Ephesians Pt 4: Unique Individuals United In Christ / One Call, Many Gifts

God’s Word about HIS Church

This letter is essential to the biblical church of Jesus Christ!

Recap of Chapters 1, 2 & 3

This letter written to believers / the church / holy people / faithful followers of Christ. Christ chose His people before creation, predestined adoption… purchased by Christ. The revelation that Christ will be given all authority when He returns is central. Christ gives us a share of His inheritance (both Jews & Gentiles). In saving us God seals us with His Indwelling Spirit, a guarantee of eternity. Paul prays believers grow in spiritual wisdom & understanding of their call & power. We were all dead in sin, God made us alive in Christ, united in His resurrection. We are saved by God’s unmerited favor, to be His masterpiece He planed long ago. Christ’s work on the cross unites all believers no matter the background. This creates The Church: all spirit filled believers, based on the foundation of God’s messengers. We are all called to be bondservants of Christ if He has called us. The church is how God will display His wisdom to the forces of evil. Paul prays for believers to be spiritually strengthened by understanding Christ’s love. The church glorifies God by Him working in unity with a balance of love and truth.

Ephesians 4:1-16

1 Therefore, as a bondservant of our Lord, I beg you to live a life worthy of the privilege you have been summoned to. 2 A life of total humility marked by kindness and patience as you endure with one another in (generous) love, 3 continuously striving to protect the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

  • As one who has accepted the eternal privileged, I urge you to do as I have
  • Salvation has incredible privileges & responsibilities (opposite of Cheap Grace)
  • We live in harmony with what we have been given by being totally humble!
  • We are to kindly and patiently endure with other Biblical Christians
  • Christ’s bondservants are called to make the unity of HIS Body a big priority
  • The unity of the Spirit is essential to the privilege we’re given, we must protect it 

4 There is one body of believers, united by One Spirit—you were called to this singular hope. 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

  • There is only one group that makes up Christ’s Church (He knows the roster)
  • The Holy Spirit is a unique and one of a kind ‘Divine Person’ (As Christ is)
  • The ‘Singular Hope’ is that there is but ONE way for people to be saved
  • The Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ is a specific message / specific truth
  • There is only One worthy to be the Lord of our souls (Jesus Christ)
  • There is only one proper Church, it is based on Scripture (ONE Divine Destiny)
  • There is only one ‘State of Identification’ (multifaceted meaning of ‘baptism’)
  • Indwelling Holy Spirit ‘Marks You’ / Obedient Self-Identification: Biblical Baptism
  • There is but ONE United Deity who in Three Persons encompasses Everything!

‘In Christ’ is a shared identity, a shared metaphysical reality, a shared calling, a shared hope, a shared revelation of who God IS!! All of these together unite us in the sacred and awe-inspiring privilege of being Jesus Christ’s Body! For each member of the body of Christ, these Privileges / Gifts are the same (universal / normative)

7 On the other hand, to each one separately grace was appointed according to the specific gift of Christ. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended to the heavenly realm, He led His captive multitude, supplying them with spiritual gifts”

  • God has a corporate relationship with each of us and and individual one as well
  • He specifically & uniquely gives us grace in the form of different spiritual gifting
  • When God’s Spirit indwells you (Christ takes you captive) you get ‘spiritual gifts’
  • God quotes Himself: reference to part of Psalm 68:18 

He ascends into the heavenly heights, taking his many captured ones with him, leading them in triumphal procession. And gifts were given to men, even the once rebellious, so that they may dwell with Yahweh. Psalm 68:18 TPT

  • The indwelling of God’s Spirit unites us with God for eternity (dwell with Him)

9 In saying, “He ascended,” it means He had previously descended to a lower place: Earth. 10 The One who descended is the Very One who also ascended far above all the realms of the universe, that He might encompass all things.

  • Psalm 68 is a ‘Messianic Psalm’ written by David 
  • This foretells the Incarnation and the ultimate ascension of Christ
  • As we saw last week, He condescended to human level in order to be above all
  • Christ ‘came down’ and sacrificed Himself making us His ‘Bondservants’

11 He alone appointed those He would send, those who would speak for Him, those who would proclaim His message, those who would steward His body and who would teach His will and ways.

  • To all of Christ’s captives, to the ones who are forever HIS… 
  • He gave individuals different spiritual gifts (everyone get something)
  • Apostles: Those gifted to go to different places to grow His Body
  • Prophets: Those gifted to speak from God’s point of view: (General & Specific)
  • Preachers: Those gifted to proclaim the Biblical Gospel Of Jesus Christ
  • Pastors: Those gifted to lead & care for His Church: Spirit Indwelt Believers
  • Teachers: Those gifted to act as an experienced guide to the Scriptures

Why did God in all of His wisdom endow His ‘Captives’ with spiritual gifts like this?

12 His purpose is to specifically prepare those He made holy for duty serving the Gospel, providing spiritual structure for the body of Christ, 13 until we all arrive to oneness of conviction and insight regarding the revealed Son of God, making us fully mature based on all that Christ is. 

  • Christ doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called
  • Each one He puts His Spirit in He then prepares to spirituall serve ‘His Body’
  • These gifting areas are there to provide the spiritual foundation of ‘His Church’
  • These gifts will be given & used by Jesus Christ’s Church until…
  • All of Christ’s Captives completely understand Him in perfect, united maturity
  • This is known as ‘Heaven’
  • The work of being discipled so that you can disciple goes on until Jesus returns

14 We are not meant to remain immature; our thinking unsettled, moved by every wind of shifting information, influenced by human lust and deceptive schemes.

  • God has set up His Body (The ‘WE’ here) to grow, gifted people to assist in that
  • If you have been given God’s Spirit it is incumbent upon you to become mature
  • When you remain immature you can be pulled this way and that
  • When you remain immature you jump on every new ‘progressive teaching’
  • God is a big subject, you can’t google it or watch a few YouTubes and have it
  • It takes years of study and application under the superintending of God’s Spirit 
  • People spend years studying for their career, how about for your eternity?
  • We should focus on our discipleship more than anything else: Why?
  • Immaturity is destructive! It gives Satan ways to fracture our unity
  • It’s opposite of what God desires; those not pursuing maturity are in rebellion
  • Maturity is born of consistently walking with God and His People by His Spirit 
  • There are no shortcuts!

15 Instead let us establish our lives on the truth of generous love, growing in every way according to our head; Christ; 16 He fits his whole body together in unity, each part supporting the whole in a unique way so that the whole body develops spiritually from generous love. 

  • Instead of neglecting doing what it takes to become mature, let’s do this:
  • Make the truth of the biblical Christ the foundation of everything we do
  • Get to know Jesus so well you constantly grow to be more like Him
  • Cooperate with Him & His Bondservants to become part of this ‘Holy Organism’
  • Support other members in abundant love, growing the whole church spiritually

SUMMARY:

Just like Paul, we are all called to be bondservants of Christ. And because it is such an eternal blessing we should do our best to honor the One who gave us these blessings by living in the ways this Scripture lists, united by His Spirit. 

Through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ’s Body is united in ONE; calling, reality, identity, fellowship, Lord, and eternal hope. For each individual Christ has made His captive, it is the same.

The Body of Christ, HIS Church, is defined by specific truths stated in God’s Word that are singular and unchanging, they do not evolve, they don’t change with the times. These truths are defined by God’s Word and have been followed by His people for almost 2000 years. 

Jesus Christ possesses His Followers, they are His ‘captives’. The Biblical church is made of such people and exists to disciple and deploy them. Having indwelt them with His Spirit they become willing bondservants and vehicles of HIS grace.

Each captive Christ takes shares in the same eternal privileges, but each is also gifted individually with measures of specific gifts to provide spiritual structure for Christ’s Body, The Church. These structural gifts represent God’s foundational business, the core competency of Jesus Christ’s Church. 

God places people into the spiritual leadership structure of His local church by equipping them with measures and combinations of the gifts listed:

Woody: Pastor / Pastor / Prophet 

Greg: Pastor / Teacher / Prophet 

Todd: Apostle / Pastor / Teacher 

Spiritual Maturity (defined by Scripture) is not a option, it is essential to each person who is biblically converted to Christ Following. Immaturity in the Body of Christ opens it up to spiritual attack because evil influences can ‘move’ the immature. (5)

Four Musts for Maturity: To become mature God says YOU MUST:

#1. Establish your life on the truth of time tested interpretations of the Scriptures.

#2. Grow in ‘Generous Love’ based on the biblical person of Christ Jesus.

#3. Allow God to integrate you into His local family business, His Spirit Indwelt Body.

#4. Biblically support YOUR church and the God-established leadership of it. (6)

APPLICATION: 

Have you spent as much time, energy and resources living up to the privilege of being Christ’s bondservant as you have spent on your education, career, family, sports, travel, entertainment?

If God’s Word declares the singular unchanging truth about so many aspects of what we know as Christianity, how can there be new interpretations of what a Christian is and what Jesus’ Church is?

How much have you focused on discovering your spiritual gifts and developing them? Can you expect to become spiritually mature without operating in your spiritual gifting?

Rate yourself from 1 to 5 as to your consistent obedience to the 4 musts of maturity. 

#1. Establish your life on the truth of time tested interpretations of the Scriptures.

#2. Grow in ‘Generous Love’ based on the biblical person of Christ Jesus.

#3. Allow God to integrate you into His local family business, His Spirit Indwelt Body.

#4. Biblically support YOUR church and the God-established leadership of it

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The Ultimate Act Of Humility Creates The Ultimate Community!

The community of Spirit in-dwelt followers of Christ!

True community is elusive to mankind! Our default as human beings is not to unity, it is to self and pride which leads to sin. Community has been desired and idealized throughout history and we know deep down in our souls that real community is essential.

Community (‘Common-Unity’) is defined as a specific and commonly shared way of life that unites people. To achieve common-unity people must share a specific communal mentality and attitude. Common-unity requires group ownership of common purposes, shared values and goals. 

It is hard for humans to agree on these things, has been for all history. In Scripture and any other account we have of the history of humanity, common-unity is a fleeting condition for people. Warfare is the result of disunity and we certainly have more war than unity on this planet. Why is it so hard for people to live in common–unity?

The Biblical Jesus Christ came to unite us with our creator which enables us to unite with our brother and sisters. As we follow him we too can be a part of God reconciling all creation to Himself. In Him we are given common unity with God and in this we can form the ultimate community: Jesus Christ’s Church

What is the basis on which we have this common-unity? How do we envision it? 

Is there an essential element we can grab on to to always be our guide and foundation? 

What creates this ultimate community for those who follow Christ? It is the ultimate act of humility that was His death on the cross. That humility is our example, it is our empowering and it is our lifestyle to grow in.

Philippians 2:1-11

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

  • These are rhetorical questions if you follow the Biblical Christ
  • What could be more encouraging? More comforting? 
  • I can testify to supernatural connection with other Spirit-filled Believers
  • My heart has been tenderized…but it needs more
  • So then based on these amazing privileges Christ has given us…
  • Be united with the rest of the Body of Christ, all the way!
  • Agree wholeheartedly, love each other, work together (all W/ 1 mind & purpose)
  • No Problem! Right?

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

  • Here is how you do it: get over yourself! There is no ME in community
  • Learn true humility and practice it…the hardest thing any of us will do
  • We have to let God make us selfless because sin makes us the exact opposite
  • Care for others! Don’t ignore yourself, just care for others too
  • Consideration…. Practicing being considerate of others (Philippines)
  • The more you care for others the less you think you are better 
  • The more you care for others the more truly humble & selfless you get

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

  • To pull this off you need to look at everything the way Christ does
  • For Christ humility is a ‘Be-Attitude’ (mindset leading to action)
  • Whatever you are or have, place it under God & be willing to give it up
  • Christ was willing to come down to our level, that’s a big drop
  • What could be harder to give up than Godhood? 
  • Are we willing to ‘condescend’ in any way God would have us based on Christ?

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges, He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He came in human form, 8 He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

  • So rather than leverage His position, Christ became the least of us
  • It was an amazing act humility to become human! (when You are God)
  • But the ultimate act of humility was allowing His creation to execute Him!
  • This is our example of humility & selflessness (The highest of standards)
  • Total Condescension… Perfect Condescension
  • God’s will is enacted by Christ’s humility and obedience
  • In the same way, God’s will is enacted by OUR humility and obedience

9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

  • Because of Christ’s perfect humility & obedience He is the apex of everthing 
  • The last will be first and the first will be last…
  • It glorifies God to come and die for you and me (Sacrificial Love)
  • What God / Christ did makes Him worthy of all glory from everything!
  • This act of ultimate humility creates His church; the ultimate community!

TO THOSE WHO CALL HIM LORD…HE IS EVERYTHING!

As His followers we should spend our lives developing HIS attitude!

How do we doit? 

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

  • A life of imitating Christ by yielding to His Spirit within us takes practice
  • We all have to grow out from under direct supervision and fly solo
  • It takes hard work, focus, and persistence to get results: 
  • The results of our salvation show up in relationships and sacrifice
  • We must practice reverence & awe or we will become complacent
  • WE HAVE to do it because God has invested eternity in us!
  • He is working in YOU!! SO, how can you cooperate with Him more?
  • How do we get the attitude of Christ? 
  • Hard work and reverent obedience grows humility & consideration of others
  • And this kind of biblical discipleship creates biblical community!

SUMMARY:

What we have ‘In Christ’; comfort, belonging, fellowship and compassion, is given to us to form the basis of our united thought and purpose. (His Church)

The way we live out this unity is by being considerate of others and acting from a position of humility and self-awareness.

Our example is Christ; The Incarnation of God all-everything, who laid all of His deity aside to be considerate of our eternal souls need for salvation.

In the ultimate act of humility, Christ in human form subordinated himself to the welfare of all humanity as He allowed His own creation to execute Him.

By choosing to be lowest Christ Jesus becomes the Highest! One day HE will be worshiped by all creation, we have been given grace to do it now!

We have been given grace to follow Christ’s perfect example of obedience; reverently relying on God to conform us to His will. To that we add our hard work: honoring God and worship HIM.

APPLICATION:

(V 1 & 2) )How well do you take stock of and appreciate all of the privileges you have been given in Christ Jesus? Would sharing those things make you more aware and thankful?

(V 3 & 4) What are YOU selflessly doing for others to build Common Unity here at Midtown? Is there something new you can do? Is there something you are doing that you can do more of?

(V 6, 7 & 8) What things are you willing to give up in order to be considerate of others? Things can include time, emotion, expertise, money and possessions.

(V 12 & 13) How do you balance hard work and reverent reliance on God as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Do you need new practices or more consistency with established practices?

Application for V 9, 10 & 11 is:  Have you fulled surrendered your life to Christ’s Lordship? The assumption Paul is making is that the recipients of this letter all have come to salvation in Jesus Christ. But God knew others would read this letter .

If you have NOT fully surrendered your life to God; today is the day!

If you have surrounded you life to Christ I encourage you to rely on God’s power to help you commit more hard work to your discipleship!

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Ephesians Pt 3: The Truth & Love Of Christ

Jesus lived the perfect balance of Truth and Love. The Biblical Gospel is a message of truth and love combined in a person. 

This is the 3rd chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in the city of Ephesus. In the previous chapters Paul has outlined the Biblical Gospel. Unity In The Biblical Gospel Of Christ’s Death, Resurrection and 2nd Coming. Unity In The Biblical Indwelling Of God’s Spirit giving eternal life. Unity In The Biblical View of God’s Authority based on His Word.

This chapter focuses on God’s uniting all peoples through the work of Christ. Being included in the gospel was critical for the Ephesians because they had been victims of exclusion by Jews. We need this message today, the truth of Christ and the Love of Christ bringing all people together 

EPHESIANS 3

1 For this reason, I Paul, am a bondservant of Christ Jesus for you gentiles. 2 I expect that you have heard about the stewardship of God’s grace that was entrusted to me for your benefit.

3 This mystery was made known to me by God’s revelation, as I have already written briefly to you about. 4 Accordingly when you read this you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 

5 It was not made known to humanity in other generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by operation of The Spirit. 6 Specifically that the gentiles are joint heirs, fellow members of the body and partakers together in the promise of Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7 Of this gospel I became a servant according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me by the exercise of His power. 8 To me, the very least of all saints, grace was given to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 9 Fully illuminating the plan of this mystery, which was concealed until this age in God who created all.

10 So now, through His church, God’s infinite wisdom shall be declared to the rulers and authorities who occupy spiritual realms, 11 according to the eternal purposes He accomplishes through Christ Jesus our Lord. 

12 In Him we have confidence that we are truly connected to God by faith. 13 On this account, you should not let my afflictions on your behalf trouble you, they are your future glory.

14 For this exact reason I bow my knees unto the Father 15 who is the source of everything in heaven and on earth. May the abundance of His glory create strength and power in the depths of your soul by means of the One Spirit. 

17 That Christ may dwell in your heart based on truth, firmly fixed and established in love. 18 That you will be empowered to understand in unity with all the saints what is the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s love. 19 That you may experience it in a way that surpasses knowledge; making you complete in the fullness of God!

20 We pray to the One who is able to provide so much more than we can ask or imagine according to His power that is working within us. 21 To Him be honor in His church because of Christ Jesus for all generations forever and ever! Amen.

SUMMARY:

God breathed these words through Paul for all of us; God works through Spirit-led leadership to guide Spirit-led followship.

The Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to unite all ethnicities, groups, sects and factions.

Paul was chosen to declare the unsearchable riches of Christ. Jesus’s Church is to continue declaring the riches of Christ’s to the forces of evil

As His Church we are confident in eternity, and we depend on God to strengthen and empower us by His Spirit. 

Balancing truth and love, unified as His people we can know the fullness of Christ’s love.

We honor Christ’s love for us by entrusting our lives to Him , empowered by His Spirit. (Biblical Discipleship) 

APPLICATION:

How & why do you fully place yourself under the authority of God’s Word?

What attitudes and actions are the result of good Followship / Discipleship?

How can Midtown do a better job of declaring the riches of Christ to the forces of evil?

What are some ways you might grow in the experience of Christ’s love and unite with other believers?

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Jesus Christ Our Advocate

Pt. 2 of The Heart Of Christ
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EPHESIANS Pt 2: Once Far, Now You Are Home!

The Book of Ephesians is a Theological Treasure Trove!

(Note: The message is in two parts around our sharing the Lord’s Table)

Two weeks ago in Chapter 1 we saw: Four Uniting Foundations OF MIDTOWN CHURCH

Unity In God’s Word as understood and applied consistently for 2000 years.

Unity In The Biblical Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Unity In The Biblical Indwelling Of God’s Spirit

Unity In The Biblical View of God’s Sovereignty / Authority

Our text today gives us critical truth regarding the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ and how that creates The New Testament Church / Christ’s Body.

Elements of The Biblical Gospel contained in Ephesians 2: 

We all are born in a condition deserving God’s wrath for our rebellion and disobedience. We all need to be converted, BY GOD and only by God into His spiritual family. Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection are central and essential. On the cross Christ takes the wrath we deserve. In His resurrection we are united by His grace, making us alive with Him eternally. 

He does it all from His unfathomable grace and love. We are the recipients of the faith to believe He has made peace for us and with us. 

He saves those far from Him and near to Him, bringing us tog dies’ / ‘Local Churches’ that are built on the foundation of those He chose to reveal Himself through with Christ being the cornerstone. For 2000 years, followers of Christ have read this book and applied it the same way. God is the basis, power, determiner and enactor of our being placed into membership in the body of Christ (this body). Committed Membership is an essential environment in which we apply this Scripture.

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2

1 Once you were dead in your condition of disobedience and sin. 2 You lived based on the order of this world, obeying the ruler of an unseen world, the spiritual force that actively empowers unbelief.

  • Pointed directly at each individual in audience: ‘The Truly-Yielded In Christ’
  • In order to be ‘In Christ’ you must recognize that you were once ‘Not In Christ’
  • Whether overt sin or unseen attitudes, Scripture says we all obeyed Satan!

3 All of us once lived this way, serving the passionate desires and inclinations of our flesh. We were born in this condition and subject to God’s wrath, as is all humanity.

  • Commonality of our condition makes us all the same degree guilty of rebellion
  • Scripture states we don’t have to learn how to sin, it is our base condition
  • Scripture declares every human is deserving of God’s wrath / punishment 

If we accept this as The Truth about our condition BEFORE God rescues us, then we shall also recognize that we have no remedy for this situation…

4 But God in His unparalleled mercy and unending love, made us alive together with Christ, 5 even though we were spiritually dead because of our sins! It is only by God’s grace that we have been saved! 

  • But God! 
  • May all those God has bought with His blood & placed His Spirit into rejoice! 
  • Incomprehensible Mercy! Love that is Eternal and Omni-Everything! 
  • Grace: Unearned Favor! That is what saves you and I, God in His GRACE!

6 He raised us from the dead in Christ and gave us eternal life because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 For all eternity God will demonstrate the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

  • God’s eternal animation of our Souls comes from our being made one W/ Christ
  • Those God redeems are the eternal legacy of His favor based on His goodness

8 You are saved by God’s grace through faith. This is not your doing; it is the gift of God. 9 This salvation is not the result of anything we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, fashioned in Christ Jesus, to do the virtuous things He foreordained. 

  • What saves each of us is one thing and one thing only: Grace (redundant)
  • This grace is understood, experienced and lived out based on faith
  • We don’t do the grace part & we don’t do the faith part. Both are gifts of God!!
  • If you think you made it happen…then you don’t have it! 
  • ‘We’ refers to those Christ has made to be His church, to continue His legacy

11 Remember you Gentiles were called uncircumcised by those who were circumcised in man made ways.12 Remember you were without the intervention of Christ. You were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenant promises God made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

  • Don’t ever forget how far you have come! (‘Unchurched’ is today’s equivalent)
  • However you were raised you can be the recipient of God’s grace
  • Until God makes us His we are truly without hope!

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 Christ himself is our peace. He united Jews and Gentiles when, in his own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us from God.

  • Being far from God can be overcome, In Christ!
  • How does it happen ‘By The Blood’??? God sheds His own ‘Life Force’ for U!
  • The person of Jesus Christ is stressed, our faith is not in doctrine, it’s in Christ!
  • The surrender of Jesus’ body removed the barrier (Sin) between us & God

15 This abolished the law of commandments and statutes so He could create in Himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together, Christ reconciles both groups to God and to each other, by means of his death on the cross.

  • Christ’s death on the cross rendered the Mosaic Law unnecessary
  • The law divided ethnic groups, Christ’s death make one new group
  • Christ’s death on the cross makes reconciliation with God and others happen

17 Christ came to announced this Good News of peace to those alien to God, and peace to those near to God. 18 Now all people can have access furnished by the One Spirit to the Father. 19 You are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people.

  • The message of the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ is for all people
  • The indwelling of The One Spirit connects us to God, He unites with us
  • All who biblically convert to Christ’s Lordship belong equally to a community
  • This is Jesus’ church, it’s a big deal

20 Together we are members of God’s spiritual family, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 We are purposefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple in Christ The Lord. 22 Together were are becoming the dwelling place of God’s Spirit.

  • We each ‘convert’ to God’s family as an individual; surrendering to His call
  • That call and our surrender is informed by those God revealed Himself through
  • Christ is the apex of God’s revelation, the cross & resurrection are crucial
  • True salvation only come from a biblical response to the biblical message
  • This unity of being makes us God’s Temple, we each house His Spirit
  • As Christ’s Church our unity is based on Scripture (not feelings or social norms)

SUMMARY

We all are born in rebellion against God, living under the rule of Satan, deserving ‘God’s Justice’.

God came to our world, His death & resurrection unites us in eternal life with Christ.

Those God saves by grace, are an eternal demonstration of His mercy, love and kindness.

Christ’s Biblical Church are His ‘humbled handiwork’, living in grace by faith, doing God’s will.

All spirit filled believers are united to each other and to God through Christ’s death & resurrection forming God’s Spiritual Family / Christ’s Body / The New Testament Church.

Each local group of believers exists based on Scripture and in unity worship & honor their Lord.

APPLICATION:

Based on this passage what is your role in becoming saved from God’s wrath by Christ’s death & resurrection?

How do you consistently express the gratitude you have for Christ uniting you to God?

What are some examples of how you lived differently before and after surrendering your life to Jesus Christ? Have you begun the good work God has appointed you to?

If you are a member of this church, how well are you living up to the commitment you made in signing the member covenant?

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