Ephesians overview – 3:14-19, Filled by God to be alive with Christ (Rom 6), part 2.

1Th 5:12-22

But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.

Quench (sbennumi - put out like a fire) the Spirit – not following the commands.

The Holy Spirit empowers us like an inner furnace when we obey by faith.

In vs. 8 we are exhorted to put on the armor of God. 1Th 5:8

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

This along with everything that makes up the Christ-life. Paul uses imagery, “quench,” as the result of our choosing not to execute the life we’ve been called to. “Don’t put it out. Let it burn within you.” We’re encouraged to go for it by faith, and if we don’t, the power of the Spirit in us, which would be like a fire if we did, is put out.

2Ti 1:7-14

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

Living the Christ-life is the way of guarding the treasure within you, which is the Christ dwelling at home in our hearts.

Col 2:1-3

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.

We can only live it by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us like an inner furnace when we obey by faith.

This experiment, if that is the right word, is that we have been made the subjects that fit the Lord’s kingdom, being made new within, existing in the Lord’s kingdom in position while not living in the environment of that kingdom. We are in His kingdom but not yet physically there, currently residing in Satan’s kingdom. It drives Satan nuts when our light shines in his world.

Mat 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

We are light in a dark world filled with self-centered, proud, lustful people. We love the Lord’s kingdom of justice and righteousness and truth while we are surrounded by unjust kingdoms ruled by power hungry, money loving, unwise, lying people. We carry within us the keys to the kingdom of God, the gospel, and find that so many don’t want to enter.

When Satan offered Him the kingdoms of the world, Satan was in effect saying that Jesus could take them over and rehabilitate or redesign them in His way. Think of the fair laws, fair taxation, elimination of crime, etc. that He would have done. But He rejected it, and not only because He was told worship Satan. He will in fact take over the kingdoms of the world at His second coming. But then, He will do it with His new creation. The kingdom of God cannot be unless its subjects are like God, made righteous, and only Jesus can make another man righteous. The Millennial Reign will reveal this as all the unrighteous born into that time will rebel against a righteous system.

So, while we are in this world, the issue for our lives is the gospel join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God (2Ti 1:8) and the church 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 (Col 2:1). There is suffering in both because of unrighteous people and the unrighteous system we live in in the devil’s world.

Yet our King has gone before us, behind enemy lines, exposing Himself to the world, taking upon Himself every temptation it could throw at Him, every heartache that is inherent in it, every suffering that its petty residents could summon, physically and verbally, and He overcame all of it, and not by fighting against it, but standing in the truth and trusting the Father. And then He told us before He left us here to wait for Him:

He told us to wait for Him and to be like Him while we do, for He has made us able.

Joh 14:1-6

Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

Joh 17:11-26

"And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are. 12 "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name which Thou hast given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 "But now I come to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.18 "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. 22 "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. 24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world. 25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me; 26 and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them."