Ephesians: All of Grace

Ephesians 1:3-10 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  In whom we have redemption though his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."

The blessings of God towards his people are amazing, they are spiritual blessings, and believers receive these spiritual blessings in that they are chosen in Christ from before the created order and they are chosen in Christ to be holy and without blame.  They are chosen in Christ to be sanctified, separation from sin to God, chosen to be made positionally holy and blameless.  God chose you for that before you existed.  We are adopted as his own children, he determined beforehand, he decreed from eternity that we would be adopted as his children, that we would be brought into the household of God and receive an eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus. 

By pure grace, which we have no right to, he has made us accepted in the very holy presence of God.  What blessings.  Anyone that would say "so what" or take these blessings for granted has never understood sin or God's holiness because that God would do those things for sinful wretches is absolutely astonishing.  Not to be amazed at these things that the bible says that God has done is to be an easy believer who sees salvation as a human right.  But the true Christian is saved by grace, undeserved mercy.  By grace, no one is saved as a human right.  The church needs to get away from the idea that humans have any right before God.  No one has rights to those things because salvation is of grace through faith.  Only grace.  It is only after we are adopted into his family that we become his children and the inheritors of eternal blessings from God and even then it is by Jesus Christ.  

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.  

Let Your Women Keep Silence in the Churches

Let your women keep silence in the churches..  here is another admonition of the apostle Paul that has brought about much debate.. I believe that the main reason for this debate is that many women today do not hold to being submissive to men.  Things today are not what they were in the days when Paul wrote these words.  But does this mean that they are not in effect today?  I believe that they are in effect. Even though we have the bible in completed written form, we are still living in bible times, for the Lord Jesus has not yet returned.  It is easy to lose sight of this fact, that we are part of bible times..

Here are the verses in question:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
As always, it is not wise to take a verse out of context, we have to look at the whole chapter, and in this case at the reason why Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in the first place.  In chapter one we learn that Paul told this church that they should "all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, ...that there are contentions among you." (chapter 1:10-11)  So we know that this was a church with problems, just as there are many churches with problems today, and so are these teachings not for today also?

In chapter 3:3 we learn that "ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

This church had some members that were not walking by the Spirit's leading, but, because they were believers, Paul wrote them this letter to teach them the way that things ought to be, that everything be done "decently and in order" (chapter 14:40)

So with this background, this brings us to the verse in question, that of women keeping silence in the church.  What is the appropriate time that Paul tells these women that they are keep silence? The following verse explains it.  (V35) "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."

Colossians 1:14 "...in Whom we have Redemption Through His Blood..."

This morning in our worship service, one of the older gentlemen read Colossians 1:14 thus “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins;”.  Because I use the King James, I noticed right away that this version left out a very important phrase..  in the King James Colossians 1:14 reads thus “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”   So my question is, how can there be redemption without the precious blood of Christ.  I do not know why the translators of his particular version left out the blood, but to me that is a very important thing.  What does the bible say about the blood of Christ?  I do not know how many times “blood” is left out in other versions, but here are some verses on this subject from the King James that I think are very important, and I have a challenge to anyone who reads this..  Compare these verses with your version, and see how many times the precious blood of Christ is left out..  If it is, you have a watered-down version, and a watered-down version brings a watered -down gospel, and a watered-down gospel brings a  watered-down salvation..
Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood”

Romans 3:25 “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

Romans 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Ephesians 2:7 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

Colossians 1:20 “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Hebrews 10:19 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,”

1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”

1 Peter 1:19 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Revelation 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”

Revelation 5:9 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

An Introduction to the Book of Ephesians

The book of Ephesians is a most beautiful book, I know people who have memorized it in its entirety.    This post is the first of many based on notes I have made from sermons on this book by Paul Dowling of Whiteabbey Congregational (Reformed).  I hope that these posts will be a blessing.

Understanding Ephesians, Introduction

Acts 20:17-38

Ephesians 1:1-4 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be  holy and without blame before him in love.:"

Ephesus was the most important city in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey.  In those days Ephesus had a population of over 600,000 people.  It had a harbor in which trade ships traveled.  Ephesus was the commercial center of the whole region, built on major trade routes.  Ephesus also boasted the temple of Diana, which is the Greek god Artemus, the huntress.  This was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.  The amphitheatre could seat 25,000 people with excellent acoustics.  In this city there was a Christian church, a body of believers and the first mention of Paul the apostle visiting the city is in Acts 18. They wanted him to come back again and he said that he would, God willing.

This church was founded or planted by the apostle Paul.  Acts 19:1 "And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus:.."  He came and preached and lived in Ephesus for two years, Acts 19:10 "And this continued by the space of two years.." When he lived there he was their pastor and taught them sound doctrine.  That is why in the book of Ephesians you will not find Paul correcting any faulty doctrine that the Ephesians have because they were well instructed in the word of God.  They were a doctrinally sound church.  They also were saved from paganism, some of them from witchcraft.  When they were saved, they made a clean break with their worldly occultic practices in the past.  Acts 19:18-20 "And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.  Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." When they were saved they burned their magic books to a value of 50,000 pieces of silver.  They burned them because they were converted and the books were evil.  They would not sell them because they did not want to pass on that which was evil, they did not want to make financial profit.  They did not want other people to read it, they wanted other people to be saved.  What is more valuable to you, money or people's souls?  Evil and the promotion of evil must be destroyed to obey the bible.  Some modern professed Christians love money more than souls, but the Ephesians would not do that because they loved Christ so much.  They wouldn't promote anything contrary to Christ.