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the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established November 2008 Published
Weekly on Friday AM
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Ephesians (4:11-13)
(Lesson 14)
Welcome to the
study of our Apostle Paul’s letter to the Believers in Ephesus.
Last week we
learned when the Lord Jesus Christ arose on the third day He not only conquered
His enemies Satan, sin, and the second death, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE
GAVE GIFTS TO MEN” (Ephesians 4:7-10).
In verse 4:8 Paul
speaks of the Lord’s first ascension
on the morning of His resurrection. HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES means,
after spending three days and nights in
the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40), the risen Lord liberated the O.T. souls
that had been held captive in
Paradise and He led them in a procession to heaven.
HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN does not mean spiritual gifts (Charisma)
as in the gift of tongues, healing, etc.
Here the Koine Greek word for gifts
is Doma which speaks of the
characteristics of these gifts. Paul reveals these gifts in verse 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors,
and teachers. He then proceeds to teach why God gave these gifts to the Church: for the equipping of the saints for the
work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (4:12).
These gifts were to remain in effect “until we all attain to the unity of the
faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God to a mature man to the measure of the stature which
belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
The goal of every true
Believer is to be like Christ Jesus. It goes
without saying, there has never been a unified
church and no one has ever attained full
knowledge of the Son of God while they remained in the flesh, However, all Believers have received God’s gift of grace and the gift of the
Holy Spirit, a.k.a. the gift of
Christ, which enables them to live their “new life” set apart to God for works of service, to the building up of
the body of Christ, to the glory of God (Ephesians 2:8-9, 4:11).
********
Please
open your Bible at Ephesians 4:11-13.
Ephesians 4
And He gave (gifts, i.e.) some as apostles, and
some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors,
and teachers, for (what) the equipping
of the saints for (what specifically) the
works of service, to (what end) the
building up of the body of Christ (our firm Foundation - 1
Corinthians 3:11); until we all attain
to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, to (become) a mature
man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness
of Christ.
There’s
a lot going on in this passage. I’m
going to begin by breaking it down this way.
The Ephesian Church was acting like immature children instead of as
spiritual adults. Our
Apostle Paul wrote a letter of rebuke to the carnal Corinthians, addressing
their carnal behavior (spiritual immaturity).
Many in the Corinthian Church believed they were spiritually superior to
other Believers, but our Apostle Paul pulled the rug out from under that
infantile attitude (1 Corinthians 1:10-17, 26-31, 3:1-3). Paul’s letter of rebuke taught the Corinthian
Church a better way.
If
Paul were to write a letter to the churches today, what message would it
contain? Would Paul be pleased with the
church’s spiritual growth? Would he give
thanks and praise to God for their diligent
effort to preserve the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace? I don’t think so. As for me, I would expect to see a comment
similar to this: “It’s one thing to have the faith
of a child, it’s quite another to behave as one.”
In
four separate N.T. passages there is an association between two Koine Greek
words Teleios and Nepios.
Teleios (tel’-i-os) Strong’s Greek #5046 means: perfect,
full-grown; mature. Whereas, Nepios (nay’-pee-os), Strong’s Greek
#3516 denotes an infant; a child. After being saved, every true Believer goes
through a period of spiritual infancy and if we’re being honest we all revert when
we behave immaturely now and again. Total
(future) sanctification will occur when we meet the Lord in the air and not
before. But here’s the thing; true Believers
should not remain in a state of spiritual immaturity. Sad to say, many
Believers are characterized by their spiritual immaturity; meaning: they
choose to remain in a spiritual fog.
We’re
to examine the scriptures to learn what this book has to say about spiritual
infancy and the flipside of this issue spiritual adulthood – the mature man (woman is implied, folks).
Four
Passages Contrasting Spiritual Infants and Adults
And I, brethren,
could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to
infants in Christ. I gave you milk to
drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
for you are still fleshly. For since
there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not
walking like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
For everyone who
partakes only of milk is
not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because
of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14)
Until we
all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature, which belongs to the fullness
of Christ. As a result, we are no longer
to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind
of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (Ephesians
4:13-14).
Brethren,
do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your
thinking be mature (1 Corinthians 14:20).
How does
the true Believer grow from spiritual infancy into a mature, new man, in Christ
Jesus (Ephesians 2:13-15)? Paul answered
this question in Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore
I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living
and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service
of worship. And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good
and acceptable and perfect.
As
seen in this passage, spiritual growth occurs when the Believer chooses to be transformed. This transformation
occurs by the renewing of your mind.
The
renewing of your mind happens at the rate by which the Believer gains knowledge of Scripture, and especially knowledge of the Son of God, then chooses
to obey God.
We’re
to “live” what we learn.
In
Hebrews 4:12 our Apostle Paul wrote: The word of God is living and active and
sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul
and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions
of the heart.
Accordingly,
Scripture has the power, since it is living
and active, to transform an
individual from spiritual immaturity to spiritual maturity to the degree they
allow it to renew their mind. Therefore renewal
and transformation are equal to
knowing and obeying the Word of God.
To
elaborate further, in 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul instructs the Believer to: take
every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
The
Ephesian Church was not practicing this principle and it certainly isn’t being accomplished
today. Church leaders and people are disagreeing
with God’s Word to the point they either ignore it or dismiss it outright. This
proves the Church has not attained to the unity of the faith and the
knowledge of the Son of God (4:13). In
all its history, God’s one Church has never been one, in agreement about the faith
and they have disagreed about the knowledge of the Son of God which includes
His work of the Cross.
New,
watered-down, bibles are hitting the bookstore shelves frequently nowadays. Just because it has the word “bible” on the
front cover does not mean it contains God’s Word. Case in Point, the Gay Pride bible is in
bookstores now. It’s been completely
rewritten with Rihanna as God and drag
queens as her disciples. It gets
more offensive as you go along. I’m not
against homosexuals, for we are all sinners in the eyes of God. I do have a problem with people who promote sin and advance their ungodly agenda by ridiculing God’ Word and the faith.
There’s
so much more to discuss, but I don’t intend to remain on this biblical bunny
trail much longer... Let’s go with
this: Lifeway Bookstores recently
removed a bible from its shelves because the sale of this book helped raised
funds for the “Susan G. Komen Foundation,” which in turn funds Planned
Parenthood… Before you opt to give them
a “pat on the back” please note Thom Rainer the president of Lifeway Bookstores
(the popular Southern Baptist Christian book store) recently announced all their stores would be pulling all Bibles from the
shelves. This decision came about after the
store received dozens of complaints from customers whose children were caught
reading Song of Solomon and giggling. Instead of suggesting these parents
should educate their children about
what they were reading; Mr. Rainer chose this response:
“We would like to
extend our sincerest apologies to the millions of individuals, churches, and
organizations that have purchased Bibles from us in the past,” Rainer said at
an emergency press conference. “If we
had screened the material more thoroughly we would have known that there
are explicit references to parts of the human anatomy in the text.”
“I just figured out
what the metaphor with the two fawns was referencing. Oh man, do we have egg on
our face for selling this vulgar material for so long,” he added.
According
to Mr. Rainer the bookstores will begin selling censored (watered-down) versions
of the Bible instead of the “defective” ones as soon as they can get
them printed. So, Mr. Lanier has judged the Bible defective which implies God is defective.
Now, I
present the reason I chose to follow this biblical bunny trail. According to this not defective book we’ve been living in the “last days” since Jesus’ first Advent (Hebrews 1:1-2). What we’re witnessing on an ever increasing
scale is people are conforming rather than transforming. People have always defied authority; we’re
not witnessing anything brand new (Ecclesiastes 1:9). However this book has something to say about
mankind, including Christians, conforming
to the world in these last days.
The
following is a short list:
About
the People
Rampant
sexual immorality (Matthew 24:37) Jesus spoke about the time of Noah and this
age (Genesis 3:4-5; 2 Timothy 3:2)
Indifference
to others (2 Timothy 2:3)
Lovers
of Money (2 Timothy 3:2)
Haters
of Good (2 Timothy 2:3)
Lovers
of pleasure (Isaiah 5:20; 2 Timothy 3:4)
People’s
Spiritual State
Religious
Hypocrites (2 Timothy 3:5)
Deniers
of Creationism (Matthew 3:4; Romans 1:18-22)
Deniers
of the Second Coming of Jesus (2 Peter 3:3-4)
False
Faith/Apostasy (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Occult
Practices (1Timothy 4:1) – note there are more than 1,600 known Christian cults in the world today)
False
Messiahs (Matthew 24:5, 24:11; Luke 21:28)
To
the Christians who remain as
spiritual infants Paul writes: For though by this time you ought to be
teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary
principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid
food (Hebrews 5:12).
This
book says Christians possess the power to renew their minds; however, many are
not “turning this power on.” Instead of listening and obeying God’s
commands, people are occupied with their own thinking and way of doing things. In effect, the folks with one foot in the
church and one foot in the world are
telling God “I got this!” (1 John 2:15-17).
THREE
CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL INFANTS
Let
us now study particular portions of the abovementioned passages in order to better
indentify the signs of spiritual infancy.
INFANTS
DO NOT LISTEN
I, brethren, could
not speak to you as to spiritual men (1 Corinthians 3:1).
Paul’s
use of the word brethren underscores
the fact he is addressing Believers in the Church of Corinth, those who are
saved. His point being, even though they
were saved he couldn’t communicate with them in a manner normal for mature Believers
speaking with mature Believers. When both
are spiritual men or women in Christ, Believers can reason with one another
from the Scriptures because both hold the Word as truthful and authoritative. It’s the last word for all re: the faith and their
walk.
However,
when one says he or she is a Believer but will not respond to the clear
teachings and authority of God’s Word, it is fair to classify him or her as an
infant in Christ. This is why Paul had
to speak to the Corinthians as men and women of flesh, as to infants in
Christ rather than spiritual adults. He
could only give them milk to drink and
not solid food for they were not able to receive it. Milk contrasted with solid food is a fitting
picture denoting the Believer’s inability to digest God’s Truths. Many American Christians today are similar to children who want candy and dessert, instead of what their body needs; a regular, nutritious meal that
will ensure they grow healthy and strong.
Sugar rather than protein equals a poor choice, always. So Paul is saying the mature people in Christ
dine regularly on what has been written, i.e. God’s Word.
Having
stated that, the Scriptures contain milk
and meat and are capable of
ministering to the needs of all who
are seriously intent on listening to the Word no matter their level of
spiritual maturity. It is the
responsibility of both the teacher
and the pupil to determine what God wants each person to learn from the passage
under study. What is tragic however is
for the pupils to demand the teacher
offer only milk and for the teacher to never “dig deeper” into the Word of God so as to challenge their student’s
to mature, especially in those areas where they are immature (2 Timothy
3:16-17).
The
spiritual leaders listed in Paul’s aforementioned passage will undergo a
stricter judgment (James 3:1) and cannot shrink from declaring the whole
counsel of God (Acts 20:27) no matter how the folks within the sound of his teaching
may choose to respond. It’s been my
experience when people don’t approve of the message they turn the messenger off,
especially if they’re teaching the Truth.
I’ve seen people get up and walk out of church during the sermon on more
than one occasion. But, I’ve also
witnessed patients ignoring their doctor’s orders and his or her advice to “alter
their lifestyles,” in order to become well and add years to their life… Therefore
I can state unequivocally anyone who speaks the truth to the public-at-large
experiences immature responses from the folks who think they have a better
way.
There is a way
which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12).
HBS
statistics show the readership increases and decreases routinely, but more so
after I’ve taught a particular principle in the Bible lesson. At least one of my “arrows of truth” hit its
mark evidently! I’ve shown the Light
onto something personal in their lives and they in turn have turned the Light
off.
When
I was an immature teen-ager, I used to turn my parent(s) and other authority
figures off if they said something I disagreed with or didn’t want to hear. I was too prideful to see their comments were
meant to help me. In essence, I was a
partaker of milk when I should have
been ready to accept solid food. Remember:
everyone who partakes only of milk
is not accustomed to the Word of righteousness, for he or she is an infant. Babes in Christ tend to avoid strong doses of
the Truth because the written Word convicts them of their wrongdoing, this
unsettles their consciences, prompting them to change, or repent.
The
medical professional will tell you unless you admit a problem exists; there is little
chance of correcting the problem and benefiting either mentally or physically
from that decision. Although these folks
may publicly agree to God’s Sovereignty and His Truths, when God’s Book trumps
personal desires, infants reject its authority because they disagree with what
God has said. Since God has left them with
no “wiggle room,” Believers who shrink from studying the Word telegraph their
spiritual immaturity. Spiritual infants have
been known to discredit or deny the Word in their desire to
rationalize and justify self-serving behavior.
INFANTS
REBEL
Indeed even now you are not yet able, for
you are still fleshly (1 Corinthians 3:1b).
The
Corinthian Believers had heard and received the gospel at an earlier time (Acts 18), yet they still walked as though they weren’t saved by God through Christ. They had not “turned the power of the Holy Spirit
on.” This is abnormal behavior for any true
Believer. They were rebellious regarding
their new life and position in Jesus Christ. They were rebelling against God’s command for all believers to walk in the Spirit and
you will not carry out the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).
What
are the desires of the flesh? 1 John
2:16 reveals this truth: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes and the boastful pride of life.
Elsewhere
Paul states similarly, do not quench the
Holy Spirit (1Thes. 5:19). It is the
ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
life of the Believer that secures the victory over sins of the flesh which include: sexual immorality, covetousness, and
self-centeredness. The power of the ministry of the Holy Spirit parallels the degree to which
Believers “turn the power on,” allowing the Word of God to richly dwell within them and then obey it (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians
3:16).
INFANTS
DISPLAY JEALOUSY AND CAUSE STRIFE
Notice
the progression here relative to these three characteristics: immature Believers
won’t listen to good counsel, they rebel, so Paul explains how this childish
behavior affects others in the body: For
since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and
are you not walking like mere men (1 Corinthians 3:3)?
Where
jealousy exists with regard to
personal beliefs and feelings strife
will result.
Immature
ideas about what God has said, or didn’t say and uncontrolled, immature
emotional feelings (selfishness) cause discord
and division in the Body of Christ.
Why? With this attitude, in their infancy, it’s
still all about them, versus God’s glory.
Babies want what they want, when they
want it. Note how an infant cries until
he or she receives the desired attention.
The babe in Christ has difficulty in putting away the old self (Ephesians
4:31), that is, his or her self-centered ambitions and quest for prominence and
significance. But in truth, as Paul said
of himself in Galatians 2:20, I have
been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live . . . . This message informs us every mature Believer
must live with an attitude of being dead
to self.
There’s
a “wake-up” call for the church: for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe
that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from
the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin
once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:7-11).
The
phrase “Infants in Christ,” states the Believer’s passage, walk like mere men. Or said differently,
they act like non-believers. Always keep
The Main Thing the Main Thing. The
Believer’s goal is God’s glory! It’s not about self. Hence, when faced with a decision regarding
personal interests over those of Christ’s body,
we’re to choose the latter.
Now
let’s look at Ephesians 4:11-13 again. This
book says God has purposed His one
Church on earth to glorify Him by works of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-10, 12). In
order to accomplish this mission God has provided His Church godly men to lead
them. Paul identified these men as: apostles,
prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (4:11).
Why
were these godly men necessary? Paul gives
the answer in Ephesians 4:12-14:
for the equipping
of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (4:12),
until we all attain
to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man
(4:13a),
so that the Body of Christ would not remain as immature children (in the faith) tossed here and there by waves and carried about
by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful
scheming (4:14).
As
they say, “With visibility there comes accountability.” God has set these leaders in place for His
church to function properly, i.e. in accordance with God’s will. Those truly called to fill these positions will
have been tested and proven, (see Moses in the O.T. and our Apostle Paul in the
N.T.) having gone through adversity, the fire
of preparation, or their walk. They will display true humility and
Christlikeness (1Timothy 3). They do not
desire a position of authority and power; instead they desire to serve the Lord
and others in a manner that suits Him. In
other words, it’s not about them and their particular ministry; it’s all about
keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing!
The glory goes to God!
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
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Rights Reserved
