As we begin this new book, let me remind each true believer that we’re all laborers together for our Lord. We are part of what Paul calls in I Corinthians 3:9 "...God’s building..." As we study I know there are countless millions who are so hung up on tradition, and they based their very eternal destination on some of these traditions Tradition is something that has been passed down from generation to generation, and many never bother to check the Scripture to see if these traditions are really true for the Body of Christ believer. I just thank the Lord that over half of the New Testament was written by Paul for the Body of Christ, who gives us can’t miss instruction for eternal life.

Last lesson we left off in Ephesians chapter 4. Today we’ll pick up with verse 12. Remember that in verse 11, Paul leaves the Church with evangelists, pastors and teachers as we discussed in the last lesson. These are specially gifted men that God is going to provide for the Christian community. I think it also ties in with I Corinthians chapter 13, the love chapter. It’s almost the same kind of scenario, only we shake out off the superfluous things and we end up with the three things that in the end will abide. And what are they?

I Corinthians 13:13

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, (or love) these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

Those are the things that remain with us even today. These three words in Paul’s epistles just keep popping up. Now all three may not be together all the time, but watch for those words. Now coming back to where we were in Ephesians chapter 4, and we have much the same thing. So forth of the various gifts and so forth, that people make so much ado over even today, they’ve more or less just fallen by the way side, but three of them remain. These three are as absolute as anything can be even today, and what are they? Evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Those are the three main criteria for any local group of believers. Now verse 12, and what’s the purpose of these three?

Ephesians 4:12

"For the perfecting of the saints, (notice Paul said to perfect the saints, not the lost. and what’s the purpose again?) for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

You know I’m always stressing that I think too much of Church activity is geared in the wrong direction, not that it’s all that bad, but so much Church activity is supposedly directed to lost people. Oh we’ve got to save the lost, most Churches will say, and I’m also concerned about the lost, but the best way to reach lost people is not wait for that poor preacher, or Sunday school teacher to do it all, but every ordinary believer should be in the position to open the Scriptures to lost people, and that’s what I think Paul is referring to here. Now look at it again in that light. All evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given for what purpose?

Ephesians 4:12

"For the perfecting (or maturing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" This is where all Paul’s effort is being directed to the to edifying the believer. Now verse 13.

Ephesians 4:13a

Now those of you who hear me teach over a period of time, know that I’m always stressing that there’s no use trying to go out and witness to people if you don’t know what you’re witnessing about. You have to know the subject, and you need to be able to show the lost the correct Scripture so they can see with their own eyes. If you ask an auto mechanic, or some other person in a specialized field about their profession, they show how professional they are real quick with their knowledge of the subject. But if you asked them something that’s out of their field, they would clam up, because they don’t know. Well it’s almost that ridiculous when we try to send people out to witness to the lost, when they know nothing about the Word of God. So the whole purpose in Paul’s writings is to edify the believer, and now let’s look and see what the believer is supposed to do.

II Corinthians 5:18

"And all things are of God, who hath (past tense) reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us (the believer) the ministry of reconciliation; 19. To wit, (that is to say) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses (sins) unto them; (they’re forgiven) and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.:"

In other words, we’re to tell a lost world that because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, He has already reconciled them, but they have to believe that beautiful Gospel. And how are they to believe it?

Romans 10:14

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher (or proclaimer?) Paul tells us someone must present this Gospel to them. Now finishing our thought with verse 20 of II Corinthians chapter 5.

II Corinthians 5:20a

"Now then we (as ordinary everyday believers) are ambassadors for Christ,..."

Now what’s an ambassador? He’s a representative of his home country, but he’s living in foreign territory, and everything that he does is being viewed by the foreigners. Everything that he says is being analyzed by the people in the country which he is serving. Now folks that’s exactly where you and I are. We are in foreign territory whether we know it or not. Everyday that we live we see it more and more, I mean the opposition is rising against Christianity. We’re in foreign territory! Paul tells us as believers our homeland, and citizenship is in heaven, and we’re to be ambassadors.

Now let me ask you something, would any president in his right mind send somebody to Japan to be an ambassador from my background, for example. Would he just send an ordinary dirt farmer over there to represent this country? Why I wouldn’t know how to even begin a conversation. So before we send an ambassador to a foreign nation by an appointment, usually of the president, and the congress has to OK it, what do you expect that person to have in his background? Everything that prepared him to be an ambassador. You wouldn’t send anyone over there with no education or background, but isn’t that exactly what we do with most Christians? We send them out into that world of wolves with no background, they have no knowledge of the Scripture, and as soon as the scoffer hits them with something, they absolutely melt, they don’t know what to say or where to find it.

This is why we have to teach the Word, this is why God has left evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The believing community has to be prepared to go out into the world and win the lost. We’re to have a heart for lost people, of course we are. God has a heart for lost people, but you see too often we put the cart up in front of the horse, and we wonder why it doesn’t work. Now come back to Ephesians, and look at verse 14, again. Now remember what the theme here is. These evangelists, pastors, and teachers have been given to the local Christian community, whether it’s a local Church, or a Bible study group.

In about 1937 a great Bible teacher saw then already the apostasy that was coming into some of the more liberal denominations, and even at that time he could see the day if the Lord tarries where the only true Biblical study and teaching would be in small Bible studies. And here as we close out this century, we’re seeing it. I know there are still some good Churches, I know there’s still some good pastors, but if you could hear my phone calls, and read our letters, you would be aghast at what’s coming out some of the pulpits of America. It’s absolutely unbelievable, and people are just up against it. They always ask, what can we do, where can we go and hear the Word, because we can’t find it. Well this is to be expected here in this day and age as we near the end time.

We may get to the place where the organized Church has to go through something like the Church that was in China had to go through before the communists took over. Watchman Nee was one of the great Bible study teachers in China, and not that I agree with him 100% on theology, but he had a tremendous ministry establishing small Bible study groups in the great apartment complexes of China’s huge cities. Well when the communists took over China, the first thing they did was lock the door on the organized Church. The only thing left for the believer then, and kept the Christian community alive, was those little cells of home Bible study. So I never want anyone to say, "You’re putting down the local Church!" No I never put down the local Church if they are true to the Word. But oh my goodness, when I hear some of the stuff coming in I can see a lot of these Churches are not true to the Word. Now finally let’s look at verse 14 again.

Ephesians 4:14a

"That we henceforth (from the time that God has given us these gifted men who have now been teaching us, that from henceforth we) be no more children, tossed to and fro,..."

Now you know when I see a particular word in Scripture. I always think of 4 or 5 verses that will fit. Let’s look at one of them. Go back to I Peter chapter 2 for a moment... Here in I Peter, this is almost the same kind of language we’re going to see in Ephesians in a moment or two.

I Peter 2:1-2

Now you see that’s exactly how every new believer has to begin. It makes no difference whether we’re 90 or 9 that’s beside the point, because the moment we’re saved we’re a babe in Christ, and we have to start with the milk of the Word. But looking at that verse again, Peter doesn’t say that’s where a new believer is supposed to stay. They are to desire the sincere milk of the Word with the idea of growing and getting beyond it.

The other verse that comes to mind is in I Corinthians chapter 3, and again we’re going to see babes mentioned but in a different light. Paul is telling these Corinthians that they have been believers long enough that they should be off the milk bottle, and should be partaking of the deeper things of Scripture, but they weren’t.

I Corinthians 3:1-3

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, (sometimes carnal can mean the unbeliever, but here it’s referring to the believer who is just simply immature) even as unto babes in Christ. (they had never gone beyond their infancy in their Christian experience) 2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3. For ye are carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"

Paul doesn’t say they weren’t believers, because they were, but they didn’t grow. Paul of course, was the master teacher, but nevertheless the problem was that these Corinthians believers did not grow up, but rather they stayed on the carnal level, and could never get to the place of partaking of the meat of the Word, or the strong things just like many Christians do today. Now back to Ephesians chapter 4. Paul reminds us that we’re not to stay as baby Christians.

Ephesians 4:14

Now you’ve heard me stress this word "deceive" over the last many years, and I’m going to keep on stressing it, until it’s all over. Because we’re being besieged with deception like never before since Paul’s own day. And the Lord Himself warned about this.

Matthew 24:3-4

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (remember in I Corinthians 1:22, Paul tells us the Jews required a sign) 4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."

That’s one of the greatest signs that we’re nearing the end times. There is a flood of deception out there. There is a flood of people deceiving other people. Oh my goodness, when I hear of what’s out there on the internet, and how it’s just full of this deception. People call and write, and say, "What am I suppose to believe, as it all sounds good?" Well, I ask them if it lines up with the Scripture? And every time they answer No. So if anything doesn’t line up with Scripture, then forget it, and cast it aside, because it’s a deception, and we’re to be looking for it, and so aware of what the truth is that we can recognize the deception the minute it comes our way.

We should be so ingrained in the Word and Truth of God, that when we hear this garbage coming in from the other direction, we can immediately say, "Hey that’s garbage!" And there’s a lot of it out there. Now I never used that term, until I was down in a Haiti a few years back, and the fellow I was ministering with, who had a tremendous ministry down there said that exactly. He said, "Preachers and teachers bring in pure garbage to try to share with these people." But it’s no different here in our country. The air waves are full of it. So you just be aware, and anything you hear or read, just line it up with the Scriptures.

Now coming back to Ephesians chapter 4. So we’re not to remain as babes in Christ, because if we do remain that way, then the chances are good that babes in Christ, will be blown about with false doctrine. We are going to be subjected to deception, and so there’s only one remedy, and what is it? Grow up! Know what the Book says. This is the whole idea of the Book of Ephesians. We’re to get out of the simplistic areas of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John which was written primarily to the nation of Israel, and get into the deeper things written to the Church by Paul.

Paul’s letters are written for the Church Age believer and are deep. However the Books of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and Thessalonians are about much deeper things than even what Paul’s other epistles are about. So we’re to get off the milk, and get into deep things so that when these deceptions come along, you won’t be blown away by them. Now verse 15. Instead of being blown away with every wind of doctrine and the deception of ungodly men, as Jude calls them, we are to do the following.

Ephesians 4:15

Now I hope I’ve taught you well. Whenever you see the word "Truth" what is another word that you can put in place of it? Christ Himself! He is the Truth. Another word for the Truth is the Gospel found in I Corinthians 15:1-4. You know I’m beginning to see more and more people use those verses when they want to express the Gospel. Have you noticed it? So Truth, Christ, and Gospel are all three absolute Truth! So look at it that way in the text.

Ephesians 4:15

Not with the idea of causing a controversy, or argument, but rather in the spirit of love we are supposed to be sharing the Gospel with a lost world. We are to get so skilled with the Gospel and supporting Scriptures that when we get out into the work day world we’ll be able to share in a moment if the occasion arises.

I got a call from a gentlemen from Mississippi just before we left to come up here this morning. And he had been to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, and had seen a young mother with a super hyperactive child who was taking a prescription for being hyperactive. The mother had told him the medication works, but leaves the child in depression. This gentlemen said he felt so bad because he didn’t have any advice for her. He said I couldn’t tell her to just turn it over to God, because here he is a believer and had his prescription in hand.

I said, "Did you share with her your knowledge of the Word and the power of prayer, and tell her that you would be passing out the prayer needs of that little fellow? Because I know that prayer works?" Jerry you know it works don’t you? My we’ve made many many prayer request across our classes in Oklahoma. Now I don’t believe in "healers" you know that, but I believe in the power of prayer. So we just need to learn to share with people how that God can meet our needs by simply making it an item of prayer, and we know that God can do it. Now He may not always answer the way we think He should, but He’s still a prayer-answering God. Now these are all the things that Paul is referring to here.

Ephesians 4:15a

Letting people know that Christ loves them, and that He died for them, and that He defeated all the powers of Satan and death when He arose from the dead.

Now in our last lesson we were in verse 15, but didn’t get to finish the verse, so let’s look at it again as we start this lesson.

Ephesians 4:15a

Growing up is exactly what it says. We were talking previously about babes who had to start with the milk of the Word. But just like a child in ordinary physical life, you don’t want him to stay a three year old forever. Oh they’re sweet back there at three, but you still wouldn’t want them to stay there as a three year old, you want them to grow up. And it’s the same way spiritually, God intends that babes in Christ to begin this growth process and mature and grow up into Him, where we are totally dependent on Him, and what are the next three words in that verse?

Ephesians 4:15b

Now you know most believers think that this is just for Sunday, but it isn’t. This is for seven days a week, this is for every circumstance of life. Our Christian experience is part and parcel of our everyday walk, whether it’s myself out in the boondocks in Southeastern Oklahoma, among the cattle, or whether it’s you in a big office full of computers, or whether you’re a professional person, that doesn’t make any difference. We are to be constantly growing up, in Christ, and let it permeate into every aspect of life, and we are to grow up into Him.

Ephesians 4:15b

Again I must be careful that I don’t walk into a buzz saw of opposition, so I’m not going to set this in concrete. But have you ever realized that Paul never refers to us as sheep? Have you ever thought of that? Paul never refers to us believers as sheep or Christ as the shepherd. Now that wasn’t the case with the nation of Israel. Israel always had that analogy of the shepherd and His sheep. Psalm chapter 23, everyone knows that. Then you get into John’s gospel chapter 10, and what have you got? The good shepherd chapter.

But you see Paul never uses that terminology, and I think I can see why. Instead Paul uses the analogy of Christ is the Head, and we’re the Body. Now look at the difference between a shepherd and his sheep, and the head with all it’s central nervous system with the brain, and mind, and the body. What a difference! That’s what I think Paul is trying to drive home to us, that we’re not just like a bunch of sheep, but rather we’re an intricate part of the Head who is in heaven. That’s why God is just as anxious for us to get up there with Him, as we are to go. And I’m finding that believers today are getting more anxious all the time to get out of here. The world is going to say, "good riddance." But oh my, we’re anxious to get out of here, and He’s anxious for us to come.

Remember I pointed that out back in Ephesians chapter 1, that we are the complement which is the same word that was used back in Genesis when God brought Eve to Adam. She was to be his complement. In other words Adam was never complete until Eve was at his side. Well the Bible gives the same inclination of Christ toward us, the Body, that He doesn’t even consider Himself complete until He has the complement in His presence, so everything is moving in that direction.

Ephesians 4:15b

Let’s look at a few references then, of the Head. It’s a term that Paul and only Paul uses over and over, that we are the Body and He is the head. Of course the first one I trust most of you already know is found in I Corinthians chapter 12. We could look at so many references in this chapter because everything from verse 12 to the end of the chapter speaks of this analogy. The Body of Christ, the True Gentile Body, The True Church is only a Pauline doctrine. No other portion of Scripture, - the four gospels, the Old Testament, the Book of Acts, Revelations,- none of it speak of the Body of Christ, and there’s a reason for that.

I Corinthian 12:12

"For as the body (this human body) is one, and hath many members, (fingers, hands, toes, eyes, ears, and so forth) and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." (Or the implication is, the Body of Christ)

The Body of Christ is not just one person, the Body of Christ is not just one great evangelist, or some great Bible scholar, but rather the Body of Christ is every believer from the greatest to the least of all believers since Paul’s conversion, and we all function as one. Now verse 13, a verse we look at so often because it’s one of the most important verses in the Bible as it explains the only baptism that really counts.

I Corinthians 12:13

"For by one (Holy) Spirit, are we all baptized into one body,"

Not just those who have had a special revelation or seemingly are more elite in their faith than the rest of us, but rather every believer regardless of our station in life, or our station in our Spiritual maturity, we have all been baptized into this Body of Christ.

I Corinthians 12:13b-14

I Corinthians 12:27

"Now ye (as he writes to us) are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

In other words, the Body of Christ is a big Body we have been baptized into by the Holy Spirit, but, does God lose sight of when that happens. No way! God is aware of each and every one of us as an individual. He knows us by name, even though we’re in the composite whole, and this is the beauty of it all. We function as one, we all have the same kind of salvation, we all have the same hope of glory, we all have all these blessings that are spiritual, and yet we do not lose our individuality as we’re still a distinct person. Let’s also look at the Body of Christ in Ephesians chapter 1. Remember the Book of Ephesians is a positional Book, God placed us in the Body and being a member of the Body of Christ is a positional thing.

"And hath put all things under his (Christ) feet, and gave him, to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body,..."

See that’s the way you have to read that to complete the thought. Don’t stop with just verse 22, which says that He gave all things to the Church. No, He gave it to the Church which is His Body, and that makes a big difference. Because normally people think of the Church as any building on the corner, regardless what the handle may be, it’s still a Church, but that’s not the Church that Paul’s talking about. He’s talking about the Church which is His Body, which hopefully most of these Churches sitting on the corner will have some of their people in the Body at least. Then look at another one over in chapter 2 of this same Book. Let’s begin at verse 14.

Ephesians 2:14

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one,..." Who are the both? Jew and Gentile in the Body of Christ. Now hold your hand here as another verse just comes to mind in the Book of Romans, and this is what got Paul in trouble with his own Jewish people.

Romans 3:9a

"What then? are we (Jews) better than they? (Gentiles)

Now back before Paul came along, what would the answer have been? Absolutely! Because beginning with Israel’s experience in Egypt, what did God tell the Jews? I have put a division between you and the Egyptians, and never again will you be like the rest of the world around you. So they went through those 1500 years with that mentality, that they were a favored people, and they were. Don’t ever take that away from them, but now with Paul and the Age of Grace, they’ve lost that place of privilege, and now Paul can say, "there is no difference." Now read on.

Romans 3:9

In fact I put this way to one of my classes here in Oklahoma the other night. "Have you ever wondered why God, in the whole scheme of things, put the nation of Israel in that place of privilege? Well I think I’ve got the answer. To show that after 2000 years, beginning with Abraham, the Jews were in that place of privilege, they were under the covenant promises, and God dealt with them in miraculous ways. The Messiah came and walked in the midst of them. But after everything was said and done, were they any better than the pagan Gentiles around them? No. And that was the proof of the pudding. Even those that had all these special things going for them, in the final analysis, their old Adam was just as corrupt as ours is. Now that should tell us something shouldn’t it? We’re all the sons of Adam. Now come across the page in chapter 3 and let’s look at verse 21 and 22.

Romans 3:21

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, (put in the spot light.) being witnessed by the law and the prophets:"

I used the verse in a lesson or two back, how much Scripture is profitable? All! All Scripture is profitable. That takes you back to Genesis 1:1 and to the very last verse in Revelation chapter 22. It’s all profitable. So everything that I teach from Paul is not to be just lifted out and throw the rest of Scripture away, because it all rests on that which went before. So this is what Paul is now saying.

Romans 3:21b-22

Don’t you love the way the verse ends? Boy I do! There is no difference now. The Jew with all his historical background doesn’t stand on any higher ground with God today than you or I do, because there is no difference. In today’s sports language we would say, "God has leveled the playing field." Isn’t that right? He leveled the playing field and we all end up as sinners because we were born of Adam. Now I haven’t had that on the board for a long time. I put it up there months and months ago - "We are not sinner because we sin, but rather we sin because we’re sinners" Now that levels the playing field. You and I can’t look down our nose at the poor alcoholic, and say, "Well if you would live like I live you wouldn’t have that trouble." No! That person is not a sinner because he’s an alcoholic, he has become an alcoholic because he has that old sin nature from Adam.

Everyone of us are on the same level area when God finds us in our sins, because we’re all children of Adam, and a lot of people don’t understand that. They think that some people are just naturally good enough that they’re going to make it, because they were never sinners. Hey I got news for them, the Bible makes it so plain that we’re all sinners until we’re saved. We normally like to put the whole human race into two categories. "Jews and Gentiles," but actually there’s three, and what are they? The Jew, the Gentile, and members of the Body of Christ. Those are the three classes of people on the earth today. Always remember as soon as we become a member of the Body of Christ we lose our ID so far as Jew and Gentile, because we’re all one in the Body, but outside the Body they still have their distinctiveness.

But oh listen, Paul says that when it comes to the matter of spiritual, and salvation, there is no difference. Now do you see why the Jew plagued Paul every step of the way? Hey they didn’t like that, and I can understand it. I mean, they were in that place of privilege, and then to all of a sudden have one little Jew pull that out from under them. So they fought against that teaching tooth and toenail, and were always causing Paul most of his problems. Now let’s come back to Ephesians chapter 4.

"From whom (that is from Christ who is the Head) the whole body fitly joined together and compacted..."

Like knitting the Body together. I’m sure you’ve seen these ladies who could really knit, in fact the last time we went to Israel, Charlotte from Indiana would be talking a mile a minute, but oh those needles would be going like crazy without missing a beat. Well what was her finished product? Something that was intricately woven together. Well that’s what God has been doing with you and I non-stop for the last 1900 + years. He’s been intricately weaving us into the Body of Christ. Now that’s quite a position isn’t it? Now reading on in verse 16.

Ephesians 4:16b

Now again, every part of our body has a unique function. As we get older the old arthritis begins to kick in. Those old joints begins to stiffen up, and I’ve told Iris that only if these old joints had a grease fitting so I could lubricate them. If I could just pump in a shot of grease, and just smooth everything out they would feel so much better. And under normal circumstances that is the function of the joints, and that’s the way the body functions.

Do you ever take for granted your tears? How long would your eyes last if there were no tears? Why, they’d get dry as powder, and you’d be out of luck, but what’s the purpose of these parts? To make everything in the body function. Well God does the same thing with you and I in the Body of Christ, we all have a unique function. A lot of people don’t realize that, and it can be in a million different little ways. Some can do it by prayer for others, some can do it by writing little notes of encouragement to others, some of you can exhort people to encourage them, to move on, and you could just go on and on. Those are all things that make the Body function, and we’re all part of that. Now reading on in verse 16.

Ephesians 4:16b

"... that which every joint supplieth, (and that’s the reference he’s making. Every part of our body function, the things that make it work are there, and it’s all) according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,..."

Now reading this casual like, this may get kind of boring, but don’t read it casually. Read it like we are now, that this is the impact of it. All the parts of the Body of Christ are functioning for it’s unique purpose.

Ephesians 4:16b

Now I don’t know, I hope I’m not twisting this out of context, but what do you suppose Paul is referring here to when he says, "increasing the body?" Well I personally think it’s soul winning. This is what He wants us to do. We are to be a testimony of God’s Grace, we are to being showing forth a product that the lost world should want, and we are to be reproducing. In fact let’s come back for a moment to Romans chapter 7. I suppose some people set out there, and say, "Some day that guy’s is going to want to find a verse and can’t find it." And I worry about that myself, but I think the Lord usually provides.

Romans 7:4

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, (that is to Christ) even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

In the original scheme of things, what was the purpose of marriage? Children. Now look at this verse, what is the true purpose of our being married to Christ? Offspring. "That we should bring forth fruit unto God." What’s the fruit? Lost people that we can win, and by doing that we cause the Body of Christ to grow. Those of us who are hoping for the Lord to come, I’ve always stressed, "how can we hasten the Lord’s coming? Soul winning! As soon as the Body of Christ is complete, whenever that is, it’s going to go home! So let’s get out and don’t miss a chance to witness, and win the lost, and fill up the Body of Christ. In fact another verse comes to mind to finish that thought. "Have I got time Sharon?" 30 seconds? That’s a long time in an NBA game so let’s try it. Romans 11:25

Romans 11:25b

The fulness of the Gentiles has not happened yet, but as soon as that last person is saved in this Church age, then that prophecy will also be complete.

Now we’ll jump right back to where we left off in Ephesians chapter 4, and we’ll begin with verse 17. I’d like to mention the fact that we have two couples from Indiana with us today, we have the Roebkes and the Simpsons, and they didn’t know each other before they got to Tulsa. So hopefully they’ve made some new friends for down the road. We’ve also had folk in from other states over the years, and always feel free to join us when you can. Now back to our study.

Ephesians 4:17a

"This I say therefore, (and remember when Paul says therefore, he’s referring back to what he’s just covered.) and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth..."

Once we’ve come into the Body of Christ, we’re different, we’re totally different. Now, not that we’re to be odd balls. Oh it just gripes me when some Christians are just odd balls, that’s not what God wants. God doesn’t want somebody that the world would say, "If that’s being a Christian, then I’m glad I’m not one." The world should be able to look at us, and say, "I wish I had what they’ve got. I wish I had their joy and happiness, and their outlook on life." Always remember, when you come into certain positions, the world out there expects somebody to be worthy of that position, that’s just a given. Well it’s the same way here, when we come into our position as a member of the Body of Christ, it becomes a given that we’re to be different. And look what Paul says.

Ephesians 4:17b

Ephesians 2:2a

Now what does Paul mean by that? Their everyday life’s experience before believing the Gospel, and the course they walked. Now coming back to chapter 4, and verse 17 our walk now is as a member of the Body of Christ. Paul tells us not to walk as those pagan Gentiles do. Now when I’m studying Scripture I try to remember the circumstances in which Paul lived and wrote. I guess it was never so graphically brought home to us as it was a couple of years ago when Iris and I visited Pompeii, some of you have probably been there. When you saw the proof of that corrupt city, the ungodliness and the wickedness that was evident even in the ruins.

So what must it have been like in it’s hay day? But that was the kind of a city into which Paul walked. He didn’t have the convenience of evangelists today. Most of them have help with all kind of publicity, they have the counselors ready, prayer warriors in place, but all Paul had was the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul would come in pretty much alone into these pagan cities. Sometimes he’d have a companion such as Luke or Timothy, but he had the Gospel, and he proclaimed it.. He would bring these people out of that abject, pagan, immoral, lifestyle.

You know I feel so sorry for our young parents trying to raise kids in this culture of today, where they’re bombarded with these same kind of things as an incitement. And it was terrible in Paul’s day. Look what he says.

Ephesians 4:17

"This I say therefore, and testify in the lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind." In other words, they had no comprehension of what God expects. They just lived according to the appetites of the flesh. Now verse 18, and in this verse is the other Gentiles that Paul is referring to.

Ephesians 4:18

Now immediately two verses just pop into my mind. The thought here is having their understanding darkened. So let’s go back to John’s gospel chapter 3

John 3:19

"And this is the condemnation, that light (reference to Jesus of Nazareth) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, (why?) because their deeds were evil."

They lived in the gutter. Oh they may have lived sumptuously, and there again Pompeii shows that. Some of the ruins of those beautiful homes, they must have been mansions, and yet as you went down the street there was evidence of the immorality, and corruption everywhere you went. So when we look at what’s going on in America, and the Western world today, don’t think for a moment that this is the first time anything like this has happened. It’s always been this way, we’re just doing it in a grander scale I guess now. I remember telling my Sunday school class way back in the 1960’s when the favorite cliche at that time was, "the new morality." Do you remember that? It was the so called sexual licenses, and I use to tell my kids, "Hey wake up, there nothing new about that, it’s the same old immorality that has plagued the human race from day one." Now it’s the same way here in this verse.

John 3:19b-20

"...and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (look at the next verse) 20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."

Now where did his lifestyle of evil deeds come from? Adam! All those evil deeds came from the fall of mankind, and evil has been with generation after generation since then. Now before we go to II Corinthians for a moment, first let’s come back to Ephesians chapter 4, and look at verse 18 again. I hope I’m not preaching to you, but rather teaching you.

Ephesians 4:18

"Having their understanding darkened (they loved walking in the dark, because their deeds were evil. But now what’s the next word in that verse?) alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:"

Now for this we must go to II Corinthians chapter 4. Where do they get such stringent blindness that they can’t even see through it and recognize the light? Where does it come from? Well of course it originated from Adam, but who picked up the dominion of everything when Adam dropped it. Satan did. Now if you don’t think some of our Churches are in trouble, one of my class people told me a while back that one of their pastors was holding a Bible study, and that individual said, "he didn’t believe in Satan." Well no wonder we’re in trouble. If you can put Satan out of the picture, then he’s home free isn’t he? If you’re not going to recognize him, he has free reign. But oh the Scripture does recognize him.

II Corinthians 4:3-4

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (if they’re lost they’re in darkness. If they’re in darkness, they’re blind, and it’s just a vicious circle) 4. In whom (these that are lost) the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

Do you see how one feeds on the other. If you can keep people blind, they can’t see the light. If you can keep them from seeing the light, they’re going to stay blind, and the end will never meet, until the Lord moves in of course, and breaks this chain of blindness that is a blinder on the minds and hearts of lost people.

Now I’m going to read the next verse also. I’ve never had it happen, but I’ve been waiting for the time that some one will say, "Well Les, you make too much of the apostle Paul."

II Corinthians 4:5

So always remember that when I’m constantly emphasizing Paul’s apostleship it is only because Paul gives us the true view of the finished work of the cross, you don’t get it anywhere else. This is why I spend as much time as I do in the Pauline epistles. Now this coming Saturday, I’m going to have a whole day seminar in Minnesota, and I’m sure they would like for me to spend the whole day in the Book Revelations, and prophecy. And I like to teach prophecy, but listen, by the time prophecy is being fulfilled, hopefully we’re out of here if you’re a believer. So why should I spend all that time in something that I’m not even going to be here to witness.

I’m going to teach in Paul’s epistles, because this is where we needed it in the here and now. This is what we have to know today, this is what we have to know to tell people how to get ready so they won’t be here for the Book of Revelation. I tell you what, I sure don’t won’t to be here for that. I know the world scoffs at the Book of Revelation, because they can’t imagine that these things are going to happen, but they are. I’ve been teaching the Book of Exodus in one of my classes in Oklahoma, and all the plagues that happened there. People don’t scoff at that because there’s enough valid proof that those plagues happened, but I say, if you can believe the plagues in Egypt, you’d better believe the plagues in Revelation, because one is tied to the other.

We’re just going to keep teaching what Paul teaches because he is going to be constantly pointing us to the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord. Now back to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 19, and Paul is speaking of these people who are in darkness. He’s speaking of these people who the god of this world is keeping blind.

Ephesians 4:19

Now I just read in a magazine recently where a young man out in Seattle just became a multi-millionaire overnight nearly, by putting a pornography page up on the internet. He’s just reaping in the money. Alright, what about a young man like that, does God love him? Absolutely! Is the Gospel available to him? Absolutely! But do you think it’s very likely that he’ll ever see it? No. I mean, he is so blinded no doubt, by the chains of Satan, and all he’s got on his mind is more, more, more money, and the things that greed precipitates, because it’s greed that drives this stuff.

All right so in verse 19 they have gone beyond the feeling that would respond to the Gospel, because they are saturated with this immoral lifestyle, these immoral thoughts, and what have you, and all they can think about is working that which is unclean for the sake of satisfying their greed. I had a gentlemen in our Tulsa class tell me several years ago, it was his opinion that the human race is motivated almost entirely by one word. "Greed!" And you know he was completely correct. Now I love the capitalistic system, I love this freedom and all that, but you take greed out of it, and how long would it last? Oh it would die overnight, because it’s that constant push for more and more that keeps it going.

But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about those who are so saturated with the things of the this world especially the lower element as we’re seeing it take over our whole society tonight, and greed is the motivating power. Now verse 20.

Ephesians 4:20

Speaking back to us as members of the Body. That’s not what we’ve learned Christ. We’re not in the Body of Christ to promote our greed. We’re not a Christian so we can have health and wealth, and my Bible doesn’t teach that. My goodness, you look back over the years of Christian history, How many millions suffered and died for their faith. They didn’t have health and wealth. Even today all around the world Christians are under tremendous persecution, we don’t hear much about it. There’s an organization up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma that puts out a monthly magazine, and they report on the persecution of Christians. It’s unreal the amount of persecution that’s going on against Christians right now as we speak today. There are places in almost every continent where they’re dying daily for their faith. These Christians are not in it for greed, but rather they’re in it because they love the Word of Truth!

Ephesians 4:21

"If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:" (Now everybody knows that verse in John)

John 14:6a

Of course He is, and again I come back to my use of the synonyms. Truth, Gospel, and Christ, all mean basically the same thing. If you know Christ you know the Gospel. If you know the Gospel you know Truth, and they just all fit together. So what Paul is saying here in verse 21 is, if you know the Gospel, if you’re a member of this Body of Christ, then you have Truth, and we have Truth that the world knows nothing of. Now in verse 22, Paul comes into a review of what he taught more explicitly in the Book of Romans.

Ephesians 4:22a

"That ye put off concerning the former conservation (manner of living) the old man,..."

Now the old man in Paul’s language is old Adam. The old Adam who is responsible for sin, it’s the old Adam who makes us sinners, and since the old Adam is functioning in a person, he’s constantly trying to satisfy that desire of the flesh in one way or another. But the believer is instructed to put that lifestyle out of your everyday thinking, and actions.

Ephesians 4:22b

Now corrupt isn’t a pretty word is it? And I want you to know it’s not a pretty word. If any of you have ever done any gardening, especially if you put out a patch of potatoes. When you dig up those new potatoes after the growing season, and you’re going through that nice fresh turned dirt, and picking up those new potatoes, invariably you’re going to stick your finger into something that will just about turn your stomach inside out. And what is it? That old seed potato that is now rotten, that old potato which is now corrupt. Now that’s what I think of when I see the word "corrupt." It’s something that is repulsive, something that just turns your stomach, and something that you just want to push out of your mind. Now listen, I think in the eyes of God that I can safely say, this is what our old Adamic nature boils down to. It is corrupt in His eyes, and is something that just turns Him off.

Now God loves us, don’t get me wrong, but the old Adam is corrupt, and vile. The word shows us how bad it was back before the flood in Genesis. In fact let’s go back there and look at it for a moment in chapter 6. This chapter is introducing the flood, and what brought it on, and see, God is still looking on that kind of a world. My word, when I consider, and read some of these articles of the filth, and the corruption that’s permeating the whole world tonight, I have to wonder, how long can God put up with it. Well it was the same way back here in Genesis, and there came a day when He didn’t put up with it any longer, nor is He going to again.

Genesis 6:5-7

Genesis 6:11-12

There you have the word corrupt three times in 2 verses, and you know by now when God repeats something 2 or 3 times in a short period, what’s He doing? Emphasizing. It’s emphasis that the world leading up to the flood was rotten to the core. But I believe their technology at that time was also exploding. Why do you think Lot chose Sodom, rather than the highlands of Israel? Oh because it was thriving, it had an economy, it probably had a stock market above 11,000. They had an abundance of food, and an abundance of idleness, which gives you the whole picture now of our own society. This is where we are, and what did the Lord Himself attach to it? "As it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man." Hey, we’re close to that time again. I don’t put dates on it, but the more you see our slide down morality, and our technology, we’re getting so close it almost scares me. And in our closing seconds let’s look at verse 13.

Genesis 6:13

Now as we teach we hope we don’t preach at you, but rather just give you an appetite to search the Scriptures and to study them. We know, according to our mail, that there are many that are doing just that. Let’s come back to where we left off in the last lesson, and I didn’t quite finish with verse 22 so let’s pick that verse up again.

Ephesians 4:22

"That ye put off concerning the former conversation (manner of living) the old man, (old Adam) which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts;"

We looked at that word corrupt in the last lesson, and found that it is that which is in complete opposition to God, and includes, violence, immorality, and dishonesty, and all the stuff that makes up the world of wickedness all around us. I think once in a while since the media and world around us is constantly ridiculing the fact that, God doesn’t always put up with men’s foolishness forever, and there is a day of judgment coming, I’m going to take you back, before we go any further, to Genesis 15. God has always promised that people would be judged all the way up through Scripture.

It goes without saying that when Israel, God’s covenant people, would go down the tube as we put it today, God would judge. Foreign nations come in and overrun them, or give them a king that would tax them to death. Sometimes they would be enslaved, and their young sons would be put into the armies and so forth. But when Israel would finally cry and cry, then of course God would bring them back out of it, bring them up to a high plain. They would be on the correct path for awhile and then down they would go again when they became disobedient. So God would not hesitate to judge that little nation when they needed to be judged.

In fact we find in the Book of Judges, a 400 year period of Israel’s history is nothing but a roller coaster ride. Up they’d go and down they’d go. They would no sooner get into a period of prosperity, and obedience to the Law and God, when they would become sensuous, and materialistic, and then down they’d go again. So you can see that God doesn’t always wink at man’s wickedness and put up with it. The first evidence of this is found in Genesis 15, where God is promising Abraham that his offspring, the nation of Israel, would one day be going down into Egypt into slavery and captivity.

Genesis 15:13a

"And he (God) said unto Abram, know of a surety (when God says it, you can bet on it) that thy seed (or offspring) shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs,..." Here God doesn’t name Egypt, but we know now from our side of the coin, that’s who he’s talking about.

Genesis 15:13b-16

"...and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14. And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: (and we know God did judge Egypt) and afterward shall they (the children of Israel) come out with great substance. 15. And thou (Abraham) shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. (Abraham lived to be 175) 16. But in the fourth generation they (the children of Israel who had been down in Egypt all these years) shall come hither again: (back to their promised land in Canaan. And why did God wait all those years to bring them back to Canaan) for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."

In other words, God’s going to give those Canaanite tribes, at least a couple of hundred years to clean up their act, which was possible even for a pagan if he wanted to. But did they clean up their act? No, they kept going deeper and deeper into the gross immoralities, and the things that had plagued the human race. They had gone so far down that when Joshua was ready to bring the children of Israel into the Promise Land, from the east side of the Jordan, what did God instruct them to do? Kill every Canaanite in the land. Makes no difference whether it’s a new born infant or a person of many, many years, put them to death. Why would God say that? Because they were corrupt.

And if you put something good in with something corrupt, the corrupt doesn’t become good, but rather the good becomes corrupt! So God says to Caleb, "You’ve got to cleanse the land of them." Well it was God’s judgment on their wickedness. So all the way up through their history there comes points of time periodically when God says, "I’ve had enough."

The great next event before God judged the Canaanites was God’s judgment on mankind with Noah’s flood, and after the flood we find God judged Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis chapter 19. So God’s judgment fell on those people also. And God’s going to judge the world again, because the Bible is just screaming, "There is a judgment coming." Now I’m not saying when, but we know according to Daniel, Luke, Matthew 24, and Revelation and other Books, that day is coming. In fact on our way back to our study in Ephesians let’s stop for a moment in the Book of Luke, chapter 21. You know once as we make these little detours, I think, I’ve got to hurry up and get through this chapter or that chapter, and then I stop and think, no, this is a Bible study, and as you know by now we’re not on a fast track, so we’ll just study as we go. But there is something here in Luke chapter 21 that I want to point out to you. Here Jesus is speaking during His earthly ministry.

Luke 21:20-22

"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compressed (or encircled) with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21. Then let them which are in Judea flee to mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter therein to. 22. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled."

Now a lot of people get misled here in Luke, and think that this is the Battle of Armageddon, when Jerusalem will be compassed, but it is not. This is the prophecy that Titus and the Roman Army in 70 AD will destroy Jerusalem, and it was awful. My, Josephus gives an account of it that is just unbelievable. Over a million Jews were slaughtered, unmercifully, when Titus finally overran the city of Jerusalem. Also you want to remember the pagans had no mercy, and the Romans of course became more infuriated than ever because of the Jews stiff resistance. One of the things that raised the ire of the Roman soldiers so much was when they were trying to scale the walls, the Jews would pour hot boiling water over them. Well that was enough to infuriate anybody. But this passage here all happened in 70 AD. What confuses readers so much, is the language here is much the same as in Matthew 24 which is all Tribulation and end time events. Now verse 23.

Luke 21:23

What is the controversy with the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel at that time? They had rejected their Messiah, and crucified Him! And after all the pleading, and after all the miracles, that Christ performed in the midst of these Jewish people who were so blind to whom He was, what was their cry? Let His blood be upon our children, and our children’s children. They didn’t know what they were saying did they?

But, oh listen, the wrath of God finally came in 70 AD, and the final push to get rid of the Jews that were left in Jerusalem and that region was at Messoda, when the Romans found out there were still some 900 Jews left that were holding out against Rome, those soldiers spared nothing as they tried to scale the walls at Messoda. And, you know the story of Messoda When the Romans finally got up there most the Jews had all committed suicide. But nevertheless the Jews of 70 AD came under the wrath of God, again because of their national sins of unbelief concerning their Messiah. Now here in verse 24 Jesus is still speaking.

Luke 21:24a

"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations:..." (as a result of this invasion by the Roman army.)

Now I hadn’t intended to teach Luke chapter 21, but right here is the clue that this is not the final battle of Armageddon, which will trigger the Lord’s return, as we find in Matthew chapter 24. Here in Luke, Israel is going to be led away into a dispersion into all nations, and they were in 70 AD, and we know that they were scattered into every nation under heaven.

I think in the opening remarks of his book, "The Source", James Michener said he had found Jews in every sovereign nation on the face of the earth. So when God said He would scatter them into every nation, He was literal. That dispersion has lasted now for almost 2000 years, but that’s not the part of the verse that we’re really looking for, as it’s in the last part of the verse.

Luke 21:24b

"...and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until (we don’t know the date, but there’s coming a day, month and year when) the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."

Now what’s that speaking about? The Gentiles cup of iniquity. Just like God said back in Genesis chapter 15 that the cup of iniquity for the Canaanites, was not yet full, and would need another 200 years to fill it, so also the times of the Gentiles at the end time. By the time the Tribulation has run it’s course, their cup will also come to the full. Again we’re getting closer and closer as we see the wickedness circumventing the globe. You know I love America, and I still maintain as awful as our country is getting, we are still head and shoulders above the rest of the world when it comes to our morality, and our knowledge of God. But the time is coming when the cup of iniquity for the Gentiles world will be full.

Of course I always tie that statement in with Romans 11:25. I usually like to picture this as a simultaneous filling. Over on one side you have the filling of this cup of iniquity on behalf of the Gentiles, but over on the other side you have the filling up of the Body of Christ, the True Church (that’s us). These two sides are almost filling up together, the finished line for both is only seven years apart. Now let’s look at Romans 11:25, and don’t forget what our Lord said in Luke chapter 21 that we just looked at.

Luke 21:24b

Romans 11:25

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (or this secret) lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; (and here it is) that (spiritual) blindness in part (just for a time) is happened to Israel, until (there will be a day, month, and year) the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (the Body of Christ completed)

Those are two totally different concepts. In Luke it’s the cup of iniquity of the Gentile world. The deeper they go into sin, the fuller they’re getting their cup of iniquity. Over here in Romans we have the filling of the Body of Christ. Now for the last 1900 + years, people have been coming into the Body of Christ, and it’s getting closer and closer to it’s completion. These two concepts will almost work in union. Of course the cup of iniquity of the Gentiles will go 7 years beyond the filling of the Body of Christ. But over the big picture, time wise that’s not much difference, so what we’re seeing today is that the Body of Christ is nearly complete, the cup of iniquity of the Gentile world is also nearly completely. Now go to Ephesians 4 verse 24.

Ephesians 4:24

Romans 6:5-6

"For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6. Knowing this, that our old man (the old Adam, that old sin nature that we’re born with) is crucified with him, that the body of sin (that influence of the old Adamic nature) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

Romans 6:8

"Now if we be dead with Christ, (by our faith) we believe that we shall also live with him:"

If we identify with His death, burial, and resurrection, by faith, then God identifies us in that same set of circumstances. We have been crucified in the old Adam, we have now been given a new nature, and as He arose from the dead, we also arose from the dead. As He paid the sin penalty on our debt, God sees us literally on the cross, in the person of Christ. He saw us in the tomb in the person of Christ, He sees us in resurrection power in the person of Christ, and we appropriate all that by faith. We can’t put it in a box, we can’t lay it on a table and analyze it, but rather we take it by faith, and just simply believe it. I think we’re getting through to a lot of people that this is where it’s at. You just simply believe it, because we can’t always understand it. We can’t comprehend it, but we can believe it if we know that God has said it, and it’s true. On our way back to Ephesians let’s stop at II Corinthians 5 for a moment.

II Corinthians 5:14

By virtue of Adam’s fall, every human is spiritually dead when he’s born into the human family. This is why we’re sinners, we’re born sinners, we’re the sons of Adam. So consequently Christ died for the whole human race, because the whole human race was spiritually dead, and needed salvation. Now verse 15.

II Corinthians 5:15

"And that he did for all, that they which live (the believers) should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." (There the Gospel again.)

Paul just pops our salvation Gospel in there all the time. We are what we are because we believe that Christ died for us and rose again. Now verse 16.

II Corinthians 5:16

Now my own idea of this verse is, that Paul is referring to Christ and His earthly ministry. Paul knew all about Jesus of Nazareth, my goodness they were about the same age, and he walked contemporary with Jesus. We have nothing in Scripture that they ever confronted each other face to face, but old Saul of Tarsus knew who Jesus of Nazareth was, and Jesus knew who Saul was. So Paul says, "yet now henceforth on this side of the death, burial, and resurrection, we don’t know Him as still in the flesh."

Now you see that’s where most of Christendom is tonight. They’re still over there in Jesus’s earthly ministry, in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on the other side of the cross. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with studying His earthly ministry, but there’s no salvation in that. You don’t get saved by believing that Jesus ministered to the Pharisees. Many preachers and teachers spend most of their time there, how Jesus dealt with the Pharisee, and of course it’s commendable, and it’s something that we can learn, but it’s not where our salvation is found.

Our salvation is found in Paul’s writings on this side of the cross. Our salvation was one of the mysteries that was given to the apostle Paul for the Body of Christ. And that’s what Paul is saying here in this verse. "Since we’re on this side, I’m not going to be hanging on to Jesus and His ministry on that side of the cross." There are many preachers and teachers that don’t want to face up to His shed blood, don’t want to face up to His resurrection, but they’d much rather talk about Jesus walking on the water. I think most of them know nothing of the Jesus who died for their sins, was buried, and rose again, because if they did that would be their message.

But nevertheless this is what Paul is driving home, "Henceforth since His death, burial and resurrection we don’t spend all our time back there in His earthly ministry, and that’s exactly what he says in verse 16.

II Corinthians 5:16

II Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: (creation) old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Only God can create, and salvation is that miracle working power of the Creator Himself, and that’s why you can’t do it with good works, or Church membership. It has to be that creative work of the Creator Himself, who now declares us a member of the Body, a Child of God, one who has believed the Gospel.

We’re finding that by the work of the Holy Spirit we’re getting people into the Book, and that’s one our main purposes. It’s so thrilling when people write or call and say that "for the first time they are studying their Bible and are understanding it." And of course the secret to accomplish that is to separate what Paul has shared with us concerning the Body of Christ. From Genesis chapter 12 to the end of Revelations you have basically God dealing with the nation of Israel. However right in the middle of the New Testament there are the Books written by Paul to us Gentiles in this day of Grace. So when you discover that secret, then the Bible will come alive, and you’ll be able to understand what is required for eternal life, and how to live the Christian life after salvation!

Now for starters today let’s begin where we left off in the last lesson and that would be Ephesians chapter 4, and verse 25. In the verses we have just studied, Paul has reminded us that as a result of our salvation, by believing the Gospel as found in I Corinthians 15:1-4, we have a new creation living within us which overcomes that old sin nature. When that happens then the new nature and the old nature are always battling each other, and it behooves us to feed the new nature with the things of the Spirit, because the old nature feeds on the things of the flesh.

We had that illustration as a beautiful picture when Noah first let the raven out of the ark, and it didn’t come back because it could feed on the old creation. But when Noah let the dove out, which is a picture of new life, the spirit life, the dove couldn’t feed on the old creation, and so it came back to the ark. Then I believe it was seven days later he let the dove out again, and it came back with an olive leaf which showed new life. Well it’s the same way today, once we become a believer we don’t feed on the old life we just came out of, but rather we feed on the things of the Spirit that enhance the new life.

Now I’ve been debating all the way up Tulsa whether I should do this or not, but I think in light of the fact that we have so many people constantly calling and writing, "Well what about all this trouble in Kosovo with regard to prophecy?" And the first thing I tell them is that we are not living in the time of prophecy being fulfilled, because that won’t happen until the last 7 years of Tribulation begins. But we are living in days where the end times are certainly coming to pass, not in fulfillment of prophecy, but to set the stage for prophecy which I feel will begin when the anti-Christ signs that 7 year treaty in the Middle East. Always remember that my definition of prophecy is when things are foretold within a time frame. So the Church Age is not in a time frame, therefore no body knows when it will end, so consequently it’s not an area of true prophecy. But certainly things are happening that are setting the stage for when prophecy will kick in, and as I said, that begins when the anti-Christ signs his 7 year treaty.

I just read a couple of interesting things about the European situation. A gentlemen sent me an article from the news magazine call "Europe" which is strictly a magazine to report the events in Europe, and out of that I picked up something that I had totally missed, and if I missed it I feel a lot of other people also missed it. Beginning in the late 50’s and through the 60’s and 70’s, we had those original 10 nations of western Europe which for the longest time, the world referred to as the "Ten," then later on they became the common market, and European union, but the connotation was that it was the "Ten."

So when I taught end time events of prophecy in this Through the Bible study a few years back I naturally referred to the "Ten" then as what I thought was the revived Roman Empire. It fits so beautifully with Daniel and Revelation that I was very comfortable with that, and then all of a sudden the "Ten" expanded to eleven and twelve, thirteen, and fourteen. I just explained to my classes, well maybe it will go on up to fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen, but by the time the anti-Christ is ready appear on the scene, it’ll drop back to "Ten."

Well now I learn from this magazine "Europe" that there are two separate organizations in western Europe. One of them is the original "Ten." And for our television audience, I’ll put it on the board, the "Ten" ever since the 60’s is equal to the western European union, it is now referred to now as the W.E.U., but it’s still the "Ten." But the organization we’ve been hearing the most about lately is the European union without the Western on it. But within that European Union are the original "Ten," but it’s now up to nineteen nations. So I’m still on solid ground because the "Ten" are still intact, they are a separate organization from these nineteen nations, and so they can still be the revived Roman empire out of which the anti-Christ will come.

Well when we left Indiana last Sunday, somebody had given me the Sunday edition of the New York Times, and one of the front page articles was that the "Ten" was frantically getting their own military established so that the next time something comes up they won’t have to depend on the American military for their power. As I read that I couldn’t believe my eyes. So they have already set a time table to have a real Czar, a real chairman of the board who by sometime in the year 2000 will be in total control of their military, their security, and they hope to have as strong a military force as we now have with the United States involved as well. They want to be able to do what we’ve done in consort, they want to be able to do it themselves. So that just tells me again that we’re getting so close to the time that out of that "Ten" nation complex which will be the real revived Roman empire, out of it will come then the anti-Christ.

So these are just little interesting items of tidbits and all I wanted to bring out of that is, Kosovo in itself, I don’t think, has a real implication on all this, but indirectly now, because of the Kosovo deal the western European union suddenly realized that they are inept militarily for such another fracas, so they’re going to have to really speed things up and get ready in case something else comes along and not have to depend on America. Always remember, there’s going to be three major areas of military power by the time we get to the Tribulation. That will be Western Europe, China, and Africa. I feel that Russia and the United States will somehow meet their demise and will no longer be a factor in the events of the Tribulation period.

Well that’s just something for you to chew on, but don’t worry about it, because as Church Age believers we won’t be here for any of the Tribulation. It’s so much more important to know what God wants us to know today, and how to live a full life. That’s another reason I spend so much time in Paul’s epistles, in which there is no prophecy, so we just continue to teach that which people need today. I’ll let the prophecy people take care of what’s going to happen after we’re gone. Now some of these things are appropriate because it tells us how close we are to the sudden coming of the anti-Christ, before which I feel we have to leave.

Now I suppose that takes care of half of this lesson, and so in the time we have left let’s pick up where we got to in the last lesson, and that would be in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 25. Now I guess for a little quick review go all the way back to verse 12, where Paul has told us that God is leaving with the Church Age, three different kinds of men to carry on the work of the Body of Christ, and that was up there in verse 11 of this same chapter.

Ephesians 4"11b

Ephesians 4:12

"For the perfecting (or the maturing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

Now I think I made the point when we taught those verses that there was no mention there concerning the lost. Was it that Paul wasn’t concerned about the lost? No, not at all. But when the Body of Christ is matured and edified they’re going to win the lost, and that’s the whole concept then of Paul’s teaching. If we can prepare the members of the Body of Christ, and make them skilled in the use of Scriptures, we’re going to accomplish more on a one on one basis than any huge evangelistic rally could ever hope to do. I’m also hoping that people will just simply talk to their loved ones, their people at work, their neighbors and be prepared to share the Scriptures one on one, because people are hungry. But they don’t want to be approached by somebody that doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and that’s understandable, I wouldn’t either. I wouldn’t want to waste my time with someone who was trying to tell me about something, when I know he didn’t know anything about that subject. But if somebody approaches me with whatever subject it is, and he’s skilled at it, hey, I’ll listen and I think you would also.

Well it’s the same way with this Book, we’ve got to be skilled, and be ready as Paul says in another place, to share these things with those who ask, "why we have such hope." So all the way through these intervening verses then he is preparing us for this out reach to those who have never yet understood. Now coming back to our text in verse 24 & 25.

Ephesians 4:24

"And that ye put on the new man, (that new creation that happens the moment we’re saved) which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

And since we now as believers have that new nature, what’s the next word? "Wherefore..." That means we’re going to be different than the world around us. Like I said in the last lesson, not oddball different, not peculiar, where the world says, "Oh I wouldn’t want to be like them, they’re a bunch of kooks." That’s not what God wants. But Paul’s converts, even in the midst of those idolatrous cities, weren’t something that made fools of themselves, but rather they were the kind of people that made such an impact on their pagan friends and relatives that this is the reason it turned the Roman Empire upside down. Now you know that would have never happened if those new believers would have acted so kooky and queer. But you see these believers knew what they believed, and what God had done for them, and of course that’s where we’re to be even today. Now verse 25. Because of what God has done in our lives we are to do the following.

Ephesians 4:25

Now I had a bell rung when I read this verse, and said to myself, I’ve seen this before. As you know I spend quite a bit of time also in the Old Testament, and sure enough there is a verse in the Old Testament under Law that almost says the same thing. So even though we’re not under Law, yet many of the attributes of the Law are still applicable. Turn back with me to the Book of Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 16. And remember Zechariah is almost entirely prophecy, and yet as Zechariah wrote to the Jewish people, he says almost the same thing that Paul says to us.

Zechariah 8:16

Isn’t that something? That’s under the Law granted, but now flip back to where we were in Ephesians and what does Paul say? Almost the same thing, and we’re not under Law, but Grace, but the same God. That’s what I always try to stress, when I say, we’re not under Law but Grace. Yes all the things that God hated in the lives of Israel, He still hates to day. God hasn’t changed His mind about these things, but we’re under a different set of circumstances. Now Paul the apostle of Grace can tell us the same thing, but it isn’t under the heavy hand of the Law, but rather it’s under the freedom of Grace.

Ephesians 4:25

And now then in everyday experiences especially in the household of faith we are constantly to be truthful with one another because after all we’re all in this together, we’re all in the same Body, and Building. Now verse 26.

Ephesians 4:26a

"Be ye angry, (that’s one of the human parts of our nature, and we’re going to get angry occasionally, but we don’t have to lose control of our anger. So the admonition is) to be angry, and sin not...."

Don’t let it become something of your nature that is uncontrollable. I personally don’t think that a believer can have uncontrollable temper tantrums. Now we can all get angry, but we certainly can and should control it. So if there’s something that basically wrong with a person, then I have to wonder if God had done a work of redemption. We have this certain amount of freedom that we can be upset by things, but not to the place that it become sinful. or that it has an effect on our family and loved ones, and co-workers. And for goodness sake, if you want to keep your health then don’t take it to bed with you.

Ephesians 4:26b

There’s nothing that will ruin your health quicker than to have these bugs literally churn in your stomach with anger. You can get mean ulcers for being upset often. So always remember it’s ok to be angry, but don’t let it control your life, and don’t go to bed angry. Now verse 27, and if we don’t finish it in this lesson, then we will in the next. And as you look at this verse you might say, "Well there’s nothing there." But I tell you there’s a lot there. Se we’re to avoid lying and uncontrolled anger.

Ephesians 4:27

In general terms how much print does Paul give to Satan? Very little. He’ll just make a statement about Satan here and there, and we’re going to look at a couple of them here in a bit. Turn with me to II Corinthians chapter 4, verse 3. Now these aren’t the only two instances, but this is the way it usually pops up. The reason I want to take time to do this is because we see so much lately of where the so called Christian community is being admonished to war against Satan. We have to fight against Satan, we have to do things against Satan, but Paul doesn’t teach that. Paul recognizes his power, but he doesn’t spend long verses at a time telling us how to fight a war against Satan.

Now we’ll see this a little bit in Ephesians chapter 6, but all he does is let’s us know that he’s there. Paul’s emphasis is not Satan, but rather is the Christ of glory. And when Christ rules our life, and when He’s in control, Satan can’t touch us, and we don’t have to worry all that much about fighting against Satan if we center on Christ and His work of the cross. And I think for this reason Paul doesn’t give a lot of ink to Satan.

II Corinthians 4:3-4

"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4. In whom (the lost of this world) the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

Now for goodness sakes who’s the god of this world? Well Satan is. See how subtle Paul puts this in here? He could have just came right out and said, "Satan had done it." But he doesn’t, but rather he gives him another term, "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." Now still in II Corinthians, turn over to chapter 11.

II Corinthians 11:13-14

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14. And no marvel; (don’t let this surprise you) for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

Do you see that? Oh he’s the god of this world back here in the earlier verses, and keeps people blind from the truth, but many times he blinds people with his light. And it’s a counterfeit light, and people are so gullible and will say, "Oh that must be the work of the Spirit." But you see it isn’t. but rather it’s the work of the evil spirit, it’s the work of Satan the counterfeit, the impostor, the deceitful individual. So keep these things in mind, "for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." Now look at verse 15.

II Corinthians 11:15a

"Therefore (since Satan can do this, and we know he does) it is no great thing if his ministers also (human being that he’s using) be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;..."

That’s what they try to tell people that they’re the ministers of righteousness, but Paul tells us they’re emissaries of Satan. So what do we have to know? The truth from the false! And the only way we can do that is just keep our nose in the Book, and when we do that then the Holy Spirit will certainly do His part to be able to keep us discerning truth from error.

I pointed out in Indiana the other day that you always want to remember, and I don’t care what it is, if you’re aiming a rifle at a target, how far do you have to miss to miss everything. Just a little bit. I was a marksman in the military, I could hit that bull’s eye at 500 yards when I was young, but one thing I know for sure, that if you’re off just a little bit on the windage or anything else you’re going to miss the whole target.

Well it’s the same way with Scripture, these people can come in, and they can come close, but so far as the end result is concerned, they can totally drive people into a lost eternity with their false teachings. I’ve noticed this over the years, I’ve listened to them on television and on the radio, and at the time you think, "this old boy is right on." And then after you listen for a little while, there’s about 5 or 10% error and he takes you clear off into left field. Well there’s only one way you can avoid that, and that is to just keep in the Word, and be able to discern.

Now let’s just pick right up where we left off in the last lesson, and that would be in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 28. And verse 28 is going to send us right back to the Old Testament.

Ephesians 4:28a

Well where do you get that? Exodus chapter 20, and let’s go back and look at it. That of course is the chapter of the Ten Commandments, and right there in verse 15 it says it as plain as day. I know you all know this but I want you to see it in Scripture.

Exodus 20:15

In other words, you have to respect the other persons property, so no one has the right to just simply abscond it and take off with it. It is one of the basic commandments of human society. Now again I always have to remind people that, yes the moral law is still the best system for society that you can find. In fact when we were studying in the Book of Exodus a few years ago, I think that I made the point that if society could keep the commandments we could send our legislature home. We could close up the court houses, we could just simply throw away the code books, because the Ten Commandments covers every aspect of society, and if society could keep them it would be all we’d need. But of course human nature being what it is, it takes all the above to even keep a semblance of sanity in our society today. Now let’s look at another one in Romans chapter 13, and here Paul says basically the same thing. Even though we as believers are not under Law, but rather under Grace, but yet these are fundamental even for a believer.

Romans 13:8b-9a

"...for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (because under Grace, love is the power that makes us operate) 9. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shall not steal,"

Now that’s as plain as day. We realize that Paul writes to the believer, and we don’t expect the unbelieving world to not steal, because they’re going to do it one way or another. Whether it’s stealing from their boss’s time table, or cheating on their taxes, or any other way, people are bent to stealing, it’s part of the old nature. You can tell then from these words to Paul’s converts that they too had come out of society that thought nothing of stealing.

Now what’s the lesson? If those who have would give to those who need, they wouldn’t have to steal. I guess nothing irritates me more than when I read of some poor fellow that is poverty stricken, and he is caught sealing little or nothing, and yet he ends us in the state penitentiary. And that does happen. Now I think that’s awful, and I’m all for punishment, but I’m also for fair punishment. And when a poor person is caught stealing just to supply his daily needs, to put him away is ridiculous. But Paul is teaching us here for the community that has more than enough, they should be willing to give some to those who are in need.

You know as I read, especially the Jerusalem Post and some of these other periodicals, as much as I may disagree with Judaism, and much of the Jewish Old Testament religion, I always have to give the Jewish people credit for one thing in particular. You know what they are? They are tremendous philanthropists. They’ll give by the millions if they’ve got it, and they don’t do that with the same motivation that we give. But there’s something about their makeup that if they have it they give it. Well Paul is making that very point for us as believers, that if we have it, we should be willing to share it with those who need it, and keep them from being prompted to steal in order to survive. Now verse 29 I suppose is a little harder to define, but we’re going to keep moving along.

Ephesians 4:29a

Can you tell the world that? Why they’d laugh at you because for most of them that’s the only way they can talk. But for the believer this is not to be part and parcel of our conversation. We are not to have corrupt language as part of our daily experience. So Paul says, "let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth."

Ephesians 4:29b

Now all of this as we’ve been coming down through these verse, is to the believer to help us to be a vehicle to approach lost people. Always remember no believer is ever going to get to first base with an unbeliever if he’s got foul language, i