The Work of Reconciliation

The Blessing of Reconciliation

Book of Ephesians 2:11-22

Reconciliation is a change from being an enemy to becoming a friend and it is mutual between both parties.

Before we begin this lesson today, we must clearly understand God will never compromise His position or go against His Word to become our friend.

It is we who are sinners who must make a change. It's called "repentance"!

Today many of the church are trying to compromise with the sin of the world, and going against the Word of God.

That congregation may feel they have done the right thing, but God will never approve of such things!

We can never compromise the Word of God because His Word is settled In Heaven and it cannot be changed on earth!

We need to understand what God has already done:

1) Before Jesus Christ, God dealt with man through the Jewish nation. Since Christ (the Messiah) has come God has dealt with humanity on a world-wide scale in those who would follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Note: Those who claim there were writings before the time of Moses have forgotten the Tower of Babel, where God scattered all people to their different locations and certainly there would be many similarities, but the 66 books we have are the complete and the whole truth.

God takes the Jew and the Gentile (all others than Jews) and creates a new race of people called the Christian by this evil world!

2) Before Jesus Christ, God dealt with nations but after the Messiah, God is dealing with the individual through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3) God is no longer dealing with earthly divisions of nations. God is dealing with a new nationality a new body of people, the Body of Christ, the Church! These are the same ones who will join Christ in His New Kingdom!

These are all those who have been born again into the family of God.

These are the same ones who can look back and see how far they have come, since accepting the work of the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation.

*****Eph 2:11 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;

Eph 2:12 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:

As Christians we should be able to look back at the miserable condition we were in before coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way.

The word Gentile means all others but the Jews. (Sometimes even called Heathen)

The word uncircumcision means all those who are not in the covenant that God made with the Abraham.

The word Circumcision would mean Jews, but only the Jews who are under the covenant God made with Abraham. (would include some Proselytes)

Circumcision involved the removal of a certain piece of flesh by some other human being, with that skill.

The most important statement in this Scripture is, "that we were without Jesus Christ". "We were cut off and separated from God"!

To be a Christian is to say, "I am not what I once was"! "I am a used to be"

We were not only lost through our sin, but we were one step away from eternal death, eternal separation from God!

When we remember these things, we should feel joy.

1Co 6:11 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.

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

As Christians when we look back, we can see that we once lived in spiritual misery!

When I look back, I can remember many days that I thought I was having fun, but I can remember just as many days I was in total misery!

The Jews intended to keep God to themselves and this led to their own downfall!

No one, nor no one nation owns God!

The Jews rejected God's Son, and it brought their destruction, a destruction that just recently has shown signs of recovery.

God turned to the Gentiles and this allowed the Jews to grow again. The Jewish nation has always grown through adversity!

The all-time greatest event by far in the history of our world was the visit of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!

If the world cannot accept this, then this world will see the wrath of God while still living in a world with no hope.

In this season of the birth of Jesus Christ, there far too many who suffer from SAD. This is Seasonal, Affective, Disorder and the cause of this thing which brings so much "depression" into their lives is a lack of light. Many believe it is a lack of sunlight because of the winter months but , they suffer from a lack of the Light of Jesus.

Do not fall into this trap of depression but come to know the Savior, who is also the Light of this world!

Those so full of depression and live without hope will stand before God in their own person and be separated from Him forever.

Those who have trusted in the work of the Lord, the light of this world will stand before God, with Christ, and will live eternally with God.

To be without Christ is to be lost and to have no hope!

Isa 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Isa 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

To know Jesus Christ is to be washed in His blood and freedom from sin!

*****Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

The world is so blind not to realize that it is "sin" that separates humanity from a loving God!

It is sin that separates one group of people from another.

It is sin that destroys families!!!!!!!!

Sin not only has broken harmony with God but has continued to bring this world toward destruction!!!!!!

Only Jesus Christ can bring us near to our God, the only God.

We are made nigh to God "by the blood" of our Lord!

The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the blood of the everlasting covenant that can never be changed nor made to be void!

Jesus Christ came to this earth to give every human being an opportunity to draw nigh to God!

God loved each of us enough that He was willing to forgive us of all our sins.

God had already said that the wages of sin was death and this problem had to be overcome and only He had the power to do this!

Since we as individuals could not solve this problem without our own death and since there had never lived a perfect human being, then God had to do this thing Himself!

God had to provide the perfect and ideal man who was willing to die, so all mankind could get an opportunity to be saved that they never had.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for our sins. This was His mission. But while He was here He took the time necessary to see that all the world would have the knowledge of salvation, then named the "Gospel" which is the "Good News" of God's plan of salvation!

2Co 5:21 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.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God had to physically show us all just how much He loves us!

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who has made a way for us to be at peace with a God who despises sin!

*****Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Eph 2:15 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;

The Lord Jesus Christ did not purchase our peace because the Lord Jesus Christ "is our peace" in His person, simply because Jesus Christ is the Peace-Maker!

Jesus Christ has broken down the wall that was between the Jews and Gentiles to form the Church, the Body of Christ.

What was the Apostle Peter's greatest lesson?

Act 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; "but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean".

The majority of our world still have not learned this lesson!

We are all in this thing together and together we can be a force for peace, that peace being in Jesus Christ.

There are no barriers in the Church caused by God, there are only those barriers we put up ourselves.

All those who come to Jesus Christ by faith, not only receive the free gift of salvation, but all receive a common love, a common purpose, and a common work.

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

If we go back to the Tower of Babel we know that those who had forsaken the commands of God, the Heathen, were scattered all over this world and had wandered far from God.

Gen_11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

God then chose one people who became Israel to continue to bring forth the true Word of God not like the distorted writings of others.

In fact, it is the Jews who took so much care to preserve the Word of God!

Because Israel later forsook God, God then forsook these people for a time. Remember Israel was just one speck on the globe and God's plans included all people who would call upon His name in this entire world.

Rom_10:13 For "whosoever" shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (red and yellow, black and white, they are all precious in His sight)

1Ti_2:4 Who will have "all men" to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (all humanity)

The Jews not only had the Word of God, but they had the laws of Moses. There 613 laws that the Jews tried to keep just for one year and then they could be forgiven and then begin a new year, but it was impossible for any human being to keep all those laws.

Just to break one of those laws would mean they had failed and the wages of sin was death even at that time.

This is the thing that the Lord Jesus Christ abolished with His own death on the Cross at Mount Calvary, where He also spilled His life saving blood!

Mat_5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, "but to fulfil".

God would never destroy the Law because all the Word of God is perfect, but the ceremonial law was imperfect in that it was not the answer to salvation.

Heb_9:12 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.

It was only the Lord Jesus Christ who could do these things because He was also perfect.

No one has to ever approach God through laws and sacrifices or works or ceremonies of any kind.

The only way to approach God is "by faith" in the work of His Dear Son!

Those that still choose to try to reach God by some law need to realize that they must obey all the Law everyday of their lives, which is impossible.

Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

That word enmity is the opposite of friendship. Those who remain in opposition to the truth of God!

We do not have the right to choose what manner we will worship our God and He has established that we will worship Him by faith in the work of His Son!

There is no way to worship God beyond this truth!

It is Jesus Christ that has broken down the wall of partition between all mankind and God!

*****Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

What is it to be incorporated?

We must be united in one body. This is the Church. This is the Body of Christ

We must be incorporated with Jesus Christ before we can be reconciled to God!

Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

That word reconcile means to change thoroughly, (from enemy to friend), to restore the relationship that Adam once had with God, before sin entered his life.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

In the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the veil of the Temple was rent into from the top to the bottom and a way was made into the throne room of God because this is the only way we can approach the throne of "Grace", it is by His Dear Son.

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

There is just no way to realize all the things that Jesus Christ finished when He gave us His life to reconcile us to His Father and our God!

Joh_19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

As believers we are not only free from sin, but we are forever free from the punishment for sin.

God is the One who has done the reconciling, we had absolutely no part in this work. God is the One who reached out to humanity and not that mankind reached out to God!

From the very moment the Lord Jesus was born upon this earth, His actions were there to teach us peace.

Luk 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The Virgin birth.

The Manger.

The swaddling clothes.

The shepherds.

Many other things.

The Lord Jesus had to wait until the age of 30 according to Jewish law to be a relevant preacher and during His short time of 3 and 1/2 years, He preached not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles.

We certainly must understand that by the Holy Spirit, The Lord Jesus Christ is still preaching every day to all those who call on Him through "Faith".

Joh_14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jesus Christ will preach to those who love Him until we meet Him face to face!

*****Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Those who reject the power and the truth of the Triune God certainly do not understand the truth of God, because only the believer can understand the riches of God's Word.

Through Jesus Christ all mankind can have access by the Holy Spirit to our Father in Heaven.

There is nothing confusing about these words!

The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is at the center of all Christian Doctrines!

This is a thing we know of our God, but it is only part of His Wonderful Character. Three natures but One God!

It can be called the mystery of mysteries to those who are lost but also the absolute understandable truth to the true Christian!

He is also Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier in three persons but One God!

The source of all things is One God, whose name is Jehovah!

Exo_6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

Through the Lord Jesus Christ, all those who believed, have "Faith", can one day come face to face to Jehovah God!

Jesus Christ is the only One who can open the door into God's presence!

Jesus Christ is the only One who can cause us to be citizens in Heaven!

*****Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

The household of God begins as the Church here on Earth and ends in the New Heaven throughout eternity.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1Co 12:13 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.

How did we all begin before we met the Lord Jesus Christ? we must remember verse 12.

Eph 2:12 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:

How did these things change?

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

If we be Christ's, it is because we have the "faith" of Abraham!

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

We are not angels, we are not Jews, "we become Christians" if we follow the example that Christ has given us but more important we become Saints.

There is no other way to become a Saint of God!

As Saints we are set aside for God's use as He sees fit!

We speak of people and we speak of nations but as saints we are citizens of the New Nation that God is creating!

A nation that consist only of one family, the family of God.

We are adopted children who will be before the Lord continuously throughout eternity!

To understand adoption, we should understand we have a new relationship with God forever.

Our relationship is as a Father to His newly born child, "a baby".

We will always, even throughout eternity, have moment by moment contact with our Father.

We will have a special relationship, a family relationship, with all the other of God's children.

We are no longer under the authority of the powers of this world but are now under the authority of our heavenly Father!

We have already been adopted and we are waiting our Lord Jesus to pick us up and take us home to be presented to our Father!

Our big Brother, who is our God, will soon come to take us home.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And we will be just like Him!

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

All because we have faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the words He gave to those 12 Apostles and by understanding that God had said these things could happen all along.

*****Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Notice how God builds His Church to house His Saints.

Every building needs a solid foundation!

The greatest of buildings also have a Chief Cornerstone!

Each "Born Again" child of God are then the building material to construct the greatest of buildings which is the Church.

Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

Remember that word dispensation actually means "house-management", God personally manages the building up of His house.

Remember the Tower of Babel how those people tried to build a building that would reach into Heaven, but this could never be done because it did not have the proper foundation.

God also builds His army by making the Lord Jesus Christ the Captain of our salvation.

Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

God has written the Words of salvation by His Personal Author.

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

The Church that God builds will be "fitly" framed together!

*****Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

To have a perfect understanding here, we must remember the Temple that King Solomon built how the stones were so perfectly cut that when they were put together they did not require any mortar because there were no gaps.

Mortar would represent sin in this example.

Those who reject the Old Testament, reject some precious examples that God used to explain the "Gospel" to the Jewish People.

Those that reject the Old Testament reject that salvation came by "faith" such that Abraham had, just as it does today. A faith such as Abraham had in the truth of God!

We cannot reject any part of the Word of God and "yes all denominations", we must understand "a literal translation" of the Word of God!

Just had to throw that in.

The whole structure of God's Church rises like a great pile of "everlasting living" materials into an Holy Temple of the Lord!

This structure is dedicated to Jesus Christ and will be inhabited by Him in New Jerusalem!

The Church is alive today and the Church will always be alive because it cannot die!

Every living member of this Church will always have a function and a purpose.

Every believer from every "Age" since the time of Adam, will have a part in this Holy Temple of God!

It is the Lord Jesus Christ and only the Lord Jesus Christ who places every believer in their required position! (He decides this not us)

With every believer being filled with the Holy Spirit, what a magnificent building it will be! Glory, Glory, Glory

*****Eph 2:22 In whom "ye" (you) also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

This "you" represents each believer, each Christian, in the church in Ephesus.

This "you" also represents the Church itself.

Each and every Church that is built with these same guidelines is a building structured for God's purpose!

Each member is an essential, living, stone, placed into this building.

The stability of the Church lies in each stone placed by the hand of God into the exact place, so this building can carry the load, each stone carrying its own load therefore fulfilling the purpose of the Church!

The Holy Spirit of God will dwell within each believer to conform this glorious work of the Lord to an image of God's will in this evil world!

A church is not a church if the Holy Spirit is not in control of its members!

Psa 68:16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

The place that the Lord has chosen is the same place we need to be!

Amen

Knowing More About the Plan of God

God's Plan for Blessing His Children

Book of Ephesians Chapter 1:1-12

The Apostle Paul always reminds us that he was living and acting under the control of a power from on high. The Divine will of God!

In fact, to share Paul's beliefs is the means of a strong and effective Christian life!

We will notice also that by the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul knew, these letters, these epistles, were not just intended for these Churches of his day but, to all Christians everywhere and in all the ages until the return of Jesus Christ.

In fact, the Apostle Paul was part of God's plan for blessing His children!

Paul was writing to the faithful in Christ Jesus, all the Saints of God in all ages!

This will not change in this epistle to the Ephesians.

The Book of Ephesians reveals to us a deeper knowledge into the "grace" of God!

The Book of Ephesians will also give us another look at God's plan for this world.

Let's begin:

*****Eph 1:1 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:

Eph 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not only to be "saints", which is clearly misunderstood in our world, but also the "faithful". We are to be faithful saints!

To be faithful is to obey the truth of Jehovah God. This means all the Word of God and not bits and pieces that we choose to obey!

Isa 25:1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Who then are the faithful?

First there is Jehovah God.

Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

God is faithful in His love and He will be just as faithful in His wrath.

Next there is the Lord.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

So, then we as the saints of God are also to be faithful.

1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

We cannot be in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, without being faithful to the things of our Father in Heaven!

No one can live in God without being a channel for God, by Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ is God's "Grace" poured out onto this world we live in!

2Co 2:14 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.

2Co 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

2Co 2:16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

2Co 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

If you need a blessing from God, then you better know His Son in a personal way! Amen and Amen!

*****Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

What is God's greatest blessing? It is when God can bestow His blessings upon His children!

God will allow some earthly blessings to those who know His Son, but God's greatest blessings are spiritual and heavenly and not of this world!

Before we go any further we need to know the word "Grace".

What is "Grace" in the Word of God?

1) The "Gospel" is the "Grace of God.

Act_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.

2) The application of the "Gospel" and it's saving power to our lives is also the "Grace" of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

3) Everything that comes by Jesus Christ is the "Grace" of God!

1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

4) Grace then is certainly the unmerited favor of God!

Eph 3:8 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;

"God's Riches at Christ Expense".

Before Jesus Christ came into this world, God did bless His people with material things. Abraham received land, wealth, and fame.

These are still the same things all the world seeks after today!

We know that as Israel first grew it misused and hoarded up these things refusing to share even amongst themselves and certainly not with any other nations.

These things always go against the will of God and Israel was warned many times and then punished many times.

The great change when the Lord Jesus Christ came, is that God deals with mankind in spiritual things with spiritual blessings.

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

It should be obvious that spiritual blessings can only come by the Holy Spirit!

It is the Holy Spirit who is the major force in our world against evil!

It is also the Holy Spirit who brings forth the act of salvation to the believer! (We call this Holy Ghost conviction)

Rom 8:9 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.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11 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.

So, let’s look at this word "chosen".

*****Eph 1:4 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:

We can only come to one conclusion as we read this Scripture. God chooses only those who are in Jesus Christ!

Without Jesus Christ you cannot be the "chosen" of God! (let this sink in)

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Joh 14:20 "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you".

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

God wants us to be with Him. God has wanted us to be with Him since before He laid the foundations of this universe!

Why did God create mankind, the answer is right here in His words?

We can only be holy and without blame, by embracing the righteousness of Christ, because we have no righteousness of our ourselves and then we must be endowed with the Holy Spirit.

This is our only means of being blameless! Amen

Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

When God first created all things, we should notice though things were good and some even very good, not one of them was perfect.

In the end, when the Lord returns to claim His church, when we meet Him in the clouds, we will have finally reached perfection!

Our perfection can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen

Because we are chosen to be made perfect through Jesus Christ we are hated by this imperfect world!

Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

So, let’s look at that word "predestinate".

*****Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

According to Calvinism, God calls only those He has predestined to eternal life ( our own choice is not involved). He renews their spirit (Not the Holy Spirit moves into, not sealed with the Holy Spirit) and then draws only those to Jesus Christ, so in this way salvation is entirely by "grace".

A free gift to only those God has selected Himself as He created them. This is a false belief and therefore a false doctrine!

They believe, God then justifies just these believers, declares them righteous (not the righteousness of the Lord Jesus) and adopts them into His family and sanctifies them. (this is a false belief)

They believe, saving faith, is a gift of Christ Jesus. Repentance is a doctrine to preached along with faith. Good works are the fruit of true faith. (this is a false belief)

What then is the truth?

The truth is, God has not determined that just certain ones will be saved and the remaining will abandoned to the Lake of Fire!

God has determined that only those who have(chosen) and (accepted), "by faith", in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation will be saved and all those who reject the work of the Lord Jesus Christ will be destroyed!

God would not be God if He specifically chose certain ones for salvation and certain ones for damnation!

God has given this choice to us to make freely only after knowing the truth!

The truth is, God calls, and we are the ones who must make the choice!

Therefore, the church is the "Elect", those who have elected to place their faith in the work and the promises of Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures say, we are predestined but only by Jesus Christ to Himself!

The Scriptures say, we have no righteousness of our own,(our righteousness is as filthy rags) we must be seen as having the righteousness of Jesus Christ by accepting Him as our Savior!

It is Jesus Christ who will present His "bride" to His Father in Heaven.

It was not God who prearranged this marriage contract with those that He chose!

Jesus Christ did not just die for the few believers, Jesus Christ died for all the sin in all the world, past, present and future!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

None of these Scriptures in this passage of John point toward Calvinism, in fact these Scriptures destroy Calvinism!

God has only chosen those who have accepted "His" Son and are filled with "His" Spirit!

It is only these who are adopted in the family of God, having been removed from the family of Satan, that are the "Bride of Christ".

Being adopted, we then have direct access to the throne room of God.

It is only the believer who will become an adopted brother or sister to Jesus Christ with freedom to enter in the Heavenly Mansion of God!

God is so full of "Grace" that it is over flowing, but it is only by Jesus Christ that this "Grace" can be applied to the believer!

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

God's "Grace" is in fact His glorious free love for His Son and those of His Son.

God has accepted each believer who is washed in the blood of His Dear Son, He loves so much!

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

*****Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Those that cringe when they hear the word blood, should not forget that it is through the death of Jesus Christ, who shed all His blood, just so we who believe could be saved. It is the beloved who are saved!

We were slaves in bondage to Satan who directed us according to his will.

We were unable to redeem ourselves to buy our freedom from him because it would lead to eternal separation from God, our Creator.

In the time of the Scriptures, a kinsman could redeem a member of his family if he was able to pay the debt that was owed.

We know the wages of sin is death. The Lord Jesus Christ claimed the right of the kinsman redeemer and paid the debt, which was His own death that we all can be free from the bondage of Satan.

Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Heb 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

We are redeemed from the guilt and the power of sin through the blood of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!

We have been forgiven all the sin we have ever had in our lives and forgiven from all future sin until the day God calls us home!

Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Psa 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

We can see that the only thing that may exceed or at least match the "Grace" of God is the "Mercy" of God!

*****Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

We must understand that we cannot be saved unless we are called. (Holy Ghost conviction)

This the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then freely gives us enough wisdom and prudence to understand God's process of salvation.

It is only at this time when we have enough knowledge to make a right choice!

Prudence is the ability of judging what is the best choice.

Prudence is conforming to the rules of reason, truth and morality.

Prudence says, being blessed of God can come only by faith in the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ.

Those who have Spiritual wisdom are in the habit of being prudent!

Those who have worldly wisdom will usually make the wrong choice.

Therefore, it is so important to openly show or teach the word of the "Gospel" to those under Holy Ghost conviction!

God will give us enough understanding to know what to do.

Rom_12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

If not for this measure of faith we would never understand the mystery of God's will!

What is God's will? (It is certainly not what the Calvinist teach)

1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

God will make this little mystery known before we make our choice.

*****Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

We should understand when we see the word mystery in the Scriptures, it will not be something mysterious and difficult to understand.

A mystery in the Scriptures is just something God did not show to the Old Testament Saints.

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

We already know that God is always on time, when the time came to unlock the truth that He was ready to reveal to humanity.

We know that Israel had rejected the idea that Jehovah would also be the God of Gentiles, so God put Israel aside until the fulness of the Gentiles would come to Him in what we call the "Church Age".

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

After the rapture of the Church God will return to deal with the salvation of Israel.

Israel had missed the first opportunity to know the redemption of Christ and we should be aware, that the cause of this was the false ministry of the leaders of Judaism of that day.

It is God's will that everyone will be saved! This has not been the case of the past and will not be the case in the future.

There will always be those who reject the truth of God!

Jehovah God has an eternal purpose and plan for this world and it is His good pleasure to bring it about.

Why do we have so many that teach the Scriptures by dispensation? Verse 10

*****Eph 1:10 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:

Some say the method according to which God carries out His purpose towards man is called a dispensation.

Others say God's method of carrying His purpose is by His covenants.

The key to dispensation is maintaining a consistency in literal interpretation and maintaining a distinction between Israel and the Church.

The truth is, God has set seasons in which He will accomplish His will and His purpose!

Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecc 3:17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

God has certainly appointed seasons of His will and purpose, just as He has appointed the Summer, the Winter, the Fall, and the Spring of each year.

God has an eternal purpose and plan for this world and He moves at His own pleasure and His own time.

God designs time as He sees fit to fulfill His purpose!

We are foolish to believe that God waits too long for certain things to take place!

We may totally understand the Word of God, but we will never know the seasons which He chooses to keep to Himself!

We must learn to be patient!

The truth is, there is coming a day when God will gather in one, all things in Christ Jesus!

Though "the rapture of the church" is a small part of this gathering, this is not speaking of the "Rapture" which will have already taken place.

Through the ''Gospel" we are first gathered individually and united with God through His Son.

God next gathers those individuals at His own pleasure, whether it be by age, or illness, or other means.

At the Rapture, God will gather all the "Body of Christ" that remain at His coming.

In the Millennial Kingdom, Christ will gather those who remain after the 7 years of Tribulation upon this earth.

At the end of this 1000 years, the fulness of time upon this earth, God will gather all things in Heaven and on this earth and place them in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

There will certainly be a climax to this world we live upon now!

Rev_21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

All these things will be gathered in Jesus Christ!

This world simply refuses to believe that world history lies in the hands of our Righteous God!

In this Scripture that word "dispensation" means stewardship, or better understood "house-management".

We must realize that God has placed into the hands of Jesus Christ, the management of God's Spiritual Household!

1Pe_2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Our entire Cosmos, God's creation, is as a house under the management of God and God has placed all these things into the hands of Jesus Christ!

When death and Hell have been removed and evil will be no more, a new and perfect world will be established for the Lord Jesus Christ and all His followers!

It is the Lords "spiritual house", the Holy Ghost filled children of God who will join with the angels who elected to stay with Christ who will move on into an entirely new creation!

Until this time we are to go about the work God has given us to do through Christ!

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

We are all missionaries, if not one of these, for the work of the ministry!

*****Eph 1:11 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:

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

God lives in the eternal world, which we call Heaven and even Heaven will be made new.

God took only 6 days to create the heavens and the earth that now exist but what did Jesus say?

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

How wonderful will this new place be?

1Co_2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We know that only God knows what we need for a life in eternity, so God foreordained what He would do, for those who had the faith to believe in His Son.

God has made each believer to be His own son or His own daughter and His own most cherished possession, (His jewels).

So, we must also realize that our everlasting joy is a free gift of God.

Certainly, God will always be God, but the New Heaven and the New Earth will be created for the pleasure of each believer.

Just as a father should for their own children, God has implied that He will protect, care for, improve and enjoy His inheritance as much as we will enjoy being with Him throughout eternity! Amen

The New Heaven and the New Earth will be perfect because a perfect God will have made all things perfect even the believer!

God does things as He pleases, and it has pleased God to do these things!

Who can we obtain such an inheritance?

Mar_12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Those who can love the Lord in this manner!

It's called "faith"!

It is only by "faith" that we can believe!

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Amen!