Light and Dark contrasts … fruit of light, unfruitfulness of the dark

Walk in the Spirit (Walk Wisely) … Fruit of the Spirit … Filled by the Spirit

Caution, beware, look carefully in how we walk (how we represent ourselves as believers).

Stop being foolish and use what time we have wisely for the Lord’s purposes by the Power of His Spirit.

Have joy in what you do with Him and for Him and because of Him. Sing to your fellow believers, be in harmony with Christ.

Paul now begins to talk about what is expected of us as Newbies. 

WE now have a standard to live by … a consistent standard … a standard based on truth.

Old things are to be left behind, new clothes are to be put on.

A new language, a different viewpoint, a fresh approach are before us.

These things are what we need to live like Jesus.

How are we doing? Are we succeeding in moving forward, bearing fruit, ripening and maturing?

Match it with the new standard … how does your life match up.

Start anew tomorrow. Begin again. Keep going until you get it right. You are able, because he is able.

ONENESS the theme of this section is about a vertical relationship.

WE looked at a horizontal relationship in he last section. That was the breaking down of hostility between the gentiles and the jews in the body of Christ.

Here Paul addresses looking upward to he who ascended after previously descending.

We are to mature with each other, hold each other accountable, support and love each other.

When we do that we look upward to his command to love each other and we do it out of obedience. We do it for Him. 

We are able to do these things because the Holy Spirit is our generator of great power.

We are encouraged to do that by receiving his blessings for obedience as we unite with each other.

We are ONE with Him because we are ONE with each other in allegiance, in work, in support … we want all to get to the same place (Heaven).

WE all walk together to get where we are going.

Walking together (Unity), walking together shedding ourselves fo our sin baggage (purity), walking together in fulfilling our purposes as spouses, parents, employees, friends, associates )harmony),

Walking together to overcome a common enemy (victory). 

A continuation of the study of Ephesians.  We pick up in chapter 2 verse 11 through Chapter 3 verse 11. 

Two men come one. A New Society … a special new configuration. Joining the Jews with the Gentiles.

This will form the solution to the mystery not revealed in the Old Testament.

The solution? The CHURCH … the body of Christ who is the head.

Because of God’s Grace we now have power to overcome the darkness.

God’s plan of salvation works to satisfy the justice requirement associated with our being guilty of our crimes (sin) … 

Rebellion … disobedience … turning our back on God. We are guilty. 

BUT GOD shows us mercy (undeserved as it is) in the form of grace.

We are resurrected by grace, we are brought to life (born again) because of his love for us even when we were in darkness.

He raised us from the depths of guilt to a place of honor, a place of grace, a place held for us by Jesus, a place for the repentant.

We are spiritually seated with Him in the heavenlies now. We have power to overcome sin. 

On one day when our soul/spirit catches up with our reserved seat in heaven, we will be in position to be beyond the reach of sin.

We have escaped the penalty of sin … we have the power to overcome the lure of sin … and we will be one day without the presence of sin.

That glorious day is the day you can take your deepest breath and finally unclinch your hand. 

Satan has been vanquished. He has been defeated.

A walk through the Book of Ephesians.  This episode pickups up in Chapter 1 verses 15-23.   

A walk through Ephesians.  

An early beginning to our upcoming study through the Book of Ephesians.

This podcast gives us some background that leads up to His writing of the Book.

Remember this: What Paul had in him was used by God. 

That is to say Paul was greatly determined to stop the spread of the gospel among Jews at all cost and by any means.

Determined ! That is the key word about Paul’s character and personality.

God uses the to the advantage of the gospel because Paul is equally determined to spread the gospel after his conversion.

Keep that thought in the back of your mind as you listen to subsequent podcasts and zoom meetings.

An extension of the previous podcast about Grace.

Genesis 6 and 7 are discussed.

Key verse is 1 Corinthians 15:10

Look it up

God’s merited favor.

We love to have it even though we cannot earn it.

We all needed it even when we cannot accumulate it like manna.

In searching to explain it, feel it, explain it is a hard things to do. So let’s talk about it … examine it … and be grateful for it.

This is Grace 1.1 , another episode on this topic to follow.