Ephesians 4:4-7

Ephesians 4:4‑7
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21 two 212.
Season 4.
Let's start reading with the fourth verse.
There is water, body, and one spirit, even as the earth called in one hope of your calling.
One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.
One God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all.
None to every one of us is given grace according to the measure, the gift of Christ. Wherefore he says, when he ascended upon Hind, he led captivity captive, and gave death unto men.
Now that he ascended, what is it that he also descended person to the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended to the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.
And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, or the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, until we all cover the unity, the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man under the measure of the statue of voters of Christ.
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrines, by the spite of men and cunning craftiness.
Whereby they lie and wait to the sea, but speaking the truth in law may grow up into Him and all things which is ahead even Christ, from who the whole body fiddly joined together and contacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, make it increase of the body, and the edifying of the self in love.
This I say, therefore testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds.
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the light of God's and ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart.
Coping past bidding have given themselves over into lasciviousness. You work all in clean ingredients.
But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be, that you have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of their mind, and that you put on a new man, which, after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man's truth with his neighbor.
But we are members one of another.
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Be angry and sin enough, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the dollars, but in the stole steal no more, but rather let him labor working with his hands, a thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that need it. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that was just good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace under the hearing.
And bring another Holy Spirit of John, for thine ye are sealed under the day of redemption.
That all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking to be put away from you with all malice, and be a kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.
Color brown. We rather abruptly cut you off what you were saying at the close of the meeting and the floor, if you'd like. Maybe you'd like to feel maybe you'd be elected to finish up your thought.
Because of the days we're living in.
And.
The Ecumenical movement to unite all of the religions of Christendom into one.
World system leading on to Babble in the great, the great Apostasy and finally.
Eternal judgment as the end of that program. It's all a seat to get the tears, the mere professors on the slide that goes down to the pit.
Well, that's one great union that the world is endeavoring to work these days. But another is that amongst believers we call it amalgamation. It's really reuniting and.
The tendency there is to.
Just lay a slide off at the past and as a word to forget it.
On the ground of some kind of a confession, but it's generally wholesale.
In order to unite groups of Christians together.
They have a common end that we all might be together. Well is it of God.
I believe that the scripture we had this morning.
Quoted was First Corinthians 11 verse 19 which says.
There must.
Needs be divisions among you that they that are approved might be made manifest among you. Well, it was mentioned that it is because of God's holiness and government over those that profess the name of Christ.
And that are gathered in the highest privileged position.
God requires that the low state that we get into our hearts, getting away from the Lord, that some kind of evil is allowed to come to a head to manifest the bad condition. And then God allows some poor instrument maybe to head up this thing or instruments, and the result is?
That division takes place while those who are walking close to the Lord in lowliness.
They're they're deeply exercised. They feel themselves incapable to know what to do about it. They are cast on the Lord. They own their own shame and their own part, and their meriting are meriting what has come to pass, well, that kind of a soul.
The Lord gives to know his mind, so that they might be called the approved, while he sloughs off the careless ones who go with the evil that has had to be judged.
Now.
There's some importance in going over these things. Let us go back to first Kings Chapter 10.
Or 11 it may be.
Chapter 11.
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And verse 11 Wherefore the Lord said.
End of the verse.
I will surely rend now we see it. It is God that is bringing in this division of the Kingdom.
And again in verse 12 I will.
Friend, that's God is the one that's undertaking it.
Now over in verse 31, again in the middle of the verse, I will rend the Kingdom.
Out of the hand of Solomon, and will give 10 tribes to thee that is for this.
Jeroboam.
Well, I think we have other scriptures. We cannot go into the mall but turn over to chapter 12 and verse 15.
Verse 15 he says in the middle of the verse.
The cause was from the Lord. Now the original cause was the low state of hearts getting away from the Lord and their own unfaithfulness with which merited the Lord's dealings with them.
Now again in verse 24.
The middle of the verse. This thing is from me.
Now all these truths, there are more of them. All these truths show that God not only allows divisions, but when the people become so very unfaithful, they are needful.
Yet God maintains a testimony.
Of those who go on in lowliness of heart independence upon him.
Now this principle is important because there are leaders and teachers amongst those professively gathered that print pamphlets.
One of them tries to make out that this division was not justified and we could be forgotten. And this one he goes one time right down the line to show that the divisions as it were, were not justified.
Brethren, the word of God says that whatsoever is bound on earth is bound in heaven.
And so it is. And the well, the conclusion now my remarks is this separation from evil.
Is God's principle of unity. I must judge the evil being communion with God about it, know his mind, and then I am walking by faith.
In connection with what you're saying in First Timothy, we have the.
Church. They're spoken of as the House of God.
And directions were given as to how one was conducted oneself in that house.
It has been said, and we can see it, that there were certain things there that.
If possible deployed but.
The condition of things there was such that there was power to deal with it.
So there isn't any question raised there of separation, But when we come to Second Timothy, it's no longer there. Paul the House of God, but spoken of is a great house, and there there was not yet power to deal with what was evil, and so the One was called upon to separate oneself from those vessels.
Dishonor and.
Follow righteousness, faith, charity with those that call on the Lord out of your heart.
In the First Corinthians.
There was a deplorable state there, never spoken of as carnal by the apostle.
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But it hadn't yet gotten to that point.
That we have in Second Thessalonians.
The divisions that were spoken of in part were not really actual divisions worthy. They were sects or parties within the assembly factions is well, the reason I speak of these things that I believe it's a very solemn thing and it's not really in the assembly.
Yes, the Lord's name. It's not really on the part of the individual to say that it's a leprous house or anything like that. The individual can't pronounce that judge.
In the Old Testament, where we have the question of leprosy in the house, whether the priest that was to pass the judgment on it was not the individual, well, I just want to make those remarks, the word of cautious, and be connected to what I can say.
There's another thought that comes brethren that.
If we look at the state, and that's the portion we're dealing with of Ephesians, if we look at the state of the testimony around us, well, not only would we get on our faces in the dust, but it's enough to break anyone's heart.
But there is something to that we need to take care of.
We do remember need to remember that the power and the faithfulness of the hidden glory can never be touched, and I think that's been a comfort to my soul during many years, the power and the testimony of that blessed man in glory.
Can never be touched. The rule is great, but we can thank God that that's concerning the professing Church.
But in the mind of God, the Church is ever perfect, and so we can thank God for that, Beloved.
So it's just as true to say as it was. When the apostle can mean words, there is one body.
The Church is just as much one now as it was when they met on the day of Pentecost, or any time that we read of the Church in the days of the Apostles.
One body there. That's one body still. What? God does this forever?
This man comes in with his failure. He breaks up the testimony and is connected with it.
But still, the foundation stand assured. He can't touch the foundation and never undo what God has done.
We're never told to keep the unity of the body army, brother. No, no.
We are told to keep the unity of the Spirit in that uniting bond. Peace. Well, this is a challenge to us. Below us, we're at the close of this dispensation and we needn't think to look for great things.
But we can always count upon the faithfulness of God. We can count upon that blessed one in glory ever.
Brother Wilson, how about word on the three circles of truth in the three verses?
You're a part of the 4th, 5th and 6th verses.
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Well, verse four, I take it as vital.
There's not.
Mere Professor in verse 4.
They're all real believers.
There is one body of real believers on earth. By 1 Spirit, are we all baptized into that one body?
No exceptions.
There's one Spirit, the Holy Spirit.
The power.
Of making us members of one body and keeping us.
Even as you are called in one hope.
The blessed heavenly hope of which we have been speaking out.
Or as a worthy hope that attaches to the heavenly ones and the heavenly truth that we have been having before us.
One hope of your calling, I suppose it is your calling on high.
Like anything in Philippians 3.
Well, I'd rather not try to go over the other verses. We might get ahead of ourselves.
Surely as a joy, the brother.
Mr. Saying that we can trust in our blessed Lord to to fulfill and to finish his work successfully and perfectly.
Because we know that there must be 1 member of that party missing in heaven. There's a teaching between the world today that's having quite an effect, and that is that Christianity has been a failure that's been taught by by infidel. Infidel teachers and the young people seem to act in order to act except that were true.
Well, Christianity is not a failure, but man is a failure.
The truth of Christianity, that salvation is to the work of Christopher, when the cross is over, to lost sinners and the great last refusers, And as the Lord Jesus himself has said, that there are two ways, the downward way and the upward way, And the Lord says of the upward way few there be than when there are of the downward way.
May there be that go on that don't wait obstruction.
So the great Mass of the world is going to have rejected and is going to reject the Lord Jesus Christ. But of those who receive the Lord Jesus, his own dear ones, his redeemed ones, they want me. One single one missing in the glory. We're going to bring them all home.
And his house is going to be filled.
I speak and and all the terms. There won't be one empty chair in the father's house that my house might be filled.
So that the word of Christ is successful and and we can thank the Lord for it, in spite of all the divisions that have occurred. And there are hundreds, actually hundreds and hundreds of divisions of professing Christians.
In this world. And that has caused a great seal and a great many of the infidels to blasphemy, blasphemy. The Lord and the Lord's people too. The Lord's Prayer was that they all might be one, but instead of being one, they are near 1000 divisions and groups and sex and parties.
What failure man has been, what failure things have been in the hands of even.
Those that are real Christians but are good to know that the Blessed Lord is going to have everyone of his own and glory to sing his prayers forever.
And that gives joy, Brother Smith was saying. That gives joy to the heart to know that the Lord's work is and will be successful.
But just noticing that there are seven one in these versions.
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Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit, There is one body, one spirit, Even though you're called 1 Hope of your calling, 1 Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God, and Father of War, as they often are reminded that seven is the perfect number. Well, here's the perfect disclaim.
All the oneness that's according to the mind of God.
That they all might be one was the prayer of our blessed Lord. When we stop to consider the love that prayer the Lord uttered that we read in the 17th of John within that upper Rd. the very night that he was betrayed.
From the shadow of the cross lay across his pathway. Think of the Lord in such earnest intercession with His following and treating his fault.
That those that the Father had given him, that they might be all one, they might go on in that unity and that oneness community, and in testimony, and then in glory, it should touch our hearts. Very special way to think of The Cave, and to think through what it means to the heart of Christ himself.
I was thinking about what you were saying, President Brown, in connection with God's allowing division, both in Old Testament times and these times.
Without a doubt, it is true.
He has seen the needs be he's.
Allowed it to come in.
But on the other hand.
I suppose we should never.
Think of division any other way, but as hateful to God.
It should be abhorred.
And.
One who is really walking in communion.
Would certainly forego anything of self.
That would help to promote it.
It's the work of the wolf.
Scatters the sheep.
It's not the work of the Lord.
You feel Green Brother Wilson over a statement of brother made some years ago. He said that every so often the history of gathered strength through the disease. And he said the time had come when division must take place. Well, he wasn't satisfied until he helped Tom with the division. He divided the people he saw. That kind of a spirit I'm sure is hateful to the Lord.
It's it's justifying causing division.
In advance of what it's laying the groundwork for.
And it should be a port.
May we never utter a thing like that.
That would lay the groundwork for division.
They're told to follow the things that make for peace, whereby one may edit by another. That doesn't mean in any sense whatever that we are.
To ignore evil.
Or to move it over, cover it up.
Act as though things were right when they're not right. It never means that it's false, but we're at this. Seek to encourage those that go on in faith and faithfulness to the Lord to go on in peace and then fellowship and communion among themselves.
Many, many cases could be avoided.
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Small parties, troubles, if there were the consideration that's mentioned in the 12Th of Hebrews.
There we find that we're to run. We have a race set before us. We're to run with endurance.
And in that chapter we find that we do not run single file. We do not run alone.
We run as a group, we run as a flock, and there are those that are weak, there are those that are discouraged, there are those with people needs. I suppose it could be safely said that there are some in the Church of God that all their lifetime need to be helped on.
Carrot.
Well, we're very apt to overlook that side of things.
Especially if there's a legal tendency we'd like to lay down the rules, make every man follow.
But there is a consideration for those that stumble easily.
When the Samaritan picked up the wounded man by the side of the road, he not only bound up his wound and poured in the oil and the wine, but he brought him to the inn and made provision for his care until his return. And then he added this thought. Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee well. Anne is rather an unusual place to take a wounded man.
You would normally expect a man left to be cared for at an end, to be able to take care of himself. But this man was wounded. It appears that he might need a little special care, and perhaps for quite a while. And so the Samaritan says to the innkeeper. Now, I know all about this man's condition, but I have brought him here, and I'm entrusting you with the special care that this wounded man will require. And I'll keep a record of it, too. And in that coming day, I will repay you.
Well, perhaps there are those by the grace of God, and we should thank him for it, who, as you say, all their life long in the assembly, seem to need special care. Perhaps they're easily wounded. Well, the Lord is taking note of all that, and I believe brothers and sisters alike, do we not share in the responsibilities that are just spoken of, when perhaps there seems to be a tendency toward these things and this or that assembly?
What is our attitude for others and sisters alike?
Visiting in an assembly a little while ago where there was a condition that appeared as though it might be quite serious, one dear brother whom I visited was in tears. Always said brother, every time there's any little trouble, I'm always afraid that perhaps I'm the Jonah in the assembly and he was really on his face. Well, of all the brothers in that assembly, he was certainly not the Jonah as far as I was able to discern, but I thought it was a commendable spirit.
He personally was downloaded for the Lord.
The cause, the love of the many of our trials and their troubles, is through self will, self will.
We have no will of our own beloved, and the moment that myself will get in exercise, the old nature gets in exercise and we are capable of anything.
Brother Harry Haver always said present. We are capable of anything unless he keeps keep his hands of love upon us. But it is true that where self will comes in.
Trials and troubles without number appeared.
Our place is indeed in the dozen. I suppose there is no such thing as a division that has not been preceded by self, will someone.
Oh, how easily?
To go before God and seek to know his mind.
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The Lord's direction to know it and to do it would stop the trouble.
If Saints would, if we would only learn this, I believe the love of them, The path and the responsibility of the Saints is the maintenance of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst.
Having that before the soul.
There's not much room for Southwest.
The maintenance.
Of the Lord Jesus glory in our midst.
And is never for his Lord. And cover up evil isn't it? Evil must be purged out. It's taught everywhere.
We might look at the portion in First Corinthians there.
Just five.
Verse 6.
In verse four, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we are gathered together and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To deliver such an one unto faith for the destruction of the plague, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glory is not good. Know ye not that a little less leaveneth a whole lump Urge out there for the old leaven, that you may be a new love.
As you are unleavened for even price.
Passover is sacrificed for therefore let us keep the peace, not with old heaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
I suppose the Corinthians boasted there.
When they should have had their faces in the dust.
Well, it's a lesson to us. Who doesn't feel the weight of these work, These words of the apostles, these things.
The beauty of the assembly is to.
Not only recognize sin, but the judges and put it out, put it away.
Oh, the happiness that would approve if we would do that. And beloved.
Parental affection.
Must never intimidate God's men.
Who are responsible before the law? And yet it often happens.
I think that's sad. It's hard, we know.
But nothing should come in to depreciate in any possible way.
The decision of an assembly.
The moment we do that below us, we are on independent ground and the testimony is practically gone.
And we feel that. We feel it.
And there's one who has been serving the Lord a good many years, or trying to.
We are really consumed sometimes.
When we think of God's dear people forgetting the glory of Christ in our midst.
For mere parental affection or the affection of something.
That concerns us personally.
Oh beloved, may we be on our basis before the Lord about.
Would you say that in connection with a matter of discipline, where there was a case of natural affection or parental affection, that'd be better to leave the case with others rather than one seeking to put their own views in connection with it? We may say, you know well, our natural affection doesn't enter into this and what I'm saying, but we can't keep promises there.
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There was a case in point in Bolivia. I've mentioned this before.
We had the joy of leading to Christ, an officer in the army, in the Bolivian army.
And that Dean man.
Serve the Lord faithfully for 20 years.
One day fell into the sin of adultery.
If the assembly in connection with that officer had been in a good state, they could have sensed it, beloved. But it wasn't sent and he went on ministry.
Until the Lord struck him with paralysis, and then it came out.
Well, naturally, being an influential officer in the army, the humble souls in that meeting were rather afraid to take a stand.
But God gave them courage.
To stand firm concerning the judgment of that and the judgment of that meeting stood.
A number went along to this officer and sympathized with him. Now I always think of dear answer.
He sent them all home.
He said, brethren, he was an officer and he had a blunt way with him and a commanding way, he said, Dear brethren, just go home.
The verdict of the assembly is right, and if it were not right, he said the Lord Jesus would clear it up. And I always remember that if it were not right, the Lord Jesus was clear enough. But he said it's ten Well, that dear man was taken to be with the Lord.
His pillow was wet with his tears.
We loved him.
But he wouldn't allow any intervention whatsoever.
And that strengthened the Assembly for this day.
Poor humble brothers.
But it strengthens them.
That's a very solemn charge the Apostle Paul brings before Timothy in First Timothy 5.
Verse 21.
I charged thee before God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without.
Preferring one before another, doing nothing by.
Our shallow there well, I believe it is rendered without prejudice or partiality well.
There are two ways to which we may sway one or the other personal lights dislike. Well, that's here. He charges him before.
God and the Lord Jesus Christ to guard against that.
There's something to which we're all susceptible to.
Well, it's a very strong shot.
Sometimes it's hard to distinguish one's own motives and things like that.
I wonder if I might go on with our verse 4.
Sometimes it is sad that we do not get the Second Coming Truth and the Epistle to the EP.
But do we not get a little suggestion that my point to that inverse the end of verse 4?
Ye are called in one hope.
Of your calling. I suppose that's Our Calling on high at the coming of the Lord. So it is. It is at least suggested there. And one other place, Chapter 5, verse 20.
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27.
That he might present it to himself a glorious.
Church.
Well, I believe the truth of the coming of the Lord Boris not given to us as a doctrine of patience, but it is alluded to, and like that verse in 527 he just referred to, that he might present it to himself a glorious church. Well, how's he going to do that? Please come first, take her out of the scene before he presents to himself.
And one is thought in the second chapter.
And the sixth verse we get there, It's raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Well, now there, that's where we are at the present time, seen in the purpose of God, seen in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. But the next verse goes on that in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Well, that's after he's coming down in the air and take the stuff to be with him.
So it is alluded to I believe several times, but this brought out of the doctor.
In the first chapter where he says.
Then the fullness of time he might gather together in one well, that's referring to his taking us to glory, and also when he's making everything in order here in this world. So I think it is a move several times.
But it has been said we're in a feeling we're seeing a seated in the heavenly places.
And so it's coming for us individually, so to speak. Bring this out of this world is hardly in keeping with that. So it is brought forth as a doctor.
Then you would say that one Lord, one faith, one Baptism.
Is the circle of progression.
Or we well know there are many in this world that day that have been baptized in the name of Father. Son and Holy Ghost were never born again.
There are many that have offered their own Jesus as Lord, like those who will say, Lord, Lord, have we not.
In thy name done many wonderful works, he'll answer and say unto them, I never knew you. Oh, in that sense one can call on him as Lord, and yet not be one of his own at all, although if it's real. And from the heart with a heart man believeth unto Dragons.
Those In that case it says no one can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Ghost.
At that verse in second Peter 2.
Even denying the Lord to walk them, they're the distinction is between purchase and redemptionism.
Christ has walked the whole field.
For the Treasurer.
But only the Christian acknowledges is his right of purchase.
And therefore they come under the benefits of redemption the Christian.
But even the world has benefited by Christ having bought the field, but the unbeliever denies the Lord that body.
So the Lord has rights on the bar over.
Everyone has.
He just owns his right like a slave, and he's been bought money. This slave refuses to obey his master. Well, he has a right over him, but he won't submit.
Why? He's not under his authority or he has rejected his authority and that's the way the unbeliever is going on.
Rejecting the very one who has perfect world has given him the opportunity of having the salvation and all the blessings that are connected with salvation.
So we have a little circle in the fourth verse. We have a larger circle in the fifth verse.
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We have a still larger circle and the sixth verse. There we get one God and Father Hall, who is a lovable and through all well that takes in the whole human race. But then he returns at the end of the sixth verse to the little purple of the fourth verse again, and he says, and in you all.
Mr. Darby's translation.
Makes it us, which I think is helpful.
The father One Baptist here has nothing to do with molds of bathroom. There are some people that take this picture and say, well, you folks, you have different holes and baptism. There isn't one baptism that you hold. That is a thing.
And one is always baptized in the name of Father, Son of Holy Ghost.
Why he has submitted to the only baptism and scripture recognized?
Yes, there were other baptisms. For instance, the Jews had some baptism, John the Baptist had one. But that wasn't Christian baptism, as we learned from Acts 19, where the apostle Paul had been rebaptised because he'd been baptized John's baptism.
It was the one message we have since the Lord has started building the church, so to speak. But baptism of any mode whatsoever never saved a soul, no.
So that the water baptism you mean? Yes, I'm Speaking of water baptism of any met of any method.
I was just going to mention that.
And we have this threefold unity Notice brethren, one body, one spirit, 1 hope and their crawling. And then with this we have the outfit. Profession I think you would call it, wouldn't you? One law, one faith, one That's an out of profession.
Heard of professed Christian just recently quote that verse in Mark on being baptized, Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
Arguing from it that the baptized person is safe.
My remark to him was.
You could just as well say of that verse.
Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but whoso believeth not, shall be damned, even though he were baptized.
Baptism isn't what says it's faith in Christ. God has never committed anything vital into the hands of Mass. God knows too well he could never trust man with anything as vital as the salvation of the soul.
So he's given us the outward testimony after the Lord's Supper and.
Privileges that we enjoy as people, but it's all something that's outward. The inward work, the work of God, the new birth, salvation of eternal life. Paul's never committed that any of his creatures.
Well, Brother Barry, you would be loath to admit a man was called a man, a Christian who would refuse baptism, wouldn't you?
If a man refuses, baptism says it's not formal, there's something wrong.
You take the Jew, for instance, if you it was necessary for him to receive baptism.
And Speaking of the book of the Acts now.
There's something wrong with a man that refuses.
But there there are a lot of people today.
Call themselves.
Hyper dispensationalists.
They set aside baptism in the Lord's Supper.
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There's a large sector there.
Like the Salvation Army, they they don't baptize or keep the Lord suffering. But I'm sure there's some Christians among them. Yes, and the Friends, or the Quakers. And also the Teacher, the followers of Bollinger, who sets aside the two ordinances.
Well, that's a wicked doctrine. If you follow the teaching of that system, there's no salvation to it. It's on the order of.
Jehovah Witness they they deny eternal punishment.
And their darkness is very serious. There are those that do not go to the extreme by O'Hare or Bollinger himself. Is impeachment very serious.
So wicked doctrine, and we had some experience with leads to positive witnesses.
We need not.
Continue on this subject of baptism, but I'd just like to mention that water baptism.
Has to do with an earthly sphere.
We speak of the Kingdom.
Of heaven in mystery, as it is in Matthew 13, another.
Well, water baptism is the initiative.
In the way of a reception.
Into that sphere of the profession of Christ on earth, and it's a merely earthly sphere of profession, privilege and responsibility.
And being thus related to the Kingdom, we could distinguish it from the other ordinance as to the Lord's Supper, which really is related to the Church.
About the Potter used to say that the Lord never committed anything in the hands of man that was by who hasn't been mentioned here. And he said there was just two ordinances, we might call them, that are committed to hands of man, and neither one of them were for the means of giving life that was Lord's supper and baptism. But he said man has encrypted life giving to the poor.
I twist 2 scriptures to in particular and the third of John born of water of the Spirit and make that water baptism give him life which it does not. Then they go to the other verse eating his flesh, drinking his blood in the 6th chapter and make that partaking of the Lord's supper has nothing to do with the Lord's supper.
That would be the daily feeding upon Christ with his brother Wilson. Yes, there are two. There are two statements in that chapter. One is passed and the other is constant.
Correct translation is necessary to see it. Shall have eaten is the appropriation of the death of Christ to oneself, and then shall eat. That's the daily feeding.
Isn't that right? And that was in connection with abiding in Christ biting in me.
So we should be daily, constantly feeding our souls.
On the death of Christ, minding our hearts what it cost our blessed Lord to save us, finding ourselves of his suffering, being the sacred of God.
Well, that's feeding on his death and constant thing. I think it's worth turning to the 6th of John to get that.
Take myself. It's very lovely and very important.
Would it be that in the 53rd and the 54th verses there is that which is life giving. And in the 56th verse there's that which you were just now Speaking of Speaking of feeding on price, to actually see the verses and distinguish, I think is a hell yes, that's very true. You see the 53rd verse, then Jesus fell to them, except verily, verily, I say to you, except to eat the flesh of the front man. Well.
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Hey, that's better. Translated empty shall have eaten other words. That's your conversation. When you came as a poor lost letter and accepted the one that died on the cross as your savior, you appropriated the death of Christ or your needs as a lost spinner. Well then, the 56th verse. He that eateth my place and bringeth my blood.
In me is here doesn't the question there of getting light. The other versatility has no life in Him, But here is dwelling in Christ. Dwelling in Christ speaks of communion. Fellowship are mine plus Lord. All we need to be careful is to go on enjoy the word ever to get too far from the cross of Christ.
So easy for the enemy to just get us occupied, even with scripture, in an intellectual way.
All the way through all the sacrifices, there must be the land for the morning and the lamb for the evening, the death of Christ.
Beginning the day and ending the day.
Those who are away from home and loved ones quite a good deal realize perhaps something of what it means to actually devour a letter when you get one. When you read the good news from home, you don't just read it casually and then put it away. You really read that letter more than once. I don't want to speak in any light way of these things, but it is a very, very precious reality to take the word of God ministering Christ to the heart.
And actually to feed on it. To feed on it. I remember as a young fellow the impression that it used to make on me. But I would see older brethren whom I knew had read this book for years, since the days of their boyhood, when I would see the very way in which they'd read it. When I see the look on their faces as they would read it. When I see them look up from verses they've known since their boyhood.
You could see that they had actually.
Taking it in and made it their own and still they wanted more. Well, I think there's something very, very fragile about the truth that we have in this 6th of John.
When you get to the eighth verse of our chapter, or the seventh verse, but on every one of us is given grace according to the major of the gift of grace.
Every believer has a distinct place in the body.
And have a distinct.
Function in connection with the body. So every one of us has given grace. Grace is really the gift God has given every one of his children, and he has given the major that he's been.
Told all, we need to be satisfied.
I've covered the gifts or the ability that some other ones have answered.
But to seek the place the Lord in his wisdom has committed.
To our trust, do the little work the Lord has for us anyhow, the work that's fancy house grace for every one of His children.
Mr. Dobby says that the grace here is the gift itself.
What was that, Brother Smith? Mr. Darby says that the that grace here given grace is the gift itself. It is the gift. Well, I thought that was very interesting when I read that. But we do have a distinction in the gifts in Romans 12 and verse.
6.
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Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us.
Well, isn't that another?
Brown special gift and that seventh verse.
Yes, like here that are given every one of God's children. Now when we get to the 81St getting from that verse on that wherefore is when he is headed up on high he led the captivity captive and gave gifts on the men. Well just for the sake of time we drop onto the 11Th 1St and he gave some apostles some apostles.
Some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, well, though they're special gifts.
They stole the song The Body of Christ Church here on earth.
But the seventh verse is quite a different line of truth. As we get everyone there then, yeah, makes a little difference rather what you say then in connection with the seventh verse it through.
Love of.
Prominence or something of that kind, we attempted to get beyond our measure, then we wouldn't have the grace part and was short of faith.
One might be pressed into a position where perhaps S would put in their line where the Lord could sustain them. But if we attempt something that might make more proper, then we wouldn't have the Gray sport and failure sure to come in. King Saul is a case in point, is it? He said. I forced myself.
And he was seeking prominence, and Samuel said when I was little in 909.
Strange how easily self gets in.
Well, the gifts that are mentioned beginning with the eighth verse.
Are gifts that are bestowed by an ascendant, glorified Christ who has become the head of the Church down here.
Well, when the Lord is here on Earth, He sent out his wild recitation to them. Go out and reach the Garfield. But that isn't a mission, that.
Here in the 4th chapter of Ephesians, because it's only after Christ has defended up on I that it tells us that that he gave some apostles. Well, doubtless they were the same 11:00 that were with the Lord and were commissioned when he was here, but now they receive a special Commission.
On the glorified Christ showing the.
Ministry comes directly from Christ the head and glory, giving out a new few dogs. Praise God's blessings here on earth. Now he has a glorified man in heaven, and it's through that glorified mass.
All true ministry is bestowed to His people down here in the sea.
With Christianity.
It's some apostles, isn't it?
Before the days of Christianity, there were 12.
In fact, when you get to the New Testament, if you examine it, you'll find others who were called apostles. Wasn't Barnabas called an apostle?
And others.
I Paul was apostle by the Lord's call, but he wasn't one of the 12. But.
The numbering, the 12, is not true in Christianity.
Some apostles, it's broader, and the prophets here are not the Old Testament prophets.
They were New Testament prophets.
So you get the apostle, and then the problem, half of the problem, and then the apostles.
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In that sense, they would be those who would pronounce on the word rather than.
Ask Brother aired.
Well, they were the ones to whom the words to whom the word was communicated, I suppose. So I can get the second chapter built upon the foundation, the apostles and prophets.
See we they didn't have the scriptures that we have them. They Lord was using the apostles and prophets to convey his mind to his people. At that time I've often thought about take their insurance. Why?
I doubt if they had. They may not have had any of the New Testament Scriptures there, because they were.
They weren't written right away after the crucifixion, and then it took a long time to.
Get them restricted among the different churches.
First Thessalonians, I guess, was the first epistle written, and it was sometime later when.
Paul received the communication as to the Lord's coming for the Thessalonians.
So I'm afraid to question why they weren't reading meetings in Corn. Well, they didn't have the scripture, so to speak, to read.
The gift of prophecy was an important thing in the early church.
That is, communicating the mind of God to their circumstances.
Reading the 13th chapter of Acts, how they were in the church, that was an Antioch certain promise.
And teachers as Barnabas Simeon called Nigeria Lucia for Cyrini and.
Man manifest.
And here so Well, there's doesn't say all those men were impossible, but.
They were prophets among them.
And as the ministers and prayed, while the Spirit says separate the barnacles control it worked around to I have called them, and he may have used one of those prophets communicate that to them.
Well, I believe our time is up, brother.
174.