THE CHURCH IN EPHESIANS 4-6

I hope that you had time to read Ephesians 4~6, if not, any day will work.

These last 3 chapters paint boldly how we are to behave in The Spirit; what the Christian is to practice; what is our duty and behavior; and describes the visible church..

We need to study and pray and LET the Holy Spirit teach us how to live transformed lives - a daily process of going into the unknown with Him - where we've never been before!  How exciting!

 "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

     Did you notice that chapter 4 shows the Church is a New Man and mentions spiritual gifts given by The Holy Spirit. He fits the gifts to our creative purpose and our Body part. Remember, gifts are given to strengthen and build up the Church/Body of Christ; they are not a personal possession to horde to self.

     Chapter 5 reveals The Church will be a Bride, The Bride of Christ. It shows the engagement, experience and expectation of Christ but illustrated in husbands & wives.      

     Chapter 6 shows the Church is a Soldier. The Christian Soldier is identified by their uniform, just like in the world. Notice the peculiar way that a Christian Solider is victorious...by standing; standing firm armed with The Word of God!

     We are on the winning team - let's take our stand and defeat The Enemy and Praise our Lord!

I wish I could spend more time with you in sharing more of the insights The Holy Spirit revealed about Himself being active in us as we learned in our lengthy study, but I hope your interest is stirred and that you will continue studying God's Word, especially about the Holy Spirit.

Compare this letter of instruction with the early church's activities in Acts 2:42-46.

Next post:  An Example of a life that demonstrated being the Temple of The Holy Spirit

PRAYER OF REALIZATION

I hope you have read the first 3 chapters of Ephesians and discovered that chapter 1 was about the church is a body; in chapter 2 the church is a temple; and in chapter 3 the church is a mystery – but the mystery is explained!  It also has another powerful prayer.   The first one was in chapter 1.  They are both very powerful…if you believe!

Blessings...in Christ Jesus

I pray that out of His glorious riches

He may strengthen you with power

through His Spirit in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

through faith.

And I pray that you,

being rooted and established in love,

may have power,

together with all the saints,

to grasp how wide and long

and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge –

that you may be filled

to the measure of all the fullness of God.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.”

Ephesians 3:16-21  (Prayer of Realization)  

Next post:  The Church in Ephesians 4-6

DIAGRAM OF THE CHURCH IN EPHESIANS

I created this diagram to help us get a better understanding of each chapter of Ephesians, plus some of the jewels we might overlook.  Take your time and check out the outline as you study.

Next post:  Prayer of Realization

WHAT IS THE REAL CHURCH?

A good place to go for further study following Acts 2 and the birth of The Church aka The Body of Christ is the Letter to the Ephesians

Ephesians is an excellent outline of the church and who we are "in Christ." Do NOT hurry through chapter one and read each verse slowly, listening to every word. It is divided with chapters 1-3 describing the invisible church (ALL Believers filled with The Holy Spirit) and chapters 4-6 describing the visible church (the place where Believers gather).

Each chapter gives a different description of the church, if you will look closely.

It contains two marvelous prayers in chapter 1 and 3.

Introduction to EPHESIANS

Ephesians was written by Paul to a congregation established on one of Paul's later missionary journeys (Acts 19).  It was written from Rome, probably in A.D. 62 or 63.  

The theme of Ephesians is the church as a living organism, the actual body of the living Christ.  It is a key book for understanding our personal relationship with Jesus, and how to live with our fellow Christians in a nurturing, ministering relationship.

Ephesus was "the" religious center of the province of Asia.  The great temple of Artemis there drew tourists and worshipers, and served as a giant bank from which cities and nations as well as individuals applied for loans.  This highly successful institutionalized religion is the backdrop against which Paul gives us a vision of the church of Jesus Christ.  This church is no institution:  it is a body, a family, a holy but living temple, a new person, a bride and a mystery.  It reveals a glory in the living personalities of its members which far outshines the glory of the stone temple of Ephesus, even though that temple was four times the size of the Parthenon of Athens.

This book is an important one for Christians to study today.  It helps us not to think of our own churches in institutional terms - as building and programs and activities alone.  It helps us to see ourselves, and one another, as living expressions of a Christ who still expresses His glory in human lives.

My prayer for you as we begin this study is Paul's prayer to the Ephesians in 1:17-23..."I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you..."

I want to encourage you to tell someone every day what you've learned about who you are in Christ.

Blessings...in Christ Jesus

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of glory,

may give to you a spirit of wisdom

and of revelation

in the knowledge of Him.

I pray that the eyes of your heart

may be enlightened,

so that you may know

what is the hope of His calling,

what are the riches of the glory

of His inheritance in the saints,

and what is the surpassing greatness

of His power toward us who believe.

 “These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…”

Ephesians 1:17-20  (Prayer of Revelation)  

The Church is a Body

Chapter 1 of Ephesians strongly reveals that The Father planned The Church and choose us before Creation; and that before Creation, The Father planned for The Son to redeem us by paying the price for the Church, His Bride; and that before Creation, The Father planned for His Holy Spirit to protect The Church by sealing us with His Presence!

I have given you some great pages to help with studying Ephesians. I think this is one of the most valuable words from The Lord about who we are "in Him" through His Spirit.

My Sunday School class spent 2 months slowly digesting chapter one because it has volumes of information about how blessed we are in Christ. Did you catch how much "in Him" we are?  

*We actually sit in the Heavenlies with Him!

*The Holy Spirit lives in us which makes us in Him, so there is no separation!  We need to grasp the Reality of it and believe with demonstration, just like the early church.

God does not live in us as a possession, He is in us for Power to tell the world that they are Redeemed!

Next post:  Diagram of The Church in Ephesians

PENTECOST & PROPHECY

“In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

Your young men will see visions,

Your old men will dream dreams.  

Even on my servants, 

both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

And they will prophesy.  

And everyone who calls on the name 

of the Lord will be saved.”

Joel 2:28-29

JOEL 2 PREDICTED ~ ACTS 2 DECLARED!

I want to introduce you to a new word.  

The word is epignosis and it means experiential knowledge.

Are you living prophecy?  

Have you experienced the Spirit of God being poured out on you?

If so, then you are living prophecy; 

and the evidence is prophesying (declaring the Word of God!)

Why isn't there evidence today of the outpouring of The Holy Spirit like there was when He first came?

The 120 people in that room ALL received the Holy Spirit and ALL of them were changed! They were no longer the same as they were when they came into that room 10 days before!

They did not receive an educational, intellectual knowledge ~ they had an experiential knowledge of The Spirit of God invading their bodies and changing them. There was evidence that something had happened to them...and it was permanent!

Think on this and do a self-examination.  What do you think?

Prophecy is delivering God's Word. Today it is NOT fore-telling, it is forth-telling. Jesus is the final word from God...now we are to obey it and tell others...be witnesses of how we know Him and His Word...and we do it in the power of the Holy Spirit of God that indwells every Believer. (Acts 1:8)

PLEASE NOTE ACTS 2:42-47 and answer this question:

Do we see those who are Believers in Jesus Christ (The Church) living like these did after they received the Holy Spirit?   Why not?

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." 

Acts 2:42-47 NIV

Let's pray and ask The Holy Spirit to ignite us like He did the early church and make His power evident to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that doesn't know they are saved from the penalty of sin; and to born again believers of Jesus Christ who don't really believe that The Spirit of God lives within to help us, teach us, empower us to live and declare God's Word and the good news that Jesus is coming again soon for His Bride - all those who are His.  We were chosen for this time to fulfill Joel's prophecy.

Lord, help our unbelief!

Next post:  What is the Real Church?