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Ephesians 3:7-13 ESV
1. Of what gospel was Paul made a minister?
2. According to what power or gifting was he made a minister?
3. What is the “plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God”?
4. What is the “manifold wisdom of God” the church is to display?
5. What is the “eternal purpose” God “realized in Christ Jesus”?
Well, if we go back to Ephesians 1 we read that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” And we read “having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” And then in chapter 2 we read how we who truly believe in Jesus are those who used to (past tense) walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, following the course of this world, following Satan, living in the sinful passions of our flesh.
And continuing in chapter 2 we read that we are saved by God’s grace, through faith, which is not of our own doing, but it is God’s gift to us – both his grace and the faith to believe in him. And we read that our salvation is not a result of our own fleshly works which we decide we will do for God. However, it also says that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk (in conduct, in practice) in them (Ephesians 2:8-10; cf. Titus 2:14).
And then if you move on to Ephesians 4 you read that, as those who believe in Jesus Christ, we are not to live like the ungodly do, in the futility of their minds. We are not to have hardness of heart in relation to our Lord’s commands and his will and purpose for our lives. So we are not to give ourselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. For the truth that is in Christ Jesus teaches us to put off our former manner of life which is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (see Ephesians 4:17-32).
And then if you read chapter 5 you will see there that is says that sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking and idolatry are to have no part in the life of the church and that those who practice such things have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. So we are not to let anyone deceive us with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. And who are they? They are all who choose to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin and who refuse to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.
And then read the book of Romans, especially Romans 6, for there it spells it out for us that the whole purpose of Jesus dying for us on that cross, and the whole purpose of him gifting us with his grace and our faith and our salvation from sin is so that we are crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin so that we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to obey sin, for if we do, it will lead to death, not to life.
So, the gospel that Paul taught was the same gospel that Jesus taught, and he said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, and die to sin daily, and follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life in him. For he also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one DOING God’s will (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And all this comes from God and did not come from the flesh of man. Paul operated in the power of God’s Holy Spirit in bringing us the truth of the gospel and in teaching us the will of God for our lives. And the wisdom and purpose of God in creating us is that we would forsake our sins and follow him in obedience and live for him in living holy and righteous and godly lives, pleasing to him. And he made it very clear that if this is not what we do that we will not have eternal life with God. This is not saying that we will be perfect people, but that sin should no longer be what we practice.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”
1. Of what gospel was Paul made a minister?
2. According to what power or gifting was he made a minister?
3. What is the “plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God”?
4. What is the “manifold wisdom of God” the church is to display?
5. What is the “eternal purpose” God “realized in Christ Jesus”?
Well, if we go back to Ephesians 1 we read that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” And we read “having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” And then in chapter 2 we read how we who truly believe in Jesus are those who used to (past tense) walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin, following the course of this world, following Satan, living in the sinful passions of our flesh.
And continuing in chapter 2 we read that we are saved by God’s grace, through faith, which is not of our own doing, but it is God’s gift to us – both his grace and the faith to believe in him. And we read that our salvation is not a result of our own fleshly works which we decide we will do for God. However, it also says that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk (in conduct, in practice) in them (Ephesians 2:8-10; cf. Titus 2:14).
And then if you move on to Ephesians 4 you read that, as those who believe in Jesus Christ, we are not to live like the ungodly do, in the futility of their minds. We are not to have hardness of heart in relation to our Lord’s commands and his will and purpose for our lives. So we are not to give ourselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. For the truth that is in Christ Jesus teaches us to put off our former manner of life which is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (see Ephesians 4:17-32).
And then if you read chapter 5 you will see there that is says that sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking and idolatry are to have no part in the life of the church and that those who practice such things have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. So we are not to let anyone deceive us with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. And who are they? They are all who choose to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin and who refuse to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.
And then read the book of Romans, especially Romans 6, for there it spells it out for us that the whole purpose of Jesus dying for us on that cross, and the whole purpose of him gifting us with his grace and our faith and our salvation from sin is so that we are crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin so that we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to obey sin, for if we do, it will lead to death, not to life.
So, the gospel that Paul taught was the same gospel that Jesus taught, and he said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, and die to sin daily, and follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life in him. For he also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one DOING God’s will (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
And all this comes from God and did not come from the flesh of man. Paul operated in the power of God’s Holy Spirit in bringing us the truth of the gospel and in teaching us the will of God for our lives. And the wisdom and purpose of God in creating us is that we would forsake our sins and follow him in obedience and live for him in living holy and righteous and godly lives, pleasing to him. And he made it very clear that if this is not what we do that we will not have eternal life with God. This is not saying that we will be perfect people, but that sin should no longer be what we practice.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
