July 18, 2010

Lesson: Ephesians 6:10–24

Key Verse: Ephesians 6:10

A

Introduction

Paul is a prisoner of Nero. His Roman prison does not hinder him from encouraging those who are facing persecution and temptation. Nero is setting himself up as both emperor and god.  But it is not in our strength as Christians that we do battle with the world around us, or even against that old nature within us—we do battle in the strength of the Lord. It is the performance of the Holy Spirit within us that we die to sin and live to Christ. It is the performance of the King of kings that nations are brought low or built up, all to the glory of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul’s admonition to us is that we are to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. “To summon up courage and vigor; for there is always much to enfeeble us, and we are ill fitted to resist. But when our weakness is considered, an exhortation like this would have no effect, unless The Lord were present, and stretched out his hand to render assistance, or rather, unless he supplied us with all the power” (Calvin).

A

Be strong in the Lord: Ephesians 6:10–13

In the power of might of our Lord! This is a picture of the presence of the Almighty God. The strength of the Christian lies first and foremost in the active presence of the Lord who not only leads, but fights the battle for us. We are told to be strong in the power, dominion, and strength of the Lord. Our Lord spoke to the apostle John, saying: “I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). The 24 elders around the throne of God sang, “We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and reigned” (Rev. 11:17). We exercise our faith with strength from above, beginning with repentance, trust, prayers, Bible studies, witness, etc.

It is God who provides us with the right armor to do battle against the evil one. The Christian belongs to the household of God, we are subjects of Christ’s kingdom, and he provides all we need for the life he has given to us through his death and resurrection. The armor we wear as Christians is of God’s divine appointment. If we are to have victory and success in this world then we must wear the armor which our King provides.

Wrestling against the hosts of wickedness! Ours is a spiritual warfare. The wicked may kill the body but they cannot kill the soul. The humanists of this world wish that we would serve their god rather than the true God as he has revealed himself in his Word. The principalities are those who rule, i.e., the magistrates. The powers are the governing powers, over against the governing power of Christ. The rulers of this world are the evil spirits of men and of fallen angels. The darkness needs to be stopped forcibly by the Light, Christ Jesus. Wickedness is the malicious thoughts and actions of evil men. We continue to wrestle with the evil of this world.

Being able to withstand in the evil day! Satan is crafty, and so are his followers. We pray, lead us not into the temptation of those who would lead us to sin. We stand in covenant with God. We fight under the banner of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We persevere in Christ our King: “There can be no perseverance without true grace in the heart. Every soul clad with this armor of God shall stand and persevere; or thus, true grace can never be vanquished. The Christian is a true conqueror, the gates of hell shall not prevail against him,” (Gurnall).

Discussion: What does it mean for us to exert our strength in Christ?

A

Pray Always: Ephesians 6:14–24

Scripture encourages us to stand firm in the battle, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”; and the benediction is “Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Our thoughts are directed to the Spirit of God, the supplication and prayer of God’s people, and the saints themselves. Supplication is a general request for blessing. To pray means that we are to make a vow to God, including asking, thanking, requesting deliverance from the evil one, etc. Saint means: holy, sanctified, set apart; speaking of those chosen by God and who serve God, separated morally and spiritually.

In answer to the question, “What is Prayer?” the shorter catechism teaches: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.” The larger catechism adds the words, “by the help of his Spirit.”

Christians, born of the Holy Spirit, are to pray in the presence and power of this same Holy Spirit. We are to pray for the operation of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. The Bible teaches us that we are not of the flesh, “but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Rom. 8:9). We cannot know how to pray, and cannot have that assurance of prayer without the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. “Without life there can be no bodily movement; without the life-giving sap there will be no fruit; without fire there can be no heat; and, in a similar fashion, without the Holy Spirit there can be no Christian prayer” (Palmer, The Holy Spirit).

Therefore, we pray and petition our Father in heaven in the Spirit, knowing that the “Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses …He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26–27).

Perseverance means to endure, to stand fast alongside someone. The Bible tells us that we are to be rejoicing in hope, “patient in affliction, steadfastly continuing in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). The Spirit teaches us that we are to be watchful to this end, praying in the Spirit, “with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” For all the Saints! He teaches us to pray, “Our Father.” We pray best for the saints, for one another, when we understand that our God is our Father in heaven.

God made a covenant with his people, He would be their God and they would be his children. The covenant concept of God as Father emerges from such verses as, “A father of the fatherless …is God in His holy habitation” (Psalm 68:5); “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13); “For whom the Lord loves he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:12).

Paul closes his letter to the church at Ephesus with this benediction: “Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” These words remind us of the Triune God who has loved us so very much. Our heavenly Father has so loved us that he has chosen us in Christ to be his very own children; loving us in sending his only Son. Christ Jesus has so loved us that he shed his precious blood on the Cross, redeeming us from the penalty of sin, that we may know that our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life in him. The Holy Spirit loves us by giving us new birth, comforting us by walking with us and interceding for us as we pray.

Discussion: What does it mean to pray to our Father in heaven?

A

Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2010 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.

Stand Firm in Christ

May 31, 2009

Lesson: Ephesians 6:10-24

Key Verses: Ephesians 6:10, 13

Introduction

Paul urges the Church to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might … Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.” Our strength is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is our authority and the one who gives us the armour to withstand the evil of this world. We believe that Christ is the Lord of our salvation, being both the Head of the Church, and King over all nations.

Paul is a prisoner of Nero. His Roman prison does not hinder him from encouraging those who are facing persecution and temptation. Nero is setting himself up as both emperor and god. But it is not in our strength as Christians that we do battle with the world around us, or even against that old nature within us –we do battle in the strength of the Lord. It is the performance of the Holy Spirit within us that we die to sin and live to Christ. It is the performance of the King of kings that nations are brought low or built up, all to the glory of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul’s admonition to us is that we are to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. “to summon up courage and vigor; for there is always much to enfeeble us, and we are ill fitted to resist. But when our weakness is considered, an exhortation like this would have no effect, unless The Lord were present, and stretched out his hand to render assistance, or rather, unless he supplied us with all the power” (Calvin).

Be Strong in the Lord –Ephesians 6:10-13

In the power of the might of King Jesus! This is a picture of the presence of the Almighty God. There are a lot of videos out on making the body both beautiful and strong. However, the strength of the Christian lies first and foremost in the active presence of the Lord who not only leads, but also brings victory to the battle for us. We are told to be strong in the power, dominion, and strength of the Lord. Our Lord spoke to the apostle John, saying, “I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). The twenty-four elders around the throne of God sang, “We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned” (Rev. 11:17). Christ the Prince of kings reigns over nations; and the obedience or disobedience of its worldly leaders to the King and his Word will determine their rise or fall. We exercise our faith with strength from above, beginning with repentance, trust, prayers, Bible studies, and witness.

Putting on the whole armor of God! Our Lord has taught us that if we are to gain our lives we must first lose it. When we entered the Service of our nation we came with the clothes on our backs and our razors. Soon they were replaced with what the Service provided. So with the Christian, we are in the household of God, we are subjects of his kingdom, and he provides all we need for the life. He has given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The armor we wear as Christians are of God’s divine appointment. If we are to have victory and success in this world then we must wear the armor that our King provides.

Wrestling against the hosts of wickedness! Ours is a spiritual warfare. The wicked may kill the body but they cannot kill the soul. The humanists of this world wish that we would serve their god rather than the true God as he has revealed himself in his Word. The principalities are those who rule, the magistrates. The powers are the governing powers, over against the governing power of Christ. The rulers of this world are the evil spirits of men and of fallen angels. The darkness needs to be stopped forcibly by the Light, Christ Jesus. Wickedness is the maliciousness thoughts and actions of evil men. We continue to wrestle with the evil of this world.

Being able to withstand in the evil day! Satan is crafty, and so are his followers. We pray, lead us not into the temptation of those who would lead us to sin. We stand in covenant with God. We fight under the banner of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We persevere in Christ our King: “There can be no perseverance without true grace in the heart. Every soul clad with this armor of God shall stand and persevere; or thus, true grace can never be vanquished. The Christian is a true conqueror, the gates of hell shall not prevail against him” (Wm. Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor).

Discussion: What does it mean for us to exert our strength in Christ?

Pray Always –Ephesians 6:14-24

Paul urges us to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”; and the benediction, “Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Our thoughts are directed to the Spirit of God, the supplication and prayer of God’s people, and the saints themselves. Supplication is a general request for blessing. To pray means to make a vow to God, including asking, thanking, requesting, and deliverance from evil. Saint means, holy, sanctified, set apart; speaking of those chosen by God and who serve God, separated morally and spiritually.

Answering the question, “What is Prayer?” the shorter catechism reads, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.” The larger catechism adds the words, “by the help of his Spirit.”

Christians, born of the Holy Spirit, are to pray in the presence and power of this same Holy Spirit. We are to pray for the operation of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. The Bible teaches us, “ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not Spirit of Christ, he is none of is” (Rom. 8:9). We cannot know how to pray, and have that assurance of prayer, without the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. “Without life there can be no bodily movement; without the life-giving sap there will be no fruit; without fire there can be no heat; and, in a similar fashion, without the Holy Spirit there can be no Christian prayer” (Palmer, The Holy Spirit).

Therefore, we pray and petition our Father in heaven, in the Spirit, knowing that the “Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses… He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26-27).

Perseverance means to endure, to stand fast alongside someone. The Bible tells us that we are to be rejoicing in hope, “patient in affliction, steadfastly continuing in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). The Spirit teaches us that we are to be watchful to this end, praying in the Spirit, “with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” For all the Saints! He teaches us to pray, “Our Father.” We pray best for the saints, for one another, when we understand that our God is our Father in heaven.

God made a covenant with his people, he would be their God and they would be his children. The covenant concept of God as Father emerges from such verses as, “A father of the fatherless … is God in his holy habitation” (Ps. 68:5); “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him” (Ps. 103:13); “For whom the Lord loves he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Prov. 3:12).

Paul closes his letter to the church at Ephesus with this benediction: “Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” These words remind us of the Triune God who has loved us so very much. Our heavenly Father has loved us so that he has chosen us in Christ to be his very own children. So loving us that he sent his only Son. Christ Jesus has so loved us that he shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary, redeeming us from the penalty of sin, that we may know that our sins are forgiven and that we have eternal life in him. The Holy Spirit loves us by giving us new birth, comforting us by walking with us, and interceding for us as we pray.

Discussion: What does it mean to pray to our Father in heaven?

Kindness Toward One Another

May 24, 2009

Lesson: Ephesians 5:1-5, 21-6:4

Key Verse: Ephesians 5:21

Introduction

We are glad that there are those who are role models to the children, helping them to move in the direction, which we think they ought to go. Sport figures are thought to be roll models. But considering those wandering in the ways of the world from greed to fornications of all kinds, there is doubt as to what walk of life children are beginning to imitate. It matters not whether there is a sport hero, friend, or parent, the need for direction must come from one whose moral character and practice are above reproach. This does not mean that we do not sin; but that when we do sin we show a measure of remorse and repentance desiring to do what is right and good for all.

Paul calls us to “imitate Christ, who is our true model. We ought to embrace each other with that love with which Christ has embraced us, for what we perceive in Christ is our true guide” (Calvin). With Christ, as the perfect gift of the Father, there is no variableness or turning from righteousness, truth, or justice. We may try to be role models to our children, but our role is not to have them look to us but to Christ. Being our true model we imitate Christ Jesus by embracing one another with the same love with which he has embraced us. What we see in Christ ought to be seen in each of us who bear his name. This relationship with our Savior and one another is summed up in these words of our Savior, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4). To be able to imitate Christ means to abide in him and he in us. This is part and parcel of our Father’s gift of salvation in His Son.

Walk in Love –Ephesians 5:1-5

Paul has just admonished the church to be “kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). Therefore, reveal this love by being “followers of God, as dear children.” We are to “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweets-smelling aroma.” How has Christ loved us? By appearing in this world as our Savior, “to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26). Our own response to this love is to love God with our whole heart and mind, and our neighbors as we have been loved. An illustration of this love we have toward one another is seen in how Paul perceived the gift, which he received from the Christians at Philippi, writing, “the things which was sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18).

God’s Word tells us that we are to be faithful and obedient followers of God. We are to show that we belong to God as his very own dear children. The word for child is in this sense: ‘we are begotten by our parents,’ and therefore belong to them. God has not only created us, but we have been redeemed, purchased by him, through the precious blood of Christ. Therefore, we are to be followers as children who bear the image of God both in creation and redemption.

Our “inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” is revealed in Christ and his sacrifice, shown also in our sacrifice of love toward God and one another. Those who practice fornication, covetousness, idolaters, etc. have no place in the kingdom of the Lord. These transgressions against the Lord are not ours any longer. Only those glorious things of Christ bring to our hearts and souls the “giving of thanks.” We now hate the acts of the congregations of evildoers, refusing to sit with the wicked. We are washed clean with the precious blood of Christ, and, therefore, we will besiege the altar of our Lord, that we “may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all (God’s) wondrous works” (Ps. 26:5-7).

Discussion: What does it mean to walk in the love of Christ?

Love as Christ Loved –Ephesians 5:21-29

This walk in the love of Christ is further illustrated in our love for one another in the home. Paul begins with a general statement, that we are to submit ourselves, one to another in the fear of God.” To love in the ‘fear’ of God is to recognize who he is in all our relationships. It is in reverence that we bow down before our Creator and Redeemer, giving him the glory in submitting ourselves to one another in Christ.

Therefore, in our homes, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” This is the only statement to the wives in these eight verses concerning the husband and the wife. The submission of the wives, therefore, is conditioned upon the submission of the husband to Christ, and of their love toward their wives. The husband is responsible for making the submission of the wife a truly desirous ambition. The wife is to be subject to the husband as “the church is subject unto Christ” in everything. She becomes the recipient of grace and love, unconditional and sacrificial. This enables her to be free to be the woman whom God loves, to be able to employ or exercise all her wonderful gifts and talents.

The husband is “the head of the wife.” He is to love his wife. These two characteristics of a husband who walks in the love of Christ should be manifested in each home. As to being the head of the wife, the husband looks to Christ alone as his model. Christ is “head of the church; and he is the Saviour of the body.” You cannot accept the position of head of the wife if you are not able to accept the responsibility of being her savior. Christ became head of the church because he gave himself unconditionally to its salvation. The husband must do likewise. He must do all that is possible, in Christ, to bring about the best environment for her to live in. he must be willing to sacrifice himself for her.

The husband is to love his wife, as Christ “loved the church, and gave himself for it.” His love is, again, a sacrificial love. This is illustrated in the next two verses, which reads, “That (Christ) might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church.” The husband sets apart his wife to himself that he might know her as his very own. This is no ordinary love. It is an unconditional love, an imitation of Christ’s love for us. This great affection of husband toward his wife is further emphasized in that men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. Calvin wrote, “Every man, by his very nature, loves himself. But no man can love himself without loving his wife. Therefore, the man who does not love his wife is a monster.”

Discussion: What does it mean to love as Christ has loved us?

Love as Obedience -Ephesians 6:1-4

True love is a moral act toward God and man. God’s commandment reads, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” Paul writes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.” The teaching of obedience the child learns what it means to truly love his parents, and therefore, love God. The promise added to the commandment is that it “may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Obedient love brings about a quality of life, which minimizes the stresses of sin and sorrow in this world. It gains victory for the Christian. Therefore, fathers are not to provoke their “children to wrath.” They are not to act contrary to the love of Christ that they would stir up hatred in the heart of their children. They must grant forgiveness when needed as well as the teaching of the Word of God, bringing “them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Whatever admonition the parents’ give to the child it must rest firmly, by the grace of God, in his Word. “It is not the will of God that parents, in the exercise of kindness, shall spare and corrupt their children. Let their conduct toward their children be at once mild and considerate, so as to guide them in the fear of the Lord, and correct them also when they go astray. That age is so apt to become wanton that it requires frequent admonition and restraint” (Calvin). In our relationships with one another, in home and church, let us reveal our walk with Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Discussion: Why are the children told to honor and obey their parents?

Riches of Christ

May 17, 2009

Lesson: Ephesians 3:1-12

Key Verses: Ephesians 3:8-9

Introduction

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God written, manifesting “themselves to be the word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able to persuade it that they are the very word of God” (Larger Catechism # 4). This Word is what Paul calls a Mystery, once hidden alone in God and now revealed to him that he might preach “the unsearchable riches of Christ;” that all men should see “what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:8-9).

The Words of Scripture, the teachings of truth, is our rule of faith and life: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). The ‘Autographs’ –originally written in Hebrew and Greek –have been preserved by the Lord for us that we can fully trust the Scripture as the infallible Word of God: “being immediately inspired by God, and by His singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical” (Conf. of Faith 1. 8). Christ confirms this care, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle in no wise pass from the law, till all are fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). John Calvin wrote “that we owe to the Scripture the same reverence which we owe to God; because it has proceeded from him alone, and has nothing belonging to man mixed with it.” It is not just the meaning that the Spirit has preserved, but also the words. Thus we are convinced that Christ is the Son of God who sent to be our Savior and Lord.

Mystery of Christ –Ephesians 3:1-4

Paul states his credentials as a preacher of the Gospel to the Gentiles: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.” His imprisonment was to be seen as a confirmation of the Lord’s calling him to bring comfort and strength to the Gentiles. He was the Lord’s Apostle. His honor was as a prisoner of Jesus Christ; Calvin wrote, “the crowns and sceptres of kings, to say nothing of the imposing splendor of an ambassador, are less honorable than the chains of a prisoner of Jesus Christ. Men might think otherwise, but it is our duty to judge of the reasons. So highly ought the name of Christ to be revered by us, that what men consider to be the greatest reproach, ought to be viewed by us as the greatest honour.”

Paul teaches his readers that they are to learn what he has been taught that they may also come to understand the mystery of Christ: “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known to me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).” Paul looks at the grace of God as a steward responsible for the good of a household. Thus he oversees the grace of God that the Gentile Christians be so blessed as he was blessed. The mystery that was hidden in God has been revealed to Paul. He passes on this Word that they may also come to understand, to comprehend the truths revealed by the Lord God. Paul understands that the grace of God is “the gift of divine gift of divine grace to sinful men; and all the gracious overtures that it makes, and the joyful tidings that it contains, proceed from the rich grace of God; and it is also the great instrument in the hands of the Spirit by which God works grace in the souls of men” (M. Henry). Paul comes to the Gentiles as an Apostle of Christ, his minister in his Kingdom: “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28). Ministers of the Gospel must not only preach to those in the local congregation, but as preaching in the Kingdom of Christ that pervades all nations. For Christ is the Prince of all kings.

Discussion: What is it that Paul wants the Gentile believers to understand?

Partakers of the Promise –Ephesians 3:5-7

Paul continues to speak of the “mystery of Christ,” which was revealed to the “the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” The coming of the Gentiles, as promised, was fulfilled when Christ was risen and reigning over all nations. The Psalmist spoke of the Messiah-King, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth” (Ps. 72:8). Speaking of his dying for his sheep that they should have life, Christ speaks to the Father, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:16-17). The Father and the resurrected Son bring into their fold people from every nation.

To this Gospel that was to be preached to both Jew and Gentile, Paul was made an Apostle: “Whereof I as made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.” The preacher of the Gospel must not succumb to the practice of calling upon God to act because they have planted the seed, or promise people that if they would only obey their calling they will be blessed; for it is the Spirit who does the calling, by whose power or authority alone, that the Gospel call is given, received, and proclaimed. Our preaching should reveal the effectual working of God that to him alone belongs the glory.

Discussion: To whom are we to preach the gospel of Christ Jesus?

The Unsearchable Riches –Ephesians 3:8-12

Paul understood that he was called of the risen Lord to be a preacher to the Gentiles: “I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity (truth)” (1 Tim. 2:7). Paul also knew that all was of the Lord: “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Only a fool would think himself capable to search and find that “unsearchable riches” which belongs to Christ. Calvin wrote that by “the unsearchable riches of Christ are meant the astonishing and boundless treasures of grace, which God had suddenly and unexpectedly bestowed on the Gentiles. The Ephesians are thus reminded how eagerly the gospel ought to be embraced, and how highly it ought to be esteemed. This subject has been treated in the Exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians, (Gal. 1:15, 16; 2:7, 9.) And certainly, while Paul held the office of apostleship in common with others, it was an honor peculiar to himself to be appointed apostle of the Gentiles.”

Paul’s preaching of the Gospel was “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.” Calvin comments “There can be no doubt that the apostle labors to place in the strongest light the mercy of God toward the Gentiles, and the high value of the gospel. For this purpose he declares, that the preaching of the gospel exhibits the manifold grace of God, with which, till now, the heavenly angels themselves were unacquainted. The wisdom of God, therefore, which was manifested by uniting Jews and Gentiles in the fellowship of the gospel, ought to be regarded by men with the highest admiration.”

All truth, doctrine and practice, is hid in God and so must be revealed by him to man. We do not compromise with the world claiming that there must be “intelligent design” behind what we see with our eyes. We proclaim that which God has revealed to us in his word, and given us understanding that the world was created by his counsel and Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Christ) … All things were made by him, and without him was any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3). We fellowship in that mystery revealed, becoming like-minded in the Word of God written; “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church in the manifold wisdom of God.” The King of kings alone has the authority to rule over his church and over all nations. Paul knows that the gospel is preached “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of (Christ).” The gift of faith, both to Jew and Gentile, is of Christ alone.

Discussion: How do learn of the unsearchable riches of Christ?

By Grace Alone

May 10, 2009

Lesson: Ephesians 2:1-10

Key Verse: Ephesians 2:8

Introduction

Paul’s words reach into our hearts that we may know that the saving love of God the Father has made us suitable to be called by his name: “And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:18); having “received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15); “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom.5: 2). We daily give thanks to our Father in heaven, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; …Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) …For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 1:6-7, 2:5, 8).

“By grace we are to understand the free and undeserved love and favour of God, and those graces of the Spirit which proceed from it” (Matthew Henry). We do not have any reason to boast, for it is not of works that we are saved; for we are the Father’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:9-10). Paul writes to the church at Rome that we have been “justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24). The Westminster Confession paints this glorious portrait of Christ reminding us why we belong to our heavenly Father: “Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to His Father’s justice in their behalf. Yet, inasmuch as He was given by the Father for them; and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead; and both freely, not for anything in them; their justification is only of free grace, and rich grace of God, might be glorified in the justification of sinners” (11. 3).

Discussion: How is the grace of God revealed in Christ Jesus?

Where We Once walked –Ephesians 2:1-3

Total Depravity! The darkness in which we once walked; and we loved it! Our depravity is defined by Paul: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sin.” Brain and heart dead, unable to save our selves we deceived ourselves in believing that we were alive. “Sin is the death of the soul. Wherever that prevails there is a privation of all spiritual life. Sinners are dead in state, being destitute of the principles, and powers of spiritual life; and cut off from God, the fountain of life: and they are dead in law, as a condemned malefactor is said to be a dead man” (M. Henry). We were offenders of the Law of God, transgressors: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:10-11).

We are by nature bond-slaves of Satan, revealing our allegiance to immorality by what we do: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” It is not that Satan has the power to do what he wishes, but that his claim is that he is the potentate or governor that should be obeyed; yet is kingdom is only of darkness and death. The unbeliever lives according to the way of the world. God does not relinquish his position as supreme Lord and Creator. John Calvin wrote that God allowed Satan to exercise a mere tyranny, asking, “What is Satan but God’s executioner to punish man’s ingratitude? This is implied in Paul’s language, when he represents the success of Satan as confined to unbelievers; for the children of God are thus exempted from his power. If this be true, it follows that Satan does nothing but under the control of a superior and that he is not an unlimited monarch.”

However, when we walked in the way of the world, could not say that Satan made us do it. For are transgressions are ours that “in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Without Christ’s atoning work of the cross for us, we are children of judgment, deserving the wrath of God. Unable to satisfy the justice of God we are condemned to death, being transgressors by nature. We therefore find justification in Christ alone to be forgiven and to enter into his eternal kingdom. Thus wrote Paul, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall not flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16). The faith we receive belongs to Christ. We receive this faith as a gift, whereby we are convinced that he alone is our Savior and Lord.

Discussion: How do we understand why we need a Savior who justifies us before the Father?

God is Rich in Mercy –Ephesians 2:4-7

We must be reminded of the darkness of sin from which came, that we might more appreciate and rejoice in the saving grace of Christ upon the cross of Calvary; where we who were so blinded, were given sight by the marvelous richness of the mercy of God: But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” There is no suggestion here that God is waiting for us to make some sort of decision before he begins to act. It is while we were still dead in sin that the Spirit of God is working to bring us into the Kingdom of the Son; “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Col. 5:6). It is a marvelous grace that God “quickened us together with Christ” while we were dead in sins. Our salvation was planned, and therefore executed (for when God speaks it is a surety that it will be accomplished), for we have been so blessed “according as he hath chosen us in (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Eph. 1:4).

There is a reason that we should know that we were so made alive with Christ, “that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” To know the mercy of God is to reveal his mercy in our lives: “and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8). We are to treat others in a rightful and truthful manner, and to embrace and show kindness to one another. Thus we will do what is pleasing in the sight of our Lord. “We must, in the whole course of our conversation, conform ourselves to the will of God, keep up our communion with God, and study to approve ourselves to him in our integrity; and this we must do humbly (submitting our understandings to the truths of God and our will to his precepts and providences)” (M. Henry). Our works and relationships with one another should reveal the truth, righteousness, justice, and mercy we have received from him.

Discussion: What does it mean that God is rich in mercy?

Created in Christ Jesus –Ephesians 2:8-10

“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God.” A very short and simple statement of the truth of how we have been saved. “God having this in his design, poor sinners should take great encouragement from it. And what may we not hope for from such grace and kindness, from riches of grace, to which this change is owing? Through Christ Jesus, by and through whom God conveys all his favour and blessings to us” (M. Henry). Not only is Christ the object of our faith, he is the full substance of our faith. Faith belongs to the Lord and is given to us as a gift, a gift of grace. This gift of faith has within itself the power to produce in us, life, a life patterned after that of Christ. Calvin testifies of the faith that belonged to Christ and is now ours: “Thou art the life by which alone we live / And all our substance and our strength receive. / Sustain us by thy faith and by thy power / And give us strength in every trying hour. / Our hope is in no other save in thee; / Our faith is built upon thy promise free. / Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure / That in thy strength we evermore endure.”

Paul continues, recognizing that the nature of this saving grace is “not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Nothing is left to chance. We are saved through faith, not of our own making but of God’s. James would say, “faith without works is dead.” Following the work of the Spirit in giving us such a faith, we find that the grace of God is continuing to work in and through us, producing in us a glorious nature, which is of Christ. It is ordained that we should be like Christ, or to put it another way, we grow as those who bear the image of God. “It appears that all is of grace, because all our spiritual advantages are from God. We are his workmanship; he means in respect of the new creation; not only as men, but as saints. The new man is a new creature; and God is its Creator. It is a new birth, and we are born or begotten of his will” (M. Henry).

Discussion: What does it mean that we have been created in Christ, and that by grace?

May 3, 2009

Lesson: Ephesians 1:3-14

Key Verse: Ephesians 1:5

Introduction

It is our Father’s good pleasure to bless us “with all spiritual blessings in Christ,” adopting us as his children by Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3-5). This blessing is seen in the unconditional love of God. This love is very special and precious, a love expressed by God toward us and by us toward God; a love which ought to be expressed in the love which husband and wife ought to have toward one another, parents and child toward each another, and friends toward one another. It is a love which is not determined by the circumstance but by the will of the person expressing the love. This love is unconditional.

This love is illustrated by Paul’s admonition to the church: “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour” (Eph. 5:2). The third Person in the Godhead also expresses this love toward us: “And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad (poured out) in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us” (Rom. 5:5). Love toward us is a Triune Love.

Paul is a chosen apostle of Jesus Christ, not by his desire, but “by the will of God” (Eph. 1:1). He writes to the saints, the chosen of God in Christ, who “are at Ephesus.” He also refers to them as “the faithful in Christ Jesus.” To be faithful is to be trustworthy, “worthy to be believed.” A believer must be trusted in their faith and actions in Christ, not hypocrites, showing an outward display of righteousness, while harboring an evil disposition. It is to the faithful, those who love God as he loved them, that this benediction is designated: “Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:2).

The Father Loves Us –Ephesians 1:3-6

Paul writes to the church at Ephesus and draws us to the redeeming work of the Triune God with these words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” The word ‘Blessed’ comes from the Greek word ‘Eulogia’ meaning to speak well of, commends, one “worthy to be praised.” Only God is inherently worthy to be praised. However, God, in his majestic love and grace, commends us with every commendable blessing in the heavenly places in Christ! In the heavens, between the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the presence of his holy angels, God commends us, he blesses us, makes us worthy of heavenly praise. How does he accomplish this?

Our Father has so loved us that “He chose us in CHRIST …that we should be holy and without blame before CHRIST in love.” Not only that, our heavenly Father has so loved us that he has “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself.” God so loved us that he chose us to be his very own children, “according to the good pleasure of His will!” This is like climbing a hill. There are so many wonders on the way that you just can’t believe that there is more, and that the more is greater than the first. Paul declares that all of the love that has been shed abroad upon the saints of every age is “To the praise of the glory of (the Father’s) grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in (His Beloved Son).”

The word ‘chosen’ in the Greek means to “choose out of.” There is another word here which expresses the work of God before the foundation of the world –it is the word, ‘predestination,’ which means to determine or decree before hand. In this decree, God the Father has revealed the end for which he has chosen us. This is not hard to understand. God has chosen us before the world began “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love,” and, that he has predestined us “to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself.”

This is a picture of the Cross and Resurrection, of redemption and reconciliation. For in the one case God has chosen us to be saved –to be holy and without blame because Christ has taken upon himself our sin and guilt that we may stand in the Father’s presence as holy and blameless.  In the latter case we have not been left to roam this earth without a purpose, the Father has determined by his will and purpose that we have a unique place in his household –we are to belong to him as children to a Father –adopted –loved by him through Christ and so cared by him now and forever more.

Discussion: How is the love of God the Father revealed to us?

The Son Loves Us –Ephesians 1:7-12

The Father, having adopted us as his children, chooses us before the foundation of the world to be without blame in his presence. Our hearts are now turned toward Christ, for he is the means by which we are brought into the Father’s presence. To be without blame, to be called children of God, something had to be done about our sin and transgression against God. Justice must be satisfied. Therefore, the Father, who so loved us, sent his only begotten Son. This is his Beloved!  In Christ “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” We are redeemed, purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. We were disobedient to God’s law and, therefore, anchored to the consequences. Justice had to be satisfied. God’s law declared us to be sinners. God’s justice said that all have sinned and come short of his glory, his majestic moral perfection. The wage of sin is death, eternal separation from God, whereby the sinner would know the wrath of God. However, in Christ, we are redeemed, purchased with the blood of Christ. He paid the penalty for our guilt, and paid the price for us. “According to the riches of his grace.”

Paul writes, “In Christ we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of the Father who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Our response to this love of the Father and of the Son is this: “that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory.” We first trusted on that day when the Holy Spirit opened the hearts of our understanding and we believed Christ to be our Savior, when the Spirit opened up our souls with new birth and the Son of God entered in to reveal the love of the Father toward us.

In summary, the Son loves us, he is the means by which we have received forgiveness of sin – the shedding of His own precious blood; he is the one through whom the abundant riches of the Father’s grace were given to us; he is the one through whom all things have gathered together –by the Father’s wisdom and prudence; he is the Messiah through whom all was carried out to the good pleasure of the Father’s will.

Discussion: How is the love of God the Son revealed to us?

The Spirit Loves Us –Ephesians 1:13-14

The love of the Spirit confirms in us the truth that we have been redeemed by the love of the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who testifies within us that we belong to the Father through Christ as his very own children, whereby we are able to cry out, “Abba, Father!” In Christ we have trusted after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. We have heard the truth of the Father and the Son through his Holy Word by the working of the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth. Having believed, we were sealed for all time with the Holy Spirit of promise. The Father and the Son promised the coming of the Holy Spirit, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, so that he may be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him nor know him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you” (John 14:16-17).

The Holy Spirit, the third person in the Godhead, loves us. He is the One who opens our hearts that we may believe, and believing we may have life in the object of our faith, Jesus the Christ. He is the One who applies the will and the work of the Father and the Son. Paul writes, “In (Christ Jesus) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in (Christ Jesus) also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (the Holy Spirit) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

We were “Sealed” by the Holy Spirit who is our “guarantee or earnest.” He seals us with a stamp, which says that we now belong to God. What the Holy Spirit has covenanted will take place. This covenant is in agreement with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit guarantees our salvation. To assure us of our hope of everlasting life, the Holy Spirit is sent to us as a guarantee.  The evidence of our adoption is in the presence of the Holy Spirit. “For all the promises of God in (Christ) are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God, who has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit”(2 Corinthians 1:20-22).

Discussion: How is love of the Holy Spirit revealed to us?

Conclusion

Paul repeats the theme, “to the praise of His glory;” referring to the Father in verse six, to the Son in verse twelve (that we ourselves should be a praise to his glory), and to the Holy Spirit in verse fourteen. We so make this unmerited love of the Triune God known before the world in word and deed. “We may likewise observe, that there is not a more effectual method of shutting the mouths of wicked men, than by showing that our views tend to illustrate, and theirs to obscure, the glory of God” (Calvin).