Monthly Archives: April 2024

THE CHURCH, GOD’S “BULLSEYE” – 10b

Bible Study,

The Bible gives us a three-dimensional picture of the function of the church.

‭Ephesians 1:23 NLT‬
[23] And the church is his BODY; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

‭1 Corinthians 3:9 NLT‬
[9] “For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s BUILDING.”

‭Revelation 19:7-8 NLT‬
[7] “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his BRIDE has prepared herself. [8] She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

These three symbolic pictures of the church give us a clearer understanding of the functions of the church during her life in earth. Of course, when we speak of the church, we are referring to a “composite woman” made up of millions of individuals united to make up one person.

We must understand that Jesus works with every individual to perfect His church. Like a mosaic which is a composite picture made up of many individual pieces, the church is a mosaic of people who make up a picture of Jesus.

So, in chapters 4 to 6, Paul explains the “how” of life in Christ that prepares us for our reign in Him. The focus of Paul’s teaching is about our reign over our old nature in preparation for our reign with Him in eternity. If we do not master the flesh now, we cannot fulfill our role under His supreme authority then.

You see, when we give way to the desires of our sinful nature, we are rebelling against God! God will not tolerate rebellion…. ever! He will only allow those to rule in His kingdom who have proved on earth that they are submitted to His authority.

‭Romans 5:17, 21 NLT‬
[17] “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ…
[21] So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This is the sobering truth of Scripture.

‭Romans 6:20-23 NLT‬
[20]” When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. [21] And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. [22] But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to HOLINESS and result in ETERNAL LIFE . [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our role in this life, then, is to work out what God has worked in us, without which we cannot reign with Christ in glory.

‭Philippians 2:12-13 NLT‬
[12]”Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

To be continued…

THE CHURCH, GOD’S “BULLSEYE” – 10a

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT‬
[22] “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of THE CHURCH . [23] And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

God has His eye on something and it’s definitely not the world! Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase, The Message (MSG), put it this way…

Ephesians 1:20-23
[20-23] “All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”

A clear and wonderful description of God’s plan!

Since it has always been God’s purpose for the church to share in Christ’s inheritance, God gave Jesus authority over the church to prepare her for co-rulership with Him over the nations.

The Bible often speaks of an inheritance we are to share with Jesus.

‭Romans 8:17 NLT‬
[17] “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

Our inheritance in Christ has many facets to it…eternal life (Luke 18:18)… all the blessings of God’s salvation (Eph 1:11)…the Holy Spirit (Eph1:14)…God’s promises (Heb 6:12)…a priceless inheritance, kept safe in heaven for us (1Peter1:4)…
and…and…!

In Psalm 2, God promises the nations to His King as His inheritance over which He will rule with justice and peace forever.

‭Psalms 2:7-8 NLT‬
[7] “The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. [8] Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.”

‭Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

Jesus, in turn, will share His inheritance with His church. Daniel saw this event in a vision centuries before it happens.

‭Daniel 7:13-14, 17-18 NLT‬
[13]” As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed….
[17] “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. [18] But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”

Paul, in turn, confirms this promise.

‭1 Corinthians 6:2 NLT‬
[2]” Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?”

It stands to reason, then, that the focus of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit would be on the church. God has planned to hone His people to rule with Jesus in eternity by putting us through a strenuous apprenticeship on this earth. He cannot entrust as great an eternal assignment to untrained and unequipped people.

God has left us in an evil and hostile environment to teach us…
To love Him…
To trust Him…
To obey Him…
To submit to Him…

And to train us to be holy…
And to overcome temptation by putting the flesh to death through the power of the Holy Spirit, by learning self-control, which is the fruit of the Spirit….

Despite the hostility of the unseen world and the opposition from the ungodly world around us.

All these qualities (of true sons) will be confirmed forever when we are glorified in heaven, when sin is eradicated from our lives.

The church is Jesus’ body of which He is the Head. Body and head can only live when they are joined and functioning in harmony. Is it any wonder, then, that Jesus should focus all His attention on every individual in His body. There is so much at stake as He personally supervises the preparation of each person for his/her place in eternity.

The goings-on in the world are not random and uncontrolled. If God uses the world’s rebellion and evil to train us, then surely He always has His finger on the pulse. He would never allow things to get out of control (as much as we think they are at times).

The hardships we experience, God calls discipline, training, learning to live under His authority. Unlike those who rebelled, from Adam on, we are to trust and obey God in EVERYTHING, good or bad. Why? Because He loves us! He is preparing us to reign by learning to reign over ourselves first through His grace in Christ.

‭Romans 5:17 NLT‬
[17] “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”

‭Hebrews 12:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. [11] No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

It doesn’t matter that we don’t understand what is happening in the world. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know what tomorrow holds. What matters that we live every day with our eyes on Jesus. He is watching over us to perfect us for the great day when we take our place in His eternal kingdom to reign with Him.

‭Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT‬
[1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

To be continued…

THERE’S MORE… 9

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT‬
[20] Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. [21] Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

As I explore God’s Word, I have come to realise how much God desires to bless us. He is passionate about giving, favouring, blessing us with lavish portions of His love and goodness. We are the ones who limit Him by our doubts, fears, suspicions, and unbelief.

As Paul unpacked God’s salvation plan from before creation to its consummation at the end of time, he understood that God had two great goals in mind. First, He chose people from every nation to be a family of redeemed humans upon whom He could lavish His love in all its many-faceted wonder. Second, He wanted to display, through them, His glory to every created being, including those who had forfeited His love and goodness by rebelling against Him.

When God has finally judged and disposed of His opposition, rebellious gods and humans, and replaced them with people qualified and groomed to take their place, His kingdom will rule in peace forever under the authority of His chosen King.

‭Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

What then? No one on this side of heaven can imagine what eternal life will be like when heaven and earth are united under the reign of King Jesus.

‭Revelation 21:3-5 NLT‬
[3] I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” [5] And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

Since Jesus is God and equal, in every detail, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, He will be to His creation what He represented the Father to be during His time on earth.

‭John 14:8-9 NLT‬
[8] “Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” [9] Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?”

His redeemed people, in turn, will be set free from all the limitations of their earthly existence. Their limited understanding will give way to perfect knowledge!

‭1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12 NLT‬
[9]” Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! [10] But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless….
[12] Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

However, it seems, from the witness of Scripture, that our knowledge and experience of God will never stop growing. Even in eternity, since God is infinite, there will always more of God and His love to learn.

What we don’t know of God now, His nature and ways, in our finiteness, we will know then. What we will know then, when our knowledge of the mysteries of earth and heaven are revealed, we will still not know of God in His completeness. How can we unless we ourselves are God and that will never be.

So, in this life, however much of God’s glory, grace, and power He reveals, there will always be more… In the life to come, when our limitations are removed, we will know God yet not know Him. There will always be more…

As Anna said, (of “Mister God, this is Anna” by Finn), to paraphrase, “Just when we climb to the the top of the ladder and think we know God, we discover that we know nothing.”

ROOTED IN GOD’S LOVE – 8b

Bible Study, ,

Colossians 2:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. [7] Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

We cannot leave this topic without considering a vital aspect of our knowledge and experience of God’s love.

In Jesus’ letter to the Ephesian church, He had an issue with the very people to whom Paul wrote his letter.
It seems that these people had slipped away from the root of their service and ministry. They were just doing things without the pure motive of love for Jesus.

‭Revelation 2:1-4 NLT‬
[1] “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
[2] I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
[4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.“

“First love”… what is the implication here? We must look elsewhere for its meaning. Does “first love” mean the love these believers had for Jesus when they first believed, or does it mean something else?

John’s first letter throws light on what the Bible means by “first love”.

‭‭1 John 4:10, 19 NIV‬
[10] “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins….
[19] We love because he first loved us.”

“First love”, then, refers to the one who first did the loving!

How important that we understand this principle! Our love for God has its roots in His love for us, not the other way around. Our love for God is our response to the love which gave His only Son as an atoning sacrifice for us.

Without a root, the fruit of our love for God will wither and die.

The Ephesian Church had abandoned, let go, sent away (Greek word ‘aphiemi’) the love they had in the beginning of their relationship with Jesus. They had forgotten how great God’s love was for them. They were acting mechanically, not dynamically, out of duty, not love.

How did Jesus restore Peter after his tragic denial of his relationship with his Master? Not “Peter, why did you deny me?” or “I’m putting you on probation until you prove your loyalty to me!”

‭John 21:15 NIV‬
[15] When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Three times, Peter denied Jesus. Three times, Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus. Restoration accomplished! Would Peter ever forget that moment on the beach?

Repeatedly, the Bible reminds us that our love for Jesus must be rooted in His love for us. Only then will we remain steadfast through all the tests and trials we face on our journey towards eternity. We can only remain rooted in the love of God if we constantly cultivate an awareness of that love in every circumstance.

‭John 15:5-6, 9-10 NIV‬
[5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned….
[9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. [10] If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

If the love of God, shown so vividly to us in what Jesus did for us, is not the root of our love for Him, whatever we do for Him will be nothing but empty and fruitless, fit only for the fire.

So, Paul prays, in response to the revelation of God’s great and cosmic plan of salvation…

‭Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT‬
[14] “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [15] the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. [16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. [18] And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. [19] May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

When I think about my own past, and the many” good works” I’ve done that were nothing but worthless and empty actions, without love for Jesus, what can I do about them?

I see a mental picture of myself walking barefoot along a sandy road. Someone walks behind with a leafy branch in his hand, obliterating my footsteps as I walk. That’s God’s mercy! He blots out all my failures and doesn’t remember them.

‭1 John 1:7 NLT‬
[7] “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

What can I do to remain constantly, in Jesus’ love?

‭Jude 1:20-21 NLT‬
[20] “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, [21] and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”

ROOTED IN LOVE – 8a

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 3:14-17 NLT‬
[14] “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [15] the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. [16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”

As we read through the Apostle Paul’s letters, we must keep in mind that he was called to reach and teach Gentiles.

Gentiles were pagans, born and raised in the belief systems of worldly paganism with its foolishness, ignorance, and idolatry. What a mission!

The pagan gods Gentiles worshipped were both the product of their ungodly minds and the influence of their wicked spirit rulers. Gentiles were steeped in idolatry, attributing all their human experiences to evil, unpredictable, and capricious powers represented by visible images.

(Paul warns his readers in Corinth against trespassing into pagan territory by knowingly eating meat offered to idols).

(‭1 Corinthians 10:16, 19-20 NLT‬
[16] “When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?…
[19] What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? [20] No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.”)

Gentiles lived in fear of falling foul of their gods’ whims and, consequently, did whatever they could to stay in favour with them. Since their gods represented demon spirits who were the epitome of evil, there was no end to the debauchery and wicked behaviour their worshippers engaged in.

God sent Paul to these people to tell them the truth. Imagine how difficult it must have been for him to tell them about the God and His interventions that were utterly foreign to them! Therefore, Paul’s confidence lay, not in the eloquence of his preaching, but in the power of the message he preached.

‭Romans 1:16 NLT‬
[16] “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.“

‭1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NLT‬
[17]”For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. [18] The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”

Paul’s tidy mind enabled him to explain God’s plans and the execution of them in an orderly way. How important that his readers have as clear an understanding of their faith as possible! Based on the knowledge of what God has done, his readers, in turn, would learn how to respond to God’s grace.

Faith without knowledge is fragile and dangerous. Without an understanding of what and why people believe what they believe, they have no solid foundation upon which to build their confidence in God. They are vulnerable to any “wind of doctrine” that may blow from unscrupulous preachers.

So, God in Christ has made provision, through the gift of people equipped with the knowledge of the truth, to train His people to be who they are, sons of the Most High God.

[11] “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”

Everything Paul has explained in his Ephesian letter so far, is leading to a grand conclusion. Paul knew that the power of the gospel in all its facets lay in the Holy Spirit’s revelation of truth. The Spirit and the Word of God are an inseparable duo, working together in tandem to enlighten His people with life-changing truth. Without the Spirit, the Word is sterile. Without the Word, the Spirit has no ammo with which to dislodge lies. Together, the Spirit and the Word renew minds, and change lives.

‭Ephesians 6:13-17 NLT‬
[13] Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD.

‭Ephesians 6:18 NLT‬
[18] “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Following his detailed explanation of God’s cosmic plan of salvation, including the place Gentiles occupy in His plan, Paul does the only thing left to do. He prays! Paul’s response to this plan so superb that no human mind could ever imagine it into reality, is to call on God’s Spirit to disclose its source and meaning to his readers to give them understanding of the truths he taught them, and empower them to live by who they are.

Why has God done all of this for us? What prompted Him to go to the lengths He did to rescue us from our self-destructive ways and catapult us into untold favour and blessing? Only one thing….His love!

God’s very essence is love. Everything He is, says, and does issues from His love.

“Essence is the basic nature of a thing, and the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is” (Definitions from Oxford Languages).

For us to live loved, to quote Paul Adams of “The Shack” fame, we must know God’s love in both understanding and experience. How can this happen? Only through the Holy Spirit in us, working through the truth we now know, to secure our faith in that love.

We cannot live “rooted in love” until we know what that LOVE has done for us. We cannot know what that love has done for us until the Holy Spirit convinces us of its truth through the Word. The revelation of that Word comes from the apostles God chose to be the channels through whom His truth was written.

‭Ephesians 3:3-5, 8-9 NLT‬
[3]”As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. [4] As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. [5] God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets…
[8] Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. [9] I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.”

Paul’s prayer, then, is an echo of God’s heart and purpose. This is what true prayer is. God has done everything needed to undo the devil’s work and redo His original plan. It will happen in us as and when we add our “Amen!” to what He has done.

We can only participate in the fullness of God’s plan as we live loved in all the dimensions of God’s love. We learn to attribute everything that happens in our lives, good and bad, to the love that is guiding us towards God’s desired end. We trust that love even in our darkest times because we know that He is working for our good.

‭Ephesians 3:19 NLT‬
[19] “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

There is always much more of God’s limitless love than we can ever know or experience here, now. Yet, God’s power administered to us through His Spirit will always show us more… and more… and more… as we are ready to receive it.

And if and when we ever reach this level, we will discover, to our delight, that there’s aways still more… much more!

‭Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT‬
[20] “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. [21] Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

To be continued…