Ephesians overview – 3:14-19, part 45: Inner man; the good heart revealed by the Lord.

Good treasure or bad treasure?

Luk 12:34

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

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.

An honest and sober evaluation of your life in light of the revelation of the word of God will reveal to you what is most valuable to you. Whatever you discover should never be a source of condemnation, but simply revelation. Anything can change with the power and wisdom of God.

If one very spiritually mature person was able to transfer all of his knowledge of truth to another more immature believer then neither spiritual condition would change. God must reveal or nothing is known. And God is doing His mighty best to accomplish this in all His sons and daughters. We must be obedient to what we do know and then we will be prepared and receiving of more knowledge of God.

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.

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

All the treasures of true life are hid in Christ.

Col 2:1-4

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument.

Col 3:1-4

If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

By means of the gospel, the treasures of true life are in the believer. He needs only the Word and the Spirit to see them.

2Co 4:6-7

For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;

God uses people of this world to help us but we must recognize the source, which is God in heaven. Even the best people are sinners. All of them die. They are sand while Jesus is the Rock. You can do a lot of nice things with sand, but you must not build a house on it.

If we act upon our calling to holiness, then our life will be like a house built upon the rock – a holiness in a heart unshakeable. Only God can build it. We must commit and obey.

Luk 6:46-49

"And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 "Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 "But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."