Ephesians; 1:4 – The calling of the elect, part 10: The called call upon a holy God.

Thursday February 14, 2019

 

The called also call upon the name of the Lord, Rom 10:12-14; 1Co 1:2. They call upon the Father, 1Pe 1:17.

 

1Pe 1:13 Therefore, gird your minds for action [be ready at all times for action], keep sober in spirit [calm, collected, self-controlled, and careful], fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ [justification and sanctification now and glorification in eternity].

 

1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

 

A believer should not be masquerading in the costume of the flesh or the world. Christ is to shine through him.

 

1Pe 1:15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

 

1Pe 1:16 because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

 

This is an unchanging edict. All of God’s children are to be set apart unto Him in all their behavior and God has enabled them.

 

Lev 11:44

‘For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy.’

 

The OT saint could not be set apart unto God as the church age believer can be who is in Christ and is a full beneficiary of the finished work of Christ, yet still, in his heart, the OT saint was to be completely set apart from the world and the flesh and unto God in love and in Law.

 

1Pe 1:17 And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth;

 

“address” – epikaleomai = to call upon. We call upon the Holy One as those elected to His holiness, therefore, conduct yourselves in fear (fear not being holy).

 

To call upon God as your Father means that you recognize Him as your Father. It is a wonderful privilege to have a great father, and it is the greatest comfort to know that God the Father is forever your Father. And like a great Father, God the Father is impartial.

 

Eph 2:18 for through Him we both [Jew and Gentile] have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

 

We have here one of the implicit declarations of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, so frequent in Ephesians. The unity of the whole church, as united to the Father, through the Son and in the Spirit is here summed up in one sentence.

 

The greater idea in this verse is our access to God, which is prominent, but with it the background idea of our union with one another in that access. In other words, how could I be greater than you, or than any Christian, if every one of us has full and open access to the Father through the work of the Trinity?

 

This is the ultimate backstage pass. By means of the death and resurrection of Christ, all believers have access to the Father.

 

“Access” (prosagoge) is a technical word of presentation to a royal presence. It is also used in 1Pe 3:18.

 

When Christ died the veil to the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom. Through His flesh we enter into the holy of holies, but not the earthly one – the one in the heavens.

 

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

 

The resurrected Christ ever lives to make intercession for us, seated at the right hand of God.

 

The veil kept the face of God in the dark in the OT. Jesus Christ has torn that veil and revealed that face. All of us, through the one Holy Spirit, have full access to the Father.

 

God could not come to man when the sin question was not settled, and man could not go to God for their was no way for sin to be cleansed, but when Christ spoke those precious words, “It is finished,” the dividing wall was torn down, the veil was torn, and man redeemed, man and God reconciled, and God propitiated.

 

Would that we take full advantage of our access to God the Father.

 

We have not only been forgiven, but we have also been brought into the family of God being all children and all calling God Father.

 

Remember that the elect are called and beloved and kept. We are accepted of the Father so as to be as near to Him as His own beloved Son. And as such, we have immediate access at any moment into His own blessed presence within the holiest through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Mat 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed [sanctified] be Thy name.’”

 

Luk 6:27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

 

Luk 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

 

Joh 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.”