Ephesians chapter two . . .

[com7fy8]

Well, after feeding on chapter one with us, I have more appreciation of how this epistle to the Ephesians is to the "faithful" in Jesus . . . not to leave others out, but so the faithful are fed to be examples to help others to join and be blessed with whoever God knows are His "faithful in Christ Jesus" > Ephesians 1:1.

In Acts 20:30 Paul tells the Ephesian leaders that rogue leaders will do what they can to take people away with them.

But here is Paul's letter which can take care of whoever is faithful to Jesus.

And already in the first chapter we have so much about all which our Heavenly Father pleases to share with us through Jesus His own Son.

So, thank You God our Father, for now however You have us submitting to You and faithful to You, and how Your word succeeds. Amen, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, make us honest and humble to obey You and discover all You mean by Your word. 

[com7fy8]

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins," (Ephesians 2:1)

So, while we were sinners, we were "dead". But we were conscious. And there were a lot of things we were conscious to feel and do and think about; but that was what we could experience while we were "dead"!

But now we are alive in God's love, and how God's love has us feeling and where He guides our attention.  . . in sharing with Him and with attention to loving.

Worry is love-dead, abusive and keeping attention away from submitting to God in His peace, and worry can degrade us from being all-loving . . . isolating a person to caring only about the person's own self and situations, or maybe with some concern about only certain people who are closer to the person > isolated in what is dead so he or she can be in a coffin.

But God makes us all-loving . . . alive in sharing with Him in His all-loving and family caring and sharing love ! ! !

[com7fy8]

"in trespasses and sins," (in Ephesians 2:1) >

"in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience," (Ephesians 2:2)

So, while we were dead in sin, we were going the way of this evil world. Even if we might not have done evil like psychopaths and Hitler, we were in the same kingdom!! We contributed to the cause of Satan, himself, not only to helping certain evil politicians and predators.

In the next verse, Paul says all of us in sin "were children of wrath, just as the others." (in Ephesians 2:3)

Here Paul says "we"; so Paul includes himself as one who was a child of God's wrath.

And I consider how respectable religious mothers and fathers became able to demand the crucifixion of Jesus; in their sin they were capable of changing to be able to do that. 

So, I see how no sin is safe. A person putting on a religious, socially respectable act can change to being able to demand the crucifixion of God's own Son. 

So, I would say we should not assume that nice acting sinners are somehow safer than ones who act more evil.

"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13)

There is no telling how anyone in sin could become "worse and worse".

And your prayer could be helping to keep a person from becoming as hardened and degraded as that person could become.

Edited November 7, 2022 by com7fy8

[DPMartin]

On 11/5/2022 at 5:11 AM, com7fy8 said:

Well, after feeding on chapter one with us, I have more appreciation of how this epistle to the Ephesians is to the "faithful" in Jesus . . . not to leave others out, but so the faithful are fed to be examples to help others to join and be blessed with whoever God knows are His "faithful in Christ Jesus" > Ephesians 1:1.

In Acts 20:30 Paul tells the Ephesian leaders that rogue leaders will do what they can to take people away with them.

But here is Paul's letter which can take care of whoever is faithful to Jesus.

And already in the first chapter we have so much about all which our Heavenly Father pleases to share with us through Jesus His own Son.

So, thank You God our Father, for now however You have us submitting to You and faithful to You, and how Your word succeeds. Amen, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, make us honest and humble to obey You and discover all You mean by Your word. 

Jesus came into the world for the faithful and went to where we go to retrieve the faithful. One should note that Jesus revealed His resurrected self to only the faithful, and not the rest of the world.

[com7fy8]

On 11/9/2022 at 10:57 AM, DPMartin said:

Jesus came into the world for the faithful and went to where we go to retrieve the faithful. One should note that Jesus revealed His resurrected self to only the faithful, and not the rest of the world.

John 20:10-18 > Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first; and I would say certainly she was faithful.

Mark 16:9-14 > but Peter and the guys with him were hiding and refused to listen to Mary.

They were not exactly being faithful, but Jesus appeared to them while they were not being faithful, I would say.

Acts 9:1-5 > plus, Saul was breathing slaughter when Jesus appeared to him. So, he was not exactly faithful to Jesus when He first appeared to Saul.

So, to me it looks like Jesus has appeared even to ones who were not faithful. But, of course, Jesus did this in hope of bringing them to Him, then changing them to be and to love like Jesus. He first exposed them to Him, so they could know how He is and become able to identify whatever and whoever is not like Jesus! And in having met with Jesus, they could know when it is Jesus sharing with them and guiding them.

After all, our Apostle Paul says >

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1:15)

And - - - writing to the "faithful in Christ Jesus" (in Ephesians 1:1), Paul says >

"we all once . . . were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." (in Ephesians 2:3)

So, what I see is that anyone who is faithful now was once a child of Satan, "just as the others".

So, I would offer that before Jesus can save a faithful person, He has to save a sinner who is "just as the others" of Satan.

I find it interesting, how Paul says "we" were "just as the others" > by saying "we", Paul who was a Pharisee is saying he once was a sinner who was no better than Gentile pagans! 

This is humble of him to say this, I would say 

Edited November 13, 2022 by com7fy8

[DPMartin]

16 hours ago, com7fy8 said:

Well, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first; and I would say certainly she was faithful.

But Petrr and the guys with him were hiding and refused to listen to Mary. They were not exactly being faithful. But Jesus appeared to them, right?

Plus, Saul was breathing slaughter when Jesus appeared to him.

So, what do you mean by saying Jesus only appeared to His faithful? I am sure you have a reason for saying this.

And, about whoever you mean by the faithful, were the faithful always faithful? Or were they sinners, first?

After all, our Apostle Paul says >

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1:15)

And - - - writing to the "faithful in Christ Jesus" (in Ephesians 1:1), Paul says >

"we all once . . . were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." (in Ephesians 2:3)

So, what I see is that anyone who is faithful now was once a child of Satan, "just as the others".

So, I would offer that before Jesus can save a faithful person, He has to save a sinner who is just as anyone else of Satan.

So, when you say Jesus only saves the faithful, do you mean He only saves those who get saved and then become faithful?

are you for real? don't you read the rest of the NT? or even the OT? if you don't know that God knows who is faithful and who is not wether they who are faithful at the time didn't know they were, then you're on the wrong web site.

[com7fy8]

On 11/10/2022 at 8:58 AM, DPMartin said:

God knows who is faithful and who is not wether they who are faithful at the time didn't know they were

So this is what you mean. Thank you for telling us.

God bless you, too.

Edited November 13, 2022 by com7fy8

[com7fy8]

And here is something else the Bible talks about > Paul says there is >

"the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" > in Ephesians 2:2.

This is talking about Satan's evil spirit of selfishness.

This evil spirit "works in" people.

And Satan is nasty and cruel. And we can see how cruel and abusive worry is. Worry can work very hard in a person and be cruel and dominating, keeping attention away from trusting God, and refuse to go away . . . like how Satan is. But >

"perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." (in 1 John 4:18)

God's love is almighty to cast out worry with its "torment". And with Jesus we have "rest for your souls " (in Matthew 11:28-30)

And Jesus says to Satan's children >

"the desires of your father you want to do," in John 8:44.

And sinners have desires for pleasure and control in order to get their pleasures. Those lusts can work very hard, unable to take no for an answer.

So, I see a connection > Paul says Satan's spirit "works" in Satan's people, and their demands for pleasure and control work very hard in them.

So, in being faithful to our Groom, we need to not have any affairs with lusts, and worry, and Satanic sorts of anger, and abusive arguing and self-centered complaining. Or else, we are having an affair with Satan's evil spirit who "works" in people to keep them from how God has us love.

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

So, being "faithful" (Ephesians 1:1) to Jesus includes how we do not relate with nasty and negative and bitter anger, and instead we share with Jesus in us, by relating with tender kindness and forgiving "even as God".

Also, I would say that with Jesus we relate in God's humble way >

"submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21)

"with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2)

So-o-o - - - thank You, God our Father, in the name of Jesus 

Edited November 10, 2022 by com7fy8

[Omegaman 3.0]

On 11/10/2022 at 7:15 AM, DPMartin said:

why can't you read scripture? what's the matter do we have to read it for you? the whole bible is about God's relationship with the faithful, where did you miss that?

Quote

are you for real? don't you read the rest of the NT? or even the OT? if you don't know that God knows who is faithful and who is not wether they who are faithful at the time didn't know they were, then you're on the wrong web site.

Are you for real? com7fy8 put some effort into e reading the scripture, and expounding upon what he/she read. They were reasonable, patient and polite in responding to your insults and criticisms. You could learn from those behaviors how to have a conversation, yet you suggest perhaps they are on the wrong site!

[com7fy8]

"Well, it is good to have you 

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9)

But I can be snotty and nasty in how I imagine dealing with problem people . . . not exactly blessing!!

As I revisit and edit my posts above, I understand I need to be encouraging, inside myself, toward ones who are a problem for me. Pray for them, with hope for any person > love "hopes all things" (in 1 Corinthians 13:7).

"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved." (2 Corinthuans 12:15)

So, here in chapter two of Ephesians  God is my example of how I need to become caring and have hope for any person >

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Wow! I'm just getting this >

Yes, God is rich in mercy so He saved us by grace, though we were dead in sin. And this is my example of how to relate with wrong people. Have mercy for them, with hope for them. And we in Jesus can minister God's grace to help people to be alive in God's love >

"Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:9-10)

And we have how Paul says we can minister God's own grace >

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)

So, from this I get that any child of God can minister the grace of God, by sharing God's word with others. And it doesn't matter if you feel you don't know as much as someone else. Your caring and humility can be the quality of blessing you minister to others to help us become and love like Jesus! There can be God's quality of grace, if not great quantity of your words and knowledge > any other child of God can benefit from all you share; and I think this can include what you write on the Net.

Our words of prayer and writing and speech, and our thoughts, can minister God's grace. Ones might already know things we say, but we need that grace which comes each time with the words we share in God's love.

We've seen money, before, but do we complain if we see more and more of the same kind of money? And an orange today can bless me differently than the one I ate yesterday.

So, God bless you, t And thank you for  however you share here about Ephesians 2, if God pleases.

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

Edited November 13, 2022 by com7fy8