DIVISION ONE-CHAPTER 1:1-14GOD'S PURPOSE IN CHRIST "...All of time, space and history have been created and are centered on a central purpose--to draw out from among man, the crown of God's creation, a specific group of people to be joined to God through marriage to His Son."DIVISION ONE-Chapter 1:... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:1) An "apostle" is one with authority and a commission--One who operates and lives within the protection and directives of the one who sent him out. It is in this very sense that Paul declares himself to be "an apostle of Christ Jesus" with singleness of purpose. He belongs totally and solely to... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:2) "Grace and peace" are always found joined when reference is made to the believer and to the riches provided him/her through union with Jesus Christ. The most essential element of this verse is the declaration that everything we have comes to us directly from "God our Father and the Lord Jesus... [ Continue Reading ]
The Father, The Source of Our Blessings... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:4) "For He chose us..." (Thank you Father for not leaving it up to me) identifies the Father as the One who made the choice to claim us individually as His own. The middle voice verb says that the Father chose us for Himself. "...in Him..." refers back to the previous verse "in Christ", and ident... [ Continue Reading ]
The Omniscience and Omnipresence of GodOmniscience Hebrews 4:12 To wrap ones mind around the fact of "all-knowing" is to accept that all events have occurred, all days have come to an end, all life as we know it has ceased to be, and that the universe in which we live has ground to a stop in every... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:6) "Grace" speaks of God's provision for us in time as well as in eternity. We are not left to struggle here on the basis of our own human ingenuity or physical resources. Neither does He leave us at the mercy of our own mental abilities, skills or lack of talent. He empowers us for life with an... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:7,8) "Redemption" means "reclaimed at a price." In the richer and fuller sense of use, it refers to a property once owned, then lost, and now discovered in the market for sale and "repurchased" to become again the property of the original owner.... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:9-10) Paul is using the plural here ("He made known to us"), in order that we might all personally identify with what he is saying. It is specifically true, however, that Paul was the individual to whom God revealed his intentions for that entire special company of men and women placed into union... [ Continue Reading ]
Scriptural predestination... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:12) "In order that", introduces a purpose clause; the purpose of our having been redeemed was that "we...might be for the praise of His glory." We were not saved because of some intrinsic or implied quality of goodness on our part, but on the basis of His elective choice. He declared us individua... [ Continue Reading ]
The work of the Holy Spirit, the earnest of our inheritanceTHREE... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:14) It is the Holy Spirit "who is the earnest" (down payment) on our inheritance, signifying that all which has been promised to us will be delivered exactly in its proper time. "Until the redemption" refers to the resurrection of the believer's body at the Rapture of the Church. "Glory" is "shin... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:15,16) Faith, when given expression leads to an experience of rest. That experience occurs whenever a believer walks in confidence that God is working His best for all who are involved. Therefore, the principle of Faith-Rest describes the believer's life whenever he or she is in fellowship with G... [ Continue Reading ]
Effective PrayerThe Spirit of wisdom and revelation, i.e. "information" in order that they "may know God the Father better." That "the eyes of your heart" (a euphemism for ones "mind") may be "enlightened", i.e. "information" in order that they "may know the hope" of their calling and how rich their... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:19,20) Paul's letters make it clear that the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers is to instruct them in the things of God, in order "that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God (1 Corinthians 2:12). We should easily conclude, that believers should, for the most p... [ Continue Reading ]
(1:21,22) Look, says Paul, on the basis of that power, Christ has been installed by the Father as supreme ruler "above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given." That pretty much covers every class of creation, angelic or human, fallen or redeemed, judged or free... [ Continue Reading ]
The Church completes Christ... [ Continue Reading ]