“The Just Shall Live By Faith”
New King James Version Written by: David Hicks
Romans 1:17 “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Galatians 3:11 “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
“Articles of Faith”
The Church of Christ
(A Study in Ephesians)
Lesson 3. Spiritual Blessings:
Ephesians 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
The Apostle Paul would include himself with the Christians that he is writing to as those who have been blessed by God, ‘ in ' Christ. We have spent a great deal of time talking about the definitions of both the terms; “saints” (set apart), and “ in ” Christ.
As many of us have been asked, and often we hear, “What is so important about being a member of ‘ the ' church?” The greatest answer to this question is given in the preceding verses.
Note! This is about blessings from God; the blessings here are spiritual; God supplies every one of them, and He provides these good things ‘ in ' Christ. There are many things in this physical life that God has blessed us with. The first thing that comes to my mind is our children. However, there are far better and higher things than these material blessings. God wants us to have these better things that last forever and His Omni-benevolent love for man caused Him to send His Son for us; originate the Gospel of Christ to relate His desire and explain the opportunity provided. It is ‘in' Christ that God offers to give us spiritual blessings and crown us with glory and honor.
Remember what Paul said to the Galatians' Christians, note:
Galatians 3:26-27
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Remember that God provides all that we need, not in Abraham; not in Moses; not in John the Baptist; and not in Paul. God sent His Son to save us! The love of God finds full and perfect expression in Christ.
This brings us to the lesson!
Spiritual Blessings:
Ephesians 1:4-6
“just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved .”
These blessings involving the Father have been in the works since before the foundation of the world. The Apostle Paul would tell the Christians in Colossi in Whom the blessings would come, and that it also was planned from the beginning, note: Colossians 1:14-18 “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him . 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body , the church , who is the beginning , the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence .”
Here we learn that God planned from the beginning that these spiritual blessings (chosen, predestined to adoption, and made us accepted) were to be delivered by the Son of His love to those ‘ in ' His church.
The fact that the methods (purposed in Himself) by which one enters the body of Christ and those by which we maintain these spiritual blessings were planned from the beginning ( Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them .” ) , tells us that these are what Paul is speaking of and not specific men. We know that God is not a respecter of persons ( Acts 10:34 ; Romans 2:11 ; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25 ) and has not predestined some and neglected others. He wants all to be saved ( II Peter3:9 ) , but has chosen the means (‘ in ' Christ, members of His body, the church) by which this is to take place in order that the Son may have preeminence.
Ephesians 1:7-12
“ In Him we have redemption through His blood , the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance , being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”
In this second section, Paul focuses on those blessings in relation to the Son. Redemption through His blood; the forgiveness of sins, the revelation of His will concerning 'Jesus Christ', and the inheritance we have obtained, as predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things . Just as in the first section, every blessing is directed to those ‘ in ' Christ.
Ephesians 1:13-14
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise , 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
In this last section of the spiritual blessings being mentioned are those directly relating to the Holy Spirit. ‘ In ' Christ, we have been sealed with the Spirit of promise, and He serves as a guarantee (or deposit) of our inheritance. There can be no doubt that those who are ‘ in ' Christ have been sealed with the Spirit. So how does the Spirit work in us? Note what Paul would teach Christians in Rome concerning this subject: Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Sound familiar? To walk according to the flesh is to walk according to the wisdom of this world in the flesh. To walk according to the Spirit is to be directed by that which emanates from a heavenly source according to the Spirit. This would be the Gospel that Paul was not ashamed of, because it was the power of God to salvation ( Romans 1:16 ).
Note what Paul would go on to say concerning the course of these two walks:
Romans 8:6-7 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”
To be in Christ is to be sealed with the Spirit in the same mind. That is to allow the will of God to direct you in all that you do, in order to produce. In this fruitful production there is a seal, cohesiveness with God and His will, thus a seal with the Spirit and His work of revelation. This is all summarized on behalf of the Christians at Colossi, note: Colossians 1:9-10
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding ; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord , fully pleasing Him , being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God ;”
So to be sealed with the Spirit, is to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, to the purpose of walking worthy of the Lord. This is going to be an important point to keep in mind as we begin to consider the next lesson and Paul's prayer for the Christians in Ephesus.
Conclusions: God wants us to know the magnitude of the blessings we have ‘ in ' Christ, being part of His body the church (the called out). Being called out of the world by the gospel we have been chosen; predestined by adoption, and accepted in the Beloved. ‘ In ' Christ we have redemption and forgiveness of sins through His blood, and have been gathered together as one ‘ in ' Christ. Having believed the word, we have been sealed in it with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.
Why should we be a member of His body, ‘ the church '? Can you think of better reasons than these? I cannot! Because of these blessings ‘ in ' Christ, I love God! In my love for God, I intend to do according to the purpose and plans in which God purposed and planned from the beginning of time. It is our hope in this study, you will too! This was also the intention of the Apostle Paul who authored this letter to the church at Ephesus and to all others who would read it.
Next: “Therefore” – A Prayer for Spiritual Wisdom.