BIBLE STUDY METHODS - Ephesians 3:1-21

Today we crossed the "bridge" that connects the first section of Ephesians (Chapters 1-3) to the second section (Chapters 4-6). The key passage that builds the bridge is Ephesians 3:14-21. It is the ignition that releases the energy that God has already given to those who are "in Christ".

So far, everything Paul has been writing about deals with our inheritance and the glorious riches we have in Christ (the resources of the believer). If you are "in Christ" you have all the potential, all of the power, all of the riches, all of the energy. All of these resources that are ours in Jesus Christ are outlined in the first three chapters. Next, in chapters 4 - 6, Paul is going to show us how to apply these resources to the matter of living.

The takeaway from today's lesson is our need to focus on the "inner man". You will never get your ignition on until you focus on the inner man. You will flounder and wander around in impotence until you do. In order to know what verse 3:20 means, you must start with verse 3:16.

Your spiritual muscle grows when it becomes a daily routine for you to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit--to obey what you know is right before God--and not give into temptation. When you exercise your spiritual muscle, your inner man is renewed day by day. Though your outer man grows older and weaker, your inner man grows stronger. Gradually, you grow away from the mundane and further and further away from the things of this world that don't matter and have less and less preoccupation with them.

We all need to echo the prayer of Paul (3:14-21) and pray that we might be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man. We do this by pouring the Word of God into the inner man so that the Holy Spirit can direct us into His will. As we are strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, we are ready to take the next step. And we'll see what that is in our next lesson.

BIBLE STUDY METHODS - Ephesians 2:11-22

In today's lesson we completed Chapter 2 in Ephesians by looking at Ephesians 2:11-22. In this section Paul addresses being "One in Christ". At one time the Jew and the Gentile lived without peace between them, but because of the blood of Christ, as Paul states... "He is our peace,who hath made both (Jew & Gentile) one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." (2:14)

This passage of scripture presented a natural segue to launch us into a discussion of "DEALING WITH FOOLS". Practically everyday we encounter situations with spouses, family members, friends, and even church members who are acting like fools. Having recently been under the attack of fools, I saw a need to search the scriptures and see what God had to say. Here is what I found:

We will continue our lesson next Sunday on "DEALING WITH FOOLS".

BIBLE STUDY METHODS - Ephesians 2:1-10

In this lesson, Paul describes the process, the act, and the miracle of salvation. In the first ten verses of Chapter two he outlines the six aspects of SALVATION:

1. From Sin...
2. By Love...
3. Into Life...
4. With a Purpose...
5. Through Faith...
6. Unto Good Works...

In verses 2:1-3 Paul refers to our "old condition" (Dead to God) as being "...dead in trespasses and sins." John Eadie, a Scottish theologian and biblical critic, said: "It's a case of death walking." Before salvation, we are alive physically but dead spiritually--we are "death walking".

The modern art sculptures below gives us a visual idea of what "death walking" might look like. People mindlessly walking through life engulfed by zeitgeist (the spirit of the age). Paul said those dead "...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;" (2:2)

In verses 2:4-10 Paul refers to our "new condition" (Alive to God). Because of God's mercy and great love we are raised up to sit in the heavenly places that He might show His exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "In Christ, I am a new creation." No longer are we "death walking".

BIBLE STUDY METHODS - Ephesians 1:15-23

In this lesson Paul prays that we would understand the meaning of being "in Christ". He prays:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power." (Ephesians 1:18-19)

In his "Prayer for Revelation", Paul addresses the future aspect of God's Eternal Plan: "...glory of his inheritance in the saints...". The three aspects of God's Future Plan include: 1) The Grounds for our inheritance; 2) The Guarantee of our inheritance; and 3) The Goal of our inheritance.

Our "...understanding being enlightened..." is only possible through God's Word and His Holy Spirit. Once we are "in Christ" we become enlightened when we walk in surrender, confessed of our sin and desiring God's will and the fulfillment of His purpose for our lives.

Understanding our position in Christ is the foundation of our Christian life, but our Christian growth is all about us practicing (living-out) the Christian life.

"...for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Peter 1:5-7)