Message 28 - By Leroy Surface
“The Secret Place
of the Most High”
(An introduction to the Book
of Ephesians)
He that dwelleth in
the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalms 91:1
There are three parts
to our full salvation; “justification,” “sanctification,” and “glorification.”
These are fully revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ as it was revealed to
the apostle Paul. Justification
is the topic of his letter to the Romans in which he shows how God justifies
the ungodly through the “death of the cross.” Paul summarizes the message
of justification in only nine words for those who can believe it: “For he that is dead (crucified
with Christ) is freed (justified) from sin.” Sanctification
is fully revealed only in the book of Hebrews, which this writer believes was
also written by Paul. His revelation in the book of Hebrews clearly reveals that sanctification is the work
of the precious blood of Christ that was shed for us on the cross at Calvary. Again, the revelation of sanctification is
summarized in only seventeen words for those who can receive them: “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might
sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without (outside) the gate” (Hebrews 13:12).
Also, Hebrews 10:10 clearly says, “…we are sanctified by the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” It is through that “blood
sanctification” that we have “boldness to enter into the holiest” (Hebrews
10:19). Contrary to popular belief,
justification and sanctification cannot be separated even though they are two
distinct works of grace. They are both
finished and forever settled in the one offering of the body and blood of Jesus
Christ for us on the cross at Calvary. For these, we simply “repent
and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). Glorification is the third part of our
full salvation. While it is God who “justifies the ungodly” at the
cross, and Jesus who “sanctifies the people with His own blood,” it is the
Holy Ghost that is given for the glorification of the saints. This is the message Paul reveals in his
letter to the Ephesians. Glorification
by the Holy Ghost is the only part of our full salvation that is progressive. While we receive the Holy Ghost in a powerful
baptism subsequent to justification and sanctification (though all three can be
received in a moment; [Acts 10:44]) it is with this “baptism” that the
Holy Ghost begins His work of glorification which will continue for our
lifetime and for eternity. The purpose and final end of our glorification
is summarized in Ephesians 3:19 with only eleven words: “…that ye
might be filled with (into) all the fulness of God.”
In the book of
Romans our identity is always “with Christ,” whereas in the book
of Ephesians the emphasis is “in Christ.” It seems that Paul’s
letter to the Ephesians continues building upon the gospel foundation he laid
in his letter to the Romans (Romans 15:20; I Corinthians 3:10-11). To those who have already experienced justification
and sanctification, Ephesians is the most glorious, uplifting, and holds
greater promise than any of the other letters Paul wrote.
In his letter to
the Romans, Paul only hints at the “glory” that would “follow”
the sufferings of Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:11). Notice Romans 8:16-18; “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him (knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him; Romans
6:6), that we may be
also glorified together
(with Him). For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time (tribulations
and persecutions for Christ’ sake) are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
(is about to be) revealed in us.” What a wonderful taste of glory Paul promises in these two verses
to the Romans, but he spends over three chapters of his letter to the Ephesians
revealing the fullness of that glory that is prepared for the believer, but
which can only be received through the Holy Ghost (I Corinthians 2:9-10).
On the other
hand, the letter to the Hebrews reveals a “better hope” (Hebrews 7:19), a “better testament” (Hebrews 7:22), a “better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6), established upon “better promises” (Hebrews 8:6), with “better sacrifices” (Hebrews 9:23), a “better substance” (Hebrews 10:34), a “better country” (Hebrews 11:16), and a “better
resurrection” (Hebrews
11:35). Hebrews 11:40 speaks
of a “better thing” that God had prepared for them, and for
us, while Hebrews 12:24 tells of the “blood of sprinkling (Christ’s blood), that speaketh better things... .” Through all these “better things” we are given “boldness” by the blood of Jesus, to enter into the “holiest.” Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reveals what eternal life is
to those who “boldly” come “through the veil” (Hebrews
10:20), “into the
holiest” (Hebrews 10:19),
through the flesh and blood of the Son of God.
The
“Mystery of Christ”
Throughout his writings
(in six of his letters) Paul speaks of a “mystery.” In Romans 16:25 he speaks of the “revelation
of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.” It is a “mystery”
of which Paul says in Colossians 1:26,
“…hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is manifest to His
saints.” In Ephesians 3:4-5,
Paul calls it “the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known
unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit.” It was a secret that was never seen or heard from the day
Adam transgressed against God until “The Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us” (John 1:14). John continues in that same verse, “and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Paul
spoke to Timothy about this great mystery in I Timothy 3:16, saying, “…without controversy great is the
mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” In their
dreams and visions of the “one who would come” the Old Testament
prophets caught glimpses of the “mystery of Christ.” Peter, speaking of
the message of the prophets in I Peter
1:11 said, the “Spirit of Christ which was in them…testified beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”
Moses saw more than a “glimpse” of the mystery when he prayed, “shew
me thy glory!” God placed Moses in a cleft in the rock and covered him with
His hand. It was from the “cleft in
the rock” that Moses saw the glory of God. It was that same Moses who
later wrote these magnificent words recorded in Psalm ninety-one; “He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and
my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” The ninety first chapter of
Psalms gives a narrow but wonderful view of the “Secret Place” by the
man who talked face to face with God (Exodus
33:11). It foretold what life would be like “in Christ,”
because Jesus Christ is the “Secret Place of The Most High.” Paul seeks
to open that secret and reveal the mystery of Christ for all who have “trusted
in Him” to see.
Ephesians 1:1-12
1-2 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: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and
from the Lord Jesus Christ.
In his
introduction Paul gives a specific “address” for his letter: it is “to
the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
This epistle is not written to unbelievers, or to casual believers. It is to “saints (holy ones),”
and to the “faithful in Christ Jesus.” The precious “pearls” of
the gospel cannot be given to any other.
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:
This is only the
third verse of this epistle, yet Paul has already used the term “in Christ” two
times. He will either use or imply these
words ten times in the first twelve verses of this chapter. “In
Christ” is certainly a major theme of this epistle.
“…In Christ,”
is the dwelling place of
the children of God. They have no other dwelling. Psalms ninety one (“He that dwelleth
in the secret place of the most high…”) must be a prophecy of those who
“dwell in Christ” (“Because thou hast made the LORD, which
is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation…” Psalms 91:9). There are several things we need
to understand about the wonderful secret place (in Christ) that is prepared for
the believer.
The apostle John
speaks to this issue in I John 3:5-6: “And ye know that he was
manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:
whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” In verse five there are
two defining statements: “He
was manifested to take away our sins,” and, “In Him is no sin.” If we “know”
what John “knew,” we know
that Jesus “took our sin away.” We have no sin, and in Him is no
sin. It follows that “whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.” It is
an absolute statement of truth. The next phrase, “whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him,” establishes that those who “continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2)” are not “in Christ,”
for “in Him is no sin.”
In the fifteenth chapter of John, Jesus spoke
concerning those who “abide in Him,” saying, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and
I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5), and, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide
in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). The “secret” to a life filled with the
blessings and goodness of God is to “abide in His Son.” Paul tells us in
Ephesians 2:10 that we are “created
in Christ Jesus.” We are “born again” of the Spirit of God “in
Christ.” The secret is simply to “continue” in Christ, for that
is where we were saved.
“Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus.” Every blessing of heaven is to be found in
Christ for the children of God. Paul
told us in Colossians 3:1 to “…seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
They are to be found only in Christ. It
is there that God has blessed us. You
will notice that everything God has done for man is “in,” “by,” or “through”
Jesus Christ. That truth will be
confirmed repeatedly in this letter.
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 were “chosen in Him before the foundation of the
world.” Notice that he did not say, “…before the
creation of the earth,” as some think. The “world” spoken of
here is translated from the Greek word “kosmos,”
which is properly defined as “orderly arrangement.” In its broadest
sense it speaks of the entire universe and all that is in it. It was
created and arranged by God to operate in perfect order with “harmony”
and not “chaos,” hence the definition, “orderly arrangement.” The
narrow sense of the word speaks of the “world” that had its beginning
with the transgression of Adam, and has been under the rule of our adversary,
Satan, ever since. Paul called it “this present evil world (Galatians 1:3),” which is
temporary in nature. It also is the “orderly
arrangement” of fallen man, which is ending in “chaos” and not “harmony.”
It is an interesting side-note that the phrase “rudiments of the world,”
used two times by Paul in Colossians 2:8
and Colossians 2:20, is properly
defined as “the orderly arrangements of the orderly arrangement,”
indicating that the “rudiments of the world” are nothing more than the “weak
and beggarly elements” which Paul spoke of in Galatians 4:9. The “world”
had its beginning with the entrance of sin, and will end at the “great white
throne judgment.”
“Before the foundation of the world” speaks
of the period of man’s innocence in the paradise of God. God had created man in His image and in His
likeness. The “breath of God (the Holy Ghost)” was the life
of man. Man was “crowned (adorned) with glory and honor.”
He was “holy and without blame” until the moment sin entered his heart
and nature through disobedience. Time
began with the entrance of sin and the founding of “this present evil
world.” Four thousand years passed before the Son of God was born of a
woman. He, though made in the “likeness
of men (Philippians 2:7),”
was the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:13-15). He
came into the world to redeem us from the world, and restore us to
righteousness. Everything God had “foreknown”
and “predestined” He had also “created” in Adam. In
redemption God would have exactly what He purposed from the beginning: a “new
creation,” created in His image, and after His likeness. Thus we are “chosen in Him (in Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before Him (before
God) in love.”
5 Having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the
good pleasure of his will,
The first twelve verses of this epistle are
among the most powerful ever written concerning those things Jesus accomplished
in His death, burial, and resurrection for the redemption of fallen man. In these twelve verses we find the only two
instances where the word “predestinated” is used in the Bible. The word “predestinate” is also used
only two times in the Bible:
“For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called…” (Romans 8:29-30). There was never an individual born into this
world of Adam’s race that was predestined to either eternal life or eternal
damnation. Neither does God “foreknow”
that any individual will ultimately be damned. This is proven in Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his Son…”
He “foreknew” nothing
else. All that He foreknew was man in
His image and likeness. After sin entered through Adam’s transgression,
God “foreknew” a “new creation in Christ Jesus” (II Corinthians 5:17). That is what He predestined. In this
fifth verse of Ephesians one, God predestined that He would receive many
sons through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Isaiah prophesied this about seven hundred
years before Calvary. Isaiah 53:8
says, “He was taken from prison and from
judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of
the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he
stricken.” Jesus, being
“cut off out of the land of the living,” died without a generation to
declare. He had no natural seed, but two verses later Isaiah said, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him;
he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the
LORD shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus died without seed, but He was
raised again with many seed.
A thousand years
before Calvary, David prophesied of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ
in the entirety of the twenty second-chapter of Psalms. In the last two verses of the chapter, he
prophesied the results of Calvary: “A seed
shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness (preach the gospel of Christ-crucified; Romans 3:25-26)
unto a people that shall
be born (born again), that he hath done this” (Psalms 22:30-31). These prophecies of our redemption and the
New Creation which were given by David and Isaiah, as well as those of the
other old Testament prophets of God, all came forth from the “foreknowledge
of God.” This is what He also “predestined” in Christ Jesus.
“…according to the good pleasure of his will.” In this verse we also see the first of fifteen instances where the
words “according to” are used in this letter. These are translated from the Greek word “kata,” which means “down” but is also translated
“after,” “after the manner,” “against,” “concerning,” “like as,” and
numerous other words and phrases. The
meaning of the word seems to vary according to the context in which it is
used. For example, the phrase “…walk
after (kata) the Spirit” in Romans 8:1 indicates either the “source”
or the “manner” of the walk. In this verse the phrase is “…predestined
us… according to the good pleasure of His will.” What He “predestined”
is the same as “the good pleasure of His will,” which in this verse is “the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto Himself.” It seems to this writer
that the phrase used before the words “according to (kata)”
must equal the phrase used afterwards. This is most important to
understand if we are to see the power of the revelation that was given to Paul.
6 To the praise of the
glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
It is “to the praise of the
glory of His grace” that we are the children of God. It
is in His grace that He has
“made
us accepted in the beloved”
(in Christ). It is of the utmost importance that we
understand the phrase “made us accepted.” Many have ignorantly believed
to their own hurt, that sinners are accepted in Christ. The truth is,
according to Romans 6:3-6, sinners
may be “baptized into His death” where the “old man of sin” is “crucified
with Christ,” but the one who continues in sin is never “in Christ.” Our
entrance into Christ is through His death. The phrase “made us
accepted” is translated from two Greek words. The first is “charitoo,”
which means, “to grace.” The second is “hemas,”
which simply means “us.” This
verse actually says, “…to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He
hath graced us in the beloved.”
“Graced in
the beloved.” The apostle John recalls the “glory”
of the Son of God in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace
and truth.” In
describing the “glory” of the Son of God, John simply said, “full
of grace and truth.” Two verses later (John
1:16) John says, “And
OF his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” Jesus was “full of grace and truth,” and out of His
fullness we have been filled. John
explains it with the phrase “grace for grace,” meaning, from the Greek
wording, “grace opposite grace.” For every attribute of grace in Jesus
Christ there is a corresponding attribute of grace in the children of God. It is in the “glory of His grace” that
the believer is “graced in the beloved.”
7 In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace;
The definition of
the word “redemption” is “ransom in full.” Christ’s blood was the
cost of our redemption. To fully understand redemption, however, we must
go to other places where Paul gives more detail. Redemption frees a person from one thing and
transfers them to another. For example, in Colossians 1:13-14, Paul said “…who (the Father) hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In
whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” In Titus 2:14, Paul
said, “…who (Jesus
Christ) gave himself for
us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify (us) unto Himself a peculiar people.” In I Peter 1:18-19,
Peter tells us it is the “precious blood of Christ” that has redeemed us
“from your (our) vain
conversation (behavior)... .”
Having been “delivered,”
we are “free” from the “power of darkness:” having been “redeemed,”
we are “free” from “all iniquity,” and “vain behavior,”
according to the words of the apostle.
“…the forgiveness of sins…” The word “forgiveness”
is translated from the Greek word “aphesis,” which means “freedom.” New
Covenant forgiveness is far more than that of the Old Covenant. Old
Covenant forgiveness came with a command to “go and sin no more” (The entire ministry
of Jesus before Calvary was yet under the Old Covenant). New Covenant
forgiveness comes with redemption “from” sin. We are delivered; we
are free indeed! Free to serve God, because of the “riches of His grace”
that is ours “in the beloved.”
“…the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” The words “according to” are used in the last phrase of this
verse, indicating that “the forgiveness of sins” is “equal to” or
“exactly like” the “riches of His grace.” Also, the “riches of
His grace” is the “source” of “the forgiveness of sins.”
8-9 Wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself:
These verses should
literally be translated “Who hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and
prudence, to make known unto us the mystery of His will... .”
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:
This verse
reveals what the “mystery of His will” is. It is that “…He
might gather together in one all things in Christ... .” This is spoken of in other places as “reconciliation.” II Corinthians 5:19; “…God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself…,” and in Colossians
1:21-22; “…you, that
were sometime (at onetime) alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the
body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight.”
“…all things…” A relatively simple search of any Greek
lexicon of the Bible will confirm that the Greek manuscripts of the New
Testament never use a word for “things.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is
not about the redemption, reconciliation, giving, or receiving of “things.” It
is about the redemption and reconciliation of lost people, lost souls.
Paul is not saying that the “mystery of His will” is to gather together “all
things” into Christ, but to gather “all peoples” (both Jews and
Gentiles; [Ephesians 2:13-18]), into
Christ. It must also be noted that Paul
did not say that everyone will be “gathered together” in salvation, even
though it is God’s will that it would be so.
Jesus Christ died for “all,” and it is His will to “gather all
into Christ.” This is what we believe and this is why we must preach the
gospel to “every creature (all people).”
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:
“In whom…” Notice how Paul repeatedly speaks of that
which is “in Christ.” In verse three we are “blessed with all spiritual blessings…in Christ.” In verse five we are “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.” In verse six we are “accepted in the beloved.” In verse seven, “In whom we have redemption
through His blood... .”
Verse ten
reveals “the mystery of His will,” to “gather all…in Christ,” and verse eleven, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance.” Everything the child of God has need of is “in Christ Jesus.” All He
accomplished for us through His death, burial, and resurrection, is “in”
Him, “by” Him, “through” Him and “for”
Him. He “worketh all things after the counsel of
His own will....”
“…we have obtained an inheritance…” In the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of this
chapter, Paul, speaking to the Gentiles at Ephesus says “…ye were sealed
with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance... .”
“…predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all
things after the counsel of His own will.” The
children of God are predestined “according to” the purpose of God,
indicating that the destiny of the children of God is equal to His purpose, “who worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will.”
This last phrase is the
equivalent of Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
12 That we should be to the
praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
In only ten words
the apostle summarizes the “purpose of God” in our redemption: “That we should be to the praise of His glory.” It was for this purpose that Christ died for us. We, who were sinners and enemies of God by
nature, are “justified” at His cross, “sanctified” by His blood,
and “glorified” by the Holy Ghost. The very existence of a people
that are “holy, and without blame before Him in love (verse four),” is “to the
praise of His glory.” No one can fashion their own life to be such. It is “by faith” to those who have “trusted
in Christ.”
The
Pattern
This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ
might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should
hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
I Timothy 1:15-16
Paul said that
his salvation was a “pattern” to all who would afterwards believe on
Jesus to life everlasting. The “pattern”
is how that God, who “justifies the ungodly,” justified this “chief
of sinners” through death with Christ, sanctified him with the blood of
Christ, baptized him with the Holy Ghost, and made him to be the most fruitful
of all the apostles. The “chief of sinners,” became the “chief
of the apostles” and it was all according to the “gift of the grace of
God” given unto him by the “effectual working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). Verses three through eleven of this first
chapter of Ephesians establishes this “pattern” in those he speaks
of in the twelfth verse; “That we should be to the praise of His glory, who
first trusted in Christ.” They are a people whose very existence is a
praise and a glory to God. They are “conformed
to the image” and bear the likeness of the Son of God (Romans 8:29). They are “crowned” with the glory and
honor of our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews
2:7; II Thessalonians 2:14).
They “sit” in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6) with principalities and powers under their feet (Luke 10:19). All they are is
Christ, who is their life (Colossians
3:4). All they do are His works (John
14:12). They are “new creations”
(II Corinthians 5:17) such as was
not seen since the fall of “Adam.” They have a “new heart and a new
spirit” (Ezekiel 36:26-27),
which is a “divine nature” (II
Peter 1:4). They are a flesh and
blood manifestation and demonstration of the Spirit and power of God (I Corinthians 2:4). Who are these
of whom Paul speaks? Paul identifies them as “we…who first trusted in
Christ.” He is speaking of the hundred and twenty who received the Holy
Ghost on the day of Pentecost, and of himself as “one born out of due
season” (I Corinthians 15:8). All of these, including Paul, saw Jesus
Christ after he was raised from the dead. They were his witnesses, and “with
great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great grace was upon them all” (Acts
4:33). “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord
working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20). Paul counted himself to be the “last”
(I Corinthians 15:8) and the “least”
(I Corinthians 15:9) of those who “first
trusted in Christ.” These are those holy apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:5) who “turned the world
upside down” (Acts 17:6) in
their generation. Listen to the claims of the apostle: they were “blessed
with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:3); they were “chosen in Christ before the
foundation of the world” (verse 4);
they were “predestined unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ” (verse 5); they were “graced” in
the beloved, “redeemed” through His blood, and “forgiven” all
sins (verses 6-7). God “abounded
toward them in all wisdom and prudence” (verse 8), “made known unto them the mystery of His will” (verse 9), “gave them an inheritance
(in the Holy Ghost)” and “predestined them according to the purpose
of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (verse 11). The twelfth
verse shows the “product” of that which God “predestined” and
“did;” it was “That we should be to the praise of His glory.”
Literally, their very existence on earth, their “being,” was such that
God was glorified. Every limitation was taken off of God by what God had
made them to be. They became people of “destiny”
because they “first trusted in Christ.” They were and are the “pattern”
of what God will do for all who “believe on Jesus Christ unto life eternal.”
Beginning in the thirteenth verse, Paul speaks to those
Gentiles in Ephesus who also
believed. They must be made to understand
that the purpose of God for them is the same as it is for those apostles and
prophets who brought the gospel to them.
In the next three chapters he
will reveal to those who can receive and believe it, the “mystery of Christ”
that “turned the world upside down.”
Ephesians 1:13-23
13 In whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom
also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
“In whom ye also trusted…” In the first twelve verses of this epistle,
Paul has spoken in the “first person, plural,” repeatedly using the
words “we” and “us.” Beginning in this thirteenth verse, he begins to use the “second person”
pronouns, “you,” and “ye.” Why he does this is not apparent until
the second chapter of this epistle
where we will find that he began by speaking of those Jews who “first
trusted in Christ,” and then to the Gentiles who “also trusted.”
This becomes very apparent in Ephesians
2:11-19 where he identifies both the Jew and the Gentile, and says in the sixteenth verse, “And that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross... .”
“…after that ye believed…” The
Gentiles “heard the word of truth” in the gospel of Christ, and they
believed it. “After” they believed, they were “sealed with the
holy Spirit of promise.” This speaks of the same “baptism with the Holy
Ghost” the hundred and twenty Jews received on the Day of Pentecost.
In Acts 10:44-46 the record is given
of the first incident of Gentiles being saved and baptized with the Holy Ghost: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all
them which heard the word. And they of
the circumcision (the
Jews) which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was
poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For
they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”
It should be
noted that Paul said, “after that ye believed” instead of “when ye believed.”
The “baptism with the Holy Ghost” is an experience to be received
subsequently to believing. This is confirmed in Acts 19:1-6, where Paul found “certain disciples” while he
was in Ephesus and asked them the question, “Have ye
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”
“…sealed with the holy Spirit of promise.” This phrase is another confirmation that the Gentiles received the
same experience the hundred and twenty had received on the Day of
Pentecost. Jesus had told the believing Jews to “wait for the promise of the Father,” and explained what He meant in the next verse; “For John truly baptized with water; but
ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). These Gentiles at Ephesus were “sealed”
with a mighty baptism with the Holy Ghost just as the hundred and twenty had
been on the Day of Pentecost. A partial
record of their “day of Pentecost” is given in Acts 19:6: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon
them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and
prophesied. And all the men were about
twelve.”
14 Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise
of his glory.
“…the earnest of our inheritance…” Every
child of God knows they have an “inheritance” waiting for them in
heaven. Peter said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively
hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:3-4). We are “born
again” to an “eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15)” which is “reserved in heaven.” The
Holy Ghost is given to us as the “earnest of our inheritance.” An “earnest”
is a portion that is received in advance of the full inheritance, which will be
received at the return of Christ when the “dead are raised incorruptible”
(I Corinthians 15:52).
The “holy
Spirit of promise,” is the “earnest of our inheritance.” It is
received with a mighty “baptism,” just as the “hundred and twenty”
received it on the Day of Pentecost (Acts
2:1-4), and the “twelve” received it in Ephesus (Acts 19:6). Jesus said, “Ye
shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8). In Acts
4:31-33 there is a record of a second great outpouring of the Holy Ghost in
Jerusalem: “And when they had prayed, the place was
shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. …And with great power gave the
apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace
was upon them all.” Two things were very obvious about those
who were “filled with the Holy Ghost;” it was “great power” and “great
grace” that was upon them all. The
book of Acts is a record filled with the accounts of miraculous works of God
that were done by those who were filled with the Holy Ghost. Yet, that “great
power” and “great grace” is only the “earnest of our
inheritance.” It is only a portion of that which God has prepared for those
who love Him. It is given to us for this
present time in this present evil world.
“…until the redemption of the purchased possession…” Paul spoke of this in Romans
8:23. He said we are “…waiting for the adoption, to wit (that is to say), the redemption of our body.” Our mortal body is the “purchased
possession.” Paul confirms this in I Corinthians 6:19-20, saying, “What?
know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Our body is not “sinful” even though it is both “mortal
(liable to die)” and “corruptible (subject to decay).”
Paul speaks of the redemption of our bodies in I Corinthians 15:51-54; “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” Our spiritual redemption is complete.
Sin has been “taken away.” Only our body, which is the “temple of the
Holy Ghost,” which Paul also said “is holy (I Corinthians 3:17),” waits to be redeemed at the return of
Jesus Christ. Until He returns, we have the “earnest of our
inheritance” of which we shall then receive the “fullness.”
15-16 Wherefore I
also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the
saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Paul addressed
this epistle to the “saints, which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in
Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1).
He knew they were such when he heard
of their “faith” in Jesus and their “love” unto all the
saints. It is because they are faithful
saints that Paul not only gives thanks for them, but also makes special prayer
in their behalf.
17 That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him:
These who had “believed”
and afterwards had been “sealed with the holy Spirit of promise,” yet
had a need to receive “the spirit of wisdom and revelation” in the
knowledge of Christ. All too often “saved,
sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost” has been considered an “end”
instead of a beginning. These were
faithful saints, but they needed the “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of God.” Simply stated, they had received the “Holy Spirit of
Promise,” but they did not really know what they had received. It is
to this end that Paul prays for them, that:
18 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints (is),
The children of
God must receive their spiritual understanding directly from God, because it
cannot be taught by the precepts of man. It is a fact that Jesus Christ,
the Son of God taught His disciples for over three years, yet His last
discourse with them the night before He died for us began with the question, “Do
ye now believe?” (John 16:31)
When Jesus appeared to His disciples the first time after His death and
resurrection, the scripture says in Luke
24:45, “Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the scriptures... .” What Jesus could not
do in three years of teaching, He did in a moment of time after His
resurrection; He “opened their understanding, to understand the scriptures.”
As Paul expressed it, He “enlightened the eyes of their understanding, that
they might see... .”
“That ye may know…”
The Greek word translated
“know” actually means “to see” and because you see, “to know.” It
is not, however, by the seeing of our natural eyes that we will ever “see” to “know.”
Paul quoted Isaiah in I Corinthians 2:9,
saying, “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.” The eyes,
ears, and heart of the natural man have never seen, heard, or understood the
things of God. Such things cannot be taught through fleshly means. Instead, as Paul continued in the tenth verse, “But God hath revealed them unto us by
his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,
the deep things of God.”
“…what is the hope of His calling…” There
are three things Paul prays for the believer to see, two of which are listed in
this verse. All three pertain to the “Holy Spirit of promise,” which is the “earnest of our inheritance” (verses
thirteen and fourteen). The first of these is, “what is the hope of His calling.” The key scripture to understanding this is II Thessalonians 2:13-14, “…
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called
you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The “hope of our calling” for this present life is to
“obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice the words of
Paul in Romans 5:1-2; “Therefore being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory
of God.”
It is most
important that we understand just what this promised “glory” is. In Romans
6: 4 Paul said, “…Christ was raised... from the dead by
the glory of the Father... .” That “glory”
is identified in Romans 8:11, which
says, “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.” The “glory of the Father” that raised Jesus from the dead
can be no other than the Holy Ghost, the “…Spirit of Him that raised up
Jesus from the dead.” The “hope of our calling” in this life is to
be “glorified” by the Holy Ghost dwelling in us. Remember the prayer of Jesus in John 17:1; “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may also
glorify thee.” It is foolish to think that any person can “glorify
God” if God has not first “glorified” that same person with His
Spirit, the Holy Ghost. That is what it
means to “obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“…and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints (is) …” Remember that Paul said the “holy Spirit of promise” is the “earnest
of our inheritance” for this present lifetime. “His inheritance in
the saints” is the “holy Spirit of promise,” which is the Holy
Ghost. Oh that we would “know” the “riches of the glory of His
inheritance” which is “in the saints.” If God has not enlightened
our understanding to see, we cannot possibly know what God has given to us in
the Holy Ghost.
19-22 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward
who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and
dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in
that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to
be the head over all things to the church,
“…what is the exceeding greatness of his power…” Obviously this speaks of the working of the Holy Ghost in those He
has filled. God does nothing except by His Spirit. The second verse of the Bible says, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). When the Spirit of
God moved, God began to speak light, and life, and every good thing into
existence. From the beginning God has never worked except by His
Spirit. The “exceeding greatness of
His power” is the same “power” that moved in creation; it is the
same power that “raised Christ from the dead;” that same “power”
will also “quicken our mortal bodies” (Romans 8:11). It is “exceeding
great power.”
“…to us-ward who believe…” The term “to
us-ward” is an unusual term used by the translators to denote the origin,
direction, and destination of the “greatness of His power.” It is “from
God;” it is “toward us.” Jesus said, “Ye
shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” (Acts 1:8). This great power is for us who believe.
“…according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in
Christ…” The words “according to” indicate
that the “exceeding greatness of His power” which is “to usward who believe” is the same as that “mighty
power which He wrought in Christ.” There are five things listed in
these verses that were “wrought in Christ” for us who believe. 1. He
raised Christ from the dead. 2. He set Christ at his own right hand in
the heavenly places. 3. He placed Christ far above all
principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is
named. 4. He put all things under Christ’s
feet. 5. He gave Christ to be the head over all
things to the church. Do we dare
believe that what God has “wrought in Christ” he will also “work in
us?” That is exactly what God desires for us to believe.
1. He raised Christ from the dead, and He “…hath quickened us
together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5).
2. He set Christ at His own right hand in the heavenly places, and we “…sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
3. Christ sits “far above principality, power, might, and dominion,
and every name that is named.” He has given us “power over all the power
of the enemy” (Luke 10:19) “through
the working of His mighty power” (the Holy Ghost) in us.
4. God has put all things under Christ’s feet, and He does the same for
us through the working of His mighty power (Luke 10:19; Romans 16:20;
Malachi 4:3).
5. He gave Christ to be the “head over all things to the
church.” He has given the “church” to be “the body of Christ.”
23 Which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all.
This last verse
of the first chapter of Ephesians identifies “The Church of Jesus Christ;”
it is “His body.” Jesus is the head and we are the body. The next phrase, “…the fullness of Him…”
is beyond the capacity of the carnal mind to comprehend. It simply means “the
completion of Him.” When each member of “the body” is “full of the
Holy Ghost (‘for by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body:’ I Corinthians 12:13),” the “body” completes the “head,”
just as Christ (the head) completes the body. It is a powerful statement,
one yet to be seen fulfilled in this generation, but one that is nevertheless
true. The body of Christ (the church)
when it is subject in all things to the “head (Christ),” is the “stature
of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians
4:13) on this earth.
Message
28 - By Leroy Surface - “The Secret Place of the Most High”
(An introduction to the Book of Ephesians)
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The full (verse-by-verse) Ephesian Commentary,
titled “THE HABITATION,”
is now available on this web site as LS Message
#37. To go directly to the commentary
from this
point; >CLICK HERE< . “The Habitation” commentary is also
available
in print. To receive a printed copy,
and/or, to have your name placed on
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simply address your request to:
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Calvary Outreach
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