MyBeloved

My congregation should be a dwelling place for GOD in the Spirit by revealing the presence and the glory of GOD on earth. When anyone comes into my congregation the impression should be that GOD is in His holy temple, (the Church). Members of the congregation help bring this about by getting into GOD's Word and applying it to our lives, loving one another and forgiving those who hurt us. All of the above must be applied to my own life so that I do not hinder the work of GOD's Holy Spirit. This applys to all of those in my congregation.

The apostles and prophets contribute to my life today in that they personally laid the foundation on which the Church is built. Acts 2:42 tells us that the early church built its doctrine upon that of the apostles. As the members of the congregation read GOD's Word and obey it our lives are affected by the prophets and the apostles. "Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" reveals that Christ is the Rock on which the church is built. The prophets and apostles put down the foundation, and Christ is the chief corner stone, the Rock. The Temple, which is the church is growing in the sense that the Holy Spirit is in the midst. As we grow in the Word we become more like Christ.

"members of GOD's household" tells us that God the Son is the Head of the church and we are its members. All who have received Jesus Christ as personal Savior are brothers and sisters in the Lord. We should be loving one another just as we are and not rejecting someone because they are not as we think they should be. The fellowship of the members of GOD's household should be a sweet, loving fellowship, closer than our biological family members. Those Christians who are not faithful to gather with the local congregation are out of fellowship with the Lord. They have either been hurt or have not grown in the Christian walk.

When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we are no longer aliens but now fellow citizens of Heaven. We are members of GOD's family, not servants, but His children. When Paul says that we are "holy" he is saying that we are set apart for GOD's use. We should walk in obedience and fellowship with Him.

Access to the Father is important because we are sinners and He is a holy GOD. How can one who is sinful have access to One who is holy and undefiled? It is only by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have access to the Father. All who come by the way of the cross have access to the Father, Jew, Gentile, everyone. This access fulfills the greatest commandments in that when we know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we love the Father. When we love the Father we will love fellow humans.

According to verse 20 GOD's power works through believers in Christ. Super abundant power, more than we ask or think is at work there. I believe that power isn't more evident because many are unaware of the power of GOD's Holy Spirit within us and what He wants to do through us. These truths are not taught as they should be. Exercising Christ's power on earth brings glory to GOD by the needs of believers being met and new believers coming to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Christ is head over everything for the church. He is the leader of the church and we must follow His lead. If a group of believers is not teaching the Word and praying and seeking the Lord's guidence in all things that group is not following their Leader. Lifting Christ up in everything we do is of uppermost importance. Verse 19 speaks of "the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power." With Christ as our Head we have all of the power that we need.

From the standpoint of power, the significance of Paul's statement that "GOD raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" is when we received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we were raised up, made alive in Christ. We are now positionally seated in the heavenly realms with Christ Jesus. We have each our own place assigned there, which in due time we will take possession. We do not deserve it, it is all by grace.

When Paul told the Ephesian Gentile Christians that Christ is seated at GOD's right hand in the heavenly realms he was telling them that Christ is over all spirit beings that had exercised power over them. Jesus Christ is now in a place of full authority and power over every other spiritual being in the universe, He has total authority. Therefore these spirit beings and powers are under His feet.

The reason Paul prayed that GOD would open the Ephesians eyes to discern GOD's encomparable great power is because they were like so many believers in Christ today, we just don't comprehend the wonderful Power of the Holy Spirit that we have within us. I looked up theword, "imcomparable" and the meaning is, incapable of being compared. So outstanding as to be beyond comparison; unsurpassed. Their spiritual eyes were darkened to what they had in Christ Jesus. That Power will work in us if we will let Him. The miraculous event that Paul uses as an example is the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful doxology to end this precious study. These verses show us that Jesus is God of very God. The Father and the Son are One and are worthy of worship from every created being. This has been a wonderful study and it has made me all the more appreciate the wonderful gift of salvation and what it cost our blessed Savior. Thank you, Pastor Ralph for the study.

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto GOD and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:5,6 These verses explain that we who know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior are priests and we reign now. We will also reign with him in the future.

The sinless Lamb of God took our sins upon Himself, poured out His blood in our place, died and rose again from the grave victorious over sin, death, hell, and the grave. He was willing to die so that all who will receive Him as personal Savior may go to Heaven. That makes Him worthy to open the scroll in Heaven.

The Lamb itself represents our crucified Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29). Standing after being slain indicates His bodily resurrection. Seven horns indicates complete power, omnipotent. Seven eyes indicates complete knowledge, omniscience. He moves in the fullness of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. The number seven carries the idea of completeness. Jesus finished the work of salvation. The Lamb has the qualities of being GOD.

The Messiah is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah because Jacob prophesied that the Messiah would one day come from the tribe of Judah. Isaiah speaks of the Messiah coming forth as "a rod out of the stem of Jesse", Isaiah 53 speaks of Him as "a root out of a dry ground." Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophesies.

"This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" fills us with sorrow because of what our Savior had to endure for our redemption. He who knew no sin became sin for us and poured out his blood to wash our sins away. For a sinless God/Man to be covered with the sins of mankind must have been more horrible than we can imagine. We are filled with joy because we are redeemed, cleansed by the precious blood of the Lamb. We are seated in the Heavenlies with Him.

It is important to forgive others before we partake of the LORD's supper because Christ has forgiven us of all our sins. We must therefore be willing to forgive others. The LORD's supper and unforgiveness are incompatable because we dishonor the LORD with unforgiveness.

The signifance of drinking Jesus' blood and eating His flesh is receiving Him as our personal Savior, having a real relationship with Him. Jesus had just told them that He was the Bread that came down from Heaven and John 1:4 tells us that "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." When we partake of the bread in the Lord's supper we have bread in the mouth and Christ in our heart. This was a radical idea for the disciples because they were forbidden to drink blood. This should be a radical idea for us today because of what our Lord suffered to obtain our redemption. His body was broken and his blood poured out for us.

The Jewish Passover meal in Jesus' day was a time of looking back to when the Jews were freed from slavery whereas the Christian's celebration of the Lord's Supper is a time of looking back to our liberation from the penality of sin. Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb took our place on the cross. The elements used in the Passover meal represented the sorrows the Israelites endured. The elements used in the Lord's Supper help us to remember that the Lord gave His body and blood for our redemption.

The lambs at the first Passover served as a substitute for the firstborn of the Israelite homes. The blook of those lambs saved them from physical death. Our Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ poured out His blood on the cross in substitionary death for us and now we are set free. His righteousness has been applied to our account and we are seated in the heavenlies.

Romans 6:22, 23 "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to GOD, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." NIV We have been set free from the penalty of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. We need GOD's Holy Spirit to empower us while we are in the flesh so that we can live for Him.

When we receive Christ as our personal Savior He redeems us, buys us. He now owns us and we are to serve Him and no longer serve the sinful nature. We are to walk in newness of life led by His Holy Spirit and obey Him.

According to 1 Timothy 2:6 Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all. So that would mean that every class of humans are redeemed through His blood poured out on the cross. Leviticus 25 tells us that a near relative can become our kinsman redeemer and GOD became man to redeem us. Of course there are some who choose to remain slaves of sin and therefore they do not receive the redemption of Christ offered to them. Jesus, Peter, and Paul used this analogy in the theme verses to explain that we cannot purchase our redemption by material means but only by the precious blood of Christ. This redemption or ransom explains that we are no longer to live for the desires of self but to live to please Him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 is the passage that sums up for me the lessons of Isaiah 53. I selected this passage because it tells us that God the Son was "stricken by GOD, smitten by Him, and afflicted." (53:4) "Yet it was the LORD's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand." (53:10) As 2 Corinthians 5:21 reads, GOD made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of GOD. He took my place and now His righteousness is applied to my account. Praise His Name!

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death," I am a sinner and have broken GOD's laws therefore I deserve death. The verse also reads, "but the gift of GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV) Jesus paid the penalty for my sins when He suffered and poured out His blood on the cross. As Charles Wesley wrote, "AMAZING LOVE! HOW CAN IT BE THAT THOU, MY GOD, SHOULDST DIE FOR ME! What amazing love that He was willing to take my place and suffer that which I could not to pay for my sins.