Ephesians (Program #11) – The New Testament Believers to the Praise of God’s Glory

Three times in the first chapter of Ephesians, the apostle Paul uses an expression like “to the praise of His glory”. The first time in verse 6, the praise is offered by us – the believers – as the issue of our sonship. The second mention, however, in verse 12 also deals with our sonship but the praise is not offered by us but rather it is the angels even the creation itself that joins in praise to God because of what He has accomplished in us – His sons. Now, not just sons in name and position but sons of God in life and nature.

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Ephesians (Program #7) – The Mystery of God’s Will

In the first chapters of Romans, the apostle Paul begins by establishing man’s pitiful and sinful condition; almost as though, he is proving to all mankind the need for redemption. Ephesians, however, another letter written by the apostle Paul, also speaks of redemption in the first chapter but from an entirely different perspective. This time it’s from the perspective of God and how He sees us and our need for redemption from the heavenlies. Listen to the marvelous way in which it’s presented in Ephesians chapter 1 “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He graced us in the Beloved; In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses according to the riches of His grace,” What an uplifted view of this matter of redemption we have in Ephesians.

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Ephesians (Program #6) – Redemption in the Son

If we take three simple words from the New Testament like ‘praise, glory and grace’, we may feel quite comfortable that we understand what they mean. But the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1 links them together in one verse, verse 6 “To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He graced us in the Beloved;” How about now? Do you feel that your understanding is adequate according to the divine revelation especially when you put this verse in it’s context; that is, as the issue of our being predestinated unto sonship in verse 5?  Well, Ephesians is rich, high and mysterious because it is written from the viewpoint of God in the heavenlies. And from that point of view, ‘praise, glory and grace’ flowing out of our sonship are not simple at all but marvelous.

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Ephesians (Program #4) – Predestinated Unto Sonship

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior, is it because we choose Him or because He has chosen us?  Well, on one hand, we need to make a decision to receive Him but the Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 1, “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,” The first blessing in the New Testament is God’s choosing, His selection of us.

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Galatians (Program #42) – Walk by the Spirit in the Enjoyment of Christ in our Spirit

To many people, the main item of the book of Romans is justification by faith and the main item in Galatians is to be free from the bondage of the law. Although both of these truths are present in these two books, the real goal and focus of both books is something else. For both Romans and Galatians reveal that God’s purpose or economy in justifying us and freeing us is for one thing – to make forgiven sinners into genuine sons of God in life.

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Galatians (Program #33) – Born of the Spirit to Receive the Spirit (2)

At Christ’s death on the cross, we were redeemed. We might think that the purpose of redemption is so that we could be saved and go to heaven. But, Galatians 4:5 says that God has redeemed us so that we might receive the Sonship. To receive Sonship means that we’re born of God and thereby receive the divine life and nature. Stay with us today as we focus not on our future in heaven, but on how to live and walk in Spirit as the very sons of God.

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Galatians (Program #28) – Crucifying the Flesh to Walk by the Spirit

To walk in Spirit is to live, move, even have our being according to the Spirit. In essence, it means we live as genuine sons of God, matching our Father in His life and nature. For this, we’ve been saved. And for this, we’ve been positioned in Christ. So what is it that keeps this wonderful sonship from being our day by day practical, real experience?   Don’t miss today’s very helpful and enlightening life study of the Bible.

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Galatians (Program #22) – The Spirit of Sonship

Galatians 4 is a wonderful chapter, focusing on two divine sendings. God first sent forth His Son. But, not only so, He also sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts. The two sendings in Galatians 4 are our topic on today’s life study of the Bible.

It helps to see the two main points in chapter 3 are number 1, that the Spirit is the blessing of the Gospel, and number 2, that the law is a custodian leading us to Christ, conducting us to Christ, and keeping us for Christ. In this Chapter 4:1-7, we see a continuation. That is, the Spirit of Sonship replacing the custody of the law. So, we need to begin this program by asking, “Do you want the blessing or do you want a custodian?”

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Romans (Program #58) – Righteousness – The Power of the Gospel (2)

Today we come to the matter of righteousness as is related to being sons of God.  Righteousness is both the foundation and the way for us to carry out our sonship.

When we think of power related to the gospel, we usually think about God the Spirit moving in a supernatural way.  But Romans reveals that the power of the gospel is not God’s Spirit but God’s righteousness.  We will see this power on today’s life study.

We saw in the first portion yesterday that righteousness is the foundation of God’s throne and that He had to take care of His righteousness before He can even get to the point of offering us His love and His grace.

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Romans (Program #53) – Designation

The goal of the book of Romans is sonship.  Today we see how Christ became the first-born Son of God and how we as the many sons become one with Him to express the Triune God.

Romans is often considered a book focusing on justification or justification by faith.  This is certainly true, but Romans also conveys a deeper truth and that is at its core it unveils God’s work of sonship; making sons out of sinners.  We will look at sonship today on our life study.

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