Sunday 07/03/16
Series: Living in the Kingdom Pt. 40
Message – …by My Spirit IV
Living in the Kingdom…by My Spirit says the Lord
…but by My Spirit
1Cor. 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, THAT WE MIGHT KNOW the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
What are some of these things?
- Growth in Christian character –
- Rom. 8:14 “For as many as are habitually led by the Spirit of God, these are mature sons of God.”
- Dominance over sin –
- Rom. 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
- Living Witnesses – Every Christian is called to be a Living Witness or a Testimony. This WAS and IS the great commission. Like SO MANY things, we have taken the Gospel and personal instructions of our Lord and turned them into a mechanical work, rather than a life springing our of intimate union with Him.
Jesus charged the Body of Christ with a stewardship before He left. That stewardship is encapsulated in these words commemorated by Luke,
“and yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the remotest parts of the earth.”
The words “will be” are in the indicative, not the imperative. Being a testimony wasn’t something Jesus was recommending they become, He was saying that by being HIS and having the Holy Spirit upon them – they WOULD BE witnesses.
Now BEFORE we look at the key text for this week, let’s skip ahead to the end so you can see where we are heading.
Paul as an Apostle and by extension – the elders who serve as overseers, play a vital role in the believer’s development as living witnesses.
Let’s look at Eph. 4:10-24 & 2 Cor. 6:1-13
In this passage in Ephesians, Paul builds on his teachings concerning gifts (you can read about it in 1 Cor. 12). Paul’s teaching about gifts of the Spirit include those who ARE gifts to the body as well as the gifts and ministries all saints HAVE in the body. Here Paul refers to the former group who are given AS gifts to the body and begins to describe their purpose and function. (For more on Spiritual Gifts, Ministries & Callings – see HERE & HERE)
Eph 4:11-24,
“(11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Specifically, the giver of people as Gift is the Father according to 1 Cor. 12:4-6 & 28-29. However, as Lord of the body, all things come to us THROUGH Jesus Christ our head. He Himself gave…people as gifts.
This is NOT an unprecedented event. Historically God’s answers have nearly ALWAYS come in the form of a person. When the godly line of Abel died in him, God answered with the birth of a baby, namely Seth. When the world needed a deliverer from it’s impending destruction, God answered with the birth of a baby, namely Noah. When God desired a nation through which to bring the Messiah, God answered with the birth of a baby, namely Moses, who was given to and for the people of Israel. The many, MANY times Israel needed a deliverer from their captor-enemies, God answered with the birth of a baby, namely the judges (Gideon, Sampson, Jephthah, Jair…etc.). When Aaron needed aid in the work of the Tabernacle God answered by giving him his own sons as GIFTS – Numbers 18:1-6
Numbers 18:6,
“(6) Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.”
So this statement of Paul is founded upon a great history of God giving people as answers and gifts. In this passage we see that God has appointed Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist’ & Pastor-teachers (or rather teachers who do the work of shepherding) for the purposes of maturing the saints into the image of Christ and equipping them for the work of the ministry.
(12) FOR THE equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
(13) UNTIL WE ALL come to the unity of the faith AND of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Regardless of what some may say, there is NO WAY in which these things have even come close to being realized in Christ’s body. As such we still have Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists & Teachers who Shepherd today.
Many denominations claim that this work is done, yet they still teach and believe that not only Evangelists and Pastors exist, but they are necessary. This is of course a contradiction. Either we have reached the place of unity and maturity in Christ-likeness, throughout the body of Christ world-wide or we haven’t. This is the ONLY stated condition of the cessation of these Giftings. This is further illustrated in 1 Corinthians in the famous “love” chapter which follows Paul’s teaching on Gifts. In that chapter Paul says,
1Cor. 13:2, 8-12,
“(2) And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.(8) Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
(9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
(10) But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
(11) When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
(12) For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
In Corinthians, Paul brings into sharper focus what he means in Eph. 4. The gifts…ALL OF THEM…will fail and be done away with WHEN that which is perfect has come. This of course cannot be referring to the birth of Jesus since all of the gifts in the body of Christ came AFTER His death and resurrection! So what could Paul possibly mean? He refers here to the second coming of Christ. This is again confirmed by yet another scripture found in 1 John 3:2,
“(2) Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”
To summarize these points, the gifts will be done away with when Christ returns, because they will no longer be necessary. This is because the gifts reveal Christ. Even the most perfect manifestation of the gifts however, only reveal Christ ‘in part’. When He returns we will know Him as clearly as He knows us and will be instantly changed into His image because we will finally see Him as He really is – all at once, in the twinkling of an eye!
Until then, we learn in part…here a little, there a little, line upon line…etc. – Isa. 28:9-12.
So it is that if we have met the qualifications of knowledge and perfection mentioned in Ephesians then not only are Apostles & Prophets no longer in existence, but neither are Evangelists and Pastor-teachers. There really is not logical, nor scriptural third position.
(14) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
Stability in the faith is the end-game Paul has in view here for it is the result of maturity in Christ. Proverbs 8 & 9 talk about the spirit of Wisdom and how it calls out to the sons of men and the simple, or naive. The naive in these chapters is referring to those who have no real understanding and are easily swayed into false thinking and doctrine. Those who are mature in Christ, know the gospel, they are armed with the knowledge of their salvation and are therefore not such an easy target for the enemy.
(15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
(16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Words are powerful things! Words have the ability to save and kill, heal and wound, mature or thwart maturity. Paul encourages the saints, who are the REAL ministers in the body of Christ, to encourage one another towards growth in Christ. Now there is a LOT that can be said about this! Many…MANY people in the body of Christ desire to be encouragers, but they like to encourage others towards “growth” that they themselves have not and do not experience. Paul here tells us that the encouragement is that of mature and truthful words spoken in love.
Many times, the truth spoken is not comforting at first, which is all the more reason it must be spoken in love. Most people who desire to encourage ONLY say things people want to hear in an attempt to excite them into godly activity. Though many of these “encouragers” are very well intended, they actually cause more harm than good. To them Paul would say, what he said to Timothy, “Let the hard working farmer be first to partake of the crop.”. In other words, before you encourage others towards growth in Christian character, grow up yourself!
(17) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
(18) having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
(19) who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
(20) But you have not so learned Christ,
(21) if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
(22) that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
(23) and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
(24) and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
These final verses only confirm and drive home all the former points. Saints maturing into genuine Christian character, stability in the faith and the ministering of the words of truth which spring out of that maturity is the goal of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist & Pastor-teacher.
For the purposes of this post and for sake of clarity, from this point on, those who are given AS GIFTS to the body – Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastor-teachers, will be referred to as THE GIFTS.
For more on – and by following this link)
Below are the points we drew out of the chapters we read, beginning in 2 Cor. 3
Our Key TEXT is found in 2 Cor. 3:2,3
“(2) Our letter of recommendation is yourselves–a letter written on our hearts and everywhere known and read.
(3) For all can see that you are a letter of Christ entrusted to our care, and written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the ever-living God–and not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts as tablets.”
You ARE an epistle (testimony) of Christ, ministered BY us but written by the Spirit of the living God…upon the heart (mind, will and emotions)
Vs. 2 Living witness
• You ARE an epistle (letter) written by Christ
• Ministered by US
• READ BY ALL MEN
• Written BY the hand of the Spirit of God
Vs. 4-6 God’s Work through THE GIFTS –
Paul’s trust was…
• NOT In his own ability
• NOT In the obedience of the Corinthians
• IN God through Christ to complete the work He had begun in them!
Vs. 7-18 The Spirit’s ministry –
Christ in us! To make of every saint a Living Witness – testifying of the person, goodness and true character of God in Whom they place all their trust.
This ‘Witness’ is NOT just for the world. It is for our fellow believer, for the angels who did not rebel and as a mounting TESTIMONY against Lucifer and those angels who fell with him when they are tried by the church at the end of the age. –
1Cor. 6:3,
“(3) Do you not know that we are to sit in judgement upon angels–to say nothing of things belonging to this life?“
CHAPTER 4
Vs. 1 The Spirit’s ministry is OUR ministry –
Apostles & Elders (pastor-teachers) together
• Have renounced shame
• Handle God’s word honestly
• Manifest the truth commending their office to every man’s conscience in God’s sight.
Vs. 5 & 6 Jesus is our message & we are your servant-leaders
Paul tells them that those he has explained the importance of the role which he has as an Apostle in their lives (as to the elders by extension), he does so in order to prepare their hearts to receive the message taught with the reverence due it – for their message is NOT about themselves, but about Christ HIMSELF!
Vs. 7-14 We are willingly spent and poured out for you
Paul continues his discourse of the importance of THE GIFTS in their lives. These men have been given to them by God and by His Divine influence upon their hearts they were willing to be spent and poured out for their benefit and spiritual maturity.
Vs. 15-18 All things are for YOUR sake & God’s glory
In fact, Paul says…ALL THINGS are for YOUR sakes. God is holding NOTHING back in terms of your spiritual progress. You as a saint are backed by all of heaven and the ever Living God Who has appointed these men for your benefit and will gladly spend them for your aid and development!
To what end? That the saints reveal the true knowledge of the Glory of God throughout the world, heaven and even hell.
In other words, our Living Witness, will resound to the praise and glory of God and prove by irrevocable TESTIMONY the righteousness of God’s rule and reign over all His creation.
CHAPTER 5
Vs. 1 & 5 God has prepared us for Himself BY HIS SPIRIT
This work God is doing in the saints by the aid of THE GIFTS, is for no less purpose than for the whole body to be the very dwelling place of God for eternity! “For so I have desired it”, says the Lord – Psalm 132:13,14.
“(13) For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:
(14) “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”
Vs. 13 Still showing the servant-leader role and function
Paul says,
“If we are beside ourselves, it is for God: or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.”
Vs. 17-19 ALL OF US
This portion of Paul’s letter affirms their position in Christ as new creations and ambassadors for Him in the ministry of Reconciliation.
Vs. 20 Apostles, Elders and on some level ALL Christians are ambassadors (See 6:1 for clarity)
CHAPTER 6
Vs. 1 Plead with you to not receive God’s grace in vain
Drawing to a conclusion, Paul encourages these saints to NOT recieve God’s grace through them in vain.
Vs. 11 Our hearts are open wide to you.
THE GIFTS had faithfully ministered the truth to them in tribulations and much afflictions. They had poured out their lives for these saints who are so precious unto God. They did this not at a distance, not from the lofty position of a cleric/priest, but as servant-leaders. They not only shared with them the truth, but their own unrestricted hearts. True ministry within the body CANNOT be done without giving the heart! These “GIFTS” had opened their hearts wide to them!
Vs 12 You are hindered NOT by us, but by your own affections
Paul affirms that these Ephesian saints have indeed been hindered in their growth – but NOT by THE GIFTS God has given to them. They were hindered by their own carnal affections. These carnal affection had gained root and growth because they had not given themselves to God and to THE GIFTS God gave them for their growth and development, but had instead allowed their hearts to be opened wide to their carnal passions.
Vs 13 Respond to the plea of our hearts by opening your own wide.
Paul makes this plea to these saints – “Open your hearts wide to us!”. Paul desires his ministry of grace to be effective in them, to generate the intended change into Christ’s likeness, maturity and stability…to NOT receive the Grace of God in vain!
We will be spending more time looking at Living Witnesses next week….Blessings!
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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Blessings!
