Reconciliation – another facet of Election

The doctrine of election is no doubt one of those “secret things that belong to the Lord our God” (Deut 29:29), and we must rest in the fact that God in His infinite wisdom and knowledge understands it completely and unequivocally. For us it is a paradox, something that seems to not be in agreement or contradicts itself, yet is true. The truth of election is that God has, in His Master Plan, chosen us for His universal body, the church before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Additionally, it is understood that we, although chosen, have a responsibility to respond to His grace by faith. This is not a situation where it is an “either/or” but is a “both/and.” For example, Jesus was “both” 100% God “and” 100% man. Of course, we could go on but, because this doctrine is so difficult and divisive, especially within the Baptist church, we have dismissed it and flippantly bypass and refuse to discuss and study this great doctrine. This must not be so, and we must remember our Christian heritage and understand that great men in the past struggled with this and other such difficult doctrines that we today better understand them because they asked the difficult questions and embraced the tension. In addition, Paul in all his letters to the churches thought it to be such an important doctrine that he includes it in all his letters. I believe that God, in His sovereignty, has left this and other difficult doctrines, for us to wrestle with and to know that there is always going to be a tension when one delves into this and other deep doctrines in Scripture. We, I believe, in pouring over Scripture and studying this and other difficult and yet great doctrines will come to know our Savior and God better and will lift Him back up to His rightful place as the Sovereign God. We, as humans, and throughout history in trying to understand God have shamefully pulled Him down and put Him into a box that we can systematize and understand. We must not allow ourselves to do this and remember what Isaiah said, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9).

I want to look at just one more facet, of the many, in the doctrine of election. That is the doctrine of Reconciliation. The emphasis of reconciliation is that of making peace with God. Man who was estranged from God is brought into communion with God. Sin had created a barrier between man and God and rendered man hostile toward God (Isa. 59:1–2; Col. 1:21, 22; Ja. 4:4). Through Christ that enmity and the wrath of God was removed (Rom. 5:10). Reconciliation may thus be defined as “God removing the barrier of sin, producing peace and enabling man to be saved.” There are two parts to reconciliation. The objective aspect of reconciliation is that in which man is reconciled to God prior to faith and man is rendered savable (2 Cor. 5:18a, 19a). This is provisional reconciliation. The subjective aspect of reconciliation is that in which man is reconciled to God when he believes (2 Cor. 5:18b, 19b). This is experimental reconciliation.

The word reconciliation comes from the Greek word katalasso, which means “to effect a change, to reconcile.” God is the one who initiated this change or reconciliation; He moved to reconcile sinful man to Himself (2 Cor. 5:18, 19). On the other hand, man is the object of reconciliation. It was man who had moved out of fellowship with God; therefore, man needed to be restored. This reconciliation has been provided for the whole world, but it is effective only when it is received by personal faith.[1]

Reconciliation is manward: man was the one that had moved out of fellowship because of sin, and man needed to be reconciled to renew the fellowship.[2]

Thus, God is and was beforehand with men and He has reconciled Himself to the world through the cross and does beseech or implore men to accept reconciliation. The key is to remember who the initiator is – it’s God! It is our responsibility, and I believe this is probably the best term to use, to grasp His overtures or initiative of grace, as He is the offended One, who has acted first with the word of appeasement, which is another word for reconciliation. We need not to call in question His willingness to save, but must deplore and condemn our own foolish maliciousness. If we do not come to God as one who seeks favor, we live in contempt, anger, malice, self-sufficiency, and God calls that enmity or a deep rooted hatred (Rom 8:7; Ja 4:4). That’s why the Scriptures teach us the necessity of a Mediator, a Messiah, to be embraced in love with all our heart. Jesus then, is the One who we submit to as our king to rule us, as a Prophet to guide, as a Priest to take away our sin and death, and all this by faith in the beloved Son. On the negative side, the Bible also teaches us that we are not to guide ourselves, nor to obey ourselves, not to try and rule and conquer sin, but to cleave to the One who will do all and has done all for us. We must, in the difficulty of this doctrine, understand that our salvation is Christ’s work, but to cleave to Him by faith is our responsibility, and with this faith is the necessity of our daily repentance as mourning for our sin which Christ by grace removed.

We then must ask and pray as Paul did in Ephesians 1:15-23, to teach us that faith apprehends Christ’s righteousness not only for the satisfaction of justice, but as unspotted evidence of His love towards us. It is the infection of faith through the light of the gospel that we respond to and become His child (1 Cor 4:4; Jn 1:12). We also must ask for help that we would make use of His work of salvation as the ground of peace, and of His favor to, and acceptance of us the sinner, so that we may live always near the cross.

[1] John F. Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord (Chicago: Moody, 1969), p. 182.
[2]Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, 1997, c1989), 324.

Paul, Believers, & Blessings

Series Title: Part 1 (1-3): Our Wealth

Lesson Title: #3 – Paul, Believers & Blessings

Text: Ephesians 1:1-2

As we continue to look at the book of Ephesians, we will continue to plow into the field of the riches God has provided for us in Christ. Just as in the parable of the tenant farmer (Matt 13:44) that sold everything to but the field so that by owning the field, he owned the buried treasure. We too, have riches that are here in this book ready to be mined and claimed by faith and careful study. Unlike the riches of the stock market and other worldly investments that are subject to the ups and downs of the economy these cannot be lost or taken away because of greed or mismanagement. God's riches in Christ are eternal – never to run out or be depleted.

Beginning in verse one, it says that Paul was an Apostle appointed by Jesus Christ by the will of God. As an Apostle, he speaks for God. He is the mouthpiece for Jesus Christ. Do you realize there are only 14 men in history that could call themselves Apostles? Fourteen; the first twelve, Judas dropped out then the thirteenth was added, Mathias, and later on the fourteenth was Paul. Only 14 men could be said to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. That is a mouthpiece for Jesus Christ, especially credentialed and chosen for a special era. (Ephesians 2:20) calls them "foundation people". However, we believe they passed away with the passing of that 1^st century era. They were the Scripture writers; they were the ones who laid down the Apostle's doctrine. They were the ones who spoke for Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 9:1, he says Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Which was the basic qualification, you had to personally see the risen Christ. Are you not my work in the Lord? Aren't you proof of it? So it is that God took this man who was a Christian persecutor, persecuting the faithful. Turned him around, made him an Apostle. That authority came from Jesus Christ and the will of God. And those two are always in agreement.

By the way, let me run by you what the Apostles duties were: First, they were to preach the gospel, (1 Cor. 1:17). Secondly, they were to teach and pray, (Acts 6:4); "Giving ourselves continually to the word and prayer." Thirdly, to do miracles, (2 Cor. 12:1, Acts 14:23). Lastly, they were to build leaders for the church. These were some of the duties of the Apostles, who were given that appointment by the resurrected Savior.

Additionally, as you look at verse one, you will notice that it says that it was written to Ephesus. However, the word "Ephesus" does not appear in all the manuscripts. In some manuscripts there is a blank. And there's a reason for that. In this Epistle, there is no local mention of any person. There is no mention of any city in this letter. There's no statement about any individuals at any congregation. And the reason there is a blank, most scholars feel, is that this is a circular letter sent to the churches of Asia Minor, one of which was Ephesus and every church would then put its own name in the blank. So, we too can put our church name there.

After Paul introduces himself as someone who's authority comes of Christ Jesus by the will of God, Paul then describes the believers he's addressing. In verse 1 it states, "The saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." He calls Christians by two terms, the saints and the faithful. And that covers both sides. From God's side He's made us holy, from our side we exercise faith, we are the saints divine definition; the faithful human definition. And it is by virtue of being full of faith that we have been made saints. So a saint is anybody who is a Christian.

Everyone of us has been made holy (hagios). Every one of us has been set apart unto God in Christ. Every one of us has been made righteous in the righteousness of Christ. We are the saints, we are the faithful. We have believed in Christ and He has made us holy. Wow, isn't that a great beginning? We've been made holy in Christ.

"In Christ" by the way, is inseparable with being "saints & faithful." It means that the Christian is one who not only believes in Christ, but they are in a real sense "in Christ." As Christians we belong to Him, we are united to Him, we are joined to Him. Paul uses quite often the description of the body here in Ephesians and in 1 Corinthians.

We find the same idea in Romans 5:12-21, where Paul works out a great analogy and contrast. He says that we were all originally in Adam. Adam was not only the first man, he was also the representative of the entire human race. Everyone who has been born into this world was in Adam, a part of Adam, joined to Adam, with the result that Adam's action has brought its consequences upon all. But the Apostle goes on to argue that, as we were all 'in Adam', so we are now — those of us who are Christian—'in Christ.' As 'in Adam', so 'in Christ.' The Christian is one who is 'in Christ.' All that the Lord Jesus Christ has done becomes true of us.

Again, in Romans 6, Paul works it out and says that when Christ was crucified we were crucified with Him; when He died, we died with Him; when He was buried we were buried with Him; when He rose again we rose with Him. He is seated in the heavenly places, Paul says in Ephesians 2:6, 'God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.' We are seated in the heavenly places with Christ at this moment because we are 'in Christ.' What a tremendous, staggering, overwhelming truth—I am a part of Christ, I belong to Him, I am a member of the body of Christ! I am not my own, I have been 'bought (purchased) with a price.' I am in Christ. He is the Head, I am one of the members. All the blessings we enjoy as Christians come to us because we are 'in Christ.' It is 'of His fullness we have received, and grace upon grace.' 'I am the true vine', says our Lord Himself, 'and ye are the branches.'

Thus, we see the authority of Paul, and then Paul describes the Christian in three ways – Saint, faithful & in Christ. Moving on to verse 2 we have the results, our blessings.

The double blessings are grace and peace. The first one grace be to you is an incredible and great statement and was the typical greeting of the day. Grace is the New Testament word charis, it means kindness of God toward undeserving people. And when they met, they would say grace be to you. It was like saying, "I wish to be gracious to you." Additionally, it had a theological meaning. It meant something to them in their faith, it was a reminder that they were what they were by grace. "God's loving grace to you." "My graciousness to you." That would be a constant reminder that we are what we are by grace.

Secondly, there is the Old Testament word shalom, the New Testament equivalent is the Greek word eirene and it means peace. Grace is the fountain and peace is the stream. Because we have grace from God we have peace with God. It is because of His grace that we have His peace. There would be no peace without His grace.

Thus, we have Paul's authority, the description of believers, and the blessings of grace and peace. And, of course, it all comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul's message throughout the book of Ephesians is that you might understand God's grace, that you might possess His peace because you are a part of His church and you have at your disposal His infinite riches.

All that is for you, but only if you are a Christian. If this is so, we in all reality can't talk about our weakness or helplessness; as He is the Life, and you are joined to that Life, you are part of the Life, you are a branch in the Vine, 'in Christ.'

In closing, let me encourage you by making two brief comments.

First, why do you think that the Apostle, in describing the Christian, puts these three things in the following order—'saints', 'faithful', and 'in Christ'? The answer is very simple.

The first and the most obvious thing about the Christian always should be the fact that he or she is a 'saint.' The Apostle had the City of Ephesus in his mind's eye when he wrote his letter; he saw as it were an oasis in the desert of wealth, paganism, sorcery and loose living. Standing out in the desert, however, is this green oasis — the Church, the saints. That is a very good way of looking at the Christian. Anyone looking at this world should at once be impressed by this fact that there are certain people in it who stand out and are quite different because they are 'saints.' That should be the first impression we make; everyone — neighbors, friends, colleagues and fellow-workers, should know that we are Christians. It should be obvious, it should stand out because we are what we are, because of these things that are true of us. We read of our blessed Lord that 'he could not be hid' Mk 7:24), and that should be true of us in this sense; it should be impossible to conceal the fact. But it does not mean that I preach and force my Christianity upon people, and make myself an awkward person. I believe it is rather a quality of saintliness, something that is full of grace and charm, a faint likeness to the Lord Himself. It should be evident and obvious that we are a separate people, a different people, because we are a holy people. Jesus also talks about it in His Sermon on the Mount, where He talks about Christians being "salt and light" and that a "city on a hill cannot be hid" (Matt. 5:13-16).

Secondly, let me say that it is incredibly important in keeping intact the relationship between a saint and being faithful, and the relationship between holiness and being a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. These things should never be separated. However much we may deceive ourselves, there is no such thing as a notional Christian. It is possible to hold the doctrine of the faith in the lecture room, to give an intellectual assent to these things, but that does not make us Christian. I believe that's why Paul put 'saint' before 'faithful.' A commentator put it this way, "No one is a believer who is not holy, and no one is holy who is not a believer." These two things must never be separated, and you must never put a gap between justification and sanctification. If you are a Christian you are in Christ, and in Christ what happens is that "He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." You cannot, you must not try to divide Christ. It is a false doctrine which says that you can be justified without being sanctified. It is impossible; you are a 'saint' before you are 'faithful.' You have been separated by God for God. That is why you believe. These things are linked together and cannot be divided. Holiness is a characteristic of every Christian, and if we are not holy, our profession of Christ is valueless. You cannot be a believer without being holy, and you cannot be holy in this New Testament sense without being a believer. "What God hath joined together let not man put asunder."

The Theology of Ephesians

Series Title: Part 1 (1-3): Our Wealth

Lesson Title: Theology of Ephesians

Jesus told a parable about a tenant farmer whose plow turned up buried treasure in a field (Matt 13:44). The man immediately sold his possessions in order to buy the field. By owning the field, he owned the buried treasure. Once in possession of the field, the man could spend his days discovering how rich he had become. We today, who are believers, are in possession of a great treasure, the indwelling Christ. We came into possession of this treasure the day we were saved. We will spend the rest of our days discovering how rich we are in Christ. This Epistle to the Ephesians will help us inventory our spiritual wealth.

In verse on you can see Paul's focus was on God (Theology Propler). Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God (v.2) grace be unto you and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (v.3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's where we also all need to begin. We first need to focus on God then as we do that only then can we start to bring it down to any present need or situation. Within the doctrine of God we see His sovereignty.

The Sovereignty of God can be defined as his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure. It also can be defined as God's rule and authority over all things or the supremacy of God (see 1 Chron 29:11; Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15–23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11). Our natural response to this is to stiffen up and want to reject this doctrine. We don't like to be under authority of no one. This is nothing new and we see that Satan was cast out of heaven for it and he didn't have a very difficult talking Adam and Eve to rebel against God's right to rule in their lives according to His good pleasure.

Now, having said all that, Paul proceeds to deal with the mystery of God. The word mystery is used six times in this Epistle and more frequently than any of his other Epistles (1:9; 3:3, 3:4, 3:9; 5:32; 6:19). So, I believe that this too is one of the major themes.

This mystery of God as it relates with respect to us, and the mystery of His will. (Eph 1:9) Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.

If you ever feel tempted to say that God is not fair and you're not going to go along with what He wills for your life. I advise you to put your hand, as Job did, on your mouth and to try and realize to whom you are speaking. (Job 40:4) Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

We'll look at it in more detail when we get to the particular passages, but Paul also talks about the mystery of the church and also of the Gospel.

One of the next themes is the grace of God. This word is used 12 times (1:2, 6, 7; 2:5, 7, 8; 3:2, 7, 8; 4:7, 29; 6:24). Paul just can't seem to stop repeating it. This too is the theme above all else that is developed in this letter. God's amazing grace to sinful man in providing for man's salvation and redemption. In this Epistle we are given a glimpse into the riches and the abundance of God's grace towards us. Most people are interested in wealth and riches; we like to go and see it and will even pay a fee to see all kinds of wealth and riches. That's exactly what Paul does in this Epistle as he leads us in, and gives us a view and a glimpse of the riches of the grace of God. It all starts with God, God the Father who is over all.

The Doctrine of God is seen here in His sovereignty, mystery, and the grace of God. There is much more we could say but we'll go on to look at the next great doctrine.

Having said all that, we move on to what invariably comes second here and in the whole of the Bible – the Lord Jesus Christ. (v.2) Grace be to you, and peace, from god our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in a casual reading of this Epistle, you can't help but notice how often the Name occurs, the Name that was so dear and blessed to Paul. He says: The Apsotle of Jesus Christ, / Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ. And we could continue on and on. We see the word "Christ" 46 times in 43 verses, "Christ Jesus" you will see 7 times, "Jesus Christ" 12 times, and "Jesus" 21 times.

In verse 1 Paul tells us immediately that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. It sounds almost absurd to have to say it, and yet it is so essential to emphasize that there is no gospel and no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. It is necessary because there are people who talk about Christianity without Christ. They talk about forgiveness but the Name of Christ is not mentioned, they preach about the love of God but in their view the Lord Jesus Christ is not essential. It is not so with the Apostle Paul; and must not be so with Mt. Zion Baptist church; there is no gospel, there is no salvation apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Our purpose here is to "Ignite a Passion for Christ!"

The gospel is especially about Him. All God's gracious purposes are carried out by Christ, in Christ, through Christ, from the beginning to the very end. Everything that God in His sovereign will, and by His infinite grace, and according to the riches of His mercy and the mystery of His will – everything that God has purposed and carried out for our salvation He has done in Christ.

There is no Christian message apart from Him. We are called and chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, we are reconciled to God by the blood of Christ. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

We are all interested in forgiveness, but how are we forgiven? Is it because I have repented or lived a good life that God looks at me and forgives me? I say with all respect and reverence that even the Almighty God could not forgive my sin simply on those terms. There is only one way whereby God forgives us; it is because He sent His only begotten Son from heaven to earth, and to the agony and the shame and the death on the Cross: In whom we have redemption through his blood. There is no Christianity without the blood of Christ. Not only is it the Person of Christ but in particular, His death, His shed blood, His atoning substitutionary sacrifice! It is in that way, and that way alone, that we are redeemed. In this Epistle Christ is shown to be absolutely essential.

Purpose of God is brought about in Christ. So we have looked at God – His sovereignty, mystery and grace. Then after God we see Jesus. And now we can see God's purpose in Christ and this is the practical side of this book. We find that in verse ten of chapter one. That in the dispensation (plan) of the fullness of times he [God] might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in him [Christ]. There is God's purpose and Paul goes on to tell us that this purpose has always been necessary. Necessary because of sin. In chapter two we will find that he tells us about the problems that plague our mind and the heart of man, and how they are due to the fact that (v.2) the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: is controlling fallen mankind.

He tells us that God's plan of redemption is necessary because of the Fall of man (another doctrine found in this letter), and how that was proceeded by the fall of that bright angelic spirit called the Devil, who has become the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the prince of the power of the air (2:2). This terrible power is the cause of the hostility and the dilemma and the havoc that has been characteristic of the life of the human race. There is nothing new about this, it is all the result of sin and the devil's hatred for God. It's the loss of man's true relationship to God. Mankind sets himself up as a god and thereby causes all the disruptions and confusion in the world. However, we are shown how at the very beginning, even back in Paradise, God announced His plan and began to put it into action.

The Old Testament is an account of how God began to work it out, everything pointed to the cross and the one theme that runs throughout God's Word – Redemption. First, He called a man named Abraham and turned him into a nation. There we have the beginning of something new. He then separated unto Himself a people called Jews. In their history we see the beginning of His purpose of redemption. Out of the helplessness and depravity of mankind God formed a people for Himself. But then there was a great rivalry between the Jews and Gentiles, and thus yet another major theme of this Epistle is to show how God has dealt with that matter. The great idea here is that God has revealed Himself not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles; (v.14) the middle wall of partition has gone; God hath made both one (v.15). There is a new creation; something new has come into being; it is called The Church; and this work of God is to go on increasing, says Paul, until when the fullness of the time shall have arrived God will have carried out His entire plan, and all that is opposed to Him shall be destroyed.

Everything shall be united together and made one in Christ. That is again one of the major themes of this Epistle. At first Jews only, then Jews and Gentiles, then all things. And all is to be done in and through Christ.

This all leads us to yet another theme, which is the Church. God's purpose is seen most clearly through the Church. This great purpose of bringing together all nations in Christ. In Her, the Church, are formed different people, different nationalities, coming from different parts of the world, with different experiences, appearances, and yet all are one in Christ.

This is all what God is doing, until there shall finally be (2 Pet 3:13) a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness and Jesus shall reign for ever more.

Nothing is more encouraging and wonderful than to see the Church in that light, and to see, therefore, the importance and the privilege and the responsibility of being a member of that Church. It is because of this that we must live the Christian life; and so in chapter 4 and to the end of the letter, Paul emphasizes our walk which is expected of Christians because they are what they are, and because that in the plan of God, they must manifest His grace in their daily life and living.

Let me summarize all what I have talked about in a simple, practical manner. Why am I calling your attention to all this? It is because I am overwhelmingly convinced that our greatest need is to know these truths. We all need to look again at this glorious revelation, and to be delivered from one of our greatest problems in the church – the pre-occupation with ourselves. If we could only see ourselves as we are described in this epistle; if we but realized, as Paul expresses it in his prayer (17-19), that we are to know what is the hope of our calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according t the working of his mighty power, what a difference it would make!

Are you or have you been an unhappy Christian feeling that the fight is too much for you? And are you on the point of giving up and giving in? What you need is to know the power that is working mightily for you, the same power that brought Christ from the dead. If we but know that we are meant to be filled with all fullness of God we should no longer be weak and ailing and complaining, we should no longer present such a sorry picture of the Christian life to those who live around us. What we need, primarily, is to realize what we are, and who we are, what God has done in Christ and the way He has blessed us. We fail to realize our privileges.

Are greatest need is still the need of understanding. Our prayer for ourselves should be the prayer of Paul – (v.18). That is what we need. In this Epistle the exceeding riches of God's grace are displayed before us. I ask you to look at them with me, and let us take hold of them and enjoy them. This being especially true in times like these, how vital it is that we should have some new and fresh understanding of God's great plan and purpose for the world as the rest of the world wonders what the future will bring, what a privilege it is to be able to stand and look at this revelation, and see God's plan and purpose behind it all and beyond it all. All this will not be brought about by presidents or the UN but through people like ourselves. God's people, who know who they are in Christ and although the world may ignore it, and even laughs and mocks at it. However, we know for certain with the Paul that (v.21) 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, have been set beneath Christ's feet. Remember, the Lord Jesus was rejected by this world when He came into it; they dismissed Him as this fellow, this carpenter; but he was the Son of God and the Savior of the world, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the One to whom (Phil 2:10) every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and things on earth, and things under the earth.

Thanks be to God for the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the riches of his grace!