TEACHERS AND NEW MEN
Monday – January 23, 2017
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God is so good and merciful to us all. It is Monday and time to resume our Bible Study from the Book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 4:24-28 (KJV)
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
This whole fourth chapter of the Book of Ephesians has to do with growing up “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). If we do not endeavor day by day to be more like Him we are in great danger of falling into rebellion against Him and the depravity that accompanies that rebellion. God has gone all out to show us the way to be fully in His image and likeness.
A very important part of Gods’ guidance is the Kingdom of God ‘Policy and Procedure Manual’ otherwise known as the Bible. In this very chapter we have discussed the gifts Jesus gave to men when He ascended to the right hand of the Father, those being the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. In addition, the Holy Angels stand at our side to work according to His Word in our mouth to accomplish the will of God. Plus the Holy Spirit is within us and everywhere about us. For those baptized in the Holy Spirit He envelopes us inside and out, the same power that created all things, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and restored Him as God, that Holy Spirit moves on the Word of God in our mouth. Finally and least reliably are the saints around us whose lives are on display. I say least reliably for we do not know the heart (mind) of the person we are observing, we do not know how much light they have or if they are violating that light. Just because a person recites certain information does not mean they have understanding and certainly does not mean they are acting on that information with wisdom. In this setting we see what appears to be bad things happening to good people or even good things happening to bad people. In this area remember the following verse.
Proverbs 26:2 (KJV)
2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
Proverbs 26:2 (HCSB)
2 Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere.
With the exception of natural aging, no part of the curse has entrance to our lives without personal sin. This is a very sobering thought and should drive us to being sure that all we say and do is in righteousness and that the meditations of our heart are pure, are His. Any deviance should drive us to repentance and diligence to study and implement the Holy Scripture in our life. Now back to Ephesians four.
We are a new man in Christ and this new man has the same righteousness (right standing with God) as God, as Jesus and is set apart for service to God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This new man (you and me saints!) not only is restored to right standing with God (like sin never happened) but we are set apart for His purposes fully equipped. Our reconciliation to God should be a demonstration project of good news to others that compels them to have a change of mind (repentance) and be reconciled to God as well. We are already kings and priests unto our God (Jesus) and the Father (Revelation 1:6), we are children (and some are sons), and we also have the rank of Ambassador (from Heaven to earth). An Ambassador is the highest ranking person from the sending country (kingdom) in the hosting country (kingdom). We are in but not of the world from the Kingdom of God, Ambassadors in the kingdom of darkness. As Ambassadors we bring light (God) into the kingdom of darkness, the perverted world systems or pillars. As Ambassadors of Heaven we are to live as Heaven lives (in the Blessing), we live by the laws of Heaven, and we are not subject to the laws of the world or Satan (the curse). Brother and sister we are not within a row of outhouses of living as we should live, when will be get the idea and be that irresistible person in the image and likeness of God?
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
