[Biblemat] S) THREE THINGS TO KNOW

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my files.
Use to the glory of God.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

       It is important to know some things for certain.  You should
know your blood pressure numbers, it is a matter of life and of
death.  You should know your social security number, it is a mat-
ter of retirement and legal status.  And, it is a wise  thing to know
your wife's birthday and your wedding anniversary.  That might
save your life, too.

       When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he told them he
was praying for them.  He was praying that they, too, would come to certainty 
about some important things.  He tells them
(and us) three things we should know for sure:  Take time just 
here to read (Eph. 1:15-23).

       Paul writes to a church surrounded by a superstitious cult-
ure.  In the first century the people of Asia Minor beleived in 
spirits, demons and beings who could effect their lives.  These
mysterious "creatures" were unpredictable and had to be appea-
sed with worship, offerings or sacrifices.  So, people would often do a quick 
oath when bad things happened.  It was the 
commonly accepted thing.  This was the society in which the
church at Ephesus was established.  So,  Paul writes to this
body so that they will be certain of some very important truths.

The Hope Of God's Call: -- Paul prays that we will know the hope
of His calling.  The apostle doesn't want us to be afraid of forces
in our society, whether they are based on superstitions or facts.
We have a hope that cannot be shaken.  When God calls us into
fellowship with Him through His Son, we enter into a hope that 
sustains us through all troubles.

       There are some important issues to realize with our hope.
First, our hope is not based on ourselves, but His calling.  If we
are honest about our lives, we know that we do not live up to all
that God wants us to be.  None of us lives sinlessly.  If we look
at ourselves, we have little hope, because we have not done well
enough to deserve God's mercy.

       But, if the call originates with God, then we can have confid-
ence because He makes salvation happen, not us.  We have hope, not because we 
have done enought but because God has
done enough to make our salvation possible.

       In our world we need this kind of hope.  Gas prices are soar-
ing.  Elections that could change our society in fundamental 
ways are looming.  We have forces all around us changing our
way of living in subtle and not so subtle ways.  Like the people
of Ephesus, we can feel as if these events will overwhelm us.
But God calls us into His Son, and in that relationship we have
a sure hope.

The Glory Of God's Inheritance: -- Secondly, Paul wants us to
know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.  He
reminds us of the inheritance we enjoy as children of God.  This
is no small pittance.  We are to experience the riches of His glory
God has been generous to us in grace and mercy.  We can live
as if we have plenty of God's spiritual blessings.

       Too many of us walk around as if we were spiritual paupers.
We consider ourselves to be weak, to be lacking, to fail too often
But, again, God has not called us to a way of life that is spiritual-
ly poor, but to an inheritance that will last through eternity.  God
has enough patience, grace, kindness to put up with any of us
who have come to Him through Jesus, the Son.

       We must throw off the idea that we are scraping by as Christ-
ians.  God never promises us material wealth, but He does prom-
ise that we will have all that we need in the spiritual realm.  So,
as many times as you need to turn to God for forgiveness, for-
giveness will be given.  As often as you need to repent of a sin
and ask God to help you, He will help you as you face temptat-
ion again and again.  We have an inheritance that is beyond
imagination.  That is why Paul wants us to know what we have 
in Christ.

The Greatness Of God's Power: -- Four times in verse 19 Paul
uses a different Greek word for power.  He describes God's 
working, His strength and His might.  It is as if the apostle is wanting to 
overwhelm us with the knowledge of God's awesome
ability.  He describes this power in four ways.

       First, it was proven when He raised Jesus from the dead.  At
the cross, Satan thought he had beaten the Lord.  He had used
his evil methods quite successfully, using God's own people to
kill God's only begotten Son.  Then, God raised Jesus from the
dead, proving that He has power over death, and that Satan 
would lose, no matter what.  We can trust God's power for our
lives because of the empty tomb of Jesus.

       Second, God's power was proven when He seated Jesus at 
His own right hand.  Jesus has taken authority over all other
forces in the world.  This should give the Christian a great sense
of contentment.  No matter how high gas prices go, our Lord is
Lord of all, even the oil companies.  No matter what terrorists or
foreign governments do, Jesus is in charge of even them.  God's
power is demonstrated in that Jesus has been given authority
over evil.

       Third, God's power is seen in the Headship of Jesus.  He is
Head over all things (as we just saw), but specifically He is Head
over His church.  We should never worry about the future of the
church, not as long as Jesus is its Head.  He sits enthroned, rul-
ing all of the creation, with a special attention to those He has
saved.

       Finally, God's power is proven in the fulness of Jesus, who
fills all in all.  Jesus is the complete representation of the pres-
ence of God Himself.  The church, His body, reflects this presen-
ce.  The church is not just some mundane group meeting  in a
building.  It is the glorious reflection of the presence of Jesus
and God.  This should help us rethink our attitude toward the 
body of Christ.  We are the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

The Chracteristics Of This Church: -- As Paul prays for our know-
ledge of God's blessings, he reminds us that the church is a community of 
believers with several important qualities.

       First, the church is a praying community.  Paul is praying for
this group of people.  If you read his other letters, the apostle
mentions repeatedly that he was praying for the churches and
the individuals in those churches.  I don't know how much time
Paul devoted to his daily prayers, but it must have been consid-
erable.

       The church of Jesus Christ should be a praying community.
In this text Paul's prayer is designed to enlighten them and build
them up in faith.  Prayer can do things that nothing else can do.
In prayer, you may discover deeper meanings to God's Words.
In prayer, you may find deepening faith that equips you to cope
with the many challenges of our secular society.

       Second, the church is a loving community.  Paul mentions
their love for all the saints.  Their love was not just local, it was for all 
who had given themselves to Jesus.  And their love was 
not some hidden aspect of their church work.  Paul had heard
of their faith and their love.

       Too often we fail to recall the words of Jesus.  "A new comm-
andment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have
loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will
know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one anoth-
er" (Jno. 13:34,35).  The world should hear of our love for each
other, not just the churches in other places.  Love should be the
standout quality that others find in the body of Christ.

       Third, Paul wants the church to be a thinking community.  He prays 
that we will be enlightened and that  we will come to
know these three vital facts.  God never intended His people to
put away their reasoning.  We can trust God's promises because
we have considered them and thought about them.  In our think-
ing, we come to a deeper understanding of God and His Ways.

       Christians are sometimes criticized as unthinking, ignorant,
superstitious people.  But the fact is, God wants us to be serious
about His Will.  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God
as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling
accurately the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).  God wants us to 
know the word of truth accurately and handle it appropriately.
We are to be a thinking people.

       Fourth, Paul wants us to be a confident community of faith.
We should not be frightened or discouraged.  Some churches
adn individuals in them think they cannot do God's works.  They
are too small, or too insignificant, or too far off the beaten path.
But God has blessed us, empowered us, and told us He would
be with us.  Jesus assures us, "I am with you always, even to the end of the 
age" (Matt. 28:20).  We can be confident, not be-
cause of our size or abilities, but because God and His Son are
with us.

       God's children should not live in fear.  With Jesus as Head 
over all things, seated at God's right hand, there is nothing man
can do to us that God cannot turn into victory.  That is what He
did at the cross, and He can do it in every body of believers.

       Lastly, Paul reminds us that we are a community of people
with great power.  God's power is aimed at and works through
those who believe.  We forget how powerful God is.  If we prayed
more, understood more clearly His blessings, we would call on
Him to open more doors, defeat more enemies and lead His church in triumph.

       That is why Paul could say, "I can do all things through Him
Who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).  The more we come to know
the Lord who has called us, the more we will live powerful lives.
God is not weak, and He doesn't want us living as if the only
strength we have is our own human abilities.

       Christians need to know these great truths.  But, if you are
not a Christian, you need to see that all these blessings are found in 
Christ.  You need to come to Christ and let Him forgive
you by His grace.  He died for you, and came back from the dead
and rules eternally by God's side.  In Him you have hope, in Him
you have the riches of God's blessings, in Him you have power
to face the uncertainties of life.  How can you get into Christ?
Listen to Paul one more time:  "For you are all sons of God through faith in 
Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Gal. 3:26,27).
Experience the fullness of your salvation today!  -----------------
David Thurman in Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 23, June 6, 2008.   </HTML>
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