PAUL’S EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS
This letter has so many great truths in it. We are going to spend some time studying it. I trust that as we look at it together, we will learn much.
Whenever you read the Word of God you should always try to see to whom it is addressed. Is it to an individual or to a church? This will help with your understanding and interpretation of it.
The Ephesian letter is to a church. This changes the context of much of what we can first assume.
Whatever the letter is talking about it must be in the context of it having been written to a church. A group of people is to respond to it. They may have things to do personally, but it is still talking to them in relationship with others. Paul speaks of unity, and it is easy to understand how we are all to relate to one another. But when he speaks of spiritual warfare we have often looked at it as if he is speaking to us as individuals. This is not the case. We are to put on the whole armour of God as a group. There are times when we may have to fight the devil by ourselves, but in the vast majority of cases we should be fighting him as an army.
THE MAJOR THEME
Every epistle in the New Testament has one major theme. In Romans it is the story of redemption. In James it is faith and works. In Philippians it is joy.
The major theme of Ephesians is God’s work in and for us, and our response to it.
Chapters 1-3 speak of God’s work on our behalf.
Chapters 4-6 speak of our work for God.
However, there is also a progression of thought that we need to see, for it will help us in our understanding of prayer, praise, worship and spiritual warfare. I believe that the correct following of this progression will aid us in a big way. This progression concerns the main references to the work of the Holy Spirit. There is one in each chapter.
STEP ONE
1:13-14. The Holy Spirit is the “earnest” of our inheritance. This old fashioned word means “downpayment.” He, Himself, is the downpayment who seals us, or makes us safe.
When a thing is sealed we can make some assumptions about it.
1. In the case of a bottle of water we look for a seal. The seal means that the water is pure. There is a guarantee on the contents. There has been no tampering with the contents. The suppliers of the water are saying that it was right when it left the plant. They are also telling you that it should still be o.k. when you buy it.
2. In the case of a document, a seal tells us everything in it is legal and above board. So, the downpayment of the Holy Spirit into our lives establishes that we are pure. The contents are guaranteed. They cannot be tampered with. Also, everything is legally established.
This is what took place at our conversion. Having been instructed to set us apart for God’s business the Holy Spirit did this by sealing us. He was tying us in with God on an eternal basis. Our spirit is now safe by His work in us. No longer could the devil cause us any permanent or eternal damage. God came into us and this meant that we were now the temple of God.
Only when we have accomplished this can we properly move on to the next step.
STEP TWO
2:18 Because of the work which Jesus Christ did at Calvary we can now go into the presence of the Father. And we go into His presence by the person and the power of the Holy Spirit. Nobody can get into God’s presence unless they have taken the first step. That is why God cannot hear the prayers of a Mormon or a Muslim. They have not fulfilled the first step, so they cannot take the second one.
Jesus said, “No man comes to the Father but by me…” (John 14:6) That means in His authority. Only those who have followed step one have this authority. Others cannot get into the presence of God because the blood of Jesus does not avail for them.
The first step says that God comes into our presence. The second step says that we move into God’s presence. Because of this we can do what Paul says in Hebrews, “Let us therefore FIND come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may OBTAIN mercy, and grace to help in time of need.” (4:16)
We can go boldly into the throne room of God because the Holy Spirit is opening up the way for us. He is taking us through the door. He is presenting us to the Father.
STEP THREE
3:5..How does a believer receive revelation? He does so by being in the presence of God. How does he get into the presence of God? By following steps one and two.
Many believers want to receive something special from God. However, because they do not follow the correct order they become muddled. They begin to believe all kinds of nonsense, because they think that God is speaking to them. But they did not move into His presence in the first place.
You do not move into God’s presence by accident. It is a deliberate act of the will on the part of both you and God. Even those who have amazing experiences of God’s presence have usually been available to Him in the first place.
As we move into the presence of God as an individual we can receive our own revelation. However, it is usually as churches that we enter into His presence best of all. We become bold to go into His throne room when we have been participating in praise and worship. It is at that time we become aggressive in our prayers. We can ask for the things we need without any timidity.
When we have been in praise and worship, our first feelings may be of awe and peace. We will then know that God wants us to have many good things, and we will put a demand on the anointing that has come. I like the French word for ask. It is DEMAND. We are to “ask” (Matthew 7:7). In French we are to “demand.”
As a church we receive revelation in a number of ways:- through the preaching and teaching; through the gifts of the Spirit; the words of songs and choruses; God speaking to us individually during times of personal ministry. But we have to go into His presence to receive that revelation.
THE DOORWAY IS JESUS. (John 10:7) It is open. However, it is by prayer, praise and worship that the Holy Spirit takes us though the door.
One of the things most of us want, but do not ask for, is revelation. We just expect it to happen. However, in the same way as we ask for other things we should ask for revelation. As we ask Him for it so He will speak to us. As a by-product of this we will also learn the voice of God within us.
STEP FOUR
4:3 Our response to be able to move into God’s presence is to KEEP the unity of the Spirit. We can only keep something if we already have it. We only have it because without it we could not have gone into God’s presence in the first place.
Unity is paramount in maintaining a good relationship with God. Then, when we have that good relationship we can move forward into greater areas of victory. The problem we face is a misunderstanding of what unity really is.
Many people think of unity as compromise. We have to agree together so let’s find ground where we can agree and do it. Others will try to get to the lowest common denominator so that they do not give offence. Both of these are wrong.
If we try to compromise we will end up looking foolish. Two people who disagree on something may decide to do this. One says, “Two plus two equals six.” The other says, “Two plus two equals eight.” Then they decide to compromise. “Two plus two equals seven.” That is not the way to reach unity.
Then, in church situations, people have the problem of making sure that they are not too extreme.
We must not preach healing. Why? Because some do not get healed.
We must not preach prosperity. Why? Because it puts some into financial bondage.
It is bad to get involved in deliverance. Why? Because some other church did, and they ended up with all kinds of problems.
We don’t want people to fall over when we pray for them. Why? Because a well-known preacher did, and others accused him of pushing them.
If we are not careful we end up preaching an anaemic gospel that can do so little there is no point in surrendering to it.
Unity in the Bible is UNITY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. This means all of us seeking His will and agreeing with what He wants. When we do this we cannot go wrong. As a church we will receive direction from the Lord. As we march forward into His will we shall see successes.
It is interesting that Jesus told us how the world will know that we are His disciples.
It is not because of our praise and worship. Neither is it because of the way we pray.
It is nothing to do with fancy buildings, plain buildings or no buildings; nor the way we dress, the books we read, the Bible version we use.
Jesus never intimated that any of the above was remotely related to evidence that we belong to Him. No. They know we are His people because we love one another. Loving one another means that there is unity. There is tolerance.
However, there should be more than tolerance.
We actually should be celebrating each other.
Because the Holy Spirit has sealed us we can move into God’s presence. It is only in His presence that we can receive revelation.
When we receive His revelation we need to keep the unity of the Spirit so that we can take the next step.
STEP FIVE
5:18-19 When we receive greater revelation our joy becomes full. And the truth you now know sets you free. As a result of this our praise and worship will be more productive.
We are filled with the Spirit as individuals. However, we are also to be filled with the Spirit as churches. This means that we are to invite the Holy Spirit into our meetings so that He can do what He wants to do. The Spirit of the Lord will not play catch-up with us. It is we who should be following Him.
If, as a church, we have followed the first four steps we will be ready for this tremendous move of the Spirit when it happens. Why? It is because we have received a true revelation. Having received it we can then obey. When we obey the Lord is able to do everything He wishes. Then, when He is doing all He wants to do, He will minister to us in a dramatic way.
The Spirit of the Lord will move because He is gracious. However, if we move into the presence of the Lord in the correct way we will experience His movement a lot more. Then, because we have followed the first five steps properly, we will be able to do the next one.
STEP SIX
6:17-18 Only when we become worshippers can we truly become spiritual combatants. Too many are trying to fight the devil without first coming out from the presence of God.
In order to be able to fight the devil we need to relate to God properly. That doesn’t mean that we don’t make mistakes. It means that when we do make a mistake we know how to deal with it. Only those who spend time with God know how to deal with their sins and errors.
By following the progressive steps needed we can be sure that our life is right with God. It means that the Holy Spirit is leading us into God’s throne room and then He will take us onto the battlefield.
Spiritual warfare needs to be done by a church!
There are too many Christians being picked off by the devil. This is simply because they are trying to fight him by themselves. Any Christian who is fighting a lonely battle is in danger.
Jesus sent out His workers two by two. Paul worked in partnership, firstly with Barnabas and then with Silas. Peter worked with John.
This epistle is to the church at Ephesus. It is saying that we need one another’s help to participate in spiritual warfare. We should be doing battle against the devil as a team; you, me and the Lord.
So let’s see the progression needed for us to move into the presence of the Lord and come out from it as a healthy fighting force.
1. Be SEALED by the Holy Spirit. As the downpayment of our inheritance He is enough to get us by. We are separated to God, and made safe. We often talk of what we need, but really the Holy Spirit is the answer to all our needs.
2. We have ACCESS into God’s presence by the Holy Spirit because of the work Jesus did at Calvary. His blood has opened up the door into the very throne room of the Father. It is the Holy Spirit who takes us into His presence. The blood has cleansed us. The Spirit has sealed us. Then He empowers us to go into the presence of the Majesty on high.
3. Once we are in God’s presence we can receive REVELATION. This is both personal and corporate. All of the answers are in the Word of God that is unchanging. The times we need specific words from Him, we need His presence. We can only hear from Him when we are available to Him. He usually speaks to us when we are in a sober frame of mind. It is difficult for us to hear from Him when we are being frivolous.
4. In the presence of the Lord we must endeavour to keep the UNITY of the Spirit. God does not want us to be at odds with one another. Notice we are to keep that unity. Isn’t it interesting that when you are in a large inter-church meeting you have no concern with where everybody else comes from? We become united as we worship God together. Because of this He is able to do many good things. Then after the meeting we begin to find out where everybody comes from. What happens? We end up fighting and squabbling again.
5. When we are in unity we are to be FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT as a group. We call this the corporate anointing. That anointing is firstly to bless God, and then it is to bless ourselves. As we sing and rejoice in God, so He begins to sing and rejoice over us. As He does, so we begin to manifest His power among us. Healings, deliverance and salvation take place because God wants us to be as we should, and our bodies and minds begin to conform to His will.
6. It is only those who have been in the manifest presence of God who can FIGHT the devil successfully. If we remain sick or poor or confused then we will not be able to do the devil any real damage. To win people for Christ when we are spiritually unhealthy may mean that we produce new converts who are also spiritually sick as well.
