Calling
A Written compostion of the Heavenly Calling Network Study Group
Chapter
14
Ephesians
2:14 For he is our peace, who has made both ...
That is in this company. That is Jew or Gentile ... one, and has broken
down the middle wall of partition ... What is that? ... 15 Having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; ... Decrees or Ordinances ... for to ...
create. Not the word make. This is a new creation. And when you get
this word create in scripture you really always get this feature.Like
we have in connection with 2Corinthians chapter 5:17 Therefore if any
man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: ... creation ... old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ... New things have
come in to being. Now that seems to be a Universal rule with God. When
He creates, He doesn't just patch up. That is what you see with the
physical creation at the end. John said, I saw a new heaven and a new
earth and the former heaven and the former earth have passed away. God
is not patching that up. He is making a fresh start. Behold I make all
things new. ... Old things are passed away. New things have come into
being. That is a principle on which God works. This is not a patching
up of the Acts period. This is a new creation which is a fresh start of
a company of Jews and Gentiles blessed in a position that no one has
ever heard of before. And couldn't be, as long as the nation of Israel
was still in Covenant relationship, and God's purpose was still running
out through them.
As long as there was any possibility of that nation repenting. God
would have given them the promise that was given through Peters lips in
Acts chapter 3:19 Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from
the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which
before was preached to you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the
times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth
of all his holy prophets since the world began. 22 For Moses truly said
to the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of
your brothers, like to me; him shall you hear in all things whatever he
shall say to you. 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which
will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after,
as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25 You
are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made
with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed shall all the
kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 To you first God, having raised up
his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you
from his iniquities. ...
If they repented He would send back Jesus Christ, then the times of
refreshing, spoken of by all the Old testament prophets, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, all the glowing prophecies of the earthly kingdom were going
to be fulfilled. Yes, the earthly kingdom. That is not blessings in
heaven far above all. This is something unique. This is something new
that only has come in because God is revealing something fresh.
Something new in chapter 3 that this man is going to tell us that it
was a secret that was kept hidden Himself from past ages and past
generations. This is not just what the Old Testament reveals as the
Gentiles being blessed through the Jews. There is no secret about that.
God made that quite clear and revealed it to Abraham. He never kept
that hid in Himself. But He is keeping this hid in Himself and you will
find it no where else but in the prison ministry of this man given
after the nation of Israel is laid on one side in unbelief.
This new creation ... Ephesians 2:16 And that he might reconcile both
... Jew and Gentile ... to God in one body by the cross, having slain
the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were
afar off, ... That is you Gentiles by nature. ... and to them that were
near. ... That is the Jew ... 18 For through him we both ... That is
Jew and Gentile ... have access by one Spirit to the Father. ...
Access, oh what a lot one could say about that. Typically speaking,
nobody had access. Even in the Old Testament times. Because, although
the Jew was so favored and brought so near God, as you remember He put
His tabernacle, His tent in the midst of them. And God said, I am going
to dwell among them. That will be a dwelling place for me. And His
glory was there. And the pillar of cloud was there. And the pillar of
fire was there. And in the Holy of holies, the great Shakinah glory was
there. But not a single Jew ever saw it or went in except the priests.
The tribe of Levi was the only favored ones to go inside the
Tabernacle. Fancy that. Israel could live so near to God's tent and yet
the ordinary Jew never once went inside. Haven't got access. No access.
There can not be any access until Calvary. That is impossible. It is
only typical. Never real. And the high priest only went in behind that
vail once a year. The priest hadn't got access at all times. As a
matter of fact, God warned Aaron for He said, see that he come not at
all times. This access to God was a tremendous thing. God took great
pains to try to impress on His people the tremendous privilege it is
coming to Him, the Holy God. A sinner who could walk right into His
presents like that.
How often do we think about it. You know some of God's people almost
jauntily come into God's presence and never realize the unique
privilege that we have in this present dispensation. That the new and
living way has been opened where we can go in. And we are not even high
priest are we. But he can only go in once a year. We can go in at all
times. Marvelous privilege. Paul says, both have got access now. At any
time. Not just at one time. But any time. In one Spirit to the Father.
The last verses of this chapter of Ephesians are so full and so
wonderful. They are very important, for it will open for you peaks at
what is a head in what God is going to do with this new creation. This
creation of the both. One new man. New Man. Don't say a new womanhood.
A new man. And if we believe in inspiration we shall know that one of
the delights of those who study scriptures is to find the wonderful
accuracy that the Holy Spirit uses figures and symbols. You'd thing, to
hear some Christians talk, as though He jumbled them all together and
that it is a matter of chance in what He is using. Don't you believe
it. He knows exactly what He is doing. When He says man, and uses that
figure He means it. And when He uses the word woman or wife He means
it. Those two are never confused in scriptures ever. This is a new man.
Presently, in Ephesians chapter 4, it's goal is going to be called the
perfect man. The full grown male. And its the word husband. Husbands
love your wives. Same word in the Greek. This church is part of the
Husband. Presently there is going to be a wife, or a bride. Oh yes. At
the end time when God brings His glorious purpose to an end there is
going to be the whole figure of a marriage. There is going to be a
Bridegroom. And there is going to be a best man. And there is going to
be guests invited to the marriage. And there is going to be a bride. Oh
yes, the whole thing is going to be there. But if you once eliminate
one of those groups you have spoiled the great wedding scene at the
end. For God is going to, with His redeemed people, fill them all in
those great capacities.
But we, if we are part of His body, and He is the head, we are part of
Him, who is the Husband. The Bridegroom. We are part of Him. So close
that He can use that term, male, that this church should grow to a full
grown man. Male. Never used of a women. You can't confuse husbands and
wives and say its the same. You see there is a word in the Greek that
combines men and women. But the word husband can only mean a male. It
can not be anything else. And that is the goal that this church is
going to reach one day as part of Christ Himself mystical.