IBBS Ephesians 2: 20-22 part two

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

For review – here is IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10 and IBBS Ephesians 2:11-19

 

A review from IBBS Ephesians 2:20-22, which you can skip if you are up to date:
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The truth is, we are slaves.
BUT WE GET TO CHOOSE TO WHOM!!!

and then, the most beautiful thing happens when we choose Christ:
Galatians 4

Galatians 4:6-7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

If that’s not special enough, Jesus said, in John 15:15:

I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.

There is an understanding that a son of someone can represent their father, for good and for bad.

Ambassadors represent the nations for which they are elected. for good and for bad.
The same is true for us.

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How can we be good representatives, or witnesses, to Christ? Is it even expected?

James 2:14-26 discusses how we are to make evidence our faith. Here’s two excerpts:

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Jesus  tells us that we can be known by our love, as Christians.

John 13:35 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How do they know there is love? They can SEE it.
Paul explains love in 1 Corinthians 13.

We show of what spirit we are by how we love. These are evidences of our faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work on the cross. These are evidences of our gratitude for being brought our of darkness into the Kingdom of His dear son. These are evidences of Who is our Father.

Have you ever heard the stories of people that said their father’s told them that “insert name of family” does not act like that?

Acts 11:26 says that the followers of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch.
2 Chronicles 7:14 is written to those who are called by HIS name!

God does have expectations for how we will represent his name!

In the same way as the flesh/spirit discussion in IBBS Ephesians 2:11-19, there is a comparison to how we can show that we are NOT children of God.

John 8:44-45 King James Version (KJV)
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Disbelief is a serious sin.

Hebrews 11:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

There are many lists of the sins of the flesh, but let me look at one aspect, and let me know if you think this applies.

1st Corinthians 6:17-18 talks about sexual sins.

Paul is telling us that there is a difference with sexual sins. If you go deeper into scripture you will see sexual sins of all types have the seriousness of binding two Spirits together. That is why fornication, adultery and all other sexual sins leading up to divorce and such things cause intense divisions and pain and wounds.

We are married to Jesus Christ when we receive Him as our bridegroom and we agreed to be His bride. Our Spirits are united. There is another aspect of sin that is horribly grievous and that is committing adultery towards the Lord Jesus Christ. You can go to the first four Commandments in Exodus 20

  1. I am the Lord your God which brought the out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage, and you shall have no other gods before me
  2. you shall not make any Graven image or likeness or bow down to it because I am the Lord am a jealous God
  3. you should not take the name of the Lord in vain for the Lord will not hold him Guiltless to take it his name in vain
  4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy it is the Sabbath of the Lord

4 of the 10 Commandments point to our relationship with God.
It’s serious! 4/10, or 40%!
The king(Saul) rejected the Lord, and this is what God told the prophet to say:

1 Samuel 15:23 KJV
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Being stubborn is equal to idolatry – because we make ourselves god.
Rebellion is as witchcraft – because we have placed another’s guidance over God’s in our lives.
Does anyone question that witchcraft and idolatry are grievous sins to the Lord?

One of the Ten Commandments is how we should respect our parents, or Honor them.
The other five of The Ten Commandments are how we should treat our fellow man.
One of those five or 1/10 of the Ten Commandments or 1/5 of the five how to treat other people is do not commit adultery.

Adultery is idolatry in a marriage
Putting another person between YOU and your covenant partner.

Idolatry is adultery in the Christian faith.
Placing another between YOU and your covenant God.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Ephesians 5:22-32 explains how the marriage of man and woman is the example of Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:32 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.

We need to remember the 10 virgins, and be prepared, and make sure we have oil in our lamps as we await our coming bridegroom! (Matthew 25)
We need to make sure that our garments are without blemish or spot.(Ephesians 5:26-27)
We need to be Christ to the world, and show them WHY we have committed our lives to God, in Christ with an eternal covenant!

We do not want to commit adultery with God by idolatry!
If we could could see idolatry as serious as adultery, or witchcraft, we might make different choices.

Now that I’ve gotten this far, I just want to point out Paul doesn’t keep us guessing in Ephesians 2 about our responsibility once we receive the gift of God.

Remember 1st Corinthians 6: 19-20: know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which he have of God and you are not your own? For your bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are gods. (1 John 3:24 and 1 John 4:13)

Remember Ephesians 2: 18-22 are talking about how we are built into being a part of the temple of God, being made into a habitation of God through Christ.

Remember Ephesians 2:10 says for we are his workmanship, created in Christ unto good works, which God have planned before time that we should walk in them.

We are not saved by our works so that we cannot boast, but we were created for good works for God’s glory!

This is the difference between legalism and graceful gratitude to God!

Ephesians 4 goes into how we should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called.

Ephesians 4:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ
4 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting[a] one another in love, 3 diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.

Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians 4:22 …that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt cording to deceitful us

Ephesians 4:24 …and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness

Between those two versus is a very important verse

Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

How can we be renewed in the spirit of our mind? By washing ourselves with the water of the word daily(Ephesians 5:26).  By immersing ourselves in the word of God which tells us what is righteousness.  The world will not tell us what is righteousness. The more that we yield our minds to the worldly carnal mind the more we lose our focus on the new Godly mind. The more we focus on the Word of God, and let that guide us, the more we will walk like Christ.

Colossians 3:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

  • Remember what Christ has done for us!
  • Live a life full of grace-filled gratitude!
  • Feed the nature(old or new) you want to win!

For review – here previous sections for chapter 2:

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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