10/2/13

From Gary.... Not MY KIND OF LUNCH!!!


This very special sandwich, reminded me of something I tried yesterday- SPAM!!!  But, not just any SPAM- it was SPAM LIGHT!!!  I was surprised to learn that in Weight-Watcher points it wasn't too bad (56grams or 2 oz. was only three points).  I made it go a long way by cutting it up into small pieces and cooking it with my usual Cajun home fries.  But, I am using this picture today because of what it is called - "A politician burger"!!!  It is fried Bologna, with gooey soft scrambled egg and cheese with a toasted buttermilk biscuit.  Now the picture reminded me of all the Political turmoil that has occurred lately and that made me think of freedom. I have very strong feelings about being free and have enormous doubts about whether America can even be classified as a free nation any more; let alone a truly democratic one.  The leading scriptures that came to mind are listed below and they are worth both your time and reflection....

Galatians, Chapter 3
13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”  14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brothers, speaking of human terms, though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it.  16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn’t say, “To seeds”, as of many, but as of one, “To your seed”, which is Christ. 17 Now I say this. A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ, the law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not annul, so as to make the promise of no effect.  18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by promise. 

19  What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.  21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.  22 But the Scriptures imprisoned all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  26 For you are all children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.  27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  29 If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to promise. 

James, Chapter 1
19  So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.  21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror;  24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. 


1 Corinthians, Chapter 7
  18  Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.  19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.  20 Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.  21 Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it.  22 For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant. 23 You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men.  24 Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.


Rules, regulations, ordinances, and the like have become commonplace in America today, but they fail to compare with all the requirements of the LAW.  I am told that there were 613 of them, which equalled the sum of the days of the year and the number of bones in the human body.  Even if the actual number was even somewhat close to this (remember, the Jews began to think of oral traditions and traditions of the elders as being equal to Scripture) then the intrusion into daily life was truly significant!!!!   Christianity is radically different from Judaism, in that it is founded on grace and Christians are basically free from being treated as children through the LAW.  So, for me, an ever increasing bureaucracy that has become "The American Way" is like me being forced to eat a "Politician Burger" on a daily basis.  Our government has partially shut down; this is both a fact and an opportunity.  The fact is inescapable, but the opportunity is wonderful. If enough of us really decided to change things, we still have the power to do so. Reflect a moment on the passages I selected and especially the last highlighted one.  If you are given freedom, whether Spiritual or temporal, use that freedom to glorify God!!!  As for me, as long as I can still share my thoughts in this venue; I will proclaim that God should not be taken as lightly as this country has recently done.  He has blessed us over and over and far too many of us choose to exist on "Politician Burgers".  I don't know about you, but I am getting sick of all the Baloney!!!!!

































From Ben Fronczek.... When Disaster Strikes



When Disaster Strikes

Acts 12:1-2
(Based on a sermon by Dr. Roger W. Thomas)
In the very first part of Acts 12 we read about something very terrible that happens; something that’s easy to over look. I t says,   ”It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.”   
Now just imagine being James’ mom and dad, or his brother John? We are first introduced to the Apostles James and John in Matt 4:21. They were in business together with their dad Zebedee when Jesus called them to follow Him. Peter, James, and John seemingly became Jesus’ closest friends in those last few years.  Can you just imagine the hard questions James’ mom had, like “Why God, he was a good boy.” And even after Peter was saved by the angel, I can imagine them wondering why their son could not have been saved as well.
Tragedy happens all around us and I think it’s normal to wonder why. I am sure there are many who are wondering why the tragedy in Japan because of that horrible earthquake.
No one can see such events, even from afar, without asking the big question. “Where was God? How can a good God allow such things to happen?” We are not the first to ask those questions. We will not be the last.
George Barna, the public-opinion pollster, conducted a national survey in which he polled adults asking them. “If you could ask God one question, what would you ask?” The number one response was, “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?”    It seems like we want to blame someone. Someone has to be at fault. Why not blame someone who could intervene with miracles?
Disasters like we have seen this week in Japan force us to confront this hard question. How can God be so good, and great, and at the same time let something like this happen? Why do such things happen?
I don’t presume to have all the answers that such events raise. I don’t claim to understand it all myself; but there is an answer. I believe this is how the Bible explains what has happened:
Bad things happen because we live in a broken world. The early pages of Genesis teach us that in the beginning God created the world, and what He created was good.  But..
• He did not intend for anyone to die.
• He did not choose or intend on earthquakes to strike or kill people with huge tsunamis’  that’s not who God is. That was not His original plan.
• He did not intend Herod to kill James or for His children to take up arms against each other to kill their fellow man in war.
• When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden He wanted them to be His children
• There was no death, there was no disease, there was no killing
• Like a loving parent God instructed Adam and Eve on how they were to live their lives
God Created a perfect world but it didn’t stay that way. He didn’t create evil, but He did give us some freedom. And with that freedom, came the potential for us to act contrary to God’s will. Adam and Eve chose to rebel against the Creator. Hence all of Adam’s descents are broken people living in a broken world, and so bad things are bound to happen. That isn’t God’s fault it’s ours'.
In a broken world of broken people who constantly choose to ignore their Creator’s wishes, the real question is not “why does a holy God allow disasters?” but here today we ask “Why are some of us spared and not other?” Or why Peter and not James? Why some people in Japan and not others? Why are some cured of cancer but others aren’t?
I’m not sure why. You may only get the answer to that question when you stand before Him in Heaven.  But I personally believe God occasionally intercedes and saves some because He still has an unfinished plan and purpose for those people.
Do these other people lose their lives because they are more sinful than others? I don’t think so.  Jesus was once asked about a couple of disasters. His response is worth noting.
Someone in the crowd asked Jesus what He thought of a recent event. The ruthless Roman Governor Pontius Pilate had executed some Galilean rebels and mixed their blood with the sacrifices they were preparing to make. Listen to Jesus’ reply. Luke 13: 1-5   “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
Jesus then called attention to a construction accident that recently happened in Jerusalem: “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
So did these disasters happen because those people were more evil than their friends and neighbors? Jesus basically said, “No.” Not once but twice. Stuff just happens. But He told them to learn from it. He basically tells them that everyone needs to repent because everyone is a sinner.
Neither James, nor the victims in Japan, no more deserved their suffering than we do. Suffering does not always happen in direct proportion to sin. Jesus said, “[the Father] causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Mt 5:45).
We have to remember that the Father loves us all. Innocent people sometimes suffer because of where they put themselves. If you live on a fault line, you have to expect to experience earthquakes. If you live on the coast, you have to expect an occasional big wave, even the potential of a tsunami. Just like if you live here in the north you have to expect subzero weather and lots of snow. And Accidents sometimes just happen.
Generically, suffering can and will happen because we sin. If I lie and cheat on my wife and she leaves me because of my sin, it’s not God’s fault, it’s mine.  But we should not forget Satan’s influence either. The Bible is clear. Satan is real. He is not make believe. He is not a fantasy or a symbolic idea. The Bible says he prowls the world like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8-9). And he will try to tempt us to do things may seem appealing at first but my later lead to dire consequences later.
Satan works behinds the scenes in every level of society. Much of the world’s suffering flows directly from his successes. We need to remember Job’s suffering wasn’t God doing, it was Satan’s.
But we should never forget, even when bad things happen, God is still in control. Nothing that happens escapes God watchful eye or tender concern. Jesus taught us that “the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt 10:30-31).
That’s also the message of Romans 8. Listen to the verses 28 and 35-39. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. …Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:28, 35-39).
We may not know why disasters and hard times happen to us, but this we do know, God is good—all the time. He is in control even in the worst of times. And verses like these teach us if someday we find our self in a horrible situation. God is not turning His back on us; rather, He always loves us.  He will even somehow bring good out of bad situations. If disaster strikes us, He still loves. He still cares. He is always at work seeking to bring good to us.
I don’t want to minimize the suffering and heartache of the millions in Japan. It is unimaginable. That is something we should pray no human being should have to face. But God is still good. He is doing good things in the wake of that disaster. What possible good can come out of such events?
Hard times strengthen us. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, “The God of all comfort..will comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” The experience of a disaster like this should soften our hearts, strengthen our resolve, and make us more compassionate people. We read about countless numbers wanting to help, giving money and so much more. Sometimes a disaster can bring out the best in so many.
Some lesson we can learn:
1. Disasters should remind us how fragile life is and how vulnerable we all are. Don’t put yourself in a potentially dangerous environments without expecting potential hazards.
2. Disasters pull the rug out from under proud, self-sufficient people.  Such events have a way of revealing the really important stuff in life. Suddenly money, ambition, and success don’t matter nearly as much as life, faith, and family. It’s good when people realize the value of these things. Hopefully we can learn it before a disaster strikes.
3. Great disasters can give rise to great love and generosity. Such events as we have witnessed this week in Japan offer opportunities to give, love, and care. Many are doing just that. That is a good thing!
4. Whether you realize it or not people are dying all around us. About 6100 people died this past hour, and another 6100 will die in the next hour, and every hour after that. Worldwide about 146,357 people die each day; that’s about 102 per minute. People die and the sad reality is when our love one dies it hurts to see them go.
None of us knows what tomorrow holds. But some of us will face hardships in the future. We think we could never live through what those people in Japan are living through. But we can. We can because we have the promise of a loving and faithful God who works good even out of bad times.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”   We have to believe this! He has proved it over and over again. And if someone like James, or your husband, or even if many loose their life like those in Japan, we have to trust God and believe in his providence and wisdom even though it may hurt our heart when it happens.
I believe God knows that kind of pain. I believe that He experience that kind of pain when He saw his Son beat and abused and then nailed to that cross for each and everyone of us. Just like when He was born, when the heavens broke out with angelic hymns and praise when Jesus was born, when He was beat to a bloody mess and then put on that cross I can’t help but believe all heaven wailed and mourned.
God knows our pain. He could have sent 10,000 angels to prevent or stop it, but He didn’t. He had a plan which had to run its course no matter how painful.
What is God doing in the midst of disaster? He is doing what He always does. He is loving us, caring for us, and preparing us for eternity. Ultimately that is His goal. It was His goal when Jesus drew His last breath on that cross.

The reality is our bodies will die, but that doesn’t mean we are dead and gone. We continue to live in a form that we just can’t see or fully understand right now. It’s leaving one reality and stepping into another.  Just like Jesus did, we to will rise to a newness of life.

And I hope that’s a promise you can live with, not only for yourself, but also when you think disaster strikes your household!  Now what awaits you there will depend on if you accept Jesus or not.

My challenge for you is to acccept God’s wonderful gift, His Son. Jesus died so that you and I can live. It was the ultimate sacrifice. But each of us have to accept this gift. It is not forced on us. It was His life for our, so that our sin will not keep us out of heaven. That’s the gift; Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. Turn from committing those sins to Him, accept and confess His as the new Lord of your life, and then allow Him to personally remove your sin in the water of Baptism (Colossians 2:9-13)


For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Matthew 9:10-11 and Hosea 6:6

Matthew 9:10-11 and Hosea 6:6



The complaint against Jesus in Matthew 9:10-11 is that he was socialising with people of low moral tone and his defence is twofold: the (morally) sick need a doctor and Hosea 6:6 drives him into their company.
It wasn't that the Pharisees arbitrarily isolated these sinners (at least, surely not in all cases). They isolated the sinners because they thought they should and they felt that they should because they had a certain view of what covenant faithfulness meant. But that in turn meant that they had a certain view of what God thought covenant faithfulness meant. They were sure that they were wise men of strength and understanding. But God said, "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength...but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
God said, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" and the Pharisee said, "God desires sacrifice and not mercy."
What exactly was the fault of these Pharisees? Whatever it was Jesus said they needed to be learners (9:13) because they didn't know (12:7) what Hosea 6:6 meant. Had they known what God desired they would have understood why he was among the sinners and (later) they wouldn't have condemned the guiltless followers of Jesus (12:2, 7). Yes, but how would a true understanding of Hosea 6:6 have cured the Pharisees of their sickness? The "cure" for sin—as these strong and wise men understood it—was isolation. Jesus shouldn't have hung around these people; he certainly shouldn't have allowed the prostitute to touch him and much less to wash his feet. No, the response that God desired—so they thought because they knew him, don't you see—was to avoid them, to walk by on the other side (Luke 10:31-32). Warmth, friendliness and friendship, kindness and patience must all be withheld. Even a smile is too much (because it might be misunderstood). No, the correct treatment for a sinner is to isolate her and to tell others to isolate her. Let me repeat, you must understand that they thought and behaved this way because they thought God was like this.
So what did God have in mind when he said he desired mercy and not "sacrifice"? Even if we can't tell with precision there's no doubt that Jesus thought that Hosea 6:6 buried the theology and approach of the Pharisees.
God certainly did want sacrifices (including burnt offerings) if they reflected the genuine giving of the person in a penitent surrender and a whole-hearted commitment. God called for such sacrifices not only because they had a personal and an individual thrust but because they were one of the ways in which the nation expressed its faith. There was nothing shallow or merely ceremonial about sacrifices offered with and from the heart.
What is it he has in mind in 6:6? He certainly sees the smoke of the burnt offering going up and disappearing into the air but he says that that's what their love (again, the word hesed) was like. It was early morning clouds that were burned away as soon as the sun peeped over the horizon—smoke vanishing into the air like their burnt offerings (6:4). They knew God was always faithful and that as sure as the sun rose his faithfulness even to an erring people made its appearance (6:3). But for all their fine words and promises he knew that their commitment burned away with the rising of the sun. They didn't mind offering sacrifice! In fact that was precisely how they went in search of God, "with their flocks and herds" (5:6). But that isn't what God wanted.
Jesus thought these men should have seen that the Torah was meant to bind God and the national family together in a unity of loyal love ("hesed"—the word rendered "mercy" in Hosea 6:6). This should have meant that fellowship and loyalty to the struggling neighbour would outweigh laws about external purity and correctness. These external matters mattered but they only mattered if they were the sign of the inner devotion to God and neighbour and that inner devotion would have led them to seek the healing of the sinners rather than isolating them. Hesed is the pervasive attitude, it is the motivating principle that leads a person to create and maintain a relationship. In the OT it is the central description of God in his covenant relationship with an Israel that deserved nothing and was given everything. To know in our bones that that is true and still to find reasons to isolate those who are not as morally well-developed as ourselves is a hazardous move to make.
The Pharisees saw the sins of these people but didn't see their needs. They saw their sins as something that should be condemned but didn't see them as something their neighbours needed to be rescued from. They saw their failures (and the failures were often real and substantial) but they didn't see their now established patterns of moral weakness that continued to feed those sins. (It simply isn't enough to say to such people, "You got yourself into this now get yourself out of it." The truth is they didn't get themselves into it all…by…themselves.) The Pharisees saw an occasion to criticise them but they weren't able to see that covenant loyalty to God would have led them (the Pharisees) to work for their healing. In short, because legitimate purity and kosher concerns were most important to the Pharisees their sense of brotherhood and debt to the neighbour was under-developed and maybe non-existent in some cases. Jesus certainly took their sins seriously but instead of their sins driving him away from them they drew him to them to deliver them from the sins and the awful consequences that would follow if they weren't turned from. The Pharisee saw loyalty to the covenant as strict adherence to the rules and a careful avoidance of evil and Jesus, while he saw the laws as of undoubted importance, saw that the whole Torah was for the sinner's redemption and protection which can only exist in living fellowship with the Holy Father.
A good doctor would no doubt always maintain personal hygiene when working with patients but if that weren't possible the healing of the patient would be paramount and the doctor would work without a sterile environment. He can never choose to be dirty but he will always insist on getting in the middle of it to heal. Isn't that what the Incarnation means?
The Pharisee in the temple (Luke 18:9-14) could not be faulted for his abstinence from sexual infidelity, extortion and other sins and in that respect he would have been correct to compare himself favourably with the tax collector. Where he failed was in being one of those that were "confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else." He failed by setting his sinful brother at nought and isolating a man that desperately needed his help. There was no "mercy" here. At least the publican knew that the one thing above all things that he needed was for God to give him "mercy" (in OT terms this would have been hesed, God's covenant love and faithfulness). For the man who in sincerity called himself "the sinner" (there is a definite article in the Greek text) the central issue was his own covenant disloyalty and the wish that God could maintain his covenant loyalty in the face of the sinner's past lack of devotion.
Why is it that the tax collector went away at peace with God and his cleaner and more upright brother is censured by no less than Jesus Christ? It's the tax collector's awareness that mercy is central to the covenant. He begs forgiveness with eyes down and so admits his own covenant infidelity and this heartfelt admission shows that he knows where the inner chamber of God and the covenant is. The Pharisee, on the other hand, even while he deals with issues of critical importance offers compliance that has nevertheless missed the heart of God and the covenant. In Matthew 23:23 Christ will make the point that these upright and earnest men had left undone the more important matters of the torah, and one of them was "mercy"—there's no doubt that as Christ spoke that word he would have used hesed. See Deuteronomy 10:12 and Micah 6:8.
[In addition to all this, of course, and lying underneath these texts was the Pharisees' view that sin was a series of acts (or non-acts) rather than a heart's direction that expressed itself in deeds or a lack of them.]
But Christ wept over Pharisees as well as tax collectors and noted sinners in Matthew 23 and Luke 17. And while the prayer of the Pharisee was an awful self-indictment an arrogant tax collector is no better off. "Oh God, I thank you that I'm not like this self-righteous Pharisee. I commit adultery at least once a week, steal people blind, curse them silly and horse around and don't care who knows it. The one thing I have in my favour is that I know I'm a dirty dog and don't mind admitting it. So here's to me and all like me. Open the pearly gates and welcome in an honest moral pain in the neck." Hmmm.


©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Salvation By Grace Through Faith (Ephesians 2:4-10)




                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

                Salvation By Grace Through Faith (2:4-10)

INTRODUCTION

1. In the previous lesson we saw our true condition outside of Christ:
   a. Dead in trespasses and sins - Ep 2:1
   b. Walking with world and the devil - Ep 2:2
   c. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh and mind - Ep 2:3
   -- Truly we were "sons of disobedience" and "children of wrath"!

2. At the close of the previous lesson, I asked, "How can such 'sons of 
   disobedience' and 'children of wrath' ever become..."
   a. "Holy and without blame"?
   b. "Receive the adoption as sons"?
   c. "Accepted" by God?

3. In the text for this study (Ep 2:4-10) we find our answer, where we
   learn that "salvation by grace through faith" involves many elements 
   besides just grace and faith

[To begin with, "Salvation By Grace Through Faith"...]

I. INVOLVES THE "GREAT LOVE" OF GOD (4)

   A. THIS IS THE BEGINNING POINT OF SALVATION...
      1. From this, all else flows
      2. What mercy, grace, etc., that God shows mankind is founded upon
         the fact that God has a great love for us - cf. Jn 3:16

   B. THIS LOVE IS NOT BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE, BUT WHO GOD IS...
      1. God did not love us because we were lovable, but because God is
         loving!
      2. As John wrote in an effort to inspire his brethren to love one 
         another, God is love, and that moved Him to offer His Son  - 
         cf. 1Jn 4:7-10

[Starting then with the love of God, "Salvation By Grace Through Faith"
also...]

II. INVOLVES THE "RICH MERCY" OF GOD (4)

   A. DEFINING MERCY...
      1. The word "eleos" is defined by Vine's Expository Dictionary as 
         "the outward manifestation of pity"
      2. Mercy, then, is compassion that one has for those in trouble

   B. GOD'S "GREAT LOVE" MAKES HIM "RICH IN MERCY"...
      1. His great love for sinners enables God to be filled with 
         compassion toward them
      2. The riches of His mercy seek to reach out to all who will 
         accept it - cf. 1Ti 2:3-4; 2Pe 3:9

[Unfortunately, not all receive His great mercy.  But for those who do, 
they soon learn that "Salvation By Grace Through Faith" also...]

III. INVOLVES BEING "MADE ALIVE TOGETHER" WITH CHRIST (5)

   A. HERE IS WHERE "GRACE" REALLY ENTERS IN...
      1. For notice that Paul says "WHEN we were dead...(God) made us 
         alive"
      2. While STILL "dead in trespasses" God has somehow made us alive 
         together with Christ!
      3. Though not fully explained in this passage how (and when) this 
         happened, it occurred because of God's "unmerited favor" (the 
         definition of "grace")

   B. HOW (AND WHEN) WE WERE "MADE ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST" IS 
      EXPLAINED ELSEWHERE...
      1. Especially in Col 2:11-13
      2. Where we learn that it is in baptism...
         a. We are buried with Christ and then raised with Him - Col 2:
            12; cf. Ro 6:3-6
         b. We, who were "dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision
            of your flesh", were thus "made alive together with Him 
            (Christ)" - Col 2:13
         c. Our trespasses were all forgiven - Col 2:13; cf. Ac 2:38;
            22:16

[So while our text in Ephesians doesn't actually refer to baptism 
itself, it describes that which occurs when one is baptized into Christ:
by the grace of God we are being "made alive together with Christ"!

But there is more, for as we continue to read our text we learn that 
"Salvation By Grace Through Faith"...]

IV. INVOLVES BEING "RAISED UP TOGETHER" WITH CHRIST (6-7)

   A. WE SAW IN EP 1:20...
      1. Where Christ was raised from the dead
      2. And then was seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly 
         places

   B. NOW WE LEARN FROM EP 2:6-7...
      1. That we too are raised up and made to sit together with Christ
         in the heavenly places!
         a. This speaks of our present condition in the "spiritual 
            realm" (heavenly places)
         b. Because of our union with Christ, we enjoy an exalted 
            position together with Him
         c. Which union serves as the basis for our wonderful spiritual 
            blessings - cf. Ep 1:3
      2. But our present condition, and the blessings it entails, are 
         only the beginning!
         a. There is more "in the ages to come"
         b. There are "exceeding riches of His grace in kindness" yet to 
            be shown in Christ Jesus!

[How wonderful, then, is this salvation by grace!  Not only does it 
pertain to "this age", but looks forward to the "ages to come"!

As we continue, we find Paul making sure we understand the basis of this
wonderful salvation, and that it...]

V. INVOLVES "FAITH", AND NOT MERITORIOUS WORKS (8-9)

   A. SALVATION IS FIRST AND FOREMOST, BY "GRACE"...
      1. Up to this point, Paul has said nothing about man's part in the
         process of salvation
         a. It was GOD'S mercy, love, and grace which made salvation 
            possible
         b. It was GOD's working that "made us alive...raised us up...
            made us sit together with Christ"
      2. Truly, salvation is...
         a. "not of yourselves; it is the gift of God"
            1) Some understand this phrase to refer to "faith"
            2) But I understand Paul to be referring to salvation   
         b. "not of works, lest anyone should boast"
            1) We are not saved by works of merit, whereby we earn 
               salvation
            2) But as Paul told Titus "according to His mercy He saved 
               us..." - Tit 3:5

   B. NEVERTHELESS, SALVATION IS BY GRACE "THROUGH FAITH"...
      1. "Faith", together with the "working of God", is how we were 
         "raised with Christ" in baptism - cf. Col 2:12
      2. In other words, it is an obedient faith that receives the 
         salvation in Christ - cf. He 5:9
      3. So when a person in faith is being baptized...
         a. They are not "earning" their salvation
         b. Rather, they are "receiving" their salvation which is by 
            God's grace and God's working, for in baptism they are 
            receiving Jesus Christ and all He accomplished by His death
            and resurrection! - cf. Ga 3:27

[Finally, we note that while "Salvation By Grace Through Faith" does 
not include meritorious works whereby we try to earn our salvation, 
it...]

VI. INVOLVES BEING "CREATED...FOR GOOD WORKS" (10)

   A. IN CHRIST, WE ARE "HIS WORKMANSHIP"...
      1. As Paul intimated in his discussion of baptism in Col 2:12 ("the
         working of God")
      2. Through God's "working" in which He...
         a. "made us alive"
         b. "raised us up"
         c. "made us sit together in the heavenly places"
         ...we have truly become "a new creation"! - cf. 2Co 5:17

   B. THE GOAL OF THIS "WORKMANSHIP":  CREATED FOR GOOD WORKS...
      1. Though not saved by good works, we are to do good works!
      2. God "prepared beforehand that we should walk in them"
         a. It is part of His predetermined plan
         b. Not just to save, but to create a people diligent in good 
            works! - cf. Tit 2:11-14
      3. Therefore, the people of God should...
         a. "be ready for every good work" - Tit 3:1
         b. "be careful to maintain good works" - Tit 3:8
         c. "learn to maintain good works" - Tit 3:14

CONCLUSION

1. So it is "by grace through faith" that...
   a. "Children of wrath" can become "children of God"!
   b. "Sons of disobedience" can "receive the adoption as sons" of God!
   c. We can be "accepted" by God!

2. Because "Salvation By Grace Through Faith" involves:
   a. God's great love
   b. God's rich mercy
   c. God making us alive together with Christ     
   d. God raising us up together with Christ to sit with Him in the 
      heavenly places
   e. An obedient faith that trusts in God's workmanship, not one's own 
      works
   f. A new creature that is diligent in doing good works to the glory 
      of God

How can one receive this wonderful salvation?  Let Jesus and His 
apostles show you the way, for it is when we in faith submit to the 
Lord's command to be baptized that we enjoy the blessings of God's love,
mercy, and workmanship... - Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38; Col 2:12-13

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011