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The Gospel Observer
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them
to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19,20).
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July 29, 2012
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Contents:
1) Ephesians 4:4-6 (Tom Edwards)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
Ephesians 4:4-6
by Tom Edwards
In our last installment, we closed with the "one body" that is
spoken of in Ephesians 4:4 and saw that to be referring to the one
church, which also indicates the need for unity among God's people
and the abhorrence we should have toward anything that would impair
or destroy that, such as human creeds that conflict with God's
word and a divisive party spirit that leads to division.
Paul goes on to show that just as there is "one body," there is also
just "one Spirit" (Eph. 4:4), which pertains to the "Holy
Spirit." Though some people have likened the Holy Spirit to
merely an energy, like electricity, He is actually the third person
of the Godhead; and according to John 16:8,13, the Holy Spirit would
"convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment"
and would guide the apostles into all the truth. He would
speak, hear, and disclose what is to come. He would also
glorify Christ (v. 14), teach the apostles all things and bring to
their remembrance all that Jesus had said to them (v. 26). The
Holy Spirit would be a Helper, a Comforter. So, yes, the Holy
Spirit is more than merely a power. He is a Divine Person of
the Godhead and, like a person, can also be grieved (Eph.
4:30). Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as "He" and "Him" --
not as "it." Through the Holy Spirit, God's word was being
delivered to the world; and that message of the one Spirit would
unify all who would accept it -- whether Jew or Gentile.
Paul also mentions the "one hope" in Ephesians 4:4, which is vitally
important to have. "For in hope we have been saved, but hope
that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he
sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance
we wait eagerly for it" (Rom. 8:24,25).
Even the Old Testament can help to increase our hope in God: "For
whatever was written in earlier times was written for our
instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of
the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).
Consider, too, Paul's desire for the Romans: "Now may the God of
hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will
abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 15:13).
In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul speaks of three important qualities
that would continue after miraculous gifts would cease: "But now
faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is
love." Hope is needful in our spiritual battle against sin:
"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" (1 Thess. 5:8).
People often hope in many things that never come to pass.
Their hope is not dependable. For instance: "Instruct those
who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix
their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly
supplies us with all things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17). In
contrast to worldly hope, consider the Christian's: "...and of
Christ Jesus, who is our hope" (1 Tim. 1:1). If our hope is
truly in Jesus than that hope can never fail, nor can any other hope
even come close in greatness. For in the Lord, we have the
hope of eternal life! We, therefore, need to focus on
Jesus. That is what Paul did: "For it is for this we labor and
strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the
Savior of all men, especially of believers" (1 Tim. 4:10). It
is this one hope that gives us assurance, confidence, and connection
to Jesus Himself: "In the same way God, desiring even more to show
to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose,
interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong
encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the
hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the
soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the
veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become
a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek" (Heb.
6:17-20). We can, therefore, "...hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb.
10:23). In contrast to the Old Covenant, the "living hope" (1
Pet. 1:3) of the gospel is the "better hope" (Heb. 7:19).
When there is hope, there is a looking forward with positive
expectation. For example: "Therefore, prepare your minds for
action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace
to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet.
1:13). The "revelation" of Jesus Christ is the revealing of
Him at His second coming -- when the saint will be changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the mortal will put on
immortality, when lowly bodies will be transformed into glorious,
eternal bodies adapted for heaven (1 Cor. 15:50-54). It is
this hope that helps motivate us to make ourselves ready for that
great time (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2,3).
This wonderful hope is what we also need to be teaching others: "but
sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope
that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Pet. 3:15).
In Ephesians 4:5, Paul shows that there is only "one Lord," which is
pertaining to Jesus Christ: "Therefore let all the house of Israel
know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this
Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36). The term "Lord" means
"ruler," and God the Father made Jesus not only Lord, but also a
"Lord of lords and King of kings" (Rev. 17:14), with all authority
in heaven and on earth to rule supremely over all. Compare 1
Peter 3:22: "who is at the right hand of God, having gone into
heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected
to Him."
It is true, however, that the Father is also referred to as
"Lord." So one might wonder, "Why does this passage say there
is just 'one Lord'"? This is because of the unique sense in
which Jesus, as Lord, had been made to be head over all things to
the church, as we see in Ephesians 1:20-23: "which He brought about
in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His
right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in
this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things
in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things
to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all
in all." And He is to rule in this capacity until He delivers
the kingdom back up to the Father, according to 1 Corinthians
15:24-28. Also, we have seen that the one Spirit, the Holy
Spirit, was already mentioned and the one Father; so this "one Lord"
is referring to Christ, the second person of the Godhead.
Another thing that there is only one of, which Paul mentions in
Ephesians 4:5, is the "one faith." Sad to say, however, in the
religious world today there are many different "faiths." For
instance, there is the Catholic faith, the Presbyterian faith, the
Baptist faith, the Unitarian faith, etc. These faiths widely
differ in certain points because of their human creeds that make
each one distinctly different. One good start would be to get
rid of all human creeds and use only the Bible. Notice, for
example, Jude's exhortation in Jude 1:4: "Beloved, while I was
making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt
the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly
for the faith which was once for all handed down to the
saints." Here, the word "faith" is used objectively to refer
to the gospel itself, which is how it is also used in Acts 6:7: "The
word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples
continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the
priests were becoming obedient to the faith." So the gospel is
the faith, which can also instill faith in the hearer, according to
Romans 10:17.
Because there is only one faith, we must be careful that it doesn't
become corrupted by the false teachings of men. Paul warned
about this: "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who
called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is
really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and
want to distort the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:6,7).
Another thing Paul mentions as being only one of is baptism (Eph.
4:5). Again, however, this is not what many in the religious
world would tell us. For, today, many feel that immersion is
just one of various ways to be baptized, that sprinkling or pouring
would also be just as acceptable. Many folks also differ on
the purpose for baptism. Some groups think it shouldn't be
practiced at all. Others believe it is for those already
saved, an "outward showing of an inward grace." While the
Bible makes it clear that it is for the penitent believer who wants
to be forgiven and become a Christian. Furthermore, some
people believe it is not water baptism, but a Holy Spirit baptism
that saves us. So, as you can see, there are many different
baptisms in the religious world today; but the Bible says there is
only one.
As to the mode of baptism, that is inherent in the word
itself. For the Greek word means "immersion." But even
without knowing the Greek, the Bible describes it as a burial -- and
not a mere sprinkling. For instance: "...we have been buried
with Him through baptism into death..." (Rom. 6:4). Also
Colossians 2:12: "having been buried with Him in baptism...."
There are also other passages that indicate immersion instead of
sprinkling. For example, John baptized in Aenon near Salem
"because there was much water there" (Jn. 3:23). Much water
would not be necessary for sprinkling, but it would be for
immersion. In Acts 8:38, "...they both went down into the
water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him." If
sprinkling were the means, neither of them would have to go down
into the water. They could just stand near the water's
edge. But here we are told that both of them actually went
into the water.
The Bible also makes it clear that this one baptism is "for the
remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). So just belief and repentance
was not enough. For baptism was also necessary to have sins
forgiven. We saw in Romans 6:4 that baptism is a burial, but
that same verse also shows that we are not to stay buried (only our
sins are). While we are raised up to "...walk in newness of
life." So, though there are many people who teach that baptism has
nothing at all to do with one's salvation, the Bible clearly shows
that it is a necessary part in God's plan of salvation for the
non-Christian to become a Christian. Peter states in 1 Peter
3:21 that "...baptism now saves you...." Because this is so,
penitent believers were baptized immediately. Never do we find
them taking the time to first eat or sleep. For they knew
salvation from their sins involved baptism, along with
believing, repenting, and acknowledging faith in Jesus.
And, lastly, on the one baptism, how do we know it is water baptism
and not some type of Holy Spirit baptism? First of all, the
only two cases of Holy Spirit baptism pertain to the apostles in
Acts 2 and, as a special sign ten years later, to indicate God's
acceptance of the first Gentile converts (Acts 10,11). After
hearing the gospel preached, the Ethiopian eunuch knew that if he
wanted to get right with God, water baptism was necessary (Acts
8:35-39). Notice, too, that this passage also shows that the
rejoicing of the eunuch is not mentioned until after his baptism,
which is also true with the Philippian jailer and his household
(Acts 16:31-34). To truly believe in Jesus is to accept what
He teaches and obey it.
When Paul said there is just "one baptism" in Ephesians 4:5, that
was written about A.D. 60 to 61. And when Peter declares that
"baptism now saves you," in 1 Peter 3:21 that was written about A.D.
65 -- so a few years after Paul said there is just "one
baptism." Therefore, the one baptism that is to continue is
water baptism for the remission of sins, which is performed by
immersion.
After mentioning the "one baptism," Paul then points out that there
is only "one God and Father" in Ephesians 4:6. This is not to
say, however, that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not also God; for
even when speaking of the three persons of the Godhead together, we
still acknowledge them as the "one God." But here in Ephesians
4:6, Paul is emphasizing the one Father, who is Supreme Deity.
Much of the world in Paul's day was polytheistic. Idolatry
abounded. But, in reality, there is only one true God for
every nation and every person. And that oneness indicates the
need for unity. For how could people of various nations be
one, if they are all worshiping and serving different gods?
In contrast to the many gods of heathenism, the Bible sets forth the
one God who is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. They are a united one, though distinct
individuals. This can also be seen in Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear,
O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" "LORD,"
in this verse, is from the Tetragrammaton, which is made up of only
4 consonants and said to be the personal name of God. It has
been translated as "Jehovah," "Yahweh," and various other
ways. No one today knows what that actual name is; but it is
applied to not only the Father, but also to the Son, Jesus (cf.
Zech. 6:15). "GOD" is from the Hebrew word "elohim," which is
the plural form of God. The first place it is seen in the
Bible is the first book, the first chapter, and the first verse --
Genesis. 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth." As we read on about that work of Creation, we see that
there is a plurality in the Godhead who were involved -- Genesis
1:26,27: God said "Let US make man in OUR image," and then
verse 27 states that "God created man in His own image...."
"ONE," in Deuteronomy 6:4, is from the Hebrew word "echad," which
James Strong defines as "united." It is translated as "united"
in Ezra 3:9, in which it states, "Then Jeshua with his sons and
brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah
and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to
oversee the workmen in the temple of God." It is also
rendered as "unit" in Exodus 26:6: "You shall make fifty clasps of
gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that
the tabernacle will be a UNIT." The three persons of the
Godhead are united in purpose, in love, in the true essence of
Deity. They form quite a "unit." As Jesus states in John
10:30, "I and the Father are one." And to see that this means
they were one in purpose and Deity, but not the same person, compare
it to John 17:20,21: "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for
those also who believe in Me through their word; 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." Jesus did not pray that Christians all become one person,
but that we become one in spiritual things, while still being
distinct individuals. For that is how Jesus is one with the
Father. And as we think of those three distinct persons of the
Godhead, we know that there is only one God the Father -- and only
one God the Son, and only one God the Holy Spirit.
Let us continue to think on these "ONES" of Ephesians 4:4-6: The
"one body and one Spirit," the "one hope," the "one Lord," the "one
faith," the "one baptism," and the "one God and Father of all who is
over all and through all and in all."
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News & Notes
I heard just yesterday from R.J. Evans that Mizell Fisher
(Kevin's dad) and Clyde Jackson will soon be undergoing hospice
care. Let those of us who are Christians be remembering them
in prayer, along with their families.
Especially in being the small group that we are, we were glad to
have 22 visitors for our morning worship July 29 -- and for the
entire month, we had a total of 52 different visitors. If you
were one of them, we were happy and thankful for your being with us
and hope that you can be back again soon!
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel,
for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30,31).
2) Believe in the
deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins
(Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in
Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water
for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4;
Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith;
for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet.
2:20-22).
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Park Forest
CHURCH OF CHRIST
9923 Sunny Cline Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70817
Sunday services: 9:00 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 6 PM (worship)
Tuesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/go (Gospel Observer website)
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)