SECTION ONE 4:17-24 Introduction to Section One There are many ways to hinder the Spirit of God at work in your life and grieve Him deeply. You can also bring the truth of God down in the eyes of others by displaying a lie in your life. Whenever we think like lost people, act like lost people, and... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:1,2) Paul declares himself to be "a prisoner in (in the sphere of) the Lord". This is a locative word that places him entirely within the life of the Lord Jesus. He has died to all that he is naturally and is only alive in the life of the Lord Jesus. From that position, he pleads with believers t... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:3,4) Believers are bound by a common "peace" between themselves and between them and God. That peace is the unifying character trait that we all share, whether we realize it or not! One of the works of the Holy Spirit is to instruct us according to the revealed Word of God (the Son) as to our ass... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:5,6) We share, "one Lord", the Lord Jesus Christ; "one faith", that measure of faith given to us by the Father to bring us to the Cross; "one baptism", the baptism into Christ by the infilling of the Holy Spirit; "one God and Father", the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, into who's family we have... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:7) "But" introduces a contrast. In contrast to all of the previously mentioned things, which we hold in common, we have also been given abilities and/or opportunities specifically suited to our individual responsibilities in Christ. Each is equipped to accomplish his/her particular tasks or to me... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:8) Speaking of the ascension of Christ to the right hand of the Father, Paul recalls Psalms 68:18--"captivity" refers to all those Old Testament saints held in Abraham's Bosom awaiting the Messiah's coming. These, the family of the groom at the wedding of the Lamb to His Bride the Church, are the... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:9,10) The ascension of Christ is applicable here in two senses. One, He "descended" to earth from His heavenly home with the Father at the instance of His birth as a man. Two, He "descended" into the grave from His place on earth as the Last Adam, there to present Himself to those who rejected Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:11,12) The gifts to men are listed here. These are not offices, but abilities to serve the Body. Note that they are all intended for service to and within the Church. "Apostles" are "those sent with a message and with authority." "Prophets" are "forth-tellers", not necessarily "foretellers", but... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:13) Look at the goals of this gifting of the Body of Christ--One, "unity in the faith". We are in union with one another in a single body, the Church, which is joined to Christ as His Bride. Two, "the knowledge of the Son of God." This is an intimate understanding gained through the experience of... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:14,15) At the earliest phase of child training we are "infants" without strength but with great energy. In that state, we are easily "tossed back and forth" by the circumstances of life. New fads in teaching techniques and new thoughts attract us to leaders who are self-serving and "deceitful". ... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:17) "..futility of their thinking" is "empty thought processes". "Stop being empty headed!" is the phrase. "Use your minds intelligently and scripturally". Faith is not mindless, but rational, tactile and very, very practical. The first way that we can grieve the Holy Spirit is to use human viewp... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:18) The second way that we grieve the Holy Spirit is to lose our sensitivity to sin and remain ignorant of truth by remaining untaught in the Word of God and cold to the fellowship of other believers. "Ignorance" is not imposed but is the result of a heart and mind that have turned away from God... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:19) The third way of grieving the Holy Spirit is to engage in sexual sins ("sensuality") and the pursuit of promiscuous relationships that use others in order to gratify our growing desires. Pornography leads to an increased appetite for more stimulation, which in turn leads to increased sexual a... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:20,21) "But" introduces a contrast. We "did not come to know Christ" through self-gratification, but through what we "heard of Him" by other's testimony, and by what we "were taught in Him". All that we "know" (facts and information, not experience) of Christ (His Messiah-ship) we learned through... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:22) The contrasts continue. In Christ, "you were taught" that you possessed an Old Nature associated with Adam. That inner nature, "your old self", is constantly "being corrupted by its deceitful desires". That Old Self is training itself through the experiences of the flesh.... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:23,24) On the other hand, we should be renewing our minds; putting "on the New Nature, (which is) created to be like God". Our New Nature has been created to be "like God" and render us suitable as members of His family. That New Inner Self is trained by God through the Holy Spirit within, not by... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:25) "Therefore" refers back to the previous passage and the truth in which we are being trained. Because "we are all members of one body" (the Body of Christ) we must not lie and practice deceit. (We must remember that Satan is the Father of lies and the master deceiver.... [ Continue Reading ]
(4:26,27) The Greek word for "angry" is orge, which means a settled indignation based on a studied attitude of rejection. There is a place in the Christian's life for being predisposed against sin and unrighteousness. In situations where that attitude is warranted, do not let sin creep in and corrup... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest we be confused as to how this is to be accomplished, Paul give us a short list of behaviors, the means of correction, and the goal to be displayed in our lives.The Goal Something to share Benefit the hearersImitate GodImitate God slander, and malice He who has been stealing must steal no longe... [ Continue Reading ]