Angelic Conflict part 263: A kingdom of priests – Eph 2:4-10; 1Pe 1:22; Rev 1:6; Heb 12:28; 13:15; Tit 3:5-7; Rom 12:1-2.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 263: A kingdom of priests - EPH 2:4-10; 1PE 1:22; REV 1:6; HEB 12:28; 13:15; TIT 3:5-7; ROM 12:1-2.

 

 

The only One in the world whom the devil does not have a hold of is Jesus Christ Himself, for he alone had not sinned but had constantly loved the Father and kept His commands. The rest of the world, however, is under the power of the evil one.

 

1JO 5:19

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

 

Because of our sin, we are all part of the kingdom of this world and only become part of the kingdom of God, Christ's kingdom of royal priests, when we believe in Him. This is why nothing of salvation can be from us, even our faith is a gift of God, not that He chose some to have faith and others not to, for all have faith in something, but the very ability to have faith is a gift from God [ex: children], as is grace and salvation. We are all born separate from God, one hundred percent depraved, and as captives of the kingdom of the world there is not one part of salvation that comes from us.

 

It was because of this that John wrote his gospel.

 

JOH 20:30-31

Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

EPH 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

 

EPH 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

 

EPH 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

 

EPH 2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

 

EPH 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

 

EPH 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,

 

EPH 2:7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

 

In us, the surpassing riches of His grace is shown. His kindness toward us is shown through that grace, meaning that salvation was a gift that we didn't deserve and judgment was withheld that we did deserve.

 

In every generation there is a remnant of positive believers who are trophies of God's grace. In the future dispensations we will display this in resurrection bodies, the body of Christ in full display of His grace and kindness, for we did not ever earn or deserve that position.

 

EPH 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

 

EPH 2:9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

 

God's purpose in our redemption is not simply to rescue us from hell, as great a work as that is. His ultimate purpose in our salvation is that for all eternity the church might glorify God's grace (EPH 1:6,12,14). So, if God has an eternal purpose for us to fulfill, He will keep us for all eternity.

 

Since we have not been saved by our good works, we cannot be lost by our bad works. Grace means salvation completely apart from any merit or works on our part.

 

Grace means that God does it all for Jesus' sake! Our salvation is the gift of God.

 

The word that in EPH 2:8, in the Greek, is neuter; while faith is feminine. Therefore that cannot refer to faith. It refers to the whole experience of salvation, including faith. Salvation is a gift, not a reward.

 

EPH 2:8 For by grace [feminine] you have been saved through faith [feminine]; and that [neuter] not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

 

"and that" (neuter, not feminine) and so refers not to "faith" (feminine) or to "grace" (feminine also), but to the act of being saved by grace conditioned on faith on our part. Paul shows that salvation does not have its source "out of you", but from God, it is God's gift and not a result of work. [Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament]

 

Salvation cannot be "of works" because the work of salvation has already been completed on the cross. This is the work that God does for us, and it is a finished work (JOH 17:1-4; 19:30). We can add nothing to it (HEB 10:1-14) we dare take nothing from it. When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom, signifying that the way to God was now open. There is no more need for earthly sacrifices. One sacrifice - the Lamb of God - has finished the great work of salvation. God did it all, and He did it by His grace.

 

God gave us the ability to have faith. Every person has faith in something. There is no merit to believing in Christ as your personal Savior. All of it, the grace, the faith, and the salvation is a gift from God as is walking in that faith after salvation. The believer never merits a thing.

 

Sin worked against us and God worked for us, but the great work of conversion is but the beginning.

 

Anyone who believes that they have to work for salvation will in no way realize that salvation is just the beginning. Salvation is the ultimate gift, but it is not the ultimate end of the Christian experience. We are created in Christ Jesus for good works and not because of them.

 

Ignorance and arrogance go together. The armor of satan has always been lies and deceit.

 

LUK 11:21-22

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own homestead, his possessions are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied, and distributes his plunder.

 

Christ also removed satan's armor of lies and deceit. These need to be removed from our own souls so that we walk as king-priests.

 

EPH 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

It would follow that if I'm created in Christ Jesus for good works then I would need to understand what it means to be "in Christ Jesus" before I could understand how to walk in the good works.

 

The good works are the sacrifices of the royal priest:

 

1PE 1:22

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

 

In the context of Peter's first epistle the sacrifices he is referring to are made clear, being the production of the fruit of the Spirit in a believer's life. [inheritance, rejoice despite trials, love for God, conduct in fear while on earth, not conformed to lust but holy as He is holy, hope, love the brethren, growing in wisdom]

 

The good works are the fruit born from our individual ministries. If salvation is not from us then neither are the good works. As verse ten states, God prepared them beforehand.

 

COL 2:6

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him

 

The understanding of the good works flows from the word of God which is alive and powerful. The power therefore flows from Christ to us through His word and Spirit. The spiritual life combines with the spiritual person to make the spiritual resurrection a reality in the experience of the believer before he is united with his spiritual body.

 

The works are not a source of joy but the result of the joy that comes from knowing and believing who we are in Christ Jesus.

 

There is much to learn concerning our position in Christ. What have you received from this position? What is the inheritance in election? What is the plan of God that Christ lived and was given to us in predestination? What is it to be a son of God, inheriting a kingship and a priesthood?

 

How could I walk as a king-priest in the royal family of God if I didn't know that I am this forever, that this position is now the real me, and what does a king-priest in the royal family do, how does he think and behave, and how does he do it all to the honor of the King of kings and our high priest?  

 

 REV 1:6

and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

Don't attempt to get your joy from the source of the works themselves but receive joy from what you have freely received from Christ and then, in joy, walk in your good work.

 

HEB 12:28-29

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

 

HEB 13:15

 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

 

Gratitude follows joy. If a believer comes to know what he has received from God at salvation [a kingdom that cannot be shaken] and comes to enjoy those things then he will be overflowing with gratitude.

 

EPH 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

Doctrine is teaching the believer who he is in Christ Jesus, and once the believer understands these wonderful gifts and is convinced of them, then he is ready to walk in the good works that the Father has prepared.

 

Our Lord grew in wisdom before He started His own ministry at age 30.

 

LUK 2:40 And the Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

 

LUK 2:49 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

 

HEB 5:8

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.