Ephesians: My Wealth, Walk, And Warfare: Lesson 5

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Walking in two worlds. In the Upper Room discourse, Jesus promised, “Ye in Me, and I in you” (John 14:20).

2. “I in you.” Happens when we ask Christ to come into our life. “But as many as received (Christ) Him . . . become the children of God” (John 1:12).

3. “Ye in Me” happens in Jesus’ death and resurrection. “Buried with Him in baptism . . . risen with Him” (Col. 2:12). “Seated together with Him . . . show the exceeding riches of His grace” (Eph. 2:6-7).

4. Just as a door has two sides, there are two sides to salvation.

a. One side is our actions.

b. Second is God’s action.

c. Both sides open simultaneously.

B. THE EXPERIENTIAL SIDE, “I IN YOU”

1. What happens when you become a Christian?

a. Intellectual. We know or understand the gospel. “The world knew Him (Christ) not” (John 1:10).

(1) Know the propositional gospel, i.e., His death, burial, and resurrection.

(2) Know the personal gospel, i.e., the person of Jesus.

b. Emotional/feeling. We are convicted or feel guilty of our sin. “And when He (the Holy Spirit) is come, He will convict the world of sin” (John 16:8).

(1) Position, rejoice your sins are forgiven.

(2) Negative, suffer under condemnation.

c. Will or choice. We decide to receive Jesus as Savior. “You have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine” (Rom. 6:17).

What is Conversion Called?

1. Repent from sin, i.e., “I am sorry.”

2. Ask God to take you to Heaven – with Him.

3. God be merciful to me a sinner.

4. Make me your child.

5. Give me eternal life.

6. Christ, come into my heart.

2. What happens to me when I am saved?

a. I get eternal life.

b. I am made a part of God’s family.

c. I get a new nature, i.e., God’s nature.

d. Blindness is removed and I understand the spiritual.

3. What is my challenge?

a. I still have a sin nature, I Tim. 1:15; Rom 7.

b. I must conquer the world, the flesh and the devil.

c. I live in a body that is getting older, limited and tires.

d. I can be victorious in Christ. “Thanks be unto God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:57).

e. I can live for Christ and grow in Christ (I Peter 2:2, Col. 2:6).

C. THE NON-EXPERIENTIAL SIDE, “YE IN ME”

1. We are placed into Jesus Christ “In the heavenlies” (Eph. 1:3, 20; 3:10; 6:12).

2. We are justified because step one: “Jesus died to forgive our sins, and satisfy the penalty of law against us” (Rom. 4:7). That only made us without sin. Step two, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is added to our account. That made us perfect in Jesus Christ.

3. Then you are JUST-AS-IF-I’D-NEVER-SINNED!

4. There was a double transference. “God made Jesus to be sin for us, even though Jesus never knew sin, so that we might be made as perfect as Jesus in heaven” (II Cor. 5:21, ELT).

D. LIVING IN TWO WORLDS

1. New standing,

2. Perfect,

3. Justification,

4. Secure,

5. In Christ

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The Heavenlies

On Earth

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1. Old self,

2. Tempted,

3. Born again,

4. Defeated,

5. In the flesh

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.

For more information on the TRBC Pastor’s Bible Class, log on to the Internet for TRBC Home page at www.trbc.org/pbc.