Tonight JP gave a quick overview of Ephesians 1:3 through 1:13. As you can tell it is going to take a lot more time to go over these verses than the time we had tonight. This section of scripture, as JP taught tonight, deals with our union with Christ, and the spiritual blessings we have in our union with Christ. The five spiritual blessings we talked about were:
1. Election
2. Repentance & Forgiveness
3. Enlightenment/Illumination
4. Inheritance
5. The Holy Spirit
JP focused much of the lesson on Election and predestination. Election and predestination are subjects which are bound to raise some questions. Election is the idea that God has chosen for himself, before the creation of the world in eternity past based upon nothing of our doing, but based solely on His good grace and his perfect righteousness, a people to be his adopted sons and daughters. More simply put: God chose who would and would not be saved, before He even created the world. I’m not going to go much deeper than that right now, but in the future I do plan to do a blog entry which will deal with this subject more thoroughly.
The goal of this blog entry is to spark some conversation about the things we talked about tonight, whether it be our union with Christ, Election/Predestination, or any of the other spiritual blessings that we have due to our union with Christ. This conversation is not limited to people who go to Pike Creek, but to anyone who reads this blog. Please do not hesitate to post questions or comments concerning these subjects. My prayer is that God will use these conversations to bring glory to himself.
We will also be having a panel discussion (in Youth Group) on Sunday, December 2nd, where you guys can ask questions you have about this passage of scripture, so really look at this passage and think through it. The following weeks we will go through these verses more thoroughly in our small groups. We will look at the roles each person of the Godhead plays in salvation and the implications of it. We will look at the Father predestining us for salvation, Jesus making it possible for us to be saved, and the Holy Spirit sealing us for the day salvation. We will also be looking at our union with Christ more thoroughly.
With all that said, let’s dig in to God’s Word and pray that He would be gracious to open our eyes to the beauty of himself and the perfection of His plan for creation. To God alone be the Glory!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Ephesians 1:1 and 1:2
This blog will hopefully be the beginning of a full study of the book of Ephesians. I hope that God will work through this study for the purpose of the salvation of some, sanctification of others, and ultimately the Glory of God.
Ephesians 1:1 - "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
This letter starts off as all of Paul's epistles do with him saying who he is. Almost all of the letters that Paul writes declare his apostleship in the opening greeting. Out of the 13 letters that Paul wrote the only ones to not include his declaration to be an apostle are the letters to the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Philemon. Paul's declaration to be an apostle was an astonishing one, due to the fact that to be an apostle you needed:
1. To see Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 9:1)
2. Be commissioned by Christ himself (Galatians 1:1)
3. Be commissioned with the message of the Christian Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16, Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 5)
Paul was not a disciple of Jesus during Jesus' earthly ministry, and had never seen Christ before Christ's ascension. So for Paul to be an apostle something supernatural needed to occur, which did in Acts 9 when Paul was converted on the road to Damascus when Christ appeared to him and later commissioned him to be the apostle to the gentiles (Acts 9:15, Acts 22:17-21, Romans 15:14-21).
Paul received a lot of flack during his ministry for calling himself an apostle. False teachers would argue against his apostleship as to discredit his message. Throughout the epistles you will see Paul's continued defense of his claim to be an apostle. The Disciples of Christ even struggled with Paul's claim, but finally did acknowledge Paul's apostleship (Galatians 2:1-9).
Paul, as stated above, was not just a self-proclaimed apostle but was one by the will of God. It was God's perfect will, as seen in Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, that Paul be an apostle to the Gentiles, so that Jews and Gentile both could be saved through the glorious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, by means of the gospel.
Thus Paul, because of the continued opposition to his apostleship, made it clear in his greetings that he truly was an apostle, who was not self-proclaimed, but directed by Christ himself to proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, so that, as it pleased God, men would come to a saving knowledge of Him. In Paul's statement to be an apostle it also showed his authority, by God's grace, in what he said and directed them to do.
"...to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:"
This portion of the letter directs attention to who the recipients are:
1. Saints (in Ephesus)
2. Faithful in Christ Jesus (in Ephesus)
So, this letter is directed to those who are believers. This letter is not directed to those who are not believers. Saints means set apart ones, or consecrated ones. This term in the Old Testament was used for Jews and angels. The Jews were God's set apart people of the Old Testament, so for Paul to speak of Gentiles and Jews, together as saints was a huge shift in thinking for Jewish people. Ephesians deals a lot with Gentiles being included in the promises of God. The term Faithful in Christ implies that the believers were continually believing and acting out the gospel. This term shows that the believers did not just say a prayer and now held the label "Saints" but that they were labeled "Saints" because of their continued faithfulness to the Gospel. John Calvin said this:
“No man is…a believer who is not also a saint; and, on the other hand, no man is a saint who is not a believer.”
Another thing to note here is that some of the earliest Greek manuscripts do not include "in Ephesus" but would rather read "to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus." This signifying that this letter was probably not just for the Ephesian church, but was a circular letter for the churches in Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was part of.
Ephesians 1:2 - "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
This is a common greeting from Paul. This greeting is never directed toward unbelievers, but strictly to believers. Believers are the only ones to whom God's saving grace is granted, and believers are the only ones who are not enemies of God, but who are now at peace with God and are adopted sons of God (Ephesian 2:1-9, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:1-11).
This Grace and Peace comes from God through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only possible means by which man can come to God and not be crushed. Jesus is the perfect and only mediator between God and man. Christ through his perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection, has now made it possible for man to come to God. We all deserve the perfectly just wrath of God, but if we are declared right by God's gracious gift of Christ's perfection, through faith in Jesus Christ, then we no longer receive our due penalty, but now receive the glorious reward of spending eternity with our creator and finally being satisfied by him who is the only satisfier of man's soul, namely Jesus Christ.
“This is what we have to offer to others—a brand-new greeting from another world: Grace and peace.” -Kent Hughes
Ephesians 1:1 - "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God..."
This letter starts off as all of Paul's epistles do with him saying who he is. Almost all of the letters that Paul writes declare his apostleship in the opening greeting. Out of the 13 letters that Paul wrote the only ones to not include his declaration to be an apostle are the letters to the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Philemon. Paul's declaration to be an apostle was an astonishing one, due to the fact that to be an apostle you needed:
1. To see Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 9:1)
2. Be commissioned by Christ himself (Galatians 1:1)
3. Be commissioned with the message of the Christian Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16, Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 5)
Paul was not a disciple of Jesus during Jesus' earthly ministry, and had never seen Christ before Christ's ascension. So for Paul to be an apostle something supernatural needed to occur, which did in Acts 9 when Paul was converted on the road to Damascus when Christ appeared to him and later commissioned him to be the apostle to the gentiles (Acts 9:15, Acts 22:17-21, Romans 15:14-21).
Paul received a lot of flack during his ministry for calling himself an apostle. False teachers would argue against his apostleship as to discredit his message. Throughout the epistles you will see Paul's continued defense of his claim to be an apostle. The Disciples of Christ even struggled with Paul's claim, but finally did acknowledge Paul's apostleship (Galatians 2:1-9).
Paul, as stated above, was not just a self-proclaimed apostle but was one by the will of God. It was God's perfect will, as seen in Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, that Paul be an apostle to the Gentiles, so that Jews and Gentile both could be saved through the glorious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, by means of the gospel.
Thus Paul, because of the continued opposition to his apostleship, made it clear in his greetings that he truly was an apostle, who was not self-proclaimed, but directed by Christ himself to proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, so that, as it pleased God, men would come to a saving knowledge of Him. In Paul's statement to be an apostle it also showed his authority, by God's grace, in what he said and directed them to do.
"...to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:"
This portion of the letter directs attention to who the recipients are:
1. Saints (in Ephesus)
2. Faithful in Christ Jesus (in Ephesus)
So, this letter is directed to those who are believers. This letter is not directed to those who are not believers. Saints means set apart ones, or consecrated ones. This term in the Old Testament was used for Jews and angels. The Jews were God's set apart people of the Old Testament, so for Paul to speak of Gentiles and Jews, together as saints was a huge shift in thinking for Jewish people. Ephesians deals a lot with Gentiles being included in the promises of God. The term Faithful in Christ implies that the believers were continually believing and acting out the gospel. This term shows that the believers did not just say a prayer and now held the label "Saints" but that they were labeled "Saints" because of their continued faithfulness to the Gospel. John Calvin said this:
“No man is…a believer who is not also a saint; and, on the other hand, no man is a saint who is not a believer.”
Another thing to note here is that some of the earliest Greek manuscripts do not include "in Ephesus" but would rather read "to the saints who are also faithful in Christ Jesus." This signifying that this letter was probably not just for the Ephesian church, but was a circular letter for the churches in Asia Minor, of which Ephesus was part of.
Ephesians 1:2 - "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
This is a common greeting from Paul. This greeting is never directed toward unbelievers, but strictly to believers. Believers are the only ones to whom God's saving grace is granted, and believers are the only ones who are not enemies of God, but who are now at peace with God and are adopted sons of God (Ephesian 2:1-9, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:1-11).
This Grace and Peace comes from God through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only possible means by which man can come to God and not be crushed. Jesus is the perfect and only mediator between God and man. Christ through his perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection, has now made it possible for man to come to God. We all deserve the perfectly just wrath of God, but if we are declared right by God's gracious gift of Christ's perfection, through faith in Jesus Christ, then we no longer receive our due penalty, but now receive the glorious reward of spending eternity with our creator and finally being satisfied by him who is the only satisfier of man's soul, namely Jesus Christ.
“This is what we have to offer to others—a brand-new greeting from another world: Grace and peace.” -Kent Hughes
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
First Blog & Phanatik's Release Party
This is my first blog and what I would like to do is explain the purpose of this blog and what you can look forward to seeing. The purpose of this blog is THE GLORY OF GOD. The whole purpose of our existence is to glorify the creator (1 Corinthians 10:31). As I choose topics to write about, what I want you to see is the depravity of man, man’s inability to please God on his own, man’s need for a savior, and that savior being Jesus Christ. I want the beauty of Jesus to be that which shines forth most in all that is said. I want the beauty of the trinity to be seen. I want the Bible to be the lens through which the world is seen. I want the gospel to shine forth so that God may use this to draw men to himself if he so chooses. There are infinite reasons for which I hope that this blog will be used for. I say infinite because God in his sovereignty has ordained that this blog exist, and his ways are beyond my comprehension, and his purposes are greater than mine (in quantity and quality). So, I pray that God be glorified and that His will be done, through this blogging effort.
What you should look forward to in this blog are the following:
Excerpts from my personal Bible study.
Excerpts from my youth group Bible study.
Current Events looked at from a Biblical perspective
Album Reviews (Both Secular and Christian)
Movie Reviews
Book Reviews
Upcoming Events
Random Thoughts
Etc., Etc., Etc….
Basically, I’m going to talk about whatever is on my mind, or that which I find (as God leads) relevant to today’s culture.
I will be trying to have guest bloggers on here as well to help with accomplishing the purpose of this blog.
Please feel free to leave comments. I hope to spark conversations that will lead to a better understanding of God’s Word, to the praise of His glory. If you disagree with things that are said, feel free to comment. I hope to learn from others as much as I hope others can learn from my feeble attempts to teach God’s Word.
I feel like I’ve been writing forever so I’m going to end this blog with a promotion. On Saturday December 1, 2007, there will be a release party in Philly for Phanatik’s new LP: Crime & Consequences. This album is definitely a banger, so go pick it up and support Phanatik by coming out on December 1, 2007. Below is all the info. If you have any questions, let me know. Also, check out the Press Kit for the new album at the bottom of the page.
What you should look forward to in this blog are the following:
Excerpts from my personal Bible study.
Excerpts from my youth group Bible study.
Current Events looked at from a Biblical perspective
Album Reviews (Both Secular and Christian)
Movie Reviews
Book Reviews
Upcoming Events
Random Thoughts
Etc., Etc., Etc….
Basically, I’m going to talk about whatever is on my mind, or that which I find (as God leads) relevant to today’s culture.
I will be trying to have guest bloggers on here as well to help with accomplishing the purpose of this blog.
Please feel free to leave comments. I hope to spark conversations that will lead to a better understanding of God’s Word, to the praise of His glory. If you disagree with things that are said, feel free to comment. I hope to learn from others as much as I hope others can learn from my feeble attempts to teach God’s Word.
I feel like I’ve been writing forever so I’m going to end this blog with a promotion. On Saturday December 1, 2007, there will be a release party in Philly for Phanatik’s new LP: Crime & Consequences. This album is definitely a banger, so go pick it up and support Phanatik by coming out on December 1, 2007. Below is all the info. If you have any questions, let me know. Also, check out the Press Kit for the new album at the bottom of the page.
http://www.crossmovementrecords.com/
Phanatik's
Crime & Consequences
Album Release Party / Birthday Bash
Also celebratin the Spiritual Jail-Cell Breakin' of...
Da' T.R.U.T.H., R-Swift, Badia, Thi'sl, Stephen the Levite,
FLAME, shai linne, Json, Everyday Process& Dj Skill Spinz
Saturday - December 1, 2007
Doors Open at 6 PM
Calvary Chapel
13500 Philmont Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19116
Free Admission
(free-will offering will be taken up)
THEN...
Head on over to:
The After Party
@ Epiphany Fellowship
17th & Diamond St.
Philadelphia, PA
10:30pm - 1:00 am
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)