Ephesians Lesson 18 of 39 part 5

God doesn't ignore nor set aside the Hebrews during this Age of Grace. The only thing the Hebrew now must do to come to salvation is come to themselves individually in the same way as the Gentile, and that's by believing Paul's Gospel. On man is set apart from this or left to his own devices as God has already Redeemed man as promised the first Adam and this covenant is what was hidden from view and understanding until the Holy Spirit has revealed it to us. When He does we're to allow it to sit on a shelf until such time as it become a living reality with us soul and heart of hearts. Then as a seed it has Life with our words and utterances because they are Spirit and they are Life.

Ephesians 2:18
"For through him we both have access by one (Holy) Spirit unto the Father."
We've got to go back to one of our favorite verses, and you'll find that in Acts chapter 16. Almost every morning we ask the Lord, "Give us hundreds if not thousands of Lydia's today." We know that it's possible for Him to do that. And here's what we're talking about in verse 14. Remember Paul had been up there in Northern Greece in Troas, Samothracia & Neapolis, and he's establishing little Gentile congregations, which have a few Hebrews in them. Now he has come down to Philippi, and evidently there wasn't a synagogue there, because he comes up on a few Jewish women meeting at a river side. They evidently are having their daily devotions. Anyway Paul had the opportunity to address them, and look what he says in verse 14.

Acts 16:14a
"And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, (so that makes me think they were Jewish) heard us:..."
We have to know every time that the Apostle Paul had an opportunity, he stopped and put forth this Gospel. It didn't matter whether it was a small group like these that he was sharing with, or pagan Gentiles coming out of their temple, Paul was at them with this Gospel of Grace in Redemption. We think this because this is the way He's had us doing it now for over 6 years, for it complies with what He told me back in 1971. So in the first part of verse 14 the scripture it tells us that these women heard us. But oh now is the part that we love to teach, and revel in, and pray for.

Acts 16:14b
"...whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."
Now we want to remember that the Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead just as well as God the Son, and God the Father. So we have to feel that the Lord in this case is the Holy Spirit that opened the heart. So the Holy Spirit opened the heart, and understanding of this Jewish lady of Thyatira. And as soon as that happened she believed the message that Paul was proclaiming.
You know it's no different today. You can have the greatest evangelist just preach his heart out, is he going to get any fruit without the Spirit? No way! We can share the Truth until we're blue in the face, but it won't get any response until the Holy Spirit opens peoples understandings. Now back to Ephesians chapter 2. Let's look at verse 18 again.

Ephesians 2:18-19
"For through him (what Christ has done on our behalf) we both (Hebrews and Gentiles) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"
Now just look at that verse we just read for a moment, and compare it again with verse 12. Because you have to compare scripture with scripture. Read verse 12 again if you will in order to properly contemplate these things. We're not to reason them through the literal processes of the mind but eat them if you will by contemplation. For this is what the LORD said we're to do in order to become a doer of His word and thereby share in His Life.

Ephesians 2:12
"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:"
Now look at verse 19 where we just left off and oh what a difference. We're not like our forefathers up there in verse 12 any more. We have chanced. How because of the LORD's Redemption and our being made righteous again through His workings not our own. When Paul's Gospel is hear rightly and taken effect upon our heart of hearts the very essence of Christ in seed form all man-kind has hidden within them as a seed and pearl of great price.

Mans religion teaches that its a works thing but the New Covenant is not about our working for anything, as that was Israel's down fall through its change from righteousness to Religion. They did not know or understand blind trust, the very trust which Abram, Enoch, Noah, and other righteous men exhibited and was recorded by Moses in his writings. Which writings all reveal Christ as their need and the answer to that need.