Complimentary Story
August 2026Paul instructs the Church of Ephesus in Ephesians 1:1-4 as to the will of God; the plan and purpose for the ‘Ekklesia’, the church, the called out ones, as one in Christ Jesus! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we (those who have chosen to walk by faith in His every word) should be holy (40-given to emulating the divine nature of God) and without blame (299-unblemished by sin) before Him in love” (26-‘agape’, perfect love as described in Matthew 22:37-40).
His divine nature as the fruit of the Spirit is described in Galatians 5:22-23): To fill with “the fruit of the (right thinking), which is by Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:11). To fill with “the knowledge of His will and in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing ( a blessing to all we have contact with), being fruitful in every good work (for all the right reasons from the heart), and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness”(Colossians 1:9-10). For “tribulation worketh patience:” we do learn obedience mostly by the things ye suffer. For even Jesus as a man, learned obedience by the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).
God had made every provision in His plan before creation, for us to be born again, but we must choose to turn our heart in repentance, by faith to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind; and our neighbor as our self, as described in Matthew 22:37-40; abiding in Him, as His children: (Ephesians 1:6-10) “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” How does this happen? “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 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: That in the dispensation (3622-the management, to fulfill the purpose entrusted, having nothing to do with a period of time, that) of the fullness 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.”
His shed blood saves no one, but only His forgiveness does! Because it only makes God just in forgiving us as it is stated in I John 1:9! Repentance is absolutely a necessary part of the gospel for forgiveness to be applied to our sins, as stated by Jesus in Luke 24:47. Also stated in Hebrews 9:22; “Without the shedding of blood (there) is no (forgiveness of sins).” Since Jesus came, died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, fulfilling the New Covenant; (Ephesians 1:9) He “having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself,” as described in the last four chapters of Revelation, for all eternity!
To represent Christ as His ambassador, we are to represent His true divine nature: That is impossible without being born again, a totally new way of thinking. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Being born again is having in us God’s divine nature of the Spirit! (Ephesians 1:11-14) “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.” We are not predestined, as if we had no choice; but only our inheritance is predestined to those faithful to the calling according to His purpose and will! “That we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ (with all our heart soul and mind). 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 (1472-a seal, or private mark, as a metaphor to indicate the security and permanency of His promises, if we choose to follow through with His plan and purpose for us, never taking away our free will!) which is the earnest of our inheritance (728-down payment deposited by the purchaser, and forfeited if the purchase was never completed) until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory.” For our redemption is still being processed, and is drawing nigh as stated in Luke 21:28 ‘til the end of the dispensing of time, or time management.
(Ephesians 1:15-23) “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and love (26- ‘agape’, perfect love) unto all saints,” always grateful for you, “making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you, (1.) The spirit of wisdom and, (2.) Revelation in the knowledge of Him: (3.) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, (4.) And what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. (5.) And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His might 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 (Revelation 21:1-22:5): (6.) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church (1577-the ‘Ekklesia’) which is His body, the fullness (4138-completeness of the ability) of Him that filleth (3137-build to completion) all in all,” the body of Christ as filled with the fullness of God.
Peter makes this statement in II Peter 1:4-9 concerning God’s ability to fill us with all that we need to live as were created to live. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And besides this (choose,) giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance (1466-self control); and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; brotherly kindness charity (26 ‘agape’ perfect love). For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”
