Ephesians Lesson 8 part 1

Romans 3:1
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?..."
Do you see what those two questions say? Why was Israel in such a preeminent position, and why were they feasting at Yehovah's table? Why did Paul write in Romans chapter 11, "did they dwell on the root and fatness of Abraham?" Because they were so privileged, they were spoken to directly by Yehovah and this is what Paul is alluding to. Just look at all the privileges that Israel had. They had the beautiful Temple, and early on, the presence of the Shekinah glory. They had the miracle working power of God. They witnessed His presences among them with all the signs and wonders of that time or dispensational period. They even had angels among them. They had the priesthood, but what was the preeminence that they had going for them? The next verse tells us this:

Romans 3:2.
"Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
They had the oracles or spoken audible Word of God (Christ is the manifestation of this oracle), they heard at the first the very voice of Yehovah Himself and that's what put Israel in such an invincible position. All during this time when God was dealing with primarily the Hebrews only, they had the Word of God from about 1500 BC on, until Christ. And the Gentiles were out there destitute of any of that. Now when we come on this side of the Last Supper and then the “it is Finished” of the Cross, and Christ ascension to the Fathers right hand, we find Paul becomes the Apostle of the Gentiles. His Church letters are directed primarily to us as Gentiles in the One Body of Christ, our heavenly spiritual position. NO! Longer to remain earthy, carnal or governed by sin, this is to say under Satan's influence. And oh what a difference is in the language we have when we get to Paul. Once in a while people of our every day meeting of them where ever, they're hung up in the Old Testament. We always tell them that it would be so simple to understand if they would just realize to whom is it being spoken? It was written to the Hebrew under the Law, and that makes all the difference in the world. But most fret and fuss with it, and can't figure out why they can't understand it. Well we're not under the Law, we're not Jews. Now on the other hand the Hebrew today has a hard time comprehending Paul, nor do those of a Hebrew mindset. They avoid his writings like a plague, as do most so called "Christians" because it's not written to the Hebrew only, but rather to and for primarily the Gentiles. And because its primarily all spiritual and requires our having the Holy Spirit to reveal or unveil these things to us. For it is He that removes the veil from our hearts eyes and ears to be empowered by Him to see and hear God speaking to us through His Son. So always keep that in your mind as you are reading these things. For they are spiritually discerned and the fleshly or carnally minded does not discern spiritual things.

Now let us finish recapping the earthly and heavenly if we may. So here's the earthly, the earthly Kingdom that was promised to Israel and Israel only and they rejected it, and then God funnels, scatters them back into the masses of Gentile humanity. They almost lost their identity, but God kept His finger on them, and so the Hebrew is still out there, he's still a viable factor to be dealt with. But again I must caution you this is subject to God's view not ours or your.

In the meantime the One Body of Christ has been lifted out of that mass of humanity, and made separate, they are a unique group of people, and who's end is going to be when we depart or taken out of the way, and we're getting close to that time. Maybe we should have looked at the departure more in detail, but for now we'll let it go because we'd like to move on. Because now you see when the Church is out of the way God will again pick up with the Nation of Israel where He left off back in the Book of Acts. And the verse in Psalm 2, the end of verse 8 remember. At least this is what or carnal natural mind tells us but we're not to depend on it because it is still in subjection to Satan's influences.

Remember the Nation of Israel has just been floating along, you might say, through human history out there in the nations of the world. But now as we've seen in 1947-48 they became a independent nation, and now God can deal with the Nation of Israel again. The Church has to be out of the way before that can happen however. Then God will finish His dealing in that seven years of Jacobs troubles or the Tribulation that are still future, that are still part and parcel of the Old Testament prophecies. But as said these are not necessarily so. Then when the earthly people, Israel, are ready for the coming of their King (and that is what He will be to them), the King will establish His rule and reign for 1000 years, and as Revelation says so clearly, "He shall be King of kings, and Lord of lords." For those who have chosen Him and His ways He is already King, LORD and High Priest of His household. As stated in the Old Testament and New a peculiar people set a part unto Him. In this 1000 year reign, Ephesians 1:10 becomes a fulfilled reality, where the heavenly and earthly are brought together in Christ, even in Him. Now let's move on to verse 11, and that verse starts right off with a prepositional phrase.

Ephesians 1:11a
"In whom (IN Christ) also we (as members of this One Body of Christ) have (already, past tense) obtained an inheritance,..."
Now in order to have an inheritance, what do you have to have? You have to have somebody who is going to share their wealth and property with you. Otherwise you've nothing to inherit. For that let's look at a portion of scripture in Romans chapter 8. Now where does our inheritance originate? Ephesians has already told us that it's "in Christ," but let's also see what this says.

Romans 8:14-17
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons (the born ones not earthy but from the dead, spiritual alive or restored and in Christ) of God. (so a believer has to have the leading or power of the Holy Spirit) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; (now Paul is not only talking about the Law with its legalism but the first commandment of Genesis 2:16, which many don't consider law. Anytime somebody puts the Law on people, it puts those people in a place of superstition and fear, and they're scared to death that they're not doing things right, and they're not doing enough by their own sufficiency) but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, (when we're placed in Christ, at our death to the influence of Satan's hold as a strongman) whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (we can call God our Father, we have every right to do that. Now here it comes) The Spirit itself (Himself, this is the ontological essence of Christ within us) beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"
Now what do most children wait for if they have a wealthy set of parents? Their inheritance. That's normal, there's nothing wrong with that. We get a kick out of these people that go south every winter. With a bumper sticker which says, "I'm spending my kids' inheritance." But when parents have wealth, the kids have an inheritance. Well that's exactly what we have with God, but there is a requirement before one can receive an inheritance. Especially in marriage, one party has to die before the other can benefit from the contract. When this happens the survivor receives the benefits under contract. In our case our contract was inaugurated at the Lord Last Supper and ran through His ascension to the Fathers right hand side, where we now sit with Him in the Heavenliest. Its from this position that we can say, “Abba, Father.”