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The Epistle of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians by Weeda A verse by verse Commentary Introduction: The epistle is written from Rome. Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to the Ephesian saints. The epistle was written from his first imprisonment. 4 Epistles the apostle Paul wrote to local churches to know: Ephesians, Filippians, Colossians and Philemon. Probably this epistle of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians is the most deepest epistle he wrote to a local church, to a group of people, ekklesia. It is a letter of doctrine. The first 3 chapters is doctrine and the last 3 chapters is over the practice, our walk in our Lord Jesus Christ. No other epistle or book of the New Testament let see very clear how the position is of the believer in Christ and how the believer has to walk in Christ. The epistle is written in the year 62 or 63 after Christ. Tychikus was the bringer of the epistle because Paul couldn't bring the epistle to the saints, he was in prison. Tychikus had also brought the epistles to Colosse and to Philemon. The purpose of this epistle is the unification and connection as believer with our Lord Jesus Christ. The place/city of Ephesus: Ephesus was the capital city of the proconsulat Asia (now Turkey). Ephesus was a lush city on the westcoast of Asia, laying on sandbanks of the Layster and plus minus 40 miles south of Smyrna. The harbor of Ephesus was very large. Anraclus was the founder of the city. Ephesus blossomed at the time of the Roman Empire. Ephesus is very known of two books of the Bible: The epistle to the Ephesias and Acts. The city was the centre of worship of the goddess Artemis or the Romans called her Diana. The great temple of Artemis was in 262 destroyed by the Gothen. Ephesus was in 431 after Christ the place of the concilie of Ephesus. Convened by emperor Theodosius II because of the controversy about the doctrine of Nestorius of Constatinople. Theme of this concilie was the confirmation that Christ in one Person God and Man is. It was declared that Christ had no 2 persons in him. The Godhead and humanity are in one Person united; the Person of the Word, the Son of God. That's why the holy virgin Maria the title received of Mother of God. She is the mother of Jesus: the God-Human (Theotokos) and not only the mother of the Man alone. Artemis: the goddess of the Ephesians when Paul lived on earth was also named Diana. In the same city of Ephesus lived also Jewish people who were influenced by the Jewish doctrine. Paul with Luc, Silas and Timothy came the first time in Asia but they were hindered to speak there to the people. Read Acts 16 verse 6. In Acts 18 verse 19 we read that Paul came the first time in Ephesus and went alone first to the synagogue and talked with the Jews. Paul stayed 2 years in Ephesus and after the 2 years there came a uproar under the population of Ephesus against the Word of Gods Grace and this was lead by Demetrius who saw his merchandise in statuettes of the goddess what brought prosperity break down. So the whole city came in an uproar. Paul went away and later in Acts 20 verses 16-17 we read : For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. He called them all and they came and Paul admonished them and that we can read in Acts 20:17-38. Ephesians Chapter 1 Ephesians 1 verse 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Verse 1: Paul and apostle of Jesus Christ. In Acts 9 became Saul of Tarsus or Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was called by the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Paul had never seen the Lord on earth. Paul or Saul was a murderer, a criminal and on the road to Damascus this happened Acts 9 3-6: And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. Read for yourselves Galatians 1 verses 11-16 and I Timothy 1 verse 12-14. It was for Paul, at that time Saul, impossible to resist and strife against God. In Acts 9 verse 15 we read: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. What does the word Apostle mean? It comes from the Greek Word Apostelos what means one that is send with a special message, with a special order. In Romans 11 verse 13 we read : For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: The message the apostle Paul received from the risen Lord Jesus Christ was and is the Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20:24, Romans 16:25-26. God had set aside His plan with Israel for a time because they had rejected God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in Acts 7. God began a new Dispensation, the Dispensation of Grace and Paul was the bringer of all the Good News, the Mystery. Paul brought this message to this world. This Mystery was alone with God known and not known to men, kept secret and at first be known to the apostle Paul through revelations. And here we see in the first place he wrote his epistle or letter to the saints at Ephesus. Every believer in Christ is holy= set aside. Faithful and the Greek word is pistos what means trustful. So the trustful in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1 verse 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 2: Grace and peace comes from God. We men do not know what grace and peace is from our nature. We are born sinners and we live in a world what is at enmity of God. Now people say that here in the Netherlands there is peace since 1945 (end of the Second World War). Yes there is no war in this country. Okay. Since the Second World War are there so many wars that until now it didn't stop in the world. We have now war in Ukraine. There is a war in Etheopia! Man from nature do not know what peace is because of sin. But what does the word Grace means? Grace comes from the Greek Word Charis what means acceptable, gift, liberality, favour! In 2 Corinthians 5 verses 19-21 we read: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. We, my brothers and sisters were dead for God, we were the enemies but God in His mercy died for us on the cross on Calvary and died our death there and paid the price for our sins with His blood, the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2 verse 1 says us: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Romans 5 verse 8 and 9 tells us: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. We are saved by God's Grace and we have now peace with Him through Christ Jesus Romans 5 verse 1. Another beautiful verses say us: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9. So brothers and sisters: we have God of Grace and Peace and from the Lord Jesus Christ! What a wonderful God we have! Ephesians 1 verse 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Verse 3: Brothers and sisters in Christ: This is really good news! First we read that God and the Father from our Lord Jesus Christ is be blessed. All honor to Him. Then we read that He hath blessed us. With one blessing? No is the answer. The answer is with all spiritual blessings! All of them!!! We received this my brothers and sisters: all spiritual blessings. We have never to ask for blessings. We have them all! Also no one can give us the blessings. God gave it to us already. We are in Christ blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places! All those blessing are from God. We received them all unconditionally! The blessing which Israel as folk of God received were conditionally. This we read in Deuteronomy 28 verses 1 and 2: And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of theLordthy God. We are as members of the Body of Crist blessed with all spiritual blessings. The spiritual things are more value than the material things. What a great God we have my dear brothers and sisters and what a great Word this is!!! Ephesians 1 verse 4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Verse 4: Another beautiful strong verse of God my dear brothers and sisters. This is past! It has happened! He hath chosen us in Him, in Christ! We are members of the Body of Christ, the Church and Christ is our Head. And now we read He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world!! Wow, before the foundation the world. The Body of Christ is chosen before the word exists. God had this plan before the foundation of the world and hath chosen us in Him! What a wonderful God we have. With the purpose He did this and here is the reason for it: that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. He chose us and saved us from this world. We are chosen people my dear brothers and sisters. Before the world He had this plan to save us through His Son Jesus Christ! God chose and saves and men cannot save himself. God is love and search the sinner. We from nature chose not God and are not searching to find Him. We read John 15 verse 16a Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. This said our Lord to His disciples on earth and this let you see that men chose not God but God chose men! Ephesians 1 verse 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, Verse 5: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. God had us predestinated. What is predestinated? It comes from the word predestination from the Greek word proorizo = determine before. Before God had determined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. We are adopted by God through His Son Jesus Christ. To Himself. It was His will to adopt us to the good pleasure. This was the purpose of God before the foundation of the world that He would save sinner like you and me in Christ Jesus! Adoption: this is a fact. We are adopted. The Greek word here is huiothesia: as son or daughter placed in Christ. We are full grown sons and daughters and this is exactly how God us sees in Christ. What a wonderful position we have in Him. We can God everyday thank for this fact! Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!!! Ephesians 1 verse 6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. Verse 6: Another beautiful verse here my dear brothers and sisters! Through God's Grace are we accepted in the Beloved. The Beloved is His Son Jesus Christ! We have received the undeserved forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Beloved of God! What a great verse this is and what a security we have in Him dear brothers and sisters! We were dead in trespasses and sins. We deserved eternal death but God in His mercy saved us through Jesus Christ. He took our guilt upon Himself and died our death on that cross on Calvary! He was crucified to save us from the eternal death! He paid the price for our death with His own blood on that cross. He was buried and after 3 days He has risen from the death!! Death could not hold Him. He stood up for our righteousness Romans 4 verse 25. We are now without guilt before God through His Son Jesus Christ! His Grace in Him has us fully accepted. Read Philemon 17-19! Ephesians 1 verse 7 In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Verse 7: Dear brothers and sisters! We have redemption through His blood. Yes the blood what flowed from Calvary had us redempted!! Redempted from all our sins! All our sins and trespasses are forgiven! Forgiveness of past, present and future! It is done, done on that cross on Calvary! According to the riches of His Grace! This is riches of His Grace! We didn't deserve this! In Ephesians 2 verse 5 we read:Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) Think about this: we were dead in sins! Eternal dead! Through our nature! God so loved us that He came Self to this earth through His Son Jesus Christ to save you and me and that He did on the cross on Calvary to pay fully the price for us. God became Man so that He could save men! Think about it: He died for the whole world! This is not to comprehend with our mind. We only can accept it because it is written in His Word, the Bible! What a love of God, what a wonderful God we have!! He alone is Love. From our nature we know not what love is because of sin. In Colossians 1 verse 14 we read: In Whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: In Whom that is Christ! What does this mean for every day? We may God everyday thank for this and that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings. Do we have to ask for forgiveness? No is the answer because your sins are forgiven. We are forgiven, does that mean we can sin, is this a license to sin? No is the answer and we read in Romans 6 verses 1 and 2 the following:What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Brothers and sisters: we received a new life in Christ our Lord and we can't touch sin. Our sins are forgiven so that we do not serve sin but God. We are alive in Christ, we have a new life in Him and we are no longer under the law but under Gods Grace Romans 6 verse 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Ephesians 1 verse 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Verse 8: Robert Lowry had made a song about the blood of Christ who has washed/forgiven our sins! This song is very famous: "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus" The cross my dear brothers and sisters is the demonstration and wisdom and prudence of God. We are saved through the blood of Christ which flowed from the cross. This does not mean that this is a freedom for us to sin, God forbid. We must have the wish not to serve sin. Our purpose must be to serve Him Who died for us on that cross and took all our sins in His Body there on Calvary! Was buried and stood up from the grave after 3 days and 3 nights. I Corinthians 15:3-4. Let us reat Titus 2 verse 12: Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Ephesians 1 verse 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: Verse 9: What does this verse mean? The mystery of Hs will has to do with Gods eternal purpose for heaven and earth. This eternal purpose was alone known with God Himself which He hath purposed in Himself. He set aside both Jews and Gentiles in the past in unbelief He was free to make known the counsel of His will which He foreordained before the foundation of the world. God began a new plan, a new program known as the Mystery read Romans 16:25 and 26. This mystery of God is the secret purpose of teh Church, the Body of Christ. This He made known or revealed it to the apostle Paul and Paul was the one who made it known in this world. This is the heavenly ministry of Christ and it let us see a new creation. The Church with its heavenly position is the point of God's plan and purpose for the Dispensation of Grace Ephesians 3:1-3. We are blessed my dear brothers and sisters with all spiritual blessings and we have a heavenly hope and calling. Ephesians 1 verse 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: Verse 10: Here in this verse the apostle Paul is speaking about the Dispensation of the fulness of times. What is that? This is the counsel of God's purpose. That the heavenly plan and the earthly plan will be united together in Christ. In I Corinthians 15 verse 24-28 we read: Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. In Philippias 2 verses 9-11 we read the following: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Here in these last verses we read that the ones who are in heaven of the Body of Christ shall bow for Him, The ones who are on earth: the ones of the Prophecy who shall reign with Christ on earth shall bow for Him and the ones who are under the earth: the unbelievers who shall stad before the White Throne shall also bow their knees for Him. After this all there will be a new Dispensation: the Dispensation of the fulness of times. All shall be united in Him, in Christ! What a wonderful news my dear brothers and sisters! Ephesians 1 verse 11 In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Verse 11: In Whom. Who is the Whom? This is Jesus Christ. In Him we have as members of the Body of Christ obtained an inheritance. We are sons and daughters and we are heirs so thats why we obtained an inheritance! What a wonderful and great verse this is! What a riches we have in Christ! God had us adopted as sons and daughters in Christ. He has saved us on the cross on Calvary because there He died our death, He paid the full prize for our sins, our guilt and now in because He lives we live with Him and we have the highest position in Christ. Colossians 1 verse 13 we read: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Think about this my dear brothers and sisters: from the power of darkness translated into the kingdom of Christ, the heavenly kingdom!! Rejoice, rejoice!!! This is really something and we are now heirs in Him. God predestinated us, the Body of Christ according to the purpose of Him Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. It was His will to save men so that men could live forever in Him, in Christ!! That was His purpose before the world began. You never can find this in the rest of the Bible, only here in the epistle to the Ephesians and in the epistles of the apostle Paul: Romans- Philemon. God works independently. He need no man to help Him to devise and execute plans. We my brothers and sisters can only thank God for this because it is His work that saved us forever! Ephesians 1 verse 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Verse 12: Dear brothers and sisters: In Him, in Christ we are heirs. We as members of the Body of Christ are before the world began predestinated according the purpose of Him . Why? That we should be to the praise of His glory. We who have trusted Christ as personal Saviour! Brothers and sisters: Christ is our Hope. It is not the praise of our glory but the praise of His glory! This is pure God's Grace and through His Grace He accepted us in His beloved Son Jesus Christ! In Ephesians 3 verse 21 we read the following: Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. And in I Timothy 1 verse 1 we read: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, Which is our hope! We, brothers and sisters have eternal life in Christ!! Our hope is in Him, He is our hope. In 1 Corinthians 15 verses 51-53 we read about that hope: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. When we are in heaven we will have a task from God my dear brothers and sisters: we shall be above angels and shall also with Christ judge angels. What a great moment that will be and we have to look forward this!! Read Philippians 3:20-21 Ephesians 1 verse 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Verse 13: What a wonderful verse this is and praise God for this!! On the moment we heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of Grace, the Gospel of our salvation Colossians 1:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-9 we trusted Christ as personal Saviour and on that same moment we were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. God's Holy Spirit came into our lives on that moment. We are sealed with the Spirit of God. God lives in us through His Spirit. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit of God! He lives in us and we cannot be separated from Him, from God anymore!! Think about this brother and sister: you cannot be separated anymore from God! In Romans 8 verses 15 and 16 the Bible tells us this: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And in Ephesiasn 4 verse 30 we read: And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption"Till that day, the day of redemption, the day of the Rapture of the Church, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God! On that day we shall receive a spirtual body likewise Christ my dear brothers and sisters. Read Romans 8 verse 23! For everyday we have this rule my dear brothers and sisters:And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. Ephesians 1 verse 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Verse 14: God hath given us His Holy Spirit. We are sealed with that Holy Spirit and which is the earnest of our inheritance. What does that mean? Being heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, the total inheritance has not yet been totally given to us. So far, we have received just an earnest—a down payment—of the fullness of His Holy Spirit and the fullness of the associated blessings that we will receive in the future when the trump shall sound I Corinthians 15 verse 52. Until that day God's Spirit is the seal, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. My dear brothers and sisters: we are in Him and the world around us is in darkness and chaos. We can rest in the finished Work of Christ for us on Calvary. We can rest in His Grace what we received from Him Ephesians 2:8-9. He holds us fast through His Spirit Who lives in us. We are never separated from God. It depends not on us what we have done or should do in the future. Once a son or daughter always a son and daughter of God. We are save in Him. Romans 8 verse 31 tells us: What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Ephesians 1 verse 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love unto all the saints Verse 15: The apostle Paul heard much positive news from the believers in Ephesus. The apostle Paul had lived in Ephesus for more than 2 years. He knew the believers very good and heard now the news when he was in prison about them through Tychicus in Ephesians 6 verse 21. (read this!) In Acts 19 verse 8 we read: And he (Paul) went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom o God. And then in verse 9 and 10 we read: But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. The believers of Ephesus had much learned and had grown in the spiritual life. They had now love unto all the saints. This is remarkable because when the apostle Paul left Ephesus after more than 2 years there was a uproar in the city under Demetrius! The saints at Ephesus are a real example for us and we can a lot learn from them. They were build up by God's Word of Grace Acts 20:32. If we all had the will to be build up by God's Word of Grace then the Body of Christ should be stronger than it is now today. So a call to you my dear brother and sister: Learn God's Word of Grace Romans 16:25-26. It is also for your obedience of faith! This will build you up spiritual in Christ. And when you have learned it stand for the truth Colossians 1:5-6. There is no other Gospel than the Gospel the apostle Paul preached and what we can read now in all his epistles. Another Gospel is no Gospel. It is a mix of Gospels and there is no blessing in it! Believing Gods Gospel of Grace gives us all the blessings in Christ!!! Ephesians 1 verse 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; Verse 16: What a example the apostle Paul is for us brothers and sisters. Not only in behavior but also in prayer because he begins to pray for them to God! He said cease not to give thanks for you! This verse let you see that prayer is very important even today my brothers and sisters. To pray also for other in the Body of Christ. To pray for the people you know and to thank for them in your praying to God. This did the apostle Paul! He was glad and rejoiced in the Lord for them because they had grown through the Gospel of the Grace of God which is able also to build us up my brothers and sisters!! The apostle Paul is absolutely a example for thankfulness!! Let's pause for a moment when did we pray for another person we know? In Colossians 4 verse 2 we read: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" And in I Timothy 2 verse 1 we read: I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Just as the apostle Paul we have not to stop praying. Prayer is so important under this Dispensation of Grace Ephesians 3:1-3 whereunder we still live. In praying to God we can make known everything and in Philippians 4 verse 6 and 7 we read: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. We don't have to worry my dear brothers and sisters. The worries we give to the Lord and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep our hearts and mind through Christ Jesus. Colossians 4 verse 2 tells us again: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Not only to be in prayer but also watch in the same. We have also to watch, to be alert. This is also important brothers and sisters: to be alert, to watch. Ephesians 1 verse 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: Verse 17: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the prayer the apostle Paul prayed for the brothers and sisters in Ephesus. Also for us this verse is valid because we are members of the same Body of Christ. What we here see is that God the Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give unto us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. What is this knowledge? This is the truth, the Gospel of the Grace of God my dear brothers and sisters. That we may know this Gospel and the deeper Word of God's Grace. The epignosis, that we may learn this and understand. Romans 10 verse 17 tells us:So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So it's about insight and knowledge of the epistles of the apostle Paul because therein we have the truth, the preaching of Jesus Christ according the revelation of the Mystery. That we may know this! This is the will of God my dear brothers and sisters. I Timothy 2: 3-4. Personally almost 40 years ago I became to know the truth. I heard personally the whole truth, the Gospel of Gods Grace and through God's Spirit I received also wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, of God and Jesus Christ Which is God's Son. It is God's will that everyone of you too learn this truth Romans 16:25-26. It was not only for me or for my wife but also for you my dear brothers and sisters. If you have the will to know it you will know it. If you search for the truth as I did 40 years ago you will find it! I'm convinced of that! God revealed it to me through His Word. He used believers to explain the whole Gospel of Grace to me in that time. That was so wonderful and I am thankful for this fact every day. Ephesians 1 verse 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Verse 18: They eyes of your understanding being enlightened! This is God's will. That our mind be open and that we acknowledge the truth and that we may know what the hope is of His calling. Our hope is our Lord jesus Christ and we look for our Savior every moment of the day! Titus 2:13, Philippians 3:20-21, I Corinthians 15:51-53, I Thessalonians 4:13-18. This will be the greatest day my dear brothers and sisters: the Rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ. We have this hope, the hope of His calling: eternal life in Christ and very soon a new body as His resurrected body, a spiritual body!!! It has to do with our future state What the riches of the glory of His inheritance in us saints. That we may know this, understand with our mind through God's Spirit. The knowledge of sins forgiven, new life in Christ, understanding that we will be delivered from he wrath to come. Through the epistles we can know this all!! So read and study my dear brother/sister the epistles of the apostle Paul Romans -Philemon!! His inheritance: The Body of Christ is this Ephesians 5 verse 27: That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 1 verse 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Verse 19: What a great verse this is my brothers and sisters! What does this mean? The exeeding greatness of His power to us ward who believe. It is God's power, His resurrection power and that is so great and more than dynamite my brother and sister!!! In Psalm 106 verses 8-11 we read: Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ: God saved His people Israel from the hands of the Egypts, their enemies. Today God has revealed His strength through His resurrection power! The power of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!! This power lives in us too, this resurrection power. We are more than conguerors in Him! According to the working of His mighty power! We can triumph with His mighty power over sin and let not have sin dominion over us in our lives! The Gospel of Gods Grace changes our lives my brothers and sisters because this we read here in the book of Ephesians which is a part of the 13 Epistles the apostle Paul wrote in his life here on earth. With this resurrection power in us daily we can resist the devil, we can stop to sin. Yes we can do this in His power! Ephesians 1 verse 20 Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, Verse 20: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ did not stay in the grave! Death couldn't hold Him because He was and is without sin and God the Father raised Him from the dead! Christ is risen, He lives and sits on the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places. Romans 6 verses 9-10: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. God hath raised Him from the grave. That resurrection power was very great and that is with no pen to describe my dear brothers and sisters! This resurrection power is given to us because we are one with Him. Romans 6 verses 5-8 tells us: For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Christ is resurrected from the dead and we with Him through our identification with Him. That's why the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2 verse 1 the following: And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. And in verse 6 we read: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" This is really something my dear brothers and sisters. This is fantastic!!! Raised with Him and we are now in Him. Our position in Him is in heaven! We are heavenly citizens in Him!!! This resurrection power lives in us! The power of sin is away. We can sin but we don't have to sin, we can choose not to sin and to serve God. He holds us fast. In Romans 8 verse 34 we see a very beautiful verse: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Every day this is reality my dear brothers and sisters! So rejoice in Him! Ephesians 1 verse 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Verse 21: Christ is on the right hand of God far above all principality, power, might and dominion! God has the absolute power! Nobody is above Him becasuse He is above all and above everyone and every power, might and dominion. In Philippians 2 verse 9 we read: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name" And in Hebrews 1 verses 3 and 4 we read: Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when He had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. This my dear brothers and sisters is a glorification!!! Christ has absolute power and authority above all because He humbled Himself, yes till the death on the cross to bear all our sins, to die our death!! And paid the price with His own blood for us! He is our Savior. He without sin for us sinners. That's why death couldn't hold Him and after 3 days He stood up from the grave. Read I Corinthians 15:3-4. And in Romans 4 verse 25 we read: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. All things are subject under His feet now! And every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come! I Corinthians 15 verses 27 and 28 Ephesians 1 verse 22 And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, Verse 22 All things are put under His feet, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ has all power and might and He is also the Head over all things above all things. He is also the Head of the Church, the Body of Christ. He is far above principalities and powers, might and dominion. This we read already in the one of the last verses. In I Corinthians 15 verse 27 we read: For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ: God the Father has given Him this power. He has put all things under His feet and He is Head above all things! Wat a wonderful God we have. The devil is defeated, him waits the judgment what is written in Revelations 20:10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. This is the final destiny of the devil! The devil is defeated. He works in the children of disobedience, the unbelievers. He hates the Gospel of the Grace of God by which he is defeated. Now he will do everything to hinder this wonderful Gospel and brings lies to people in this world or hold back people to learn this Gospel of the Grace of God or the truth of God! Christh hath triumphed over him and al his angels/ministers. In Colossians 2 verse 15 we read : And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. In Hebrews 2 verse 14 we read: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; The power of death is destroyed by Christ my dear brothers and sisters! Satan is defeated by the cross! What great to know and believe this my dear brothers and sisters! Ephesians 1 verse 23 Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. Verse 23: Dear brothers and sisters: we come now to this last verse of this first chapter. Christ is resurrected and He sit on the right hand of the Father far above all principalities, power, might and dominion and above all names. He is the Head of all and the Head from the Church, the Body of Christ. What good to know this because we know also from the Scriptures that the head of the family is the man, the head of the woman likewise Christ the Head is of the Church and He is the Preserver of the Body of Christ. He is our head and we are the members! He holds the body together! Dear reader: you can be a member of a local church. As long as you are no member of the true Church, the Body of Christ are you still lost! Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved! Accept you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ paid the prize for your sins on the cross on Calvary. Believe that He is resurrected and that He is alive! If you do this now you are saved forever and a son or daughter of God forever!!! Do it now before it is to late. Nobody can say if you can accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior tomorrow. So don't put off until tomorrow! Do it now!!! The fulness of Him that filleth all in all. What does that mean? The Church is a living organism that derives its life from Christ who filleth all in all. The Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ dwells within us my dear brothers and sisters. God has chosen to reveal it us in written form. Thus we ae instructed as members of the Body of Christ, the Church, to be filled with the knowledge of His will. In Ephesians 4 verse 16 we read: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. And so we end this first chapter! Ephesians Chapter 2 Ephesians 2 verse 1 And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Verse 1: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are made alive in Christ!!! Christ stood up from the dead and we with Him! In Romans 6:3-6 we read: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. These verses form the base my brothers and sisters. This happened on the moment we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior of our lives. First we were dead in trespasses and sins! We were dead, eternal dead as others around us in this world who did not yet accept Christ as their Savior! In that time we were eternally separated from God. Think about it! God hath He quickened, made alive with Christ. We are now in Christ and it is His Work, not ours!! We come from Adam and with the sin nature of Adam we are born in this world Romans 5 verse 12. Romans 3 verse 23 we read : For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. From our nature, how we are born we miss the glory of God, we miss as human beings through sin eternal life! But now there is Good News, very Good News. In verse 5 of Ephesians 2 we read:Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) God hath made us alive in Him! From ourselves we couldn't made alive. What you try to reach God with all your thinkings, doings, so named good works. You never can reach God. That's why God reached us and gave His life for us. He sacrificed himself for us. He died our death on that cross and took away all our sins! Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, Ephesians 4:32. Romans 5 verse 8 tells us: But god commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What a great God we have Who paid the prize for us complete and now we are alive in Christ and complete in Him! We have new life in Him. This is wonderful and praise God for this every day my brother and sisters!!! Ephesians 2 verse 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Verse 2: We were dead in trespasses and sins. We walked according to the course of this world. We walked the same as the unbelievers now in this world. We walked according to the prince of power of the air. Who is this prince of power? This is satan my dear brothers and sisters. He is the prince of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Who are these children? The unbelievers. Satan works in them and he blinds them. They are in his hands and they are sinners like us but not alive. They are still in their sins and dead in trespasses and sins and without hope and eternally dead in this world. But now we as members of the Body of Christ we are made alive with Christ. We are now in Him! That's why the apostle Paul explained what we were in the past before we accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior . Before we were slaves of sin. Slave of satan. In Colossians 3 verse 6 and 7 we read: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. And in Titus 3 verse 4 we read: For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. This is what we see in this world! People are hateful and hate each other. So is the nature in this sin world my dear brothers and sisters. That's why there are murder, war etc every day!! A lot of persecutions people had to undergo. Also for all the people in this world there is Good News: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Be saved forever and you will receive eternal life!! Ephesians 2 verse 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Verse 3: Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. We were from nature the children of wrath. The wrath of God was upon us before we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Colossians 3 verses 6-7 tells us: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. Yes we were dead in our conversation in times past and had the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind! Fulfilling the desires of our flesh: never satisfied. Desires could be drinking, smoking, sex, women etc. This was also in the city of Ephesus and Corinth. The apostle Paul describes the position of the saints at Ephesus before they accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and we too my dear brothers and sisters. This is past and now we are in Christ. We can understand the world very well but the world doesn't understand us. Ephesians 2 verse 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Verse 4: We were the children of wrath in times past. God's wrath was upon us. Here is Good News my brother and sister: But God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us. This let you see that God is Love. He alone is that. We as persons are sinners and have no love in ourselves. We are from nature loveless and egocentric! Self centered. But this is not the character from God. God is love and is merciful. The but let us see that there is a change. God is a God of mercy. He is rich of mercy! He alone is this because He is without sin my dear brothers and sisters and that's why He died for us through Christ for our sins on the cross on Calvary! Romans 5 verse 8 tells us: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This is God's great love towards us. To love us and to die and pay the punishment we deserved on the cross on Calvary! He did this for you and me my dear reader!! He died not His own death, no He died our death so that we could live in Him forever!! If you not dear reader on this moment has accept/believe the Lord Jesus Christ what He has done for you do it now before it is to late. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved forever!! Ephesians 2 verse 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by Grace ye are saved) Verse 5: My dear brother and sister in our Lord Jesus Christ. We were dead in trespasses and sin from birth on. Romans 5 verse 12 tells us the following: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" We were dead, spiritually dead and eternal dead before we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer. What happened? We are made alive/quickened with Christ. We are alive in Him. We live forever in Him! What a wonderful news. This is very Good News my dear brothers and sisters and we can rejoice in this!! We are no longer dead in sins! Think about this my brother and sister. God hath made us alive in Christ. Colossians 1 verse 13 confirms this: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. What a great verse this is and this is very wonderful: freed from the power of darkness and placed in the light of His Son Jesus Christ. Galatians 2 verse 20 tells us: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me"This is now our position in Christ my brothers and sisters. He lives now in us through His Holy Spirit Ephesians 1:13-14. Think about this and let these Scriptures above penetrate to your heart. The law of God couldn't save us and also we couldn't save ourselves but we are saved by Gods Grace through Faith and in Christ alone!!! Ephesians 2 verse 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Verse 6: God hath raised us up together. It is His Work, His operation in Christ! Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ: We are not only quickened or alive in Christ. We are raised up with Christ. With Him we are resurrected and God hath made us sit together with Christ in heaven!!! We are in position now in heaven. What GOOD NEWS this is!! Our position is in Him in heaven! We are heavenly citizens. This is how God sees us because He placed us in His dear Son Jesus Christ. We are save in Him. Romans 6 verses 6-9 we read: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. Think about it! Quickened, raised and sit together with Christ in heavenly places in Him!!! How wonderful this is!! To read this and study this and think about it you as believer in Christ become aware of this!! Ephesians 2 verse 7 That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Verse 7 In this verse we see the reason why God hath us as members of the Body of Christ raised up with Christ because that He might shew the exceeding riches of His Grace and His kindness toward us through His Son Christ Jesus. The Grace of God or the exceeding riches of His Grace defined as God's Wealth at the expense of Christ. He, Christ paid with His own blood on Calvary when He died for our sins. He died our death what we deserved. Believe this my reader and thou shalt be saved! He died for us so that we can enjoy in eternity with Him! Ages to come: eternity. Without time, out of time that we can enjoy these exceeding riches. Exceeding= supereminent is excellent. Better than this there is not. Now the question: What can God do more what He has not done for us. He has done everything for us. It is complete!!! Rejoice in Him instead to boast in ourselves. Ephesians 2 verse 8 For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God Verse 8: What a great Word of God this is my dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by His Grace through the faith of Jesus Christ. We are saved by Grace alone, by Faith alone and in Christ alone. We are not saved from ourselves, our works, the works of the Law! We are saved by God's Grace. It is His gift in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. Saved from what? From all eternity. Saved from eternal death. Through Him we live forever and ever!! He, Jesus Christ was and is faithful. In Philippians 2 verse 6-9 we read again: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: Christ died our death on Calvary on the cross. He He bore our sins on the cross in His body! He was buried and after 3 days He was resurrected from the death. Death could not hold Him because He was and is without sin!! That's why He died our death: He without sin for us sinners!! Through His faith are we saved. That's God's Grace my dear brothers and sisters! We have accepted Him as Savior and now we may know for all eternity that we are saved by Grace alone, by faith alone and in Christ alone. We are made alive in Him because He lives and is resurrected! And we with Him. Our old man is crucified with Him, buried with Him and resurrected with Him. We are new men in Him! This makes us glad my dear brothers and sisters. We have such a high position in Christ. The most high position a believer has. We can rejoice in this every day and Him everyday thank for this! Ephesians 2 verse 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast Verse 9: My brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved through faith alone, the faith of Christ that saved us. Are we saved though our believe? No is the answer. We are not saved by ourselves, by our so named works because then we could boast in ourselves. We cannot boast in our ourselves. We have to boast in God, in Christ what He has done for us. Romans 3 verses 26 and 27 tells us: Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. It is the one deed Christ did for us: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification Romans 4 verse 25. Who boast boast in our Lord Jesus Christ!! Ephesians 2 verse 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Verse 10: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord: We are His workmanship. We are His creation. What does it mean workmanship? It comes from the Greek word poiema wat means a product. What is made. We are a new creation in Christ. God created us new in Him. We are born again in Christ. Galatians 2:20 read this for yourselves. 2Corinthians 5 verse 17 tells us: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. This is very good news my dear brother and sister! We are new creations in Christ, we are new men in Him. We live as long we are on this earth in our flesh but alive in Christ. We have the old nature and the new nature in us. The old nature is our flesh and the new nature is in Christ. We have the position in Christ and are created in Him for the purpose to walk in the good works of God which God hath ordained! According the Gospel of the Grace of God, His finished work on the cross we can walk and He will and can work in us through His Spirit wherewith we are sealed to the day of redemption. This gives us the strength every day and we can rejoice in it!!! Ephesians 2 verse 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; Verse 11: Wherefore remember. Remember my brothers and sisters in time past we also as the Ephesian believers were Gentiles in the flesh. We were not Jews as they were not. The Jews were the Circumcision and the Gentiles were the Uncircumcision. The apostle Paul speaks here in this verse about the past. We were in the flesh, we were from nature in Adam, the sin nature. With this nature like the Ephesian believers we too were born with this. Every person who is naturally born in this world is a sinner Romans 5:12. The apostle speaks about the time, the former Dispensation when God had His plan and deals with Israel. It was His folk. God had set aside the Gentiles and began in Genesis 12 with a new folk and later this was called Israel. Israel means with God. They were circumcised because of a sign which Abraham received of believe/faith. In Genesis 17 verse 11 we read: And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. Read this carefully a token of the coventant between God and Abraham. It was a token or sign of purity! This distinguished the people of Israel from the heathen or Gentiles. And we were the Gentiles my dear brothers and sisters! Ephesians 2 verse 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: Verse 12: That at that time! Which time? Under the former Dispensation we were Gentiles like the Ephesian believers from origine, from nature without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. We had nothing to do with Israel as a nation. We were not circumcised. For a Gentile to know the God of Israel he or she must become a Jews. First to be circumcised as man and second he or she must do the whole law of God and serve God in this way and he or she became a proselyte. Most of the Gentiles remain Gentiles or heathen and were aliens of Israel, strangers form the covenants of promise which God made with His folk Israel. We had no hope my dear brothers and sisters and we were without God in the world. Can you imagine this: having no hope and without God in the world? We were lost sinners! We were the children of wrath like the others in this world who have not accepted Christ as personal Savior. Romans 11 verse 32a tells us: For God hath concluded them all in unbelief! This was a hopeless situation my dear brother and sister! Ephesians 2 verse 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Verse 13: But now! Oh how wonderful! There is a change! But now a change has taken place! My dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. But now in Christ Jesus. We are in Christ Jesus now! This is what this verse tells us! We were far off but in Christ we are made nigh by the blood of Christ!!! He is our Head and we are the members of His Body, the Body of Christ. How? Through His blood. The blood that He gave for us on the cross, His own blood for us my dear brother and sister!! He gave His life for us because He gave His blood for us! The blood that saves us from all sins, from the power of sin! Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14. We are free now in Him! God sees us in Christ! We Gentiles just as Jews are new men in Him. How wonderful this is!!! He died on that cross in our place, He died our death and that's why we are made nigh by the blood of Him. Romans 5 verse 8 tells us this so good:But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!! We were the enemies of Him and through His love He died for us ungodly people!!! He was buried and after 3 days He was resurrected from the death! Death could not hold Him because He was and is without sin. I Corinthians 15:3-4 We have eternal life in Him, in Christ. How wonderful this is!!! In Romans 4 verse 25 we read: Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" And in Romans 5 verse 1 we read: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" What a wonderful and loving God we have and we can rest in Him because we have now peace with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ! That's why we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us! Ephesians 2 verse 14 For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us Verse 14: Brothers and sisters: HE IS OUR PEACE! God is our peace in Christ!! In Romans 5 verse 1 we read allready : Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. From enemies of God to sons and daughters of Him. God is a God of peace, not of war under this Dispensation. He had reconciled the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" 2 Corinthians 5 verse 19. Now we see here in this verse a declaration of God: Who hath made both one. Who are the both? Jew and Gentile made one in Christ. Christ died for all mankind with the purpose that everyone , every person my dear reader can accept Him in Christ as Savior. Christ on the cross hath broken down the middle wall of partition what was between Jew and Gentile. This wall stood tall and strong for over fifteen hundred years. It barred the Gentiles access to the true and living God. In Herod's temple in Jerusalem stood: No Gentile may enter the barricade which surrounds the Sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. Strong words but this was true my dear brothers and sisters. There was a wall between Jews and Gentiles. What was the wall between them? The Law my dear brother and sister. The Law is now away. Christ is the end of the Law. He nailed the Law to His cross. The Law: the handwriting of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us. We are now free from the Law of commandments contained in ordinances my dear brothers and sisters. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Very Great that Christ gave Himself for all mankind on the cross, for you and me my dear reader! If you accept Him as personal Savior. If you believe what He did for you personally you are saved forever and you are no longer under the wrath of God. Do it now!!! Before it is to late!!! Don't put off until tomorrow! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16:31 Ephesians 2 verse 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; Verse 15: My dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ who read this! God hath in Christ the world reconciled to Himself 2 Corinthians 5:19! He, Christ died on that cross on Calvary for our sins, in our place. That's why He is our peace my dear brothers and sisters! In His flesh abolished the enmity. He, Christ hath abolished or nullified, cancelled in His flesh the enmity, the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He nailed it to the cross!! With this purpose to make in Himself of twain (Jew and Gentile) one new man, so making peace. This happened at the cross my dear brothers and sisters. This is done on the cross. This is the glory of the cross, the preaching of the cross. It is Christ and Him crucified!!! The hate that was between the Jew and Gentile is destroyed, is cancelled. He made on the cross of 2 one man in Himself. It never exists anymore!!! We both are new men in Christ. A new creation now is what counts. What a great God we have and how wonderful this is. Be still and think about this. Let this sink into your heart my brother and sister!! The law of ordinances what was between Jew and Gentile in the past was like a wall. Christ hath abolished in His flesh on the cross this enmity! He was the Only One Who could save us and made one new man through His Grace!! We have to thank God everyday for this my brothers and sisters! Romans 6 verse 14 tells us: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under Grace. Christ hath made us free from the Law! Fantastic and wonderful to know this and believe this. Ephesians 2 verse 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: Verse 16: That He might reconcile both unto God. Who are the both? That are Jew and Gentile and now reconciled to each other in one Body, the Body of Christ, the Church. Through what? By the cross. How wonderful the cross is my dear brother and sister!! All happened there on the cross on Calvary!! The cross is the answer to all! This is God's love towards us, to all mankind!!! We are new man in Christ, we both Jew and Gentile reconciled by that cross because Christ having slain the enmity thereby: the law of commandments contained in ordinances which stood between those 2 men and have abolished this on the cross, having nailed to the cross, having nullified. It never will be anymore!! Think about this: 1500 years, a wall between Jew and Gentile and now it is gone by the cross! This reminds me to the wall between the two Germanies: West Germany and East Germany what was be taken down in 1989 and in 1990. This wall what existed almost 30 years and was good to see. I visit this wall 2 times in my life. Now it is gone. But what you read here is more beautiful because it speaks about the real peace between Jew and Gentile by the cross united in Christ and one new man! It doesn't matter where you come from: we are new men in Christ. Awasome and we may thank God everyday for this! Ephesians 2 verse 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. Verse 17: He came and preached peace to you. It looks that Christ preached this in His earthly ministry but this isn't true. Christ had never preached this under His earthly ministry. This was only made known through the Gospel of Gace which the apostle Paul preached from the risen Lord Jesus Christ. We read I Timothy 2 verses 3-7: For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. Through this Gospel, the Gospel of Grace which was first given to Paul from our risen Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. to make known to Jews and Gentiles the wonderful news of salvation and the deeper meaning of the cross namely the glory of the cross. This is the meaning of which were afar off- Gentiles and them that were nigh -Jews. Now we are one new man in Christ my dear brothers and sisters. Ephesians 2 verse 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Verse 18: Through Him, through Christ we have both acces by one Spirit unto the Father!!! Great to believe and to know/epignosis this!!! Through God's Spirit the way is open to the Father and Jesus Christ has taken care of that now we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. That's why we can call Him now Abba Father. Under the former Dispensation, under the Law the way was not open to God the Father. Christ had made the way open and that He did on the cross on Calvary. There is no difference anymore between Jew and Gentile anymore. There is now one new man in Christ. No matter where you come from my friend, brother, sister!!! Galatians 4 verse 6 tells us: And because ye are sons, (daughters), God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father" And in Romans 8 verse 15 we read: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" Could this be clearer my dear brothers and sisters!! How wonderful and great is our God for us!!! Ephesians 2 verse 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Verse 19: Dear brothers and sisters: the believer of Ephesus were in the past, when God was dealing with Israel as folk, under the former Dispensation, strangers and foreigners. We have also seen this in verse 12. And we too my brothers and sister. though we live 2000 years later! Under this Dispensation there is a change Ephesians 3 verse 1-3. God is not dealing anymore with Israel because of their fall. See Romans 11 verse 11 and 25. Therefore this in Romans 11 verse 32: For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all" The whole world!! Through the finished Work of Christ on the cross and that He is risen from the dead are we one new men and fellowcitizens of the saints, the holy, no strangers or foreigners anymore. We are now holy people of God my dear brothers and sisters and of the household of God!! What a blessing of God and great to know and believe this!! We are citizens of heaven now, this is our postion and we are in Him, Christ!! Philippians 3 verse 20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ "What a moment this will be my dear brothers and sisters!! This is our hope in Him!! Ephesians 2 verse 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief corner stone; Verse 20: Nobody can lay another foundation which is laid and that is Jesus Christ Himself. I Corinthians 3 verse 11 read this! He, Christ Himself is the foundation and the Chief corner stone! What does this mean the Corner stone? This is a secret place. As members of the Body of Christ are we built upon the foundation which is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lives and is the Chief Corner Stone what is synonyme with this foundation. God in Christ united Jew and Gentile in one Body, the Body of Christ, the Church. Who are the apostles and prophets here written? Are they the 12 apostles and the prophets of old times like Isaiah or Jeremiah? No these are the apostels and prophets according the Dispensation of Grace who declared our Lord of Glory and His glorification! He Paul proclaimed the Gospel of Gods Grace Acts 20:24 and we can learn this all in his epistles my dear brothers and sisters. We are built upon the foundation Jesus Christ the Chief corner stone. This is done. God had made this. Ephesians 2 verse 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Verse 21: We can see and read in this verse that we are as members are forming the Body of Christ, the Church, the heavenly Church which is a organism, not a organization! A building is formed by stones. Nowadays we have also other buildings (the skeleton of metal or other material). In the past buildings were more formed by stones. The Body of Christ is formed of members, we! And we are fitly framed together and this groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord! Read I Corinthians 12 verse 13. The term temple here in this verse is in the Greek language Naos which refers to the sanctuary to the specific section Holy of Holies. In this holy sanctum dwelt the very presence of God Almighty. Now through the blood of Christ, God dwells in our midst my dear brothers and sisters. That's why we can come boldly unto the throne of Grace. Hebrews 4 verse 16. Everyone of us who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ dwells in the very presence of God! We in the Body of Christ therefore bear one anothers burdens! Ephesians 2 verse 22 In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation (dwelling place) of God through the Spirit Verse 22: In Whom. This is Christ we are also builded together as the Body of Christ. We as members forming this Church. Christ is the Head of the Church and we are the members. The Body of Christ, the Church is an habitation. Exactly a dwelling place of God through His Spirit which is given to anyone, every believer who believes in Christ!! In I Corinthians 12:13 we read: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. We see and read here in this verse that the Spirit of God baptizes us into one body the moment we accept Christ as personal Savior!! We are sealed with that Holy Spirit. God is living in us through His Spirit my dear brothers and sisters!! Ephesians 1:13-14. We all are new men in Christ. How wonderful is our God and what a love of Him!! Thank everyday for this my brothers and sisters!!! Ephesians Chapter 3 Ephesians 3 verse 1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, Verse 1: Paul is the author of the epistle to the Ephesians. When he wrote this epistle he was a prisoner, he was in jail. Probably when he wrote this epistle it was his first imprisonment in Rome because he stood there for Caesar and because he was a prisoner of the hope of the resurrection and for the gospel of the grace of God Acts 20:24: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” In Acts 21 verse 27 we can read how Paul became a prisoner. It was in Jerusalem, his last visit to this city! “ And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people , and laid hands on him” In verse 33 we can read that the Roman soldiers took him (Paul) and bound him with two chains. Because Paul appealed unto Caesar that’s why we read in Acts 27 that Paul as prisoner was sent to Rome. In Acts 28 we read in verse 16: “And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him” And in verse 30 we read: “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him.” Probably from his hired house and surely from his first imprisonment he wrote the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. More verses to prove that Paul was a prisoner we can read in Ephesians 4:1, II Timothy 1:8: “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. And in 2 Timothy 2:8 and 9: Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds: but the word of God is not bound” God's Word is never bound, it will not end!!! It is forever!!! He Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles Romans 11: 13: For I speak to you Gentiles, forasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office" Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles and prisoner in Rome! In 1 Timothy 2:7 we read that he is a teacher of the Gentiles, in 2 Timothy 1:11 we read an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles! He says here that he is a prisoner of Jesus Christ, he never considered himself a prisoner of Rome. Even people from the household of Caesar came to Paul to listen to God’s Word of Grace.! Philippians 4:22. In 2 Timothy we read about Paul’s second imprisonment what was more worse than the first imprisonment and in the last days of his life he writes to Timothy and also to us: Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me: that by me the preaching might be fully known; and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion” 2 Timothy 4:17,18. He, Paul, asks Timothy to come with speed to him because Paul was on the end of his life: “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand” 2 Timothy 4:6. Ephesians 3 verse 2 "If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward; Verse 2: Than is this second verse we read about the dispensation of the grace of God. First what is a dispensation? This word is translated from the Greek word oikonomia. It comes from the 2 words oikos that is house and nemo is to dispense, to distribute. Literally: to have an administration. House management! It is an administration with rules etc. The apostle Paul was the first person and responsible to dispense the dispensation of the grace of God. To make it known for the believers at Ephesus and for us!!!! In I Corinthians 9:16, 17 Paul tells us: For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” For almost 2000 years now we as members of the body of Christ live under the dispensation of God’s grace. It’s the administration for the body of Christ with rules for us as believers according to God’s grace. Under a dispensation dealt God with those under Him, especially with man. The dispensation of the law was committed to Moses and Moses proclaimed the law to Israel. We read in John 1:17: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Yes this is true: Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. But in John 1 verse 17 we don't read what this exactly is. What is the content. However the dispensation of grace was committed to Paul. He received this at first from the risen Lord. The principles of God, this has to do with His character, His nature will not change. God's dealings with men do change from time to time. Ephesians 3 verse 3 How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Verse 3: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery. By revelations God made known the hidden things, the mystery, to the apostle Paul. This was not made known before to men. It was hidden with God. This mystery was alone known with God before the world exists. It was from heaven; from the risen Lord Jesus Christ Paul got the mystery and the gospel of Grace. In Acts 26 verse 16 we read: But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which i will appear unto thee. Another verse is in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 1: It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. And in verse 7 of this chapter: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. The apostle received the Gospel, the Mystery through revelations from the risen Lord from heaven directly. Paul never saw the Lord on earth. These verses let us see that the apostle Paul had many revelations and visions. God revealed more times to let Paul know the whole gospel of grace under the dispensation of Grace, to let him know the mystery Romans 16:25, 26 for the obedience of faith! The definition of the mystery is: Jew and Gentile one in Christ by the blood of Christ! Read Ephesians 2:13-15!!! These are the words what the apostle Paul wrote before this chapter in chapter 1 and 2!!!!! Brothers and sisters: Learn and study the Epistles of the apostle Paul Romans-Philemon (13 epistles) and make it your own. This is your spiritual food for today, for you as member of the Body of Christ. Ephesians 3 verse 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Verse 4: As reader of the Bible, as believer in the body of Christ if we read all what the apostle Paul wrote about the mystery God gave him a lot of wisdom and knowledge (deeper knowledge)in this. Paul was well learned in it and could explain it very well! You see it in all his epistles!!! For example before Agrippa and Festus in Caesarea in Acts 26: the apostle Paul was in prison and he appeared for them. Paul explained them how he was saved by the Lord Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus and then in verse 23: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. And in 24: AND as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad!!! The answer from the apostle Paul is: But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the word of truth and soberness. Persons like Festus and others thought that the apostle Paul was mad or crazy because of all the wisdom and knowledge he had in God’s Word, but Paul was not mad because is our example in believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and we have to follow him, Paul as he followed Christ according to the gospel of the Grace of God. In I Corinthians 11:1 we read: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” We have to follow Paul! In another verse he says:”For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me” I Corinthians 4:15, 16. It is sad to say that most believers in Christ are not following the apostle Paul as he followed Christ according to the mystery Romans 16:25, 26. They don’t see the apostle Paul as the apostle for the Gentiles, for the body of Christ, as our example. Their gospel is a mixed gospel of law and grace. Mixing prophecy and mystery, not seeing the difference between them. The opponent of God satan blinds them! Oh we have to pray for all of them that they come to know the gospel of Grace and come out of this blindness!!!! 1 Timothy 2:4”Who (that is God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Ephesians 3 verse 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" Verse 5: The Mystery was in other agaes not made known unto the sons of men. It was a secret with God. The mystery was first revealed to the apostle Paul. He received it by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ of glory! God hadn’t made it known to men, it was a secret and God kept it secret and when the time was there He revealed this mystery through revelations to the apostle Paul so that he could dispense this to the people and that they became to know it through all his epistles!!!! We have in the time of the apostle Paul more apostles: for example Barnabas, Apollos and maybe Luke. There are also prophets like Agabus and the daughters of Philip. Apostles and prophets who were with Paul. We read in Ephesians 4:11: And He gave some apostles; and some prophets, and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. The first two: apostles and prophets disappeared, we don’t have them now because the Word of God is complete from Genesis till Revelation. We read in Colossians 1:25: Whereof I am made a minister according to the Dispensation of God (The Dispensation of Grace) which is given to me for you, to fulfil the Word of God" Paul was the one who completed the Word of God. After this the whole Bible was and is complete. This commentary on this verse will end with the famous words: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” Ephesians 3 verse 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel: Verse 6: Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Mystery which was entrusted to Paul from the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. One of the mysteries/musterion was this that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs of the same Body and partkakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel. In other ages the Gentiles were strangers we have seen in the second chapter of Ephesians but now through the blood of Christ, the good News or the Gospel of Gods Grace they are now also partakers. Because of this Romans 11 verse 32: For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all" Now in Christ there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. We are the same for God: One new man in Christ through the promise in Christ by this Gospel of Grace!! All through the cross on Calvary!! Not that Israel was a channel of blessing but because of their fall God stopped His plan with Israel for a time and and began a New plan: to save people individually through Christ. No matter who you are, where you come from. For God we are all the same. Read Romans 11:11,12! In Titus 1 verse 2 we read: In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" To whom God promissed this? To people? No He promissed this all to Himself and He is God and what He promissed He does. We men in general promiss other people things or promiss to ourselves things but because of the sin nature we lie and do not. God cannot lie. He is without sin so what He promiss He does. Ephesians 3 verse 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the Grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Verse 7: Why called God Paul? He had called the 12 apostles. Why God called this one man to be a apostle? Yes the Lord Jesus Christ choose 12 apostles to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom and to begin in Jerusalem. They began in Jerusalem Acts 2. Later in chapter 3, 4 and 5 you read that the leaders of the folk Israel refused to believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ. They had another chance but didn't want and in Acts 7 they resist also the Holy Spirit. In Acts 9 God choose His new apostle the apostle Paul who was a murderer and persecutor of the church of Jerusalem. He was a Pharisee and he was also a Roman citizen. With the call of Paul God began His new dispensation namely the Dispensation of the Grace of God. In Galatians 1 verses 15 and 16 we read:But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" God made known through revelations to Paul His Mystery and the Gospel of the Grace of God through the Mystery and the apostle Paul had to make it known. He was the first who heard all this. This went by the effectual working of His power. With the power of the resurrection!! The Mystery was new, the Gospel of the Grace of God was new Acts 20:24, Romans 16:25-26 and the apostle Paul defends it many times because a lot of the world then didn't believe this was true and nowadays most of the people in this world do not believe this too. But brother and sister: you can read the 13 epistles of the apostle Paul and you can believe it, to accept this as the message for today and do it because this shall change your thinking, manner of life etc. It has changed my life from the first beginning when I began to learn it. If this has changed my life it surely can change your life too!! Ephesians 3 verse 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Verse 8: Unto Paul the gospel of God’s grace was given. He was the first man who was saved by grace alone, by faith alone and in Christ alone!!!! The first man in the body of Christ! He, Paul, says here I am the least of all saints. He, Paul of Tarsus the bitterest enemy of God. He persecuted the church at Jerusalem. In Acts 26 verses 9-11 we read: I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. He calle himself the least of all saints and God saved him, Paul, by grace alone, by faith alone in Christ alone. And so we are also saved my dear brothers and sisters. What a merciful God we have! It was for him, Paul, amazing that the Lord took him to be His servant and to make known or preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ!!! In 1 Timothy 1:15 we read: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” And in the same chapter in I Timothy 1:12,13 the apostle thanks our Lord: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, Who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” In I Corinthians 15:9,10 we read: “For I am the least of the apostles , that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain: but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” The apostle Paul was appointed a preacher, and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles 2 Timothy 1 verse 11. God saved Saul of Tarsen, later Paul named near Damascus and said to him what to do: But rise, and stand uopon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minster and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee" Acts 26:16. From a murderer and persecutor of Jesus Christ Paul became a servant of Jesus Christ and the apostle of the Gentiles and he was allowed to proclaim the Gospel of the Grace of God in this sin world, to every person who wanted to hear the Gospel and accept it. Read for yourselves Romans 16:25-26. This is the Gospel of the Grace of God and this is for today and is the truth my dear brothers and sisters see Colossians 1:5-6. The unsearchable riches of Christ: What God had done through His Son Jesus Christ on the cross for us. What the Glory of the cross is. Paul said in I Corinthians 1 verse 17 the following: For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, letst the cross of Christ should be made of none effect" This Gospel is alone in the epistles of the apostle Paul Romans-Philemon. It is not written in the rest of the Bible. It was known only with God before the world began. And God revealed this on His time with the conversion of the apostle Paul which He ordained to proclaim this to every individual man/woman. Ephesians 3 verse 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Verse 9: This is the purpose of the apostle Paul had to proclaimed: to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery! So that everyone would knew the truth Colossians 1:5-6. This was never told to people by God because it was hid in Him and this Mystery was first revealed to the apostle Paul. The mystery: Jews and Gentiles reconciled by the cross of Jesus Christ. No difference between them anymore but a new man, a new Body: the Body of Christ which is the Church!!! This Church , the Heavenly Church where we are members of my dear brothers and sisters!!! This Church has a heavenly hope I Thessalonians 4:13-18. If you believe it or not this shall happen in the future!!! He Christ is our Head, the Head of the Body of Christ, the Church. Colossians 1:18. What a blessing we have in Christ!!! Colossians 1 verse 16: ”For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him.” And God through the epistles of the apostle Paul, His Word will say to us all that we have to see the Mystery and have fellowship of the Mystery!! Now personally: Do you see what is the fellowship of the mystery my dear brother, sister? If not read and learn the epistles of the apostle Paul which is the truth: Romans-Philemon. This is your spiritual food for today, your personally spiritual food!! Ephesians 3 verse 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, Verse 10: The Church, the Body of Christ and we are members of this Church, this heavenly Church my brothers and sisters. To the Church is given this task, this commission to make known the manifold wisdom of Christ. What means manifold wisdom : suggests variety, diverseness; polupoikilos has this meaning more intensely! varied multifaceted or multicolored. To what? To the principalities and powers in heavenly places. What are the principalities and powers here in this verse? We know from Colossians 1 verse 16 that principalities and powers were created by Jesus Christ. They, the principalities and powers in heaven are now learning about the Mystery through us, the church. Powers and principalities are angels created by God through Jesus Christ. Not even the elect angels knew anything about God's eternal purpose for the Body of Christ. After dark ages the mystery is again preached through the church and the angels are rejoicing in this that they hear this through the ones of the Body of Christ who proclaim this Mystery to others and also to them. They hear the manifold wisdom of God! Do you join with me and make known the Gospel of the Grace of God known to this lost world, to the ones who don't know the Gospel of Gods Grace, this manifold wisdom of God!!! Ephesians 3 verse 11 According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: Verse 11: The eternal purpose of God which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. What is this? God had before the foundation of the world purposed that He Himself should save this world through His Son Christ Jesus our Lord to let Him die on the cross to pay the prize for all mankind, to pay from everyone the debt!!! This was His eternal purpose! He died for us all and paid with His Own blood on that cross. He died not His own death, He died our death!!! He did this for you and me my dear reader!! He was buried and was resurrected and is alive so that individual persons like you and me could have eternal life in Him. In I Timothy 2 verses 3-4 we read: For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Romans 5 verse 8 tells us:But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He died for us and on that moment we were yet sinners. Think about this my dear reader! If you read this know this you are a sinner. You cannot save yourself from all your sins. You need a Savior and this is Christ Who died for you and stood up from the death to give you eternal life in Him! Believe that Christ died for you on that cross on Calvary and accept this and accept that He is your Savior. Do it now!! You are one step away from eternal life! Tomorrow it can be to late. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved forever!! Ephesians 3 verse 12 In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Verse 12: In Whom? Who is this? This is Christ. We have boldness and access with confidence in Christ. And it is by the faith of Him. Christ had made open the way to God the Father! In Ephesians 2 verse 18 we read: For through Him we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. He Christ gave His life for us on that cross on Calvary. His Own blood for us and He is alive because He stood up from the dead!! And now we are made alive in Him and in Him we have boldness and access! This is Great my dear brothers and sisters!!! For us the way is open to God the Father so that we call Him Abba Father. We can always pray to Him. What a great fact this is my brother and sister: our life if now in Him and we can reach God every moment of the day. Not as the folk Israel that should not draw near to God for example in the desert! Through God's Spirit by which we are sealed till the day of redemption we have this boldness and acces with confidence by the faith of Him. Read Ephesians 4:30 Ephesians 3 verse 13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. Verse 13: The apostle had to suffer a lot for the Gospel of the Grace of God. In Acts 9 verse 16 our Lord from heaven told Ananias the following words: For i will shew him how great thngs he must sufer for My Name's sake. This is what God told Ananias from Paul. The apostle Paul after his conversion his life was full of danger, tribulations, persecutions and at the end of his life he was beheaded under Ceasar Nero because Paul proclaimed the Gospel of the Grace of God, he proclaimed God's truth. Colossians 1:5-6. The truth is powerful and a few people in this world now want to know it. Why is this. Well people are then confronted with themselves and people want to live as they live now and will not change in their lives. The apostle Paul told the Ephesian believers that he desired that they faint not because of his tribulations because through his tribulations there was a reason for them to continue to believe in the Gospel of Grace which brought much fruit in their lives and continue to proclaim this to other people in this world. In Colossians 1 verse 5 and 6 we read: For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the Gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you since the day ye heard of it, and knew the Grace of God in truth" This is what the apostle Paul proclaimed and wherefore he had a lot of tribulations of this. In II Corinthians 11 verses 24-27 we read: Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. The apostle Paul suffered a lot and had a lot of tribulations and those tribulations was for the Ephesian believers a motivation to continue in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and that was their glory and this should also be our glory my dear brothers and sisters!! We have not to suffer like Paul suffered in his life for our Lord Jesus Christ. Delay is standing still and this brings a danger with it where the adversary of God, satan have good advice. It is for us who know the truth and stand for it also to continue and not to faint to proclaim this wonderful message of Grace and make it known the truth of God and suffer for this and not to be afraid for anything. Ephesians 4 verse 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Verse 14: For this cause! Which cause? The apostle Paul speaks here a prayer to God and went on his knees litterally to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He began to pray for the Ephesian believers and indirect for us too. This cause is the manifold wisdom of God which is spoken here. He prayed to God that they should have the courage to continue in the faith of Christ despite the tribulations which overcame the apostle Paul and that he had to suffer so much. He prayed to God on his knees. This is beautiful to see and let you see how Paul was submissive and humble to God. We should do the same my brother and sister to pray to God on our knees in daily life because this shows respect to God our Father. I remember my grandmother who did this regular in her bedroom to pray on their knees. Ephesians 3 verse 15 Of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Verse 15: Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. We read these words here in this verse but what does this mean? It is speaking of the Body of Christ here in this verse. The whole family/the Body of Christ, the Church, the heavenly Church is in heaven (those who sleep in Christ) and on earth (we who live here on the earth). The ones in heaven are the ones who died physically and are there litterally without a body and waiting just like us who serve God here on earth till the day of redemption. Ephesians 4: 30. In Christ we are one and He is our Head. We are the members whether we live here on eath or sleep in the Lord Jesus Christ. We depend on Him and His Name is above all! Ephesians 3 verse 16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; Verse 16: This verse my brothers and sisters is a part of the prayer the apostle Paul did for his brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ in Ephesus. He prayed here to God and not only for them in the first place but also for the ones who would live after! We also! What is to grant? That God would give you (a gift, a cadeau) according the riches of His Glory and of His Grace that we should be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man. That we should be stronger in the inner man. How? Through His Word of Grace which is able to build us up Acts 20:32 and through the Spirit of God which is living in us!! How is God working in us you ask yourself. Well as believers we have a old and a new nature. We are new man in Christ. Our new nature want to serve God in our Lord Jesus Christ. The new nature with help of the Holy Spirit want to serve God through His Word. Then we are strenthened with His might. Our old nature want to serve our flesh. The old nature is never satisfied, want more and more things. With the new nature you want to put on the new man which is created in Christ Jesus. To lead ourselves by His Spirit through His Word. Romans 10:17 . Then we are renewed day by day my dear brothers and sisters. Ephesians 3 verse 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, Verse 17: The prayer continues. Here speaks the apostle Paul to us personally my dear brothers and sisters!!! That Christ may dwell in your and mine heart by faith. His faith is spoken here! This was the wish and that is also the wish of God that Christ may dwell in our hearts my dear brothers and sisters. And now the question to you: is the Lord Jesus Christ dwelling in your heart by His faith. Are you rooted and grounded in love, in Gods love? No one of us can know this but by God's Gospel of Grace. Through this Gospel what the Gospel is for today we can grow in faith and will be build up Acts 20:32 read this again for yourselves!!! Through this Gospel of Grace we know and understand more and more what it means that Christt dwells in our heart and that we will be rooted and grounded in love. So I tell you : learn and study the epistles of the apostle Paul and learn to rightly dividing the Word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15. We are as believers in Christ free but use not this freedom for the flesh but serve God through His Word. Colossians 3:1-3. Ephesians 3 verse 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; Verse 18: The prayer to God Paul prayed here is that every believer in Christ of Ephesus and we too are able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, length, depth and heigth. What does this mean my dear brothers and sisters. What is the apostle Paul talking about? And is this possible? Verse 17, the verse before this verse can't separate you from this verse. It all is in Paul's prayer to God. We saw in verse 17 that God's Grace builds us, through this Gospel we are rooted and grounded in love, the love of God. In Acts 20:32 we read again: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. It is now to comprehend with all the believers in the Body of Christ the dimensions of the Mystery of God. The apostel Paul begins first with the breadth: what is that? These are all the believers, the whole Body of Christ which contents Jews and non Jews (Gentiles) Ephesians 4 verse 4 tells us: One body is it! And in I Corinthians 12 verse 27 we read: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. So the breadth my dear brothers and sisters has to do with the whole Body of Christ in heaven and on earth Second we read here about length: This means the patience of God. God put His earthly plan with Israel aside for a while because of their unbelief Romans 11:11, 25 with the purpose that He perfect and righteous this world could judge because of rejecting His Son Jesus Christ. Romans 11: 32. But instead of judging this world He had/has mercy upon all. All individual person in this world, past, present and future! Through revelations He revealed to the apostle Paul a new Dispensation, the Dispensation of the Grace of God Ephesians 3:1-3 and offered the world the riches of His Grace through His Son Jesus Christ through the finished work on the cross of Calvary. Every human being could be saved now I Timothy 1:15-16. Third we read here about depth: The depth in this verse has to do with this finished work of Christ on that cross! Through the epistles of the apostle Paul we can comprehend the deeper meaning of the cross, the finished work on the cross of Calvary, what took place there. The glory of the cross! The apostle Paul let us see in his epistles the Good News of the cross and how the Savior Jesus Christ our Lord gave Himself a ransom for all mankind (we inclusive my dear brothers and sisters) on the cross! I Timothy 2 verses 3-6 Read them all!! Fourth we read about the height: This means Christ glorification in heaven on the right Hand of the Father far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come Ephesians 1 verse 21. Israel had a earthly hope and we as members of the Body of Christ have a heavenly hope. Our hope is in Him, in Christ and this we can share with each other my dear brothers and sisters through God's Word of Grace. We can study and read this together in a world that is far from God and confused. Ephesians 3 verse 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Verse 19: What a beautiful verse this is my dear brothers and sisters: to know the love of Christ, which passedth knowledge. With our own mind we cannot comprehend the love of Christ! But through God's Spirit through His Word of Grace we can comprehend this. How wonderful is this. What is the love of Christ? In 2 Corinthians 5 verses 14 and 15 we read the answer: For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. This is it my dear brothers and sisters! He died for you and me on that cross: for our sins because we were all dead. Romans 5 verse 8. From darkness God took us out of this and placed us in His Son Jesus Christ, in the light. We were the enemies of God. But He saved us there on Calvary and saved us from the power of sin and gave us eternal life because He stood up from the dead. Death couldn't hold Him because He was and is without sin. He died our death. Every day He showed us His love and hold us fast. Read 8 verse 27! That we all might be filled with all the fulness of God. The fulness of God and the epignosis, the deeper meaning we can find in His Word of Grace Romans-Philemon. There we find the truth my dear brother and sister!! Man is proud in this world and he or she is proud from nature on his/her performance. God is still the infinite Person in all knowledge and wisdom my brothers and sisters. As believers in Christ we never belong being intimidated through the intelligence of this world with his systems because we have a higher position in Christ. All the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. The natural man cannot know God , cannot comprehend Him because he or she has not the Spirit of God. For to comprehend the Love of Christ you you must have the Spirit of God. Romans 8 verse 35 we read: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. No nothing can separate us from His Love. We are secure in Him 100% Ephesians 3 verse 20 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Verse 20: What a beautiful verse: Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly. What does that mean? To surpass abundantly above all that we ask or think. He does much more than that. And this my dear brothers and sister according to the power that worketh in us. Which power is this? This is the power of His resurrection in us. There is a inexhaustible fulness of Grace and mercy in God, which te prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. It is His Work, the Work of His Power in us. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty can we read in Ephesians 1 verse 19 and in verse 20 of the same chapter we read: Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places" This is that power, the power of His resurrection which God used when He raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. That same power works in us because we are resurrected with Him! Romans 6 verse 3-5. Oh how wonderful our God is my brother and sister!! Ephesians 3 verse 21 Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Verse 21: Unto Him is God. Unto God is the glory, be the glory in the Church, the Body of Christ through our Lord Jesus Christ. tot inallegeneraties, totin alle eeuwigheid. Troughout all ages: to all generations. The Body of Christ is not yet raptured I Thessalonians 4 verse 13-18. Otherwise we should not serve our Lord here on earth. World without end. What does that mean? The glory of God through Christ in the Body of Christ and that for all eternity. There will be no end of this!! Oh, dear brother and sister: we can thank God every day for this! To Him, to God is all the glory and honor!! Ephesians Chapter 4 Ephesians 4 verse 1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, Verse 1: In Dutch Bible the apostle Paul said that he prayed. Here he said I therefore, the prisioner of the Lord beseech you. What is beseech? It is a call, a pray, a desire of the apostle Paul that the believers in Ephesus should walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. He Paul was in prison in Rome. In 2 Timothy 2 verses 8 and 9 we read the following verses:Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. While Paul was a prisoner of Rome the Word of Gods Grace was not bound and became known with men. They heard it and believed it Romans 10:17. Now the apostle Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus and inclusive us too walk worthy of the vocation. What is vocation? The call is this and that was on the moment we were saved by God through Christ. To the Philippian saints the apostle Paul wrote: Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" Thus it is walk worthy of the call, our salvation in Christ and walk worthy according the Gospel of Gods Grace or the Gospel of Christ. This we have to do my dear brothers and sisters so that men can see from outside (unbelievers) that we are believers, that God is working in us through His Spirit. It depends on our attitude if we will this or not. Ephesians 4 verse 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Verse 2: Paul wrote this to the Ephesian believers and inclusive us as members of the Body of Christ. He prayed for them and urged them this. In Colossians 3 verse 12 we read: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" These words are not only for the believers then but also for us my dear brothers and sisters who are from the same Body, the Body of Christ. Lowliness what is the meaning of this? It is humble. From our nature we are not humble. We are from ourselves selfcentered. This is to learn because we are now in Christ. Meekness: this is friendly and tolerant, patient. Longsuffering: forbearing, much patience. We live in this world but we are not from this world. With the sin in this world it cannot be 100% walk in the Lord and do the things what we read here but it is as the apostle Paul says that we strive to. So let us be led by God's Spirit with Gods Word . Ephesians 4 verse 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Verse 3: We see the word endeavouring. What is the meaning of this word? To attempt, to strive to keep the unity of the Spirit. This is a call to all the members of the Body of Christ. To attempt the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. What does that mean? Unity here comes from the Greek word henotes what means unity of mind, purpose, feelings. The unity of the Spirit. We have the Spirit of God, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit who lives in us. This is a fact. But to keep the unity of the Spirit is another thing. As we see in the Church people keep not the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. How come? The answer is that a lot of people don't know what this is. A lot people in the Body of Christ dont know the Mystery and the Gospel of the Grace of God. A lot of them are blind and are in the bow of the devil. There are also a lot of them who don't want to wish what is the truth. For us who know this fully it is very difficult to have spiritual community with these brothers and sisters. In the the following verses we read and learn what is the unity of the Spirit. Ephesians 4 verse 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; Verse 4: The first what we see in this verse about the seven of the unity is One Body. What does that mean? This is the Body of Christ, the Church where we belong my brothers and sisters. In I Corinthians 12 verse 13 we read: For by one Spirit ae we all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. It is the heavenly Church of which we are members all through the operation of God's Spirit on the moment we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. In Ephesians 2 verses 13-18 we read already the following verses: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. In Christ there is no difference between Jew or Gentile. All the members of the Body of Christ are the same for God. In Ephesians 1 verse 22 we read:And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Christ is our Head my dear brothers and sisters and He sends us to as members of the Body, the Church. We are members of each other I Corinthians 13 verse 27 (read this for yourselves) In Galatians 6 verse 15 we read: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" This means my dear brothers and sisters that there is no difference and we are a new creature in Christ! Created in Christ! A new man in Him!! How wonderful this is! What was the purpose of God for the Body of Christ? Answer Ephesians 1 verse 4: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. What a love of God!! He hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world with the purpose that we as members of the Body of Christ should be holy and without blame before Him in love! Holy is apart. We have our place in Him. Thank God that He did this all for us!!! Through this epistle and through other epistles of the apostle Paul we can know this wonderful wisdom of God. Second we see here is one Spirit. This is the Spirit of God wherewith we are sealed till the day of redemption. Ephesians 1 verses 13-14 and Ephesians 4:30. It is the same Spirit of God but a different working then in Acts 2. We read there in early Acts that the 12 apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were under control of the Holy Spirit and could not sin. We as members of the Body of Christ can never be filled with the Holy Spirit as the believers of Acts 2. It was a complete different working what God worked there through His Spirit. The apostle Paul admonishes us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Read Ephesians 5 verse 18! We are called not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption. We are admonished to live the new life in Christ and not to serve our flesh my dear brothers and sisters. Galatians 5 verse 17 and 18 tells us: For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. And Romans 6 verses 12 and 13:Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Dear brothers and sisters: there is One Spirit. Through ignorance we hear that a lot of people pray that they may receive the Holy Spirit again and again in their hearts. We know that this not true because we know that the moment we accepted Christ as our Savior on that same moment we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of God. If we are lead with the Holy Spirit through His Word than the practical life will be better. The Third we see here in this verse is the one Hope the hope of our calling. What is that hope what we also read in I Timothy 1 verse 1. We read there that Christ our Hope is. The Rapture of the Church my dear brother and sister is our Hope. I Thessalonians 4 verse 13-18, II Corinthians 15:51-54, Titus 2:13, Philippians 3:20-21. The hope of our salvation. The salvation of God's wrath, the tribulation period. The salvation of our earthly bodies. That we will receive a new spiritual body. All in Him!! Ephesians 4 verse 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, Verse 5: First : One Lord. This is the Lord Jesus Christ dear brothers and sisters! He is immutable just like the Spirit of God. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His character never change! Only God's dealing with man is different. Christ now is not our King because He is rejected as King. Under this Dispensation is Christ the Head of the Church which is His body. As Head of the Body He sits on the Right Hand of the Father far above pricipalities, might and powers and God's will is that every man come to believe and came to know the Grace of Him. Ephesians 1 verse 19-23, Colossians 1: 5-6, I Timothy 2:3-4 Second: we see here in this verse is one faith. This is the faith of Christ which gives us salvation. This is the secret of the Gospel of Grace my dear brothers and sisters. Christ died on the cross of Calvary for mankind, yes for you and me what we could not bear. He died for our sins, He died our death so that we could live. We deserved eternal death but He without sin took the sin of this world and bear all the sins of the world in His body on the cross! He died not only for our sins, He was buried and after 3 days He stood up from the dead. Death could not hold Him I Corinthians 15:3-4. Philippians 2: 4-11, Romans 5:8. It is His faithfulness which saved us! How Great is our Lord!! The third thing we can read is the one baptism. This is the baptism which saves us! On the moment that we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior we are identified with Him. Our old man is crucified with Him on the cross, buried and we stood up with Him from the grave and now we are new men in Him Romans 6:3-5. Colossians 2:12. Waterbaptism cannot do this. This never saves us and it is also not as symbolic or a testimony. Waterbaptism belongs to the former Dispensation but has no place under this Dispensation of Grace whereunder we live now. We have through His blood the forgiveness of sins and that is sufficient my dear brothers and sisters. No works are required now for salvation. You have as human being only to accept finished work of Christ on the cross, what He did for you and you are saved. In I Corinthians 1 verse 17 we read: For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Ephesians 4 verse 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Verse 6: We as members of the Body of Christ, believers in Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) serve one God and Father. He is from eternity to eternity. God is God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit. Three in One. The Godhead is co equal and co eternal. God the Father hath made known His eternal purpose before the Church through His Dispensation of Grace. In Ephesians 1 verse 3-6 we read:Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" And in Ephesians 3 verse 11: According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" To save the world through our Lord Jesus Christ: that is and was God's purpose that God became our Savior in Christ to die for all mankind on the cross on Calvary and this He has done for us. And He was buried and stood up from the grave. His is alive my dear brothers and sisters! And He is now above all and through all and in us all through His Spirit. We have the mind of Christ. Thank God for this!! Romans 8 verse 15: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. Ephesians 4 verse 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Verse 7: What is the meaning of this verse? To everyone of us, every one of the Body of Christ is given Grace, God's Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. We know we are saved by Grace alone, by Faith alone and in Christ alone. The measure here implicates a degree! All the ministers and members of the Body of Christ, the Church, received all the gifts of Grace and all through Jesus Christ because He is the Gift of God. This is a good reason my dear brothers and sisters to love one another because we all have received this. We are all different from each other in the Body of Christ but received the same things of God. This is something to think about! Thank God for His wonderful Gift in Christ! And this we can do every moment on every day! Ephesians 4 verse 8 Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Verse 8: What is the meaning of this verse my dear brothers and sisters? He, Christ, stood up from the grave. He is resurrected and He is ascende up on high. In Ephesians 1 verse 20 and 21 we read: Which He wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" He, Christ is resurrected and ascended to heaven, up on high. He sits at the right hand of the Father on high. In His ascension He led captivity captive. In John 20 verses 16-17 we read: Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. This ascencion is in harmony with the activities of the High Priest on the day of atonement. The day that Christ died on the cross He descended until the lower parts of the earth, the not seen world namely Hades. He was there 3 days and 3 nights without the body. In I Peter 3 verse 19 we read: By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison. After His resurrection and that He was seen to Maria He took the captivity captive. For the people who were believers under the Old Testament the blood of animals couldn't take away their sins. This hindered them to be in the presence of a Holy and Righteous God. For them it was needful to be in the lower parts until the shadow became reality so that their sins would be taken away so far from the east to the west. That's why Christ went to heaven and took this with Him to heaven: the Paradise and this is now in heaven my dear brother and sister! To prove this we read II Corinthians 12 verses 1-5: It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For near 100% the apostle Paul speaks here about himself and on the moment he was stoned to die that he was caught up into heaven , the third heaven where the Paradise is now. He had hear there things which it is not lawful for a man to utter. And God gave men gifts. Ephesians 4 verse 9 (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? Verse 9: As we have seen in the last verse is that Christ descended first to the lower parts of the earth because of the fact that there the believers of the Prophecy were there. They died like poor Lazarus and came on the site of Abraham (on the good site of Hades). By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison I Peter 3 verse 19. He took this part of Hades which was the Paradise to heaven and not it is in the third heaven. The Prophetic saints wait for the 1000 years reign of Christ on earth. To make the finished Work complete is Christ resurrected and He is ascended into heaven and God set highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name. Philippians 2 verse 9. He, Christ, is the perfect Sacrifice. The hope of the saints of the Prophesy is this: Their hope is on this earth. We read in Jude 14 and 15 the following: And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints. To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. This will be when our Lord Jesus Christ will be back on this earth and all the believers of the Prophecy will be with Him on the earth. Now we understand that He after He had died for our sins and for all mankind their sins on the cross must first descend to the earth and after that after the resurrection ascend into heaven. Ephesians 4 verse 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. Verse 10: Christ is He and He is descended and resurected and ascended far above all heavens. Again in I Peter 3 verse 19 we read: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; He Christ preached to them the Good News there in Hades. He ascended on High to present Himself to the Father as proof of the fact He had offered the once for all Sacrifice. This was in fulfillment Hebrews 9: 11-14:But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Christ led captivity captive thus liberating those confined to the center of the earth. They were presented to the Father as the first trophies redeemed by the blood. The hope of the prophetic saints is earthly we know and they are waiting in heaven the millenial kingdom. Today paradise is located in the third heaven. This according the Prophecy and according the Mystery this: He led captivity captive but goes on and gave gifts unto men. The Greek word here is Doma and in verse 11 the apostle Paul explains what those gifts are. Christ has done everything. He died for all mankind from Prophecy and Mystery. He died for our sins, was buried and resurrected and is now far above all principality, power, might and dominion. He is on the right hand of the Father and gave gifts to men under this Dispensation of Grace for the Body of Christ to build up and give them the wisdom of God. To the perfecting of the saints. Another beautiful word we can read in Hebrews 9 verse 24: For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us" That's why He ascended up High in heaven to fulfill all things. The finished Work of Christ is now reality. The centre of the Bible is the cross on Calvary, the deeper meaning of the cross, the glory of the cross and what happened after the cross: descending, resurrection and ascending and the place of Christ on the right Hand of the Father in heaven above all. Ephesians 4 verse 11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Verse 11: Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. We live under the Dispensation of the Grace of God read Ephesians 3 verses 1-3. From Colossians 1 verse 25 we can conclude that the Bible, God's Word complete is. The Bible is from Genesis till the end of the book Revelation. We have the whole Bible. Nothing shall be revealed anymore from God. The Bible is the most read book in the world. The most translated Book in the world. Now we see here the gifts God gave when our Lord Jesus Christ was/is in heaven on the right Hand of the Father. He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelist, pastors and teachers. The first we see here is apostles: What are apostles? What is a apostle? The word comes from the Greek word Apostolos which means an ambassador of the Gospel, the Good News, officially a commisioner of Christ. A messenger chosen by Christ and sent by Christ with the Good News. You have the 12 apostles who were commissioned the Gospel of the Kingdom and we have the One apostle Paul which proclaimed the Gospel of the Grace of God. In the second place you had also apostles. In I Corinthians 4 verse 9 we read: For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. Here we concluded that the apostle Paul and Apollos, Barnabas in the second place were the last apostles who ever lived. In the time when the apostle Paul lived on earth there were also prophets. One of them was Agabus Acts 21 verse 10-11 and Philip had 4 daughters who were virgins and who prophesy. Acts 21 verse 9. What is a prophet? A foreteller, an inspired speaker, a poet. This person came with God's Word and could foretell what would happen. With the completion of Gods Word of Grace the Bible became complete and apostles and prophets disappeared. What exists is this evangelists, pastors and teachers. What are evangelists? It is a preacher of the Gospel. Which Gospel? The Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20:24. A bringer of the truth: the deeper knowledge of the cross, the glory of the cross on Calvary! That is a evangelist. What is a pastor? Greek word Poimen: a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks. Pastors guide as weel as feed the flock Acts 20:28 (spiritual food: Gods Word) This is reflected in a local congregation my dear brothers and sisters! Teachers: Greek word Diadakalos. Christ Himself was and is a Teacher. The apostle Paul was/is a teacher of the Good News of Grace Acts 20:24, 32. Timothy and Titus were also teachers, shepherds and evangelists. Paul himself was all of them in his life on earth. He admonished Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. In 2 Timothy 4 verse 5 we read: But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry! Just as Timothy was admonished to do this we are also admonished to do this my dear brothers and sisters to do the work of an evangelist. To make known the Gospel of the Grace of God and teach people who to read the Bible 2 Timothy 2:15. With this note that first you have to know and believe the Gospel of the Grace of God and know to read the Bible rightly dividing the Word of truth. Otherwise you cannot teach other persons about this Good News. Ephesians 4 verse 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Verse 12: Brothers ans sisters: for the perfecting of the saints. This is the purpose behind the gifts God had given to the Body of Christ, the Church. We have just seen in verse 11 what kind of gifts God gave to us and we have seen the gifts which remain after the completion of Gods Word the Bible. We have now Pastors, teachers and evangelists. They are given for the Body of Christ to edify the saints in the Body of Christ. To give them Biblelessons so that the other members of the Church will be build up and be perfect also in walk in daily life. For the work of the ministry. And for the editying of the Body of Christ. Thus for 3 reasons: 3 is a holy number. For the work of the ministry: this is a real ministry what evangelists, sherpherds/pastors and teachers are involved. This is all under God's sovereignity and to build up the Body of Christ. How is the Body of Christ been build up? Through God's Gospel of Grace so that people/members not anymore be tossed and fro with all the false teachers. Evangelists, pastors and teachers are responsible for this and for them it is also very important to be trustful not only to deal out the Gospel of Grace with all the deeper things therein but also in walk: that they walk according their calling daily so that they are a example for people. They have also to learn others how to read the Bible 2 Timothy 2:15. The preachings from them are for encouragement, build up and challenging. It has to be like this. Everyone of us has stark and weaker things in ourselves from nature. It is very important when you want to minister ( to be evangelist, teacher or pastor) in the ministry you have the will to do it and depend on God whatever will happen. Ephesians 4 verse 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Verse 13: What does this mean: till we all come in the unity of the faith? The apostle Paul is speaking over the unity in the faith. The responsibility for pastors, teachers and evangelists just like the apostle Paul who made known everything from God's Gospel of Grace. The example we have here in Acts 20: 20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house" It is the whole counsel of God through the Gospel of Grace. With this purpose that everyone in the Body of Christ come in the unity of the faith. The faith of Christ. It is to tell people the truth Colossians 1:5-6 and also how to read the Bible 2 Timothy 2:15. The pastor, teacher and evangelist make it in his Biblestudies, preachings lively for the people and encourage and build up the believers who are hearers of his preachings/ Biblestudies. As long as the Body of Christ will be here on earth God will work through those pastors, teachers and evangelists. The unity of the Church. Can this be reality now on earth? Now another question: Has the Church, the Body of Christ acknowledged the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery Romans 16:25-26? On this moment not otherwise it should be far better than it is now with all kind of differences of men. When believers come to the unity of the faith we weill alll be of one mind concerning Paul's apostleship and message. Now the knowledge of the Son of God. This is the deeper knowledge, the epignosis of the cross, the finished work of God in His Son Jesus Christ. Unto a perfect man: in knowledge, grow build up. God will give us the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ. Conclusion: personally I do not believe the Body of Christ or the Church will reach the unity of the faith or the full knowledge of Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery till the Rapture will come. Till the Rapture may God give us brothers and sisters who stand for the truth, for the Gospel of the Grace of God the strength to follow the Devine order and to make known the Mystery with a lot of enthousiasm and sincere! Ephesians 4 verse 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Verse 14: When we as members of the Body of Christ reach the unity of the faith, the full knowledge of Christ, that we are a perfect man in Him then we are no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine. The Gospel of the Grace of God brings clarity and rest for the members of the Body of Christ and also the rightly dividing the Word of Truth because if people don't know how to read the Bible than the danger of tossed to and fro is very noticeable and this you see with a lot of people is my experience: to be carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, deceived. This happened also to me before I came to know the full knowledge of the Mystery of God. The Mystery, the Gospel of the Grace of God and rightly dividing the Word of God gives us strength, build us up and we grow in the spiritual life through this. The riches of God's Gace you can find in the epistles of the apostel Paul from Romans-Philemon. This is our daily spiritual food. To take the step to stand for this brings us not anymore in tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. Are you willing my dear reader to stop the false doctrines who tossed you to and fro and brings you in a unstable position and come to know the know the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery which is for the obedience of faith? Do it because your life will be changed complete. This is the will of God I Timothy 2:3-4. So stop being unwise but learn the wisdom of God for today in the epistles of the apostle Paul. Ephesians 4 verse 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, Which is the Head, even Christ Verse 15: But speaking the truth in love. What is the truth? Again we read Colossians 1 verse 5 and 6: For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the Gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you since the day ye heard of it, and knew the Grace of God in truth. The truth is the Gospel of the Grace of God and that we may speak this Gospel of Grace in love and may grow up into Him in all things. In Colossians 2 vese 6 en 7 we read: As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. This can be alone if we began to accept the Gospel of God's Grace and want to be build up through this Good News in the spiritual life. Then we grow up into Him in all things Which is the Head even Christ. This is what God want. What will man in general: his own will, will not do the will of God. A question for you dear reader: will you grow and be build up in Him in all things or do you want to do your own will and stay in the false doctrines whereby ye be tossed and fro? You have to choose in your life. You cannot be neutral. Ephesians 4 verse 16 From Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Verse 16: How beautiful this verse is my dear brothers and sisters! We, my brothers and sisters are the member of this body, the Body of Christ, the CHURCH and Christ is our Head! This Body of believers whereunto we are members of is fitily joined together and stable through every joint supplieth. It is like a house with stones who formed that house upon a fundament. This is very stable because the stones they make joint together through bricklaying. The Body of Christ is not a organization but a organism. According to the effectual working in the measure of every part. This is the power of God who works effectual so that the whole Body of Christ can grow as a holy temple in the Lord. In Ephesians 2 verse 21 we read already: In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord" We as members of that Body of Christ, the Church are bound to each other. Maybe we don't know each other personally because the Church is worldwide still we are all the members of the Church. When one member suffer and we come to know this we suffer too. It is the same in your own body. When your finger hurts after a accident for example, the other members in your body feel that. So it is with the Church. Now the question for you my dear reader: Are you a member of the true Church, the Body of Christ? Or are you still in your sins and have not accept/ trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior? If not Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Believe that He died for your sins, was buried and is resurrected and alive and now sit on the right hand of the Father. Believe Romans 5 verse 8 (read it!) Do it now before it is to late! Tomorrow it can be to late because we don't know there comes a tomorrow. Ephesians 4 verse 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Verse 17: From this verse on brothers and sisters it is the practice of every day. How we walk as sons and daughters in the Lord? We have the wonderful position in our Lord Jesus Christ. This we have seen in the first 3 chapters of Ephesians and now it is the walk in Him. In Colossians 2 verse 6 we read: As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" In this verse it is not said how we have to walk. We can see this in this verse 17 of Ephesians 4: walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. What does this mean those words: in the vanity of their mind? It's air and emptiness. People around us who doesn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are empty from inside. their lives are empty and their insides are empty! They live without God and are dead through trespasses and sins just as we were what we can read in the next verse. We are now in Christ and not anymore in Adam and we are made alive in Christ. That is our position my dear brothers and sisters. So now we can walk according our position. First to recognize this and than comes the action through God's Spirit in our lives whereby we are sealed till the day of redemption! Ephesians 4 verse 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Verse 18: It is in this verse again about the unbeliever. The apostle Paul knew very well like no other what it was the understanding darkened, being alienated the life of God through ignorance that was in him before he was saved by the risen Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. And we know it too my dear brothers and sisters because man is from nature the understanding darkened and alienated from the life of God. Amazing what man can do today: men can on the basis of DNA track down criminals, they can make the biggest atombomb, they can mapping the depths of the oceans and much more but what men cannot is that men is not able to fulfil his greatest need and that is real spiritual life what God wants! Men cannot reach God, their Maker from themselves. How come? This is because of sin, the nature from which man is born Romans 5 verse 12 and that's why man from nature is the understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God. Romans 3 verse 11 tells us: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Brothers and sisters we live in a broken, sin world and our fellow men who around us in this world are in darkness and aliens from God. So we have not to walk like them my dear brothers and sisters. We are in the light, we are in the heavenly Kingdom of God. We are in Christ and this is real a blessing for us! Let us walk with the help of God walk different. That we make this also known in our prayer to God that He will do the work in us. Ephesians 4 verse 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Verse 19: This is a continuation of the former verses 17 and 18. Nowadays it is the same with unbelievers and even worser than the time when the apostle Paul lived. We have now TV, computers, internet, telephones, facebook, twitter and there are more things to count. You can see all uncleanness everyday, lasciviousness is on the order of the day in this world. In the past there was not so much attention for it but now you see it more and more. People try to hide it but sooner or later it comes to light. It is not easy in this time to stand for the truth brother and sister and live a life what pleases God instead of men or yourselves because we from nature are also weak. But we can choose my dear brother and sister. So choose for Gods Word of Grace Acts 20:32 which will build you up and strengthen you and let yourself be guided by God's Spirit through His Word. Ephesians 4 verse 20 But ye have not so learned Christ; Verse 20: But, this means a change. All above written is past. But ye have not so learned Christ. It will say you are complete different and have learned not to walk like the unbelievers anymorel. We all are in Christ. That's why we are called by God that we have not so learned. We have not learned from Christ, from God's Word to give ourselves over unto lasciviousness, all uncleanness with greediness for example like the unbelievers. From God's Word we learn the real agape, the real love because we are new men in Him. That's why we learn in verse 22 the following: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Ephesians 4 verse 21 If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus. Verse 21: How can we learn from God nowadays. Is God whispering us things or just with Paul make known through revelations the Mystery? No my dear brother and sister. God is working now with His Word, the Bible with us. Romans 10:17 tells us: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. How did the believers in Ephesus heard of Him and learned by Him? The answer is Colossians 1 verses 5-6: For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth. Through the truth which Paul and later other men like Timotheus which teach them this. They learned it and accepted this and they had later the epistles or parts of the epistles written to them. They learned also this II Corinthians 5 verse 16: Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. My dear brothers and sisters if we are open for the truth and our hearts longed for the truth like believers in old times then we come to know all the truths of the Gospel of the Grace of God. And now the question: Do you believe the Gospel of Grace and are you willing to learn and study this Gospel of Grace and let you be led by His Spirit through His Word? Our Lord is heaven and alive, He is the resurrected and exalted Lord today. We don't know Him according His earthly ministry which was under the Law and for His folk Israel. We know Him as our heavenly Savior and Lord and our hope is in Him. And the message of God is now Romans 16 verses 25 and 26: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith" So learn this truth, the Gospel of the Grace of God my dear reader! Read and study the epistles of the apostle Paul: Romans-Philemon. This gives you stability in your spiritual life, this gives you grow because it is the only Gospel for today, there is no other Gospel today!!! Ephesians 4 verse 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Verse 22: Put off concerning the former conversation the old man. Put off the old man. Our former conversation that we served only sin. The way we walked was just like the apostle Paul a dead end. Brothers and sisters: we were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in time past we walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. We had like other unbelievers around us in this world the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" Ephesians 2 verses 1-2, Ephesians 4 verse 18. The old man is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. We can choose my dear brothers and sisters. We have not to serve sin, we have not to serve our flesh. Let us read Romans 8: 5-10: For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. You see my dear brothers and sisters: we are not in the flesh, we are no more in our old man. We are new man in Christ everyone of us individually and God's will is that we put off the former conversation namely the old man. Why? The answer we can read in Romans 6 verse 6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the bod of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we shoud not serve sin. And in verse 12 of the same chapter we read: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. These Scriptures of the Word of God, the Bible are very clear. The question we have to ask ourselves is now do we want to put off the old man which is corrupt or do we like to serve our flesh than to serve God through His Word? Now the question to you my dear brother and sister: do you know and believe what you are in Christ? Do you want to serve God or do you serve your own flesh and serve sin? In Proverbs 21 verse 4 we read: An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. This is the unbeliever and we my dear brothers and sisters were the same. We had a high look, proud heart and were corrupt. We served sin but now in Christ sin has no dominion over us anymore. Now we know with the apostle Paul the following: For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for the will is present with me: but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7 verse 18 and then in verse 25 we read the conclusion which is now for us too my dear brother and sister: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. So we have not to serve sin my dear brother and sister. The unbeliever cannot! However we can serve God through His Word and then we serve the law of God, the law of righteousness! So we are admonished to serve and please God in our walk! Ephesians 4 verse 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind Verse 23: What is the meaning of this verse: be renewed in the spirit of your mind? The Greek word here is ananeoo what means reform, to renovate. It implicated that the course of life streamed in another direction before we accepted Christ as personal Savior. Now we are new men in Christ and we see my dear brothers and sisters in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 16 the following: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. It is the will of God that we will be renewed day by day. But how you will ask yourself because the flesh is weak? First we have to recognize that we are in Christ and in II Corinthians 3 verse 5 we read: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God. We have to realize this with our mind and make this ourselves. We belong daily to let us lead through God's Spirit which goes together with His Word of Grace Acts 20:32. If we do this and this depends on us if we want this then we read in Philippians 2 verse 13: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is pleasing God my dear brothers and sisters. Let Him do through His Word do the work in you. He can work on the spirit of our minds. This all through His Spirit through His Word!! Think about this for a while my dear brother and sister!! Ephesians 4 verse 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Verse 24: Put on the new man. We see in general in this world that most of the believers in Christ does not obey this: to put on the new man. What does it mean? In verse 22 we read and studied that we have to put off the old man. First we have to know what is the new man? We have to know and believe that we are new man in Christ. What did happen before we were new man in Christ? In Romans 6 verse 4 we read about our identification with Christ: Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. On the moment we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior we were identified with Him. We, our old man is crucified with Him on the cross, is buried with Him in the grave and we are raised with Him from the dead and we are new men in Him. This happened all, this is done. Now the call to put on the new man. It is first to recognize our identification with Christ, to believe this and accept this and than the practice: the will to do it. It depends on us my dear brothers and sisters if we want this otherwise we cannot grow. The new man is created after God in righteousness and true holiness. God sees us in Christ as new creatures my dear brothers and sisters without guilt before Him because the Lord Jesus Christ paid the full prize for our sins with His Own blood on the cross on Calvary. Now personally: do you want to put on the new man who you are in Christ. Do you want to serve God in the Spirit through His Word of Grace or do you want to serve your own flesh and feed it with worldly things for example or false doctrines and put not off the old man and experience unrest in your life! Ephesians 4 verse 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Verse 25: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ we are from nature lyers. God is true or truly and man is a lyer by birth because of our sin nature. We are born with it. As sons and daughters God we have still the sin nature in us and the presence of sin so that's why we sometimes lie to one another. God asks us here putting away lying and speak the truth each of us with his brother or sister in the Body of Christ because we are members of one another. What is the truth in this verse? To be trustful like the apostle Paul was in his life. In Acts 20 verse 20 he tells the elders of the church of Ephesus this: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house. He has told them in Ephesus the whole truth: all of the Mystery he knew on that time. If you as believer know the Mystery which Paul preached and you don't share this with people then you hide it and this is bad. Something not to tell another person for example you know very well is lying. So we have to be honest in everything and put away the lie because we are now in Christ my dear brothers and sisters! In Provers 12 verse 17 we read the following: He theat speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness, bua a false witness deceit. And in Colossians 3 verse 9 we read: Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. Ephesians 4 verse 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Verse 26: Angry is in the Greek orgizo or orgidzo. This is to provoke or enrage. become exasperated. And sin not. As a believer in Christ you can be angry but your angry should not degenerate in sin. We have as believers in Christ to make known everything to God in prayer. Philippians 4 verse 6-7 and let the wrath over to God because we read in Romans 12 verse 19: Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. And in Romans 12 verse 21 we read: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. This is very clear for us to do. If someone is ugly to us or catch us it is for us to be calm and not to give place unto wrath. Of course this is very difficult sometimes and we have to learn this as sons and daughters in Christ. It has also to do with our spiritual grow, how far we have grown up in Christ. Ephesians 4 verse 32 tells us the following: be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. The second part here is let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Don't sit with it that you have sleepless nights from it. In Psalm 4 verse 4 we read: Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed adn be still Selah. Legitimate or acceptable righteous anger against sin or unrighteousness can be productive and be good but we have not to continue to be angry and that it continues to gnaw at us. So this had to be learned my dear brothers and sisters and this doesn't happen overnight! Ephesians 4 verse 27 Neither give place to the devil. Verse 27: Never give the devil, satan place in our daily lives with God. The apostle Paul urged us here. It is very easy to give place to the devil because of the presence of sin we have still. If you for example in your life still be angry on anyone or things what you don't like the devil can play with it and you give place to him. Everyday the devil is busy to try to seduce us my dear brothers and sisters. In 2 Corinthians 2 verse 10 and 11: To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whm I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. Lest satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" Dear brothers and sisters we all have our weakness, shortcomings and everyone of us has his difficulties but with the apostle Paul we say: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place In Romans 8 verse 37 we read: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. And from Ephesians 6 verse 12 we may know: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high place" Don't forget God is always with us through His Spirit Who is living in us! Ephesians 1:13, 14. Ephesians 4 verse 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth Verse 28: Before we believed in Christ as Savior some of us were thiefs just like unbelievers. Some unbelieving people have the urge to steal. This can also be a certain deviation. Maybe before we came believers in Christ we steal also. Maybe not money or goods but to steal a cookie is also stealing or plagiarism is again stealing from another person his or her work. To lie is also not good. To do for example nothing on your work is also stealing from the time. Now we are in Christ my dear brothers and sisters and we have learned now from Gods Word not to steal. God asks us to work with our own hands and to do the things which are good. But what kind of work is good to do with our hands? Personally I think it is not good for us believers to work in the sexindustrie or as sex worker, to work in the drugscene or in a an abortion clinic or euthanasia clinic working for the underworld, maffia etc. The arms industry or selling weapons doesn't seem like a good place to work. This all what I mention here is against God's Word, against His will and is not pleasing Him I believe. There are countless places where we can work and everyone of us looks to what he or she can, what suits him or her! We have to realize this in Colossians 3 verses 22-24: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. In the work you do you do it heartily as for the Lord and ask God everyday that He may work through you and that you are friendly towards people, colleagues. Then you work very fine. You earn also money and this is not only for yourself but you can also give money to poor people or organizations who help people spiritual with God's Word of Grace so that they have enough finances to buy material etc for spreading God's Gospel of Grace into this world. Ephesians 4 verse 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Verse 29: Corrupt communication. What does God mean with this? This could be foul language what we here in the Netherlands hear a lot everyday, cursing God or crazy talk. This you hear a lot in this world wherein we live. The tongue is like fire my dear brother and sister. In James 3 verses 5-8 we read: Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. This is our tongue and we are born with this and through the sin nature we do this. But now we are in Christ. We should know now better and we can do better now with the help of our Lord through His Spirit Who is living in us. God longs for that we talk good to the use of edifying so that the hearers who hears us and whereunto we minister can be build up. If you for example curse in every sense or use crazy talk in our talking what must they think of us? Maybe they think what different we are from a unbeliever who curses the whole day in his or her sense or use a lot crazy talk. Be different my dear brother and sister and let this not proceed out of your mouth. Ephesians 4 verse 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Verse 30: We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God on the moment we believe in Christ as Savior for our lives. Ephesians 1:13 and 14: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. What does this mean and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God? It comes from the Greek word lupeo= be make sorry, sorrow. Yes the Holy Spirit of God is living in us and if we grieve the Holy Spirit we give on that moment not the room for the Holy Spirit to work in us through His Word. If we live according our flesh we grieve the Holy Spirit. The works of the flesh are known: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies etc Galatians 5 verse 19-20. If we are not led by the Holy Spirit but follow our flesh and fleshly lusts then God cannot work in us through His Spirit. We give on that time or moment not the place of the Spirit to rule in us. In Galatians 5 verse 25 we read: if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. So let us not grieve the Holy Spirit of God Who lives in us but be filled with the Holy Spirit everyday through His Word of Grace Acts 20:32 my dear brothers and sisters! Ephesians 4 verse 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: Verse 31: Brother and sister. You and me are new men in Christ and we asked here not to live according our flesh and in this negativity can't control our lives anymore! We have to put off this: all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking. He Paul says even here: put away from you this with all malice. Because otherwise we give place to the devil who whispers us this in our ears to do and to go back to our flesh and fleshly thinkings and everyday he tries to do this. But let us bring all things in prayer to God and let Him do the Work in us brother and sister. Prayer in this is very important! Ephesians 4 verse 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Verse 32: As new men in Christ now we are members of each other in the heavenly Church, the Body of Christ. Christ is our Head. We learn here that we have to be kind one to another, tenderhearted. What is this tenderhearted? Answer: compassioned, sympathetic, pitiful= Feeling corresponding to that which another feels; the quality of being affected by the affection of another. This has to be under each other my dear brothers and sisters and this cannot be 100% but we can strive to the 100%. We are forgiven through God in Christ on Calvary Colossians 1:14. We have the forgiveness of sins. And yes we can forgive one another because of this! The greatest example of forgiving another person is the example of Corrie ten Boom who forgave the guard of the camp who hurt her a lot and her family who were killed in that camp. This made a lot of impression on me and she did and could it do because God hath forgiven her in Christ so that she could forgive this former enemy, murderer. Ephesians chapter 5 Introduction In this chapter the apostle Paul continues to admonish the believers in Ephesus first to walk in love and also we are also admonished to walk in the love of God, the agape and not to walk according to the flesh. The will of God is that we please Him and not our own flesh and that is sin. Ephesians 5 verse 1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children Verse 1: Be ye: The apostle Paul urges in the first place the believers in Ephesus to be followers of God as dear children. We, now the members of the Body of Christ the Church are now urged to do this. It is really a call. The word here followers comes from the word imitators! Now the question how can we be imitators of God as dear children? He , God is without sin and allmighty and knows everything of us because Gods sees to our hearts. He is all knowing, omniscient. We can never be in this life as He is. That is for sure. In Psalm 139 verse 3-6 we read: O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, OLord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. This is a general truth my dear brothers and sisters and our God knows everything and this let us see the greatness of Him. God is everywhere. The knowledge indeed of Him is too wonderful for us, to high and we cannot attain it. It is to accept it and believe it. We individuals cannot hide ourselves from His presence. We can hide ourselves as Adam did in the garden of Eden. But God sees us and calls us and also there He finds us. He is mighty and He spoke and the universum with all the planets and stars were there. The heavens and the earth He made it! He created everything: the smallest things like atoms He made. In Colossians 1 verse 16 and 17 we read: For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And here in this verse we read that God is love because through His Son Jesus Christ He let see His love, the finished Work on the cross for mankind, for you and me! The most highest price someone paid for. He without guilt before us sinners, enemies Romans 5 verse 8. He paid in full for our sins so that our sins are forgiven my dear brothers and sisters. This will not say that we cannot sin anymore. We are still sinners but saved sinners forever in Christ brother and sister! It is for us to know and believe that God has forgiven us from past, present and future. Now again the question how can we be followers of Him? The answer is in Ephesians 2 verse 10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" If we choose this everyday my dear brothers and sisters then God can work in us and we have peace and rest. If we prefer to serve our flesh and sin than we will see the consequences of it like that it gets restless in our lives. Everyone has to think about this for ourselves. We can choose and this is a benefit relative to unbelievers around us in this world who cannot please God because they are in the flesh. In Romans 8 verse 8 and 9 we read: So then they that are in the flesh (unbelievers) cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His. Ephesians 5 verse 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Verse 2: Brothers and sisters: we are admonished here by the apostle Paul to walk in love. Our love we have to walk in? No it is not our love what the apostle Paul is speaking here in this verse. I remember in my younger days the song of the popgroup the Beatles All you need is love. Later we had here in the Netherlands on TV a program All you nee is love. It was like a dating program. But what is love? What is the love which the apostle Paul tells us here. It is the love as Christ also hath loved us. Here in this verse it is speaking about real love, agape. God's love that He gave Himself in Christ for us an offering and a sacrifice! This is real love what spoken is here and this is the love of God ! Not the love what the world gives you or your own love. That is not love. The human love is selfish but this is not with God's love. His love is real. He gave Himself for us sinners an offering and a sacrifice and this is a sweetsmelling savour to Himself . If we begin to walk now in His love through His Word and to love another one as God in Christ had love us then we fulfill the law of God. Romans 13 verse 10 tells us: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. God's love! God did this through His Son Jesus Christ. Not only for us, also for all mankind He did this so that every person in this world can accept this offering and sacrifice of Christ and can be a son or a daughter of God through believing. What a wonderful and loving God we have my dear brothers and sisters! Dear reader have you accept this offering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ? He did this for you and me. If not why to wait longer. Tomorrow can be to late! So do it now before it is to late. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved forever Acts 16 verse 31. Ephesians 5 verse 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Verse 3: Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know now the love of God in Christ and His Grace whereby we are saved forever Ephesians 2 verse 8-9 what our position is in Him. And now the practice of every day! In Colossians 3 verse 5 we read: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. We have to mortify all of this and the first of this we see here is fornication. In I Corinthians 6 verse 18 we read: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. God askes us to obey this my dear brothers and sisters. We as members of the Body of Christ have not to serve our flesh and fleshly thinkings, the former man, the old man but we have to serve God. Romans 12 verse 1 tells us: I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. In the first place the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians (inclusive us). In the city of Ephesus there was a lot of fornication, there was a lot of sex what people do. The godess of the love was Diana or Artemis and there was a temple for her builded in the city of Ephesus. When Paul preached there the Gospel of the Grace of God a lot happened as a result. One of them was this: And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Acts 19 verse 18-19. This happened there but later we see that people left the Gospel of the Grace of God and many of them fell back to the former conversation and fleshly lusts. In 2 Timothy 1 verse 15 we read: This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. That's why the apostle Paul began to warn the believers here in the book of Ephesians. But it is also a learning for us. Today it is the same with much more people in this world. Examine yourself in this because our flesh is also weak and it is easy to fall in this fleshly lusts. So that's we are admonished to think the things which are above in heaven and not the things here on earth. Colossians 3 verse 2-3. Read those verses! Let us think about this: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" Galatians 5 verse 16. Ephesians 5 verse 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Verse 4: This verse is a continuation of verse 3. The apostle Paul begins here with neither filthiness. What is that vulgar; obscene. This all with your tongue. This is obscene talking: bringing dirty words or phrases to listen to others. This does not befit a believer. Unbelievers are saying this but we are in Christ and we have not to do this! Nor foolish talking: to speak nonsense and we have a lot of examples in the world from people who do this. Don't do this because brother and sister we have learned not Christ in this way! Nor jesting. What is this? Crude joking or rough, unpurified what doedn't build you up and also not the hearers of you, the people who are trusted for example to you. But, there is a change here: rather giving thanks is better. Thanking the Lord and thank all the people who want to listen to the truth of the Gospel Acts 20:32. Ephesians 5 verse 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Verse 5: Dear brothers and sisters: from this verse some people have concluded that if you do as believer such things you can lose your salvation: hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. However, this is not about our salvation dear brothers and sisters. We have the forgiveness through His blood and we are in Christ. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit Ephesians 1:7, 13, 14, Ephesians 4:32. Nobody of us who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ get lost after doing sin. We sin everyday my dear brother and sister. If you do the same like above as the unbelievers then It will continue to gnat and the consequences could be divorce if you are married, illness. So flee from this my dear brothers and sisters: flee from fornication, uncleaness etc because you don't serve the Lord when you do this but your own flesh! It is a warning to us that the apostle Paul is speaking here about unbelievers who do this. They don't inherit the kingdom of Christ and of God because they don't belong to Him! They don't have the Spirit of God. Let us read Romans 8 verse 8 and 9: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. The unbelievers are in the flesh. What they try they cannot please God because for them God doesn't exist. In Psalm 14 verse 1 we read:The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. So for us brothers and sisters we have to read this in Romans 12 verse 1 and 2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. A similar verse we find in I Corinthians 6 verse 9-11: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Let us brothers and sisters not be deceived because we are in Christ washed and sanctified! Ephesians 5 verse 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Verse 6: What does this mean let no man deceive you with vain words! The believers at Ephesus (the apostle heard of them when he was in prison in Rome) were weak persons and some of them were deceived through vain words of men who preached there in Ephesus wrong things which builded the believers not but brought them down. This is how satan works until today. Vain words are iddle words. So let us not like some of the Ephesian believers listen to vain words of man. These vain words come from men who are unbelievers, the children of disobedience. We were the same , children of disobedience! In Ephesians 2 verse 2 and 3 we read: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Let us listen to God in His Word of Grace Acts 20:32. This build us up my dear brothers and sisters! We come to know the wisdom of God which is wiser than all the wisdom of men! In Titus 2 verses 7 and 8 we read: In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. In the first place this was what the apostle Paul wrote to Titus and it is also for us my dear brothers and sisters: sound speech, that cannot be condemned. Let us think about this and make it your own my dear brothers and sisters so that God can work in you! We have nothing in common with the unbelievers so when we are weak let us flee from those words the unbelievers would us to believe. Ephesians 5 verse 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. Verse 8: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a very sirious call to us. We were in the past in darkness as human beings. We were dead in trespasses and sins. We walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air. the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Last time it seems my brothers and sisters that crime and corruption is on the rise. We see it on television, on our smartphones. Also on facebook with films, TV crime films, who stimulate people to do the same etc. Now we hear a lot on TV, media about transgressive behaviour. It seems the world is getting crazier. Thats why we read in II Corinthians 6 verse 14 the following words:Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? How come that people do this? Well we know that we come from Adam Romans 5 verse 12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. God in Christ paid for the sins of this world on the cross on Calvary. Christ died for you and me Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14. We as believers have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and are forgiven. The call is now not to sin. Let we not continue in sin says Romans 6 verse 1. Why not you ask me. Because our old man which served sin 100% is crucified with Christ and is in the grave, buried. In This is what we have to do: the call is very clear here in this verse: let us not be therefore partakers with them. Them are the unbelievers who do this or think this. We are in Christ so walk as children (sons and daughters) in Him and we can learn that through His Word of His Grace! In I Thessalonians 4 verse 3-5 we read the following verses: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: You should ask now how can I walk like this? I do my best to do it and try but this is very difficult. It is my dear brother and sister. What is important for you and me is to accept the Gospel of the Grace of God which the apostle Paul preached/ proclaimed, wrote in all his epistles and to read and to learn them. In all of the epistles we see instructions for the Body of Christ how to walk so that you become stronger first in knowledge and that to take a step and abstain from what unbelievers do. To distance yourself from that! Be not involved in the practice of unbelievers! Ephesians 5 verse 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Verse 8: Brothers and sisters. There came a change in our lives when we accepted our Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. Now we are no more in darkness. We are a light in the Lord. We are in Him, in the light. In I Thessalonians 5 verse 5 and 6 we read: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. This is our position my dear brothers and sisters. Therefore in verse 6 let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober. So walk as children of light! I Thessalonians 5 verse 8 says: But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. And in Romans 6 verse 12 we read: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Ephesians 5 verse 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Verse 9: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is written here the fruit of the Spirit. What is the fruit of the Spirit? The answer we find in Galatians 5 verse 22 and 23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. This is in all goodness and righteousness and truth according the Gospel of the Grace of God. Here we find that the fruit of the Spirit first is agape, charity, charis, the Love of God. His love through us sons and daughters shown to this evil world. Joy: joy every day because we are in Christ my brothers and sisters. Peace= this is the peace of God that is beyond our understanding: it is the peace of God Philippians 4 verse 7. First we have peace with God Romans 5 verse 1 as members of the Body of Christ through Jesus Christ our Lord. Longsuffering= having a lot of patience. Gentleness= kindheartedness, humaneness. Goodness= grace. faith=trustful. Meekness: patience, longsuffering. Temperance : sobriety. All those words are characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit Which is working in us. So be led by the Spirit through His word will have effect in our lives my dear brothers and sisters and has also influence on other people who will hear us and see us. Ephesians 5 verse 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Verse 10: This verse does combine with verse 9. What does the word here proving mean? Proving= to approve, confirms, discern, to distinquish. The fruit of the Spirit discerns what is acceptable unto the Lord. The Spirt through His Word let us see this. The fruit of the Spirit God approves because this is at His pleasure and His general will. Brothers and sisters: we have to serve the Lord through the Spirit through His Word! Romans 10:17 read this verse! Ephesians 5 verse 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Verse 11: Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness! This is what God says to us through the apostle Paul. What does it mean? What are unfruitful works of darkness? In this we walked my dear brothers and sisters. Let us again read Ephesians 2 verses 2 and 3: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Brothers and sisters we walked according to the course of this world because that was our position before we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. But now in Christ God calls us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Unfruitful works what are they? For example Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies. What we see nowadays are practices of mindfulness and other practices which come from human religions like Buddhism and this is gaining ground also in the so named Christian world! What is Mindfulness? Answer: emptying of thinking is at right angles the Biblical call of our Lord in Romans 12 verse 2: And be not conformed ot this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Through meditation the mind is turned off and an opening is created for the fallen spirit world like Buddha's. This is very dangerous my dear brothers and sisters so have no fellowship with such practices! It is a warning for us all! We as members of the Body of Christ has to say no to such practices and warn other brothers and sisters about it because we are in Christ. Ephesians 5 verse 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. Verse 12: Unbelievers in this world do those things in secret! It looks like nobody can see it but it will come to light because God sees everything and He know everything my dear brothers and sisters. God is omniscient and He knows people's hearts. In Hebrews 4 verse 13 we read: Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. God knows also our hearts! It is a shame what people do in secret, a shame to speak of. And sometimes we do als things what is a shame my brothers and sisters. If whe have done such things it is very important to bring it to God in prayer and thank God for the forgiveness of sins Ephesians 1:7. We hear now a lot about corrupt things as mudererings, sexually transgressive behavior, rapings etc. All this and will come to the light. So for us it is clear not to do those things because we are new men in Christ! Read Romans 12 verse 2. We have to say no and not to serve our flesh. It will not build us up and our lives become restless if we serve sin instead to serve the Lord. Ephesians 5 verse 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Verse 13: Dear brothers and sisters: For God is nothing hidden! The wrath belongs to Him, He will do. He will bring everything to light. He sees everything. We as members of the Body of Christ live in this world but are in our position not a part of this world! We belong to heaven, not to this earth. We are in Christ. In Philippians 3 verse 20: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are holy in Him and in Philippians 2 verse 14 and 15 we read: Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Ephesians 5 verse 14 Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Verse 14: Strong words from God here in His Word to us my dear brothers and sisters. As we sleep, when we are not awake and err we have awake! Reckon then that we are risen with Christ from the dead and stop with walking and thinking in the former state our old man and let us be led by God's Spirit whereby we are sealed Ephesians 1:13-14. In the Reformed church where I was as child grown up we song a hymn about this. The words I never understood as child so I sung this song with others but didn't know the meaning of it. What God wants here is that we read now in Colossians 3 verse 1-3: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Oh, it is so easy for us to go back to this world with the lusts etc because of the presence of sin. We are just as the Ephesian believers my dear brothers and sisters! We belong to be admonished everyday through God's Word of Grace Acts 20:32. So be awake my brothers and sisters! We have also our shortcomings and sometimes we are not whole awake but let us not sleep! I Thessalonians 5 verse 5 and 6: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. Ephesians 5 verse 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Verse 15: Dear brothers and sisters: We are in Christ and God ask from us that we walk circumspectly: alert, cautious, to be careful. We live in this world and we have not to walk like fools who know not God but as wise in Christ and through His Word of Grace Acts 20:32, 24, Romans 16: 25-26. To walk dilligently= diligent attentive. As new men in Christ. This is what we have to do my dear brothers and sisters and in Romans 12 verse 2 it says us: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Ephesians 5 verse 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Verse 16: In the first place the apostle Paul told the Ephesian believers this. It is also for us my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. What does it mean redeeming the time? Time is very precious my dear brothers and sisters. In the Netherlands we say sometimes no moment to loose. Time here on earth is short if we compare this with the life after this life. this means that we should make wise use of our precious time. Let us brothers and sisters do like the Bereans to search the Scriptures of God everyday and rightly dividing the Word of truth! This is study God's Word beside our work or other busy things to do. Let's enjoy it everyday! Not to spend a lot of times on things of this world and when we have the oppertunity to tell others about the Word of His Grace let's do it and not to shame for it. In 2 Timothy 2 verse 2 we read: And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. The conclusion is that we in our lives learn God's Word of Grace which is the Truth Colossians 1:5-6, Romans 16:52-62 and that we this study and tell other people about it and that our behavior will be according God's Gospel of Grace so that people could see it and that it makes them noisy. The days are evil and it's getting worser. Nowadays also more people who are ill not only because of Covid, also cancer. Everyday we have to do with the presence of sin. If we are led by God's Spirit through His Word of Grace we walk according the wisdom of God and are build up and we can defend against the devil with his lies. Let us be trustful ambassadors for Christ. Let us know that we are more than conquerors in Christ Romans 8:37. Ephesians 5 verse 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Verse 17: Dear brothers and sisters: here in this verse we are admonished not to be unwise. Unwise is to be led by our flesh and fleshly thinkings. That we serve our flesh, sin. This has also to do with redeeming the time. Use this time not to please our flesh and fleshly thoughts. In Ephesians 4 verse 17-20 we read again:This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. The unbelievers around us in this world are unwise and have not the Spirit of God to understand the will of the Lord! In Romans 8 verse 9-10 we read: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Brothers and sisters God wants us to realize this what is written here above. We are new creatures. We can choose and now God calls us not to live the former way of sin and to do our own will but to do the will of the Lord. And now how can we understand the will of the Lord? That we have not learned of Christ through the Word of God that we give ourselve over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleannes with greediness. We have to flee from fornication and uncleanness. Romans 12 verse 2 tells us: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove waht is that good and acceptabel and perfect will of God. It begins with our mind my dear brothers and sisters. If we are in our spirit/will are not unwise but seek God and His will then we seek His wisdom which is wiser than our wisdom and wisdom of men. We have to give up our own will and say just like Paul Lord: What wilt thou have me to do? The will of God is to find in I Thessalonians 4 verse 3: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: This is what we have to do my dear brothers and sisters! Think of it and ask yourself do I know the will of God and do I seek the will of God? Ephesians 5 verse 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Verse 18: Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess! Nowadays we have not only wine, we have a lot of alcoholic drinks in this world and you can buy this everywhere. Persons here under the age of 18 are forbidden to buy alcoholic drinks but a lot people under the 18 know the ways how they will get this. In the past you had on TV the warning against drinking to much: Drink destroys more than you like and this is true my dear brothers and sisters. The Trimbos Institute has the next statement: binge drinking is so much drinking that the blood alcohol level rises to 0 8 per mille. This is that men drink 6 glasses in 2 hours and women drink 4 glasses in 2 hours. Glasses above this makes the alcohol pile up in the blood. Alcoholic drinks works the same as some drugs: it is like dope. In Proverbs 23 verse 29 and 30, 31 and 32 we read: Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. We my dear brothers and sisters, we are members of the Body of Christ and we are set apart for God. This is the will of God not to be drunken of wine, alcoholic drinks. It does not say that we must not drink wine or to drink beer. But to drink more than one or two is to much and we are warned here. We are saved forever and we are in Christ and we have to seek those things who are above not the things on the earth. With to much wine wherein is alcohol we cannot think clear anymore and cannot serve God at that moment and are not a example for other people but a shame. Romans 6 verse 1 and 2 tells us very clear the words: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? So let us not do like unbelievers or the ones who don't know the will of God, be different in thinking and also acting my dear brothers and sisters: be filled with the Spirit! Ephesians 5 verse 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Verse 19: The apostle Paul speaks here in this verse how God's Spirit can work in us. Where the Gospel of the Grace of God is preached also belongs to spiritual songs, hymns and psalms. It is good to sing said Augustinus. He said that singing is 3 times praying. In general music and singing brings much joy. It makes you happy too as believer in Christ. A example we read in Acts 16 verse 25: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. You see my dear brothers and sisters that singing and praying have also much influence to others and in this case on prisoners who were also in jail like Paul and Silas. Personally I came in the past in contact with the believe in God through the Gospelmusic and I thank God for this that He used this to let Him know. Examples of spiritual songs has the title like Glory to His Name, Great is Thy Faithfulness. Ephesians 5 verse 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Verse 20: Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. To thank God for all things is very important in our prayers to Him. It is the will of God and we have this to do in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In I Thessalonians 5 verse 17 and 18 we read: Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. So giving thanks to the Lord may be daily in our prayers. We have read in this chapter neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks in verse 4 and this is true my dear brothers and sisters and we have to take this very serious! In Colossians 3 verse 17 we read: And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Ephesians 5 verse 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Verse 21: We are members of each other in the Body of Christ! In I Corinthians 12 verse 27 we read: Now ye are the Body of Christ, and members in particulair. Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ: we need each other in the Body of Christ, the Heavenly Church whereunto we all as members belong. And now the apostle Paul asks us to submit ourselves one to another in the fear of God. What does it mean submit ourselves? Submit is to yield or give way to another. In Romans 12 verse 10 we read: Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. This is very clear my dear brothers and sisters and this is how it works in the practical life in the Body of Christ. This comes the best in a local congregation/ assembly because there you see the practice. In the fear of God. What does that mean to fear God? Does this mean that we have to be afraid of God? No it means that we have respect, to be in awe of God! That we submit ourselves also for Him. He is our Creator and Lord of our lives. Read for youselves Galatians 2 verse 20! Ephesians 5 verse 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Verse 22: This is the will of God that women in a marriage submit themselves or yield themselves to their husbands as unto the Lord. First of all, submitting to God's ways means to humble yourself. Only through the Grace of God are we able to be saved. Without Him, we would get what we deserve: death! This is in the first place wives has to be in awe of God in the marriage and second they have to yield or humble themselves to their husbands. What doe this mean for the practical life my dear brothers and sisters? Why Submitting to Your Husband Is Good in this time of emancipation? Well the Bible, God's Word says this to the wives: You Show him That You Trust Him.... You will Influence Each Other. No Unnecessary Conflicts. Your Marriage will Flourish. Let him Take the Leading in the marriage ... Ask him for His opinion. Think of his needs. Try not to criticize him or Speak negatively of him. This is what it means sisters when you are married! It is very important to have this attitude in the marriage and with the Gospel of the Grace of God and rightly dividing the Word of truth this can be successful, otherwise it will be more difficult in your marriage because there is not sufficient basis. That's why nowadays a lot of marriages end in divorcement because people don't understand God's will in His Word or will not to understand God's will. Ephesians 5 verse 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the saviour of the body. Verse 23: And now the men/husbands. He is the head of the wife. Why is the husband the head of the wife? I Corinthians 11 verse 8: For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. The man was first created. We read in Genesis 2 verse 18: And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I wil make him an help meet for him. And in verse 21 of the same chapter: And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took on of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. That's how God set it up. He created not Adam and Steve, two men! But Adam and Eve! The woman was created as a powerful help for the husband, a powerful addition, a help meet! Christ is the Head of the Body, the Body of Christ whereunto we belong my brothers and sisters. Colossians 1 verse 18 confirms this: And He is the Head of the Body, the Church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. Christ is the Savior of the Body, the Church. He keeps the church together! How? Through His Spirit who lives in all the believers Ephesians 1:13-14. A woman in the marriage can be very smart, capable, intelligent and sometimes more intelligent than the husband. The instructions for her in the marriage is to be a powerful addition and that she submit or yield herself unto her husband and that the man his reponsibility is that he take care of his wife and keep or hold her like Christ the Church holds/ saves. Ephesians 5 verse 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Verse 24: The word subject we have already seen in verse 22 but what is exactly the meaning of this word my dear readers? In other word it is said submitting yourself. That means that we recognize and accept the authority to someone else. For example if you hear a churchservice online or attends a church service live and someone there is the pastor who preach then you place yourself under his authority. It is the same with work as a employee you place ourself under the authority of the one who is above you the chef or manager. So it is also with the heavenly church, the Body of Christ and we form that Body and are subject/submit ourselves unto Christ. Christ is the Head of the Church, He has the authority. And so it is in the marriage between husband and wife. The wives are to submit themselves to their own husbands in everything. This will not say that the wife must as a slave follow. On the contrary she has a lot to contribute and to say things and can warn her husband for dangerours things which can happen for example. The wive submit herself under the vigilant care of her husband. This is how God it sees in the practice of everyday and why this not works everytime is that we are dealing with the presence of sin. Brothers and sisters if we are married let these words here from God's Word work in us and let us obey them and make it our own so that it will be a new nature in ourselves. Ephesians 5 verse 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; Verse 25: Husbands love your wives. The husband is the head of the wife in the marriage and he is the head of the family. This is his task to have the authority and this is given from God. He has ultimate responsibility. In this world you see a lot of corruption because of sin. Much men suppress their own wives and they are like dictators and not loving husbands. God asks us men to love our wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it. Ye men: your wives are also created in the image of God and if they are believers as you they are your sisters in the Lord and you have to love them, to protect them for dangers and and do anything for your wife. Love of God we read here, the agape and this has to be learned my dear brothers. To be patient for men with their wives is very important in the marriage. The wives in general are more sensitive than men. In Genesis 29 verse 20 we have a beautiful example:And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. This is a example of real love and patience my dear brothers!! To do anything for your wives and take good care for her. Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it on the cross of Calvary to die for the members of the Church and for all mankind. This is a verse really to think about! Ephesians 5 verse 26 That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Verse 26: My dear brothers and sisters: the purpose of God was to sanctify and cleanse us as , the Body of Christ. Cleanse how? By water? No not by water. It is with the washing of water by the Word. The Word of God and especially the Word of His Grace Acts 20:32. By this Word we are cleansed. Through His Word we are sanctified and this is all by the operation of God. Ephesians 5 verse 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Verse 27: This was the purpose of God why Christ came to this earth and gave Himself for this world. To save sinners through His own blood on Calvaray and that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church. Our guilt is paid by that blood on Calvary for this purpose: having not spot, or wrinkle or any such thing. The Body of Christ is holy and without blemish. What a love and in Titus 3 verses 5-7 we read: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So brothers and sisters let us boast not in ourselves but in God through Christ Jesus!!! Ephesians 5 verse 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. Verse 28: This my dear brothers and sisters is a beautiful verse for a preaching on a weddingday! Men's love for their wives should be as a offer, satisfying and blissful. That's why a man have not to leave his wife and love her body like he loves his own body. A husband has to love his wife and protect her before dangers (physical, emotional and spiritual). When this is in the marriage between husband and wife then it is the ideal marriage and that is exactly how the relation is between Christ and His Body, the Body of Christ, the Church. Man and wife are in the marriage one flesh. It is like Christ and the believer, His son or daughter and that is also a oneness. Because we my dear brothers and sisters are from Him. This will be forever! Ephesians 5 verse 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church: Verse 29: No man ever yet hated his own flesh. You take care about your body or flesh as man so in the marriage you have also to take care about the flesh of your wife and to nourish and cherish it. This is not only food everyday but to eat also regular on the day and enough vitamines and other supplements to protect your body for diseases. But it is not only food, it is also clothes, what kind of clothes to be represent yourself to this world. It must be neat but not noticeable, not exaggerated. And there is more: enough movement so that we have a good condition. This can be waking, cycling, any kind of sport . The Lord nourisheth and cherisheth the Church. He feed them with His Word of Grace Romans 16:25-26, Acts 20:24, 32. Prayer is also very important for us to have in our lives with our Lord. Prayer is talking to God. Ephesians 5 verse 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Verse 30: What a great verse we have here from God. We are members of His Body. He is our Head, we are the members and everyone of us in particular of it. We all are a part of it! From the Body of Christ, the Church. We all form that Church. I Corinthians 12 verse 27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. It doesn't matter what kind of skin you have: if you are black, blank, yellow we are all the members of the Body of Christ, the Church and we are His flesh and of His bones. In Galatians 3 verse 27 and 28:For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. We are all one and the same in Christ. And everyone of us has another task in the Body of Christ. So it is in the marriage also that the husband and wife are one with each other as Christ is it with His Church. Ephesians 5 verse 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Verse 31: This verse begins with: For this cause. Which cause brothers and sisters is spoken here in this verse? What we have seen the verse here before verse 30: We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this cause a man when he is grown up shall leave his father and mother. He will leave the family where he belongs to and stands on its own two feet and makes his own decisions, which career/study, which city he will live, finding a woman which will be his wife later. This is how God is sees and it is His will that the man who leave will form a new family with his wife and have kids. In my personal situation this happens when I was 26 years old, 5 years when I have left my own father and mother. It is the same with my children when they grew up, they left the home and now they have their children now. Generation after generation and this for years and years and it is good. The man and his wife forms a new family and they are one, one flesh like the Church is one with Christ, of His flesh and of His bones. What a great verse here and this is how God it has set. The man and his wife are one flesh Genesis 2 verse 23: And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, becasue she was taken out of Man. Ephesians 5 verse 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Verse 32: The comparison is the man and his wife. I God created in the beginning the first man and woman Genesis 1 and 2. I We my dear brothers and sisters are a new creation in Christ as Church. II Eve received her life from Adam Genesis 2 verse 21 and 22 II And we member of the Church, The Body of Christ receive life and eternal life from Christ. III Adam is first formed so the man is the head of the woman. III In the Body of Christ is Christ the Head and we the members. IV God called human beings Adam Genesis 5 verse 1 and 2. IV We are called the Church, the Body of Christ. V God brought Adam and Eve together as a couple and one flesh. V The Body of Christ is one flesh with Him, Christ. Adam and Eve didn't know about this great mystery when they were created. The mystery is the Church, the Body of Christ and of His flesh and bones, one! Ephesians 5 verse 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. Verse 33: In the marriage it is very important that the husbands love their wifes even as himself. Even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it. The Body of Christ is not the Bride the Lamb's wife. This has to do with prophecy and Israel in the Mellenium Kingdom here on earth. The wife in the marriage has to submit herself to her husband and give him the place to have the first responsibility. It is not that she has nothing to say or that she have to be afraid. No not at all. She is a very big and strong help of her husband. So here ended chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 6 This is the last chapter of this epistle of the apostle Paul The first part verse 1-10 is about children how to behave/attitude will be according the parents as long they are child and the second part verse 10 until almost the end is about our spiritual warfare as believers in Christ Ephesians 6 verse 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Verse 1: Brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is like a command here. In Chapter 5 we read about the marriage: how the man must be in the towards his wife and how the wive has to be in the marriage: to be subject towards her husband. In this verse we see that children has to obey their parents in the Lord: for this is right. In Psalm 127 verse 3 we read this: Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. It is a wonder, a gift if you get children in your marriage. Not every couple get children. Psalm 127 verse 3 tells us that children an heritage are of the Lord. A gift of God. God expects of us that we raise our children as instruments full of praise and gratitude. To get children is from God and it is also God's purpose to populate the earth. We as parents in the Lord has to raise our children that they obey us in the Lord. We as parents has the ultimate responsibility till the time they are grown up and will leave us/ leaven the house. Also children has a sin nature and also the presence of sin and surely in this time wherein we live in this world it is sometimes difficult to raise our children. Children as long they are not grown up has to obey us. If it is against God's Word then they have not to obey. As parents we have to tell our children as much as we know from God's Word. As parents you cannot raise your children 100%. This is impossible. We make mistakes and what the most important thing is that you as parents have patience with your children. You should not leave them to their fate because children need structure. We as parents didn't always do well either. What pleases me is that they have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives and I am very happy that they now have also children. For this is right is with a reason: right in the eyes of God. To raise children is a very big task for parents. You have to learn your children to obey you. You have to discipline them as long as they are children. Ephesians 6 verse 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; Verse 2: This verse is taken from Exodus 20 verse 12: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which theLordthy God giveth thee. Which land is spoken here? The land Canaan. A child has to honour his father and mother. Because of them he or she is in this world. It is a learning process and children has to learn to respect his parents. The promise is that a child as he obey this longer shall live on earth. For Israel it was the land Canaan to live longer there. With a lot of diseases in this world you don't know as child for sure that you may grown up at one day. It means that you as child respect always your parents and what they did for you and with such a attitude you escape many pitfalls of life which can short your time on earth. It is not a quarantee that your children come to believe in Christ. They can also fall into the drugscene or can become a alcoholic and have to feel later the consequences of it. As parents you have to protect your children for this as long as they live in your house and are not grown up. Personally I am always thankful for my parents what they did for me and that they raised me and gave me Christian standards and values from the Bible so that on a certain moment I was saved by Grace alone, by faith alone and in Christ alone. Last year my mother went to be with the Lord, she passed away and she was glad to go to the Lord in heaven. I thank God that she believed in Him as personal Savior, that she on her last day and bear witness to this to everyone she spoke inclusive my wife and me and grandchildren of her. Ephesians 6 verse 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Verse 3: This does not mean that young people who die at an early age necessarily dishonored their parents. It does mean again taht they wuill escape many of the pitfals of life that could shorten their lives. Disobedience of children has consequences and can cause children to die earlier. For example if children go into the drugscene or if they have their license or not and drive a car an drive to hard and have a fatal accident. There are more examples but this is much to count. Ephesians 6 verse 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Verse 4: God is speaking to us believing fathers of children! Why He is speaking to us fathers? Not mothers? This is a very important verse my brothers and sisters. Often father are stricter and harder by nature than mothers who are more gentle and loving their children. A father has to be an example for his family. He has the end responsibility for his family: for his wife in the first place and for his children. In the family a father has not to act like dictator that children are afraid of him and that they to defend themselves hate him and and that they revolt against him. No it has not to be this way. A father has to raise his children with teaching and admonishing with a lot of patience in the Lord. He has to stimulate them with God's Word of Grace Acts 20:24 and 32. What they later do with it, depends on them. You cannot as father (and also mother) believe for them. They make later decisions what to do with God's Word and choose. If they will choose of God's Grace Gospel Romans 16:25-26 or not. We as parents cannot make a choice for them. They stand just like us individually alone before the Lord at the Bema. The world now wherein we live is getting worser and satan does all things to hinder people to come to the knowledge of the truth I Timothy 2:3-4. Ephesians 6 verse 5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Verse 5: Servants, doulos, slaves. In the time of the apostle Paul in the Roman Empire you had slaves, servants. Greek word doulos. Under them there were slaves or servants and the apostle Paul admonished them here the servants that they may be obedient to their masters according to the flesh. The servants here were slaves who were saved by Christ and the apostle Paul told them: be obedient with fear and trembling. What does that mean with fear and trembling? In I Corinthians 2 verse 3 we read the following words of the apostle Paul: And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. Trembling from the Greek word Tromos, be afraid. In singleness of heart they have to be obedient to their masters, not as menpleasers. The servants here are believers in Christ. They were from Him and they had a complete different mind, the mind of Christ in them. They served Christ and not men, masters in this case. It was to please God. Nowadays you have now work that you are paid for. In this work as believer you have to obey the rules, methods in the work, otherwise you make to much mistakes. Everything they ask you to do is to do it heartily as for the Lord and not for men (the ones they are above you as in my work people who are responsible/teamleaders or people who do the coordination. In singleness of your heart. Simple doing it. Only when it is against God's Word then you can refuse it. This as believers we have to distinquish. Also in work you have to respect anyone who is above you in the work unless you are your own boss as a freelancer or that you have your own business. We have to be thankful to God that we have work to do as we have work. Ephesians 6 verse 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Verse 6: Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers. In work my dear brothers and sisters if you have work for a living, you are not a menpleaser. It is not so that you want to get a white foot, to put the boss in the good graces. We have not to work as employee and believer in Christ. No, we do it as good as possible because we serve Christ and do the will of God from the heart. From the inner man! What is the will of God, that we have work and do this work which suits us. We cannot do work what suits not are were we not capable for, not learned/studied for it. Conclusion as Christian employees we do the work heartily as for the Lord and not for men. Ephesians 6 verse 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men Verse 7: Brothers and sisters: we serve the Lord Jesus Christ according the Mystery! It is the preaching of Jesus Christ according the Mystery. In work our attitude must be to serve the Lord and we don't serve men. We please not men but God in Christ! So for example every assignment we get in work we do it very good as for or to the Lord and not to men. From Him we get the inheritance and not from men. A good willing comes from God's Word of Grace my dear brothers and sisters. We learn that in the epistles of the apostle Paul and we learn what our position is and how we have to walk according our position in Christ. Oh brother and sisters that we may more and more serve Him instead of serving people or ourselves. Ephesians 6 verse 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Verse 8: This has all to do with our standing before the Lord at the Bema my dear brothers and sisters. Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he (she) receive of the Lord. From the Lord we will receive for the good things we have done at the Bema. This will not to be destroyed by fire but shall remain I Corinthians 3 verses 5-9 read those verses. Here bond or free has to do with servants who are believers in Christ. In the time when Paul lived you had the Roman Empire with a lot of million servants or slaves. Nowadays you have now more free men than slaves. Slavery is not away. If you think so it isn't. There is a lot of slavery in this world. You have for example slave markets in Libya. This is a violation of human rights. For God it does not matter if you are a slave man or a free man and believe in Christ. For Him everyone of us is the same. He sees us in Christ. It is more a matter what have you done with His Word of Grace. Did you accept is, did you stand for it and proclaimed/ made known and did you also lived it: your attitude, walk. Let us read II Timothy 4 verse 7 and 8: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Now anyone of us has to examine ourselves do we fight the good fight as the apostle Paul? Do we want to finish the course, to kept the faith as Paul did till the end of his life or do we our own will and serve our flesh? If we fight the good fight till the end of our lives just as Paul we will receive a crown of righteousness. It is a matter what do you choose my dear brother or sister? Ephesians 6 verse 9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him. Verse 9: The masters here are also admonished by the apostle Paul. He said Masters do the same things unto them. Them are the servants who work under you leading. They were masters who believed in Christ Jesus otherwise the apostle Paul had no instructions for unbelieving masters. Before God everyone is the same and that first. He is not a Respecter of persons. So for God everyone black, brown, yellow, white is does not matter. God sees the heart, look into the heart and not the outside. But if someone doeth wron he shall receive for the wrong he hath done Colossians 3 verse 25 at the Bema. Most of us work as employees in work and we know now that we serve God. Most of the people who are above me in the work in the hospital I work are not believers. So this cannot be a instruction for them because they don't understand Gods Word because they haven't the Spirit of God. They are still in their sins and spiritual dead. For us as employees we have to do the work so good as possible as for God and not for the ones who are above us. Our good attitude what God desires is very important in this! Ephesians 6 verse 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Verse 10: Finally, at least. From this verse on we have the last instructions for the believers in Ephesus. Finally my brethren: be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! There is something very important here: be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! How can this be you ask yourself? Yes that is a good question. We have to know first what our position is in Christ. If we don't know our position in Christ then we have to know this and we can learn this in this epistle in chapter 1, 2 and 3. We have not only to learn this, also to accept it and make it our own that it will be a part of us in our lives we live now! Our position in Christ is only to find in the epistles of the apostle Paul and this Epistle to the Ephesians is a great example of this! 13 in total epistles! Through God's Word of Grace Acts 20:24, 32 we become stronger in walk because it is here in this verse about the practice of everyday! It is here in this verse a call, a admonishing what the apostle Paul had received from the risen Lord Jesus Christ. In and trhough Him we are more than conquerors says Romans 8 verse 37! read this verse! We have to thank God that we are in Christ and through Him we are more than conquerors. Nothing can seperate us from Him! Is this not wonderful my brothers and sisters! Thank the Lord for this!! So brothers and sisters be awake. Get moving and and go the epistles written by Paul Romans-Philemon. Read and study them and is validated by His Word! Ephesians 6 verse 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Verse 11: What is that to put on the whole armour of God? It is not the half armour of God. As we have said we are ambassadors of Christ II Corinthians 5 verse 20. We are also soldiers of God my dear brothers and sisters! The apostle Paul knew as no other man the Roman soldier in the time he lived. Paul was in prison and in a hired house for 2 years alone that a Roman soldier guarded him. The apostle Paul was under house arrest for 2 years. In contrast to other prisoners was he allowed to receive every human being for 2 years in his hired place. In those 2 years the apostle Paul couln't travel, he was a prisoner of Rome, from Ceasar. The Roman soldier who guarded him had his whole armour with him. It was for defending himself against enemies in the first place but he could also attack with it. Myself I was years ago in the Dutch army and I was personally a hospital soldier. I had only a pistol to defend myself. For the rest I had a a first aid bag with me always. Further on we were trained also as hospital soldiers beside the first aid how to use the weapon we had. Also how we could disassemble the weapon and how we could assemble the weapon. Because in danger we have to handle very carefully and quick so we have to dream it and make it our own. In danger you cannot ask as soldier what to do, you have to know that. That's why you have as soldier the whole armour with you. You were well prepared. So it is with the believer in Christ my brother and sister. You must be well prepared. Our war is to put the whole armour of God. This is to know and believe and stand for the truth, the epistles of the apostle Paul, the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Mystery Romans 16:25-26 and fight the devil because our fight is against the devil who is the father of lies! Now the question to you my dear brother and sister: are you well prepared? Think of this! Do you know the Gospel of the Grace of God and rightly dividing the Word of truth II Timothy 2:15. If not: read and learn this Gospel of the Grace Acts 20:24, 32, Romans 16:25-26, Colossians 1:5-6 which is the truth. Read all the epistles of the apostle Paul because there you find the Gospel of Grace. Do not only read and learn but make it your own so that you became stronger in the Lord and in His might! And then you can begin the fight and you know how you must fight against the devil. Ephesians 6 verse 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Verse 12: Our war, our spiritual war is not against men but against the devil and his powers my brother and sister! Sometimes brother and sister it looks like we wrestle against men but God's Word affirms here in this verse that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, not against men. But against principalities, against powers, against rulers f the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Who are these powers? This is satan and his powers. Satan is the father of lies, he is the men killer from the beginning. He always twists God. He is defeated by the cross, the core of God's Grace. In Colossians 2 verse 15 we read: And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it" This is what happened on the cross brother and sister. Christ has the devil defeated on the cross! That's why satan hates so much the preaching of the cross and he does everything he can to hinder the Gospel of the Grace of God that this is preached. He is busy with the believers, members of the Body of Christ to make them weak and withhold them to read and learn the Gospel of the Grace of God. He brings confusion and doubt and surely in the lives of fellow brothers and sisters so that they resist to learn the truth. Satan is the prince of the power of the air. Let us read Ephesians 2 verse 2 again: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. So the devil is busy now to get people away from the truth to tell them the lie through false doctrines and let people think that also false doctrines are all God's Grace. He is a master in changing the truth into lie so where God's Word of Grace is preached there he is to oppose and resist the truth Colossians 1:5-6. In 2 Timothy 2 verses 25 and 26 we read the following verses: In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. The devil holds a lot of God's people in his snare, hold them captive at his will. This is how he works and we have instruct brothers and sisters who are captive by him in meekness to tell them the truth, the Mystery so that they awake from the snare of the devil. Ephesians 6 verse 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Verse 13: Dear brothers and sisters is our Lord Jesus Christ: we have as members of the Body of Christ to take the whole armour of God. The next verses give us shows us what the content is of the whole armour of God! Again we may not take a half armour of God but the whole armour of God. Imagine you are in a war you have also to take your whole armour on and we have to know what this is and never forget things because the enemy can can you turn off. So if you are not good prepared you bring not only yourselves in danger, also another person who fight with you against the enemy. If you are prepared you have as a soldier wear sturdy shoes first, be weaponed with a weapon or two weapons like machineguns, bulletproof vest, a helmet on your head. Camouflaged are you approaching your enemy. You have also to know your position and that from your enemy otherwise you will be defeated by your enemy. As country you have to have a strong army to defend it. This is what we can learn from the past in the days of 1940 when the Netherlands were defeated by Nazi Germany in 4 days. The Dutch government was not well prepared to warn the army enough for a war. The army was to weak to resist the Germans with all its consequences. So is it also in the spiritual war my dear brothers and sisters: we have to put on the whole armour of God and the devil is the enemy of us and God wants us to learn and let us know what the whole armour of Him is. 2 Corinthians 10 verses 3 and 4 we read: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. So my brothers and sisters our weapons in the spiritual war are not carnal, no machineguns, no knives) but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. It is to understand Gods Word of Grace and to make it our own. With other words that it may be a part of us. And now the question to you my brother and sister: Do you want this to know and learn the truth and make it your own? Without this Gospel of Grace there is no Gospel. In the Christian world there is a mix of the Gospel of the Kingdom with the Gospel of the Grace of God, mix of Law and Grace. How can people grow in such a mass? If you are in such a mass, come out of it! This is a call to you brother and sister! With a mix of Gospels you cannot put the whole armour of God because you don't understand the whole armour of God! Your are confused as believer and have no solid ground under your feet! The days are evil wherein we live now. Learn the Gospel of Gods Grace Acts 20:32 and learn the rightly dividing 2 Timothy 2:15 otherwise you will never be able to withstand the devil! The opposite will be: the devil holds you in his snare and in false doctrines! Ephesians 6 verse 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness Verse 14: A Roman soldier guarded the apostle Paul when he was a prisoner in Rome. The apostle Paul could exactly describe the armor of the roman soldier. The apostle Paul compared this with the spiritual armour of God. The Roman soldier was in Paul's time the best soldier in the world. The Romans had the best armour in the world. Here in this verse we read having your loins girt about with truth. What are loins? Answer The part of the body on both sides of the spine between the lowest (false) ribs and the hip bones. This part guarded with the truth. As a soldier of God now we have to be guarded with the truth! We read in Colossians 1 verse 5 and 6 again: For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the Word of the truth of the Gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye head of it, and knew the Grace of God in truth" The Gospel of the Grace of God is the truth! The Gospel of your salvation! Ephesians 1:13-14! This we have to do my brother and sister to be guarded with the truth! And this depends on our will if we will this! Do you want this is the question you have to ask yourself brother or sister? Do you want first to know the truth and after this to be your loins girt with the truth, the Gospel of the Grace of God? It is God's will! You have to choose: or a mixed Gospel which is no Gospel or the Gospel of the Grace of God which is the Truth! Read I Timothy 2 verses 3-4! The second part here in this verse is having on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate was also a part of the armour of the Roman soldier and protected all his vital organs who were behind it in his breast like lungs, heart, digestive system. This was a good protection. It was like a amor which later in the Middle Ages was used by knights. Having on the breastplate of righteousness. What does this mean? We as believers in Christ are made righteous, straightened with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and without guilt before Him. He sees us in Christ without guilt, righteous. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 For he hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. This is our position my brother and sister. Now to hang on the breastplate of righteousness. What is this? The answer we find in Ephesians 4 verse 24 because it is the practice of everyday: And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. It is not only to believe and accept you are a new man, you have also to put on the new man and this depends on our will to do it willingly or not and then we serve our flesh/sin. In Titus 2 verse 7 we read: In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity. And in verse 8: Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. People from outside, unbelievers, believers who oppose the truth, have to see this my brother and sister otherwise it will be a shame or a mass. Ephesians 6 verse 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Verse 15: The Roman soldier had had good footwear on his feet. These were sandals with spikes under it. So he had good grip on the ground. Nowadays we have in the athletics shoes which are called spikes (running shoes with spikes). With this shoes you can run very well on a running track! With the sandals on his feet the Roman soldier stood stable and it was for him easier for him to involved with this in the war. In our spiritual war we as soldiers of Christ we have to with the devil and his hosts/powers! This is our war: against him! If we stand for the truth and use the whole Gospel of peace, the Gospel of Grace Acts 20:32, Romans 16:25-26 we can with peace of mind to fight the battle and we have to know this very well and make it our own: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us Romans 8:37. We are more than conquerors in Him! We have nothing to loose! The enemy cannot take us out of the hand of God! Never! Put this in your mind my brother and sister!!! So personally why should we be afraid? Are you afraid? Ephesians 6 verse 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Verse 16: Above this all taking the shield of faith. The Roman soldier had a very big shield where he at all could crawl behind. This shield was very well because the enemy couldn't kill him with fiery darts. He the Roman soldier was whole protected with this shield. In my life I have seen such a shield many times and I can tell you it is very big and I can really imagine that this protects you as soldier. The soldier was save behind his shield! The length of the shield was 4 foot and the breadth 2,5 foot. So this is also with our shield! Our shield of faith. The faith of God in Christ! It is the believe or faith of Christ and this we have trusted for salvation and this we can take in the battle against the devil. In Hebrews 11 verse 1 we read this: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" Believe in the saving Grace of God through Christ is to take it as it is or accept this because it is written in de living Word of God. God cannot lie. If we are untrue He remain true!! First it is the saving Grace of God and in daily life in the battle it is that He is faithful and we read in Romans 8 verse 27: And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. So faithful is God for us in Christ. With this shield of faith, the faith of Christ, we are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, the devil! We have trusted the living God as our Savior through Christ. In the battle we can trust on Him Who does more than we think or do! We can always hide in Him because we are in Him Colossians 3 verse 3 read this verse! The devil has no power to conquer us. The devil can resist us and do us a lot of damage but can never take us out of God's hand and with the Gospel of Grace and the shield of faith of Christ the fiery darts of the wicked won't touch us! Ephesians 6 verse 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Verse 17: The devil is our enemy and and wants to attack our minds and he tries us to catch us trough our weakness. In the beginning the devil killed us people. Genesis 3 verse 2! He is a men killer and a master in it!! In 2 Corinthians 11 verse 3 we read: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The helmet of salvation is that our thoughts will be controlled by God. It is very important to know exactly for us individual believers of God in Christ that we precisely know how we are saved, saved forever by the blood of Christ Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14. This is vital my dear brother and sister because this makes us sharp in Him. If we know this very well and make it our own and grow further with the Gospel of Grace then the devil has less influence on us. Give him no foot to beguile you as Eve was beguiled by him. Listen to Gods Word. Ephesians 4 verse 21 tells us: If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him as the truth is in Jesus. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that is through the Gospel of the Grace of God and rightly dividing the Word of truth. Ephesians 4 verse 23. The second we read here is the sword of the Spirit which is God's Word. The sword is a offensive weapon. It was for the Roman soldier the weapon to defend himself and to attack the enemy and this is the same for us as ambassadors of Christ with God's Word to protect ourselves and the ones who are under our care and it is the weapon to attack our enemy, the devil!!! We have also to know very well 2 Timothy 2:15 and can apply in our daily life very well my dear brothers and sisters!! With this all above written we are more than conquerors in Him Who hath loved us. Through God in Christ we have daily if we use this whole armour of Him the victory over satan and his hosts/powers. Think about this my dear brother and sister! Ephesians 6 verse 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Verse 18: For you and me as believer in Christ praying is very important. It is important in our battle against the devil/satan and we have to pray with supplication with thanksgiving and let our requests be made known unto God in the Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit of God. Through the Word of God's Grace we become more and more insight and our prayers will change in our lives. It is more thanking God for everything and we pray also with sense. The second we learn here is watching thereunto! Watching here is from the Greek word agrupneo=to be sleepless, keep awake. Never sleep in prayer but be awake with all perseverance. The Greek word here is proskarteresis =to be constantly diligence and supplication =to plead humbly. before God for all saints. That the saints who stand also for the truth may stand, unmovable and continue and the ones who doesnt know it or refuse it may become to know the Mystery, the Gospel of the Grace of God. In I Thessalonians 5 verse 17 we read: Pray without ceasing= continual, uninteruptidly. Without stopping. What does that mean for the practice? Never stop praying to God. It does not mean that we pray the whole day to God. This we cannot do but that we may stay in contact with Him through praying to Him. In Romans 12 verse 12 we read: Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; It is also in our prayer begging God for things in all humbleness. Ephesians 6 verse 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, Verse 19: The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome. To the saints at Colosse he wrote this in Colossians 4 verse 18: The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds, Grace be with you. Amen. He Paul asked the saints at Ephesus to pray for him that utterance may be given unto me. What is utterance brother and sister? What does this mean? That speech may be given unto him. This is what he is asking for: that he may open his mouth boldly! Oh that we pray also for each other such prayers: the ones in this world who are pastors who know the truth and stand for it that they make known the mystery of the Gospel like Paul did. This is to preach the Glory of the Cross on Calvary! This is the centre or mysery of the Gospel! In prison it was sometimes or most of the times very difficult for the apostle Paul to open his mouth boldly. You can imagine that sometimes he, Paul, was very sad and in fear and trembling in this prison. The circumstances in that time were more bad then now in prison here in this country the Netherlands. You can imagine that he lost sometimes the courage and the mood to continue with the Gospel of the Grace of God to make it known to everyone who wanted to listen. We too my brother and sister have to have the courage and mood to proclaim this Gospel of Grace and the secret of the cross, the glory of the cross make known to this lost world. Let us not forget to pray for each other! Ephesians 6 verse 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Verse 20: For the glory of the cross, the mystery of the Gospel the apostle Paul was a ambassador of Christ in bonds. Litterally he was in bonds. He was in prison with his hands bound. This was very difficult for him to write down this epistle to the saints at Ephesus so maybe he asked Tychikus who was with him, the beloved brother and faithful minister of Christ to write down all what must be written in this epistle and that Tychikus could bring this epistle to Ephesus, to the saints there so that they would as first believers in Christ read and study this epistle/letter. He, Paul goes on to ask to pray for him that he may speak boldly as he ought to speak. In In II Timothy 2: 8 en 9we read the following: Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. It is very clear my dear brothers and sisters God's Word, the Bible is never bound! This will remain despite what will happen to us or that the world is against if or oppose it! Ephesians 6 verse 21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: Verse 21 That ye may know my affairs. What are affairs my brother and sister? What is the apostle talking about here? The word affairs is where the apostle was busy with. and how he was, his condition physically and mentally. They, the saints at Ephesus has the right to know this so that they could pray for him for courage and utterance. That's why the apostle Paul send Tychikus, the beloved brother in Christ and faithful minster in the Lord to make known to them all things what happened there in prison with Paul and others who were with him and how it was in Rome : how much the Gospel of the Grace of God had touched the hearts of people there. In Colossians 4 verse 7 and 8 we read again of Tychikus: All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts" In Acts 20 verse 4 we read: And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. This is the first time we read about Tychikus with Trofimus from Asia and this is true. And in Titus 3 verse 12 we read again about Tychicus: When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. The apostle Paul was in this last verse here again a free man, he was released for a while from the Roman prison. Later he was again arrested by Rome. Ephesians 6 verse 22 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. Verse 22: Tychicus was send to the saints with this epistle that was the first reason. The second reason was that the believers might know what the apostle Paul was doing together with Tychicus and maybe others who were with Paul in prison. The third is that Tychicus hath to comfort their hearts with the Gospel of the Grace of God and probably the last things the apostle Paul knew from God through His Word and sure with this epistle. Tychicus was a faithful brother in the Lord of Paul who did this very faithfully. Paul could depend on him and that is exactly what matters: faithful ministers with whom you can work together in the Body of Christ! Persons who know the Gospel of the Grace of God and the rightly dividing the Word of truth and stand for this and bring it over to others who are also faithful to tell others about this great news. Here in the Netherlands I have not found such persons unfortunately, fortunate yes in other countries and I am happy with this because this comfort your own heart too. Ephesians 6 verse 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 23: The closing words of the apostle Paul: peace to his brothers and sisters in Ephesus and indirect also to the whole Body of Christ. Peace, love and faith and this comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a God Who has peace, love and faith. How wonderful is our God. The world don't know the Savior of this world because they don't believe in Him. They are selfish, them that believe not and a lot of them are in war with each other and want war. We see it in de media nowadays. We as believers in Christ know the peace, love and faith from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and that is something more than what this world gives us. Let us rejoice in the Lord my dear brothers and sisters!!! Ephesians 6 verse 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, Amen Verse 24: At the end here Grace be with all the members of the Body of Christ, who are in Christ. We know Him, our risen Lord and our hope is in Him because He is the Hope. In sincerity this is pure. Our hope/love is in Him and this is pure love and hope. Amen! And here end this verse by verse commentary on the epistle to the Ephesian believers and us indirect members of the Body of Christ.
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Otajstva krunice Radosna otajstva s razmatranjima prema riječima bl. Marije Propetog Petković Anđelovo navještenje Mariji I kad se ispuni punina vremena, smilovao se Otac djeci svojoj po grijehu Adama i Eve, i posla im Zoru novog dana, novog zavjeta, iz koje Zore imalo je isteći Sunce pravde i milosti. I porodi se Prečista izabrana, koja će poroditi Spasitelja. Kad je njegova premudrost sve pripravila šalje Odabranoj vijest po anđelu. I anđeo leti s neba i spušta se na tamnu zemlju u tihi Nazaret, k čistoj i prečistoj - poniznoj Djevici Mariji: »Anđeo Gospodnji navijesti Mariji da će začeti Sina Božjega - po Duhu Svetom.« A Marija reče: »Kako će to biti...« Anđeo odgovori: »Duh Sveti sići će na tebe i krepost Svevišnjega osjenit će tebe zato ono što ćeš ti poroditi zvat će se Sin Božji.« A Marija reče: »Evo službenice Gospodnje, neka mi bude po Riječi Tvojoj.« I Riječ je Tijelo postala i čovjek postao da nas spasi. Toliko se snizio Bog Svemogući da nas spasi. Razmišljaj, dušo moja, njegovo sniženje... poniženje... zatajivanje... za tebe, za tvoj spas... za školu tebi i tvoj život. Poniženje... sniženje... želi Isus od tebe, dušo moja. Današnji je dan velik za nas i za svaku kršćansku dušu, jer je danas Vječna Riječ Očeva sišla među nas, da pomiri nebo sa zemljom. Sin Božji učinio se Čovjekom da spasi rod ljudski; da svijet upozna Oca; da propovijeda duh mira i ljubavi, da nam pokaže kojim putem se ide k ocu. Zato kada mislimo o ovome danu, danu Božjeg Milosrđa, kad nam je po svojoj milosti poslao Sina svoga, možemo Ga zaista pozdraviti kao dan spasenja, dan izmirenja neba sa zemljom, dan milosrđa Oca Nebeskoga prema nama, jer nas je primio po svome Sinu Jedinorođenome za Svoju Djecu. Marijin pohod Elizabeti U drugom otajstvu razmišljajmo o radosti Bl. Djevice Marije, kada otišav u pohode svojoj svetoj rodici Elizabeti bi od iste prepoznana i počašćena za pravu majku Sina Božjega. Pođite oduševljeno s onim duhom kojim je Presveta Djevica Marija posjetila svoju rodicu svetu Elizabetu. A ona ju je posjetila da joj pomogne, da je služi, i zato pomozite rado ono što je potrebno da se učini..... Najviše treba da na to pazimo, da pomognemo one koji su žalosni, bijedni u duši. A ja Vam kažem, da sve ono što činimo zadnjem siromahu, siroti bolesniku činimo Isusu Kristu i On će nam sve uzvratiti. Rođenje Isusovo Danas je Božić dan spasenja, dan veselja za nas, dan Porođenja Onoga, koji je spasio čovječanstvo, naše Vječne Ljubavi, Ljubimca naše duše, očekivanog Otkupitelja od početka svijeta. Za Njim su uzdisali Proroci, za Njegovim dolaskom uzdisale su i vapile k nebu sve duše. Na današnji dan se rodilo sunce ljubavi, Spasitelj svijeta, naše Svijetlo; došao je dan nam donese pravi život da nam pokaže put žrtve za spasenje čovječanstva, za slavu Nebeskog Oca. Stavljam Vam danas pred oči, ovaj uzvišeni Uzor ljubavi i žrtve. Razmatrajmo danas na dan Božića, ovo divno Otajstvo ljubavi. Danas kad budemo pred Kolijevkom Malog Isusa, razmišljajmo o Blaženoj Djevici Mariji, i o Njezinoj sreći u susretu sa svojim ljubljenim Sinom pri Njegovom dolasku na ovaj svijet; sjetimo se kako je u toj sreći zaboravila na sve svoje boli, unutarnje žrtve, nevolje, siromaštvo, jer se sve to gubilo i iščezavalo u prisutnosti slatkog Malog Isusa; sve su se Njezine tegobe svodile na ništa u usporedbi sa beskrajnom srećom posjedovanja svog Božanskog Djeteta. Kod Jaslica našeg Gospodina naći ćete najsavršenije primjere za sve kreposti, tu možete izvući mnogo pouka, a naročito naučiti kako da živite pripuštene križu poniženja. Jer za onoga koji ljubi, ništa nije teško: utisnite duboko u svoje srce ovu istinu. Prikazanje Isusovo u Hramu Ideš, Kraljeviću nebeski, u sv. hram svoj, nosi Te Bezgrešna sveta Djeva, majka Tvoja, prate te u duhu svi proroci i patrijarsi, svi anđeli nebeski i cijeli dvor nebeski. Otvorite se vrata hrama da uniđe Kralj slave. Danas ti Otac daje hram svoj da u njemu s njim kroz vjekove vladaš i prebivaš. O Blažena Djevo, o sv. Šimune, veliki svećeniče, najsvetije prikazanje danas se preko vaših ruku obavlja. Sin nebeskog Oca, Bog od Boga, svjetlost od svjetlosti, sama svetost, ljepota neba i zemlje, jedini, najljepši, najveći, u svojoj sili i ljepoti danas se prikazuje Ocu za spas svijeta. O divne slike, sav hram je u zažarenom zlatno-crvenom svjetlu a usred tog nebeskog žarišta svjetla, bijeli se nebesko čedo, bjelji od svih bijelih boja, sjajniji od sve svjetlosti, očice modre nebeske mu se sjaje od milote i prodiru u dušu, zanose je u toj duševnoj ljepoti, dubini mudrosti i milote. Raširio je ručice kao djelitelj svih milosti, kao ljubimac da zagrli sve kao i pojedinu dušu za kojom on teži. O vi djevičanske djevice - zaručnice tog nebeskog Kraljevića, potecite, motrite, zanesite se u ekstazi, jer to je ljubimac Vaš. Vi ste presretne za zaručnice njegove kraljice male. Oh, budite svete, kako da bar donekle odgovorite tom odabranju, da veselite Kralja - ljubimca svoga. Sveti Šimun je cijelog svog života molio i čeznuo za tim danom, i kad je konačno ugledao Djetića Isusa u hramu, uskliknu sretan: »Sad možeš Gospodine, po riječi svojoj u miru otpustiti slugu svojega. Moje oči vidješe spasenje, koje si pripravio..........« (Lk. Isusa nalaze u Hramu U petom otajstvu razmišljajmo o veselju ljubežlijvog Srca prečiste Djevice Marije, kada traživši tri dana izgubljenoga Sina, nađe ga napokon u hramu među naučiteljima, gdje siplje zrake svoje neizmjerne mudrosti. Naš Gospodin Isus Krist poučavao nas je riječima, »učite se od mene koji sam blaga i ponizna srca, i naći ćete mira dušama vašim«. Mi Ga moramo u tim krepostima nasljedovati, kao i Bl. Djevicu Mariju, našu nebesku Majku, koja je u čitavom svom životu sve blago i ponizno primila, podlažući se u svemu mirno i blago Presvetoj Volji Božjoj. Blagost i poniznost temeljne su kreposti Isusa Krista. Svetost koja nije blaga i ponizna, nije prava svetost. Blaga duša puna je dobrote i kreposti, jer je blaga duša dobrostiva, blaga duša je strpljiva, ponizna i milosrdna. Blaga duša je slatka utjeha za svaku dušu, jer je puna ljubavi i slatkoće. Blaga duša donosi posvuda mir i sve stišava. Blagost je osobita miljenica Isusa Krista, a nama svima neophodno potrebita; da ju postignemo treba da ju vježbamo i ustrajno se borimo sa samim sobom, moleći vruće Gospodina za pomoć, da se možemo svladati tako u takvoj kreposti nasljeđivati Isusa Krista, vapijući često: »Isuse blaga i ponizna srca, učini srce moje, po srcu svojem«. Otajstva svjetla s razmatranjima prema riječima bl. Marije Propetog Petković Isusovo krštenje na Jordanu Po milosti Božjoj i svetom Krštenju postali smo djeca Božja, hram Presvetog Trojstva. Moramo zato častiti i hvaliti Presveto Trojstvo: Oca, Sina i Duha Svetoga čuvajući se svakog grijeha. Koliko smo više sjedinjeni s Bogom, toliko više On po svom Presvetom Trojstvu djeluje u nama i po Svetom Duhu svojem raspiruje ljubav prema Ocu i Sinu i spasenju duša. Neizmjeran je misterij Presvetog Trojstva, toliko dubok, uzvišen, da samo kad počnemo o njemu razmatrati, poniremo sve više i više u neizmjernu dubinu njegove Beskrajnosti, njegove Mudrosti, Ljubavi i Svetosti. Bog je velik i neizmjeran u svom Jedinstvu, koja se slijeva u njegovo Presveto Trojstvo, po kojem Trojstvu hoće u svom milosrđu da pokaže i izlije najdragocjenije milosti na svoju djecu. Vidite Mudrost Božju, s Utjelovljenjem druge Božanske Osobe htio je svoju slavu i spasenje duša u Sinu; da vidimo njegovu Ljepotu, Veličinu i Savršenost, koja se odražava i blista u Sinu, da ga već u vremenu po Sinu spoznamo, tako da rastanemo u želji i čežnji, da ga vječno promatramo. Bog je htio po svom Sinu, da nam pokaže svoju beskrajnu ljubav, da nas Sin Božji spasi i da nam dade život, da nas pouči da ljubimo Oca, da se pokoravamo njegovoj Volji, da se ne vezujemo za zemaljske stvari, već da težimo za vječnošću i da se žrtvujemo za njegovu ljubav. Samoobjavljenje u Kani Kad nestade vina, reče Isusu njegova majka: »nemaju vina«. »Što ti hoćeš od mene ženo? – odvrati joj Isus. – Zar moj čas nije već došao?« Nato majka njegova reče slugama: »Što vam god rekne, učinite« (Iv 2, 3-5) Prečista Djevica Marija bila je odabrana za Majku Božju, jer je bila ponizna. Ona je bila čista, najčistija, a kako su čistoća i poniznost sestre, Bog pogleda na poniznost Službenice Svoje, zbog koje ju je uzveličao, kao što to Ona sama kaže u »Magnificat«, gdje Ona priznaje, da ju je Bog izabrao među svima i ispunio milostima, jer je bila preponizna. Budimo po Marijinom uzoru poslušne, ponizne i skromne. Ona nam je dala savršen primjer brze poslušnosti. Po riječima svetoga Luke »Marija je sve ove riječi čuvala u svom srcu«. Ponizan je i siromašan onaj tko ljubi siromaštvo i siromahe, radi i žrtvuje se za njih, priznaje se siromahom, jednom riječju traži jednostavnost, a prezire isprazne stvari, raskoš i slavu ovoga svijeta, tko ljubi jednostavne i siromašne duše, pomaže gladne, i trpeće, poučava neuke ne očekujući nagradu, već to čini isključivo iz čiste i iskrene ljubavi prema Isus Kristu. Znamo također da ne možemo primiti milost i darove Duha Svetoga: Mudrost, razum, savjest, znanje, jakost, pobožnost i strah Božji, ako nismo ponizni i nemamo duha siromaštva. Poniznost je prva i glavna krepost, jer ponizna osoba ljubi i poštuje svakoga i žrtvuje se za sve. Gdje nema poniznosti, nema ni ljubavi Božje. Duša se mora zatomiti, odreći se same sebe, ako hoće da se ispuni Bogom. Poniznost je temelj duhovnog života, svakog kršćanina, jer ako ova krepost nije temelj duhvonom životu, sve je lažno; ako o sebi ne mislimo ponizno, to jest ako ne osjećamo svoju bijedu i svoju nevrijednost, ako ne iskazujemo dužnu podložnost i ne poštujemo svakoga, naš duhovni život je raskliman i ruši se. Sam Isus Krist je rekao: »Učite se do Mene, koji sam blaga i ponizna srca, i naći ćete mir u svojoj duši.« Jer tko je ponizan blag je, nema naglih i oštrih riječi i kretnja, već govori blago i s poštovanjem, ne vrijeđa se ako ga drugi vrijeđaju, jer je ponizna srca. Navještaj kraljevstva - blaženstva »Blago milosrdnima, jer će postići milosrđe« (Mt 5,7). Jedno od glavnih svojstava Božjih jest Njegovo neizmjerno Milosrđe. Sva dobra djela su uzvišena, sva su plemenita, ali milosrđe je najveće. Kako je veliko i slatko milosrđe! - Po djelima milosrđa spasit će se svijet, po njima Bog daje dušama milosti za njihovo posvećenje. Ako hoćete da primite od Gospodina Milosti i da imate Njegovo milosrđe, vršite djela milosrđa, jer s mjerom kojom budete mjerili, bit će Vam mjereno. On je to rekao, a On ne može prevariti, jer je On vječna Istina, svjetlija od svijetlosti. Po djelima milosrđa vidjeti će se kolika je naša ljubav; poznati će se jesmo li od Boga i za Boga. Ne sastoji se milosrđe samo žaliti bijedne, nego stvarno im pomoći, staviti u djelo, žrtvovati se za svakoga potrebnoga bez razlike, pa kao što je Bog Otac sviju, tako mi moramo biti brat i sestra svima jednako, jer smo svi djeca jednoga Oca. Nemojmo gubiti vrijeme misleći o drugim stvarima, nego samo se zauzimajmo za djela milosrđa, u tomu se sastoji ljubav k bližnjemu kako nam Gospodin Bog zapovijeda. Nemojmo na sebe misliti nego na potrebe bližnjega, kako ćemo mu najbolje pomoći, utješiti ga, brinuti se za njegovo spasenje; rukovoditi ga na dobro, upućivati ga i učiti put pravde i istine po Zapovijedima Božjim. To neka nam bude prva briga. Dalje liječiti i njegovati bolesne, učiti ih kako će se i sam liječiti i kako će najprije čuvati svoje zdravlje. Nećemo dati, samo račun o svojim pogreškama i nesavršenostima, nego i za ono što smo propustili učiniti, što smo mogli i znali a nismo učinili za svoj napredak i za svoga bližnjega i zato ćemo teško odgovarati Gospodinu Bogu; ako smo bližnjega ražalostili, nismo ga utješili, savjetovali, nahranili itd. Također je rekao naš Gospodin: »Kakvim sudom sudite, onakvim će vam se suditi i kakvom mjerom mjerite, onakvom će vam se mjeriti.« I zato nam neće ništa vrijediti naše mnoge molitve i pokora, ako nemamo milosrđa i ljubavi. Nemojmo suditi nikoga nego opravdavajmo svakoga, ali ne samo za svoje spasenje, premda je i to dobro, nego i za ljubav Isusovu, jer će On nas ljubiti kad smo mi ljubili njegovu djecu. Preobraženje na Gori »Kad zamakoše u oblak učenici se prestrašiše, a iz oblaka doprije glas: Ovo je sin moj, Izabranik moj! Njega slušajte!« (Lk 9, 34-36) Shvatite dobro riječi našega Gospodina Utjelovljene Riječi Nebeskog Oca: Bog, naš Vrhovni liječnik Svemogući gospodar zahtijeva još od početka stvaranja, da Ga svi Anđeli na nebu i svi ljudi sva bića na zemlji slušaju. Sva vlast na nebu, na zemlji, u moru i pod zemljom sve se mora pokoravati Bogu Svemogućemu. Bog nam kaže: »Volim poslušnost nego žrtvu«, to jest da ne činimo onako kako mi hoćemo, pa makar bilo i u najboljoj namjeri, nego onako kako On hoće. A u Novom Zavjetu vidimo da je sam Sin Božji sišao na zemlju da sluša i da izvrši Volju Svog Nebeskog Oca. S ovim nam Gospodin hoće da kaže, da treba najprije držati Zapovijedi Božje, biti poslušan Njegovoj Volji i Božanskoj Milosti. Svaka duša treba da se svakog dana ispita, dali ih vjerno vrši. Poslušnost mora biti brza i vesela. Ako u nekom momentu osjetite slabu volju u svom srcu da poslušate, sjetite se tada da Isus neće bit zadovoljan s Vama, pa se svladajte i koračajte veselo naprijed. Oduševite se odmah i otklonite ove poteškoće i suprotne osjećaje. Tako ćete se malo po malo pobijediti i postići da veselo slušate i onda kad to bude suprotno Vašem osjećaju i mišljenju, jer ćemo u tom slučaju biti sigurnije da vršimo Presvetu Volju Božju. Moramo slušati Nebeskog Oca i Njegovu Utjelovljenu Riječ, našeg Gospodina Isusa Krista, koji kaže: »Budite savršeni...« a kad se pokoravamo Riječi, pokoravamo se Ocu, jer Sin je Njegova Riječ, i pokoravamo se Duhu Svetome. Stoga se može reći da je naš jedini cilj živjeti u svetoj poslušnosti, jednom riječju: izvršiti volju Božju, slušajući u životu i smrti kao što je slušao Naš Gospodin Isus Krist. Ustanovljenje euharistije A one noći svetog Četvrtka, dao nam je Isus jednu novu zapovijed: »Ljubite se međusobno kao što sam ja ljubio Vas!« Dakle ne kako ljubi svijet, nego u istini, tako će svijet poznati da ste Kristovi učenici. U svetoj Pričesti Isus živi Bog, dolazi k nama, da nas duhovno okrijepi, da nas posveti i da nam udjeli potrebne milosti. Dolazi k nama da nam dade duhovni i vječni život.- Zato kaže: »Ja sam kruh živi,koji sam s neba sišao; tko jede od ovog kruha, živjet će u vijeke; kruh, koji ću ja dati, Tijelo je moje,za život svijeta«. I dalje: »Zaista zaista, kažem Vam: ako ne jedete Tijelo Sina čovječega ine pijete Krvi Njegove, nemate života u sebi. Tko jede Tijelo moje i pije Krv moju, ima život vječni iJa ću ga uskrstiti, na sudnji dan. Tko jede Tijelo moje i pije Krv moju, ostaje u Meni i Ja u njemu, koji jede Mene, on će živjeti u Meni«. Cijeli život Kristov ima za svrhu sjedinjenje s nama, on nas je preporodio po Duhu Svetomu u svetom Krštenju, otkupio nas je svojom Neprocijenjenom Krvlju. Sveta Pričest hoće reći sjedinjenje s Kristom a sjedinjenje znači: biti kao jedan; znači, da moramo ljubiti ono što ljubi Krist, što On hoće, da hoćemo i mi, da vršimo Njegovu Volju; Njegova bol da bude naša bol; da On radi u nama a mi u Njemu i za Njega, za spasenje duša za utjehu svima koji nas okružuju; da naš život po milosti bude sličan Njegovom životu. Svi mi znamo, da je Bog jedno biće tako beskrajno i sveto, da svi anđeli i nebeski duhovi prostiru se ničice u Njegovoj prisutnosti, kao nedostojni da stoje pred Njim. I ovog Svemogućeg Boga primamo mi u Božanskoj Euharistiji. Ovaj Svemogući Bog mogao je i htio da se zatvori u maloj Hostiji, kao što je mogao hodati po moru, ući u dvoranu, gdje su bili sakupljeni apostoli, kroz zatvorena vrata. Zašto se je Svemogući bog učinio Čovjek? Da nas spasi. Također zato da ostane s nama, ali ne da ostane zatvoren u hladnom Svetohraništu, nego da se združi sa srcima svojih sinova. Koliko čezne Isus da se združi s dušom koju toliko ljubi. Žalosna otajstva s razmatranjima prema riječima bl. Marije Propetog Petković Isus se znoji krvavim znojem na Maslinskoj gori Ideš na Maslinsko brdo da u miru i samoći pogledaš zemlju i sve grijehe svijeta, pomoliš se još jednom svom nebeskom Ocu i prikažeš mu se za zadovoljštinu. Našao si se sam u toj noćnoj tišini u vrtu boli. Pogledao si Jeruzalem, sve spava, a budni su oni koji se dogovaraju kako da Te uhvate, muče i sude. Srce Ti se potreslo od žalosti i boli, pao si licem na zemlju i zaplakao si gorko nad izgubljenom djecom srca svoga. Kad si osjetio gdje će oni to srce čisto izgaziti, tu ljubav prezirati, oh, to presveto srce, počelo je silno tuči, odjednom se u boli stislo, protreslo, krv provalila kroz arterije čitavim tijelom, počela strujiti i kroz kožu, otisnula se, kao kaplje znoja i kapala na tu zemlju. Tu sliku nije mogla dugo trpjeti njegova ljubljena duša da će prezreti i pogaziti njegovo srce, njegovu ljubav i zamoli Oca vapijućim glasom: “Oče, ako je moguće nek me mimoiđe čaša ova, ali ne kako ja hoću, već kako ti hoćeš.” Ali Otac nebeski ga okrijepi da može po ljubavi srca svoga podnijeti još grozne muke i križem otkupiti pravedni i pokajani svijet. I pošalje mu anđela ne da ga utješi već da mu pruži kalež da prinese žrtvu za cijelo čovječanstvo, da ga ni ona čaša za koju je molio ne mimoiđe, već i za izgubljene, da dade zadovoljštinu Ocu. Onda padne u dugu molitvu opraštajući se sa zemljom koju je nakvasio svojom krvlju i suzama. Isus bičevan i vrijeđan Možemo živjeti u poniznosti i podnositi sa ljubavlju sve što nam nadođe, moramo znati šutjeti sa svetom strpljivošću kako je šutio Isus kada su ga sudili, mučili. Gospodin zna dobro zašto nam šalje trpljenje, On premudar i Presvet sve šalje za naše dobro, da se po trpljenju spasimo i zadobijemo krunu u nebu. Trpljenje je lijek za našu dušu, da zadovolji za grijehe. Nemojmo nikada pitati zašto Gospodin Bog šalje muke i boli, jer to je znak njegove neizmjerne ljubavi, koga više ljubi više mu šalje trpljenja. On kuša odabrane duše da mu što sličnije postanu. Blago onomu koji mirno trpi i šuti, jer tko ostane vjeran u borbi on će pobijediti i dobiti nagradu. Tko nešto postigne trpljenjem i mukom, onda to i ljubi, jer se je mnogo mučio za postići, a tko ništa ne pretrpi za nešto, pa i ne mari za to. Isus je trpio za nas jer je htio pokazati da nas ljubi. U svakom trpljenju u svakoj muci, krije se tajna promisla Božjega. Naša narav se protivi trpljenju, ali ako smo se na trpljenje pripravili mirnim okom, vedrim čelom, odlukom da ćemo sve rado trpjeti što nas onaj dan snađe, kako će naše trpljenje biti slatko i sam Bog će nam ga zasladiti svojom utjehom i svojom milošću, jer samo nadnaravna sila može nam pomoći da rado trpimo. Proći ćete kroz ovaj život boli kao kroz kušnju ljubavi - kroz Križ ljubavi i boli..... ! Isus je pretrpio neizmjerne bolove od bičevanja, za krunjenja trnovom krunom i u strašnoj smrti na Križu, a sve iz ljubavi prema nama. Nitko ne može biti bez trpljenja; ruže nisu na zemlji, ni pjesme, nego muke i trpljenje. Isus okrunjen trnovom krunom Materijalna bogatstva, blagostanje, uživanje, nisu znak Kraljevstva Božjega, naprotiv, svi koji su Kristovi, moraju trpjeti u Kristu, za jednom uživati s Njime u Kraljevstvu Vječnom. Tko ljubi Raspetog Krista, slatka mu je ta riječ trpjeti iz ljubavi prema Njemu. Nema prave ljubavi bez žrtve i trpljenja za ljubljenoga. Krist je sa križem i trpljenjem otkupio svijet. I sam Krist - Kralj vječne slave, iako Presvet i Tvorac s Ocem svega, bio je i čovjek boli, zatajio sebe, svoju slavu i moć, da može nas sa boli i krvlju otkupiti. Divimo se Njegovoj slavi, čudesnim, divnim i savršenim djelima, ali nas još više privlači i pobjeđuje ljubav, Njegove Rane i trpljenje iz ljubavi za naše vječno spasenje, kako lijepo kaže Izidor Poljak u Hosani: »Gospode, Tebi se klanjam, bezbroj što sunaca ravnaš! Ali Te, Gospode, ljubim, Tvojih zbog petero Rana, trnovog Tvojeg vijenca, ranjenog Tvojeg Srca!«. Tko želi ruže u životu sama sebe vara, jer ruže su prolazne, varave, za čas uvenu. Bile i kako lijepe brzo otpadnu u prah, i pogaze se od ljudi. A trnje, trnje ostaje nepomično. Sa trnjem vidimo kao simbol okrunjenu glavu Spasiteljevu. Sa trnjem vidimo kao simbol okrunjeno Srce Spasiteljevo Shvatimo i dobro razmišljajmo sv. Evanđelje, po kojemu treba da živimo. Razmatrajmo pozorno poniznog i trpećeg i Raspetog Krista. U poniznosti i ljubavi kročimo kroz trnje i šikarje dalje k meti - k Isusu. Svaki dan i sat nosi svoje; svaki drugi korak jedan trn. Ništa zato, kad si združen s Isusom sve je slatko i lako. Ako za jednu varavu, lijepu ružu ne bojimo se okrvaviti se trnjem, samo za imati je za čas, koliko manje se trebamo bojati trnja za postignuti vječnu ružu i krunu vječne slave. Isus nosi teški križ Stanite pred ovim propetim Spasiteljem, pogledajte Križ, tko je na njemu. Zadubimo se malo tu urazmatranje. Pod križem naučit ćete se stupati putem križa, putem trpljenja i požrtvovnosti. To jekraljevski put, to je najodličniji vođa izabranih duša. Prije nego je Spasitelj posvetio križ svojomsmrću na njemu, on je bio drvo sramote, stratište određeno za najgore razbojnike. Ali nakon presvetemuke Isusove Križ je postao slavan, Križ je geslo svetaca, Križ je knjiga života. Križ je učiteljponiznosti, samoprijegora, ljubavi i svake kreposti. On će nam pokazati kako nam treba trpjeti veselo, a ako vidimo da smo slabe, tu ćemo se ojačati. Ako nas tišti muka, ako nam sila nestaje, podno Križa ćemo se ohrabriti i smjelo ćemo koracati dalje započetom stazom. …njegove rane neka budu naša škola i naša utjeha. Propete Isusove ruke neka nas opominju da sve radimo u ljubavi i požrtvovnosti, probodene noge Isusove neka nas opominju da hodamo putem sv. poslušnosti i putem sv. Božjih zapovijedi. Njegova trnova kruna neka nas sjeća svete poniznosti koja mora da resi našu dušu, a otvoreni bok Isusov neka bude naša najslađa okrepa i naš zaklon, iz njega crpimo snagu u svim svojim bolima i slaboćama. Isus raspet na križu Evo, žrtvovane ljubavi, klonuta bijelog Lijera, Sina nebeskog Oca, dao je život, sveto tijelo svoje da naš dug plati i spas nam vječni vrati. Svi stvorovi dođite i hvalu mu dajte sa mnom. Hvalite to Svjetlo svijeta, koje je sjalo toj zemlji 33 ljeta. Hvalite to blago svijeta koje nam sve i nebo pribavi svima. Hvalite Ljepotu, koja nam ljepotu Oca pokaza i sve ljepotom svojom očara. Hvalite tog liječnika rajskog, koji nam sve rane krvlju svojom iscijeli i život mrtvi nam povrati. Hvalite tu žrtvu svetu za grijehe ljudi raspetu. Hvalimo Spasitelja našeg koji je sve žrtvovao radi spasa našeg. Hvalite to tijelo sveto, koje za nas bi na zemlji 33 godine. Hvalite to tijelo sveto, koje za nas bi bijeno. Hvalite to tijelo sveto, koje za našu hranu je dano. Hvalite to tijelo sveto, koje za nas bi propeto. Hvalite to tijelo sveto, koje je i zadnju kap krvi za nas prolilo. Hvalite te rane svete njegove, za nas otvorene. Hvalite te svete izvore iz kojih teku rijeke milosti njegove. Hvalite rajskih rana otvore kroz koje će se pustiti u raj sve bijedne griješne stvorove. U ranama tim, teče još uvijek rijeka krvi presvete, koja pere sve rane i grijehe teške. Pristupite, ljudi, tim svetim rajskim vratima otvorenim ranama i crpite slast i spas iz tog svetog izvora. Pristupite sad anđeli i sveti nebeski, i klanjajte se ranama presvetim. Hvalite Janje nebesko, hvalite milosrđe neizmjerno. Hvala i slava mu bila u vijeke. Slavna otajstva s razmatranjima prema riječima bl. Marije Propetog Petković Isusovo uskrsnuće Radujte se, i utješite se, jer je uskrsnuo naš Gospodin! - On je ovog preslavnog dana dokazao svojim uskrsnućem, da je pravi Bog i pravi Čovjek; Bog-Čovjek!- Potvrdio je svoje Božanstvo, svoju svemoćnost, Svoju Slavu! Isus Krist došao je na ovu zemlju, da nauči ljude istine vječne i reče na Zadnjoj večeri: »U kući mojega Oca, mnogi su stanovi, idem da vam pripravim mjesto.« I nastavlja: »I kad odem da pripravim mjesto, opet ću doći i uzet ću vas k sebi, da i vi budete gdje sam ja« (Iv 14, 2-3). Kadgod se nalazite u nekom trpljenju, sjetite se, da će ono brzo proći, jer trpljenje traje jedan trenutak, a slava je vječna. Sjetite se kad trpite, da će Vas Bog nagraditi za svaku Vašu pa i najmanju bol i trpljenje za Njegovu ljubav. Jasno je, da uskrsnuće dolazi poslije Svetog Petka. Uskrsnuće je pobjeda naše svete Vjere i Ufanja, zato često razmišljajmo i mislimo na: smrt, na Sud i život vječni. Nada u uskrsnuće i vječno blaženstvo nek vas krijepi i bodri kroz kratki put ovozemnog života. Naše misli neka budu upravljene na nebo, gdje nas naš Božanski Spasitelj čeka. Isusovo uzašašće na nebo Ovog svetog dana naše srce se veseli i žalosti. Veseli se, jer se Gospodin vratio u slavu Očevu, odakle je bio sišao k nama, i tu sjedi s desnu Boga Oca, gdje se Svojim Presvetim Čovječanstvom moli i posreduje, tražeći po zaslugama Svojih Svetih Rana milosrđe za nas. Otac ima toliko veliku ljubav prema Sinu, da štogod Ga zamolimo u Ime Njegovo Presvetog Sina, sve nam daje. Zbog toga moramo se uticati Bogu svim pouzdanjem i sinovskom ljubavi, kao istinskom Ocu, jer kao što nas Isus ljubi, Otac nas također ljubi zbog ljubavi prema Njegovom Sinu. Otac će nam dati sve što Ga zamolimo u Ime Isusovo, zato Ga molimo iznad svega da Ga poznamo u Isusu, jer malo ih je, koji dobro poznaju Njegov Duh, a još manje, koji Ga razumiju. Pomisao da nas naš Otac čeka u nebu, mora ispuniti užitkom i srećom našu dušu. Da srce apostola ne bude previše privezano uz Isusovu čovječju narav, nego uz njegov Duh da ga kao Boga ljube s Ocem i Duhom Svetim, On im obeća poslati Duha Svetoga govoreći: Treba da ja otiđem, da k vama dođe Utješitelj i tako su apostoli ostali čeznući za nebom, gdje ih Isus čeka. Silazak Duha Svetoga Božanski Duh koji je dao život pustoj i praznoj zemlji jest Oganj koji pokreće i upravlja sav naš život i život svete Božje Crkve. Kad Duh Sveti obuzme jednu dušu, odmah je pretvori u sebe samog i ona osjeća, misli i djeluje kako je On nadahnjuje i vodi, tako da nije ona koja živi, nego Duh Sveti djeluje u njoj. Kao što se željezo, postavljeno u vatru preobražava u vatru, tako se i duša, koju Duh Sveti posjeduje pretvara u Njega, dok se ne sjedini s njim. Bog je jedan, i u svakom Božanskom djelu sve tri božanske Osobe sudjeluju; ali kao što se na naročiti način pripisuje Bogu Ocu djelo stvaranja, Bogu Sinu djelo otkupljenja, Duhu Svetome se pripisuje Djelo posvećenja. Zato je Duh Sveti, to jest Duh, koji silazi od Boga Oca i Sina, onaj koji pokreće naše duše i vodi da ne skrenu s puta Božjeg. Po Njemu se objavljuje Stvaralački Duh, duh pravednosti i milosrđa Oca, Mudrost Sina i Njihov Duh Ljubavi, koji ispunja duše Svojom svjetlošću. Bez Duha Svetoga ne posjedujemo ništa, stoga ga molimo da nam dade svoje svete darove, osobito dar mudrosti i pobožnosti da po njemu i po Isusu dođemo k Ocu, da ga ljubimo i hvalimo u sve vijeke. Sam Isus je rekao za Duha Svetoga:»On će vas poučiti o svemu«. On će nam dati sve darove potrebite za razumijevanje Božanskih stvari. Zazivajte dakle Duha Svetoga ustrajno i s ljubavlju, svim žarom svoje duše, iz dubine srca, gledajući nebo, da nam Otac da Svoju svijetlost preko Sina, jer On ne daje ništa, što ne ide preko Njegovog Sina, i tako nam Duh Sveti dolazi po Kristu. Marijino uznesenje na nebo Gledajmo veličinu duše Presvete Djevice Marije u njezinoj šutnji. Ona se nikad nije brinula što će reći ljudi, ni za mišljenje svijeta. Njezina je duša bila uzdignuta prema Bogu, sjedinjena s Njim i tako je primala sve iz Njegovih presvetih ruku spokojno. U šutnji je skrivala svoju žrtvu, za koju je znao samo Isus. I Bog je primio ovaj dar čiste ljubavi i boli bez ikakve primjese taštine ili samoljublja. Slijedimo Mariju, naš uzor, u šutnji, gledajući samo Boga, našeg Učitelja, našu svrhu i svjedoka našeg bola i ljubavi. Prečista Djevica Marija nije umrla od neke tjelesne bolesti nego od ljubavi. Izgarala je od želje da se sjedini s Isusom i ta ljubav Ju je iscrpila, istrošila. Budući da ni jedan jezik zemaljski nema riječi da izrazi veličinu i ljepotu Djevice Marije, uzdignimo svoje srce, da je ono hvali, stignimo do nje svojim čuvstvima, jer se srce prelijeva u čuvstvima i osjećajima i kadro je da izrazi ono što jezik ne može. Molite prečistu Djevicu Mariju uvijek i u svakoj potrebi s najjačim žarom i pouzdanjem. Pa ako je zaista ljubimo, slijedimo je u Njezinoj uzvišenoj čistoći, u Njezinoj poniznosti, jednostavnosti i istini. Marijina slava na nebu Razmatrajući i razmišljajući o Mariji, kao Majci Božjoj, Kraljici neba i zemlje i svih Svetaca, uteći ćemo se Mariji s pouzdanjem i sinovskom ljubavlju, sazivajući da nas zaštiti i da nam da potrebne milosti za naš život i spasenje. Prečista Djevica daje nam svojim presvetim životom primjer duboke poniznosti, šutnje i žrtve za spasenje duša. Nikad se nije pokazala pred mnoštvom kao Majka Spasiteljeva, nije bila s Njim kad je On činio čudesa, ni kad su mu ljudi klicali: »Hosana«, ni na Taboru kad se preobrazio. Ali pod Križem, kad su vikali i psovali Isusa, kad je bio ponižavan kao zločinac i razbojnik, tu, pod križem, usred prezira i mržnje, tu se pokaza da je Njegova Majka. I tako tu, u šutnji, u boli prinese na žrtvu Svog jedinog Sina, Svemogućeg i Božanskog Jaganjca za ispaštanje grijeha ljudi, sjedinivši se s Njim u uzvišenoj žrtvi Bogu Ocu. Promatrajmo Njezino srce i mislimo: Nebeski Otac stvorio je tolika veličanstvena djela i beskrajne, izvanredne ljepote, a u Marijino srce ulio je više milosti nego u jedan drugi stvor, zato među Njegovim djelima ni jedno nije toliko uzvišeno i lijepo kao Marija. Mislimo da su također Sin i Duh Sveti obdarili Prečistu Djevicu svim Svojim darovima i izvanrednim milostima, koje se ne mogu naći ni u jednom drugom biću. Pomislite samo kolike je milosti morao uliti u Nju Bog Sin, koji ju je pripremao za Svoju Majku, najčistiju i najsvetiju među svim stvorovima. Dakle ako se je Nebeski Otac i cijelo Presveto Trojstvo toliko u Njoj radovalo od vječnosti, kako da ju mi ne ljubimo i ne slavimo? Moramo ju mi posebnom ljubavlju ljubiti i častiti, kako nas sv. Crkva uči. Presveta Djevica je objavila, da kad je bila uznesena u nebo, Presveto Trojstvo ju je okrunilo i proglasilo njezino kraljevstvo nad Crkvom slavnom, vojujućom i trpećom. Mi ju posebno moramo častiti kao Majku i Kraljicu našu, kao takovu trebamo da ljubimo, služimo i slijedimo. Hvale i zazivi Vječnom Ocu Devetnica