in all wisdom and understanding.” The mysteries of God are easily intelligible and never perplexing. They are simple truths. He has always chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise. The truths of God remain concealed or veiled until God is ready to reveal them. These things remain hidden to those outside of Christ. This is the reason we will have no fear in the face of the storms of life. The Lord has a plan. It is His desire that we should be in on His plans. He will reveal to us His plans for His Kingdom purposes in the midst of all of the storms of life.
When God’s plan for the earth reaches its conclusion (in the fullness of time), that is, when His purposes in history have been fully worked out, all things in heaven and earth will come together in Christ Jesus.
(Vs. 11) “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will.”
We become His property, purchased by His blood, Yet, we become joint heirs of all that is His in Glory. (Rom 8:17, 1 Cor. 3:21; 23)
The Jewish Christians were the first to bring glory to His Name through their trust in Jesus, But the Gentiles who heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of salvation, and believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit is not only a Seal, but is also a down payment guaranteeing our inheritance. We get some of Heaven’s wealth right now in the person of the Holy Ghost. All that you and I have awaiting us may be summed in one word---Jesus. He is our wealth and we are His. Our future provision, security, glory and completeness are in Christ.
Paul states that he prays for them and gives thanks for them. He has asked the Lord to impart to them” the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. and the eyes of their understanding be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of your calling, and what the riches of the glory of Jesus’ inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ Jesus when he raised him from the dead.
This divine power enables the believer to live a holy life in an unholy world; stand fast against the cunning assaults of the devil; witness and win souls in obedience to the Master’s command. All of these require the same dynamic of power which raised Jesus to be seated at the right hand of God the father. Jesus has absolute authority over the spirit world, over the stock market, over the United States borders, and over the whole world. Paul now tells us how much authority Jesus has.
Jesus is seated in the heavenly places far above all principalities, and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all.
We are Jesus’ body. Everything that happens to us happens to Jesus and vise versa. We literally become partakers of the life, the power, the program and the eternal destiny of Jesus Himself. His own past, present and future is now our destiny and purpose. Deep within us is a connection which means that our lives are not longer our own, but are now to be regulated and governed by the Head.
We are not to be moved by the financial markets, fear of war or rumors of war.
Before we were saved, we were completely at home in the ways of the world, moved along by its unseen god, satan, whose domain is the air. His influence today; as always, is like a dark cloud surrounding the human spirit penetrating and motivating the fallen disobedient nature of mankind.
But God, whose mercy has no limit and who was already in love with us even when were trapped in our ungodliness and spiritually dead, has now made us alive in Christ. (By Grace you are saved).
(2:7) And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith;”
Our literal union with Christ brings many things into actuality. It is by virtue of our being “in Christ” that we accept our authority in the spiritual realm. By faith we understand that we have been exalted to the same spiritual posture as Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God. To sit in the presence of the Great King is again a fantastic honor which further bespeaks the astonishing dignity of redeemed man.
What is man that he can be raised to such heights and be given such authority.
The Holy Spirit wants it perfectly clear that man’s rescue and exaltation to such heights is something that God has done by Himself. Even though the faith-method was used to make the selection of those who would receive this gift, the gift itself is not the work of human hands. Even the ability to exercise faith in Christ requires a pre-salvation wooing by the Holy Spirit.
Paul then reminds then they were born Gentiles and called “the uncircumcised” by the Jews, whose bodies are circumcised by human hands. At that time you had not access to Christ, as far as the Jews were concerned, who were indeed God’s chosen people. The heavenly rights and promises had nothing to do with the Gentiles. In fact, we were isolated from God without any hope. But now, through our union with Christ Jesus, we who were once outside the wall have been brought inside by the Blood of Christ. He canceled the Jewish-Gentile distinctions and removed the wall that separated us. (14) “For he is our peace, who has made both one.”
Because of Him, all of us, Jews and Gentiles, have direct access through the Holy Spirit to God the Father. The Gentiles are fellow saints. The church is built not only upon the apostles, but also the prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself the Chief Cornerstone.
(21-22) “In whom all the building fitly famed together grow unto a holy temple in the Lord; In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.
The Jews are not to build a separate temple with laws, ordinances and temple worship. We are all being built into One Glorious Temple in the spirit.
Chapter 3: Paul says that for the cause of the Gentiles, he is a prisoner. (verse 2)
If you have heard of the dispensation of grace of God which is give me to you-ward; How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; Whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.”
This particular mystery of the body of Christ is the church that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
(10) to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our lord;”
The whole family of heaven and earth is named after Jesus Christ. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of god. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The Lord is able to bring all nations and people into fruition in the fullness of time.
Blessed Be the Name of the Lord.
In chapter 4, Paul says he wrote this while in prison, and asks us to walk worthy of the vocations wherewith you are called. Paul is not asking for money, sympathy or anything else from the Ephesians. He is asking them to walk worthy with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Verse7) Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
There is one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, One Lord, one faith , one baptism, One God, and Father of all.
How foolish it is for people to covet, quarrel, walk in vanity of the mind, and break the faith, and disfellowship over doctrine. Do not dishonor the Lord with greediness, lasciviousness, and uncleanness. Let us not be found with those who debate the Word of God to their own foolishness.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
www.eastgateministries.com
Ephesians
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
September 27, 2008
Last week the Lord comforted us after the storm. This week we come to the Lord for His Mercy and Grace as we see our government struggling to resolve the present financial crisis. Those of us who have made the Lord our Provider and Provision have nothing to fear. Fear is the opposite of Faith. The Lord has made provision for us according to His riches in Glory. I believe the Lord has a message for us of the Grace we need for this hour in the Ephesians Epistle.
The temple of Diana was in Ephesus was the cultural and financial center of Asia. The commerce and lives of the people were regulated by it. The great temple involved and dominated the citizens. We can compare this with the stock market in New York City.
The Lord took Paul in to the Third Heaven and gave him these revelations. Paul chose to write this Great Epistle to the Church in Ephesus. In Verse 1, the salutation is to “the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Paul purposely characterizes the saints as believers. This is because those who served in the temple Diana were also called saints.
(2) “Grace and Peace be to you.” The word Grace occurs 13-times in the Epistle.
That means these fantastic spiritual promises are unmerited favor. I believe the United States needs unmerited favor at this time in our history. (Vs. 6) “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his Grace; wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”
(3) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”
“Heavenly” “in the heavenlies” occurs here five times. Paul has been caught up to the Third Heaven and is given permission to unveil God’s hidden mystery (3:9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
Jesus’ victory over satan was not merely physical, but extended to the 1st and 2nd heaven. Even before the universe existed, God chose us that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. The plan included a means for bringing sinful men to perfection.
4:13: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The Lord did this that we might have fellowship with Him as friends, but also as sons. God wants to walk and talk with us in the same way he did with Adam in the garden. We were ransomed by the Blood of Jesus. Since Jesus was fully man, He could serve as our “Kinsman Redeemer.” And if that were not enough, He lavishes still more grace upon us by supplying the wisdom and insights which permit us to know and understand the inner workings of His plan. (1:7b) the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Recently Sandy Steele did a teaching at the Tuesday morning bible study on Wisdom and Understanding. I was so blessed by the teaching. The Lord has spoken to me many times, “Carolyn, your wisdom will be your understanding.”
I had not taken the time to search the scriptures for the meaning.
Sandy brought forth a scripture from Job that states exactly that. (Job 28:12; 28)
“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? (28) “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.”
Paul is affirming to us the Lord has abounded toward us in all wisdom and understanding.” The mysteries of God are easily intelligible and never perplexing. They are simple truths. He has always chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise. The truths of God remain concealed or veiled until God is ready to reveal them. These things remain hidden to those outside of Christ. This is the reason we will have no fear in the face of the storms of life. The Lord has a plan. It is His desire that we should be in on His plans. He will reveal to us His plans for His Kingdom purposes in the midst of all of the storms of life.
When God’s plan for the earth reaches its conclusion (in the fullness of time), that is, when His purposes in history have been fully worked out, all things in heaven and earth will come together in Christ Jesus.
(Vs. 11) “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his will.”
We become His property, purchased by His blood, Yet, we become joint heirs of all that is His in Glory. (Rom 8:17, 1 Cor. 3:21; 23)
The Jewish Christians were the first to bring glory to His Name through their trust in Jesus, But the Gentiles who heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of salvation, and believed were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Holy Spirit is not only a Seal, but is also a down payment guaranteeing our inheritance. We get some of Heaven’s wealth right now in the person of the Holy Ghost. All that you and I have awaiting us may be summed in one word---Jesus. He is our wealth and we are His. Our future provision, security, glory and completeness are in Christ.
Paul states that he prays for them and gives thanks for them. He has asked the Lord to impart to them” the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. and the eyes of their understanding be enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of your calling, and what the riches of the glory of Jesus’ inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ Jesus when he raised him from the dead.
This divine power enables the believer to live a holy life in an unholy world; stand fast against the cunning assaults of the devil; witness and win souls in obedience to the Master’s command. All of these require the same dynamic of power which raised Jesus to be seated at the right hand of God the father. Jesus has absolute authority over the spirit world, over the stock market, over the United States borders, and over the whole world. Paul now tells us how much authority Jesus has.
Jesus is seated in the heavenly places far above all principalities, and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all.
We are Jesus’ body. Everything that happens to us happens to Jesus and vise versa. We literally become partakers of the life, the power, the program and the eternal destiny of Jesus Himself. His own past, present and future is now our destiny and purpose. Deep within us is a connection which means that our lives are not longer our own, but are now to be regulated and governed by the Head.
We are not to be moved by the financial markets, fear of war or rumors of war.
Before we were saved, we were completely at home in the ways of the world, moved along by its unseen god, satan, whose domain is the air. His influence today; as always, is like a dark cloud surrounding the human spirit penetrating and motivating the fallen disobedient nature of mankind.
But God, whose mercy has no limit and who was already in love with us even when were trapped in our ungodliness and spiritually dead, has now made us alive in Christ. (By Grace you are saved).
(2:7) And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith;”
Our literal union with Christ brings many things into actuality. It is by virtue of our being “in Christ” that we accept our authority in the spiritual realm. By faith we understand that we have been exalted to the same spiritual posture as Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God. To sit in the presence of the Great King is again a fantastic honor which further bespeaks the astonishing dignity of redeemed man.
What is man that he can be raised to such heights and be given such authority.
The Holy Spirit wants it perfectly clear that man’s rescue and exaltation to such heights is something that God has done by Himself. Even though the faith-method was used to make the selection of those who would receive this gift, the gift itself is not the work of human hands. Even the ability to exercise faith in Christ requires a pre-salvation wooing by the Holy Spirit.
Paul then reminds then they were born Gentiles and called “the uncircumcised” by the Jews, whose bodies are circumcised by human hands. At that time you had not access to Christ, as far as the Jews were concerned, who were indeed God’s chosen people. The heavenly rights and promises had nothing to do with the Gentiles. In fact, we were isolated from God without any hope. But now, through our union with Christ Jesus, we who were once outside the wall have been brought inside by the Blood of Christ. He canceled the Jewish-Gentile distinctions and removed the wall that separated us. (14) “For he is our peace, who has made both one.”
Because of Him, all of us, Jews and Gentiles, have direct access through the Holy Spirit to God the Father. The Gentiles are fellow saints. The church is built not only upon the apostles, but also the prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself the Chief Cornerstone.
(21-22) “In whom all the building fitly famed together grow unto a holy temple in the Lord; In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.
The Jews are not to build a separate temple with laws, ordinances and temple worship. We are all being built into One Glorious Temple in the spirit.
Chapter 3: Paul says that for the cause of the Gentiles, he is a prisoner. (verse 2)
If you have heard of the dispensation of grace of God which is give me to you-ward; How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; Whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.”
This particular mystery of the body of Christ is the church that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
(10) to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our lord;”
The whole family of heaven and earth is named after Jesus Christ. that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of god. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The Lord is able to bring all nations and people into fruition in the fullness of time.
Blessed Be the Name of the Lord.
In chapter 4, Paul says he wrote this while in prison, and asks us to walk worthy of the vocations wherewith you are called. Paul is not asking for money, sympathy or anything else from the Ephesians. He is asking them to walk worthy with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Verse7) Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
There is one body, one Spirit, one hope of your calling, One Lord, one faith , one baptism, One God, and Father of all.
How foolish it is for people to covet, quarrel, walk in vanity of the mind, and break the faith, and disfellowship over doctrine. Do not dishonor the Lord with greediness, lasciviousness, and uncleanness. Let us not be found with those who debate the Word of God to their own foolishness.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
www.eastgateministries.com