Lesson 402 - Senior
Memory Verse
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called" (Ephesians 4:1).
Cross References
I The Apostles' Prayer for the Ephesians
1. To be strengthened in the inner man, [EPH:3:14-16]; [ROM:9:23]; [2CO:4:16]; [COL:1:11], [COL:1:27].
2. That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith, [EPH:3:17]; [JHN:14:23].
3. To comprehend the vastness of the love of God, [EPH:3:18]; [EPH:1:18]; [ROM:10:12].
4. To be filled with all the fullness of Christ, [EPH:3:19]; [HEB:13:21]; [JHN:1:16].
II An Exhortation to Christian Unity
1. A walk worthy of a Christian's high calling is necessary, [EPH:4:1]; [PHL:1:27]; [1TS:2:12].
2. The fruit of the Spirit is manifested in our relations one with another, [EPH:4:2]; [ACT:20:19]; [GAL:5:22-23]; [COL:3:12-13].
3. The unity of the Spirit is preserved in the bond of peace, [EPH:4:3]; [JHN:14:27]; [COL:3:14].
III The Unity of All Pertaining to God
1. Christ's Church is one body. There is one Spirit -" the Spirit of Christ, [EPH:4:4]; [ROM:12:5]; [1CO:12:11-12]; [HEB:6:19].
2. There is one Lord "- Lord Christ; one faith -" Christ's Doctrine; one baptism "- He ordained it, [EPH:4:5]; [MAT:28:19]; [GAL:3:27-28].
3. There is one God in whom we live and have our being, [EPH:4:6]; [MAL:2:10]; [ROM:11:36]; [1TM:2:5].
IV The Work of the Church on Earth
1. The gifts were bestowed upon men when Christ ascended on High, [EPH:4:7-10]; [PS:68:18]; [ROM:12:6-8]; [1CO:12:4-11]; [1TM:3:16]; [HEB:9:24].
2. Instructors were appointed that the church might be brought to perfection, and that the children of God might not be led astray by false doctrine, [EPH:4:11-16]; [ISA:28:9]; [HEB:13:9]; [2TM:4:5].
Notes
God Our Father
This lesson starts out with Paul's prayer for the Ephesians. He declares that the whole family of the redeemed in Heaven and earth is named for the Father. In human relationship are we not named after our earthly father? Through Jesus Christ we are all made one in our heavenly relationship, if we have been born again and our names enrolled in the heavenly records. God is not the Father of those who reject His Son and His plan of salvation. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do" [JHN:8:44]). It is our spiritual relationship to God that makes Him our Father. God is not the author of sin nor the Father of those whose lives are sinful. Neither are they brothers who reject our Elder Brother and walk after the flesh.
God's Riches
The first part of Paul's prayer is for them to be strengthened in the inner man, according to the riches of his glory. God's riches are unlimited. It is all a free gift. When a wealthy man gives a gift, he is expected to give a gift according to his ability. When a poor man gives a gift, one expects it to be small, for he is not able to give much. But think what God's resources are! And He is able to go even beyond what we can think or ask. The gift of Christ to man is the measure of God's love, and the death of Christ for man is the measure of His love.
Paul desires that Christ dwell in their hearts by faith and that they be rooted and grounded in love, so that they may be able to comprehend the immeasurableness of God's love.
The natural man is strengthened by earthly food, the inward man by that which comes from Heaven. To survive, they both must be fed. Neglect the body, it perishes. Neglect the spiritual man, he dies. Paul wants them to know the love of Christ, which is abounding toward them so richly, that they may be filled with all the fullness of God. Someone has said that to be filled with God is a great thing; to be filled with the fullness of God is still greater; but to be filled with all the fullness of God confounds the understanding. It means to be filled with meekness, goodness, gentleness, love, patience, justice, holiness, mercy and truth. Few exemplify the stature of fullness. Many show the stature of littleness and emptiness.
Paul prayed that the Ephesians might attain to the very highest in their Christian experience. Does it not portray the perfection of the Bride of Christ? In days of old, kings looked for human perfection in selecting their brides. Why should not we expect our Christ to look for that spiritual perfection in the Church, His Bride who is to walk side by side with Him in His Kingdom here on this earth?
A Careful Walk
Walk worthy of the vocation! How high is our standard? In our own heart, what is the standard we have set up? Do we consider that we should be full of meekness, full of love, full of joy, full of humility, full of justice? Do we hold as high a standard for ourselves as we do for another?
The standard we hold must be weighed on God's scale and not on our own ideas or shortcomings. Every step in this Christian race should be a step of courage, of faith, of love, of meekness, of loyalty to the truth. The Lord expects it of us; He is grieved if we fail; and by our failure we may lose our place in the Bride hood of Christ.
Unity
"United we stand, divided we fall," is not a Bible quotation but it is quite true. A story is told of a father who had several sons. One day he took some sticks and bound them into a bundle and brought them to his sons and asked each son to break the bundle. Not one of them could break it. The father then took the bundle, untied it and took each stick and broke it, showing that in unity there is strength.
We are exhorted to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace [EPH:4:3]).
Jesus said the gates of hell should not prevail against His Church. Why? It is a united Church. The members may live in Africa, America, Japan, West Indies, anywhere on the earth; it is one Church, the Church Militant here on earth. One day it will become the Church Triumphant -" the Bride of Christ.
One Body
The Church is likened to the body of Christ. Jesus is the Head. All are members one with another. There is no friction in the human body. All members work in perfect accord and in conjunction with one another. All are in perfect obedience and subjection to the head. In the Church every member should labour for the comfort and edification of the whole, and to honour the Head, which is Christ. Paul, by his admonitions, exhortations and encouragements is striving to point the way to a perfect Church.
There is one Lord -" Jesus Christ; one faith for the whole world, and that faith is the doctrines set forth in the Word of God by Jesus Christ and the Apostles; one baptism, the one Jesus ordained when He was here on earth; one God, Father of us all, Jews and Gentiles, and fountain of all being, who is above all.
Christ's Ascension and Descension
"When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)" This same Jesus who triumphed over death, hell and the grave on that resurrection morning, ascended up on High leading captivity captive. In [PS:68:18] we find the Psalmist giving the same quotations as if he were picturing a military triumph. Also in [JUG:5:12] we read: "Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive."
In olden times the conqueror often drove through the streets with the conquered fastened behind his chariot; and amidst the applause of the people, threw out to them gifts of the bounty he had taken. Jesus descended to this earth as God in man and suffered the insults and rebuffs of men, was crucified and placed in the tomb, but that was not the end. He arose and ascended up on High far above all heavens, that He might fulfil all things.
Gave Gifts unto Men
"He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." Jesus looks into the natural qualifications of the members of the Body of Christ and gives to them according to their ability. It is all done for the perfecting of the saints.
Just as we need schools to teach our children the ways of life, so the church needs pastors, evangelists, and teachers to instruct Christians in the path of righteousness and to build them up in the most holy faith. Those who are as children, are often tossed about from one belief to another before they become grounded in the truth. When they grow up to become stalwart men and women in the faith they are able to separate the true from the false.
All these teachers and instructors in the Gospel are given us to help us become full-grown men or women in Christ Jesus -" united in one perfect Church.
Questions
1. Mention some of the things Paul prayed for in his prayer for the Ephesians.
2. How great is God's love to man?
3. How carefully should a Christian walk?
4. Name some of the gifts Jesus gave to men.
5. Can all men claim God as their Father?
6. What brings unity in the Church?
7. Tell how Paul compares the Church to the body.
8. Who is the Head?