Ephesians Lesson 35 of 39 part 2

We see all this through Scripture where over and over that, especially, the nation of Israel had no faith, as a nation. Only a few individuals were account as righteous, that was the unfortunate part. Because God required them all to come around as one. Also in the nation of Israel, we find the Messiah came to presented Himself to be their King, but in a most unlikely fashion. And because they couldn’t believe a word that God said, through the Old Testament prophets, what was their attitude? "Nothing good can come out of the city of Nazareth." After His 3 and a half years of performing miracles, signs and wonders, because of their unbelief as a nation of fools, if you please, what did they do? They crucified Him! So we see all through human history, that a person who refuses to believe the Word of God in actuality becomes a fool in God’s sight. He is a man who says, "No to God!" Now we can carry this thought on to what is all around us in our time also. Because any one who willfully disesteems God by doing the every things He has put aside is also saying, No God! I will do it my way and that is spiritual fornication and idolatry. Their idol of worship is SELF in obdurate pride.

So do not walk as someone who does not believe a thing that God says, we are supposed to walk as people of trusting faith, knowing that the Word is true. I am thinking of a fellow sitting in front of us, as we were having coffee, that had a stencil on the back of his shirt that said, "Eternity! Have you thought about it?" That made such an impression on us, and I hope it did on the others that were there. Think on that. How many people today even stop for 5 seconds, to consider eternity? It is quite a thought isn’t it? Eternity is out there, and it is not just a figment of our imagination, it is real, there is an eternity that is never ending. We have two choices in this matter. It can either be in God’s presence or it can be separation from God forever. So again, the fool says, "No, God, there is no eternity to concern myself about. I’m going to live it up here and now." But here in Ephesians Paul says, "Don’t be the fool."

Ephesians 5:15

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise*."

*people of trusting faith, spiritually awake as wise. We are Wise because we are the righteousness of God when we are become spiritual.

 When we have become spiritually awake, it is then that it can be said, that we are redeeming the time.

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Paul wrote that in, approximately 60 something AD. The world was just as evil then as it is now. The only difference was that there were fewer people on the earth at that time. But in the realm of the Roman Empire, we were just reading again the other night a series of biographies of something like 15 or 20 Romans emperors, that of course was Rome on the decline. These were just very short biographies of a paragraph or two long. Do you know that out of those 20 or so biographies, there were only two of those fellows that lived out a normal life span, that were buried in a normal old age? All the rest of them were murdered while they were in office. Emperor after Emperor was either poisoned, or killed one way or another, and died by a violent act except two.

Those that watched the documentary that traced the steps of the Apostle Paul, saw the evidence of the horror of immorality that was rampant everywhere the Apostle Paul went. So don’t think that this is anything new. Remember back in the 1970’s when we came out of the hippie movement of the 60’s and they were talking about the new morality? Well way back then we said that it’s not a new morality, it’s the same old immorality that has plagued the human race from day one, nothing has changed. So what Paul says here in verse 16.

Ephesians 5:16

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Paul wasn’t looking ahead 2000 years and seeing our day per say. It was evil in his day. It was rotten and that is why the Roman Empire fell. It was rotten to the core. Political corruption, economically corruption, morally corruption, and consequently the empire fell. We are seeing basically the same thing here in western civilization. Do not think for a moment that America is alone in their immorality and spiritual idolatry. It is just the fact that the days are evil. So we are to redeem the time, buy it up, use it to the fullest extent, study God and His word, become spiritually discerning. 

Ephesians 5:17

"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

And there is only one way that you will find the will of the Lord, and that is to get into the Bible! When we get into the Bible, with an attitude of a child, then things began to happen. As you know we are not a prosperity preacher. We do not tell people, if you do this and do that, you’ll become a millionaire. In fact anything but. We had a gentlemen tell us one morning, that he had been doing just that, and now he was bankrupt. We told him, he deserved it, tough love, huh? But I told him, I did not feel a bit sorry for him, because there’s nothing in this Bible that substantiates that kind of behavior. You are to be prudent, you are to be wise, you are to use things according to the Scriptures. And not according to these ole buddies that are out there giving you all this old hoopla that you can become rich giving to them. You will never find that in Paul or in his teaching to us in this Age of Grace, to do anything like that. You are not going to tweak God’s nose, He is not a Santa Claus. So we are not to be unwise. Only those as stated above where I said, "I will do it my way and that is spiritual fornication and idolatry. Their idol of worship is SELF in obdurate pride", will propagate that kind of gospel.     

Ephesians Lesson 35 of 39 part 1

For the past few sections of this discussion we have been revealing and dealing with; The Light of Christ in Your Life.

Psalms 14:1a

"The fool hath said in his heart, no, God...."

Not that there is no God, because we do not think there is a person alive that can honestly say that. Even those who call themselves atheists or claim agnosticism are acknowledging God's existence by calling themselves as such. But way down deep inside of them, when the death angel comes knocking on their door, they are suddenly going to realize too late, that there is a God, and that there is an eternity, waiting to received them. So we don’t like to look at this verse in that light, but rather if we will put a comma after the word no, the fool says no to God. Do you see that? The fool says, No, God, I’m not going to do what you tell me, I’m not going to believe what you say. Now that’s a fool! Now as soon as you get the concept that the fool is the person who says no to God, he is the man who is then destitute of faith. And this is exactly what Israel did with Jesus. And then through Acts it is recorded in at least six more places where Christ is rejected. Man does not understand the obdurate pride and steadfast hate in the nature of guile found in his heart. For Peter reveals this about our LORD in:

1Peter 2:21-24 “For even hereunto we were called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed to Him that judges righteously: Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes we were healed (restored to righteousness, thereby being made whole again). For we were as sheep going astray; but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.”

The true problem stems from mans perception of the word “heal” as used throughout the synoptic gospels and in Isaiah 53:5 “where it states:But he wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” In both cases the word “healed” in the ancient Hebrew Lexicon the number is H7495 and it means: The pictograph of the square with the top and right borders darkened, is a picture of the head of a man, the of the square with all borders darkened, is a picture of an open mouth. Combined these mean "man open". Wounds, sickness and illnesses are cured with medicines made from plant materials which were pulverized into a medicinal power. When we search for our number in the list of meanings we find physician, repair. In Brown-Driver-Briggs Dictionary we find; That God liberates, restores grace, to both individuals and nations from distress. In Peters case the Thayer's Greek Dictionary for G2390 states: to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation. And this is exactly what Peter reveals in 1Peter 3:18 where he states: “For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” Over the past postings we have revealed that where the word spirit is used in relationship to man it is mans soul being restore to God. God's kingdom is restored just as John the Baptist introduced to Israel by way of repentance from dead works and then Jesus taught through the revealing of scriptures in the Jewish synagogues and confirmed by sings, wonders or miracles. All was a restoration of God's righteousness among or in man.

So the definition of a fool then is actually a person who is destitute of faith, and we have had examples in the Scriptures of such people. Cain was the first one. The guy was destitute of faith, and consequently he didn’t bring the kind of sacrifice that God had told him to bring, because he didn’t believe what God had said, he rationalized. The next one we come to early on in Scripture is Ishmael. Ishmael was not a man of faith. He went and did just exactly opposite of what God, through his father Abraham had said, "Not to marry Canaanites," so he went and did it anyway. He showed the fact that he was destitute of faith because he said no to God.

Well the next one that is a classic example of no faith is Esau. He was probably a nicer guy than his brother Jacob, but what was his problem? He had no faith! He couldn’t put an ounce of importance on anything God said, so consequently, what happened to him? He became the epitome of a man with no faith. He very well could have been God's choice because of the way he is described at birth, that is being of red flesh and ruddy or hairy. We also have the example of the nation of Israel when they were there at Kadesh Barnea, and God had told them, "The land of promise is ready for you, the land is flowing with milk and honey, it’s productive. I’ll drive the Canaanites out of the land with hornets, you won’t even have to fight with them and lose a drop of blood, just go in and occupy the land." But you see the nation of Israel did not believe what God said. So what did they say? "No, we can’t take the land, because we would be like grasshoppers in their sight," and consequently because they couldn’t believe what God said, they missed the blessings of the land of milk and honey. Instead for 40 years ended up out there on that old barren dessert, and died like flies because they had no faith. And of course Hebrews chapter 3 teaches that.   

 

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 7

Remember all of this is Paul’s admonition to all of us in this Age of Grace, where we are not under Law, we do not have a set of rules and regulations to guide and tutor us, but rather it is a common sense approach. The Christian life is so practical, there is nothing kooky about it, there is nothing that should make people say, "Well I’d hate to be a Christian" because it is so practicable. We know that from the wicked side of the world they may think that we are a little bit odd, but on the other hand we always have to make the point that we saw in verse 9. The Age of Grace, the New Testament-Covenant Age-Kingdom of Heaven and God Age was inaugurated by John the Baptist in the proclaiming to Israel repentance from a dead Religion of self works. Confirmed by Jesus in His teaching from the Old Testament scriptures the hidden Kingdom of Heaven of God, a spiritual reality NOW. Set apart as a dispensation by God, sanctioned through death and consummated in the resurrection power from death into New Life, in those who willfully surrendering their self-life of sin in resistance to God's Eternal Life in Love, and all the while still being on earth to bear witness of Christ. And the power of Truth and Grace that work through Love by faith plus nothing, nothing more than child like trust.

Ephesians 5:9

"(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.)"

Well who could argue with those three attributes? They are what makes a society good, we do not care where that society is. So again remember, Paul’s admonition to walking the Christian walk is not something silly, or something in general that the world would scoff at if they have any sense whatsoever of things that are good. We were talking about stepping in the Light of Christ Who is the Light, Truth and Grace, the Life giver. And for all mankind the true Life restorer. This is something that all other god's of mans imagination can not do, not even the prophet of Islam or the Muslims, or the Hindus, or the Buddhists, or Harikrishnas, if they were prophets their bones remain in the ground somewhere. The only other god's are vial spirit beings which we are to have nothing to do with, because they are very dangerous to say the least.

Ephesians 5:14

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead (those spiritually separated from God), and Christ shall give thee light."

Here again, this is a loaded verse. Who are the ones that are dead? Who are the dead men walking of this earth in this present age. Those that are still in their darkness, those who have still not stepped into the Light. And as one fellow reminded me, that the lost person is blind spiritually and doesn’t really know it. So it behooves us then as believers to let them know how blind they really are, and we like that concept. They just do not know what they are missing out on. They remain the ones the Lord spoke of who by force, force their way into the kingdom and the kingdom suffers violence but these people will also be the ones removed from the kingdom. There is one and only one way into God's kingdom of heaven, while we remain of earth, the cross where self and the self-life is put to death. Not a physical death but a kind of spiritual death in that the nature of Satan, which is what sin and death are is released and re-leaved of it's hold in and on us as a strongman. Go and sin No more is what we are told to do.....this none of those false gods could ever do or say.

We see it everyday that people will say, "That for the first time they know what we are talking about, their joy is just running over, and to have such freedom, that they are not under some legalistic program anymore." This is all part and parcel of Paul’s teaching, that when we step into the Light, the Light manifests itself and we are set free then from our darkness.We have to pass through the first estate to reach the second by revelation upon which Christ builds His Church.

Just as Genesis chapter 1 verses 1 through 3 reveal, the Light which brought order and Life into the darkness and the chaos of that darkness, known as evil.

Ephesians 5:15a

"See then that ye walk circumspectly,..."

A lot of people just gloss over some of these words without realizing, what he's talking about? What does he mean to walk circumspectly? Well the word "circum" comes from the word Circumference, and so what you are really seeing here is a circle. We like to picture that we, as we walk in this world of darkness, wickedness, and iniquity, it is just as if we are walking around them constantly, and they can see us from every side. We are aware and heedful of sins consequences, we are said to be prudent or watchful. And this watchfulness ties us to the Old Testament where the people are warned to remain watchful, on the alert at all times.

So Paul’s admonition then is, as we walk in the view of all the world around us they should be able to see nothing but a manifestation of the Light that we represent. Or as we saw sometime ago we carry the odor of God, the fragrance of Eternal Life. Of course this is where so many professing believers fail. As we have said in the past that the Lord is grieved, because His own people do not live a life that the world can look at without scornfully saying, "That is the last thing I’d want to be." But we are to walk in such a way that they can say, "I wish I had what that person has.” So we are to walk circumspectly. And what is the next part of the verse?

Ephesians 5:15b

"...not as fools, but as wise."

We all have our own idea of the definition of a fool, but we always have to use the Scripture for the best definition. So let’s go to Psalm 14.

Psalms 14:1a

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God..." 

Now most Bibles will have the "There is" italicized, which means that it has been added to hopefully clarify it, but in this case they did not do this verse any good at all by adding those two words. We like the way it reads just by leaving it the way it was intended, “The fool says in his heart, no God!” Why use the phrase "in his heart" because it is the seat of evil, the nature of Satan sits there.    

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 6

John 3:21

"But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest,..."

The ones that do come to the light are willing to let their deeds be seen, because the Light is now dealing with them. And remember Who the Light of Scripture is, the Lord Jesus Himself, He does not deal with a person who wants salvation in His wrath and judgment, but instead He deals with the sinner in Grace and mercy, and compassion, in Love and through love. And He says, "You’re the one I’m looking for. I’ve loved you, I do love you, and I want you for myself," and all we have to do is step into the Light and we begin to understand all things.......But this is what is required of us....our willingness to passing through the dark night of death, death to all self rule, self-will, self-contentedness, and an evil vile imagination. We have to turn from self and a vain imagination to God as a living offering which is holy acceptable unto Him, our reasonable service of spiritual worship. This is called being a doer of His Will and Word of Law. This is what Saul of Tarsus did on the Damascus road. He empties himself of all Jewish Self and received Love, Grace and Truth within him, so that he could say it is NO longer the self of I that lives but it is the Lord Christ Who now Lives His spiritual Life in me.

John 3:21

"But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, (that they can be seen for what they really are) that they are wrought in God."

Of course the deeds that permeate from God Himself would be the good deeds as a result of our stepping into the Light! As we have outlined above and throughout this blog. And a little further in John the Lord tells us, "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!" As such His is drawing all mankind to Himself as His inheritance and this is seen in Psalms 2:6-8. When we have so become an heir of Christ, God's working in us is wrought, actuated and can be seen or known by all. We become the peculiar people of God's original intent and purpose for mankind. The people of God which Israel failed to do and become because of self-will, a hard-heart and a cluttered and disoriented mind. That is to say, a vain imagination of thought, the speck in our eye which keeps us from seeing and hearing God.

Ephesians 5:13

"But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light."

So the whole secret for our Christian experience is that we rest on the knowledge that comes from the Light. And the Light of the world is Christ!

We have received comments on our Face book wall which said something like this, "For the first time in my life I am reading my Bible and understanding it." What more could we ask for? If we can just get people to realize that this is not a closed Book, it is not to be a dusty old Book, or a bunch of old fables told around a campfire. But rather this is the miraculous Word of God, and it fits so beautifully from cover to cover as it all just dovetails together, when once we have stepped into the Light. We can understand it, when we separate the Scriptures. But if we have chosen to remain under the rock in darkness then the Bible remains in darkness and a mystery to us. We retain the vain imagination of an evil heart which clouds our understanding of all things now spiritual. God wants us to grow in understand and knowledge of Him as the Spirit of Life and that we are to be a spiritual being not merely a physical being in a temporal material world.

As you are probably realizing by now, that if you do not keep Paul’s little Epistles, his teaching to the primarily Gentile Body of Christ for our doctrine, separate from the teachings for the nation of Israel, by the Old Testament prophets. Then Christ and His earthly ministry teachings, as we see in Matthew 15:24, and Romans 15:8, then you will never fully understand this tremendous Book. 

But oh when you do see how Paul reveals from the mysteries that were given only to him that we are saved by Faith + Nothing, how we are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ the moment we believe this Gospel, as outlined in 1Corinthians 15:1-4. And then how as believers we are citizens of heaven, waiting for the Departure of the Church. So we can be caught up bodily to be with Christ, to go home with Him, and live with Him forever, then this Book becomes so exciting that we truly enjoy reading it.    

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 5

Ephesians 5:13

"But all things that are reproved* are made manifest (are shown to be what they really are) by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light**."

*all of these things that the Bible declares are anti- God. **Whatsoever does make known is Light and Truth and Truth reproves error be it small or great, error is error.

When we come to that word "manifest" we make the comparison of the little light under your microscope. We know every body has not had a chance to look through a microscope, but any more we imagine that most have. Maybe in high school chemistry or possible biology classes. And you know that when you put a slide under the lens you still do not see anything until you turn on the power of that little light, and then you see things that you would never see otherwise. That is what the Scripture means over and over when it uses the word "manifest." For a moment turn to John’s synoptic gospel and see how Paul is in perfect accord with even the gospel accounts of some of these things. In John chapter 3 we have Jesus speaking in His earthly ministry to Nicodemus. And, we want people to understand that He was just more than the carpenter of Nazareth. He was the Creator God, born of a surrogate mother and a foster father, who knew the end from the beginning. He was the God of all power. He was the same most High God that Nebuchadnezzar came to recognize, and Abraham and Isaac knew. But now as He has come in the form of the flesh, this same God speaks with that same authority that only God could have.

John 3:19

"And this is the condemnation, (this is why the human race is already condemned) that light is come into the world*, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

*the Light that brought Life to an otherwise dead planet, now walking there on the dusty roads of Palestine in what was called Israel.

We may need to hear what 2Thessalonias 1 has to reveal or better still take it upon yourselves to study it through.

We could change the word “were” to are and not miss a beat. Is it stupid really? As we have already said, there is nothing more miserable than trying to walk in pitch darkness. You stumble around, you do not know where you are going, and you do not know what is in front and ahead of you not to mention on either side. It is just not a very happy experience to walk in total darkness. And yet mankind is stupid enough to rather walk in spiritual darkness, as to step into the Light. For this would require the denying of all self-will and man just refuses to do so. And therefore walk in darkness of night with eyes wide open but still blind as a bat. A good illustration of this are those people who take the Bible in a literal since and through the bath water out in regards to the spiritual since. They are like the double minded man who remains unstable in all his ways. Just as those who want Israel to be the central focal point when in Fact of Truth Christ is all the way through. God's word revealed through His prophets said that He was about to do a new thing and then showed how this new thing was to come about, a virgin would give birth to a boy child. What they failed to hear was the boy child who would come as a herald in advance of Him to prepare, make straight, the way of righteousness.

Way back in one our earlier sections, we used the example of a rancher, down there in the mountains of Southeastern Oklahoma, and he had an abundance of rocks. Every once in a while on a hot summer day, he'd just flip over one of those rocks to see what was under it. It might be a snake, or spider, you never know what to expect. But you know what we have always noticed? When you turn that rock over on a real bright sunny Oklahoma day, those little creatures scurry for their little tunnels to get away from that light. They are accustomed to their darkness, and that is what they prefer. Well that is a good example of mankind also. Just as soon as the Light of the Word of God hits them, they scatter like a covey of quail, because they do not want the Light, they love their darkness. They would rather stand in darkness and call it light than to switch, repent from unbelief and sin with the whole heart.

"Leave me alone" they say, "I’m happy in my miserable state," and that is what they are, they are miserable. My goodness, all you have to do is read the newspaper or listen to the evening news. We know it is not the vast majority, but it is a large percentage that is in total misery. Most of the time they do not even know it. Man remains mule headed and hard, yes hardhearted and you know what God will leave him in his chosen state.

I do not know whether I want to tell this or not, because we love this state, so I'll make use of another, I don’t want to bring a bad reflection on this state. But the other day in the "Daily Banner" we happened to be going through the legal section, and there was a list of names in small print at least a foot long, of the divorces that had been filed that week in just one city. We looked at that and thought, "Look at all those couples that are going through the trauma of divorce." We have visited with enough people from coast to coast that we have never yet talked to anybody that said divorce was a pleasant experience. But rather it is a traumatic experience, it tares people apart especially the young ones. And yet these multitudes are going through all of this because most are walking in darkness, and know not what it is to walk in the Light. And consequently they do not even realize the source of so much of their unhappiness, and misery, their own stubbornness of heart. 

John 3:19b-20

"...and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

That is why they hate the Light. If they step into that Light, then they suddenly see themselves as God sees them, and they do not like that. So immediately they slip back into the darkness, just like the bugs under the rock. When we understand that this is just what the Holy Spirit is doing within us in our first estate (of Redemption) then we begin to gain what? Knowledge of Him!    

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 4

Luke 6:48

“He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.” 

Paul is and was teaching Christ and His victory over the anti-Christ. We are the ones who build upon this Gospel of revealed revelation of the workings of God both in Christ and through Christ. We in concord with the Spirit hold back or impede the progression of the anti-Christ's revealing, until the appointed time and not before.

2Thessalonians 2:8a

"And then shall that Wicked (one) be revealed,..."

After we are taken out of the way in the departure, then the anti-Christ (this can be made plural because there are many anti-Christ's and wicked ones in this evil world as illustrated in Revelation 2:20 and chapters 17-19) will be revealed, and when that happens it will be just like a dam being taken out of a river. Down stream there will be a flood like you can’t imagine, and it will be a flood of iniquity, with great wickedness. And even though the first 3 1/2 years of that period are centered on the household of God, old Israel. With the last 3 1/2 years being global, yet rest assured it is going to be a great upheaval. Because of what God's timetable in Psalm 2 tells us in verse 9 and what Daniel chapter 7 and Revelation speak on these events....I do not disclose where in Revelation because this whole book is prophecy from beginning to end. And reveals the tribulation of man and Christ's restored kingdom within mans soul. Revelation like Acts is a progressive revealing of the Spirits working to restore God's rule, heavenly kingdom within man, as it was, as found in Genesis 2:7. This is what God promised Adam and woman as recorded in Genesis 3:15, the plan of Salvation of all things lost. And mans Redemption is but the gate which allows us to progress through the door of death to enter His kingdom. This death is not the physical death of our flesh but is the death of self, the sin, into which Adam willingly fell to be with his wife.

2Thessalonians 2:8

"And then* shall that Wicked (one's) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."

*when that dam in the river, the Body of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and the ontological essence of Christ, when He is taken out of the way.

This is why Paul tells us as did Jesus to reprove all blaspheme of scripture. We are not correcting people but only their error of scripture as did the Lord Himself to the Jewish leadership. Why, because they were begets, men of a holier than thou attitude full of self pride, haughty and all hidden behind a veil of secrecy. 

The Body of Christ, are His present day disciples, and are the son's of God who have the understanding and knowledge of all the mysteries or secret things hidden within scripture. These are the people who have acquired Salvation and have gone through the door of the Last Supper's secret of betrothal in type and metaphor with Christ. They are the answer (the heirs of Psalm 2:6-8) of John chapter 17's prayer.

Ephesians 5:11

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

A dam in the river, we are to hold it back, and that is the best way I can explain it. Now that does not mean that we have to go out and demonstrate, and do all those things that cause all kinds of problems in society. But we are to be that constant power of the Holy Spirit (as a peculiar people set apart) to admonish people, to refrain from those things, by reproving of these unfruitful works of darkness.

Ephesians 5:12

"For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret."

Up until a few years ago most of this abject wickedness was kept secret, and we called it being in the closet. But anymore it is coming out in the open, there is no shame, there is no holding back and they have absolutely no consciousness of what is right and wrong, they are lawlessness. Its welcomed and in braced into the main line churches because of the secular humanism in the guise of evangelism and is socially and politically correct. Which simply means all embrace the common spirit of death, the self will of doomed mankind. Paul here is telling us that this is NOT to be so. The true Body of Christ stands in the gap and resists evil, and has NO fellowship with Darkness and will remain out side the tombs of religions church walls of hypocrisy and blasphemy.      

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 3

Ephesians 5:11

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

We are living in a day when even some of our politicians, and some of our more belligerent elements of Christianity think that we can literally turn the world around. They think we can just stop this downhill slide into more and more wickedness, down into more and more satanic power, of darkness and they try to give us the idea that we can reverse this trend. But we can not. Nor does the Scriptures say we will. But what are we to do? We are to be in constant opposition to these forces. We are to stand like a dam in the river, and hold it back, but we are not going to reverse the direction of that river. We just simply can not find anything in Scripture that indicates that we are admonished to reverse the trend, it just will not happen. But we can stand in opposition, and reprove the works of darkness, and that is all God expects from us. In Daniel 7 we are given a glimpse into the darkness which is upon us but at the end of this chapter Daniel was told to seal up the book until its appointed end, I think that we are in this end. To back us up turn to 2Thessalonians chapter 2. We have used these Scriptures when we revealed the coming of the anti-Christ, and so forth. This is the responsibility of every believer, in whatever time he has lived. Whether it was in Paul’s day, or whether it was a thousand years ago, or whether it is today. This has been the proclivity of the truth believer. 

2Thessalonians 2:6

"And now ye know what withholdeth (holds back) that he* might be revealed in his time."

*the anti-Christ up there in verse 4. There is this power that is holding back, the anti-Christ. The power of Life and Light in Truth and Grace in the believer is the power of our God which restrains the forces of evil, through reproof.

In other words, not ahead of time, and not behind time but at the right time. So we become then a force under the power of the Holy Spirit to hold back these forces of iniquity that would literally prepare the world for the anti-Christ before his time. God is not going to let that happen so He uses the believers to reprove these works of darkness that are coming in as a flood. We are not left alone or to our own devices. But have the Holy Spirit and the ontological essence of Christ within us and the full armor of God in Christ upon us with which we resist the works of evil around us. We stand strong in Truth and Light from which darkness flees.

2Thessalonians 2:7a

"For the mystery of iniquity doeth already work:..."

We mean, this isn’t something that started in the 1900’s, or in the last thousand years, but rather this has been going on a very long time. We think, especially since the Tower of Babel when Nimrod caused people to fall into the trap of false gods, and satanically inspired mythology, and all these things. So this is where we think Paul is referring back to, although there was plenty of iniquity between Adam and the Tower of Babel. Always remember that all religions that we are up against today, and we don’t care what it is, whether it’s a huge religion, or a cult, or some little off shoot of something else. They all have their roots right back to the Tower of Babel, and before, everyone of them. They have been working against God now for the last 4000-5000 years, so it’s nothing new.

 

2Thessalonians 2:7

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (hinders) will let (hinder), until he be taken out of the way."

We have always felt that God here is referring to the work of the Holy Spirit, working through the believer. We are the ones that are to stand up and reprove, and hold back these forces of iniquity that would cover the world and make the anti-Christ’s appearance premature. We must slow the river of iniquity down, and this is all we can do. Isaiah may say it best in:

Isaiah 59:19

“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”  

To this hear what Jesus said:    

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 2

Ephesians 5:7

"Be not ye therefore partakers with them."

God has given every believer enough understanding and knowledge of Him, the Word, that with just a little effort, and it does not take a lot, but with just a little effort we can line these things up with the Word and see immediately when they are false. And if it’s false we are to run from them, and this is what Paul is admonishing us to do. And example would be, "If someone teaches you that you must do works for salvation, then that’s contrary to what Paul teaches the believer. So run from that kind of teaching. Paul teaches that salvation is a free gift we receive when we just simply believe this Gospel as outlined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4." Redemption is another matter all together, it requires.......repentance and not a repentance of mind but rather from the heart or soul. Because it is within it that sin lies as a hard shell and so does the seed of God as a pearl of great value to God. This is why Job asked what is man that You are so mindful of him (Job 7:17, Psalm 8:4, 144:3).

Ephesians 5:8

"For ye were sometimes (at one time in) darkness but now are ye light in the Lord: (consequently since we have come out of darkness) walk as children of light:"

Again we can take that into any kind of an every day experience. It is no fun to walk in the pitch dark, is it? Well it’s the same way spiritually, when people are walking in a spiritual darkness, they are in utter confusion, they just don’t know up from down. And this is where most of the world is walking tonight, but we as believers don’t have that problem, we are not walking in darkness. We can walk with surety that we are in the light and the light, as we will see in John 3, is Jesus Christ.

John 3:19-21

“This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

What does it mean, "does truth"? First the word does; has many means and they are acquired in the way it is used within a sentence, that determines it's meaning, for us here it means to acquire Truth. Remember when Jesus stood before Pilot and was asked, what is Truth........Jesus remained silent before him. Why? John tells us in chapter 1:14, 17 Jesus is identified as Truth and Grace in Light. To walk as children of Light we have to become a disciple and just how is this done? By nullifying self and taking up of His cross daily in order to keep self in subjection to God and not have it in His face (Exodus 20:3).

Ephesians 5:9

"(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all (things) goodness and righteousness and truth;)"

Who in the world can find fault with those three words? Who can find fault with goodness? We don’t know who could. Who can find fault with righteousness? Who in the world could find fault with truth? The world is always looking for truth, but the only problem is they are looking in the wrong places. See these are three words that are the epitome of the Christian experience, and so consequently, "if we walk in the light, as John puts it in his little epistle, for Christ is the light, then we have fellowship with Him, and He in us there is no darkness at all." As a result of our walking in the light we should be able to put forth goodness and righteousness, and truth, which no one should be able to find fault with. Remember as we walk in the light, and as we are the epitome of goodness, righteousness, and truth, at the same time what are we doing?

Ephesians 5:10

"Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord."

We are not proving what is acceptable to society or friends and relatives, but to God. That is all that counts. Are we doing what is pleasing in His sight, or are we simply pleasing the world around us? This is what people do not like to hear. They will say things like, your to spiritually minded and that we are no earthly good.....but this is to be our normal way of life. God is to rule His house and if He is not, then we have placed another in His place (see Exodus 20:3), I could say, in His face, and not change this verses meaning. To be acceptable to the Lord we have to maintain an attitude like Jesus did...in having the mind of Christ at all times, which is to be spiritually and heavenly minded. We see this when after being baptized He was taken into the wilderness and there His new spirituality was tested. When He returned He was stronger spiritually then He had been in His youth.       

Ephesians Lesson 34 of 39 part 1

Ephesians 5:6

"Let no man deceive you with vain words:..."

We all know and understand what the word vain means. It means that which is superfluous, it does not make sense, it is confusing, and lord knows there is so much of that out there these days. Vain also means to be empty and devoid of truth, destitute of spiritual wealth and health, of one who boasts of his faith as a transcendent possession, yet is without the fruits of faith (metaphorically speaking) of endeavors, labors, acts, which result in nothing, vain, fruitless, without effect and of no purpose. (Taken from the Greek Thayer Dictionary, Strong's Greek Dictionary number G2756) These are what Paul and others called, “another gospel”.....everything is centered on the gospel of the kingdom of God and heaven, which John the Baptist introduced and Jesus proclaimed but common or mere man (unspiritual) has wrested or twisted. This gospel of the kingdom is what the Holy Spirit, when restored within us, develops. It is in the unveiling of the mystery of this gospel, and our progression of understanding and receiving the knowledge of Christ, that unlocks the power of His kingdom within us.

It is so vitally important that we take this verse to heart. We are not to be deceived with words that are not appropriate, and not based on the Scriptures. Or worse, taking scripture and twisting it to say and mean what it does not. We have told you before about those who invariably ask me questions about what they have heard on Sunday morning or during a conversation. When they come up with some of the goofy stuff they hear preached or spoken of in conversation, the first thing I say is, did you look for it in your Bible? If it’s not in there, forget it. And if it is not in context with the overall theme of what is being spoken of in that particular portion of scripture, forget it. If you can’t back it up with Scripture then it is a deception, it’s a false teaching, and always remember Satan is the angel of light, and he can transform himself into a preacher of light. Even Satan's disciples can twist the word to say or mean, something other than what it is saying or pointing us to. So we have to be so very careful that we are not taken in by vain, deceptive words. This is why we are admonished to study to show ourselves approved, a laborer who can rightly divide (delineate) the words of Truth. Which simply means that we are able to understand them, or to discern the spiritual reality of the metaphorical example, and they begin to make sense to us. Jesus is said to have told His disciples, “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.” (Luke 8:10)

Some may argue that this was only for the twelve disciples of that time, but when once we have entered the gate of redemption, we become a disciple of Christ. From that time forward we remain a disciple and are progressively learning of Him.

Ephesians 5:6

"Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things (this mass of deception) cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

We mentioned before that most of the unbelieving world scoffs at the idea that God will one day pour out His wrath and judgment upon Christ-rejecting-mankind. They think that it is just some figment of our imagination, but we’ve got news for them, "That day is coming!" It may not be in our lifetime, although we think it will be, but this we do know- it’s coming! There will be a day when God will finally say, "ENOUGH!" When that day comes then His wrath will be poured out and a big portion of that wrath will be on these who have been deceiving the multitudes.     

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 9

Colossians 1:12-13

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet (prepared us, declared us fit) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who (the Father) hath delivered us from the power of darkness (where all these things take place constantly), and hath (already) translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

Come back and compare that with Ephesians chapter 5. 

Ephesians 5:5

"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

There is no way they can, because the Scripture says they can not. We don’t care how they shake it out, they will not be there. Not now or ever, they are black cows. Many of them are become wolves, jackals and birds of prey because they eat the flesh of man. This is what Matthew 8:11-12 is saying about the sons of the kingdom who are cast out into utter darkness. They are the ones who have forced their way into the kingdom but are not properly attired (suffered as Christ suffered being clothed in Christ and neither did they gain entry as a child) and are therefore removed, as tares by the angles. They remained clothed in the old wine skins of a dead religion. God's New Wine is alive and Living and is Life within our soul/spirit when understood by faith's receptivity as a child with a clear eye restored. Like the blind man in the synoptic gospels, for this is why this metaphor was used in actual illustration in compliance to prophesy, in Matthew 11:5, 20:30-34, Mark 10:46-52.

Ephesians 5:6

"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience."

Remember God is not pouring out His wrath today, the whole world is under His Grace, but His wrath is coming again. His wrath is coming and it is sure! For a moment let’s turn to 2Timothy chapter 2, and we will read verses 16 and 23. Here again within a matter of a few pages in your New Testament we have three times where we are to look out for deceitful, false teachings. And this false teaching is abounding. My goodness like we have told folks just the other day, "You ought to hear some of the things people are saying, and they’ve been to Church the same day or the day before. It’s ridiculous what teachings are going on." 

2Timothy 2:16a

"But shun (turn your back on) profane and vain babblings:..."

When we see the word babbling, do you remember back in the book of Acts when Paul came down to Athens and the big intellectual philosophers called what he had said- what? Babbling! Let’s hear what this old babbler has to say. You know a few days ago we heard that said of us, and you know we couldn’t help but smile, inwardly and well as outwardly. For we are to heavenly minded that we are no earthly good were the words spoken to me. So Paul was not the babbler, but rather they were. Well anyway, we are to shun profane and vain babblings of the false religionists.

2Timothy 2:16

"But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."

It will not bring us into more godliness. Skip all the verses in between and come down to verse 23. This verse is along that same line of thinking.

2Timothy 2:23

"But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes."

In other words do not ask foolish questions over and over. We have told people umpteen times when they have a question, not to ask us who is the third son of the second wife of King so and so back in the Old Testament. Because to me that is vain. There is no need to get all hung up on some of those little details that are way back there in the Old Testament, they have nothing to do with us today. And yet some people can get so hung up on these things, when actually all they need to do is get down and see what Paul really teaches. As I told some one, we must see the tree and not remain under its shadow. If we are not grafted into Him then we are of all men a most wrecked and wretched person and remain bond by sin, the Religion of self.  

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 8

Psalms 37:5

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

When you have a need, a problem, or concern, you simply commit it to the Lord. You take it to Him, and you leave it there, you do not hang on to it. If you hang onto that letter, it never will get into the mail, because you have still got it. But if you let it go then it is committed. If we are not wholly committed to Him, how on earth could He be committed to us? This was Israel's problem also, they were to have been wholly committed, to become a holy nation, but failed to remain so. They had been told to be holy as recorded in Leviticus 11:45, 19:2, 20:7, 26, Deuteronomy 7:6 and the list continues but they failed to understand Him. They did not take it to heart which is what the difference is between the old and the New. When we take His Word to heart, then and there is the change of repentance. And repentance becomes a living reality because of what the next verse we like states. 

Psalms 37:7a

"Rest in the LORD,..."

Do you know what it means to rest? It means to relax. Turn all those concerns over to Him, do not hang on to your problems. Rest only comes after the death of self because in the resurrection self, self-will, self-rule remain buried. The nature of Satan is destroyed and God's nature, which is His character is not resisted. For we rather have His, "Rest in the Lord."

Psalms 37:7b

"...and wait patiently for him:

See, we are a society of instant gratification. Give it to me now Lord, I’m in a hurry! No we have to learn to "wait patiently for him."

Psalms 37:7b

"...fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."

Boy we see that every day don’t we? We look at the young ungodly world around us, and all their prosperity, and wealth, and wonder, "Why?" Don’t worry about it, do not become overly concerned because those are things that are in God’s hand. But our responsibility is to commit our way to the Lord, trust in Him and let Him bring it to pass in His own time and in His own way. Some times it takes a lot longer than we think it should, It may take years, but God will do it in His own time and way.

I must express my concern here which is this, there are may distractions bombarding us every moment of every day, all playing for our attention. And when we as children and young adults do not know to resist evil we become over whelmed by these distractions and learn to hear only the voice of our own flesh. This voice can at times sound so spot on and right that we do not discern error even when we are older. Now I am not talking here about being born again or even having acquired redemption, but rather as mere humans. Then when we come to ourselves we do not know or discern the difference between the Holy Spirit's prompting and the voice of the flesh. Why? Because who out there knows for sure how to discern the difference, not those in our churches because sadly they too, are in the same condition of being mere humans. How and why can I say this and know without question that this is a true statement? The answer is found in 2Corinthinas 6 and is related to what God told Moses as revealed in Leviticus and Deuteronomy and the passages of scripture I listed earlier. This can be seen in verses 10-7:4 of 2Corinthians 6 and the setting apart of God's kingdom people from the corruption of religion (the spirit of Belial) that is in the world. When we take the synoptic gospels and set apart all the kingdom of heaven and of God scriptures with the complete thought, we will begin to understand and know the message of His kingdom restored within our soul. Which was to have happened to Israel but did not. They were distracted and pulled away from the appointed end. That being the Light and Glory of God as the head and not the tail, which they became.

Back to Ephesians chapter 5 for a few moments in verse 5. And again Paul brings it back to the opposite side of the coin. In the next verse are listen the perverse things of the character of a mere human which the professing Christian should not nor practice as a lifestyle. But if so, then the professing Christian better take heed by reading and studying some of these things. He/she better be about self examination to find out what spirit is driving them. Remember we are living in a society where these things are a norm.

Ephesians 5:5

"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

This is plain language isn’t it? How can people say, "Well don’t you think the Grace of God will be sufficient?" No, not in this case. My Bible says, "They will not be in the Kingdom of Christ! These are the characteristics of Belial and are known by Religion, a familiar spirit, which is common to all and is so common that he is embraced and accepted as the norm. Did you catch what Paul tells us the whoremonger is, an unclean person, a covetous person, they are idolaters and have nothing of value in the kingdom, they have no place in God. In fact turn on over to the book of Colossians chapter 1, verses 12 and 13. These are all the same words that Paul is using throughout his letters.     

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 7

Philippines 4:7

"And the peace of God*, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts** and minds through Christ Jesus."

*no matter how God answers our request. Peace with God is to govern all. **not many have heart peace with God.

Besides Jesus tells us not to be overly concerned about anything in Matthew 6 where he says take no thought and also if our eyes is single, or clear from foreign matter, unmixed may be a better term. Free from anything which creates doubt, uncertainty, obstructed, obscured; as not having a clear view. Because to be in this kind of state is to be outside God's kingdom of Life. Which causes many not to have peace with God within their heart. Because their heart has not been turned to or been restored to Him Who is to rule His house. Do you see why we do not have to worry about anything? It is because we have this Peace of God, which is peace or Grace restored within and between us and God. We are no longer enemies of (enmity, hostile toward) God and that is what keeps us. We know that is beyond mere human understanding. We know we are all human and we do worry and fret, and get overly concerned, and yet we think most of us have to admit that through all of our tight spots, we came through it with God’s help. God's Light, Love and Life when active within us gives us instant understanding and knowledge of Him, Who is Truth. Because we are then in the kingdom, which John the Baptist and Jesus' message were all about.

When understood, as having been revealed, that these things are for our good and training and learning of righteousness, then we will rejoice with a Holy Holy Holy is the LORD God almighty. That is where we have over come the world and become victorious IN Christ. God never promises us that we are going to go through life without problems and tribulations of all kinds. We are going to have just as many problems as any one in the world around us, but what is the difference? We have God, Christ within us in our problems, we have Him restored to take us through and we can rest assured and secure in that. Back in 1971 shortly after I returned from Southeast Asia. The Lord told me that I would encounter many things and that I would pass through them. The key was that I would pass through, He did not elaborate on what they were and I did not fret about them. Neither did I make a ministry around what He had revealed, we just moved through life as usual. In other words I forgot about this until He, the Holy Spirit brought these things back to mind. My point is this, He was faithful and continues to be, to His word given to me.

Another Scripture comes to mind in Psalms 37. This is from David, even under the Law, under the influence of the Spirit and we can still go back and use it in application, it is a beautiful couple of verses. This passage fits right along this same line of thinking. The peace that passes all understanding will keep our heart and minds through Christ Jesus. Look what David writes, starting with verse 5. My what a promise.

Psalms 37:5

"Commit thy way unto the LORD trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass"

Maybe not in our timing or even in the way we think it should all work out, but in His way and timing. Isn’t that a promise? My we have gone through trying times ourselves, and we just about wear that verse out. But do you know what it means to commit something? It means you take it to God and leave it with Him. We have given this example before. Regardless what you think of the Post Office, we think most of you just go and drop your letter in the mail slot. Do you go home and for the next week fret and worry whether it, your mail got to it’s destination or not? No. Because as soon as you dropped that letter off, what did you do? You committed it to the Postal Service to take care of it. You don’t go home and lose sleep over worrying if the letter got there. Because you are assuming that it will. You committed it to their care, and you let it go of it. This is what we are do have happen when we repent, which means we have released our self-will, self-life to God's care and charge and in return He gives us a gift, our first blessing of greatest value, the Holy Spirit within. This is what verse 5 means.   

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 6

Philippians 4:6a

"Be careful * for nothing;..."

*worry, fret, also to be full of care, troubled, anxious.

We all have seen those little wall plaques that say, "why worry when you can pray." There is more to it than what appears at first sight. We are not supposed to worry, fret or be anxious over anything. We can be concerned. We think everyone of us have concerns, and we have that right to have those concerns, but we are not to fret, worry and be anxious to the point of wring our hands or have cold sweets over a matter. Neither are we to promote our own interests because they are the promoting the Religion of self. What I mean is this, for years and years my family and I believed the twisted wrested gospel of name it and claim it, health wealth and prosperity, tithing until you dropped all for nothing and the two kingdoms gospel. I also fell prey to the proper name usage thinking and the Israel only mentality thing of past, present and future. We took scriptures out of context and forced them into what we thought their meaning and purpose was. Little did we know or understand the words of Christ, when He stated that the kingdom suffers violence and that people force their way into the kingdom by violent actions, which is just what we were doing in ignorance. We were unwittingly promoting self-righteous in this kind of behavior, even though it seemed that scriptures said we were to be doing these things. We were removing God and making ourselves gods in our habit and practices, this is the WARNING, our behavior, which was unbefitting of those who call themselves by His name. This we learn when He, the Holy Spirit, begins to open our understanding, knowledge of, and reveals Christ within us.

The Holy Spirit's battle for supremacy over our self-will waged on for more years than I care to count. Not a battle of arms but for spiritual territory within our being and our rightful place in the heavenlies. This battle is between what ever Religion we are hooked to and our freedom from it and its hold on us, a form of binding and loosing. I would liken it to the battle for one of the beaches of Normandy, which the Americans fought the Germans for at the start of WWII. This battle wages hourly over and for the souls of mankind in the heavenlies without end. Between the forces of evil Religion and Christ's arm until the lost souls of humanity are won. This is what the book of Revelation reveals is Christ's warfare for our souls, waged in the heavenlies. Because He defeated Satan and bruised his head and we do likewise when we have learned Christ, the whole reason and purpose for the first estate of redemption. To bring us to our willingness (the removal of the speck of sand in our eye, which appears as a log in our brothers eye) to suffer the lose of all self-righteous and self-rule, the stronghold or strongman of religion. How is it we recover what was lost?

Philippians 4:6b

"... but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving..."

It does not do us any good to petition God if we forget to thank Him, for it in advance, as we pray. Thanking God is the criteria, that is to be our modus operandi for prayer. Make it with thanksgiving. But we must search out our motivation for we may be wanting (our desire, is self exultation) that which is not good. We must at all times have this mind in us, God will do what God will do in His time and in His way. If we are wanting or lusting for Him to do, then we are trying to force our own will (self) on the situation. We have no right of privilege to demand or decree anything of God. If we think in this way we are of most men deceived.

Keep in mind that God is a just judge and at the same-time an unjust judge because He weighs out our silent motivations of the heart. He will not stand for a decree and declare mentality, a bless me bless me of a self-righteous state of mind, even when it may be according to our (external, material, literal) understanding of His Word. Why? Because we may not be rightly dividing His Will, Word and Law. Study the disciples prayer as it is relevant to all such prayers of need and our behavior as found in Luke 11:1-4 (Psalm 10:17, 19:14, Romans 8:26-27, Jude 20 and then we have James 4:2-3). This prayer contains the functionality of the secret things of the kingdom of heaven/God which is His rule restored within man as known in Genesis 2:7 and Redemption of 3:15 and the Salvation of Genesis 1:27, when understood and seen and heard in the spirit of man through the Spirit of Life.

Philippians 4:6b

"...let your requests be made known unto God...."

He is not limiting our request. It can be anything as long as it is in Godly reason of course, but let our requests be made known to God. Here we can come, and ask with thanksgiving, but God may say, No! He may say, no not right now, maybe later. He may say, Yes. But regardless how He answers, in verse 6, we have already the answer in verse 7. We have the answer to our prayer here in verse 7, and what is it?