Ephesians chapter two . . .

[AlsoBroken]

There is much in what you replied to me that is very worthy! Thank you. ❤️🙏🏼

Edited December 3, 2022 by AlsoBroken

[com7fy8]

9 hours ago, Walter Goraj jr said:

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

So how does one " accept" Christ if they are spiritually dead, not being able to respond to the gospel call?

In any case, yes we were dead while in our sins and our trespasses. I can think of different explanations, but I'll offer what I have written below, and you are welcome to share and/or question, about this >

Well . . . do we remember how the prophet spoke to those dead bones and they came to life? Ezekiel 37 The word of the LORD was spoken to them, and then was when they came alive.

And with this we have >

"'So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

  It shall not return to Me void,

  But it shall accomplish what I please,

  And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'"

           (Isaiah 55:11)

God's word ministers all He means.

This includes how we can minister for sinners to come to life > as we are "holding fast the word of life", we have in Philippians 2:13-16. God's word ministers life.

And God uses our prayer > 1 Timothy 2:1-4 > and our example.

We are cups running over with His life to effect others to become His way. For example, we have 1 Peter 3:1-4, how "without a word" Christian women have power with God to win a disobedient husband.

Edited December 4, 2022 by com7fy8

[com7fy8]

4 hours ago, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

Amen....only the Holy Spirit can make us alive in Christ..

Spirit gives birth to spirit...it comes from Gods Mercy and Grace...he makes us spiritually alive in Christ...

And this includes being made alive in God's love.

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us " (Romans 5:5)

So, we have been made alive in love! 

In this "love of God" we share with God in His own goodness and life > we can see this is what Paul is saying as we go through this message to the Ephesians:

First, we have how we have been blessed with "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" > in Ephesians 1:3.

Then in Paul's prayer for us in chapter three of Ephesians we have how he prays for us >

"to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17)

So, in God's love we have and experience His fullness . . . in sharing with Him. And we grow in this, I get through Ephesians 4:15 which talks about how we God's children minister this to each other >

"but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head---Christ---" (Ephesians 4:15)

So, I see, as we minister His word in His love, we grow up in all good things of Jesus in us.

So, in God's love we have the ability to minister all the good of God to each other!

And I would say this is what Peter means where he says >

"As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:10)

So, yes God has made us alive and this blessed and this important 

And this is the same for every person who has trusted in Jesus. I mean, it does not matter what is our background >

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation," (Ephesians 2:14)

So, Jesus Christ has done this, plus we have how He has prayed for us to be loved by our Father the way our Father loves His own Son Jesus > that You our Heavenly Father >

"have loved them as You have loved Me,"

Jesus says in the Lord's prayer in John chapter 17:22-23.

Edited December 5, 2022 by com7fy8

[com7fy8]

On 12/3/2022 at 10:11 AM, AlsoBroken said:

There is much in what you replied to me that is very worthy! Thank you. ❤️🙏🏼

On 12/5/2022 at 5:37 AM, Rosie1jack2pauline3 said:

only the Holy Spirit can make us alive in Christ..

I think of this now > humans can try to use pleasures and people to make themselves feel alive. But things can not love us, plus plenty of people can act charming and talk smart but not know how to love. But worldly people can look for charm and showing of intelligence, in order to judge who they are going to trust. Because a person who acts charming and talks smart can seem like someone who will give them what they want and be nice about it.

But predators can know how to put on that act! Ones have discovered this in choosing who to marry, or who they trust to be their pastor. But charm and intelligence do not mean a person is alive in God's love!!

But only Jesus can make us alive, by means of His Holy Spirit, yes and amen. 

And Ephesians 2:18 says >

"And through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." (Ephesians 2:18)

So . . . using people and things, we might have access to pleasure and some sort of control that we want. But in our weakness for pleasure, and the weakness of depending on and trying to control people, we also are weak so we can keep on deeply suffering. And we have 1 Timothy 5:6 >

"But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." (1 Timothy 5:6)

This goes for guys, too, of course. In our weakness for pleasure and excitement and adrenaline rush stuff . . . we can be weak also for deep emotional trouble stuff. There are ones who hope to get some sort of love, by competing so they get approval. But, then, how about the ones who lose? Are we trying to get love while losers don't????

Seeking pleasure and control, then, can indeed be love-dead. And competing to get approval, likewise, does not mean I will get real love.

But, "by one Spirit" we have "access" to our Heavenly Father, as Ephesians 2:18 says. And we are alive in His love, in this Holy Spirit of God whose love "has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (in Romans 5:5)

So, people are not our access to real love and healing. Even so . . . our Father does include us in how He is doing us good. He has us ministering to one another . . . in His love; He makes us strong in His love, so we can't get hurt, by the way - - - so that we can relate closely, even, with people and not give in to fear and worrying about people and unforgiveness and ongoing hurts and nasty anger and abusive arguing; His love makes us strong and sensible >

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment." (Philippians 1:9)

So, our Apostle Paul has already prayed this for us!  And we help one another in prayer for all which is possible with God.

Therefore, we need how God makes us strong in His love, so we can share with other people without getting hurt or unforgiving. Actually, we can not be with God and not be loving any and all people! But He makes us strong so we can't be hurt, or stay hurt, or keep on feeling guilty about our own past sinning and failure. But not only does He make us strong, but in our Creator's love we are sensible and creative for how to relate with each person . . . including "in the presence of my enemies," we have in Psalm 23:5. I think an enemy can be a bad memory of my own failure or how somebody else hurt me or cheated me. So, if enemy memories come back or imagined people make problems for us, still we can enjoy all our Father has prepared of His own table prepared before us.

Things can keep coming back, but this is not our fault . . . if Satan brings someone back to mind in order to make us unforgiving and even hurt > just do better, this time, now that we are more mature > pray better for that person, do better at forgiving him or her, this time  And this can help make us ready for loving with real people.

Because this life of God's love is almighty with immunity against Satanic stuff, and God's love has grace almighty to make us sure to succeed in all our Father has us doing in sharing with Him.

Going back a few verses in Ephesians 2 > we have > 

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." (Ephesians 2:14-16)

So, Jesus has put away the condemnation of any rules that would mean things are against us. And we have started new, in Christ Jesus.

Plus, Jesus has made us one with all the other people who have trusted in Christ (Ephesians 1:12). And so, our background religion or national identity or ethnic identity is in the past, and we are all together with one another in Jesus. This includes how your own past is done away. And an important thing here is that now we are not to be concerned only about rules, but Jesus is concerned about us becoming new persons inside of ourselves . . . so we all together are "one new man" (Ephesians 2:15).

So, we need to leave behind the stuff of our own selfish individuality, then. Jesus says if anyone desires to follow Him, "let him deny himself", right? Yes . . . in Luke 9:23.

So, this is not only about putting an end to the differences between Jews and Gentiles. But we all need to get away from who and how we were so about our own selves, before we came to faith in Jesus. We need to deny our own selves, because "I have been my own main and real problem." Because my character made me able to do what is wrong and make bad choices; plus my character in selfishness was weak enough so I could give in to nasty and horrible and dark stuff in me. In my case, worry was a major thing, plus I could keep building up anger until I would explode at people, maybe once a year, and whoever was there caught it all. I was the problem, then, even if others did things inconsiderate, or just silly. And I could waste opportunities to love, because of my own ways of seeing people and misunderstanding things.

Now nasty and horrible stuff can come and try to get me going, in worry or anger or unforgiveness or entitled stuff > basically working to keep my attention away from God and instead have me mainly concerned about my own self, instead of caring with hope for others and for me. But I can be still and wait for God to get rid of all the anti-love activity, and God can have me loving, instead. 

And I am not by myself, but we have each other to love us and pray for us. We in Jesus are "one new man" with God but also in sharing with one another. We can say no to the negative and cruel stuff, and God makes this work. And we care about all the different wrong and ruined and nasty people who do not know how to love. We pray for them, with hope for them, while we enjoy God and sharing with one another as His family, as "one new man".

So, not only are we free from the condemnation of religious rules, but also we are free from our own rules that we made for what we had to do, and what we expected and demanded of others. Now we look to You, O LORD our Father, for all You are able to do, and how You please to share with us. And be thankful for however our Jesus brothers and sisters do us good.

"nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27)

Do not have any place in us where Satanic and dark stuff can have power over us to effect how we see things and make choices. But first be sure to be with God in His peace, with our Father having us do what He decides. Do not commit to any attitude or feeling or decision which is not in the ruling of God's peace in our hearts.

And we do this "in one body" (Ephesians 2:16 and Colossians 3:15) as Jesus Christ's "one new man" (Ephesians 2:15) > together with each other. God is ruling us in coordination with all our other Jesus brothers and sisters! 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by com7fy8

[kwikphilly]

19 minutes ago, com7fy8 said:

I think of this now > humans can try to use pleasures and people to make themselves feel alive. But things can not love us, plus plenty of people can act charming and talk smart but not know how to love. But worldly people can look for charm and showing of intelligence, in order to judge who they are going to trust. Because a person who acts charming and talks smart can seem like someone who will give them what they want and be nice about it.

But predators can know how to put on that act! Ones have discovered this in choosing who to marry, or who they trust to be their pastor. But charm and intelligence do not mean a person is alive in God's love!!

But only Jesus can make us alive, by means of His Holy Spirit, yes and amen. 

And Ephesians 2:18 says >

"And through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." (Ephesians 2:18)

So . . . using people and things, we might have access to pleasure and some sort of control that we want. But in our weakness for pleasure, and the weakness of depending on and trying to control people, we also are weak so we can keep on deeply suffering. And we have 1 Timothy 5:6 >

"But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." (1 Timothy 5:6)

This goes for guys, too, of course. In our weakness for pleasure and excitement and adrenaline rush stuff . . . we can be weak also for deep emotional trouble stuff. There are ones who hope to get some sort of love, by competing so they get approval. But, then, how about the ones who lose? Are we trying to get love while losers don't????

Seeking pleasure and control, then, can indeed be love-dead. And competing to get approval, likewise, does not mean I will get real love.

But, "by one Spirit" we have "access" to our Heavenly Father, as Ephesians 2:18 says. And we are alive in His love, in this Holy Spirit of God whose love "has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (in Romans 5:5)

So, people are not our access to real love and healing. Even so . . . our Father does include us in how He is doing us good. He has us ministering to one another . . . in His love; He makes us strong in His love, so we can't get hurt, by the way - - - so that we can relate closely, even, with people and not give in to fear and worrying about people and unforgiveness and ongoing hurts and nasty anger and abusive arguing; His love makes us strong and sensible >

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment." (Philippians 1:9)

So, our Apostle Paul has already prayed this for us!  And we help one another in prayer for all which is possible with God.

Therefore, we need how God makes us strong in His love, so we can share with other people without getting hurt or unforgiving. Actually, we can not be with God and not be loving any and all people! But He makes us strong so we can't be hurt, or stay hurt, or keep on feeling guilty about our own past sinning and failure. But not only does He make us strong, but in our Creator's love we are sensible and creative for how to relate with each person . . . including "in the presence of my enemies," we have in Psalm 23:5. I think an enemy can be a bad memory of my own failure or how somebody else hurt me or cheated me. So, if enemy memories and imagined people attack us, still we can enjoy all our Father has prepared of His own table prepared before us.

Because this life of God's love is almighty with immunity against Satanic stuff, and making us sure to succeed in all our Father has us doing in sharing with Him.

Going back a few verses in Ephesians 2 > we have > 

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." (Ephesians 2:14-16)

So, Jesus has put away the condemnation of any rules that would mean things are against us. And we have started new, in Christ Jesus.

Plus, Jesus has made us one with all the other people who have trusted in Christ (Ephesians 1:12). And so, our background religion or national identity or ethnic identity is in the past, and we are all together with one another in Jesus. This includes how your own past is done away. And the important thing here is that now we are not to be concerned only about rules, but Jesus is concerned about us becoming new persons inside of ourselves . . . so we all together are "one new man" (Ephesians 2:15).

So, we need to leave behind the stuff of our own individuality, then. Jesus says if anyone desires to follow Him, "let him deny himself", right? Yes . . . in Luke 9:23.

So, this is not only about putting an end to the differences between Jews and Gentiles. But we all need to get away from who and how we were before we came to faith in Jesus. We need to deny our own selves, because "I have been my own main and real problem." Because my character made me able to do what is wrong and make bad choices; plus my character in selfishness was weak enough so I could give in to nasty and horrible and dark stuff in me. In my case, worry was a major thing, plus I could keep building up anger until I would explode at people, maybe once a year, and whoever was there caught it all. I was the problem, then even if others did things inconsiderate, or just silly. And I could waste opportunities to love, because of my own ways of seeing people and misunderstanding things.

Now nasty and horrible stuff can come and try to get me going, in worry or anger or unforgiveness or entitled stuff > basically working to keep my attention away from God and instead have me mainly concerned about my own self, instead of caring with hope for others and for me. But I can be still and wait for God to get rid of all the anti-love activity, and God can have me loving, instead. 

And I am not by myself, but we have each other to love us and pray for us. We in Jesus are "one new man" with one another. We can say no to the negative and cruel stuff, and God makes this work. And we care about all the different wrong and ruined and nasty people who do not know how to love. We pray for them, with hope for them, while we enjoy God and sharing with one another as His family, as "one new man".

So, not only are we free from the condemnation of religious rules, but also we are free from our own rules that we made for what we had to do, and what we expected and demanded of others. Now we look to You, O LORD our Father, for all You are able to do, and how You please to share with us. And be thankful for however our Jesus brothers and sisters do us good.

"nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27)

Do not have any place in us where Satanic and dark stuff can get to us and effect how we see things and make choices. But first be sure to be with God in His peace, with our Father having us do what He decides. Do not commit to any attitude or feeling or decision which is not in the ruling of God's peace in our hearts.

And we do this "in one body" (Ephesians 2:16 and Colossians 3:15) as Jesus Christ's "one new man" (Ephesians 2:15) > together with each other. God is ruling us in coordination with all our other Jesus brothers and sisters! 

 

Rarely do I read the really long posts- glad I did this time,lol

Wonderful replies Brother-displaying the Love of Christ is what the Called out see,let us " in LOVE Deliver His Word that " they may " hear" and Receive,!!!! Praise Jesus,All the Glory to God,- for it is His Grace Alone in which we are Saved by our Faith in the One & Only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ❤️

[farouk]

On 12/3/2022 at 10:11 AM, AlsoBroken said:

There is much in what you replied to me that is very worthy! Thank you. ❤️🙏🏼

Ephesians 2 is a tremendous chapter indeed.........

[Your closest friendnt]

3 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

Rarely do I read the really long posts- glad I did this time,lol

Wonderful replies Brother-displaying the Love of Christ is what the Called out see,let us " in LOVE Deliver His Word that " they may " hear" and Receive,!!!! Praise Jesus,All the Glory to God,- for it is His Grace Alone in which we are Saved by our Faith in the One & Only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ❤️

Amen, I love this post, the insight, the light in this posting. Thank you. 

[Your closest friendnt]

On 12/4/2022 at 8:22 AM, Walter Goraj jr said:

Yes. The word of God will only be effective for those who have been chosen to salvation. They will spiritually hear the word and " live":

We should consider the context that Jesus was talking to the chosen children of Abraham...because not all the children of Abraham were the seed of Jacob...and Jacob was from Issac and Issac was from Abraham...

Only Abraham and Issac were included who were not from the seed of Jacob.

Jesus was talking to the chosen seed of Jacob, and not all of the chosen seed of Jacob were included but only those of the Circumcision...

And with the Covenant of Sinai only those of the Covenant of Sinai were the chosen people and Jesus was talking to them specifically at that time...and he told them that only of you who will believe in me they are heirs of Salvation...

Jesus said something that not all the heirs of the blessings of the Law and the Atonement in the Law will be counted among the chosen ones to be saved, or to receive the Salvation from God but only those who would believe in him.

Jesus was telling specifically to them who were under the Atonement of the Law the chosen ones the eligible ones to receive the Atonement done according to the Law...(Jesus knowing that not all who partook in the Atonement celebration had kept up their eligibility by observing the mandatory celebrations to qualify the participation in the Atonement...

Jesus is telling them that everyone is invited including those who were not eligible by the Law to be included in the chosen ones to receive Salvation and those chosen ones are those who will believe in Jesus after his death, those who will have their sins forgiven in his blood...

Jesus had not died yet but was telling the people in attendance that only those of them who will believe in him and he knew when he said that that ge had to die first before the Gospel was preached....Jesus was telling them that the chosen ones are those who will believe in him....only those with faith in him are the chosen of God...

Those who believe in God and specifically those in attendance and those who identify with them....those right with the Law before the Gospel was preached if they do not believe in the Gospel they stand not to be included in the chosen of God in Jesus Christ if they die with their denial that Jesus died for our sins...to have the forgiveness of their sins by the blood of Jesus Christ.  

 

On 12/4/2022 at 8:22 AM, Walter Goraj jr said:

John 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

 

[Your closest friendnt]

6 hours ago, Walter Goraj jr said:

I'm sorry friend, but it is hard to let go and let God. To come right out and say that we have no input or control as regarding our eternal fate is very direct and offensive to our pride for sure, because humans think that they can fix everything. So I think I can say it a little softer, kinda more politically correct:

we have no input or control as regarding our eternal fate. 

Well, I tried. 

It is our own decision to believe and our own decision to refuse to believe and our decision to die with the denial...

 

[com7fy8]

14 hours ago, Your closest friendnt said:

It is our own decision to believe and our own decision to refuse to believe and our decision to die with the denial...

 

What about Philippians 2:13?

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

According to this, God works in a believer's will to have the person will what God desires. To me, this means He does not just tell us to choose something, on our own, but God working in us has us doing the choosing which He desires . . . when and how He has us will what He chooses.

So, how can it be my own choice, if God in me works me to will what He desires?

Edited December 8, 2022 by com7fy8