Book of Ephesians - Ch. 1, Vs. 19-Ch. 2, Vs. 9 (07/15/2001)

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power?

We belong to him, God. We're not our own.

We were not here before God. We control nothing. We are to be happy, comfortable, content with this knowledge.

We are where we are. We're doing what we are. All because God has said, man is in, man counteth as nothing.

I control all things. Therefore man will do truly only that that I have decreed forever.

And I have decreed that I will do all things so that all things bring glory and honor and praise to me and to me only.

God speaking. For I am God and there is no other.

I am not God that you can plead, beg, badger, finally get your own way.

How can I do anything after the counsel of my own will if I let every one of you have what you want personally in the flesh?

No, it shall be my way and my way only. I speak of it no more.

Ephesians 1 .11. God has said as plain as he knows how, everything is designed to bring glory to me.

And even more than that, Paul wants them to understand the exceeding greatness of his power.

His power is so great that he, God, by his own power, changed our power of believing so that we could and would and did become knowledge of the fact that we belong to him and have belonged to him forever, both backward and forward.

While he wrought in Christ, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

The power, dunamos in this case, that the Father used to bring

Jesus Christ, bring Jesus, not Christ.

Christ never died. Back from the dead is the very same force, power, energy that he uses to make us new, born again, creatures in Jesus the

Christ. We are seated on the Father's right hand in Christ right now.

The right hand is the most powerful position next to the power of the Father himself. It is power enough to raise

Jesus Christ from among the dead and set him at God's right hand.

We make much about Christmas and Easter but seem to forget the Ascension.

Just often think of the power that took him back beyond the creation to be where he is.

How does it compare to the power to lift a ship off of its base to go to the moon?

That's power in the physical sense. The power that took Christ back to heaven is the same power that is available to the believer today.

We have that same power available. Awesome.

Far above all principalities and power and might and dominion, every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body and fullness of him that filleth all in all.

This place is far, far above, meaning more powerful to control, to worship, to honor, to glory than all others.

Not only in this age but in all ages to come. Remember, eternity consists of an untold number of dispensations or ages which will extend into the future, time without time, go on forever.

I can say the words but I can't imagine. Time without end.

The church is the body of Christ. He is the head of the church. Someday everything will worship him directly.

Hebrews 2 .8 The most tragic sight is a child of God lying on a bed helpless as if his brain is detached from his body.

There are many, many churches like that and many Christians today who act the same way.

Now, what is it that makes your little finger wiggle? Wiggle your finger.

What makes it wiggle? The brain. If you cut it off from the brain it couldn't wiggle.

Well, because your head is in charge of it. Now, when Christ wants you to wiggle, that is to exercise your ability, you do it because your head, that is

Christ, said so. The thing we need to know is that Christ is the head of his body, his church, and we are attached to him.

Chapter 2 And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins?

Quickened. Burge, what does the word quickened mean? Christ made.

Made. Made what? I don't know.

Why didn't you just say you didn't know? He was made alive. Made alive.

What you said was right, but this means made alive. He made you alive.

The same power that raised Jesus, that ascended him back to heaven, that caused him to be conceived, is the same power that made us alive in him.

Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

I wonder who they are. The devil's people put us to shame when it comes to activity.

The word course, aheon, which is going on right now, the presence around you, worldly circumstances at this time, it means the effect the devil puts on you by all of his people.

For example, the way all the liars in higher office can disturb you if you let them.

They can't if you don't. This is why the cults are as busy as termites.

False religionists put us to shame with their zeal. I would not doubt but what some of the miracles are true.

Satan can perform miracles. You remember Egypt. Cult, a system of worship that adds or subtracts anything to or from God's salvation by the blood of Jesus Christ only.

A cult is something that adds or subtracts from that. A system that includes any movement, energy, work, thought, or action of man to gain eternal life.

Even though they say salvation is of God, the Armenian belief is of Satan.

What is the Armenian belief, David? That's right.

I must be able to do something that will please God. World. The world here is cosmos.

Cosmos' first and only meaning is all creation. It means an orderly form.

The word can at times include the inhabitants, all life, but it is seldom used just to mean all people.

You need to remember that. Among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desire of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others.

Among whom. For which we live in a cemetery.

Cemetery is where the dead live. Millions now living will never die.

Millions now living are already dead. The structure of man's body as well as his mind plainly proves that he was never intended to merely contemplate life.

Even while Adam was in the state of innocence, he was told to dress and keep the perfect garden.

Do you like this world? You may like some things, but not on a level with liking

God. Well, will you be as Lot's wife was when she was told to leave?

Will you say, well, just a minute, there's something I've got to do? You won't have time.

Conversation. This actually means conduct. Daily walk or living for personal gain.

We were no different in our actions than the true seed of Satan.

Although we were only the servants of Satan, but didn't know the difference. We were never the seed of Satan.

God loved us because we have always been his. Does that confuse you?

You've always been his. He didn't wait until you were born to decide whether he loved you or not.

You've always been his, Richard, Russell. He loves all things that are his.

The things that are his is everything. Everything he made, you will get glory from the wicked, but they're not his.

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ by grace, ye are saved.

We're saved by grace, but grace does not save us. Does everybody understand that?

Does anybody understand that? Are you awake?

It was his death on the cross that saved us. Romans 6 and 3.

We're dead. This is a perfect verb tense.

We're dead once and for all. We don't keep dying over and over and over. He did it once.

We do it once. It's a dead death that never ends. Hath quickened.

This is a perfect verb. Once for all. Only God could overcome a perfect verb.

Man cannot. Hath raised.

This is past perfect. The word raised here is sumego.

Psy means twins. Together with Christ. Hath raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places together in Christ Jesus.

This is a twin birth that cannot be separated. There is no operation that can divide us from our twin brother

Jesus Christ. He tells us so. That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ.

Now here's the reason God saved us. Ages to come.

In the eternal life there will be age upon age. Each one better than the last one.

Our minds cannot comprehend such as this. God is going to put us on display to show us his exceeding riches of his favor toward us.

My question is to whom is he going to show us off? We'll be the show, but who's he going to show us to,

Greg? I don't know. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourself.

It is a gift of God. Grace is the same as favor.

Saved. You have had your justification. You're having your sanctification.

You're yet to get your glorification. Faith. Faith brings salvation.

But faith does not save you. Faith is of God, by God, from God.

It is a firm conviction producing the full knowledgement of God's revelation or truth.

It is a personal surrender to him and the conduct inspired by such surrender.

Faith. All of this stands in contrast to belief which consists of an opinion held in good faith without necessary reference to its proof.

Faith is a gift of God. Gift. Only God can give a gift because he's the only one who needs nothing.

He's the only one that can give a gift. Russell, you cannot give your wife a gift.

You give her a present, but not gifts. God's the only one.

He needs nothing from anyone, ever. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Not of works. These are before, during, or after salvation.

You cannot work and get your salvation or keep it. He made us for himself.

We are and always have been in Christ Jesus to do his good works. Before there was anything, when

God was still all alone, he ordained the setting of our pathway in this life.

We are, each of us, today, walking that very road that was laid out for us way before there was ever anything.

You cannot walk out of his will. You can only think out of his will.

You cannot walk out of the will of God. Let's be sure you understand this.

How much of your life does God control? All of it.

Now, does that mean only all of it, except what you control?

Well, Russell, if he controls everything, then how are you ever going to get out of his will? Only in your mind.

Sin is in the mind. It all takes place in the mind. Not in the doing.

Everything done is of God. Everything. I can't explain it.

I know it's true. Everything is of God.

Period. Verse 9.

10. Work is energy put forth in the mind or body. Any movement of energy, mental or physical, is a definition of work.

There are those that say salvation is of God. But we have to accept it in order to have eternal life.

You have to accept it. And I say the accepting is a work.

Salvation is of God without any movement on your part.

Russell, we can't do anything. We couldn't escape it. We can't enjoy it.

It's of him. And this walk is not from you as a source, but God as a gift.

Salvation is a gift of God. It does not find its source in man. One reason why it is a gift is so man cannot brag.

We would be bragging if it was a gift. He likes me better than it does you. If we are

God's workmanship, our salvation cannot be of ourself. We ourself are a work.

Handiwork of God. That good works, which are the divine aim of our life, shall be realized is implied in their design and made ready for us in God's decree.

And they that are of God's origin and not of our own actions and merit, it is implied in the fact that we ourselves had to be made a new creature in Christ.

And the making was of him. We're going to stop here.

We'll continue in Ephesians next time.

Is there any questions or statements? That was ten.

Verge, dismiss us please. Father, I thank you for this day.

I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day.

I thank you for this day.

I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day.

I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day.

I thank you for this day. I thank you for this day.