Ephesians 5 sketch

Ephesians 5	Sketch
5:1,2	Be like you father, sacrificially care for others.
5:3-6	NOT selfishly and foolishly snatching (implies the absence of God, idolatry). God will judge such sub-human living.
5:7-11	You were of darkness, but now you are of light So don't blend with darkness, shine in distinction.
5:12-14	Wake up to receive light that you need in order to shine light in a troubled world.
5:14-17	Don't get 'wasted' Get filled with life by God's spirit in community celebrating revelation of who God is with gratitude.
5:18-21	The result is we learn how to submit to each other so that we grow up to be the lights we were intended to be.
5:22-33	The relationship, like husband and wife, is Christ to the church. Wives in submission to loving husbands show the way in which the church should trust Christ and submit to him.

Again, the dominate message of Ephesians is change. The change is started by God, empowered and guided by God and ends with God. Yet, passage after passage argues for our active engagement with the grace of God such that we grow up. As adopted children of light, we need to counter darkness by taking in and shining out light. The call is to effectual love here and now based on the transcendent and immenint love of God revealed in Christ and moved by his Spirit.

Ephesians 4 short points

1-3	Paul is declaring that his own loyalty gives him the right to call out for loyalty: Unifying love is a manner worthy of our calling
4-6	1=body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, God
9,10	Up down and all around / Marking out the boundaries of his reign
11-16	How do we get to unifying love?Different people training us how to grow up
17-19	Why? So we don't get fooled by confusing ideas Instead: love in Christ with each other How do we live? Differently because most people are profoundly under informed about God and don't care
20-24	We must put off coping ways,put on Jesus' ways, live out the character of God consistently
25-28	Don't stress about being different, Keep investing in righteousness And live practically as you go so you still relate to this world.
29	How you talk? Does what you say help?
30	This is your purpose!
31	Down with harshness

32	Share the kindness

Skimming Review of Ephesians so Far

I frequently retrace the ideas we have covered so far. Because I go from idea to idea the words are not necessarily the same each time. This makes basic learning difficult, but intermediate learning much more successful.

I would also like everyone planning to be in church on Sunday to have re-worked through Ephesians 1-3 and to have started working through Ephesians 4 for this Sunday.

Shalom! Russell

1:1-14 We are blessed to be adopted as real children with real security and a real purpose. We are forgiven for living against God's purposes so that we can live according to his purposes. His purpose is that we live out the blessings of his grace making his glory known.

1:15-23 Because you trust the LORD (faith)
And you love the family of those who trust the LORD
I ask the LORD to give you wisdom to appreciate the hope

2:1-22 Before God's grace saved you, you were spiritually dead and acted like it. Now you are a new creation intended to live a purposeful life for God's glory. The Jews who have carried the promise of the Messiah, and the non-Jews who have been brought into the promise, are now one under the Lord. We are to be a community of people in whose midst God's glory dwells.

3:1-21 So the prayer is for the church to understand the unfathomably expansive love such that God's wisdom of redeeming us may make his glory known to all, including the rebellious spirits.

4 So God has given the church what it needs to grow up in unity through diversity

5 This will result in rejecting ways that lead to confusion and instead, by God's spirit, lead to connection

6 With that in mind be intentional about living to God's way, not the demonic way of rebellion.

John Piper on Ephesians 3:10

Piper does an excellent exposition:


1) Who are these principalities and powers?
the principalities and powers (of Ephesians 3:10) are supernatural hosts in league with Satan and have a cosmic influence on the course of this age, its people, inventions, and institutions. These are the beings to whom the church is to demonstrate the manifold wisdom of God.

2) What is the divine wisdom the church is to make known to them?
So the mystery of Christ is that in His death on the cross He purchased not just eternal life for individuals who trust him; he purchased and formed a new people, a church composed of Jews and gentiles who are both heirs of God's promises and beneficiaries of God's grace. That is the first stage of revelation: Paul receives the revelation of this mystery.

3) How are we to make it known?
The wisdom of a plan is seen by the fact that it works. We show the wisdom of God by showing in the church that it is working. The death of Christ was not in vain: it has reconciled us to God, it has broken down the wall of hostility between Jew and gentile and other races, it has produced one new body and it has given us the hope of his immeasurable kindness forever. We show the wisdom of God to the cosmic powers by living this way, by being the church Christ died to create.

Ephesians 3 and the Object Lesson for Demons

This Sunday we will delve into the idea from which movies like the Matrix get their inspiration: there is more reality than we realize.

Jews and Gentiles are being built into a temple community in which God dwells withing them.

So, Paul wants them to understand what they have in Christ, despite the fact that it has been a mystery.

As the church fulfills its purpose from God, God uses the church to show the current power brokers (ultimately the demonic) how His wisdom works.

So the church should not fret over hardships happening to Paul. They should experience the power to explore the Love of God so they can be the kind of temple that gets filled up with God!


Ephesians 3:1-21 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles-- (2) assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, (3) how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. (4) When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, (5) which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. (6) This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (7) Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. (8) To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, (9) and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, (10) so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (11) This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, (12) in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. (13) So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (14) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, (15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, (16) that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, (17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (20) Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, (21) to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Faith, Love – Hope. Ephesians

Ephesians 1:7-10 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (8) which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ (10) as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

We Christians are very aware of forgiveness by his grace. We sing about it and even argue about the nuances of how it works out. Unfortunately we sometimes fail to follow through with the implications of this gracious redemption. There is a plan. The plan is driven by the mysterious will of God. However, in Christ, the mysterious is made manifest. What are told is that the plan is to unite everything in heaven and earth. Instead of dissonance, there will be harmony. Christ, the promised Jewish Messiah King, is the one who is the head of this unification. Christ-ians, people who declare loyalty (faith) in him are adopted into his family and part of his work of uniting all in heaven and earth.

Ephesians 1:15-19 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, (16) I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (18) having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might…

Because of this great uniting of heaven and earth, Paul prays for those who have faith in the Lord who unites, and love for those who have been united. What he then asks in prayer for is them to get a clear vision of the hope that is good and real. The hope is good (true riches) and it is real (great power to bring it about, the same power exerted when the Lord Jesus was raised to life over death).

What unfolds in the letter is a back and forth of living in the murkiness of the world contrasted with living an informed life of productive purpose. What Paul explains is the superiority of God in all of this, the reality of the spiritual realm of rebellion (demonic) and very practically, the explanation of why we live in a world that can be mean and weird. The more those united in Christ understand what the hope is, the more they can participate in living it out. So what is the hope?

Ephesians 2:4-10 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- (6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We lived in the murkiness of a world without purpose and fell into the selfish, consumerist trap of indulging our minds and bodies in anything that was temporarily pleasing. We were resigned to the kingdom of death (eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!). BUT GOD, mercifully loved us and gave us life in spite of us. His grace, which we received by faith, was part of the plan to allow us to display the glory of God by living like we were created to live. We were created to live under God's leadership as loving leaders over creation. When our fellowship with God was lost through rebellion, our hope was lost. Now we do not have to live for short term gratification. We have been miraculously brought back into the plan of God to have heaven and earth united in purpose and fellowship so that life is as it ought to be.

How do we get there? In chapter 3 Paul explains why he is involved, and in chapter 4 he shows that the pattern is that God uses people to help people.

Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (16) from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The imagery is of the adopted child growing up to be like the Father who has given the child his surname. Though the natural way of the world we live in is to be tossed about in confusion and foolishness, the hope in Christ is genuine and appropriate love, to God as father and to others as family is the future.

Since the HOPE is mature and healthy love, why wait? We are urged to stop acting like drunken buffoons indulging in vain and foolish things. We are urged to have every aspect of our being invaded and ruled by the spirit of God. The way that looks is someone who is genuinely joyful and grateful, one who looks to serve rather than using others, one who has healthy relationships with their husband or wife, with their children, parents, bosses and employees. Essentially, it is a hope of what will one day be everywhere.

The problem is that we are establishing the future Kingdom of love and light in a world of selfishness and darkness. That is why Paul urges those pursuing the hope of a world under the loving and powerful wisdom of Christ to stand against the rulers of the world of chaos and cruelty:

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

 

So what is the hope? It is what comes from faith that Jesus is in fact Lord of heaven and earth and that there is a growing community defined by genuine love. It is a sense of confidence in what the future will in fact be and a purposeful pursuit to invest in it now by living wisely in the power and love of God, right here, right now.

Karla’s Clever Summation

Karla has a thing about numbers. We have to monitor her to make sure she does not slip into numerology J

Here is her latest application of… special thinking. Unfortunately, her unusual procedures don't come too far off the mark of what we have been looking for: a short overview of the argument made in Ephesians.

The verse 10's of Ephesians

1:10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 2:10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 3:10 God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 4:10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. 5:10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Ephesians 2 Peace on the Construction Site

The way things were	Dead in rebellion
Used to 'walk'	World path
Leader	Prince of the power of the air
Who is that?	Spirit in people who by nature are disobedient
We all were those	Driven by physical and mental desires
God's general response?	Wrath and our anti-life with typical humanity
God's specific response?	Loved us and gave us love that gives life
How are we saved from deadly world/path?	Resurrection with Christ, and act of grace
Where does that put us?	Seated with Christ on the throne from which the Father's will is executed
Why?	We will be a display of God's amazing goodness towards us in times to come
How do we show his goodness?	Grace of God which shows up in us trusting him (faith) that results in us living well
What does this salvation NOT do?	Give us an excuse to brag or to be lazy
What does God have as our destiny	We and the things we do are good works
So remember	One an outsider, now an insider by the victory of Christ
And remember	Christ is our peace, more of him means more real peace (take the time to learn and live this)
How do we have this peace???	We are included in THE project. We are the community in which God will dwell more and more (and the door is open for more)

Ephesians 2 How we got adopted into God’s family

Ephesians 2:1-22 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins (2) in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- (3) among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- (6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.     (11) Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- (12) remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.     (14) For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (15) by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (16) and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (17) And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.     (18) For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Before adoption into family of life and holiness, we were in the family of death and disobedience (of the spirit) obeying a massive range of physical impulses.     Out of control body functions are not pleasant. Our dead spirit meant we were, well, sorta like chickens with their heads cut off. Flapping around randomly.     But God picked us up out of our satanic anarchy and gave us a place, graciously sitting right up there with Jesus     Why? He has a lot of kindness to show us.     So we can't boast about him being so kind to us, his grace saved us from such a pathetic sub-life (certainly not because of our flapping). Now we can get focused and live out good works through Christ, our God ordained purpose.     So, REMEMBER! You used to be hopelessly outside of any claim to anything from God. Even though you were far now you are brought close through Messianic sacrifice.                     We have peace with God and the people expressing who God is because of Christ. Now we are one family when we are in Christ.                                 In Christ we are in the Spirit who grants us access to the father. He knows us and we belong to his Kingdom and family.     The temple building is made of people who were taught by Christ and now teach us. We grow together to be a committed place for God to be.

 

Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15-23 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, (16) I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, (17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (18) having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (19) and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might (20) that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (22) And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

 

Argument is like this:

1:1-14    God is ultimately going to put everything under Christ's authority. He has placed you in Christ by the Spirit. You are part of his original plan of making his glory known everywhere.

1:15-23    So, since you have faith in the Lord and love for others I pray you will know the hope of your destination. Essentially when your faith, love and hope work together you will be able to fully participate in the reordering of creation.

Basically: God has always planned to make a glorious world by using redeemed people indwelt with himself such that creation gets filled with his glory. Paul sees this in general and writes to Christians saying you are specific participants in this great plan so I pray you will see that and get on board!

The whole book of Ephesians is about a revolution of Creator over creation. The fall was creation over and against Creator. The absurdity is that creation is not self-existent. God is self-existent. That means he does not get life from elsewhere, he is life. When creation (people etc.) separate from the Creator, we necessarily separate from life. The fallen world is the world in separation from the live giving God. That is why death is the way of the fallen world.

The demonic enjoy the highest status in a God rejecting world. They foster a regime of creation as supreme mindset because it brings them glory and power and honor. What this book will explain is how rebellious man, under the rebel authority(powers and principalities) gets won over to the Creator of creation side. By this grace we are empowered to become counter-revolutionaries. First in ourselves and secondly in the world around us, we have love and life and purity overcome confusion, death and separation.

What is the goal of our counter-revolution? What is our hope?

Our HOPE is loyal (faithful) and powerful participation in the unification of creation under the Triune Creator. God has gifted us individually and communally to get on with that. Like Paul prayed in this passage, I sure ask him to give you the wisdom and unveiling in your spiritual self to see this as the goal so you will confidently apply yourself!!!

Receive the prayer for this and share the prayer. Understand what you are called to and pray that others see this too!.

Ephesians 1:1-14

Ephesians 1:1-14 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: (2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love (5) he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, (6) to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (7) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (8) which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ (10) as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (11) In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, (12) so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. (13) In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, (14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

 
 

We are blessed to be adopted as real children with real security and a real purpose. We are forgiven for living against God's purposes so that we can live according to his purposes. His purpose is that we live out the blessings of his grace making his glory known.

 

What does that seem like today? Life in Christ is a start, but there is more than just being forgiven. We have the full assurance of where we are headed, but not the full experience. The best is yet to come!