What has become of the days of Charles Finney, Smith Wigglesworth, and Jonathan Edwards? Where are the days of the Welsh Revival, the Great Awakening, the Azusa Street Revival? Why do we have history but no present day application in the Pacific Northwest? Am I the only one asking these kinds of questions?
It is amazing how we lose the insight we have gained, how the God given power and authority given to us so quickly slips through our hands and instead of dissatisfaction, there seems to be a sigh of relief as if we are freed from a burden when in truth we burden ourselves by the lack of desire to go deeper into the truth of God. Empty and empting churches stand as a reminder of the spiritual climate which has ebbed away from the life of Christianity.
It seems larger and larger numbers of people are going through the motions of faith with disregard for the use of their time and energies in moving forward in Kingdom growth. But there is a remnant of people who are desiring something more meaningful, something more personal, something more supernatural. To this end, I want us to dedicate our time together each week in the evenings as such a time to reach out and reconnect with what we have allowed to slip away.
If we want to get back into the position of authority we need to get back to the principles of that authority and rediscover what God can and will do with people who are willing to set themselves aside for His greater purpose, and to connect with others of like mind and encourage them to dedicate themselves to become part of this 21st century journey.
I want to say at the onset, we have an authority available through God, and God is no respecter of persons, He gives liberally to all who will seek Him. God wants you to move into His authority.
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians becomes the foundation for our teaching. In this book we can rediscover our authority in Christ. We will start from the first chapter and glean our way to the sixth, recapturing what has been lost, applying truths that will lead us to a greater level of understanding in Christ, in ourselves, and in God’s unfolding plan for mankind.
As we read through these pages of God’s Word, I will be highlighting areas of understanding, and providing background to areas of significance.
Lets get into the word and moving forward into our journey.
Chapter 1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Paul praises God and then points out we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. James said, Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). God is the source of our blessing, and in Christ, our blessing is complete. The Greek word used here for spiritual pneumatikos, is always used in relation to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Far too many Christians take too much time asking God to give them something He has already bestowed. God is not looking to do something for us tomorrow, He wants to work in and through us today. God’s blessing is not a promise for another time, it is a blessing already possessed by believers right now. In Philippians 1:19, we have what Paul calls, the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, it is not a matter of receiving more, because there is no more to give, it has already been given, what we need to do is do something with what we have already got.
We are later going to see how we have been raised up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.
How many feel inadequate in their spiritual blessings? It is because we have failed to understand our authority given in the Word, and exercise our options as we walk out our life.
Paul said our blessings are in the heavenly places which includes more than just heaven. You do not have to die to function with what you already possess. The heavenly places encompass the entire supernatural realm of God, His complete domain, to the full extent of His divine operation.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a duel existence. While we are here on earth, we have a citizenship on earth but we also have a far greater citizenship in heaven, Philippians 3:20 says, For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is our Lord and King, that is why we pursue Christ with all our heart soul and mind. This world is passing away but heaven will never pass. This world will be remolded but heaven will not. Why people lay up treasures here on earth where they will pass away one day instead of in the realm of heaven is hard to comprehend. To a degree I think we are all guilty from time to time.
We are told in Matthew 6:17-19 "Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. 20Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. 21Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.
God blesses us here on earth, with all spiritual blessings, not so we can contain them for ourselves, but so we can invest them in the Kingdom. Continually throughout the Bible the lesson is taught not to horde but to share. Yet it seems, with this duel-citizenship we possess, far too many are planted on this side of heaven not the other and we miss opportunity of blessing, we miss opportunities to exercise our spiritual authority in Christ because we have failed to understand all that is ours and for what purpose it has been given.
Paul points out God chose us before the foundation of the earth. Because God is all knowing, and because God sees the end from the beginning, He has the knowledge of those who will live their life for Him. When judgment day comes, it will not be a surprise to God who makes it and who doesn’t. We might be surprised, but God will not be because He knows now what we will one day have revealed.
We get hung up on the word predestined and we get into arguments only God knows the answer to. Calvinism vs. Armenians, the doctrine of once-saved always saved, vs. the question can a Christian lose his or her salvation. Both sides of the issue can support their supposition but is that the main thing?
The Bible says in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. It is not my job to determine if this person was predestined for salvation, it is my position to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible as I travel through this life. It is my place to live a life that stands as holy and blameless before God. In doing so, others are watching to see the legitimacy of my claim to be living for Christ.
In 2 Timothy 2:4-5, Paul tells Timothy, as well as you and I 4 as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5Follow the Lord’s rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. He also said in 1 Corinthians 9:26, 27 26So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
If you are disqualified, what authority do you have? None. Paul said I have to keep at it so I am not disqualified in the process. He told Timothy not to get caught up in the things of this world if you are in the army of God, but do the work of the Lord and follow His rules, then you will enjoy the fruit of your labor just as the farmer.
Paul points out in Ephesians God did all this for us because of love. 5Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) 6He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. 7Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people--free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! 8He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, (1:5-8 NLT)
What has become of the days of Charles Finney, Smith Wigglesworth, and Jonathan Edwards? Where are the days of the Welsh Revival, the Great Awakening, the Azusa Street Revival? Why do we have history but no present day application in the Pacific Northwest? When we found ourselves beyond the teaching of Christ, when we thought we could live outside the boundaries of Scripture, when we thought God owed us instead of understanding His love for us, we brought an end to His blessing in our life, in our nation, in our world.
Before we can move on to the greater things of God, we need to reconnect to God. Vs. 8 said 8He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need. God knows us, our strengths, our weaknesses and everything in-between. And He sent His Holy Spirit to help us.
Next week I want to continue looking at this first chapter of Ephesians, the mystery of His will made known to us as Christians. Before we go on our journey, I want to provide an opportunity for prayer, for the Holy Spirit to bring revelation of the truth we have discussed today and to ask the Holy Spirit to help us apply God’s truth in our lives.
PRAYER
