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General meetings Montreal, October 1974 First reading meeting.
For Jesus.
Sign on the prayer of our brothers before us, the first chapter of Ephesians.
That's the problem.
Ephesians chapter one, verse one.
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All an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the Saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed with all spiritual blessings.
In heavenly places in Christ.
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood.
The forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.
It toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he has purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth even in him.
In him also we have obtained an inheritance.
Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the council of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted. After that he heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and whom also after that he believed he received with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
Under the praise of his glory.
Where were I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the Saints? Cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayer. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling.
And what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints?
And what is the exceeding greatness of its power to us with who believe according to the working of His mighty power, which he wrought in Christ?
When he raised him from a dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, And it put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of Him that filleth All in all.
It would hardly be possible to overlook the number of times that in Christ are mentioned in the chapter that has been read, and also the number of times in which it could be referred to another word, but with that meaning too. That's wonderful, isn't it? Yeah, in Colossians it's right in us the hope of glory. Here, it's in Christ, isn't it?
And so it it has special significance in this book, we might just say.
At the start that.
The Apostle Paul.
Was humanly speaking.
In the lowest circumstances that anyone could be when he wrote the highest truths.
And that the Spirit of God gave him when there was a complete.
Setting aside of self and all the comforts and all those things which go with the first man.
We find the Apostle Paul now under the power of the Spirit, bringing before us those highest truths that God has given to man.
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For our blessing as in association with his son, and in the enjoyment of that place before him, according to the desires of his own heart, we should also say this.
That.
The state of the Assembly at Ephesus was such at this time that.
That the apostle was free to open to them these precious truths. It wasn't quite the same at Colossi, where we do have very High Truth and bless the truth, but there's more of the wilderness in view. Here are the believers seated in the heavenlies, and it's a state of soul that's required, I believe, to enjoy these truths.
And to lay hold of them. And so the apostle is giving us here those things.
Which we can enjoy now, but only, I believe, as there's something in keeping in our lives. And what the apostle himself sets forth in his person in the circumstances in which he's found not taken up with worldly things, but his eye directed.
To Christ and that which he saw on the Damascus Rd. when he saw Christ in glory. Because I believe that we cannot help but feel as we read Ephesians.
That the glorious before us, and that the flavor is already seen as seated there.
And in the enjoyment of all the full councils of God, if we're in the right state of soul.
Perhaps we can say that it's knowing this that brings about the right state of soul. That is, as we think of where God has placed us, where he has brought us into such a wonderful, marvelous place of blessing and association with Christ, blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
It is knowing where God has put us now that lifts us above this present world and fills our hearts and produces those things that were exhorted about in the latter part of the epistle. I thought of this epistle too, in contrast with the book of Ecclesiastes.
You spoke of how Paul is to his personal condition was in the law state, that is, he was in prison. He was under a very cruel ruler, with the possibility of death before him, which actually took place later. And yet he is lifted into the Heavenlies. He's lifted, shall we say, above the sun. And so his heart is just filled to overflowing, as he says in the third chapter.
Filled with all the fullness of God. But in the book of Ecclesiastes we have a man who had everything on earth. He actually said. I withheld not my heart from any joy. There wasn't a thing that he could possibly enjoy as a natural man here that he didn't have to enjoy. And yet when he had tried and experienced these things to the full, he said all is vanity and vexation of spirit. And so have brethren in this day of prosperity.
If we get occupied with those things, we'll have the same experience that King Solomon had. We'll find out eventually. And I believe we are finding out in the condition of the world today that in a day of great prosperity all is vanity and vexation of spirit. But may the Lord lifteth above these things here above the sun, shall we say to be occupied with that which is our portion up there, and I'm sure if we are occupied with that.
It will make us desire to walk as heavenly men here.
It's lovely to notice. Isn't that that instead of starting out with our fallen condition?
Which he develops in the 1St 2 verses of the second chapter. He takes us into the highest position possible and shows us where our blessings are.
Have blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Starts out with that, gets our minds on that. And then he says Now see what kind of.
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Preachers God has blessed in this way.
Now some might wonder in the first verse where you get tall and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the Saints which are at Ephesus.
I'm sure we are all instructed as to who the Saints are.
The separated ones. For as soon as you accepted Christ as your savior, you were among the sanctified us by your call to Saint, because you're a sanctified 1 And that's true of every believer, the one who accepted Christ today there be such.
Yes, truly sanctified. But we also might wonder why he speaks and to the faithful in Christ Jesus now he's not.
Singling out a certain number who are more faithful than others, that would immediately get us off of the true.
Ministry of the Apostles.
But if you see those who have faith.
And every believer has faith in Christ Jesus.
When you think of these Ephesians, when Paul first came to preach there, as we're told in the book of the act now, they were worshippers of the great goddess Diana, of the image that fell down from Jupiter, as they thought. But isn't it lovely here to see? Now they have been looking up and thinking of this image falling down from Jupiter, and I think it's so lovely to think that he lifts them far above the planets, far above the stars, into the very heavenlies and shows them.
It wasn't something that fell down from one of the planets, but it's a living, blessed savior at God's right hand and we are in Him there. How much better than what they gave up when they gave up this great temple with all its glory and with all that they have been associated with in the past to have something far, far better.
We see that God had a special time.
To bring his blessings to Ephesus, you know. And he was journeying.
He was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the gospel at Ephesus.
So that he went on because there was a man from Macedonia. He saw invasion, praying him come over and help them. So he went on and the work was carried on to Corinth.
Then he returns. And when he does return.
And the Jews had rejected the testimony.
He continues for two years in the school of 1 Tyrannous, saw that itself all the way which are in Asia, heard the word of the Lord.
That's something to remember that as you get in the address to Philadelphia, he that Openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man Openeth. God opens the door and it's definitely.
A work of himself, a member of dear brother thought all he needed to do was to get a tent and go into a Newtown and and the work of the Lord would immediately begin and he was sadly disappointed there was no interest there so he took his tent down in In the feeling of humiliation brother Potter came along and he said Brother.
He says you can't force a door open and God opens the door. The door is open.
In our introduction to Texas here in.
Well, to remember to the very sobering.
Message that is brought in the second chapter of Revelation.
Where emphasis is presented in historical sequence is that which spoke of the freshness and the reception of the word that resulted in great activity and faithfulness.
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But we know that from history, that period was perhaps 100 years.
And endurance. And then the word is written concerning this assembly.
Thou hast left thy first blood.
One thinks this is a very sobering thought to us, brethren.
Not that we correspond with emphasis before we fall far short.
Nonetheless, we have.
Through the grace of God.
The recipients of much Truth, High Truth.
Valued sacred truth. But this in itself will not keep us, will it any more than those at Ephesus. And so we need, as has already been expressed, the the grace and the strength that can only come from continued communion with our blessed Savior.
And with continued occupation with the word of God as our guide.
Else we find ourselves and too frequently we have to say this. So we have left our first love and just got into a complacency.
A routine that is not spiritually healthy and fails in testimony. Well, I mentioned this before we get into the book because.
As we read these very high truths, and I'm sure our hearts will rejoice in them, we want to remember the need of dependence that we do, not just.
Kill ourselves with pride or self esteem, but rather we be very humble as we entertain these thoughts.
Would that go along, Brother Gill with the?
The other line that we have in the third chapter.
The truth in the inner man, Christ dwelling in the heart by faith, and they're being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to apprehend with All Saints these things.
Don't. It surely does so that.
The Saints having left their first love in Ephesus.
They lose a sense in their soul of these precious truths, and so there's a degeneration simply to forms and service. All right, but the affections are gone.
But where Christ is the object of the heart, then the service is right, is it not now in this?
Third verse I believe we have.
God is for himself.
God is for himself here, and it's according to his will and counsels.
That the believer is put in this marvelous position in Christ. God is doing this and know how this humbles us. Presence we think of it. He's doing this for his own eternal happiness that he would take sinners like ourselves.
And through the work of Christ in Calvary, and by the work of the Spirit.
He brings us into this place a blessing.
Where he himself.
Doing this for himself.
For his own eternal joy.
Now this is a marvelous truth, and it certainly humbles us as we think of it, that God bless it or happy to be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that introduces does it now not only the fact that.
We have the divine nature here before us.
In God. But we also have that relationship, that blessed relationship that characterizes Christianity, the place we've been brought into.
Father, the Old Testament Saints didn't know this.
The nearest they could come to it was He was the father of eternity.
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But that message that was given by the Lord Jesus upon his resurrection to Mary was Go tell my brother, I go to my Father, and your Father, my God, and your God. How precious then this truth is. We can't rise any higher.
It's wonderful to see that all these councils and purposes and thoughts were in the mind of God before sin entered at all.
So there's no mention of sin until we come to the 7th verse, because God had these councils from a past eternity. And when sin entered, why there was a great cost by which those consoles could be carried out. Even the work that the Lord Jesus did upon the cross, His Precious Blood, through whom we have redemption and forgiveness about. It's lovely for us to see that these purposes were in the heart of God, a way back.
In that past eternity, and this is what is so marvelous to think, that we often have plans and then when someone does something that hurts, why we don't feel like carrying out the plans of kindness. But God had these things and all we think of, all man's sin. The whole history of 4000 years of rebellion and enmity and hatred and our hearts were no better. And at the end of those 4000 years, the groundwork is laid by which those councils that were in the heart of God could be carried out.
Surely ought to touch our hearts, make us realize the love of God.
I've been thinking too, how that man makes himself the center of everything and God makes his beloved Son the center of everything. And even in the preaching of the gospel, how often the need of man is set forth as the first thing. Whereas what we have in this chapter is what what our brother just mentioned, that God is acting for his own joy and for his own glory.
In the blessing of associating a people with his sons, and so the carrying out of those purposes is for his own glory, our blessing comes in, but the first thought is his glory. And so the Lord Jesus, when Speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit, said he shall glorify me, And then when Speaking of the Gospel in Romans before Paul, in that wonderful epistle opens up to us.
The fullness of the gospel of Christ. He begins by telling us it's concerning God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. I believe we need to bear this in mind, brethren, and these days. And if we bear this in mind, it's going to lift our hearts above all the wickedness of man.
All the failure of the Church to be occupied with this Blessed One, and if we're occupied with Him.
I'm sure that the desires will be produced in our hearts. I just mentioned another thing. Our brother mentioned the prayer in the third chapter of Ephesians. I think we're all aware that there are two prayers in Ephesians. The first one in this first chapter is that the eyes of our hearts might be enlightened that we might know. And then in the third chapter it's that we might enjoy these things. We know them first.
Or are brought to know them by.
God's precious revelation through the Spirit and by the same Spirit then, if on grieved, we can enjoy these things.
Sure, we've heard it said that.
Ephesians is the Joshua of the Old Testament, And so when you read the first chapter of Joshua, you'll get the boundaries of the Promised land. A great mountain, a great wilderness, a great sea.
And there was Israel's blessing in the land here on Earth.
That God had promised to Abraham and to his seed after him.
Now how different the blessings of the believer and the other Saints of God. We need to lay hold of this in a very special way because it's so easy to become earthly minded.
And to try to prosper down here.
And build up something in this world and find.
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Our satisfaction.
And our happiness in this world.
Well, we are sadly aware it's a ruined world, a world that has rejected and crucified the Lord of Glory.
There's no Just as though God said this world has rejected my son, I have something infinitely better now to offer you. So we find that.
Instead of temporal blessings, our blessings are spiritual blessings. That is, it's the highest order of blessings we could consider.
For temporal blessings have a limitation and are never satisfied, and they soon pass away.
But spiritual blessings for their blessings that we can enjoy in our pilgrimage below and they will continue to enjoy those blessings.
When we're done with this scene and when we're in our father's house.
And then it's in the highest sphere, and instead of Canaan, why, it's in heavenly places. And then it's in the most blessed position. It's already been mentioned about everything being in Christ.
And that should just fill the heart with joy, unspeakable as we think of where these blessings are, the character of these blessings.
And that we find them all in that one that's altogether lovely. The one that did the Father's will, hear Beloved has now gone up on high, has been watching over us.
During all the wanderings of the way, waiting for the day when he'll have us with and like himself, that all is found in him.
That expression in Christ is the most precious one because.
This gives us assurance. Now if if the promises were in us, that is in the sense that we were, they were dependent upon us, it wouldn't give us that comfort.
But.
The promises are all, yeah, in our men in him. And besides that, our life is hid with Christ in God.
Now all this gives us comfort because we rest secure. In this I was thinking also, but our brother Hale was Speaking of.
Of the counsels of God, how they began before sin came in. Now in the second chapter of Genesis we have a quotation used in Ephesians in regard to.
Christ and His bride. We know it quite well, all of us. But I just call attention to this because at the very beginning of Scripture we have those two things brought before us what God is. God is light, and He is love.
In the first chapter, the very first thought brought before us is Let there be light.
Now we know that it was created light there, but it's a picture to us.
A tide shall we say that God gives us of the very start that God wants us to know there's one object that he has before him, and that's Christ Light.
There never would have been any light in our Dark Souls, brethren, if Christ hadn't been manifested to us and that we've been drawn by the Father.
But then, in the second chapter, God is love. There we have.
A picture before us of the work at Calvary, where the Lord Jesus goes down into death, Adam falls into a deep sleep, and then we have the bride brought out the wife. Shall I say in Genesis really the help made, because I believe the word should be help mate there.
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There we have a picture.
Of what God is in himself. He's light and he's loved.
But how it's come to us is through the Lord Jesus and we never knew love.
Until Calvary, brethren, There we see the love of God manifested in all its fullness, when He gives His own begotten Son for us. And that's the measure of that love for the Sinner He gave his son, He gave the darling of his bosom, so that you and I might be brought into these.
Blessings that we're Speaking of this morning and we're we're on holy ground now in this chapter on the holy ground.
This thought that has been expressed in connection with the councils of God from before the foundation of the world.
Has been brought out very early, has it not in scripture. And I was thinking when our brother Barry was Speaking of that which was in the heart of God.
His His thought as to Christ are given to us right at the beginning, and the connection with Abraham offering up Isaac the burnt offering. God hath provided Himself a lamb for a burnt offering. Is that not why we have the burnt offering given such prominence?
Throughout the ritual of the of God's ancient people. And so we have everything centering in Christ, who is everything to God down here in this scene as a burnt offering.
Christ has been mentioned several times, and I believe it is important, brethren, if we go through the book of Ephesians, I believe in Christ is mentioned 10 times.
It's been brought before us that we are in Christ because of the will of God. And this is, this is what He has purposed in himself before the ages began. Well, we know that 10 brings responsibility before us. Well, we've all failed in our responsibility, but God has never failed in His. And so thus were found in Christ. And I believe that's the reason we have another marked thing about the book of Ephesians, another thing that's outstanding.
And that is that there are no whips in Ephesians, because everything is in Christ according to the will of God. And this too should make it that much more precious to us.
He not only to see that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, wonderful and amazing as that truth is, but we were chosen for a special and definite purpose.
Which is brought before us in that first that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. How much that?
Brings before our souls holy. That's the very nature of God.
And when we think of the blessed Lord Jesus.
He was without blame. They could find no fault whatever.
And the man Christ Jesus.
Saw where before him in the in those characters that belong to God and to his Son, and then in the overflowing love that's in the heart of God.
Now I take this as.
Our standing not as our state, because we still have the all sinful nature which seems to contradict the fact.
That where before God in this wonderful way.
We can look at it in this way as to our standards. And Isaiah says thou hast put all my sins behind my back.
Though God says, I'll put all your sins behind me, and now I have you before me, where I can rejoice over you and and delight in having you in my presence.
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In the very character and in the very light of the Son of my love, where I can.
Have my joy and pleasure in possessing a treasure and those that have been redeemed. Of course we well understand, we love it, that the fullness of the truth that's before us cannot have its realization.
Tell we're in glory and the old nature is gone, and we're there in our glorified bodies. But the Spirit of God would have us to be in the good of this down here, and to judge everything that is contrary to God's holiness, and to go through the scene as our blessed Lord.
Without anything that we can be blamed for.
For the so much that we can allow in our lives, that brings a blemish or something that brings the criticism, maybe even though the unsafe. So we need to be on our guard and in connection with the young people. Let's be clear as to the difference between our standing.
And our state. Now what I have been Speaking of is our standing. And our standing is in Christ. And where could you find anything more perfect than what's in him? The Venice to our state We can be very inconsistent, but still the very fact that we have such a standing.
God would have that to exercise.
Saw that we should seek ever to have our state measure up to our standing as the Apostle John says He everyone that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
I think that's a very important point, Brother Berry. We find so much of real believers looking around for results. Well, I believe if we were looking more upward into the facts as we have in this first verse here.
Christ Jesus. That's the one who was glorified above, isn't it? And I'm afraid that we find a lot looking around. We know it's Jesus Christ.
Down here, but we find so much occupation with just that word Jesus. Well, I believe this is important for us because here we find this is God's standard, isn't it? Christ Jesus. And I was thinking too, brethren, isn't there the thought of blessing really blessing is heavenly, isn't it? We have many mercies. God allows us to have many mercies by the way. But here is heavenly blessings. Not heavenly mercies, but heavenly blessings.
And where is it? In Christ. This is the purpose of God, isn't it? And we're seated there already in His purposes.
I just mentioned that the heavenly places are not actually heaven in the sense that we are there as to our standing before God as our brother remark, but answering as it does to the Book of Joshua. When Israel entered the Lamb, there was a great deal of conflict to possess it, and so by faith we enter the land. That is, we know that God sees us there in the heavenlies in Christ.
But we're not there yet, and there is a conflict now that we might be in the enjoyment of that which is already ours, and which in another day we will possess without any hindrance whatever. But as long as we're here in this world, and there's going to be a conflict. And so we find in the second chapter, there's the Prince of the power of the air. Perhaps it could be that the reason he has called this in the epistle to the Ephesians, is.
That the area heavens come between US and the heavens.
And He would seek to do all to intercept our view, so that we would just be kept occupied with things down here instead of the things above. The course of this world is all connected with things under the heavens, but the Enemy doesn't want us to be lifted above this.
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And so there's a conflict. And in the last chapter we have the armor that's necessary for this conflict. And brethren, it's so important because we all know too well how even this morning, I'm sure we found all kinds of earthly things intruding and how it was a real conflict to get above them and to be in the enjoyment of what is our portion up there. Now. As our brother remarked, the spirit of God sets before us what is our standing.
We're already placed, and this is true of us now, that we're holy and without blame before him in love. But then when we come to the practical part of the epistle, he says, be therefore imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us.
And has given himself for us and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling favor.
Now that is the Lord Jesus in his pathway LED a path through this world, where every step, every thought, every word was a perfect fragrance, rising to God so heaven could look down with delight upon the one who was so perfectly pleasing to the Father. Now we look up, and as we look up, the change takes place in US, and there is something in us as a result of occupation with Christ.
Changed into the same image that rises as a sweet fragrance to God. And that, I believe, is what is brought before us in Ephesians. But I just mentioned this, that the thought of the heavenly places in Ephesians is not really the thought of getting to heaven, blessed as that will be where we'll enjoy it all in its fullness. But to enjoy heaven while we're here, to walk in the enjoyment and the characters our brother and mark of heaven.
Because holy is the nature without blame is the character, and love is the mode of spring for everything. How beautifully this is set before us in the opening part of this epistle. And let us not miss what God is setting before us, because we try to practice it before we're in the enjoyment of our place. We'll get occupied with ourselves. But if we get occupied with the glorious place that we've been brought into and in the person in whom we stand, it'll surely make us humble.
But it will make us desire to be like him.
To see the how the powerful wrote to different assemblies.
Because they were in a certain state so he could bring out.
Certain line of truth that would be in a blessing to God's children down to the ages. Now there's no doubt, I think, that he wrote Colossians at the same time.
But he doesn't.
Give the same.
High elevation to the truth that he gives an Ephesians.
You'll find in the first chapter that.
Their hope is in heaven.
And they're journeying through this world with a hole beyond this scene. But when we come to Ephesians, you'll find, as our brother Hale has been pointing out, that all our blessings are heavenly and we're even looked at as seated in heavenly places. And instead of having a hope in heaven, we're looked at is already seated there. But remember this.
In Christ Jesus, not with Christ.
When we're with Christ Jesus, we'll be in our glorified bodies. But he appears in the in the glory, and God says we're in Christ surely as to our position as the way he sees us, we're looked at as being already there. Isn't that wonderful, beloved, how God honored to give us?
The various lines of ministry that are so how far the needs of our souls.
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Through the whole journey of Pathway down here below.
I really don't receive Apartment, so it was just that expression the heavenly places. It appears a number of times in Ephesians and in our third verse.
The spiritual blessings are in heavenly places in Christ.
The question is.
Is there any difference between that expression and that which is in the 6th chapter that was referred to Brother Hajo mentioned?
In the 12Th verse, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places or the margin says, heavenly places. Now what would be the difference between those two expressions? The heavenly place seems to be used in both.
Brother Hale has introduced the thought of the heavenly places. Let's see what he has to say.
I believe that the armor is needed because Satan, as we know, is now in heaven. He won't be cast out. And we read of this in Revelation. When there's war in heaven and Satan and his angels are cast out and now he's up there as the accuser of the brethren. He's up there as we find, accusing them before God day and night. And so we have a conflict so that we wouldn't allow the enemy to hinder us to be from being in the enjoyment of our portion.
I believe it's the very same expression as in the first chapter, the first chapter in the third verse and the 6th chapter in the 12Th. In the first chapter it's where God has placed us in His eternal purposes, and in the 6th chapter it's the conflict that is necessary.
That our souls are maintained in the enjoyment of that position. And so we need, as we have the different parts of the armor, we need, the breastplate of righteousness, how easy our affections can be taken up with things in this world. And so we need to have the breast, as it were, Speaking of the affections covered with, and the breastplate of righteousness. And then we need to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
Satan may try to put unbelief in our hearts and we need the shield of faith, so all these things are necessary for the enemies up there. Just as with Job, he's accusing us constantly seeing our mistakes down here and if we had on the armor, there would be victory and we would be lifted above this scene and enjoy our portion, I believe.
Couldn't we say that the in chapter 6 of Ephesians it shows us the.
Area of conflict, that is, that Satan is involved in an area of conflict that takes in religious things. In other words, I suppose many would limit the activity of Satan to the baser things of human nature.
But in Ephesians we have the activity of the enemy, not in moral uncleanness altogether, but it's connected even with with the spiritual or the the things that have to do with God. And I think the special effort of the enemy in Ephesians, the conflict is to rob the Saints.
What we've been speaking about the highest truth that God has ever given to man.
An effort to bring down the thoughts of the people of God to an earthly level, to to an earthly Christianity, as it were. And this is what is involved, I feel. And the word to emphasis, Thou is left, thy first love, that is this highest truth that really elevates Christianity above.
Earthly thoughts and ways and any human religions. It's really that which like Peter saw in action.
That which was let down from heaven and goes back to heaven. It doesn't have its origin here, and it's not connected with a man in this world and in the flesh. It's heavenly. And so the effort of the enemy is to rob the Saints of God of that. And I think there is a great effort going on at the present time to bring even the fundamentals of the faith that we speak about in the gospel and the goodness of God and even the coming of the Lord.
Just recently in the area where I come from, there is a great activity in regard to the rapture and you see a number of bumper stickers, the stickers in connection with the rapture and it's being paraded about and.
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Many people are speaking about what's going to happen at the Rapture and how the bus drivers driving buses will be taken out and maybe big collisions and all sorts of fanciful things. But when one examines those who are taken up with it, 1 does not find that they are have any understanding even of what we're speaking about here in Ephesians. It seems to be connected with with earthly faults and worldly ways.
But I think the effort of the enemy is to take the things of God, the precious truths of God, and in some way connect them.
With the flesh, or man in the flesh in this world. And so Robert of these these highest thoughts that are collected with the heavenlies in Christ.
Not at this different department.
You'll notice this difference in Romans and Ephesians. In Romans, the apostle begins with the Gospel of God.
For this lost world, But in Ephesians he starts right out in eternity.
So that there we have been going over how he has chosen us in Christ and then in the fifth verse having predestinated us. I understand that predestination means marked out beforehand.
There it is if.
Someone were to erect a stone building and he goes down into the quarry and looks over the various straddle stone and tell the owner what stone he wants for his building and he puts his mark on it.
So that would be marked out as belonging to that one. Well, we have been marked out beforehand and in this case in this.
Task force under the adoption of children.
By Jesus Christ to himself.
When its adoption is bringing like a child that's an orphan into an entirely new sphere of happiness and blessing, I know I have been in orphan poems and my heart was touched by.
The desires of four little waste had for the love of Paris.
Well, one could, you know, be born until.
Has God's children, but when you think of adoption, they're thrown into all the privileges.
That belong to those in this vibration have been told of the explorer Stanley.
No. Who was sent to find Livingston in Africa that he was an orphan boy and when he was old enough to get enough ahead to come over to America?
That on board the ship.
As a wealthy gentleman, took him back into the boy and he adopted him into his family, so that's the way he got the name Stanley.
And he says less about himself, he said. All through life he said, I have been most careful and watchful, lest I should bring a stain upon the name of Stanley when I consider off. That name meant to me, a poor organ boy without any opportunity in the world, and yet a rich gentleman to take me into his home.
And give me his very name.
Well, we find that we have been adopted into God's family.
With all the privileges and blessings of the children of God.
So important, beloved, to understand that point, isn't it? To realize what we've been brought to, what we are no part of. And I believe it's being mentioned. We find that as we go through the word of God, we don't find where God even implies or. I want to be careful now what I say in connection with Jericho.
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God doesn't say that the believer is of Jericho, and whenever the the believer is brought into light it says he was by Jericho or he was in Jericho, but he never says that he was up Jericho.
Now there's one exception and that's in the book of Nehemiah, in the third chapter where he says the men of Jericho, but they're no longer in that standing anymore. They're now in the city of the beloved one and then has been brought out. As to this Ephesians chapter six, we find that God would bring the armor before us and we wonder off times about this armor. Well, how do I get it on and what is the full purpose of it? And why no armor for the back?
Well, I believe we get the answer in First Samuel 14. We find there where Jonathan and his armor bearer went forth in the case of David and or in the case of Goliath and his armor bearer, we hear of him, but he never accomplishes anything. But when it comes to the armor bearer and Jonathan, it says Jonathan went before and his armor bearer went behind, and they wrought a great victory that day. Oh beloved, I believe as we go through life we find that our battles are in the heavenlies.
And how are we able to cope with it? Why, we don't do the battle there any better than we do the battles on earth. But praise the Lord, we have an armor bearer behind us that's bringing up the rear and accomplishing everything in perfection to his own purposes. And so then where are we found? Why we're found there in Christ, where we belong.
Brought forth in that verse.
Having predestinated us according under the adoption of children by Christ Jesus to himself.
To introduce us again the same thought that Brother Lundin mansion that in the first chapter of Ephesians God is for himself, and we've already seen it before him in love. And here again where the subject of the adoption of children.
It's according to the first pleasure of his will.
Brother Hale has enlarged on that to our prophets to get things from God's standpoint and God's viewpoint.
By then he has prepared us to be in a state of soul, to enjoy it, because if we have any thoughts that we're worthy that we have done anything to merit, we own a hinder the the spirits work in our souls.
To enjoy what the truth that is being brought before us.
Would you give us a little more thought on the difference between adoption and Newburgh? I'm thinking of First John, Chapter 3, where we are seen as the sons of God.
And elsewhere we're called the children of God. Is it there by adoption or is it by birth?
Well, I think, brother, that you examine John's writing.
That it's always light and all times the King James translators made a mistake in putting in sons where it should be children like that first, but as many as received him to them gave thee authority to become hurried that the children of God that is John has to do with relationships.
But in Paul's ministry, and we have doubtless an example here, he has to do with privilege and our special place in his favor in connection with his purposes and his counsels.
So I don't know why I got called out for this once, but I made a statement years ago and my brother gave me quite a falling down that.
Were children by birth and were sons by absence. I think the brother didn't like a young.
Man speaking up. The reason I got a her rebuke for a silled leanest.
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Thought in children is primarily being partakers of the life of the family. That is, when a child is born into the family, it partakes of the life of the family. When a child is adopted, it's the object of choice as someone has gone and picked up that child because they really wanted that child to be in their family.
But when we adopt A child, we can't give it the life of the family. But isn't it lovely, As our brother John mentioned in his prayer and opening that God has done both. He has given us the life of the family because that's the subject of John's ministry, and we've been brought in and possessing the very life and nature of God himself. But sometimes you might have a child born, perhaps a child is crippled or has some deficiency. It isn't exactly what you would have chosen, but you love it because it partakes of the life of the family.
But we're both brethren. We're children by birth because we possess the life of the family, and that's John's ministry. And we're by choice because we're the very, very ones that he wanted. He's not going to be disappointed in any of us because he knew all about us before, made all these councils and purposes, paid the great price that we might be adopted into the family, and now to possess the life of the family through John's ministry, how complete and perfect is our blessing.
I just like to make a comment too in connection with what our brother Johnson said. Because I believe it is important to see that the work of the enemy is always especially against what is God's purpose at any given time. And so we see in the Old Testament his attempt was always to destroy the scene we find him when Cain was born or Abel was born rather than Cain flew Abel because he was in the line of faith.
Then we see the attempt to wipe out the royal family in athalias time, but God came in and preserved a seed. Then when the Lord was born why Herod in his wrath flew all the babies from 2 years old and under to get rid of the of the promised seed who was Christ?
And now, what is the special purpose of God in this dispensation? Well, it's gathering out of people for heavenly glory. So Satan is antagonistic. He he doesn't want the Saints to be enjoying this heavenly portion. He would have them to be occupied with the earth and the earthly blessing and earthly portion, because God's special purpose is the heavenly thing. But as soon as the church is gone and Satan comes down to this earth, and what is the target of his attack?
The remnant of the seed that is Israel, who are going to be brought into the earthly blessing.
And Satan persecutes them so that they won't be brought into the enjoyment, if he could hinder it, of their blessing on the earth. And let us remember this, because Satan is always opposed to that which especially of God at any time in the world's history. And when we think of the wonderful place that we have been brought into to know that we are part of the bride of Christ death, sign for the most wonderful and near place that it's possible.
For any creature to occupy through all eternity, and then to be gathered as members of the body of Christ, surely we can see why the enemy doesn't want to see such a thing as this, and he is going to specially attack that blessed truth in this dispensation.
Brother Gordon, you made mention that that the Lord, when we make a failure, the Lord is not disappointed in this because He knew what we were when He picked us up. And yet we know that when the Lord looked upon Peter, that look would just put Peter, as it were, right back with that desire to draw a mirror to the Lord. Now I've heard that expression so many times when I've been since I've been among the gathered Saints.
But what is it that you do feel? That when we fail, the Lord must have some feeling toward us? And I know that we don't say that as to encourage failure, because the Lord isn't going to be disappointed. But could you explain that just a more for us?
In the 4th chapter of Ephesians on the 30th verse, I think perhaps we would have the answer.
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed under the day of redemption, but when we read an Ephesian in Isaiah 53.
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Says he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. So when he has each one of his arms safely home, he's going to be satisfied. But when we do something that is displeasing to him, it grieves him and grieves the Holy Spirit of God. But he knew about us before, and he picked us up in his grace. But of course there is the side that we can give joy to his heart.
But if we thought that he was disappointed, it would seem that he didn't know about us before.
So I say again, there might be one person in the glory with whom he'll be disappointed because of the fruit of the travail of his soul. But I'm afraid, as you say, he's often grieved with us down here because we don't respond to his love and walk to please him like we should.
We are in the 20th verse of the third chapter. There's an expression may not be understood too well unless we connected with our first chapter.
21St of the third chapter. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask, or think according to the power that works in US. In the first chapter there's a prayer, and the apostles desire that the that the understanding or the eyes of the heart really might be open to enter into these things. The purpose of our going over these scriptures, brethren, is that.
We might be enlarged in our souls, and the enjoyment of these truths these.
These blessings they're mentioned. Press is 7 in character in this first chapter.
But the Spirit of God would have us be in the enjoyment of them, and so it isn't a question in that third chapter of providing bread on the table.
For our for our temporary needs. But as has been mentioned, we have spiritual things before us, and the Spirit of God would occupy us with these blessings.
That are set forth here outlined in this first chapter, which are spiritual in their character. Now if if we're to understand this, if the Spirit of God is to open them to us, it must be with Christ before us as the object, so that our hearts might be enlarged. As to the blessings that are found in Christ, because we have every blessing here and they're in Christ.
Every blessing is found there, and this helps us to appreciate our standing. Now we know that our state is not always in the enjoyment of this, but if we're going to be enlarged in these things, He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we can ask or think. It's the power that works in us. It's the Holy Spirit that's working in us. He's not mentioned in Colossians, but once, but here the Spirit of God is seen as the power.
That works in us to open our hearts to the enjoyment of the.
Blessings that are mentioned here, possibly 7 in character in this first chapter.
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