EPHESIANS LESSON 8
We will begin this lesson in Ephesians 4:15 "But speaking the
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
[even] Christ:"
In the last lesson, we were discussing how we must be grounded in
the Word of God to keep from being carried away by false doctrine.
There never was a time when more false doctrine has been flying around
than now. I believe the nearer we get to the end of the Gentile age
and the coming of Christ, the more the false doctrine will be
widespread. We are warned that there will be false Christs who will
bring all kinds of false doctrine. Mark 13:22 "For false Christs and
false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to
seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect." As we said in the
previous lesson, the only way not to be taken in by all of this is to
study your Bible and know it well. Jesus Christ is the head of the
church. We Christians are the church. We should not believe a lie.
We should be grounded in Truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life. If we are truly in Him and Him in us, we will know and speak the
Truth. Notice, that we are to grow up in our Christian walk. We are
not to stay a babe in Christ.
Ephesians 4:16 "From whom the whole body fitly joined together
and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love."
The church is the body of Christ. We can not all be an arm, some
must be a leg or even a big toe. God has chosen you to fit into the
body at the place you will be of the most use. I like to think of the
church as a great big board that a puzzle will fit into. Each part
plays a vital part. The puzzle will not be complete, until each part
takes its rightful place. This is true of the body of Christ spoken of
here, as well. Until each part of the body takes its rightful place,
you cannot have a completed body. Can you imagine what would happen if
all wanted to be a hand? How could you walk? Just as the physical body
is made up of a variety of parts, so is the body of Christ. God chose
each person to fulfill a unique part of the body that no one else can
fill. You may not be the preacher, but what you do in the church is
just as important. The body, as a whole, is better off when each part
functions properly. We should all love each other very much, since we
are all part of the same body.
Ephesians 4:17 "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord,
that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their mind,"
Gentiles, here, is speaking of Gentiles who have not received
Jesus as their Saviour. Gentiles who have received Jesus as their
Saviour are really the spiritual house of Isreal. Christians {whether
Jew or Gentile} are in this world, but not of this world. We are not
to walk in a worldly fashion. We have given up our worldly mind and
taken on the mind of Christ. Vanity of the mind should not be part of
a Christian.
Ephesians 4:18 "Having the understanding darkened, being
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart:"
Jesus said; seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear.
What He was really saying, is they were hearing words without
understanding what those words meant. God has never been interested in
a person accepting Him as his Saviour because he understood salvation
with his mind. God wants our heart. We were walking through life in
darkness, until the Light of Jesus shone forth in our heart. His Light
does away with all darkness. The mind is an enemy of God, until it is
converted into the mind of Christ. Faith in God does not come by being
able to see something with your physical eyes. Faith is believing in
your heart things you cannot see with your eyes. Look, with me, at the
next Scripture at a very good example of what happens to us when we
encounter the Light of Jesus. II Peter 1:19 "We have also a more sure
word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a
light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day
star arise in your hearts:" We have a brand new heart, stayed upon
God when the blessed Light of Jesus shines in our heart. We are like
Paul when he encountered the Light of the world. We are never the same
when the Light of Jesus Christ shines in us and on us.
Ephesians 4:19 "Who being past feeling have given themselves over
unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness."
People who live in the world are living in darkness. They are
lost. Those, who do not allow the Light of Jesus to transform them,
are walking in darkness. There is no hope for them. They are caught up
in the darkness committing every type of vile sin. These hideous sins,
mentioned here, are exactly what our society is caught up in today. A
sin sick people are caught up in the sins mentioned. They are in
darkness, and are not even aware there is a Light. The only cure for
any of this is to repent of their sin and seek Jesus Christ the Light
of the world. The only thing that does away with darkness is the
Light. The things, here mentioned, are filthy sins. There is no cure
for sin, except the Saviour.
Ephesians 4:20 "But ye have not so learned Christ;"
This, in just a few words, says it all. Christ is the answer, and
they have not learned of Him.
Ephesians 4:21 "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been
taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:"
They may know of Jesus, but they do not know Jesus. To know Jesus
and believe the Truth in Him sets you free from the desire to sin.
Ephesians 4:22 "That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts;"
The flesh of man and the desires thereof is where the problem
arises. That old man of flesh has to be crucified {put to death}, that
the man of the Spirit may live. The Baptist say, you must be born
again, and it is a true statement. John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:6 "That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit." We must bury that old man of flesh and the filthy
lust of the flesh and live in the Spirit, if we are Christ's.
Ephesians 4:23 "And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;"
This is just saying, get rid of that old carnal mind and take on
the mind of Christ. God is a Spirit. The mind of Christ is Spirit. The
mind of Christ that we take on is Spirit. A computer can bring out
only what you program into it. The mind is a giant computer. Erase all
of those bad things in your mind by washing them away in the blood of
Jesus. Reprogram your mind with the things of God. Fill your mind with
the Word of God.
Ephesians 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God
is created in righteousness and true holiness."
When you receive Christ as your Saviour, and are baptized, you
bury that old man in the watery grave, and rise a new creature in
Christ Jesus. You are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and are wearing
His righteousness. He took your sin on His body on the cross, and
clothed you in His righteousness.
Ephesians 4:25 "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man
truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Satan is the Father of lies. To be a liar would indicate that you
belonged to Satan. God is Truth. We would not want to deceive members
of our own body.
Ephesians 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down
upon your wrath:"
Even Jesus got angry, the sin is not in the anger. Do not be
angry without a cause. We must not hold a grudge. We must forgive.
If we were still angry at the end of the day, it would indicate that
we were holding a grudge. We must be quick to forgive. God will not
forgive us, if we do not forgive our fellowman. If we do not quickly
forgive, we will become bitter. Bitterness is a sin.
Ephesians 4:27 "Neither give place to the devil."
This is just saying, do not allow the devil to use you. Do not
give him any room in your life at all. Do not allow him to consume
your thoughts. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Ephesians 4:28 "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let
him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he
may have to give to him that needeth."
It is very disturbing to me to see someone who proclaims
Christianity, who is not honest in his business dealings. Stealing is
a sin. We should have lost the desire to steal, when we buried the old
man of flesh. The new man,. in Christ, has no desire to steal or
commit any sin. The Scripture above says, to get you an honest job and
make a living working, not stealing.
Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your
mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may
minister grace unto the hearers."
Out of the issue of the heart, the mouth speaketh. If evil
communication comes out of your mouth, you have an evil heart. A heart
stayed upon God will say good things that will build up the person you
are speaking to, and not tear them down. Let Jesus wash your heart in
His blood and cleanse you. Christians must speak things that build up
Christ and the one they are speaking to.
Ephesians 4:30 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye
are sealed unto the day of redemption."
We must first figure out what would grieve the Holy Spirit. It
seems to me that to commit sin, after the Holy Spirit has taken up His
abode in you, would be including the Holy Spirit in your sin. I, also,
believe that the Holy Spirit teaches us all Truth. To reject Truth and
believe a lie, then would grieve Him. We know that the Holy Spirit is
the earnest of the Spirit, until the redemption of our body. To turn
loose of the salvation that we received, would be something that would
grieve Him terribly. To turn away from God would be the ultimate thing
to grieve Him.
Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"
All of the above mentioned things are attributes of those who are
still operating in the flesh. We must get the flesh and all of its
bitterness, anger, clamour, and evil speaking under the control of the
Spirit of God.
Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you."
In this, we see the actions of someone who has gotten rid of the
sin of the flesh and is living for God. We might even say, allowed God
to live through him. These things, in verse 32, are signs that follow
those who are dead to the flesh and alive to the spirit. If we expect
God to forgive our trespasses, we must forgive one another. We must
pattern our life after Christ, if we are His followers. He is
tenderhearted, so we must be tenderhearted. Do it for Christ.
Ephesians 8 Questions
1. Who is the head of the church?
2. What helps us not believe a false doctrine?
3. Quote Mark chapter 13 verse 22.
4. Who is the church?
5. What causes us to speak Truth?
6. What does the author compare the church parts to?
7. Just as the physical body is made up of a variety of parts, ------
---------------.
8. What is Gentiles, in verse 17, speaking of?
9. Who are Gentiles who have received Jesus really?
10. Why is vanity of the mind not part of a Christian?
11. What was Jesus meaning, when He said, seeing they do not see?
12. We were walking through life in darkness, until what happened?
13. Quote 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 19.
14. What had the sinner given himself over to in verse 19?
15. What is the only cure for our sin sick society?
16. What is the only thing that does away with darkness?
17. Verse 20, says who is the answer?
18. The Truth is in ________.
19. We must put off the old _____.
20. Quote John chapter 3 verses 5 and 6.
21. Get rid of the old carnal mind, and take on the mind of ________.
22. We bury the old man in the watery grave at baptism and rise a
______ _______ in _______.
23. Who is the father of lies?
24. Be ye angry, and ___ ___.
25. If we do not quickly forgive, we will become _______.
26. Why should no corrupt communication come from our mouth?
27. How are some of the ways the Holy Spirit is grieved?
28. How does a Christian act differently than those of the world?
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