EPHESIANS LESSON 6


     We will begin this lesson in Ephesians 3:13 "Wherefore I desire
that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory."

     We learned in the last lesson, that Paul was called of God to
minister to the Gentiles particularly. Paul had suffered much
tribulation to bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to
these people. Paul does not mention that to get their sympathy,
however. He does not want them to suffer pain, because of the troubles
and trials that he had faced to bring them the gospel. Paul was
explaining to them that they might not be asked to suffer in the same
way, and not to let this trouble them. Paul counted it a pleasure to
suffer for Christ. He received glory for this and felt that his glory
blessed them, as well.

     Ephesians 3:14 "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ,"

     Paul chooses of his own free will to bow to the Father. This is
an humble bowing in reverence to God who has figured out such a
glorious plan of salvation, whereby all mankind can be saved. God will
not force salvation on them, but has provided a way, if they choose to
be saved. This really is a prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus.

     Ephesians 3:15 "Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is
named,"

     God has a name that no one knows but Him for each of us. We are
His sons, so we bear His name to some extent. Just as your earthly
dad's last name is given to His wife and children. In this sense, we
will be named by the Father. Adam named all the animals on the earth
as to their character and the work they would do on the earth. God
gives all in heaven and in earth a new name. This is the name that
will be written on the white stone. The names that we use for God on
this earth are a revealing of whatever He is doing at the time the
name is used. Christians are Christians, because we are followers of
Christ. Whatever our name is, we will be given the name by God.

     Ephesians 3:16 "That he would grant you, according to the riches
of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner
man;"

     Our weakness is in ourself and our strength is in Him. The weak
are made strong by the Spirit within us. II Corinthians 12:9 "And he
said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Galatians
2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me."  Our strength lies in the fact that the Spirit of the Risen
Christ dwells within us. My flesh is weak, but my spirit {turned over
to the Spirit of God} is mighty. God will give this strengthening
power in the inner man to whoever desires it. He will grant our wish
to be filled with the Spirit of God, if we ask for it.

     Ephesians 3:17 "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,"

     John 6:56 "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
dwelleth in me, and I in him."  In this verse, we see that to partake
of Jesus is to partake of life everlasting. We, through simple faith,
receive Jesus as our Saviour.  To be fully turned over in our inner
heart to Jesus, we must not only accept Him as our Saviour, but we
must realize that He is the Resurrection and the Life.  We must allow
the Spirit of the Risen Christ to come and dwell in our heart. We see
that in the following verse. John 14:17 "[Even] the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither
knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be
in you." The greatest love that is in known to man, is the fact that
while we were yet sinners, God sent His Son to save us. The only way
we can show Him that we truly love Him, is to keep His commandments.
John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he
will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto
him, and make our abode with him."  We no longer are under the control
of the flesh and the lust thereof, if Christ has really come to live
within us.  Romans 8:10 "And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead
because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness."
Make Jesus Lord of your life as well as Saviour, and you will be
rooted, and grounded in the kind of love that only God can give. Allow
Christ to love others through you.

     Ephesians 3:18 "May be able to comprehend with all saints what
[is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;"

     We all know, that before we became a Christian or saint, we had
no understanding of the greatness of God. The Spirit of Christ within
us helps us to know the breadth, length, and height.

     Ephesians 3:19 "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

     The love, mentioned in the verse above, is "agape". This is the
God love. This love is an unconditional love. It is not a love
because, but in spite of. This kind of love, loves the unloveable.
This kind of love is what kept Jesus on the cross. He loved us so
much, that He gave His body on the cross that we might live. He shed
His blood in payment for our sin. This kind of love can not be
explained to the carnal man. Man only loves because of something he
hopes to gain from the love, but as I said, this is unconditional
love. The fulness of God that He wanted us to be filled with is the
grace of God. God offers all the gifts of the Spirit to the believer.
He wants us to be filled up completely with His fulness, so that there
will be no room left for worldliness. The great commandment that Jesus
gave to all believers is: Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment."  If we
keep that commandment, then we are full of the Lord. Jesus was all the
fulness of the Godhead bodily. Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all
the fulness of the Godhead bodily." If we are filled with Jesus, then
we are filled with God.

     Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us,"

     Now we see the richness of the grace of God. All that we can ask,
or think, is not enough. The Lord will do far above the greatest
things we can think. Notice, what it is according to. The power that
worketh in us is the Holy Spirit within us. This power is a gift of
God to help us minister {witness} to others. Romans 4:21 "And being
fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to
perform." Hebrews 13:20 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from
the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the
blood of the everlasting covenant,"  Hebrews 13:21 "Make you perfect
in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is
wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory
for ever and ever.  Amen." We can not say enough about the love of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He is the Resurrection and the Life. In
Him we live, and move, and have our being.  I John 4:9 "In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."

     Ephesians 3:21 "Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

     The glory in the church is speaking of the believers in Christ.
He is the everlasting One. The praise for the great plan of eternal
life goes to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The world that they have
provided for the believers in Christ has no end, it is one eternal
day. Amen, means so be it. The praise Paul gave God here is well
deserved. We should spend time in praise to Him, also, for all He has
done for us.

















                        Ephesians 6 Questions


1.  In verse 13, who was Paul suffering tribulations for?
2.  Who was Paul called to minister to particularly?
3.  Paul counted it a __________ to suffer for Christ.
4.  Who did Paul bow his knee to?
5.  Describe the kind of bowing Paul did?
6.  This is really a prayer to the _________ in the name of _______.
7.  Quote Ephesians chapter 3 verse 15.
8.  Why do we bear the name God chooses for us?
9.  Who named all the animals on earth?
10. What did their names reveal?
11. What is the name written on the white stone?
12. What are the names we use for God on this earth?
13. Our weakness is in __________.
14. God strengthens in our _________ ___.
15. Quote 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9.
16. Quote Galations chapter 2 verse 20.
17. My flesh is _______.
18. My spirit {turned over to the Spirit of God} is ________.
19. What must we do to receive the Spirit of God?
20. Christ dwells in your heart by ________.
21. Quote John chapter 6 verse 56.
22. To partake of Jesus is to partake of ________ ___________.
23. Besides accepting Jesus as our Saviour, we must realize He is the
    _____________ and the _____.
24. Why can the world not receive the Spirit of Truth?
25. How can we show Jesus that we truly love Him?
26. Quote Romans chapter 8 verse 10.
27. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the _________,
    and ___________, ___________, and __________.
28. Verse 19 says, what passes knowledge?
29. What is the love mentioned in verse 19?
30. Describe this type of love.
31. How does man's love differ from this love?
32. Quote Mark chapter 12 verse 30.
33. What does verse 20 tell us of the richness of the grace of God?
34. Who is the church?