Ephesians overview – 3:14-19, part 43: Inner man; the good heart.

Sunday May 31,2020

 

LUK 6:39-45

And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher [Christ and the Holy Spirit]. 41 "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

 

Every believer’s heart is cleansed at the moment of salvation and that enables him to draw near to God by obeying His will, and when he does so, his cleansed heart becomes more wise, more seeing, more transformed.

 

To live as a son of God is the fight, for there is much opposition to your development as a son or daughter of God.

 

1TI 1:18-19

fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience

 

1TI 6:11-12

But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

 

The life every believer lives is unto the Son of God as sons of God. There is no other life. God states this as a fact. 

 

GAL 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

 

It’s seems to me, at least at this point in my own journey, that Paul leaves it up to us to discover what it means to say, “I no longer live, but Christ lives within me.” Such an astounding statement of life must have unfathomable repercussions.

 

The teaching by Christ in His Sermon, which amounts to a life of dedication to the will of the Father as He did, is simple, but its realization is life changing to the core. Yet its simplicity has been attacked for 2,000 years. Just think of how many times you have heard or have yourself concluded (as I have many times) that taking literally complete self-denial, as the Lord has stated it, is too harsh, or too strict. It was fit for martyrs of the past. Think of how much of the ecclesiastical Christian church has become a light Sunday affair without mention of:

 

EPH 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--    3:2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;    3:3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.    3:4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,    3:5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;    3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,    3:7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.    3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,    3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 

 

Eph  3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,    3:21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.  

 

Good treasure or bad treasure?

 

LUK 6:43-45

“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

 

Treasure - thesauros = a place of safe keeping or storehouse. In a heart it can be good or evil.

 

It is what you guard as most valuable to you. It could be possessions, time, admiration of others, and what all of them and more point to: self.

 

Christ told us to remove the log: self. He told us to deny it daily, to lose it, and proclaiming all of this He knew that He was heading towards the cross to crucify it.

 

LUK 12:30-34

"For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 "But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys. 34 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 

Moses had the treasures of Egypt in his grasp, but he saw something far more valuable, even though it came with reproach.