The PRODUCT OF GOD's LOVE[In The Aftermath of Mercy]-III—Ephesians 2:1-10
After ‘Dodging a Bullet’
Attention:
God’s people first & foremost consider their spiritual lives & only secondarily consider their own physical lives. They do not stop being servants of Christ when faced with death. Christians spend their entire lives ‘training’ in preparation for such encounters. And as a result, they do not lose their effectiveness by retreating into themselves!
Need:
God’s people wrestle with life & death on a daily basis. And only occasionally are their training & preparation put to the test, such as with Hurricane Michael(Wed. Oct. 10, 2018).
But what is the result of such occasion? What happens in our hearts when faced with life or death decisions?
Do you look at life differently after being spared death? After ‘dodging the bullet’? Does life in Christ take on new meaning as we come face-to-face with physical & spiritual death & loss?
Do our obvious blessings transport us to the place where we become more concerned about living for our Maker’s desire?
The apostle Paul explained that the Ephesian Christians were saved because God loves.
Man’s Salvation is the Product of God’s Love.
OR...
Salvation is available because God loves.
How is salvation the product of God’s love?
Earlier we found that
The Product of God’s Love is...
1. The CURE For DEADNESS(:1)
2. The CURE For A WAYWARD WALK(:2-3)
3—The Product of God’s Love is...
The CURE For SEPARATION(:4-6)
Explanation:(:4-6)
:4—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”
The condition of the Ephesians(& mankind for that matter)(:3) would seem to be eternal & hopeless were it not for “God’s” intervention.
“But God” entered the picture & so their status would change. Their status would change because God is “rich/abundant in mercy.” And that ever-abiding “richness” of God’s mercy is seen/experienced/exemplified due to the guiding presence of His “love.” That “love” was & is directed toward humanity which He Himself intentionally created & blessed(Gen. 1:26-27, 28-29).
God’s “love” is indeed ‘much’(poluv) rather than “great”(megav) per se, because it is manifested constantly & continuously reaches every instance & toward our every flaw, rather than His “love” merely being an ‘able’ love. God’s “love” is indeed ‘able’ but thankfully it is also ever yielding, even when we fail. This adds a nuance that God is ever about the business of calling us to Himself. He forgives & in so doing, gives those He forgives the grace that is revealed or expressed as ‘time’ to reconsider their ways.
2Pet. 3:9—“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
1Tim. 2:4—“who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Lam.[of Jeremiah] 3:1-26—“I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His[God’s] wrath. He has led me & made me walk In darkness & not in light. Surely He has turned His hand against me Time & time again throughout the day. He has aged my flesh & my skin, And broken my bones. He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness & woe. He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago. He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry & shout, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush. He has turned aside my ways & torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate. He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow. He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people-- Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity. And I said, “My strength & my hope Have perished from the LORD.” Remember my affliction & roaming, The wormwood & the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This[what follows] I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope & wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.”
“But”—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, and, etc.. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, and, etc..
“God”(See :8)—yeov—Noun Masc.—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God—3a) Refers to the things of God, 3b) His counsels, interests, things due to him; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way—4a) God's representative or vice-regent—4a1) Of magistrates & judges. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A deity, especially(with o, h, to)--The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very.
“Who”[‘Being In’](See :1, 5)—wn en——wn, feminine--, neuter--on—Present [no voice] Participle—1) Being, etc. Strong—present participle of eimi; Being.—+—en—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).
“Rich”—plousiov—Adj.—1) Wealthy, abounding in material resources; 2) metaph.--Abounding, abundantly supplied—2a) Abounding(rich) in Christian virtues & eternal possessions. Strong—Wealthy; figuratively, abounding with. Used 28X.
“Mercy”—eleov—Noun Neuter—1) Mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable & the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them—1a) Of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one's self merciful, 1b) Of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy & clemency of God in providing & offering to men salvation by Christ, 1c) The mercy of Christ, whereby at his return to judgment he will bless true Christians with eternal life. Both eleov & oiktirmov denote sympathy, fellow-feeling with misery, mercy, compassion. Eleov, manifests itself chiefly in acts rather than words. Oiktirmov is used rather of the inward feeling of compassion which abides in the heart. A criminal might ask for eleov, mercy, from his judge; but hopeless suffering may be the object of oiktirmov--Compassion. Strong—of uncertain affinity; Compassion(human or divine, especially active).
“Because of”—dia—Prep.—1) Through—1a) of place—1a1) With, 1a2) In, 1b) of time—1b1) Throughout, 1b2) During, 1c) of means—1c1) By, 1c2) By the means of; 2) Through—2a) The ground or reason by which something is or is not done—2a1) By reason of, 2a2) On account of, 2a3) Because of for this reason, 2a4) Therefore, 2a5) On this account. Strong—a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; Through(in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional).
“Great”—poluv—Adj.—1) Many, much, large. Strong—singular--Much(in any respect) or plural--Many; neuter(singular) as adverbial--Largely; neuter(plural) as adverb or noun--Often, mostly, largely.
“Love”—agaph—Noun Fem.—1) Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; 2) Love feasts. Strong—Love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially(plural)--A love-feast. J. MacArthur—‘...one of the rarest words in Greek literature, but one of the most common in the New Testament.’
“Loved”—agapaw—Verb—1) of persons—1a) To welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; 2) of things—2a) To be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing. Agapaw concerns embracing especially the judgment & the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty & propriety. Strong—perhaps from agan(much) [or compare bge[To breathe after, i.e. To love(sensually)]]; To love (in a social or moral sense). RWP—“the noble word so common in the Gospels for the highest form of love.”?Not—filew—i.e. To have affection for(denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling).
“Us”(See :6)—hmav—Pronoun, 1st Person Accusative Plural—1) Us, we, our etc. Strong—accusative case plural of egw[I, me]; Us.
:5—“even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ(by grace you have been saved),”
“Even when we were dead” repeats the opening phrase of verse :1—Literally=‘Even we being dead.’ That is, Being in a continual state of deadness—Being separated from God.
“Even when” or “Even” though “we were dead” God’s “great love” compelled Him to “make us alive.” The way God chose for us to be rescued from death is by means of the life of “Christ.” We live as a result of our being “with” Him.
Christ Jesus Himself is “alive”, having been raised from the dead. As a result of His being alive, every person who trusts Jesus is also “made alive together with” Him.
Jn. 1:4-5—“In Him was life, & the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, & the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Without your conscious personal trust in Christ Jesus, you are not joined to God but remain separated from Him!
That which causes us to be “alive” is God’s “grace” because by it we “are saved.” Again, it is only by the effectiveness of God’s grace, activated or wielded thru His love, that our “deadness” is shunned so that life may reign.
So by the sheer ‘muchness’ of God’s love(:3) with which He loves us, His “grace” is offered to “save” us. Thus He brings us to Himself & into His kingdom.
“Even”—kai—
“When/Being”(See :1, 4)—wn, feminine--, neuter--on—Present [no voice] Participle—1) Being, etc. Strong—present participle of eimi; Being.
“Dead”(See :1)—nekrov—Adj.—1) properly—1a) One that has breathed his last, lifeless, 1b) Deceased, departed, one whose soul is in heaven or hell, 1c) Destitute of life, without life, inanimate; 2) metaph.—2a) Spiritually dead—2a1) Destitute of a life that recognizes & is devoted to God, because given up to trespasses & sins, 2a2) Inactive as respects doing right, 2b) Destitute of force or power, inactive, inoperative. Strong—from an apparently primary nekuv(a corpse); Dead(literally or figuratively; also as noun).
“In” [these](See “[The]” below)—toiv——o,—OR—feminine--h, —OR—neuter--to—Definite Article Dative Plural Nominative—1) This, that, these, etc. Strong—The definite article; The(sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom).
“Trespasses/Offenses”(See :1)—paraptwma—Neuter Noun—1) To fall beside or near something; 2) A lapse or deviation from truth & uprightness—2a) A sin, misdeed. Paraptwma is used in different senses, sometimes in a milder sense, denoting an error, a mistake, a fault; & sometimes meaning a trespass, a willful sin. Strong—A side-slip(lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional)Error or (willful)Transgression. Used 23X.?From—parapiptw—To fall aside, i.e. figuratively--To apostatize.—From—para—1) From, of at, by, besides, near. Strong—a primary preposition; properly--Near; i.e. (with genitive case)--From beside(literally or figuratively), (with dative case)--At(or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case)--To the proximity with(local especially)--Beyond or opposed to, or causal--On account of.—&—piptw—1) To descend from a higher/erect place/position to a lower. Strong—a reduplicated & contracted form of petw; (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; To fall(literally or figuratively).
“Made Us Alive Together/Quickened Us Together”(See :1)—suzwopoiew—1Aorist Active(point-in-time w/lasting consequences) Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To make one alive together—1a) of Christians--With Christ. Strong—To reanimate conjointly with(figuratively). Used 2X.?From—sun—1) With. Strong—With or together(but much closer than meta or para), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.—&—zwopoiew—Lit.=‘alive make’—Verb—1) To produce alive; Make alive, give life; To give increase of life; Quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new & greater powers of life; Germinating, springing up, growing. Strong—To (re-)vitalize(literally or figuratively).?From—zwon—A live thing, i.e. An animal.—&—poiew—Strong—apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“[The]”(untranslated--See “In” above)—o,—OR—feminine--h, —OR—neuter--to—Definite Article Dative Plural Nominative—1) This, that, these, etc. Strong—The definite article; The(sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom).
“Christ”(See :6, 7, 10)—Cristov—Adj.—Christ = “Anointed”—1) Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God; 2) Anointed. Strong—Anointed, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.?From—criw—probably akin to craomai[to furnish what is needed; (give an oracle, “graze”[touch slightly], light upon, etc.), i.e. (by implication--To employ, or by extension--To act towards one in a given manner] through the idea of contact; To smear or rub with oil, i.e. by implication--To consecrate to an office or religious service.
“By”——
“Grace”(See :7, 8)—cariv—Noun Fem. Dative Sing. Fem.—1) Grace—1a) That which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech; 2) Good will, loving-kindness, favor—2a) Of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, & kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues; 3) What is due to grace—3a) The spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace, 3b) The token or proof of grace, benefit—3b1) A gift of grace, 3b2) Benefit, bounty; 4) Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—Graciousness(as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, & its reflection in the life; including gratitude).
“Saved”(See :8)—swzw—Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To save, keep safe & sound, to rescue from danger or destruction—1a) one(from injury or peril)—1a1) To save a suffering one(from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health—1b1) To preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue, 1b) To save in the technical biblical sense—1b1) negatively—1b1a) To deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment, 1b1b) To save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance. Strong—from a primary swv(contraction for obsolete saov"safe"); To save, i.e. Deliver or protect (literally or figuratively).
:6—“& raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”
Having been made alive together with Christ by grace(:5), we are not merely left to live that life to ourselves, but rather we are simultaneously & irresistibly “raised up together” “in Christ Jesus.”
1Cor. 6:19, 20—“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, & you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body & in your spirit, which are God’s.”
The life that is manifested in us thru Christ has vastly more consequence than mere finite life on earth. The life of the saved(God’s people) takes on a ‘godly’ eternal nature.
Thus having been raised up together “in Christ” Jesus, believers are also intentionally & irresistibly “made to sit together” with Him. “In Christ” they are destined/determined for the heavenlies—the heavenly realm/places— in which &/or wherein they will abide eternally.
God accomplished all things in the past thru Christ, with the intention that something specific might happen in the ages to come(cf.-:7)...
“And”—kai—
“Raised Us Up Together”—sunegeirw—1Aorist Active(point-in-time w/lasting consequences) Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To raise together, to cause to raise together; 2) To raise up together from mortal death to a new & blessed life dedicated to God. Strong—To rouse(from death) in company with, i.e. figuratively--To revivify(spiritually) in resemblance to. Used 3X. Eph. 2:6, Col. 3:1?From—sun—1) With. Strong—With or together(but much closer than meta or para), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.—&—egeirw—1) To arouse, cause to rise; to awake, to recall the dead to life, To raise up, produce, cause to appear; To raise up, stir up, against one, To raise up i.e. Cause to be born, To raise up, construct, erect buildings. Strong—To waken i.e. Rouse(literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence).
“Made...Sit Together”—sugkayizw—1Aorist Active(point-in-time w/lasting consequences) Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To cause to sit down together, place together; 2) To sit down together. Strong—To give(or take) a seat in company with. Used 2X--Eph. 2:6 & Lk. 22:55.?From—sun—1) With. Strong—With or together(but much closer than meta or para), i.e. By association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.—&—kayizw—1) To make to sit down—1a) To set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one; 2) To sit down, To have fixed one's abode, 2b2) To sojourn, to settle, settle down. Strong—another (active)form for kayezomai[To sit down]; To seat down, i.e. Set(figuratively,--Appoint); intransitively--To sit(down); figuratively--To settle(hover, dwell).
“In”2X—en—
“Heavenly places/The Heavenlies”—epouraniov—Adj.—1) Existing in heaven—1a) Things that take place in heaven, 1b) The heavenly regions—1b1) Heaven itself, the abode of God & angels, 1b2) The lower heavens, of the stars, 1b3) The heavens, of the clouds, 1c) The heavenly temple or sanctuary; 2) Of heavenly origin or nature. Strong—Above the sky. Used 12X.?From—epi—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; 2) of position--On, at, by, over, against; 3) To, over, on, at, across, against. Strong—properly, meaning superimposition(of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.—&—ouranov—Noun Masc.—1) The vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it; 2) The region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal & consummately perfect where God dwells & other heavenly beings. Strong—The sky; by extension--Heaven(as the abode of God); by implication--Happiness, power, eternity.
“Christ”(See :5, 7, 10)—Cristov—Adj.—Christ = “Anointed”—1) Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God; 2) Anointed. Strong—Anointed, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.?From—criw—probably akin to craomai[to furnish what is needed; (give an oracle, “graze”[touch slightly], light upon, etc.), i.e. (by implication--To employ, or by extension--To act towards one in a given manner] through the idea of contact; To smear or rub with oil, i.e. by implication--To consecrate to an office or religious service.
“Jesus”(See :7, 10)—Ihsouv—Noun Proper Masc.—Jesus = “Jehovah is salvation”—of Hebrew origin [ewvwhy Yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; or evwhy Yeh-ho-shoo'-ah]; Jesus(i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord & two(three) other Israelites.
Argumentation:
Isa. 59:1-2—“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
The undermining/ineffectiveness/subduction/overcoming of sin makes us whole/entire/complete
Rom. 5:1, 2—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
2Tim. 2:10-13—“Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”
Col. 2:9-14—“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; & you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality & power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses & the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Col. 3:12-17—“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; & be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching & admonishing one another in psalms & hymns & spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Rev. 3:20—“Behold, I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & dine with him, & he with Me.”
Rev. 21:1-3—“Now I saw a new heaven & a new earth, for the first heaven & the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, & He will dwell with them, & they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them & be their God.”
Rev. 21:6-8—“And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, & I will be his God & he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, & all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire & brimstone, which is the second death.”
Heb. 2:11-13—“For both He who sanctifies & those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I & the children whom God has given Me.”
1Thess. 5:9-10—“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
Php. 4:6, 7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
Isa. 1:15-20—“When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. Come now, & let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing & obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse & rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Eph. 1:7-10—“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom & prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven & which are on earth--in Him.”
Jn. 3:14-21—““And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””
Illustration:
The Choluteca River which bisects Tegucigalpa, Honduras(Central America) was a major barrier to growth. Some years ago, the country’s/state’s(?) ‘DOT’(?) finally decided to put some money into producing a more permanent bridge. They hired some top-notch Japanese engineers to build the bridge, & the bridge, became known as the Bridge of Rising Sun. It was built by Hazama Ando Corporation between 1996 to 1998 & became the largest bridge constructed by a Japanese company in Latin America. Today, the Choluteca Bridge is still standing & fully able to support traffic as intended. However there is one little snag...The Choluteca River’s course changed so dramatically during Hurricane Mitch(1998—the bridge survived while 150 others were destroyed) that the bridge is now standing entirely above dry ground with no connection to land on either end! About 300ft. of the road connecting at either end of the bridge, was completely washed away leaving no visible trace of their prior existence. The expensive permanent bridge now arises nowhere, leads nowhere & bridges nothing. A new channel for the river was formed which is now beyond the bridge’s reach on one end.
We can be convinced of our usefulness in the world, yet accomplish nothing of significance in, thru, & by the Kingdom of God!
However, as sold out saints of God, we can be so given to the Kingdom of God that thru us He accomplishes everything of significant usefulness in the world!
We/You/I need ‘the’ bridge that weathers ALL storms...Jesus!
Prisoners—They are wisely separated from society as a whole, because they selfishly have violated societal & cultural norms/Ironically as a result, they do only what others tell them to do(officers/guards/legal system)/Likewise, those who do NOT selfishly violate Christian-based civilities have discovered what it takes to remain free!/The CURE For SEPARATION
Application:
?You living with The CURE For SEPARATION?...or are you just treating symptoms?
?Are you experiencing the Product of God’s Love?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
The Product of God’s Love is...
3. The CURE For SEPARATION(:4-6)
1. The CURE For DEADNESS(:1)
2. The CURE For A WAYWARD WALK(:2-3)
Presented 11/04/2018am to:
FBCCbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
