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Ephesians

As a Christians it is a faithful saying that we truly have been blessed beyond measure. Unfortunately, we can get caught up measuring this "blessedness" by THINGS: material possessions, physical wellness, and good fortune; yet, this is not what I mean, nor what our apostle Paul is talking about when he speaks of the "riches of God's grace". These blessings are completely spiritual in nature and therefore cannot be measured by the physical eye or your bank account, but can by the "eyes of our understanding". One of the numerous blessings we have blessed with is spoken of in Ephesians. Ephesians, as it concerns our edification builds upon the foundation of what Romans-Galatians sets forth; therefore, advanced education and edification is taking place. The blessings spoken of in Ephesians are "heavenly" in nature. Notice, 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:" Many blessings in Christ have been taught to us before this point in our edification, but a declaration that we have been blessed with "all spiritual blessings" is an issue that ought to thrill our hearts and become the object of our minds as the details of these "spiritual blessings in heavenly places" haven't been spoken of in great detail until now. This issue was briefly mentioned and taught in a specific manner in specific "words" to form a general "understanding" in Romans 8, but not in such intricate, subtil detail as this. Detail which now is the subject matter to fill in gaps and wholes in our minds and provide for a deep affection for these blessings. Just what is the totality of these "spiritual blessings" and why are they "in heavenly places"? What Paul goes on to describe (when truly understood and not dumbed-down and spoken of as a passage to simply extol His worthiness to be praised and deserving of glory, which anyone can simply do with any passage of the Bible) takes those "eyes of understanding" and utilizes them to truly have some intelligence in connection with what is being said which, in turn, produces the extolling of God, BECAUSE of one's understanding of the doctrine set forth in Ephesians 1:3-14. One of these magnificent and grand "blessings" is described in detail verses 8-10, "wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:" Now, much goes into understanding a passage like this, such as Satan's plan of evil to be like the most High and be possessor of heaven and earth which he has done, as well as, God's foretold plan to reconcile the earth and the unforetold plan to reconcile the heaven. He will reconcile the earth through the nation of Israel or believing Israel in the "time to come" and He will reconcile the heavenly places with the body of Christ which you and I are a part of. If you don't understand this basic information then the advanced truths set forth in Ephesians won't effectually work to the measure they are designed; nevertheless, it was always known through "prophecy" that God would reconcile the earth back from Satan's usurpation; however, the mechanical means of reconciling the heavenly places was the not subject matter of "prophecy" this subject was a issue God kept a mystery. In "ages past" it was a mystery, yet He has revealed it to the apostle Paul, now "the mystery of Christ" is not so much what this "spiritual blessing" is describing, but rather what "the mystery of Christ" has ultimately provided, which is the "mystery of His will". Simply, if insight and perception into the privy, eternal counsel of God our Father or the thought of such a thing doesn't excite you, your affection has been misplaced, because this is one of the very things He has blessed us with. Notice, in the riches of His grace, He has "abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence". An opportunity, privilege, and blessing that no one before Paul ever had. The issue of "the mystery of His will" is connected to His "good pleasure" and it should please us as well: to say the least. Again, "the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself" isn't solely in regards to "the mystery of Christ", the revelation that describes the reconciliation of the heavenly places through the instrumentality of the body of Christ, but takes into account a "dispensation". This "dispensation" is called "the fulness of times", describing God will have had fulfilled what He wanted to in the "times" wherein He will implement this "program" or "dispensation". It is in this dispensation, which has never been spoken of until here in Ephesians, where He will put what He will have done in heaven and earth under the imperial headship of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is awe-some in and of itself, yet the design of informing you of such a dispensation is to provoke one to understand how the heaven and the earth will operate together in a capacity never before seen. God's creation has never experienced the heaven and the earth functioning to its full capacity, especially as it has been under "the bondage of corruption" most of its' existence. Yet, God's good pleasure it having these two realms operate in marvelous capacities, which we are to intelligently not only ponder, but realize and understand. It should be noted that there is a large aspect to all this that we will not understand and God will only provide in "the ages to come", yet the basic and fundamental realities of this dispensation He has abounded toward us in and therefore are to be pondered, contemplated, and understood by us. What honor and privilege to have the mind of our Father in Christ regarding His business for the "times" and "ages" after. May we take heed to the exhortation in Colossians 3:2, "set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth". In doing so we can fulfill aspects of Ephesians 5:15-16, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." May we not let "the course of the world" and "this present evil world" consume our minds and affections and waste our time, when we can use it to the honor and glory of God's good pleasure. Look Up, Pastor Josh M. Strelecki

"Christ, Who Is Our Life"

Colossians 3:4,

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory."

Much is written today in the world regarding having a peaceful and tranquil life. Books upon books for how to live a life with few obstacles, tips regarding how to be happy at work and in your marriage, not to mention the countless "how to" books that range from being a better person to being a better friend, yet without giving up who you really are. They even have the countless books "for dummies": "how to be a husband for dummies", "how to be a wife for dummies", "how to be a friend for dummies", and the list goes on and on. I think there is a "for dummies" book for just about anything and everything at a bookstore, implying we are all dummies.

Christianity has followed suit regarding its' own section of how one can have a "good" or "better" or "best life" now. Health, wealth, and prosperity books that make those who write them healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, but makes those who buy them frustrated, with less money than prior to buying the book, and hopeless. These books provide the same information as the secular books, but include verbiage from the Bible such as God, Jesus, Spirit, money, rich, healing, and gifts. Millions of these books are sold (bought by Christians who are ignorant of "the life in Christ Jesus" they have that effectually works to a degree these books can never reach), all to end at a "good will" store or "half-price books", because they simply don't work.

With all that said although there are countless verses like Colossians 3:4, yet this verse alone in four words explains the Christian life. Your life or our lives as Christians is Christ. The question remains what does that mean? Paul in Colossians chapter 2 explained what it does not mean. It does not mean following "philosophy", "vain deceit", "tradition of men", and "rudiments of the world" (2:8). It does not mean following God "in meats, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" (2:16). It does not mean getting caught up in the spiritual phenomenon of Christianity "in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind" (2:18); and it is not a life of asceticism for Paul says, "why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (touch not, taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh" (2:20b-23). Unfortunately, these are the things that make up churches today. Paul explains these things as "not after Christ", "spoiling", "beguiling", and "not holding the Head (Christ)", yet as most Christians follow and practice these things it produces their Christian 'LIFE'. Their identity, experience, understanding, and knowledge stem from these things. Yet, to follow after these things is not to "walk after Christ", and not have Christ be your life.

The truth of the matter is before you even get to Colossians in Romans-Philippians there has been a "newness of life" described in much detail that makes up Christ and provide for you to be conformed into His image. Paul in Colossians 3:4 states the fact that by the time you get to this verse "Christ" should be "your life" and one day He will appear and because He will appear, "then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." May Christ be our life, so that, we will be presented "holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (1:22) when He appears. Is Christ your life?

Look Up,
Pastor J.M. Strelecki

"Man's Response To Wrath"

Man’s response can be quite fascinating. Frankly, the facial, emotional, and verbal responses one can give can be priceless. The expression and emotion of a mother who just gave birth to her child. A response of relief and jubilation clashing together at the same time can oftentimes be manifest with innumerable tears of joy. Astonishment and amazement form on the face of a brand new father. Words cannot be formed to express the excitement the father experiences; a non-verbal response to a situation that demands such expression is at times a very impactful and endearing response, but in other situations manifests guiltiness and lack of understanding. Responses are experienced each day of our existence. We either provide a response, manufactured by our facial expression and words, or either do or say something that provokes, produces, and even sometimes demands a response from someone else. A response is unique; for in watching someone else respond in some manner or form can result in one’s own response. We truly do impact one another even when we might not even know it. A response is not always a ‘good’ response, but a response can also be ‘bad’. A death glare produced by a bent in the brow, jaws locked, lips closed, and eyes penetrating the soul of someone else is a response we might have experienced at one time or another; either as the glarer or glaree. One to three word responses of rejection are another common ‘bad’ response: whatever, yea right, hhmmmm, are you kidding me, huh, uh huh, NO, etc. A ‘bad’ response can even grow into vicious assaults, stubborn negative responses, physical abuse, emotional and verbal abuse, or simply the cold shoulder. Pride and jealousy often are the root problem for these responses.

Unfortunately, when it comes to man’s response to “the gospel of Christ”, all to often, a ‘bad’ response is given. There are many points within the information provided in “the gospel of Christ” that challenge the heart and mind of an unjustified person and at each of these points a ‘bad’ response can result. It is the genius of our heavenly Father and the design of His glorious Word to make you, as an “ambassador for Christ”, fully equipped for such responses. In fact, it is a truth that with the doctrine provided in the opening chapters of Romans our heavenly Father provides for us to deal with any and all responses an unjustified person can give as we make known “the glorious gospel of the blessed God”.

Wrath of God

It should be noted that responses are often interpretated by the context in which they are given. The same goes for the responses the Apostle Paul deals with in Romans 2:1-3:20. The responses given in this portion of scripture stem from what Paul set forth in Romans 1:18-32; to wit, the wrath of God. As Twin Cities Grace Fellowship’s last quarterly explained Romans 1:18-32 provide the full, complete convincement of God’s wrath because of the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. It provides for making an unjustified person aware they are fully worthy of God’s wrath. Romans 2:1-3:20 provide us to handle any response an unjustified person might concoct in order to escape the wrath of God. Essentially, this information reveals man’s self-defense pleas as attempts to escape the judgment of God in connection with their sins. Our heavenly Father provides them for the ambassador in advance, so that, the ambassador is aware of man’s response to God’s wrath before they even appeal to them. Our Father “declares the thought of man” for us in Romans 2:1-3:20, so that, one can functionally respond in truth to the vanity of their escape tactics.


Escape Tactics

When it comes to these responses, these escape tactics, there are only 3 common escape tactics that the flesh can manufacture. In Romans 2:1-11, Paul deals with an unjustified “O, man” who in light of being made aware that God’s wrath is against him seeks to escape it by the tactic of, what we can call, relative or comparative righteousness. In Romans 2:12-17, Paul begins to deal with an unjustified Gentile in regards to them being “without law”. This information teaches the “O, man” we might deal with might possibly seek to give some kind of a extenuating circumstance in their defense as they try to escape the wrath of God. There are two kinds of extenuating circumstances the “O, man” can give, 1) a extenuating circumstance of disadvantage; represented by the Gentile who was “without law”, and 2) a extenuating circumstance of advantage, represented by the so-called Jew who was “in the law”. It is this extenuating circumstance of advantage that Paul explains next in Romans 2:17-29 represented by the so-called Jew. The “O, man” might appeal to some advantage like the so-called Jew in an attempt to escape the wrath of God. It should be noted that none of these escape tactics work; in fact, quite the opposite as Paul properly handles each one, the unjustified “O, man” is found in a position where his “mouth is stopped” and he finds himself truly “without strength”.

The third and final escape tactic that our Apostle Paul deals with is given last in the packet of three, because it is the final desperate attempts of the unjustified “O, man”. In his desperation he seeks to save face by opposing the message (the gospel of Christ) and/or the messenger. This is represented by the Jew to whom “the oracles of God ” were committed. The final escape of the unjustified “O,man” who negatively responds to wrath-consciousness consists of charging God with unrighteousness. The negative responses’ climax is when it takes on the form of blasphemy and slanders the grace of God. Notice this response as Paul actually and practically shares the doctrine of Romans 1-3 in the book of Acts to certain groups of people.

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, SOME MOCKED: and others said, ‘We will hear thee again of this matter.”
Acts17:32

“And when they OPPOSED THEMSELVES, AND BLASPHEMED, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, ‘Your blood be upon your own head; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”
Acts 18:6


Reality & Our Final Response

The ambassador for Christ needs to acknowledge the reality, before he/she sets out to share the gospel of Christ in truth, of facing one of these negative escape tactics. Oftentimes, the ambassador will seek to ‘win one for Christ’ not realizing the potential stubbornness they might face and become real discouraged and be used by the Adversary resulting in he/she ‘throwing in the towel’ or ‘faint’ becoming a dysfunctional weak ambassador. The Adversary will also use these negative responses of an unjustified “O, man” to have the ambassador change the message and make it more palatable, so that, they won’t experience the harshness of the gospel of Christ working effectually in a unjustified person. The result of one changing the message leaves an unjustified person with a false or perverted gospel wherein there is no salvation at all.

When the escape tactics from the wrath of God reach the pinnacle of their negativity by blaspheming God and slandering His grace, the ambassador has reached the end of their ambassadorship and there is one final response to give to have work effectually in the opposer for the ambassador is no longer obligated to continue to share the gospel of Christ with them. The response is given by the Apostle Paul in the doctrine in Romans 3:8. He writes,

“And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) let us do evil, that good may come? WHOSE DAMNATION IS JUST.”

It is these last four words that make-up the final response of the ambassador toward the unjustified person who is negatively opposing “the gospel of Christ” and “the ambassador for Christ”. It is at this point in their negative response, that in view of it “the goodness” of God’s appeal has reached its limit. It is the final proclamation of the damnation spoken of throughout Romans 1-2 which will be their final lot if they do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their all-sufficient Saviour. Again, this final response from the ambassador is designed to alert the unjustified person one last time that they are in real jeopardy of receiving the very wrath, judgment, and damnation they are so forcefully denying. This strong statement by the ambassador is designed to shut the mouth of the blasphemer who slanders the grace of God.


Full Prosecution

The Apostle Paul concludes his prosecution of the defenses escape tactics with his closing statement. This statement begins in Romans 3:9 and ends in Romans 3:20. He starts by concluding all men “under sin”. Romans 3:9,
“What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;”
He ends his statement in Romans 3:19-20 saying,

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

This form of doctrine doesn’t describe the unjustified persons response, but does provide the full prosecution in light of all of the self-defense pleas and escape tactics given. Paul declares they are “under sin” with their “mouth…stopped” and “guilty before God”. The effectual working of God’s Word in Romans 1-3 is designed to accomplish this very end; so that, the need of salvation from the debt and penalty of one’s sins is properly realized and the effectually working of Romans 3:21-26 can do its job.



One Response

When all is said and done, no matter what facial expression is given: glare, stare, frown, or smile; no matter what verbal expression is given: slander, blasphemy, acceptance, or any other negative or positive response, there is only one response that matters. It is a response that the ambassador can not see or feel, because it is the inward response of faith in the gospel of Christ. It can be manifested by someones profession to you; however, the moment one responds to the gospel of Christ God sees it and will forgive that person all their sins , impute Christ’s righteousness to them, and give them eternal life. Although we might face and experience many responses as we preach the gospel, the only response that matters is the one you are not immediately aware of or might never know took place. Our role as ambassadors isn’t to worry about the result or the response, but about co-labouring with our heavenly Father by beseeching others on His behalf to be reconciled unto Him (2 Cor. 5:18-21). We are to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). May we be instant in season and out of season to preach the Word, not change it because of the potential negative responses we might experience, and know that the Word of God effectually works in those we preach the gospel to. The best response one can have is of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s all-sufficient Savior. It is an honor and privilege to share the message that can work such a response, and icing on the cake if those who respond positively to the gospel of Christ through faith in Christ actually share their positive response with us.

Look Up,
Pastor Josh Strelecki