Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 5

Before we go into Romans 7, I must direct your attention to Psalm 69:7-12, 19-20 and listen attentively to what David says in these verses, because what he is saying is a conversation between God as Father and Christ as the Son. This conversation took place in the counsel of Father and Christ during the council of predetermination when the books of Life and the book of secret/mysteries were written, before the worlds were framed. These books were then sealed but note with a wax type seal as David could not have broken that kind of seal but he as a prophet had accesses to it like Daniel and the other prophets did. For they heard with spiritual ears and understood, had knowledge of, with spiritual understanding but were told not to reveal these things because the predetermined time had not come. So they remained sealed until John the Baptist came as the herald of Jesus, in the spirit of Elijah. Jesus after His ascension called out Saul of Tarsus through whom He chose to reveal the secret/mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and God. The things He spoke of to His disciples and the children of Israel (as the lost sheep) in parables, which hid the meaning. Just as Hosea in 12:10 states and Psalm 2 reveals. Which we know as the New Covenant of Grace, the Church Age extended to all because God's pearl (knowledge of understanding of the circle of Life, the wheel within a wheel) is hidden in all and He Wills to be the All in all. Which is Christ restored in our soul/spirit, as in Genesis 2:7 and then 1:27 after our falling to sleep or extraction. 

We must also know that after Jesus had taken the old testament saint's into the heavenliest that He returned and talked with or opened the disciples understanding of all things which spoke or revealed Him within the old writings as stated in Luke 24:44-50. Jesus stated a warning in Matthew 7:5-6, He also made a puzzling statement in Matthew 8:10-12 and both of these should through a thorough search of scripture to be understood by us all.

Romans 7:7

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? (is the law in itself evil?) God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin*, but by the law: for I had not known lust, (desire) except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

*my old Adamic nature, of self-rule, in my flesh, which is really what sin is. He said I would not have ever known about my old Adam nature. This is the foundation of revelation upon which Christ said that He builds His Family, Body, the Church. Which consists of those who have willingly emptied themselves of all that can be known as self, self-ruled.

Over the years we have always taught that you can hardly commit a single sin against God without coveting (desiring, lusting after) first? That is why Paul will constantly refer to coveting, because it is the bench mark for everything else. Idolatry is the overwhelming desire for that which has been forbidden. And religion fails at its center, because it promotes the idolatry of self. For God hates all false religion along with all the practices man has devised to carry out its practice. It is the same way back here in the book of Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:3

"But fornication*, and all uncleanness, or covetousness**, Let it not be once named among you as becometh saints;"

*spiritually speaking is idolatry as we have seen in Israel's history. **desires that are not good, self gratification, idolatry.

Remember back in Numbers 25 and verse 1 where Israel went whoring around with the Moabites, the descendants of Lot. Where Israel joined themselves to Baalpeor what was the Lord's words to Moses? “Hung the heads of the people against the sun before Him until His great anger be turned from Israel.” That is strong language in anyone’s book, so the Lord hates all sin because its not an external thing but is an internal spiritual thing. Then Paul goes on and lists some more of these terrible sins. Oh my, as we look at those listed we can see the bag is full isn’t it?

Ephesians 5:4

"Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient (normal): but rather (use your breath to) giving of thanks."

We have had people come to us with this verse and say, "You mean it’s not right for us to tell a joke, and have a good laugh?" No, that is not what that verse means. Man, nobody appreciates a good laugh any more than I do. There is nothing wrong with a good laugh, it is healthy for us. My goodness David had all kinds of opportunity to rejoice, and Paul says in Philippians to rejoice, we do not have to walk around with a stoic, long face. We do not have to walk around like death has just been warmed over on us. But when it comes to foolishness, and course jesting which is the filthy thinking and speaking as the world or worldly, such as common man speaks. Then, no, we are not to have it because it just does not fit, God's character and personality. There is NO virtue of holiness in it. Most of the time it is directed toward some body and is demeaning of them.

Rather we are to use our breath and tongue to give thanks, and to edify and exhort. Let’s look at that for a moment in chapter 4 of Philippians. This is one of the best two verses on prayer in the whole Bible. When people ask about prayer this is the first place that we should take them. These are absolutely the best verses on prayer. 

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 4

We are to walk as a result of the revelation of what was stated earlier where Paul stated that God was fashioned in the likeness as a man, the man Jesus Israel's Messiah and Adams promised seed Who is the I AM of NOW, Christ. Since He has paid the sin debt, the ransom held by Satan and He has now declared us "a child of God," not by anything we have done physically, but rather what He has done. When we understand the mysteries of God by rightly dividing the Word of Truth and willing partake of His garden cup, He then makes us a son in the circumcision of the heart. 

There are a lot of Churchy and false religious things that a person can do after redemption such as staying within the confines of religion, joining the local Church, being baptized, and so on ans so forth. We are not against any of these, but there are multitudes that are doing that for their salvation, and are ignoring the finished work of the cross. By not examining themselves and are taking the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manor and not believing in it for their eternal destination. Do you think God is pleased when people ignore the work of the cross? Heavens NO He is not pleased. When He has done and provided everything that need be done. When people get the idea that if we just join the Church, then we will make it? I have to be blunt, they are not going to make it at all! Neither will they make it by skirting around God's established high road in which His Life, Love and Light are restore to Life within us. We do not care what Church it is, whether it is mine, yours, or anybody else’s. What makes this so? Look with me at Matthew 8 beginning with verse 8;

Matthew 8:8-13 “The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them that followed, 'Verily I

say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. I tell you, That

many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham,

and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the

kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and

gnashing of teeth.'

Jesus said to the centurion, Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it

done to you. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

The question revealed here is, who are the sons or children of the kingdom? If all mankind are potentially sons or if it is just Israel who are potentially sons then, what keeps them from being accepted and then cast out into utter darkness? Our answer is in plain view in Philippians 2:7-8.

We have to come back and recognize that it is all tied up in the Lord's Last Supper and the death of the cross that made it possible for God to make us His dear children. And consequently since He loved us first, that love is to be returned, and we are to walk the walk that He wants us to walk. And then as Paul does so often, shows us the other side of the coin.

Ephesians 5:3

"But fornication*, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints;"

*this is both sexual and spiritual immorality, idolatry (of self-will, self-rule) which is wickedness and lawlessness in all it’s rankest forms. This immorality and idolatry are based in all Religions of the world order.

Paul does not go through all the long list like he did in Ephesians chapter 2 or Galatians chapter 4, or Romans chapter 3. Oh it is a horrible list, but he does name some of the key ones, and among them is covetousness. But we need not skip over fornication because it is also known as idolatry of which religion is its greatest offender. Because religion has become the idol at its center. The key is what was revealed in Philippians 2:7-8 and the self, self-will, self-rule of mans fallen nature. The fornication of the familiar spirit common to all and this binds Israel's past to the present as Romans 10-12 reveals. Now that reminds us of Romans chapter 7, so let’s look at it for a moment. A lot of people have problems with this chapter in Romans because they can’t quite figure out what Paul is showing by using himself as an illustration. Where his restored spirit is waging a battle within him for supremacy over his self-will. Whether he is talking about a lost person or about a believer who has all these problems, the one thing we want to see here is here in verse 7.   

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 3

Philippians 2:5-6

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus*: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"

*do you see how close that brings Him? We can get to the place that we think as He thinks. This is to be our understanding and only that for we can never be as He is.(Jesus is speaking in both of these, Matthew 10:24-25, Luke 6:40)

This sounds likes a play on words of some sort, but what it really means is, that Christ did not feel or think that He was robbing something from the Godhead. Because after all He is God! He just counted the cost, which He by the way established in the counsel which meet long before the universe came into existence.

Philippians 2:7

"But made himself of no reputation*, and took upon him the form of a servant (bond slave), and was made in the likeness of men;"

*He emptied, to make one appear vain, worthless, Himself of His “self”, all "self-will" in other words He was selfless. (Psalm 22:6, Isaiah 50:5-6) And by doing this He establishes the required standard for us all to gain entry into His kingdom. This He said by parable as the taking up our cross daily.

When we come to understanding of the parable of the taking up of our cross and see that not to do so is vanity.....that is to say, evil, worthless because self still rules. Remember back when we were studying the unsearchable riches of Christ? We tried to get people to think in those terms, because it is beyond mere human comprehension to think that the Eternal, Sovereign, Creator of the universe lowered Himself, of all self-will, to such a place that He went the Way of the cross. Without resistance. Then with His teaching Paul that we were counted as in Him through it all, including His Last Supper (with its hidden meaning of a marriage meal where two parties become as one). This is and was the reason for the Passover meal when Israel was still in Egypt even though it was veiled from their understanding and remains so to this very day to many unlearned, who twist or wrest the scriptures as Peter stated. It is beyond thinking, but we can take it all in by faith. 

Philippians 2:8

"And being found in fashion as a man*, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

*Christ had all the attributes of a man (self-willed, self ruled) although He was still God, we could say that He restored mans humanity. This is known as the Salvation of all things.

Christ humbled Himself and permitted the Romans and Jews to do what they did. Oh goodness, have you ever stopped to think that as they were laying Him on that wooden cross, He could have destroyed the whole lot of them, couldn’t He? Then there would not have been anything left except He Himself, but He did not. Why? Love! Love kept Him on the cross, and so He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death on that tree made a cross.

You know the Romans crucified the Jews by the thousands. We read an account, that there were 2000 Jews hanging on crosses along one of the Roman roads all at one time, so it wasn’t just the death by crucifixion that made it so extraordinary, but that in His death, He took upon Himself all the sin of humanity. This means that He acquires to Him the self of humanity. That’s what makes his death so unique as Paul speaks of it here, "even the death of the cross." It was not the matter of the fact that He was crucified, as bad as that was, but that all the sin of self-will, self-rule for the whole human race from Adam until the last person that will be destroyed at the end of the Kingdom Age. All their sin of self-will, self-rule were laid on Christ! Not only the sin of self-will, self-rule was laid on Him but also God's wrath. Because the spirit of self-will, self-rule (because self is a familiar spirit, this simply means that it is common to all) is enmity toward God. The same wrath which man has been storing up until the day of wrath which we feel is not far off.

You see that could have never even been a thought in our mind, had He been anything less than the Creator God. If He’d been anything less than the all powerful, Sovereign God, He could have never taken all the sin of self and the self-ruled, and the wrath due the self of the world on Himself, but He did, and we have to take that in by faith. If Christ did not do that, then we might as well fold the Bible up and go home, but He did, and we can place all our trust in it and believe Him.    

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 2

1John 2:1b

"...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"

The point we want you to see is the same terminology that Paul uses, "as dear children", John uses the term, “my little children”. Back to Ephesians chapter 5. We as true believers, are members of the Family of God as children, and we are to walk differently because we are set apart from the rest of the world. (Special note, Israel was to have set this pattern but failed to do so because they took on the nature and character of the world and the paganism around them.) Remember the illustration given of the Navy Seals, the men who are Seals know each other. Even in public and in their respective work environments not by a banner, as they carry no badges to distinguish themselves, but in the way they carry themselves. The average John Joe public does not know them, they do nothing to stand out. God knows us because He has been restored within us and that is all that matters to Him and it should be all that matters to us as well.

The Man Christ Jesus is our advocate with the Father and His ontological essence is what makes us righteous. This righteousness is not seen by the world but can be known because it is a fruit of His Spirit within. Our conversation bears proof of this, though we say nothing. We do not need to carry our Bible around with us to make people feel uncomfortable, His presences within and around us, as glory (being clothed in Christ) does that. Besides when we walk in Love people know that also, as these are our badge of the fruit of His character restored. The witness that a Son of God even though only a child, is among us.

Ephesians 5:2a

"And walk in love,..."

Remember a lesson or two back? I said, as a young person growing up, one of the things that motivated me, as much as anything else was to behave myself, because of love for our Dad and Moms. I mean we were together from the time I was able to walk until almost the day may Dad died, as we worked side by side, and I loved him. I respected both of them because they are my parents. Though we lived miles apart we still held the bound of love and respect. And yet I regret it, because we were from that kind of a German background where we didn’t show that love openly. Even to this day we are not huggers, because we didn’t grow up in that kind of a family environment. We never touched or kissed each other, but my goodness, Dad and grandpa and I loved each other and I wouldn’t do anything that would have hurt either of them or Mom. 

All right, this is to be our attitude toward the Lord. He has loved us so much that He suffered and died for us, and we are to love Him in return with all our being. But how is true Love developed? By learning and getting to know the targeted person of that Love. So Paul says, "Here’s your motivation as dear children, walk in love." Remember back in chapter 2, verse 2 Paul uses the same terminology, only then we were in the world before redemption, no while still in Redemption. The corral where we begin to learn Christ and love is developed through learning and then knowing Him the target of the Holy Spirits teaching and gently, patiently leading us.

Ephesians 2:1b-2a

"...who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world..." 

After we have passed through Redemption's work we as believers are to walk according to the leading of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. This then is our Salvation walking by the Spirit where we worship in Spirit and Truth with much Love and adoration of highly valuing Him Who now resides within us, as a little child would.

Ephesians 5:1-2

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children*; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour (aroma)."**

*it’s just like a child who loves his parents, and the parent love his children, and this should be our relationship. **No longer an animal sacrifice but our praise from the heart and often our lips when in the Spirit or out of spirit, for this pleases God.

Such as an incense or maybe a perfume that would come from flowers. That was what His offering and sacrifice was to God in reality. Even though the cross was a horrible place to look at physically, and the suffering that He went though, but you see the end result was our redemption and then the working of salvation for countless numbers of sinful people. It won’t be as many souls as we would like to think, but nevertheless that work of the cross is having it’s fruition in the Salvation, when Salvation has done or started it perfect work, of multitudes throughout the last 2000 years. We must understand that both Redemption and Salvation are a working of the New Covenant in the person of Christ. That is why Paul in Hebrews states it is a far Better Covenant then the Old one ever was.

So our spiritual worship becomes then a sweet aroma to God because of what Christ has done. And the fact, which Paul so well brings out, our sacrifice in Christ on the tree, our alter of worship and praise with great rejoicing of heart. We like to use as many Scriptures as we can, so go on over to the book of Philippians chapter 2. This passage fits so perfectly as we walk as dear children, then naturally it becomes a mental thing, as everything we do starts in the heart (soul/spirit) and then works its way toward our mind. So now Paul instructs us how this all has to work.    

Ephesians Lesson 33 of 39 part 1

Exodus 33:19

"And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee*; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy."

*now here comes the Sovereign Grace of God, and if you don’t get anything else in our sharing and teachings, remember this. This is God’s Sovereign Grace!

Can anyone argue with Him? No way. Why? He is Sovereign, He is the Creator of the universe. He framed man and breathed into the clay figure His Spirit of Light, Love and Life as a pearl in mans soul from which His Life and Love would spring. We suppose way deep down Moses almost thought, "God why don’t you destroy them? They are just bent on sinning, they’re worthless, I can’t do anything with them." We think Moses kind of expected God to simply annihilate that whole nation, one of those times. But God had to show Moses, "Listen Moses, you don’t know My heart of Grace! You don’t understand that I Am Sovereign, and I will show Grace and mercy to whom I please!

It’s the same way today. My goodness we can think of people who have been awful. They’ve been enemies of society, but will God save them? Sure He will in a moment. Why? Because of His Sovereign Grace and the seed or pearl within their soul. Now if it were left up to us we’d probably say, "Hey that person isn’t deserving of God’s Grace, he deserves death, he deserves to be wiped off the scene." But God says, and thinks differently. God says, "I died for that person." I gave that person my Life and Love hidden in their soul as a pearl, that makes each person of value to Him. And He did. God died for that person just as much as He did for us, and God’s Sovereign Grace can reach down and save that individual just as He saved us, so always remember that. Now back to Ephesians again. Because of the Grace of God, Paul can now write, "That we can forgive our neighbor and family members, and we should do this because God has already forgiven us." So the lesson is if God forgave us, then why can’t we also forgive. Always remember that is the vast chasm between Law and Grace." 

Ephesians 5:1

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;"

We love that term in Scripture, and we do not know why. We have now for quite a few years. It was not until we did a study on 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verses 23 through 32, that we found the hidden meaning of it. That being God counts us as His God-child when we rightly divide its hidden meaning, when we understand what it says and reveals. Many are redeemed but never truly saved and this was an eye opener for me. When we have chosen to pass through death His compassion or charity and great Love is rekindled in our soul. He then carries us through Christ's passion and ascension because we are then partakers of Christ and thusly made heirs again of God. There’s another use of the term of child we like back in 1John and it reads much the same way.

1John 2:1a

"My little children,..."

Those words are beautiful. John at this time was up in years no doubt, and it’s the same John that was one of the twelve, and he is writing to those believers of his time. He is writing to fellow Hebrews who have become active receivers of Christ's Spirit. And says, "My little children." Do you know what we call that? That is a statement of endearment, showing compassion and we all appreciate it. We are not normal if we do not appreciate the love of family and friends and so forth. With our stewardship we are to show compassion for all of humanity even the vilest person, Jesus said to love them no matter the cost (think on this Matthew 7:6 with care).

1John 2:1a

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not...."

Can’t you almost feel the heart of the old apostle? He didn’t want his believers to return to sin and paganism. Just as the writer of Hebrews is warning all those Hebrew believers of Christ not to return to their now dead religious practices. For by doing so they would be the enemies of God and become Christ's footstool. This could be our state after receiving the illumination of the Truth and it then becomes our driving force. John and Paul warn against such in a effort to keep all on course within God's work of our Salvation. This too has become our driving force because of the Spirit of Christ Who Lives His Life through us. Then John goes on to say.    

Ephesians Lesson 32 of 39 part 5

Ephesians 4:31

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

You see those are all ear marks of the unregenerate individual, a disbelieving one professing belief in but not acquiring Him Who is True and Paul is always making that comparison. Not that we as believers will be perfect, for we will occasionally slip into these things, but they are not to be a daily lifestyle. We never like anyone to get the impression that just because we are believers, we are suddenly perfect or will ever be perfect in this life, as we can not be. We are still in the body of flesh, we are still in a world that is saturated with these things and bombards us with the things of the world, but the goal of every believer is to attain to these things as we grow in our Christ centered knowledge and understanding. When we acquire understanding which happens after we have entered His Salvation, where we learn of Him, He will show us the speck in our own eye, the stumbling block that keeps us in the dark (the bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor of our soul and evil speaking). The darkness which hinders us from hearing and seeing Him is revealed and then we will see throughout the Bible, the red thread. A thread of revelation caused to come into the darkness and open our minds eye as the Lord did His followers after His resurrection. Remember He had told them it was given them to know the mysteries of the kingdom (Matthew 13:11-12, 16; Mark 4:11-12). So here again Paul makes that a comparison with what we came out of. Back up a few pages and we will see what we are driving at in chapter 2.

Ephesians 2:1-2

"And you hath he quickened, (made spiritually alive) who were (past tense) dead in trespasses and sins (mans natural state of being); Wherein (in that old life) time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, (this is Satan) the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"

Do you see how Paul subtly brings in old Satan without actually blatantly using him all the time? Satan is the one whom the world marches to, though they do not acknowledge it. They say that God is in charge of everything, is He? Oh sure His hand and eye is upon Satan's activities and He does have a leash on him but remember Adam gave away not only our authority but God's as well to a limited predetermined degree. God is the owner as His is its builder and all of creation belongs to Him but Satan was cast to of all places the earth, not Mars, or the Sum or even the Moon, earth. Then man as Genesis 1 states was to rule over all the earth, which have dominion means. That is how Jesus through the office of the flesh could be tested or tempted as Matthew records in: Mat 4:8-10 "Again, the devil took (as a vision) took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me. Then said Jesus to him, 'Get hence, Satan: for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve'." 

After His baptism Jesus was then spiritually alive as witnessed by only John the Baptist when he saw what he had been told to be looking for and then heard the voice from heaven. He saw the heavenly dove which ascended and came to rest upon Jesus. Then he heard the voice declare Jesus to be the son of promise (Genesis 3:15). The crowd around them did not see or hear, only John did. Form the moment on Jesus was empowered to proclaim the message of the kingdom. John had been proclaiming the kingdom message, that He of this kingdom was among, at hand, nigh, and in the midst of you. These terms are location terms and may be said to apply to within you or within the group of two or more.

I just said that those around both Jesus and John the Baptist did not see or hear what was happening right in the middle of them. All they heard if anything was the sound of thunder or trumpet blast as this is the testimony of scripture throughout its record. Only those to whom it was intended, one to see and two to hear would this be possible. The third reason is what is stated in our subject verse where it states, "who were dead in trespassed and sins", those in this state will not see or hear God. Even those who repent and enter His Redemption will not until the Holy Spirit has prepared them.

Here is a fresh revelation, the other day I was watching a program on the military channel on the Navy Seals. During this program the man who developed this program of training said, that all men chosen and this includes those who have already become accepted continue to rehurse within the training to increase their skills. Then he stated that they go in with the newbies and work among them for what ever period it takes. It then becomes their (the older seals) job to pass or fail those they had worked with throughout this period. The newbies never know who these guys are because they all receive the same treatment throughout the course. Will I saw a spiritual truth in this because those who repent and have become changed within do not stand out among those who have not been so changed until, the few see and hear clearly. And then they still remain in the shadows, obscured from view, just as the Navy Seals in each specialized group do. No one knows who they are or where they become deployed. And like these Navy Seals God's sons are obscured and remain in training under Salvation's umbrella. Where they sit under God listening and learning Christ or receiving daily more of Him having their character changed to that of a Genesis 2:7 being.

Ephesians 2:3

"Among whom also we all* had our conversation (manner of living) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind: and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

*came out of that kind of background. Oh we may not have actively participated in it. We may have been raised in homes where these kinds of things were not part of our lifestyle, but the potential was there.

Can we get a glimpse of how the about revelation applies here? When any one from outside the team applies to joint the Seals they have to go through the rugged training and during this process many fall away. But when a person becomes a member of the team his identity of the former life is lost and he then is a team player by all the rules. This is in effect entering God's kingdom but in a purely material and physical sense.

 

Then Paul tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:9 that we have not been appointed to wrath.  

Ephesians Lesson 32 of 39 part 4

Ephesians 1:14

"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until* the redemption of the purchased possession**, unto the praise of his glory."

*there’s coming a time, month, day and year, where we will experience more installments of His Spirit we are given only an earnest of, as a security for, mingle, occupy and also to inter-meddle with which implies we have to learn to sit and stand before we can walk. This we see later in chapter 6. **which is our soul/spirit, its salvation and healing, until the corruptible being made incorruptible.

Remember our Soul and Spirit are already redeemed as soon as we believe or receive the already NOW of faith is the substance. That is a done deal! But the body is still in it’s old corrupt state, it is still heading for death if the Lord does not come in your life time. But remember it does die, and it is laid in the ground, yet it is going to experience the day when it too will be redeemed when it is resurrected as Jesus' body was a glorified body. This is our hope and this kind of hope requires faith to see us through. So this is what the Holy Spirit’s work is, to guarantee that even if we pass off the scene, fall to sleep, that God will one day resurrect this body. And as the book of Philippians says shall change our vile body, that it may be like Christ’s glorious body.

The role of the Holy Spirit, we think is sometimes dangerously maligned, and sometimes taught falsely, and other times He is neglected totally, and that is just as bad. But we have to understand that the Holy Spirit is part and parcel of our redemption and He leads us through our salvation (the portion which we are sharing and teaching), He is indwelling us, and He is the one that reproves us, He is the One who takes the place of the Law. Coming back to our text in Ephesians chapter 4, and looking at verse 30 again.

Ephesians 4:30

"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Stop and think a moment, once we are redeemed spiritually our bodies have not yet been physically, and once we have that new body, stop, we will just show you from Scripture, we should have taken you there when we were quoting it. This is a Bible study so let us just search the Scriptures. We use these verses because they are so descriptive of what we are looking for.

Philippians 3:20-21a

"For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ*: Who shall change our vile body**, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,..."

*at His coming, No but as our I AM NOW of faith and when He does we will be resurrected like Him. We must keep this in mind, that Christ's name is not I AM the past or history, neither is His name I AM future or yet to be, His name “I AM”, the I AM Now faith.  **this one we now have which is subject to corruption. Even our thoughts, imaginations or dreams, emotions, motives, desires, opinions, feelings, intellects, wisdom, and the voice of our flesh are to be taken and submitted to God in Christ daily as our cross to bear.

I think too many times people do not really understand the impact of the transfiguration. Do you remember that great event up there on the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter, James, and John were up there with the Lord, when all of a sudden right before their eyes, the Lord was transfigured. In other words, He became glory, personified. The very glory which Adam and woman had in Genesis 2:7. Then here comes Moses and Elijah as visible spirits into the midst, and the amazing thing here is that Peter, James, and John did not have to ask the Lord who they were, because they knew them. Paul tells us that we are NOW clothed in and with Christ and just what does that mean to us? This is found in 2Corinthians 5 verses 1-11

From time to time we like to remind everyone not to go by what we say, but learn to search the Scriptures and really see what they say. We are sure that you will find as we have that a lot of the time it does not say what we think it says, or think it should say. We do not have to be highly educated to understand the Scriptures. If we can read, then we have got all the education we need to comprehend this Bible. Like Jesus we have to learn to depend or to develop a dependency on the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit then becomes our tutor, trainer and teacher. The Holy Spirit can certainly show us things that no professor could ever hope to do. What we are going to reveal is not meant to be mean or ridicule any one but the reason the Lord came as the Holy Spirit, in this fashion, is because the Old Testament people did not have benefit of this and to be an indwelling power within us. Only a very few of the early Prophets had benefit of Him as He would only come upon them, though they were righteous men. Come back to Ephesians chapter 4, we have a few more verses left in this chapter. I think we are at verse 31.