Ephesians is known as the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus. Scholars disagree as to who really authored the words. Still we can rest assure that God had stake in it. Why? Because the ability to communicate is of God, and the wisdom of the message is too divine to be human void of God. Disagree? Well, read your own blog.
I teach from Ephesians as the manual for building the body of Christ - The Church. So, the importance of the author is minimal to the importance of the message. The Christian Church is an institution birthed at Pentecost, according to the New Testament Scripture. It is to be known as consisting of all regenerated souls, each redeemed by the Blood of Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:25, we learn that Christ loved the Church, and gave his life for it.
Yes, he died that the Church might become His Body on earth, which He heads from Heaven. As members of the Church, we are called out from the system of the world. We are called to be body builders for Christ. Strengthening the body of Christ yields results all may appreciate. We live for the making of the Kingdom of God on earth.
The results of building the body of Christ are:
- Repentance. The Church was birthed, according to Acts 2:38, with Peter calling for persons to repent and become disciples in the Body of Christ.
- Salvation. Regenerated persons coming by way of the new birth, Acts 2:47, added to the Church. Building the body of Christ yields new members into the local churches, and increase number of saved souls in the world.
- Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, Son of God, who has mercy and grace for the repenting soul.
- Baptism. We baptize in the tradition of the Trinity, Acts 2:38, as a means of grace for the acknowledgement of God's initiative in cleansing us from sin, ushering in justification and sanctification for righteous living.
- Love. Jesus said by this love you have for one another they will know you are my disciples, John 13:35 reminds us. In the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus taught that the disciples who love as He loves are His friends. "What a friend we have in Jesus."
- Continuance. In accord with Acts 2:42, a final result of building the Body of Christ is the recycling of the doctrines. We teach each to reach each. Each generation is to be taught to reach each soul of their day, and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost from Jerusalem to Samaria to Judea unto the uttermost parts of the world.
There is it. Our exercise in the Spiritual Fitness Center is to turn around from bad habits unto good living. Soaking in the fountain of life, lifting one another, and caring for the soul of all, we march on teaching the love of Christ by faith. We live hoping for a better world on earth as it is in heaven.
I got it, do you have it?
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, and open our spiritually blinded eyes. Amen.
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