Ephesians Lesson 29 of 39 part 3

Romans 7:4

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ*, that ye should be married to another, (that is to Christ) even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

*this is the secret of the Last Supper or Marriage Feast on through the ascension.

When man, Adam was first introduced on earth he belonged to his creator, then when mankind fell he became married to another, Satan. Jesus was the promised seed of Genesis 3:15 in which mankind would one day become God's sons again. In metaphoric terms married to Him as one being.

In the original scheme of things, what was the purpose of marriage? Children. Now look at this verse, what is the true purpose of our being married to Christ? Offspring. "That we should bring forth fruit unto God." What is the fruit? Lost and the unbelieving people that we can win, and by doing that we cause the Body of Christ to grow. Those of us who are hoping for the Lord to come, we have stressed, "how can we hasten the Lord’s coming? Soul winning! As soon as the Body of Christ is complete, whenever that is, it is going to be going home! That is why in Proverbs we are admonished to train up a child in the way he or they should go, so when they get older they will NOT lost the path home (paraphrased). This is one area that our churches have failed God and His message of Grace. So let’s get out and do not miss a chance to witness, to win the people's hearts. Hearts that the Lord opens, to receive Him and fill up the Body of Christ. In fact another verse comes to mind to finish that thought. Romans 11:25.

Romans 11:25b

"...that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in."

The fulness of the Gentiles, has not happened yet, but as soon as that last person is saved in this Church Age, then this prophecy will also be complete. 

What is the greatest hindrance to soul winning? The church of the "frigidaire", a church of the national parks, is how I have heard it stated, in other words the church which is not a Church. The world knows a falsehood when it sees it and hears it and that is exactly what has happened because of the spirit of Religion which has taken over. The world is filled with phony baloney Religion and is waiting for the Sons of God. Men and women who are true and living Truth of the Resurrection of Christ within them because they will walk in the power of the Resurrect and will win the souls of mankind by God's Love and Truth.

Ephesians 4:17a

"This I say therefore*, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth..."

*and remember when Paul says therefore, he’s referring back to what he’s just covered.

Once we have come into the One Body of Christ, we are to be different, we are totally different. Not that we are to be odd balls. Oh, it just gripes us when some Christians are just odd balls, that is not what God wants. God does not want somebody that the world would say, "If that’s being a Christian, then I’m glad I’m not one." The world should be able to look at us, and say, "I wish I had what they have got. I wish I had their joy and happiness, and their outlook on life." Always remember, when we come into certain positions, the world out there expects somebody to be worthy of that position, that is just a given. Well it is the same way here, when we come into our position as a member of the Body of Christ, it becomes a given that we are to be different. Because God's illumination shines through us, His Truth, Love and Grace shines. And look what Paul says. 

Ephesians 4:17b

"...walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind."

That word walk is a unique Pauline term. We saw that in chapter 2, and Paul is always referring to walk, and here it is the same kind of description, but in a different setting. The world knows the "vanity of mind", because they are it. Yes, they have vanity of mind and if our being has not been changed to God's character, then we are still lost. Because we live in deception and are only deceiving ourselves,  we still possess the vanity of mind. In other words we are only playing church, we are not true the Church.