What must I do to be saved?

The inspired writers describe the church in numerous ways throughout the New Testament. Paul often refers to the church as the body of Christ (cf. (Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12, 27; Ephesians 4:12; 5:23, 30; Colossians 1:24). Jesus introduced the idea of a spiritual family in Matthew 12:49–50, a concept that appears in the epistles of Paul as well. The church is God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16) and spiritual Israel (Galatians 6:16). She is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27; Revelation 21:9). Each of these images helps us understand God’s design for the church and its role in fulfilling His plans.

In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul describes the church in architectural terms, as “a pillar and buttress of the truth.” A pillar bears weight in a building, often in the interior, holding up a portion of it. A buttress typically supports an external wall of a building. Both bear weight and work in concert with the foundation. How does the church serve as a pillar and buttress of the truth?

Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am…the truth.” We learn in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jude says, “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (v. 3). The church does not bring forth new truths. It cannot. All the truth that we need has already been revealed. The church upholds that truth.

We lift up the truth when we come together in Bible study, devoting ourselves to growing in grace and knowledge. We do not study the Bible for merely academic purposes. We use critical thinking and we open our hearts, believing that the Bible came from men who were led by God’s Spirit (cf. 2 Peter 1:21).

We lift up the truth when we assemble on the first day of the week, according to God’s command, and share in a sermon – an exhortation from God’s Word. Both the preacher and the congregation should interact with the Word during the sermon hour in a way that proves our conviction that the Bible reveals God’s timeless, changeless truth.

We lift up the truth when we live for God’s glory in our daily thoughts, words, and actions. Dear Christian, as God’s church, we have the wonderful, daunting task of holding up God’s truth in the world. Work mightily, knowing this very truth can bring the greatest sinner into communion with an even greater God!

Clay Leonard

In The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Dr. Geoffrey Bromiley writes: “The expression “Lord’s Day” (Gk. kyriake hemera), found only in Christian sources, first appears in Rev. 1:10 as a designation of the first day of the week. It is not to be confused with the eschatological “day of then Lord” (hemmer you kyriou). The most plausible explanation of the term is that it derives from the parallel expression “Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor. 11:20), since the early Christians gathered on the first day of the week to celebrate this meal as the culmination of their corporate worship. An account of an early (late 50’s) Lord’s Day service is found in Acts 20:7-11, beginning with the words “on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread.” Christians chose the first day of the week for worship undoubtedly because Christ rose on that day and met with the gathered disciples at the time of the evening meal. At this time He ate and drank with them (Lk. 24:41-43; cf. Acts 10:41), renewing the table fellowship that He had shared with them on the night on which He was betrayed. Hence the Lord’s Day worship is the Christian festival of the Resurrection, in which Christians, like the original disciples, have fellowship with one another and with the risen Christ whom they trust as Savior and worship as God.

“This conclusion throws light on Paul’s reference to the first day of the week when writing to the Corinthians about a collection for the Jerusalem church: “On the first day of the week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be made when I come” (1 Cor. 16:2). Paul did not choose the first day above others as peculiar to the situation of the Corinthians; he said that he gave the same instructions to the churches of Galatia (v. 1). Nor does the idea of regular saving of money imply that it must be done on the first day of the week. Hence there must have been some other reason, understood by Paul and his readers, why he expressly designated the first day. Since in a later letter (2 Cor. 9:12) he called the collection set aside on this day a leitourgia, i.e., a ministration of a sacred character, the choice of the day definitely points to its religious significance. Here then is further evidence that by the middle of the Ist cent. the first day of the week had unique meaning for the Christian community” (pg. 158; The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; volume 3, “Lord’s Day,” by G. W. Bromiley).

Here’s my point in this quotation… Observing the Lord’s Supper weekly is not a “church of Christ” tradition. It was the biblical pattern of the Christians under the direction of the twelve apostles.

Paul Holland

The term “receive” is often used in the book of Acts concerning those who responded to the Gospel call and became Christians (see Acts 2:41; 8:14; 11:1). However, James indicates in our text that once a Christian, a person certainly does not stop receiving the Word! (see v. 21).

The entire letter of James admonishes God’s children to practical daily Christian living. In essence, James defines Christian living in his letter. When one initially receives (and obeys) the Gospel, he is born (1:18 – ESV – “brought forth”, KJV – “begat”) as a spiritual infant (compare Jn. 3:3-5), ready to progress and grow in spiritual maturity. One should carefully note the references in the immediate context to the role of God’s Word in this process (see 1:18, 21, 22, 25).

James commands his brethren to “know” (v. 19) something. The three-fold admonition they need to be reminded of is: (1) “be quick to hear,” (2) “slow to speak,” and (3) “slow to anger” (all from verse 19).

What are they to hear? Many jump straight to our personal relationships with each other. While I would not deny this application, we should note something very important from the context. James had just mentioned their relationship to the “word of truth” in the previous verse, and then he even says in verse 22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Be quick to hear what? The Word of God! Of course, Christians are taught to give a careful ear to others, giving preference to them (Phil. 2:3-4), but we perhaps miss something when we overlook the context here. If we truly give careful ear to God’s Word, many other things will naturally fall in line, but they hinge on being good hearers of the good Word!

Hearing is further emphasized with the admonition to be “slow to speak.” One does not hear while he is speaking (not with undivided attention, at least). And being “quick to hear” and “slow to speak” is a great recipe for being “slow to anger.”

Anger is something that many good people (and good Christian people) struggle with. But notice that James deals in preventative “medicine” here. Being slow to speak and quick to hear, will often keep one from even the notion of anger. Surely those who struggle with anger should think about how they are listening to God’s Word, and make sure they allow God to “talk to them” in real time and “real life.” I don’t mean something strange by this, but merely taking enough pause to be considerate of God’s will and one’s fellow man as he is living daily life. Or, to put it the way James says in the next section of chapter 1… he ought to pause long enough to look in the mirror and remember who he is (see vv. 23-24)!

The reason for James’ discussion of these matters is not only to prevent anger itself, but to prevent the filth and unrighteousness that often accompanies man’s wrath. Such anger does not produce the quality of fruit God desires. The Christian will seek to “put away” (v. 21) his unrighteousness, and instead continue receiving the Word (Compare this with what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:1-2.) The Word of God is God’s power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). Not only is it God’s power unto our initial salvation, but notice that James says to Christians: it is “able to save your souls” (v. 21). Christians must continue in the Word of His grace (see Acts 20:32) in order to be saved by the Lord.

Daren Schroeder

“The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge,

But the mouth of fools feeds on folly.”

(Proverbs 15:14)

The word “folly” means things that are totally without wisdom and understanding and completely absent of God.  Wait.  Does that one word describe modern books, magazines, movies, songs, actors, politicians, musicians, and…? We could compose quite a list of follies!  That is because folly is everywhere.

The reason folly is everywhere is because of the principle of “supply and demand.”  There are lots of fools in the word, and fools “feed on folly.” Hence there is a lot of folly!

This proverb is issuing an urgent plea to take a different course.  The intelligent are going on a different “diet plan” than the fool.  Breaking this down, there are several important truths.

    First, it is the “mind” of the intelligent being discussed.  Here a person has made a mental decision: “I am going to seek knowledge. I am not going to blindly feed myself on the so-called wisdom of the fools (mentioned above).” Solomon says in 16:9 that it is the “mind” of man that plans his way.  In this case, the mind is planning to be intelligent.

   Second, this is the course of the “intelligent.” This word means “to have insight; to be perceptive.”  This is the person that pauses long enough to realize that the diet of fools is going to make them spiritually unhealthy.  They got the proverbial “wake-up call” (see Psalm 94:8). What the intelligent desire is clearly stated in Proverbs 2:9.

    Third, this is the course of the one who “seeks knowledge.” Knowledge in the Bible is good, solid, legitimate information.  It is the truth as opposed to that which is “falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20).  Fearing the Lord is the beginning point to obtaining knowledge (Proverbs 1:7; cf. 9:10).  How many of the fools listed above fear God?  Not many, right?  So why then would anybody go to them to find this good information?  God’s word is truth (John 17:17).

The obvious truth in this Proverb?  Go to God. Go to God’s word.  Therein lies the best diet of all.  “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

Denny Petrillo

The Bible is comprised of 66 books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Since we are under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, it makes sense that we would spend the majority of our time in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 3:6; Hebrews 9:15-17). The Old Law is described as old and vanishing away as the New Testament was being completed (Hebrews 8:8-13; cf., Jeremiah 31:31-34). We are not under the Law [i.e., the Law of Moses], but instead, we are under grace (Romans 6:14; 7:1-6).* The New Testament is more glorious than the Old Testament (2 Corinthians 3:7-18). With all of that said, we still do rob ourselves of a great blessing if we do not regularly study and read from the Old Testament Scriptures. Here are several things that the Old Testament continues to provide for Christians today.

The Old Testament Provides Hope

Paul said that the Old Testament was written for our learning so that we, as Christians, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope (Romans 15:4). Many Bible students incorrectly assume that after reading the Old Testament, one is left feeling hopeless, but this is the opposite of what the Holy Spirit communicates through Paul. The Old Testament is a letter filled with hope because it points beyond itself. The Old Testament Scriptures anticipated a time when God would bring about a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The Old Testament is hopeful in that God’s kingdom would come into the world and all people would flow into it (Isaiah 2:1-4). The Old Law speaks of the continuous existence of the kingdom that was to come (Daniel 2:44).

Moreover, reading the Old Testament provides hope because it is there that we encounter the God who gives hope (Psalm 130:5). How many times does one read in the Old Testament of situations that seemed hopeless only to see God breathe new life into those circumstances? Abraham thought having a child in his old age was unlikely, but he hoped, and God blessed him with a son (Genesis 21:5; Romans 4:18). Elijah thought he was the only one of God’s faithful prophets left, but he received a hope-filled message that God had scores of other faithful servants who had not bowed the knee to idolatrous worship (1 Kings 19). A careful reading of the Old Testament provides hope for God’s people today as we realize that we serve the same God Israel served (Malachi 3:6). The same God Who did not abandon them will not abandon us (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5-6). Those who read the Old Testament today will receive hope as they learn of the continual faithfulness of God (Lamentations 3:22-24).

The Old Testament Provides Examples

The Old Testament is full of examples for us to learn. This is perhaps the most common way the Old Testament is used today, and for good reason. The Israelites wandering in the wilderness, their fickle faith and their frequent temper tantrums were written and preserved for us (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). Paul explicitly stated that they were penned for our admonition, meaning we should learn from their lives. The lesson is just as they fell, though they were God’s people, so can we fall if we are not careful (1 Corinthians 10:12). Just as 603,548 of those who were twenty years old and older died in the wilderness, we could miss our land of rest as well if we do not persevere in faith (Hebrews 3:12-4:11).

We must not only look to the Old Testament for the negative examples it provides, but make a note of the positive examples of faith contained therein. The writer of the book of Hebrews demonstrated this balanced approach in his use of the Old Testament. In the first several chapters, he mentioned the faithless Israelites in the wilderness. However, lest we think it was impossible to be faithful under the Old Covenant, he spent all of chapter 11 highlighting faithful examples in the Old Testament. He mentioned Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Sarah, Rahab, Jacob, Joseph, Samson, David, Abel and others (Hebrews 11:1-40). As you read through the list, it becomes apparent that those listed were not flawless but faithful. When we read the Old Testament, we learn that God does not excuse sin or unrighteousness, but He does applaud and reward faith even when it is exercised by less than perfect people. We should take great courage that we can be counted faithful by God even though we make mistakes (1 John 1:7-10). The Old Testament helps us see the examples of those we should emulate and the examples of those we should avoid (3 John 11).

The Old Testament Provides Proof for Inspiration

When Paul told Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) or is God-breathed, this does not exclude the New Testament passages. However, we should keep in mind that the New Testament was still being penned when he wrote those words.

The Old Testament Scriptures were given by God and provide an abundance of riches as we consider what it means for the Bible to be inspired of God. Consider predictive prophecy and the fact that the only way Isaiah, Micah and others could make predictions centuries before the events transpired is because God had given them the information (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Old Testament foretold of a ruler decades before his birth (Isaiah 44:28; cf. Ezra 1:1-4), named Cyrus, who would emancipate God’s people. The Old Testament gives us a thorough description of the rise and fall of kingdoms (Daniel 2:1-45). The Old Testament should be studied and consulted for what it teaches us about Scripture’s divine origin and how it strengthens the case for the Bible being a book from God Himself.

The Old Testament Provides Messianic Expectations

Jesus said if the Old Testament is correctly read, it will point its readers to Him (John 5:39-40). He fulfilled everything written in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah (Luke 24:44). The New Testament Gospel records tell us what kind of Savior Jesus was, but the Old Testament told us ahead of time what kind of Messiah to expect. We read in the Old Testament about His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14), the place where He would be born (Micah 5:2), the kind of preaching He would do (Psalm 78:2), His suffering (Isaiah 53) and how He would die (Psalm 22). Likewise, His reign as a High Priest (Psalm 110:1, 4) and His triumphant resurrection (Psalm 16:10) appear in the Old Testament.

Those unfamiliar with Old Testament prophecies and predictions about Jesus will be unimpressed with His credentials when they read about Him in the New Testament. The Old Testament speaks of the highpoints of our favorite Bible characters, but it also speaks of the failings of every one of them. Behind the shortcomings of men like Abraham, David and Moses is this great expectation that someone better was to come (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). Since the Old Testament provides a clear picture of Jesus and what He would do, we should read it, looking for our Master.

We are New Testament Christians, and that is a great thing. We need to be sure to study the New Testament because it is the Covenant by which we will be judged (John 12:48). However, do not skip over the Old Testament, because there is much to learn there, too. The Old Testament gives us hope, provides examples to shun and examples to mimic, validates the Bible’s inspiration, and tells us what kind of Messiah that Jesus was to be.

[Editor’s Note: *Though not under the Law of Moses and instead under grace, we are not under grace only. There is a sense in which Christians are amenable to a different Law from that of Judaism; we are under “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Christians are answerable to “the royal law according to Scripture” (James 2:8) or “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25; 2:12). Whereas the Law of Moses required perfection – at which every soul except for Jesus fails – the New Testament requires obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9), coupled with grace (Ephesians 2:8) and mercy (Titus 3:5). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]

Hiram Kemp

Life after death is a topic that all Christians should think of often. In fact, it is a discussion that all living beings need to engage with regularly in their life in order to live this life in its fullest capacity. A pursuit of materialism is shallow and limited at best, futile at worst. It is the joy of the resurrection that one finds reason to draw nearer to God Himself. Harry Blamires, in his eminent publication, The Christian Mind, stated, “Do we as Christian mentally inhabit the world presented to us by faith as the real world?” In other words, have we gotten so pulled down to this earth that we seldom visit the spiritual? The Apostle Paul spoke often of that life to come:  

The resurrection is reason to live differently (Rom. 6:5-14) —

In this discussion, Paul highlights how our old body was crucified, just like Jesus’. It is through that crucifixion that a new self begins its walk, living with an expectation of a different world. We are regularly reminded of God’s judgement and how that reality bears an incredible obligation on our end to live righteously. However, our means of living godly lives should not cease at fear of judgment. We ought to be people who embrace a new life as a product of having been given a second chance at paradise.   

The resurrection is worth investing in (1 Cor. 15:42) — 

As Paul logically reasons through the Christian faith and the impact it has on the church, he briefly touches on the topic of the resurrection. He notes that it is the resurrection in which we base all of our livelihood around; that if Christ was never raised from the dead, “We of all people are to be pitied.” He walks through that discussion to eventually arrive at the conclusion: “What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.” Jesus revolutionized the standard on which real life has its value. We would be foolish to put our hope in anything or anyone else. Especially self.  

The resurrection is capable of encouragement (1 Thess. 4:18) — 

As Paul reveals what is to take place at the coming of Christ, he goes into great detail of what that day will look like, sound like, and even feel like. The sight of Jesus descending from the heavens will be a devastating vision for some and a joyous occasion for others. Paul favored the latter of the two options. Moreover, he expressed his desire for the church to talk to each other and encourage each other about these things.  

The resurrection is a pursuit to be chased (Phil. 3:11) — 

“By any means possible” was the extent that Paul was willing to go in order to make the resurrection his own. What are the entities or desires in your life that you would pursue “by any means possible?” I can only think of a handful. This pursuit of receiving eternal life was chief on the priority list for Paul. In fact, earlier in the letter of Philippians he expressed his dilemma of staying on this earth to work with the Christians or leaving it behind to be with Christ (1:23). 

Tyler King

A pressure cooker is a pot that has a seal around it that closes very tightly. As you turn up the heat on the pressure cooker, steam is created inside. The steam builds up, creating pressure (about 30 psi) and, because it cannot completely escape, it drives the boiling point of water past 212 degrees. The higher temperature and pressure shortens the cooking time. The valve is designed to let a certain amount of the pressure escape so that the pressure cooker doesn’t blow up.

Pharaoh has God’s people in slavery and Pharaoh will not let them go. God knows Pharaoh’s heart and God knows that He’s got to get Pharaoh’s “psi” to the 30 psi point; He has to get the temperature of Pharaoh’s heart to 212 degrees before Pharaoh will let God’s people go. God could have jumped directly to the death of the firstborn, which we’ll study in two weeks, but then God would not have had the opportunity to show His power over all those gods of Egypt. It could also be true that God knew it would take the first nine plagues to increase the pressure on Pharaoh so that the last plague would make Pharaoh reach the proper point and let Israel go free.

SUN WORSHIPERS – 10:21-23:

The ninth plague engulfed Egypt in total darkness. For three whole days no one could see anything. As we have pointed out in every lesson, these plagues were directed in part against the gods of Egypt (Exo. 12:12; Num. 33:4). What if your god went totally dark on you? You see, the Egyptians worshiped the sun in the “person” of: Horus, Aten, Atum, and Amon-Re.

Who is our ultimate object of devotion and service? Who do we delight to serve above all else? If I really desire to make one person happy, who is that one person? That’s the person I worship.

THE SHADOW OF DARKNESS – 10:24:

Verse 24 shows us that Pharaoh knew in his mind what God wanted from him. God wanted him to let Israel go. Pharaoh knew God’s name – Jehovah. He knew the purpose for their departure: worship God; even sacrifice to God. He knew all that in his mind, but not in his heart. There’s the problem.

Pharaoh had been offering some compromises here and there: 8:25; 8:28; 10:10-11. Pharaoh had the arrogance that a lot of people today have – he thought that he could dictate his terms to God. People today in churches all across the land think that they can dictate to God what He should be accepting from them in worship. They think they can dictate to God the type of “plan of salvation” which sounds good to their ears. Just like Pharaoh, they want to stay in control of their theology.

DOWN TO THE LAST HOOF – 10:25-26:

I wonder if any of the Hebrews ever thought Moses was making a mistake by refusing to compromise with Pharaoh…? I wonder if it was ever tempting to the Hebrews to question Moses and suggest they negotiate. But Moses, for the fourth time, refused to compromise with Pharaoh, using one of my favorite expressions from Exodus: 10:25-26 – “not a hoof shall be left behind!”

When you give your heart to God, you don’t hold anything back. You don’t set your hand to the plow and then look back (Luke 9:62). When you give your heart to God and then learn that something else is required of you that you did not realize, then you do that too. That’s what it means to give your heart to God. It means that your highest ambition in life is to please God: 1 Thess. 2:4.

COME INTO THE LIGHT – 10:27-29:

There comes an end to God’s grace and mercy, as we see in verses 27-29. There is no fellowship between light and darkness. So Pharaoh threatened Moses with death if he ever set foot in front of Pharaoh again.

Based on John 3:36, those who do not obey Jesus Christ have the wrath of God remaining on them. If I could see spiritually, could see with God’s eyes, would I see the wrath of God resting on your shoulders? Or would I see the blood of Christ washing over you?

God is calling you to leave the land of darkness and follow Christ into the light. Walk in His light.

Paul Holland

Introduction 

1. How many of you like science fiction? Science fiction is mostly about imaginary worlds.
2. Peter Pan. Star Wars. Star Trek.  Jurassic Park. Avatar. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
3. Most kids I know love the Tales of Narnia stories with it’s amazing wardrobe that leads to a magical realm and the picture on the wall that starts flooding the bedroom
4. Then there’s Alice in Wonderland, the strange adventures of a young girl who tumbles down a rabbit hole into a place that is ‘curioser and curioser’.
5. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. These stories capture our imaginations because we love the idea of mysterious hidden worlds that are accessible from our own.
6. They are often places of adventure and danger, but also of courage and victory.
7. They often take the most unlikely, average kinds of people and through their adventures transform them into significant and powerful leaders who accomplish great things.
8. All of these are imaginary, of course.
   1. But this evening we are going to study about place that is NOT imaginary.
   2. It’s not even a real place, as defined by physical location. You can’t find it on Google maps
   3. But it is as real as the shoes you are wearing or the pew on which you are sitting.
9. Open your bibles to Ephesians.
10. The book of Ephesians speaks five times of something called “heavenly realms” or “heavenly places,” depending upon which translation you are reading
11. What is meant by this mysterious realm called “the heavenly places”?
12. There is a lot we do not know and cannot know about the “heavenly realm”
13. As flesh-and-blood humans, we have very little understanding of the spirit world
14. Yet, there are some things revealed in scripture, and we can know what God reveals to us
15. The “heavenly realm” about which Paul writes is much more exciting and much more challenging than Narnia or Never-Never Land or any other imaginary world
16. The Greek word that is translated “heavenly realm”, (lit., “the heavenlies” or “the sphere of spiritual activities”), is found only 5 times in Scripture, all of them in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians ( 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12).
17. I prefer “realms” over “places” – it seems more defined, less generic
18. But neither are in Greek – literally, “in the heavenlies”: spiritual, not earthly
19. The fact that all 5 uses are in Ephesians is actually helpful for interpretive purposes
20. We can expect the phrase to have a consistent meaning throughout.
21. When we follow the concept throughout Ephesians we discover several characteristics of the “heavenly realms” (note carefully the tenses of the verbs as we read these verses)

First, let’s read: Eph. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

1. Look closely at this verse. What is stated in this verse about the “heavenly realm”?
2. We praise God (present tense) because He “blessed us” in the “heavenly realm” (past tense)
3. The “heavenly realm” is where ALL spiritual blessings are to be received.
4. The spiritual blessings that God has given us (past) are “in Christ” in the heavenly realms
5. We have many reasons to praise and worship God for the blessing contained in this world
6. Creation / health / good food / family / friends
7. But people who are not “in Christ” can and do have these blessings also
8. But we who are “in Christ” have been given spiritual blessing not available to anyone else, and these blessings are to be found in “the heavenly realms” – sphere of spiritual activities
9. Paul discusses some of the spiritual blessings in 4-14 – they are awesome! Glance through it
10. So, all of these blessings are “in Christ” in the “heavenly realms”
11. Let that swirl around in your head as we move to the next “heavenly realms” verse

Let’s now notice Paul’s 1^st prayer for the Ephesians: Eph. 1:17-21…which he [God] exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…

1. It is in heavenly realm where Jesus is right now … at the Father’s throne
2. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would be able to comprehend the power that raised Jesus and seated him at God’s right hand in the “heavenly realm” – don’t lose this thought!
3. Picture the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe 1:19
4. Picture Jesus sitting “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” 21
5. Isn’t it a glorious thought see picture Jesus sitting above Satan and all his evil servants?
6. This introduces the fact that the “heavenly realms” is not all good – there is evil there too (more on this in a few minutes)
7. How does this affect us?
8. When the eyes of our hearts are opened to see this power, it gives us hope 1:18
9. The hope we have is not wishful thinking … it’s guaranteed for those “in Christ”
10. So, not only do we have all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms, we have a confident hope as we become aware of the power that raised Jesus and seated him at God’s throne
11. Victory in Jesus!

• Will this confidence help you deal with your daily problems?
• Will this hope help you deal with temptations knowing Jesus is victorious over Satan?
• Will you let this motivate you to keep your eyes focused on Jesus?

 We are now ready to move to Eph. 2:4-6 [For] God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…

1. Most of us are very familiar with 4-5
2. God’s rich mercy … God’s great love … God’s power to make dead people alive again
3. And all of us know that “by grace you have been saved”
4. But something I failed to grasp for many, many years is what’s said in 6
5. Not being “raised up with him” – we know about baptism: death, burial, resurrection
6. But what I overlooked, what some of you may also have also, is to understand that God has “seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”
7. Paul tells us that we, those baptized into Christ, inhabit this same heavenly realm as Jesus does and are sitting with him at, even while we still inhabit the earthly realm.
8. In fact, Ephesians 2:6 specifically says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead enables every Christian to have life in the heavenly realms as certainly as we have life in the physical realm
9. Usually we think of being in heaven with God after we die, after the Judgment
10. Usually we think of going to Heaven at the end of time – and that’s still true
11. This does not change that
12. Yet, Paul tells us that while physically we are still on earth, spiritually we are sitting with Christ
13. “raised us up” is past tense; so is “seated us with him” – check out any translation
14. Consider this: to be in Christ is to be with Christ 2.20 “live by faith in the Son of God”
15. How does this affect us?
16. Our relationship with Jesus is not theoretical, it’s real; not just future, but now and forever
17. Being in Christ and with Christ at the throne of God gives us firm assurance of salvation
18. This helps us have a deeper understanding of 2 Cor. 4.16-18, 6-9
19. This should inspire us to make sure that nothing will ever jeopardize this relationship
20. Since spiritually we are with Jesus in the “heavenly realms,” we should live like it NOW

The next verse: Eph. 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms…

1. This is not a metaphor. God wants to use us – His spiritual children living in this world – to demonstrate His wisdom to the spiritual powers, rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
2. Why? I don’t know! But what we can know is
3. The mystery, the things kept hidden for centuries, has been revealed in Christ to us.
4. Before Christ, even the angels longed to understand this mystery 1 Peter 1.12
5. But not just in Christ. The mystery is revealed also in the spiritual body of Christ, the church!
6. I’m not sure how all this is taking place, but the Ephesians 3 tells us that in the “heavenly realms” the church is somehow making known the hidden things of God to the rulers and authorities who are also in the “heavenly realms”
7. Always in Ephesians, “rulers and authorities” refers to the evil powers connected w/Satan
8. So, how does this verse affect us?
9. It should challenge us to be faithful at doing what God wants the church to do
10. It should excite us that God is involving us in something larger than we can know
11. It should honor us to be chosen before creation to be a part of this amazing work of God
12. It should broaden our understanding of how very important the church is to God
13. Now, let’s connect this verse with the last time “heavenly realms” is found in Ephesians

Turn to Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1. We currently live in two realms at the same time, the flesh-and-blood and the heavenly.
2. We are creatures of two natures James 2.26
3. We are engaged in the spiritual warfare that is raging in both realms.
4. Beyond that, God needs us to function in both realms with a certain degree of confidence and faith.
5. We are not simply fighting people who are choosing to practice evil
6. We are standing up against the source of evil: rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the “heavenly realms” who are serving Satan’s evil plans
7. These forces of evil make Islamic terrorists seem like friendly neighbors
8. I cannot possibly describe how totally evil these enemies of Jesus really are
9. It’s not a flesh / blood war; it’s not political ideologies; it’s not any kind of earthly conflict.
10. Again, I don’t know how all of this is taking place, but I do know that it is!
11. When we expand our awareness to include the “heavenly realms” we should be more mindful of how very much we need the tools God provides for us to fight evil                    2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
12. God is not leaving us defenseless against an unseen enemy
13. He is giving us everything we need
14. But we must take up the challenge to be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might”

Conclusion

1. Heavenly realms is a term we use for speaking about spiritual realities in spiritual dimensions.
2. The term heavenly denotes a different place than our earthly one
3. The term realm tells us this place is under the rule and sovereignty of God.
4. Though we understand that these heavenly realms are in another dimension it’s a mistake to believe that they are irrelevant to earthly matters. Just the opposite is true
5. It is in the heavenly realms where we receive every spiritual blessing
6. It is in the heavenly realms where we live in and with Jesus
7. It is also in the heavenly realms where we do battle with Satan and his evil forces
8. The heavenly realms are as real as the earthly realms.

Joe Chesser

The Scriptures say, speaking of John’s baptism, “The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him” (Luke 7:30). If to fail to be baptized by John, as these people did, was to reject the counsel of God against themselves, what do you suppose it will be to reject the baptism of Jesus? The one was a servant, the other the Son. “If the word spoken by angels (messengers like John) was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by them that heard him?” (Heb. 2:3) In the estimation of the apostle it was a much more terrible thing to reject the teaching of Jesus than of the messengers that came before him.

– by J.A. Harding

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Kicking the Tires

Can you imagine buying a used car ‘sight unseen’? No way! Before you invest your hard earned money you want to check it out. You’ll want to take a test drive, look under the hood, scrutinize the maintenance record, and talk to the former owner. No one is going trick you. No sir!! You simply wouldn’t buy a used car without ‘kicking the tires’ first.

Now, let us ask you about something much more important than cars. Let us inquire about your religion. How did you reach the decision about where you worship? What standard did you use to decide which religious organization you would be a part of? If we could get everyone to be honest about it, we’d find that many have made this important choice without nearly as much investigation as they would put into buying a used car. And that’s really a shame.

With your eternal soul at stake, you desperately need to make sure that the religious group you are part of is faithfully and accurately following God’s word. Do they use the Bible as their sole authority? Will all of their practices stand up to a thorough investigation?  Does everything still look good, even after you’ve ‘kicked the tires’?

– by Greg Gwin

Not long ago, I was in another state for a few days. On those rare occasions when I travel without Kathy, our routine is pretty fixed. I will call her at the end of the day to say good night. The next morning, I will wait for her to text me to say good morning (she doesn’t set an alarm clock when I’m away, so I don’t want to wake her up).

During the recent aforementioned separation, we talked during the middle of the evening. She assumed that was our good night call. She came home after going to a Bible study and the grocery store, and I got a Ring notification showing her enter our house. About 90 minutes later, I called to say good night. The call went to voice mail. I texted. Nothing. I tried communicating through Alexa. Nothing. I checked Life360. Her phone had died. So, I went to sleep.

The next morning, I tried reaching her again. Ring showed no motion, not even letting our dog Ollie out. Her phone was still dead. My concern grew! This was unprecedented! Something was wrong! Had she hit her head? Had there been a home invasion?

I texted a good friend who lives nearby, asking him if they could check on her. At 6:15, he stopped by with his daughters on his way to taking them to school. He rang the doorbell several times and even knocked hard on both the side and front doors. Finally, Kathy emerged–she thought it was our youngest son’s truck since our friend’s truck looks very similar. She was unharmed, though embarrassed and unprepared for early morning company!

We found out that morning that there was a minor gas leak in our fireplace which might have coaxed her into a deeper state of sleep. The rest was just coincidence. She thought we’d already said good night. She read for a while, then went to sleep. The next thing she remembered was Jeremy banging on our door. There was plenty of embarrassment to go around.

I thought about this situation and how it illustrates several things.

• It can take some persistent knocking before some will answer (Rev. 3:20)!
• It is notable when one who usually can be counted on to respond a certain way does not; it is often a sign that something is wrong. If you missed a church service, would people wonder where you are since it was so unusual–or would they expect it (Heb. 10:24-25)? If you lost your temper or sinned with your tongue, would people think that it was uncharacteristic or par for the course?
• When we truly love and care about someone, we will persistently try and reach them if we think they’re in trouble (Jas. 5:19-20)!
• Checking on someone we think is in trouble is to risk embarrassment and an uncertain response.
• Sometimes, it takes another person to do what we tried but could not do (1 Cor. 3:6-9)!

Fortunately, this is something that Kathy and I can laugh about now. We’ve fixed the leak in our fireplace. Hopefully, this will never happen again. But it is an indelible memory for both of us. It also illustrates that there are circumstances that call for urgency and action! As it concerns the soul, the stakes are eternally higher than the physical. May we take Paul’s words to heart as it concerns our spiritual work: “For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:14-16).

Neal Pollard