Ephesians overview – 3:14-19, Filled by God due to grace (Rom 5:12-21), part 4.

Tuesday August 18, 2020

 

The human spirit injected by God’s knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is the most inspiring and precious thing in the entire universe.

 

The human spirit left to its own pride and lust is the ugliest thing in the universe. The better a creature can be the worst it can be. However, it is truly marvelous to see a human being actually get it, meaning the truth, because when he does, he is set free, and not free to do whatever his impulses tell him, but free to be good and enjoy the good that God Himself enjoys.

 

We are emphasizing, before we move on in Ephesians, that lived or not, the life given to every believer is a gift.

 

Rom 5:12-21 is one of the most important passages in all of scripture. It is vital that it is understood in its plainness.

 

Vv. 13-17 are a long parenthesis.

 

Rom 5:12

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned [when Adam sinned]—

 

This is the problem in the individual, the home, the city, the state, the nation, and the world.

 

Paul writes his parenthesis and then repeats vs. 12 (the protasis) in a slightly different way so that he can present the apodosis.

 

Rom 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

 

All the human race are born fallen sinners due to Adam’s sin. Christ gave justification, righteousness, a righteous kingdom, and eternal life as a free gift by grace to all who would receive it by faith.

 

 

Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

 

Gal 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

 

Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

 

Gal 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

Gal 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

 

 

This is why we can be filled up to all the fulness of God. It is not because of our works or anything we could do, but by grace as a free gift. All that Paul wrote concerning fullness; knowledge of Christ, knowledge of His love, knowledge of the will of the Father are all given to us as grace gifts.

 

God desired to save us out of His love and from that same love He desires to fill our lives with Himself.

 

Every Christian should desire this more than anything else in life: to have a life filled with God. We each must discover it for ourselves through study of His word and execution of His word, keeping and obeying His commands, committing our entire lives to Christ, meaning to the will of the Father as He did, and discovering or apprehending the love of Christ which is over the moon beyond full comprehension.

 

We must discover that life while cutting through all the fog that this world attempts to cloak or enshroud the truth with.

 

His life fills ours and that despite anything the enemies of God, both human and angelic, could do to us.

 

Adam became mankind. He became mankind under the curse of death and so all from him would be born the same, sinners under the curse of death. Paul reveals this by evidence when he states that all died from Adam until Moses without God’s Law being charged to man. So it is not a matter of Adam sinning and all of us concluding that we would have eventually eaten the fruit as he did, which is likely true, but not the point. It is the matter that Adam became the father of a human race under the condemnation of sin and death making all of us mortal and perishable.

 

We were all born sinners before we committed one sin.

 

 

The “as” clause of vs. 12 is followed by the “even so” clause of vs. 18, with vv.13-17 being a long parenthesis.

 

“as” through Adam sin entered the world, “even so” one act of righteousness resulted in justification of life to all men.

 

As Adam condemned the world to sin and death, even so through one man God’s life of righteousness was introduced to the world.

 

In the parenthesis we find the evidence that death reigned in all men followed by how the act of Christ was not like the act of Adam. And if we meditate a bit, we can find several ways in which the act of Christ was not like the act of Adam.

 

Rom 5:13-17

for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type [human] of Him who was to come [Christ is the archetype of the new humanity]. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died [the mass of humanity], much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (now repeating the gist of vs. 12) 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

By the obedience of the One, faith in Him brings death to every man’s link to the first Adam and enters us into union with Christ forever, partakers of His life.

 

Much more, abound, and abundance are key terms also. These express God’s attitude; an attitude of love.

 

The abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness should be repeated in our souls consistently.

 

A believer needs the courage of faith. Have you looked so long at your unworthiness that the very thought of pushing away from the shore-lines and launching out on the limitless, fathomless ocean of divine grace make you shrink and waver? Can you walk out on the water, following Christ, knowing by faith that you are infinitely loved and blessed so as not to sink in fear, though the waves of life crash against you?

 

Be filled with the love of God and the gifts of God. There is not some exceptional kind of man that walks in holiness. He who does is a poor sinner like the rest of us, who is believing the abundance of grace.

 

In vs. 17 we find two kingdoms: Adam’s – a world full of graves.

Christ’s – kings in life eternal.

 

Rom 5:17

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

 

May God open our eyes to the facts. Satan is deathly jealous of the church, which is already in the heavenlies and we must imagine, we definitely hope, that Satan can see the saints and New Jerusalem ready to descend upon the new earth in the future. Satan’s knows that the church will share Christ’s throne and soon reign with Him in indescribable glory. Therefore he will blind you, if he can, to your present place of royal power of life in Christ and the abundance of Christ’s love for you.