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The Ephesian Connection
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.
When God granted us redemption, the forgiveness of our sins, He poured upon us the riches of His grace. And as great as our need was, His overwhelming supply was clearly sufficient for the task. And it still is. Wherever the Church has failed to understand the grace of God, there has always been spiritual poverty. Heaven’s wealth is found in His grace.
But when we compare the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus in the gospels, or the early Church in the Book of Acts, with the Church today, it is clear that there are riches in God for us to yet lay hold of. God has dimensions of insight, wisdom, revelation, and power yet to release among us. One hindrance we have is that we fail to see the spiritual wealth available to us in His grace. Too often, we try to apprehend our inheritance by striving after it in our own strength. But if the price for sin has been fully paid, then we must learn to receive by faith what God has already declared to be ours. The life of the believer should reflect His grace not our own religious strivings to attain His favor. In fact, everything from the forgiveness of our sins (our standing in Christ) to our ongoing ministry to others (our walking with Christ) is the result of His grace in our lives. And as we learn to appropriate it, He will empower us to reveal Him to our generation. We must learn that Heaven’s sufficiency is found in His grace.
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
Prophets in the Old Testament spoke of a day when the grace of God would come to many people. As they prophesied, they sought insight as the Holy Spirit testified in and through them of a time of great glory following the suffering of the coming Messiah. The glories to follow can be seen when we read the Book of Acts. From the beginning, God’s power was evident among His people. Thousands were saved in a single day. Miracles and healings occurred as the religious system was shaken by divine visitation. Truly, a glorious beginning.
Unfortunately, Church history reveals progressive spiritual decline together with an increase in organized institutionalism. Even as early as the first century, spiritual decay was setting in. Chapters Two and Three of John’s Revelation were specifically directed toward churches that had drifted from their spiritual roots. The church at Ephesus had fallen from her first love. Those at Pergamum had allowed an infiltration of the teachings of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans. Thyatira had opened their doors to a false prophetess named Jezebel.
Over time, as God’s people increased in acceptability and popularity in the eyes of the world, something was lost of Heaven’s life and anointing. Gradually, the Church became more an institution filled with external form than a family filled with the presence of God. Where did we go wrong? Somewhere along the line, we lost Heaven’s perspective concerning the grace of God – specifically that all the wealth of eternity is found only in His grace.
The most significant reason we fail to appropriate grace is our failure to see our own great need for it. The Kingdom of God can only be extended on earth through God’s ability. If we believe something can be accomplished through our strength, our endeavors, we will generate a multitude of ideas and programs to help God fulfill His purpose. We will train leaders more on how to do things, rather than on how to abide in Christ and rely on Him. Too often, we make decisions and then ask God to bless our plans, instead of seeking His mind and then implementing in obedience what He reveals. But the Kingdom of God can only be made known through His initiative and our obedience, His authorship and inspiration together with our submissive response. It is true that in the short run, our initiatives may have seemingly good results. And God may even bless and use some of what we have done. Yet long term, the outcome will be a mixture. And while it may appear successful in the eyes of men, if it is a failure in God’s sight, then in the end, it will fail to have a long lasting and effective impact upon the world. Sadly, many today see the Church as a great institution that in many ways is irrelevant to the major problems facing mankind. What a contrast to the first century where God’s people were filled with the Holy Spirit and turned the world “upside down” with the message of the King.
Do we want respectability in the eyes of men, or the extension of God’s kingdom? Do we want success as defined by men’s evaluation, or the favor that comes from God’s approval? What He approves will have issued forth from His grace. How we need to learn His ways and grow increasingly comfortable in His present work. At the same time, let us grow increasingly uncomfortable with what originates from man. Only the riches of His grace will unveil the Kingdom of God to this generation.
As the Old Testament prophets sought to understand God’s purpose, He revealed that His grace would be poured out on His people. And though the Messiah would suffer greatly, notable glories would follow. In light of these truths, Peter informs his readers to take three steps (1Peter 1:13).
First, gird your minds for action. Often when the message of grace is preached and we are told that apart from Him we can do nothing, our tendency can be to sit back and expect to do nothing. Of course, if that is our expectation, then according to our faith that is exactly what will happen. If we settle back enjoying God’s forgiveness and expecting no clear directions from Heaven, we will fail to affect the world around us. Obviously, this is not how the early Church lived. Girding our minds for action means that as God reveals His truth to us, we should then expect Him to set up circumstances and “open doors” for us to put into practice what He has just made known. We are not to simply file His instructions away in notebooks (girding our minds for filing). Rather, we should expect practical and concrete venues to walk out His truth. Girding our minds for action does not mean that we are to initiate activity in His name but to have a holy expectation and faith in Him, Heaven’s Initiator. And He will surely give us opportunities to apply what He has said. Expect His initiative. Watch for the open doors.
Second, be sober in spirit. One who is sober is free from the influence of intoxicants. When one is under the effect of alcohol, his faculties are impaired. He is unable to interact appropriately with his surroundings. He has a dullness of mind, a lack of clarity in thought, and a “who cares” attitude as he relates to those around him. But Peter says we are to keep sober in spirit. In other words, if our minds are expecting action, then our spirits must be “fine-tuned” and sensitive to the Spirit of God as He shows us what to do. I wonder how many opportunities to minister the life of Christ we have missed because we were distracted by the things of this life? Often, we are so caught up with what we see around us that we are too dull in our spirits to sense the eternal realities of God’s life and purpose as well as Satan’s opposition. In order to walk sober in spirit, we must be “sharpened” in our inner man. We must seek God to increase our sensitivity to His voice.
Third, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus. What a powerful statement. The grace of God brought Jesus to earth the first time. And He was filled with grace and truth (John 1:14). Then when He ascended, He lavished the riches of His grace upon us. Grace upon grace upon grace! Here is our hope in this age. Yet Peter’s words indicate more to come. At the greatest revelation of Jesus in history (His second coming), there will be the greatest outpouring of His grace in history. Just think. Millions of people will simultaneously experience instant physical resurrection and glorification. And the grace manifested then will be the same as He has lavished upon us today. But there will be much more of it. Therefore, to fix our hope on that grace, we must discover the foretaste of it in the present. We must revel in the grace He has already lavished upon us. May we learn to live in and draw from the wealth of Heaven.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.
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