WANT TO BE FREE?

 If you read my last blog about receiving forgiveness we talked about the 2 baptisms. We talked about Apollos who only knew the baptism of John. And then here comes Ephesians 4:3. "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

This verse might seem confusing after we just read in Acts about the 2 baptisms. This Scripture is talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is the one baptism into the body of Christ, death, burial and resurrection - this is the hope we were called to, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. That is why it says, 'When He ascended on high He took many captives and gave gifts to His people.'

The one who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ be built up UNTIL WE REACH UNITY IN THE FAITH AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD AND BECOME MATURE, ATTAINING TO THE WHOLE MEASURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST!

When we speak truth in love- we grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is Christ.

With Christ being our head, the whole body joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

So we much not live as Gentiles do, separated from the life of God. What does it look like to live separated from the life of God? It is to live in our own pointless thinking. It is to be darkened in our understanding because of ignorance that comes from a hardened heart. Some one who's heart is hard has lost sensitivity to the life of God and they give themselves over to their own physical senses( what they see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand not by the Spirit) to indulge in mixture and they are full of greed. People will take this Scripture and ignore everything it says to focus on the word greed. And then they will use this verse to oppose people who preach about tithing and giving.

A greedy person doesn't give to the church. 

Greed is an excessive, selfish and insatiable desire for more and more of something that is impossible to satisfy. Greed is always an attempt to try and fulfill the longing of our heart for our Father. The only fulfillment for that desire is Jesus, the Son of God. When we are baptized into one body, Christ being our head, everything else we do from there is in faith where we are made new in the attitude of our minds. We put off our old self, the one being corrupted by deceitful desires and we put on the NEW SELF CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS.

It is time to put off false hood and speak truth! 

In Christ God forgave us.

Ephesians 5:6 says, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things Gods wrath comes on disobedience. Therefore do not be partners with them."

You were in darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the Light, ( for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

It says, "find out what pleases the Lord!"

Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds of darkness but expose them. If the fruit of the Light consists of goodness, righteousness and truth- what are the fruitless deeds of darkness that need to be exposed? Unrighteousness and deception. the Bible says, "Do not be deceived!" Deception is a deed of darkness. Unrighteousness is a deed of darkness. A hardened heard is a deed of darkness. This things need exposed. But I don't believe it is for us to go exposing in others. I believe this is specifically to be exposed in our own life, because it says it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient do in secret. Everything is exposed BY THE LIGHT which is TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GOODNESS. The Light is what makes things visible and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: 'Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. This is not talking about those who have died physically. This is for those who died when death entered mankind through Adam (which is everyone on the earth). False doctrines promote controversial speculation rather than advancing Gods work, which is by Faith!

Gods work is by Faith!

The goal of the command to not teach false doctrine, is love. Which according to 1 Timothy 1:3-5 comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law but they don't know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Love comes from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.

The sinful man does not have a good conscience. The unholy man does not have a good conscience. The slave trader does not have a good conscience. Love cannot come from him nor those like him. Liars do not live by faith. They are deceived by what they see and spread the lie. Love does not come from them. One who has mixture in the heart of law and grace does not have love. Mixture of covenants is impurity of the heart and in which love cannot come. Departing from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith produces meaningless talk that does not advance Gods work.

Christ came into the world to save sinners. Have you let Him save you or do you want to hang on to what He died to set you free from?

Read 1 Timothy 1.

I want to take notice of 1 Timothy 1:20, 'among them are the Hymenaus and Alexander whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.' Among who? Those who have REJECTED FAITH AND GOOD CONSCIENCE!!!!

Think on that for a minute.

Those who reject faith and good conscience were handed over to satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

God wants all people saved and come to the knowledge of truth- 1 Timothy2:4.

Paul says, "I want men everywhere to pray, lift up holy hands without anger or disputing. 1 Timothy 2:8.

Then in 1 Timothy 2:9, (talking about deacons), "They must keep hold of the deep truths OF THE FAITH, WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE. They must be tested and if there is nothing against them, let them be deacons. In the same way, women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything."

For there is one mediator between God and mankind, THE MAN JESUS CHRIST, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.

The overseer is to be above reproach. What does it mean to be live above reproach? It means to live above blame, rebuke, disapproval, shame and disgrace. Above means superior to or higher in position.

The overseer must live higher than rebuke, shame and disgrace.

In 1 Timothy 3:2, Paul tells us the character of an overseer. In 1 Timothy 3:8, he says, 'IN THE SAME WAY deacons are to be worthy of respect and describes their character. Then in 1 Timothy 3:11 he says, IN THE SAME WAY the women are to be worthy of respect and describes their character. Paul says he wrote these instructions if he were to be delayed. 1 Timothy 3:12 says, "A deacon must be faithful to his wife and manage his children and household well."

But let's go to Romans 16:1. Paul says, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in cenchrae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of His people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me."

How can Phoebe, a woman be a deacon? 

There is an order to the way the church was designed. The order is designed by God to build up the body of Christ until WE REACH UNITY IN THE FAITH AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD AND BECOME MATURE, ATTAINING TO THE WHOLE MEASURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST! Phoebe was a sister of the faith. She didn't come out of Adam to defile him like Eve did. She is a sister- created IN CHRIST, not Adam.

We were all like sheep going astray but now we have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. 1 Peter 2:25.

And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the first born from the dead (we were the dead), so that in everything He might have supremacy. Colossians 1:18.

1 Timothy 3:16, "Beyond ALL question, the mystery from which TRUE godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh and was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Where is glory? It's up, above reproach, at the right hand of God.

1 Timothy 4:1, "The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will ABANDON THE FAITH and follow deceiving spirits, things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose conscience has been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid poeple to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND KNOW TRUTH! For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected because it's consecrated by the WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER.

Anyone who doesn't provide for their own relatives has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8.

Titus 1:16, " They claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him." This is talking about actions that do not come from faith. By their actions they deny the faith. 

Gods work is by faith, 1 Timothy 1:4. 

Faith works by love.

Love comes from a heart that is pure, a conscience that is clean and a faith that is sincere.

Only the blood of Jesus can clear your conscience.

Be blessed and keep walking by faith!

Love you all!