Author Archives: Pastor Vincent Bennett

Part 6: Studies in Ephesians

Posted on by Pastor Vincent Bennett

THE PLAN AND WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD

The Spirit’s part in the realization of God’s eternal purpose is now brought to our attention in Ephesians 1:13 and 14, and we find that the Father’s choice, Ephesians 1:4 realized in Christ, Ephesians 1:7, is now sealed with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in wham also after that ye believed, (pisteusantes-believing), ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13 and 14.

THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION

When it comes to the theme of salvation, the Bible is the most dogmatic book in the universe: its terms are unmistakable; and it is readily seen that it is not planned after the wisdom of man. Hear its emphatic declaration, “all have sinned”, Romans 3:23; all are “dead in trespasses and sins”, Ephesians 2:1; and “there is no difference”, Romans 3:22. Man is dead in sin. The life cord has been severed. What he needs is not a reformation, but a quickening from within, a spiritual resurrection. If man were not dead, he would need cultivation not salvation. But God’s Word is plain. We have no goodness or life in us to be developed; but sin and death from which to be saved. There is none good but God. There is none that giveth life but God. This life has been brought to light in the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. II Timothy 1:9 and Romans 8:2. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that all our righteousness is as filthy rags; therefore if any man is saved and made righteous, all the credit and glory must and should go to God. All boasting is in the finished work of the Cross. Ephesians 2:9, also makes it plain, that salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast. And I Corinthians 1:29 states that no flesh shall glory in His presence. There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12. This is the name of Jesus Christ. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of .truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Ephesians 1:13.

THE SEALING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 1:13b . . . in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise”.

The language that relates to the sinner’s salvation is not only definite when the conditions for such salvation are given to man; but also when it refers to God’s own work of security to those who believe. Notice the definite steps given in this verse, “ye heard”, “ye believed”, “ye. were sealed”. In John 6:27, “sealing” is attributed to the Father, “Him (Jesus Christ) hath God the Father sealed”. In this passage we have the word that the Father seals the ‘Son’. In Ephesians 1:13 the Father seals the ‘sons’. Here again we see the Trinity in operation; the Father sealing the believer in Christ with the Holy Spirit. Yes, the Spirit answers to the blood and tells us we are born of God.

SEALED “IN CHRIST”

What a glorious security to be shut up by God in the Son of His love, and sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit. Who can break that seal? Who can take us out of Christ? What opposition is there that can take us from that blessed position in Christ? Thank God we are eternally secure in the Lord Jesus under the sealing of the Father with the Holy Spirit. Some would have ‘persevere’ unto the end, but we can thank God that we are not trusting in our ‘perseverance’ but in His ‘preservation’ Jude 1:1. Therefore, we can be confident that He which hath begun a good work in us will not let us be torn from the Body of Christ, but will bring us safe into the glory to display the triumph of His grace, (Philippians 1:6). The sealing of the purchased possession offers to the believer, bought by the blood of Christ, some wonderful and precious truths of deep significance.

THE SEALING SIGNIFIES IDENTIFICATION

We are a purchased possession, bought with the blood of Christ, and the Lord knoweth them that are His, II Timothy 2:19. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are His.” This sealing defies the ravages of time and even death. Nothing can take us outside the pale of recognition. We are sealed for identification, yes, we are identified and made one with the Lord Jesus in death, burial, resurrection and ascension. We are sealed “in Christ”, and Christ is in heaven at God’s right hand, so the believer’s position is as secure as Christ’s. He is the Beloved and we are accepted in Him. Our lives are hid with Christ in God.

THE SEALING SECURES OUR IDENTIFICATION

Ephesians 1:14. “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

In Ephesians 4:30, it states that we are sealed unto the day of redemption. This is the day to which we look forward in hope, we look back to the day when by faith, believing, our souls were redeemed by the blood of Christ. Now we look forward to the redemption of the body, which the sealing with the Spirit has secured for us. We have been received by adoption in Jesus Christ as the children of God, literally given, the placing of sons; and now we are “waiting for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our body, for we are saved by hope, Romans 8:23 and 24. The redemption of the Body is the hope that will complete our salvation and in this sense we can say “our salvation is nearer than when we believed, Romans 13:11. We have received salvation of the soul. We shall receive salvation of the body. The first, we received when we believed and were sealed with the Holy Spirit. The latter is to be received on the day of redemption and is as sure as the resurrection of Christ. “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:11. What a day that will be to have these bodies of humiliation changed and fashioned with the body of his glory! Philippians 3:21. Note especially the next clause in this particular passage, it is “according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Don’t fear or doubt, or have any misgivings. He has raised up Jesus and one day we shall know what is the exceeding greatness of his power which he wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. Yes! hallelujah HE IS ABLE. He hath delivered us. He doth deliver us. He will deliver us. (II Corinthians 1:10). By the blood of His cross He hath redeemed us and when the church which is His body is caught up to meet the Lord in the glory, that will be the day of redemption; the redemption of the purchased possession. It is unto this time and blessed event, that the Holy Spirit has sealed and secured us.

THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE

In Romans 8:23, we are said to have the ‘first-fruits’ of the Spirit; and we are waiting for the redemption of the body. You can easily see the similarity between that passage and Ephesians 1:14. We have only as yet received the first-fruits of the Spirit; but this plainly implies that there are further fruits to come; and we are waiting in keen anticipation for final harvest. In Ephesians 1:14, the Spirit is the ‘earnest’, the ‘pledge’ or ‘surety’ that binds the transaction, assuring of a final settlement. This same expression is used in II Corinthians 1:22, “Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” Also Chapter II Corinthians 5:5, “who (God) also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit. We have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, witnessing to our sonship, revealing Christ’s glory, giving enlightenment in the Word, comforting, strengthening and sustaining us in our daily trials. By this we know we are ‘sealed’; the genuine subjects of salvation. We are actually the purchased property of the Lord; and this is His pledge to us that we shall enter into the full glory of the inheritance, thus completing the purpose and plan of the Godhead.

UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY

Three times this ascription of praise and glory has been given; the first time, in Ephesians 1:6, when the work of the Father had been revealed; the second, in Ephesians 1:12, after the work of the Son; and now it appears again after the work of the Spirit, coming as a grand climax to the working out of God’s own eternal purpose as it is revealed in the greatest sentence in all literature of the world. Ephesians 1:3 to 14.

Part 5: Studies in Ephesians

Posted on by Pastor Vincent Bennett

THE PLAN AND WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD

Ephesians 1:3 to 14

We have already dealt with verses Ephesians 1:3 to 6 which reveal the work of the Father in the plan of the God-head. Now we turn our attention to verses Ephesians 1:7 to 12, which make plain to us how the SON realized the Father’s good pleasure.

REDEMPTION IN HIM

Ephesians 1:7. “In whom we have redemption through His blood:”

“In Christ” alone is redemption planned, never apart from Him, and God’s grace made manifest in the forgiveness of sins is only experienced on the basis of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus.

The redemption of the sinner is not through the life and love of Christ displayed in, His earthly walk, but through of His Cross. Peace with God cannot be found in any other remedy. This truth, is the very foundation of the gospel of saving grace, and the touch-stone of the Christian faith. There are at least 120 passages of Scripture that state that Christ died for our sins. From Genesis to Revelation the truth is plain that, “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Not that the sacrifices offered up before Christ died could in themselves provide a full satisfaction or an atonement for sin, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and Of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). They simply provided a ‘covering’ for sin until a full and final redemption was accomplished by the blood of Christ. The sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament, were, representative; and pointed to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. When by obedience to God the offering of a sacrifice was made in the Old Testament, atonement was made for the errors of the people and sin was ‘covered’. But how infinitely greater is the redemption in Christ Jesus! He does not cover our sins. He puts them away, and we can thank God that our redemption is through HIS blood.

The whole human family is born by natural birth into the first Adam, and is under the sentence of death. (Romans 5:12). Sin and death are universal facts. “By the offense of one judgment came upon all men unto condemnation”. But we thank God that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”. (Romans 5:20). Just as death came through Adam; so life came through Jesus Christ. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17. We were sold under sin; under the sentence of death. But Christ redeemed us; literally loosed us”. He set us free by paying the price. The price of our redemption was His own blood which He shed when He died in our stead, He became sin for us; He who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians 5:21. Many passages could be quoted in continuance of this glorious theme. In summing up, Romans 5:8 and 9 should not be forgotten. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” And the Divine purpose of our redemption as applied to conduct is equally clear in Titus 2:14, “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous: of good works.”

We could not redeem ourselves, But He has redeemed us. We could not make our own peace; but He has made peace for us by the blood of His cross. Only by the preaching of the cross can man be saved. To them that perish this is foolishness; but to them that believe its message of redemption, the cross is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Therefore with the Apostle Paul, we present Christ crucified, as the only hope of salvation for poor lost sinners; that their faith “should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God”. (I Corinthians 2:5)

When we come to the study of Ephesians 1:14, which speaks of “the redemption of the purchased possession” and Ephesians 4:30, “sealed unto the day of redemption”, we see a future phase of our deliverance, the consummation of the work begun. Redemption through His blood is a redemption for the soul; but a day will come when God will do for our bodies what He has done for our souls. That will be the redemption of the body, when the body of humiliation shall be changed into the body of His glory. (Philippians 3:20). That will be the day of redemption.

Ephesians 1:7. “The forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His Grace”.

The psalmist cries in Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” One of the first blessings of grace is the consciousness that redemption in His blood has brought the forgiveness of sin. What a glorious message! For when God forgives our sin, our responsibility for it ceases. The guilt then is no longer ours, therefore, we are freed from any penalty that had been incurred. “There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ.” (Romans 8:1). Who can fathom the grace of our God?

Ephesians 1:8. “Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” “Abounded”, that is, made to overflow. This grace has not been stinted and confined; but has been liberally manifested to us in all wisdom and prudence. There is a wide design running through the whole plan, all of God’s plans are a display of His wisdom. His purpose for us in Christ Jesus was not an afterthought; although a secret hid in His own heart from before age times. “Prudence” is wisdom in action or application. God prudently chose the proper time for the revelation and manifestation of His Divine purpose and grace. It was not until Israel as a nation was set aside that the secret that was in His heart, or “the mystery of His will” was made known. How students of God’s Word need to know this! Israel was out of the way with the close of Acts and then Paul proclaimed “the dispensation of the mystery”. Ephesians 3:9.

Ephesians 1:9. “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself.”

It has pleased God to make known in Christ the mystery of His will, this is the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret from former generations; and is according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Read; reread; study; believe; preach Colossians 1:24 to 18. The revelation of the “untraceable riches (Ephesians 3:8) was given to the Apostle Paul. Having made known this mystery, our desire should be to fulfill Ephesians 3:9, and “make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery.” The “mystery” is not something mysterious, something not known. It is not a riddle; but a revelation. We do not need a key to an open door: all we have to do is to step inside and invite others to follow. Oh, let us enjoy and appreciate the riches of His grace and glory, by understanding our blessed position in Him and appropriating the truth of the mystery which completes the word of God. (Colossians 1:25).

Ephesians 1:10. “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather in one all things in Christ, both which are in. heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.”

The word translated “gather together”, means to bring things under one head. According to the economy of God, all things are to be headed up in Jesus Christ, in heaven and, on earth. The Word of God is progressive. While some talk of “going back to Jesus” the Bible makes it plain that we are “going on to and with the risen Christ”. One day the Church, which is His Body will be completed, and join the Head in the glory. This will be making the “perfect man . . . the stature of the fulness of Christ”. (Ephesians 4:13). And Ephesians 2:7 will be fulfilled and we shall be made the display of His grace in glory. The earth. also is waiting for its deliverance from the thralldom of sin. (Romans 8:22) “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now,” and this deliverance will come when He who now occupies the Father’s throne receives His own throne and reigns in righteousness, at which time all things will be put in subjection under His feet. Then the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. He will be Lord in heaven and on earth. When Christ came the first time it was “the fulness of time” (Galatians 4:4). When He comes again it will be the dispensation of times’ fulness.

Ephesians 1:11. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.”

We who are so undeserving, who were one time outcasts; we were dead in sin but now the recipients of His love, mercy and grace, we have been given an inheritance. What an inheritance! Those who are “in Christ” are called of God to share the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ”. Where He is there we shall be, for the Body must be with the Head to be to the praise of His Glory. Only the ages to come will disclose, in full, the unsearchable riches of the glory of our inheritance in Him. Only then will be brought out in all its splendor, the eternal purpose of our God and the counsel of His own will. It is all “in Him”. We have been blessed “in Him”, chosen “in Him”, accepted “in Him”, redeemed “in Him. Now we have an inheritance “in Him”. Apart from Christ all shall dwell in the darkness of death, without hope, without blessing, redemption or glory.

Ephesians 1:12. “That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

The “we” in this verse refers to believing Jews, while the “ye” in Ephesians 1:13, has reference to believing Gentiles, and “our” in Ephesians 1:14 to Jew and Gentile together. The second chapter enters more fully into the uniting of these two in the making of the one New Man. That second chapter shows how both are reconciled unto God in the one Body. We must wait until we reach that part of the epistle for a fuller exposition.

As in Ephesians 1:6, so again all the praise and glory must go to the only One to whom praise is due. For such wonderful and gracious provision made in the planning of our redemption in Christ Jesus, let us lift our hearts again to God and say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

Part 3: Studies in Ephesians

Posted on by Pastor Vincent Bennett

THE PLAN AND THE WORK OF THE TRIUNE GOD. Ephesians 1:3 to 14.

After our study of the opening verses of this epistle, we are now ready to meditate upon one of the most wonderful portions of the Word of God. What a different atmosphere is here found to that in Galatians. There it is a battlefield, here it is a heart meditation. There we find the strife of controversy, here the blessedness of a heaven-born unity.

Here, in a single sentence of two hundred and sixty-four words, the greatest sentence in all the literature of the world, is woven the plan and work of the God-head. These verses (Ephesians 1:3 to 14), must be taken in their entirety, so that the completeness of the truth before us is not broken. There is no stopping place in the way, because the persons of the God-head are inseparable, both in their being and activity. The message is clear: that which was essentially ours by the will of God the Father (Ephesians 1:3 to 6), and instrumentally ours by the blood of the Son (Ephesians 1:7 to 12), is now experimentally ours by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13 and 14). This is the best answer I know of to Unitarianism; for we see here that a Unitarian God never did or could save man. Man only knows redeeming grace as it is worked out for him by the three persons of the God-head: Not to be ignored are these words, Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of his grace”, Ephesians 1:12, “that we should be to the praise of his glory”, Ephesians 1:14, “unto the praise of his glory”. These quotations come in proper sequence following the separate mention of Father, Son and Spirit. Notice the scope of this truth: from, “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), to the “redemption of the purchased possession” (Ephesians 1:14). Who can begin to sound the full richness of this profound word, which begins with a doxology and ends on a note sounding “the praise of his glory?” Yet is not this glorious passage much like the entire epistle, scaling heights and spanning breadths unknown? The key to the instruction and construction of this marvelous sentence is found in the word “according” which occurs five times (Ephesians 1:4, 5, 7, 9 and 11). After some glorious truth or fact has been declared, the consequences and issues are made known and the word, “according”, ties the verses together. It is the link in the chain that keeps the theme in progressive revelation till the plan of the God-head is worked out.

THE DOXOLOGY. Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

We are going to take time to examine this verse, so please read it very carefully and study its contents, for it is a bud that gradually unfolds in succeeding revelation. Notice first that the Father, Son and Spirit are all here in anticipation of the unfolding to follow. God the Father is given as the Author and Source of all blessings. These blessings are ours “In Christ”, and they are spiritual, that is, they are bestowed by the Spirit of God. This verse is a doxology. In Ephesians 1:2, we had a ‘benediction’. A benediction comes down from the heart of God in His goodness and kindness toward us. A doxology goes up from the heart of man in praise and thankfulness toward God We are the objects of His grace, He is the object of our praise.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The word “blessed” from the Greek “eulogetus” literally means “well spoken of”. There is much eulogizing of men that is empty and meaningless. But as we contemplate the wonders of God’s redeeming grace, surely this exultant outburst of praise should come from overflowing hearts and be on the lips of all the redeemed, especially those who by the illumination of the Spirit of God, have come to a more intimate realization of their calling and hope. Notice next, that it is not “the God of Abraham, and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,” (Acts 3:13). There is a vast difference between truth linked up with the “God of our fathers” and the “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”, for this is not a covenant relationship such as He bears with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for Israel’s national blessing on the earth, but here the risen Saviour is given His full title and He is called “OUR” Lord Jesus Christ, and in Him, the God and, Father hath blessed “US”. Take note of these pronouns, for to know the meaning of these little words is to understand much of the interpretation of the epistle, and the “OUR” and “US” in this passage has reference to the Jew and Gentile as they are united in one body in Christ, for this is the theme of the Ephesian letter.

“Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places.”

Oh, how distinct is our calling in Christ from that of Israel. Israel indeed has a glorious expectation, a hope that will be realized in a material way upon the earth when “the times of refreshing” shall be ushered in, when the spirit shall be poured upon all flesh, when Messiah the King shall reign in righteousness. Have not all the prophets foretold of “these days”? Israel then has material blessings related to the earth but the Church which is His body has spiritual blessings related to the heavenlies. We have no prophetic forecast such as is given to Israel, and our affections are not to be centered on the earth but in the heavenlies, where Christ is Who is our life, for this is where our hope is actually going to be realized—“in the Glory”. The term “in heavenly places”, literally “in the heavenlies”, occurs five times (Ephesians 1:3, 20; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 3:10; Ephesians 6:12) and has definite reference to a locality. The Father is there, the Lord Jesus came from there, the Spirit came from there, and the best of all, Christ has gone back there and my citizenship is there, for my standing by grace is “in Christ”. So already, positionally, I am “in the heavenlies in Christ”, and the same power that brought again the Lord; Jesus from the dead and carried Him through the heavens to that blest abode, will one day bring the members of “His Body” to “The Head” in the glory. When the hope of Israel is realized in the land of promise, surely the people will be able to say, blessed be God who hath blessed us with all “earthly” blessings; and when members of the Church which is His Body once realize the character and sphere of their own blessings in contrast, they will not want to go around robbing Israel of her glory.

“ALL” (EVERY) SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

Not blessings that are conditioned and restricted, depending upon my works of righteousness or faithfulness, but blessings secured for me by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in Whom I have all things, thank God. All the riches of glory are at my disposal, and He will supply all my needs according to those riches by Christ Jesus (Philippians 5:19). This is just a glimpse of the fulness of the grace of our God.

“IN CHRIST”. This is the sum of it all: in two words, “In Christ”, we have the explanation of all that we are in the sight of God and all that we hope to be in the ages to come; for by identification with Christ we are “accepted” by the Father and all spiritual blessings are ours. “In Christ” explains our transition by faith from death to life. We died in Him, we were buried and rose in Him, we ascended in Him, and when He appears, transformed in His likeness, we shall appear with Him in His glory.

When the tabernacle was still standing the high priest entered the Holy of Holies as the representative of the people, bearing upon his person the breast-plate with its twelve precious stones on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, thus carrying them into the presence of God. “In Christ” we are not only “presented” but veritably “present”, for He has “made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ”. As we continue our study we shall find that this great teaching of our mystical union with Christ finds in this epistle its clearest enunciation.