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We will not be.
Able to bring every day.
Oh Lord.
We love the Lord.
Whatever I am today.
And so on. And I love you in heaven.
And 59.
Ephesians chapter 2.
And you have he quickened who were dead, and trespasses and sins we're in in time past. He walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, and the loss of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
And we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins that quickened us together with Christ. By grace you're saved and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace.
And his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision, and the flesh made by hands.
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That at that time he were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel.
And stranger from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus He who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flush the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.
For to make and himself of twain. 1 Newman so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God and one body by the cross.
Having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to them that were nine, For through him we both have access by 1 Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, and whom he also builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit.
I I was just thinking rather than how in the first chapter we have Spirit of God opening up all internal purposes that were in the heart of God to bring us into such a wonderful place of blessing and the cost. It's all through the precious blood of Christ and then that we might be in the enjoyment of it as He has his prayer in the end of the first chapter.
But it seems the second chapter brings before us the kind of material that God picked up. We were dead in trespasses and sins, and he would have us know this wonderful place that we have been brought into and enjoy it, and recognize the Lord Jesus is head over all things to the church, which is his body, and that we are building together for a spiritual habitation, I think very often when we enter into the wonderful place that we have been brought.
We are perhaps prone to forget what we were the rock from whence who are human, and the pit from whence we were digged. And this keeps us humble as we realized that it was only wondrous grace, when there wasn't one single movement toward God, dead in trespasses and sins, that God began his work, and that work to bring us into such a place of blessing.
Nice to see in the first chapter his will Paul and the Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. And then it brings out what we have, verse 5 having predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. And then we have of course, having pre 9 having made known unto us the mystery of his will.
According to his good pleasure which he has purposed in himself and we can keep going the 11Th verse.
In whom? Also we have obtained inheritance after the counsel of his own will. And you know that first chapter leaves us out. Except for the blessing we are, we're not included except for the blessing. It's all his will. Like in First Corinthians. I think it's chapter 12 twice it says that in the body according to his purpose.
That's a permanent thing, and it's a thing purposely done that each member is set in the body according to his purpose. Isn't that wonderful? Now the second chapter we're included. Wonderful to see the councils of God are brought out in the first chapter as the Councils of God, as to glory, as to Christ and as to our inheritance. And then he tells us. Then he brings in who is it? Who is that is going to share in this marvelous inheritance and this glory?
What were we? What are we? But how marvelous that is to see brought out in this in the epistle to the Ephesians.
It begins, and you did.
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Can a dead dog inherit what we do? That's a dead dog can inherit what we do. Isn't that lovely? Can a beggar be taken from the dunghill and placed among Princess?
Hello, Humblest. That's us, brother.
You. Yeah.
We could say that in the first chapter just a comparison further that versus one to six are the work of the Father and ends in a doxology. The phrase of the glory was grace and then from 7:00 to 12:00 is the work of the Lord Jesus and ends in a doxology also.
And 13 and 14 are looking to the Spirit, the work of the spirit. But in our chapter, the 1St 12 verses it could be like looking back over my shoulder and seeing where I came from.
Only one word describes it. Hopeless, hopeless, Helpless. That's where we were.
In the Epistle to the Romans, you have the believer looked at in his former life as living in sin, and he needs forgiveness and justification.
Forgiveness justification isn't even mentioned in Ephesians here. Here he's looked at as dead in sins, not living in sins like Romans needing justification, but dead in sins needing light.
So you have he quickened, He's given life, and it's all a new creation here. It's all of God. What God has done, as the brethren have been saying, it's new creation, what we are made in Christ, in this new place that God has purposed for us in the second man, the last Adam, the Lord Jesus, who's in the glory. And now we are in him.
In the same place of favor and acceptance as himself.
Created anew in him. That's Ephesians truth, isn't it?
To enrollment. When we are seen as living in sin, the only way that we can really be delivered from sin is through death by dying. But here we're seeing instead in sins. Before there can be anything for God, we need to be quickened, there needs to be light imparted. And what these first verses very plainly teach is.
The total ruin and depravity.
Of man. It's just like David says in Psalm 51. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. You see, this is difficult for men to accept that they are part of a ruined race, You know, total depravity of men is what the scriptures very clearly show.
That was the condition of all of us before the grace of God touched us.
We got to remember there was number good in flesh before we were saved. There was no good in flesh after we're saved. The flesh of a Sinner is no different than a flesh of a St. The flesh of a priest is no different than the flesh of the worst Sinner. You got to remember that the flesh of a prophet no different or an apostle in the flesh of the least sin these things or least sinners. Flesh is no good, Paul said. I know that in me. That's my flesh is no good thing.
So when the collation started to make something a flesh.
After they were saved, Paul could only say I'm afraid of you. Those are fat words. I'm afraid of you. It says here in verse 9 not of works, lest any man should vote. It's just as bad to boast and work after you're saved than the boast and works for salvation. Both are nothing in God's sight, nothing. You know James gives works properly for us, but the Galatians.
They said we need the cross.
But we need to keep ourselves under the law. You make the cross of Christ of none effect, said Paul. You know, Paul had not one good thing to write to the Galatians, nothing to commend.
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He had a lot to commend to the Corinthians because they were morally wrong. They were bad in their flesh, but they weren't quoting anything really ahead of Christ by themselves. They just were living back and and that could be corrected. Brethren Brad doctrine can't be corrected. It's got to be nipped in the bud.
Let's remember that.
Bad doctrine permeates more than moral doctrine.
When it speaks of being dead, there's no movement toward God. There was plenty of activity, as it tells us in the second verse. When in time passed, He walked according to the course of this world, because as natural men there was plenty of activity, But it was totally away from God, contrary to his will, no thought of God or his will. And that's the condition in which God found us without any movement toward him.
And so the first act of God is to impart new life. And that's why when Nicodemus came and said that the Lord Jesus was a teacher come from God, it's as though the Lord said it isn't teaching that man needs, it's a new life he needs. So he answered him very abruptly. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God, and we have to realize that. And as our brother said that even after we are saved, there is still no good in the flesh.
The flesh profiteth nothing. Understand that someone came to Mr. Darby and said Brother Darby, you have great knowledge of the Word. I'd like you to help me to know how to study the Word, because I'd like to have a knowledge of the Word too. He said study well 4 words. The flesh profiteth nothing. So whether he natural things or in spiritual things, the flesh profiteth nothing.
But God has given us a new life, and he has given us to the Holy Spirit, which is the power of that new life.
And so we have not only the desire in the Newman, because it's the very life of Christ.
But the power by the Spirit to do His will. But he would first of all have us as it were, sit down. And he tells us how richly we are blessed. And like Mary, we need, rather than acidity His feet, and learn what He has done for us. And as we learn what He has done for us, the love of Christ constraineth us, that we should not live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again.
My brother Norman mentioned the Trinity that's brought out in the first chapter, and it's very beautiful to think that the Father sent the Son and the Lord Jesus is the one who accomplished all the work, and the testimony of the Spirit of the Spirit of God is brought before us. And then he shows us in this chapter how that he could take dead, dead ones and raise them up, give them life, and bring them into this marvelous blessing. And I think it's it's a glorious chapter because.
It shows how God could accomplish this work with these individuals who are dead and now have been brought to light. But it takes the power of God, doesn't it, to do that. Who can raise a dead man? Only God can do it. That's all.
So we see the power of it, don't we? In time pass, second verse in time past. You don't like to think about that, do we? Time pass. But Moses kept reminding the children of Israel. Remember he were blind slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt. Time passed. You know God doesn't call a Sinner A Sinner again, once he's in Christ. That's his prerogative. But we should remember.
The time passed. You know, that humbles us, that that really sets us in awe where we are sitting today.
In his very presence. And then it says you walked according to the course of this world. What is the course of this world? It's Satans purpose at his direction. That's the course of this world. This is his domain. This isn't anything else but Satan's domain. And then it says according to the Prince of the power of the air.
What does he do in the airwaves? What is he doing in the airwaves? He controls it. You listen to the airwaves so good that Airways are no good. This world's no good. It's All Saints. We don't control one thing down here. The Holy Spirit can help. Thank God and everything else belongs to him because of sin. Let's don't forget it. Let's don't get occupied with the airwaves.
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One brother remarked that I thought it was a nice remark that when it says the Prince of the power of the air, it's the air that comes between US and the heavens. That's the atmosphere. And he said that's where Satan's activity is. He keeps our minds down here if he possibly can, and he's in control of everything to keep our minds here. And the Spirit of God lifts us above these things as we have in the first chapter. We're blessed with all spiritual blessings.
Not here, but above this area atmosphere in the heavens. And I thought that was a nice thought in connection with the Prince of the power of the air. This is a place where the enemy is busy and he is trying. The Lord spoke of it as his palace. When a strongman armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace and Satan is trying to make this world look like a palace, so that everybody will be happy to stay here and fix stuff, preserve this world.
It's man's world, and he's supposed to preserve it. But the spirit of God in these meetings would lift us above all that. We have to live here and be a witness here, but we're not part of it, brethren. How blessed that is.
And so God has given us the power for this too. He has given us this new light.
And this new life desire desires the things of God. I think that's so lovely. Every true Christian in this room has a life that really has an appetite for the things of God loves. The Lord loves his things. The enemy tries to distract us, but the life is there and the power is there too, by the Spirit. And hopefully these meetings will occupy us with things above this world, so that the heart responds to the claims of Christ.
We could say, couldn't we, that the the flesh in us as that our life here is no hindrance to my full enjoyment of the Lord unless I allow it to work.
Unless they allow it to work, we should be covered vessels that's needed and some say I just watched the better thing.
This air of the Airways I was in.
The Saint Vincent Trinidad, and I'm Sorry and the principle of a high school, asked me to speak and he says I'm going to introduce you as a criminal lawyer and you let him have it because drugs, sex and alcohol and theft. And so everything is taken over my senior class.
And as we rode together to go, he picked me up. He told me he doesn't want television in the house. His wife, who's a psychologist working for the school system, thinks it's all right if you watch what you view. So he said. Last week we were sitting down with the children, watching the family program. It was all right. But he said when they advertised, advertised what's tonight, he said, Dude, bodies went across the screen, both sections. A wife looked at me and I looked at her and Alia went.
Satan can do that, you know.
He doesn't need much time.
Cover your vessel. You're better off.
You know your brother. You mentioned something about the beggar and the dunghill. It's in 113 Psalm. I just wanted to make a remark about it that I enjoyed recently. It says there the 113th Psalm, the fifth verse. It says, who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth. And then we get the verse he raised us up to pour out of the dust.
And lift up the needy out of the dunghill. You know, a brother mentioned about the dunghill, he said, you know, in the winter time when it's cold, that's the only warm place for the beggar. That's the only warm place for the beggar. And what is the character of the dunghill? Is something like a character of this world that you mentioned about the Prince of the air, the the spirit that worketh and the children of disobedience, and the apostle Paul in the third chapter, Philippians.
He says.
In the eighth verse, ye doubtless.
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And I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things that do count them. But what? Count them? But the dunghill? The dunghill of this world is what you've been referring to, brother. And if we're going to get our warmth from it, it's going to degrade us and it's going to give us the wrong kind of a smell along with us. Is that right?
Right. David got that from Hannah, didn't he? She's the first. You might look at that. Samuel, Chapter 2. Dear Hannah and her prayer. I just love it, You know. You can parallel it with Mary's prayer, but we won't now. In First Samuel 28, he raises up the four out of the dots, that's where we were. And lifted up the beggar from the Dunghill to set them among Princess and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord.
And he has set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his Saints. Isn't that beautiful? You know, Hannah brought out first two other phrases. Lord of hosts, the first time by Hannah, Lord of hosts. And right here in the 10th verse at the end, he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. First time in that we know who that is, the horn of his anointed.
As Christ, right, Lord of Hosts, isn't that wonderful? And so she she brings out those things.
This humble woman who was Barrett but she bore 7 bore 7, Tony tells us about six. I won't tell you. You find it out yourself. Where is the 7?
Well, there's this present world that.
Someone turned to side demos, turned aside for this present world. There's also this present evil world. And you know, the flashlights are an easy path as well as an evil path, and we can get occupied with that. Those things not wrong in themselves, but they can hinder our communion with the Lord. I guess taking up by the good things in this world, because it does tell us in First Corinthians 7, those that use the world as not abusing it were very thankful for this comfortable room and comfortable chairs to sit on.
There needs to be people that designed all these things. We're thankful for them, but we're not to get taken up with them. And so there's the evil side of this world, But it's very possible to get occupied with a pleasant things of this world. That's what the devil showed to the Lord, didn't he? All the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them. He didn't show him the evil things, just the glory of this world, that the fashion of this world passes away.
So it's good, brethren, that we can use these things here. We're thankful for them and.
Enjoy them. But we are to remember that our rest isn't here, where ambassadors and ambassador enjoys many things in the country where he's privileged to be a representative, but he always feels I don't belong here, I belong to another land. And that's good for us to remember, isn't it?
I'd like to ask about that second verse that speaks of.
To the Prince.
Of the power of the air in Two Corinthians 4/4 it says in whom the God of this world.
What would be the difference between the Prince and God Has been pointed out that he is the Prince politically and the God religiously and Satan uses religion more than anything else to lead people to destruction. You know, and that was even in Egypt when.
Pharaoh suggested that they would stay in Egypt or would not go very far. You know, this is the deception. He has religion.
Salvation means more than to escape judgment as we see it in the blood on the doorpost.
Salvation means deliverance from the power of Satan seen in peril, and from the power of sin.
And we cannot really serve the Lord and be worshippers unless we are delivered from his realm. You know no longer part of Satans realm, You know he is the God of this world. He's the Prince of this world, you know. And this, if recognized, would keep us from political involvement, you know, because at the present time the Lord is not in control.
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You know, and Satan is the Prince of this world. And you know, we're beating our head against the wall trying to change that system. We're not called to try to change it. We are called to walk in separation from it, you know, and recognize who is in control. And we have seen that the best of men cannot really accomplish any effectual change. We know that the influence of Christianity has been a blessing.
To this country especially. But do we not see that there is a conspiracy?
In the institutions of higher learning, and even from the little elementary school on to undermine Christian influence, the Prince of this world is active, suppressing anything that is for the blessing of man.
Man likes to consider that he's a pre moral agent, but he really is not. There are two powers superior to man, the power of God and the power of Satan. And man likes to think he's free but everyone is under the power of 1 or the other. So when we hear the gospel were delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God's dear son doesn't mean the enemy gives up, but we're brought into a new position.
But we are not really free, and it took the Lord to set us free and He must maintain us. Otherwise we're going to get caught in what this world is doing. Let's remember that we are dependent creatures, and the only safe path is the path of dependence. And the Lord Jesus was the perfect example of that. Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. He wouldn't even say a word without a message from his Father, He said, I don't speak of myself, but the Father gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak.
Dependence and obedience. Is the path, the true path of the Christian. Well, I agree with brother Brinkman too when he said Satan is really working through religion. I've taken more souls to hell that way now than anyway he makes them feel secure because they belong to something in this world. That's all they need and he loads them right into hell that way. Now if you look at.
2nd Corinthians.
Chapter 11 And you see how he has to work with Saints or those who profess even now with the laws. This is going to be verse three. I'll read plus one other with the loss. He can come on like the devil, a roaring lion. He can feed them alcohol and drugs and do what he wants with them. That's the roaring life. Lost her right in his hand. But with those that are saved. Verse 3 of 11 for I fear lest by any means.
The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is of Christ. I believe it ought to. The simplicity that is of Christ. Now if he can get your eyes off of Christ, that's what it means. Christ. Nothing else, nothing but Christ as God, we tread nothing but Christ, our living threat. That's the simplicity that is of Christ. Now look at verse 13, for such are false apostles.
What's a false apartment?
Any working for Satan through religion, bringing in things that aren't there. You know, an apostle. We don't have any apostles today. Bringing truth. We got it all complete. Now notice Paul's apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light.
Therefore it's no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness. Now the warning is even a Christian can be used that way. That's the word. How solid working for Satan to change the word of God to deceive even his own chosen people. It's solemn, this is true, and what we need, brethren, is to guard against the subtlety of that one.
Number one, we're not at a match for him anyway. If we pretend we're a match for Satan, we're going to be taken like Peter, right? Peter says though everybody forsake the Lord, I'll never forsake thee. Satan put that thought in his mind. Peter knew feather even to death. Lord three times. Last time with cursing. I never knew that. Matt.
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If we think we're a match for the devil, we're going to be caught, as by his subtlety, he'll say, You can do it, you can do it.
Promise, bakers, I can't make a promise. I can't keep it.
And we not see in.
Verse one, It's the weight of the word of God in my soul, isn't it? We say that.
That keeps me in the presence of God.
The example we have in verse one is Lazarus.
Who was sovereignly called out of death. He was dead.
And if I can see that, take my place with Lazarus, and see that just as Lazarus was called out of the grave, I've been called out of this world, He gave me light.
And as we've had before us, it isn't just justification. I still don't know how Lazarus came out of that grave because he was bound.
Hand and foot, and he had a cloth over his face. To me, that's the kind of a mystery how he got out of that grave.
And then after he was out, the Lord says, loose him and let him go in the path that is the life that he gives. It brings me.
In the two things one is the mystery of godliness.
How God is going to produce in and through me that which is pleasing to himself and then that's connected with others, letting me go, losing me, letting me go. But it's a picture. If it weighs on our souls that I can see that he's called me sovereignly. He chose in there. He said Lazarus, but one day he said Bill and I'm called out of that. That's as dead as he was. Next verse is I look, I liken this to the thief on the cross.
Who had walked according to the course of this world. And there he looks out being nailed to a cross, receiving his just reward.
Looks out on this world that's crucifying his savior.
If I can take my place there and lookout on this world, this is the place where the Lord is crucified. I owe him everything. He called me out of death and now they're crucifying him. And I have to take. He came down to seek and to save me in this world. That's where they crucified Him.
Verse 3 Is this not the Jew here? We it's ye Gentiles. In verse two and three is we all that would be all as looking back on his past as a religious man.
What came between Saul and Paul was 3 days of blindness.
When it dawned on his soul.
What he had done.
Was against Christ.
And I often think of what he must have What did he do with those letters of authority that he had from Jerusalem to go and bring Christians down?
What a reminder it should have been the rest of his days. Look, just look. Just look. Not only was I wrong, the whole thing is wrong. The whole system. I have these letters of authority to go out and bring Christians back, that they might be killed or whatever.
But if my soul, I can pass a little of those three days of blindness and realize what it is, what is man's efforts?
Even the efforts to please God with a good conscience, it all ends up being against Christ.
So if these things can weigh on our souls, if they can have a weight with us.
They separate us out to this one. But God, who is rich in mercy, that's where we owe everything. And it shouldn't be a matter of choosing out of the world that which is better or worse. It's all the same. It's the place where the Lord was crucified, if we measure it by Christ.
Then we see it properly.
Brother, I just asked the question. Now putting Lazarus in verse one is new to me.
I just like I I think you see, I don't think death and sin. I don't think Satan put him in that grave. I think the Lord Jesus put him in that grave because if you go back he could have gone and given him health. But he says I'll wait two days till he's dead and then he said Lazarus.
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Is dead.
Said plainly. Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad for your sakes. Now what's not there he he put him right there. I should have made the mistake in not adding that. That gets an illustration of this verse. Thank you. Thank you.
Well, I like to read Galatians chapter 6 in connection with the world.
What really delivers me from the world?
For you, For any of us.
Chapter 6, verse 14.
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. You know, if we really come into the good of the truth of the cross of Christ, there is nothing in the world system anymore that I desire and.
That the world wants.
You know they turn away from any who walk consistently with the truth of the cross of Christ. You know they'll cast us out, you know, And what a blessed position that is to be freed in our souls from that which is in the world and to even the world casting us out. They have cast the Lord Jesus out and they will cast us out. And what a wonderful position to be in.
But beloved.
There are snares for us even after we are saved. Remember the tears. Oh, I should not say the tears, the thorns and the pistols, the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches and in market says the lust of many things.
Make the seat to be unfruitful. Isn't it possible in our lives you know and worries and cares can so occupy us that the word is not fruitful? And the deceitfulness of riches in our society? I believe that's especially a snare, the lust of many things. You know we can enjoy even things, but you know, isn't it true in our society it isn't enough for us to have a whole?
Car, you know, we need to have a boat and then we need to have snowmobiles and then we have to have all kinds of things, you know, and we have to have time for fishing and hunting and all these kinds of things. So occupy us that the word cannot be really entered into and enjoyed in our souls. These are dangers. These things that I have mentioned in themselves are not necessarily evil things, but if this is my life, you know, that's all part of that which Satan will use.
To render us unfruitful. And that is a danger, isn't it? We should be reminded of that. We should reach out for the heavenly things that which we will enjoy for all eternity.
That verse that you quoted in Galatians 614, Paul said patients needed that and we need it. But in in Jeremiah Chapter 9 it's brought out as you're saying it now.
And the things that trouble us, the things that get at us. And in Galatians I mean Jeremiah 9 verse 23. Thus says Jehovah, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his mighty, and let not the rich glory in his riches. There are those things that can take hold, but let him that glorious, glorious in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me.
That I am Jehovah.
Loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says Jehovah. Now that really spells out the little foxes. Well, the little foxes are there, as well as the thorns and thistles. The thorns and thistles are really the outward sin That is bold, I mean, you know.
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Proverbs 6 Proverbs 7. I mean I'll say more do I? I mean there's those outward sins that are are.
Thorns and thistles, I think they're the ones that the money grabs you. And it's not money that's the evil, it's it's the love of it That's a real foreign and Thistle. But the little foxes, they can't touch the vine. They said they spoil the fruit there and that they can't touch us. Little foxes can't hurt us as far as our eternity, but they can spoil the fruit. This fruit will have any fruit. We're on the vine, but that's Christ. We have but we fruit. And so here it springs out, those things that can take our thoughts.
Wisdom or education or knowledge wrongly. And the the glory of the might. Let's see who is to see. First it's right and then it's the rich man. I thought there's something else. Gloria is with me. Oh, the might. Oh, well, we got a lot of that, don't we? A lot of mighty people. A lot of mighty people. Youth is is muscle. And when you get older, you know it's brains. But you're mighty.
In the.
End of Ephesians one we have a prayer and the the Apostle praise.
Verse 19 What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us? Word who believe according to the working of his mighty power. Now what power is he talking about? He's not talking about the power that he exercised when he spake the world's into existence.
He's not talking about the power that opened up the Red Sea so that the children of Israel could pass through on dry land. He's not talking about the power that stopped the flowing of the Jordan River so Israel could crossover into Canaan. He's not talking about the power that said sun stand still and it stood still so Israel could conquer their enemies.
He's talking about the power that took a dead man, the Lord Jesus Christ, and raised him and exalted him to the highest place in the universe.
And that same power that set that man in the highest glory.
Is operating towards us. And if you read this in the new translation, there's not a period at the end of verse 23 of chapter one. It's he puts a colon there and then he goes right on because the subject continues the end of Ephesians One is he has set Christ into that place. Now let me just read the verses which he wrought in Christ verse 20 when he raised him from the 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 God has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth All in all. And you who were dead in trespasses and sins, verse 5 Even when we were dead in sins, he hath quickened us together with Christ.
That's union.
That's not just the same as quickening, but quickening together with Christ is union with Christ in life, and then he has raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Him.
We're right there with him in him. We are there in that highest place.
We can talk about how we should be separated from things down here, but until we realize the place where God has set us in Christ, it'll be like trying to pick ourselves up by our own bootstraps. God has set us in the in that glory with Christ. That's the Christians position. That's your place in mind. The simplest day in Christ in the room this afternoon has been set there in Christ.
As well as the most mature father, these are truths that apply to all the family of God.
All the Saints God has set us in that place and.
It's it's the power not of creation and not of these other things that we've spoken of, but the power that operates today is the power that set a man in the glory. And we're going to be there soon, but in him we're already there positionally, and so we should conduct ourselves as such. And that's we we we lose sight of who we are and where He has set us.
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And that's, I believe, the source of much of our failure, isn't it? Look at a verse. We're never really going to understand where he said us. If we don't understand where he's taking us from, if we feel that we started somewhere better than we did, then we're going to lose a sense of grace in our souls. There's a general principle in the ways of God that he takes man up where he is. He always needs man where he is because of the blood of the mercy. See, he can do that. But if man takes a position other than where he is truly before God.
Can't deal with the women Siren Phoenician woman came to him and claimed a relationship. He had to deny her on that basis, but when she took the place where he put her and said leaving dogs and crumbs at fault in the master's table, then he could meet her.
And constantly we find this in scripture, that the Lord met man where he was. And so with Lazarus, if he came and he was still alive and something would have been, the full glory of God, wouldn't have been manifest. But he met Lazarus in his complete natural condition, dead, and he was able to do something for him there.
Just thinking of a verse in Colossians chapter two or two verses.
Speaking of the blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, for in him well all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Now notice verse 10 and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and powers. Think about our brother. Chuck has mentioned that it's the power of God, isn't it? And that marvelous truth that he can raise raise up those who have who are dead.
In trespasses and sins, and to bring us into a marvelous place with the Lord Jesus who has.
In glory, He's there in glory, and we're looked at as being in the glory. Now in the purposes of God, we must remember that we're still here in the body, but in the purposes of God we find that in the book of Ephesians is the purposes of God. And that's where we're seeing as seated in the heavenlies in Christ. I remember when I was in Jamaica.
We're talking to a brother in his home about that.
6th verse and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
And he says, I'm waiting for that day. And we said, it's true today. Oh, no, this future. I said no, no, we said no. That's true right now. We're there now in Christ. And he looked. He looked, and all of a sudden his eyes brightened. He said, praise God, praise God, I'm there.
One day it will be with Christ. Now it's in Christ, isn't it? Yes. I think the beauty of this chapter is that really up until you get to the 10th verse of the second chapter that you find here God's councils. And so it doesn't take in so much the responsibility even of us owning that we're sinners. God has purposed to do something in the first. In the fourth verse it says he's in the third verse it says blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places.
In Christ, according as he had chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
That we should be holy.
Holy and character absolutely holy. Not one spot remaining without blame, Nothing to accuse before him. And love, love like he loves. He's not going to have anybody in heaven who's disgruntled. We're going to love like he loves. How is he going to do that? Well, he goes down in the first chapter and he shows his counsels and then he shows us how in the world is this ever going to happen. He shows us how in time the power of God is going to come in.
And bring out and accomplish his purposes. And so we were dead. And he gives life. And so when you it shows what we are here. Our brother brought out total depravity, and I feel that perhaps some would be confused on that point. What does total depravity mean? It doesn't mean that I'm as bad as I could be.
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Because I could be much worse, but what it means is that corruption.
Has permeated every part of my being so that I'm unacceptable before God. And so the brother has said, well, there's a good Rd. there's a, there's a good side of the Broad Rd. There's a bad side of the Broad Rd. Some people feel that they're they'll be in right stead with God because they treat their family right. You know, I mean Mormons, they they they do a wonderful job.
But that doesn't.
It total depravity doesn't mean that I'm as bad as I could be because I might be an unsaved fireman or or a man walking by a house and see a house on fire and know there's children in there. At the risk of my own life, I might go in there and rescue those children. But that's not what total depravity means. It means that corruption has permeated to every part of my being so that I'm absolutely unacceptable with God. But this is what God does. It's God see I'm dead in trespasses and said God raises me.
But God in mercy, God who is rich in mercy for His great love or what He loved us. And so when we see what God has done for me, you might say, apart from responsibility because of His counsels, then I can respond to.
Responsibility because I'm enjoying what God has done for me.
Would you to mention in connection with the heavenly places, we mentioned already that we already seated in Christ in heavenly places, that we are blessed with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places In the 6th chapter shows that our conflict is in heavenly places, and so it shows that of course we have to be seated in Christ before that conflict.
Can be carried on, and there are these forces that we meet every one of us.
And evil spirits, you might say, in heavenly places. Satan has his ancients that will try to keep us to lay hold of what is ours in Christ in heavenly places. And this is a conflict that every one of us faces. So it takes spiritual energy and effort, helped by the spirit of God, to lay hold of these things.
And we all better recognize that that Satan will try to keep us some of these things. We have title to it. And now with spiritual energy we have to lay hold of these things. Just like the Israelites were given a portion in the land of promise, but then they had to enter it and lay hold of it, and they had to overcome these forces, those inhabitants of the land.
Speak typically to us of these forces that oppose us. They are not.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. They are not people. Although people might be used by the enemy to interfere, just like the enemy even tried to use dear Peter to interfere in the Lord's path of obedience. And the Lord had to say, get thee behind me, Satan, you know, But these are realities that we face.
A real enemy who has a host of servants that try to keep us from what is ours in Christ. It's interesting to notice that in the fifth verse it's with Christ, and in the sixth verse it's in Christ. It wouldn't be correct to say that we are seated.
At the moment with Christ, because we're not there yet, but it's with Christ as far as sharing.
The finished work raised even when we were dead, and sins have quickened us together with Christ now that is.
Our present position. But the sixth verse says and made us sit together, not with Christ, because we're not there yet.
But in Christ, it's so beautiful to see the accuracy of the words.
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The ministry here is largely objective, isn't it? We only have these three verses, the 1St 3 verses of our chapter that speak about what we were and what we have been delivered from. And then immediately he goes on connecting with what we have in the first chapter to show where God has brought us in His grace. So with the children of Israel, when they left the land of Egypt, it wasn't looking over and thinking, do we have to leave all these things in Egypt? But what is before us?
It's a good land, flowing with milk and honey, and so we can dwell a great deal on what we have to give up or why we shouldn't have some of these worldly things. But brethren, if our hearts get hold of where God has already brought us in His purposes and soon will bring us in reality, as you pointed out, if we get that before us, then what we leave behind won't be considered important. But when their hearts got cold in the wilderness, then their hearts went back.
They lost sight of the Promised Land and looked back upon Egypt, said Would God? We have died in Egypt where there was.
Plenty of fish and food and everything. And it's when our hearts grow cold to what is ahead of us and where we have been placed in Christ even now that we get occupied with the things of the world. And so I think it's very lovely that just three verses about what we're taken from.
Just leave it all behind because we've got a so much better place that we have been brought into already in association with Christ. And soon we'll be there in soul and body, perfect, all glorified with thee.
Thing together #31.