Religion or Reality?

 My son's father in law has regressed into forms of religiosity. 

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Formulaic prayers and crossing of his heart rituals etc.

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 What makes this really sad is he attended Jack Hayford's Church On The Way for quite some time. 

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 He doesn't know the scriptures apparently nor did he pay attention to anything Jack taught.

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Today Jim speaks about who we are in Christ as a reality and what makes us holy.  

It is not in following all the do's and don'ts of religiosity.

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Ephesians 1: 17-23

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what 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 to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above 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: And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." ...

This is our second look at a portion of scripture that we looked at a few days ago, and I want to hit it from a different angle in this particular study.

 One of the things that I love about God's Word is that it is so rich, and one look at a number of books, chapters and verses in His Word is often just not sufficient to give us enough of what was originally intended for the reader, and so we'll take another look here at the end of the first chapter of Ephesians.

In the first study, I stressed the importance, even the absolute necessity of realizing as believers that everything that we receive, we must receive from God- be it wisdom, understanding, anointing for a particular ministry, even rebuke and discipline.

If we are not in tune with what He is doing in and through us, and if we are not cooperating with Him, we will be open to all sorts of spiritual obsession and confusion, which will render us less effective in truly bringing the risen Christ to others....

Now I want to discuss what the apostle Paul was explaining to the Ephesians (and in effect, us), concerning who Christ is to the church, and just who and Who's we are.

 Paul stated in verses 15 and 16 that he in fact prays for them, that they would understand these things, because he knew that if they came to an understanding of them, they would not be victims of any false teachings, or any demonic diversions that might pull them away from the genuine gospel message, and that they would become mature saints of God, able to present the living, risen Savior- in the full power of the Holy Spirit- to those around them.

They in turn would pray and teach others likewise, so that the lost would not only come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but also become spiritually equipped to present Christ in His reality to those around THEM-and so on, and so on...

Paul prayed that God would grant the Ephesians wisdom and knowledge- the wisdom and knowledge that can only come from God Himself, for only God has the true perspective of the state of the lost world, and of His own remedy for it's salvation.

He wants them to understand that the Father raised His Son from the dead, and that Christ is head over all. ALL.

 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10 & 11)"...

He also wants them to understand just who THEY are.

Even today, so few of us in the Church seem to really know who we are, because we're usually taught a bunch of do's and don't's by our clergy, rather than why we are a holy people.

 It is God Himself who has MADE us holy by the precious blood of Christ, and we absolutely must see ourselves as He has declared we are.

We could not make it more plain- We are His Holy Church because we are IN CHRIST, and HE put us there!

Christian, never again see yourself outside of Christ- You are in Christ, and that is God's doing. Knowing that fact alone will set many believers free from the defeated lifestyle in which they have- maybe for years- ignorantly resided.

No more!

You are a child of God, and we, the body of Christ, are to carry His fullness to this lost world "...the church ,which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all- Eph. 1:23". T

hat is our commission......

Lord Jesus, May Your fullness be made manifest in us, be shown to the world in us, Your Body, and that we would present YOU, not a mutated imitation of You, but You in Your reality, in Your beauty, in Your power, in Your love, to a world that so desperately needs you.

We recognize, Lord, that this can only be done as you empower us, and as we yield our members up to You.

Grant this, Lord- In Your most Holy name we pray...

Amen.

Pastor Jim Ewing