Ephesians 5:1 Part 2

1 THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].

Jesus also told us to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Think about what the Holy Spirit is repeatedly telling us through the Word. We are plainly told that we are one with God, so we should act like it. We are told that we should imitate God and that we should be perfect as God. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of our Father, Romans 10:17. How many sermons have you heard preached that we are one with God right now through Christ, so we should walk just as our Father walks? Many believe that we are somehow blaspheming our Father when we even dare to hope that we could live as powerfully and perfectly as He lives. There a lot of people who I know that believe that we have to wait until we get to Heaven to have any real power at all. The Truth is that we don’t have to wait and the Truth sets us free and the Truth is that today is the day of our salvation and now is our accepted time, 2 Corinthians 6:2. Today we are one with our Father and through Christ we are perfectly united with Him, so today is the day that we are one with all of His power and abilities, Ephesians 3:20. Today our Father can use us to do even greater works than He did through Himself when He was here as Jesus.

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. John 14:12

We should encourage each other daily with the Truth that our Father will use us in all of the fulness of His power. Today time no longer matters for us, just as it does not matter to our Father. Today we are in this world, but we are not of this world. Today we will be used by our Father to heal the sick, raise the dead, forgive sins, prophesy Truth, and set the captives free. Freely we have been made to be one with all of the power of God and freely we will be used by Him share it. 

Ephesians 5:1 Part 1

1 THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].

We are told by the Holy Spirit here that we are to be imitators of God, now how cool is that command? While this may be a very cool command, in all reality this could be a pretty big challenge for us. I mean our Father has set the bar pretty high. Once again, the Truth comes to our rescue. The Truth for us is that our yoke is easy and our burden is light, Matthew 11:30. So while this is a huge command, Jesus told us that it has to be easy and light. 

Think about what we are told to be like here, actually think about how our Father is for a minute, and then think that we are told to imitate it. Then remember that it has to be easy. Think about how our Father came from nowhere, stood on nothing, spoke, and here it all is. Our Father took clay, molded it into the form of a man, breathed into the dirts nose, and Adam was born. Our Father birthed Himself from a virgin, allowed Himself to be killed by those who He created, and then raised Himself up from the dead, so that now we can be one with Him. When our Father was here as a man, He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed thousands from table scraps, told the weather to do what He wanted, and never required anyone to bow before Him and acknowledge Him as God. This is just some of what we know about our Father, now think of imitating it!

We also know that God has removed our sins from us as far as the East is from the West into the sea of His forgetfulness, Psalm 103:12. We know that He would that all men be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4. We know that He is in control of everything. We know that He knows the beginning and the end. We know that He cannot lie and that He is love, now imitate it. 

Honestly, how can we ever really imitate God and how could it be easy? Well, through Christ we will and it is easy. We will imitate God because we are now one with Him. Through Christ we have been perfectly united with our Father and now He can do all of this through us, John 17:19-22. Because our Father allowed Himself to be sacrificed for us, He can now use us just as He uses Himself, John 14:12. We are now one with Him, just as Jesus is one with Him. The two of us are now one flesh, Ephesians 5:30-32. So we should expect Christians to be walking as our Father walks. We should have His faith, His hope, His love, His confidence, His compassion, His forgiveness, His wisdom, and His knowledge. The Truth is that as He is, so are we in this world.

In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17

Ephesians 4:28-32

28 Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.

29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

Ask yourself this: how can we grieve the Holy Spirit? Now really think about this? Ask yourself these questions as you ponder this question. Does the Holy Spirit know all things, even before they are? Does He know who and what we are? Does He know what the Body of Christ is going to do before we do it? Is He the Body’s strength? Is He love? Is He our Advocate? Does He control all things in the One Body? Do all things exist by Him and through Him? This has to be just a saying here for the lost, because if we could actually grieve Him, these Truths would all be out of place. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to intercede on our behalf's when we do mess up, the very times when we would grieve Him. We have been given the Holy Spirit because all of us do grieve Him. That is how we have been made by our Father.

For God has consigned (penned up) all men to disobedience, only that He may have mercy on them all [alike]. Romans 11:32

31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

In Christ we can’t help but do all of these things. Our Father will continually prune us so that we are constantly getting better, John 15:2. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us as He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake, Hebrews 13:5. Now here is the really cool thing too, we are never condemned, Romans 8:1, as we grow and everything that we do works out for our good, Romans 8:28. 

32 And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

What another great Chapter of Truth!

Ephesians 4:26-27

26 When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.

27 Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

Think about how so many teach these verses. They teach that we can allow satan into our lives through our own actions. If we had the power to allow satan in to harm us, then what kind of Shepherd would Jesus be? I don’t care how smart or stupid a sheep is, the Shepherd alone is responsible for keeping it safe. Also, if we could allow satan in to mistreat us, then what kind of Gardener would our Father be? The Bible teaches us that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4:30. So if we had the power to allow satan into our lives, the seal wouldn’t be that strong would it?  

So the question is, can satan be involved in our life’s? The Truth is that satan was created by our Father. He was created to serve our Father. Just because satan rebelled doesn’t mean that he no longer is a servant, he isn’t that strong to change what our Father created him to be. So for satan to be able to come against us, he has to be directed to or allowed to by our Father. And if our Father directs satan to come at us, he can only do what our Father allows him to do. The reality is that our Father does allow him into our lives from time to time to carry out His will. 

And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn ( a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. 2 Corinthians 12:7

Our Father sent this messenger of satan here to deal with Paul. If satan on his own came to Paul, he would have caused Paul to be puffed up. Vanity and pride are the tools that satan would have used to cause Paul to fail. The Truth in all of this is that we can have peace even if satan is allowed to come to us. Our Father is still our Gardener and Jesus is still our Shepherd and we are still sealed with the Holy Spirit. Satan is still a servant of our Father and he can only do what his Master, Who is our Father, tells him to do. Our peace is that all things work out for our good! Satan does not have free range in our life’s and just because he rebelled didn’t release him from his service to our Father.

So if you are ever asked if you were attacked by satan this week, you can rejoice and loudly proclaim that if I was, it was because my Father allowed him and directed him to. Paul writes this in an attempt to have people live right. There is a wonderful scripture about satan and it is Luke 22:31. Satan had to ask to attack the Apostles. Now if he was so powerful and so free to do what he wanted, why did he have to ask? The Apostles were messing up all of the time and satan was not allowed to just come and get them. He had to ask first. Doesn’t sound like he is all of that powerful if he had to ask. Our Father is powerful and our Lord is powerful and through Christ we stand. Our own strength is useless, just as our own righteousness is useless. But we never stand in our own strength, we are always kept by Jesus’ strength and Jesus never fails

Ephesians 4:25

25 Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.

Look at what our Father tells us: that we are all members of one another. Now many Christians will limit that to, we are only one if we are saved. But is that true? Did our Father create all men and then separate the vast majority from being one with Him?

And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day. John 6:39

So the question is how many has Jesus been given?

[Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. John 17:2

For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him. Colossians 1:16

All things have been given over into My power by My Father; and no one knows Who the Son is except the Father, or Who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son may choose to reveal and make Him known. Luke 10:22

We can clearly see that our Father has given all things to our Husband, our Lord, our Head, and our Savior, Jesus. All flesh is Jesus’. All mankind is Jesus’ All men exist by Him, for Him, and through Him. Jesus will not loose any that He has been given and He has been given all! We are all part of one body. There are those of us who have been empowered to know this and there are those of us who have not been empowered to know this, yet all of us are one body.

This is why the parable of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is so great. Jesus just plainly tells us that all, both good and bad, will spend eternity with Him.

And those servants went out on the crossroads and got together as many as they found, both bad and good, so [the room in which] the wedding feast [was held] was filled with guests. Matthew 22:10

Not everyone has been chosen to be the Bride of Christ, only a few of us have. But that does not exclude all of the others that Jesus has been given to spend eternity with us. Eternity is filled with guests, just as with a Wedding. A Bride is not a guest at her own wedding, but the Bride does plan and take care of all of her guests. That is what we will do for eternity, take care of our guests, both the good and the bad ones. 

And You have made them a kingdom (royal race) and priests to our God, and they shall reign [as kings] over the earth! Revelation 5:10

Think of Israel, there were twelve tribes, yet only one priestly tribe. Yet they were still a united country. Think of a church. There are pastors, evangelists, teachers, prophets, and apostles, not all have been called to be in leadership, yet all are part of the church. There are both good and bad people in churches, yet all are part of the church. The same holds true for eternity. Our Father would that all men be saved and through Christ they will, 1 Timothy 2:4. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord, Romans 14:11. 

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But you did not so learn Christ!

21 Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],

We have learned through several verses of scripture that Jesus controls everything: John 1:3, 1 Cor 8:6, Col 1:16, and Heb 2:10. We have learned that we are one with the Holy Spirit Who causes us to walk in our Fathers ways, Ezekiel 36:27. We have learned that there is only One Body and One Spirit, Romans 12:4. So we have learned that because we are now part of the One, that we are as He is, even while we are on this world, 1 John 4:17. The Truth that we have been empowered to learn gives us peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7. Our peace is that our Head will never allow us, His Body, to walk in a darkened state. Our confidence is in the Truth that Jesus is responsible to keep us and that He will use us to produce much fruit, John 15:5. 

22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;

23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],

24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

How can anyone, on their own, put on a nature that is in God’s image? We can’t, it all has to be from our Father through Christ. Only our Father can regenerate us and renew us. If we could do this on our own, then we could boast about how powerful we are. The Truth is that our Father is our Gardener and He alone is the only One that is able to prune us, or to strip from us all unrighteousness.

I AM the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. John 15:1-2

All things have been entrusted and delivered to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son deliberately wills to make Him known. Matthew 11:27

Praise God isn’t that a great verse! Look at what Jesus tells us: the only way that we will ever know the Truth is if He first deliberately wills it. Anywhere in the Bible that we are told to do something, our Father always has verses that tell us that He is the One causing them to come to pass in our life’s. We will never fail, because Jesus will always cause us to be more then conquerors. All things will always work out for us, Romans 8:28.We are never left alone to do anything on our own. So when we read and teach that we must leave former practices, we read and preach that Jesus will cause us to leave them. That is why there is no condemnation, Romans 8:1, and there is no boasting for us, Romans 3:27. But amen, there is sure victory!  

The Great Gift Of Forgiveness

[Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. John 20:23

Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. 1 Peter 4:8

I believe that the greatest gift that we have been given through Christ is our ability to forgive the sins of others. Our Lord always forgave people for their sins. He forgave people who did not ask to be forgiven and when He did they were healed, Matthew 9:2-3. He forgave people who were killing Him, Luke 23:34. He forgave people who had committed capital offenses, John 8:11. He forgave people who did not accept it and did not believe that He had the power to do it. 

We see the same great gift of forgiveness through Stephen. He was being stoned and he forgave those who were doing it, Acts 7:60. Paul forgave the jailers who had beaten him and thrown him into the worst part of the prison, Acts 16:28-30. 

The power that we are used for is so awesome, we can forgive and the sin of the people that we forgive will never be held against them. I believe that our Father is going to empower us to truly begin to forgive others. I believe that we are going to actually stop fretting over politicians and their actions and be used to forgive them. I believe that we will take no thought for those who want to kill us and forgive them. I honestly believe that whole races, who for years and years have harbored un-forgiveness will be led by the Holy Spirit to forgive. This will set so many free, those who are empowered to forgive and those who are being forgiven. As Jesus is so are we in this world, 1 John 4:17, and Jesus ever lives to intercede for all that He has been given responsibility over, Hebrews 7:25. And amen He has been given responsibility over all, John 17:2.

Faith comes for us by hearing this Truth and the Truth sets us free. In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ I ask that You Father cause all of us to actually begin to forgive and as far as the East is from the West place others sins into the sea of of our forgetfulness! Not just sins against us, but any sin we see and any sin that we do not see.  Forgiving is the ultimate act of love and when our Father empowers us to do it, His perfect love casts out all fear. Forgiving is what will truly bring us all peace that passes understanding! 

Ephesians 4:15-19

15 Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

16 For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

Once again, there is only One and in Christ we cannot help but to work properly through the power of our Father. For us to not work properly would mean that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not working properly. We have the Holy Spirit empowering us to clearly know and live in this Truth. I honestly believe that the worlds Christians think that they have to first act, for our Father to then act through them. This is wrong and through the power of Christ we will preach the Truth that will set the world free. We are now one with our Father through Jesus, and because that we are the world is able to believe, John 17:19-22. 

17 So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.

18 Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].

19 In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].

Let me ask you this question, has the world really seen and heard the Truth? Or have they seen a form of godliness that talks about Jesus and our Father but denies Their power, 2 Timothy 3:5. Here is what I mean: hasn’t the world predominately only seen denominations that arrogantly claim that they are the only true believers, 1 Corinthians 3:5? Hasn’t the world seen tele-evangelists that base their entire message on money, 2 Peter 2:3? Haven’t they seen and heard what they must first do, so that our Father can then do something for them, John 15:5? I honestly do not believe that the world has seen the Truth. They have seen a ton of religion, but not the Truth. I believe that when our Father takes us out to the world in the full power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit the moral understanding of the world will change! How can we hold them at fault when they have not seen the Truth of Love that intercedes, regardless of what they have done, to forgive them, just as it did with Jesus and Stephen? How can we condemn them when there is no condemnation in us, Romans 8:1? 

Look at how Jesus dealt with the hard hearted and the morally corrupt. He feed them, forgave  them, taught them, healed them, and loved them. We are now one with Him! How can we act any differently? 

Happy Thanksgiving

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

This Thanksgiving we have been empowered with the Holy Spirit of our Father to go into all of the world and serve all of the needs of all of the people. We have been empowered to forgive sins, heal the sick, preach the Truth, give, and intercede for others in the full and complete power of our Lord. We are never left alone and we are always more than conquerors through Him. There is not one demon or devil that can stand against the power of our Father’s Love that flows freely from us. There is not one sickness that can stand against the Grace of our Father that has been bestowed upon us. The power of our Father is always greater in us then anything that is in this world. 

This Thanksgiving we have been empowered by God to not just to talk about what we are thankful for, but to go and be used by Him to show it to the world. In His might we will be taken to Iran, North Korea, New York, Pakistan, Egypt, Israel, San Francisco, London, Syria, and every other country, tribe, and tongue. We will be used to tell the Truth that will set the world free. We are one with our Father, just as Jesus is One with Him. 

In the Love and power of Jesus, this Thanksgiving we will forgive all sin. The Grace that has been so freely given to us, we too will freely give. It doesn’t matter either whether the people ask for it, want it, or even believe that they receive it. Through Christ we give it and the people will have it! Through Christ we don’t just talk about being thankful, we take action and show it! 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This is the day of our salvation and now is our appointed time! 

Ephesians 4:11-14

11 And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.

12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church),

13 [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

Our Father has anointed some men with special ministering gifts. He has done this so that we may all be fully equipped and one and so that we may all mature to the full stature of Christ’s Own perfection. This is done by the Holy Spirit using us to preach, teach, and prophesy. The Truth is that faith comes from hearing the Truth and the Truth is what sets us free. So it should be preached by these men that there is only One Spirit, One Body, and One Father, and that we are all now, this day, one with them. And because we are now part of the One, as Jesus is One with the One, so are we. The Truth is not that we will have all of these things, but that we do have all of these things. This is the Truth that will set us free and this is the Truth that will cause the world to believe that they are loved just as Jesus is loved, John 17:23! 

14 So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.

So many are tossed to and fro because they believe that there is some separation between us and our Father. They believe that there are many bodies in Christ, not just one. They look to themselves and to their own strength and abilities to accept and believe the Truth. They believe that they have their parts to play apart from our Father. Unscrupulous men teach this, preying on peoples fear. They use fear and guilt to con money from people. They preach that we must act on our own, so that we look to them for help. They always want the focus to be on sin and the weaknesses of man to keep the people under condemnation and control. But the Truth is freeing and the Truth is that we are now One, there is no separation between us and our Father. And amen, Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world. 

We have the perfect love of our Father dwelling within us and His perfect love drives all fear from us, 1 John 4:17. We are free to take absolutely no thought for our own life’s, as we are consumed with taking thought and interceding for others, Matthew 6:32-34. Through our Father’s love we have been perfected, regardless of our works. Our Father’s love is the work and it never leaves us or forsakes us.  

Ephesians 4:10

10 He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).

Jesus is in control of everything. Like or or not, He is. Jesus even controls those things that we think are bad. Our Father has always controlled all things. The One Spirit of our Father has always controlled the world, from the lowest things to the highest things.

All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. John 1:3

For it was in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for Him. And He Himself existed before all things, and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together). Colossians 1:16-17

For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur. Acts 4:27-28

Our Father predestined and predetermined that Herod and Pilate would do what they did. Our Father controls all things, the Holy Spirit uses the Book of Ephesians to blow free will right out if the water! 

So how do we deal with this Truth when it comes to murder, rape, sickness, and poverty? How could a loving God actually be in control of these things? 

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and [b]tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Romans 5:3-4

[But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! Romans 8:18

So many judge good and bad through their flesh only. Our Father judges all things through our spirit’s. Our flesh is temporary, our spirits are eternal. Bad things to the flesh often result in great things for our spirits. Death of our flesh is not an end, it is the beginning of the next step to our life’s. Tragedy, while bad, will lead us to not rely on ourselves, governments, politicians, jobs, doctors, insurances, or police. Tragedies and sufferings drive us to rely on our Father. This reliance on Him allows us to be used to help others and serve our Kingdom.

But what about the lost who do not know our Father? Just look at Lazarus in Luke 16. Lazarus had a terrible life and upon his death he was transported right to paradise. We are never by told by Jesus that Lazarus was a good man, a faithful man, or a believing man. Jesus only told us that his life was filled with sickness and poverty. People will add that Lazarus was a faithful man to this parable, but Jesus never said that he was. All we are told is that Lazarus suffered tremendously on this earth and that upon his death all of that was taken away from him. The sufferings of Lazarus’ life were in no way to be compared with the glory and prosperity that he will enjoy for all of eternity.    

Ephesians 4:7-9

7 Yet grace (God's unmerited favor) was given to each of us individually [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ's [rich and bounteous] gift.

There is one body and all of its parts work together, yet we do not all do the same things. A leg acts differently than an eye, but the two parts work for the one body. An arm performs a different task than the liver, yet they both work for the one body, and they are all controlled by the one head. Jesus is our Head and whatever we are asked to do for the one body is all provided and controlled by Christ. No one can brag or boast about what the Head is causing them to do and nothing is ever done by a part of the one body on its own.

Let me just say that again, nothing is ever done by a member of the Body on its own! We do not first believe. We do not first have faith. We do not first choose. We believe because our Father has called us to believe, 2 Corinthians 12:3. We only have faith because our Lord causes us to have faith, Hebrews 12:2. We do not choose, we are chosen, Matthew 22:14. The freedom with is Truth is that our knowledge does not limit our Father from using us. Our works do not limit Him. Our mental capacity doesn’t limit Him. Our Father is always able to do far more then we can even dare to dream of through us, Ephesians 3:20.

8 Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.

Through Christ we are no longer captives. We have all of the gifts that our Head has. There is now only One and we are part of the One. There is nothing that Jesus is or has that we are not one with. We are perfectly united now with our Father and He can now perfectly use us just as He perfectly uses Jesus. There is no part of the One body that cannot now be used perfectly by our Father to serve the world and the Kingdom. 

9 [But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth?

When Jesus descended, when He died, what did He do for 2 1/2 days?

In which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, [The souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God's patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water. 1 Peter 3:19-20

Jesus’ Spirit went and preached to those in Hades. He went to share the Truth. He did this to set the people who were there free. Our Father didn’t send Jesus down to the realm of the dead to just talk to them. He sent Him down to set them free. How cruel would our Father be if He sent Jesus down to show the people what they could have had if they had only been obedient? No, Jesus was sent for the sick and lost and whether they were alive or dead didn’t matter, Jesus came to set the captives free! You want to have a great study, go study the last three chapters of Revelation and see what Jesus will do again for the dead.

Jesus Bridged The Chasm To Hades

And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who want to pass from this [place] to you may not be able, and no one may pass from there to us. Luke 16:26

For the last several years our Father has really used me to share the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Ruler. The two main things, until yesterday, that our Father had really given me great peace with this parable were that Hades is not just a place of torment, but a place of correction. Hades isn’t a place that our Father uses to get even with people for not living right. We can see this Truth because Jesus tells us that the Ruler begins to care and take thought about others, something that he had not done on this earth. This gives me great hope because Jesus went to Hades to preach to its captives and He set them free, 1 Peter 3:20. If Hades is a place of correction and a place that our Father uses to make people have concern for others, then it is not a given that those who are sent there must then be thrown into the Lake of Fire on Judgment Day. Secondly Jesus never said in the parable that Lazarus was a faithful man, or a believing man, Jesus only told us that because Lazarus had suffered so greatly on this earth, that he was allowed to go directly to paradise, Luke 16:25. This gives me great Hope as well for those who have such a terrible lot in this lifetime, even if they do not confess Jesus as Lord, we have a hope of an eternity of prosperity, health, and peace for these people. Think of all the untold millions who are killed and suffer and have never heard of Jesus. Jesus tells us that they will be taken care of through this parable. 

The thing that religious people have always attacked me on this parable was: Jesus said that the chasm to Hades was too great to bridge. So yesterday, after a religious guy attacked me again, here is what our Father told me. In this parable the Ruler did not call out to Jesus, he called out to Abraham, Luke 16:24. Abraham cannot bridge the chasm, no man can, only Jesus holds the keys to Hades, Revelation 1:18, so only Jesus can bridge the chasm. Not only can Jesus bridge the chasm, He has bridged it. 

In which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, [The souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God’s patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water. 1 Peter 3:19-20

Jesus went to Hades and set the captives free and He also came back from there. The chasm is not too great for Jesus. It is too great for Abraham, but not for our Lord and Savior! We are also told in Revelation 20:13 that Hades will again give up those who are in it on Judgment Day. This is a wonderful Truth, because we are told that on that Day every one will confess Jesus as Lord.

For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God [acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise]. Revelation 14:11

This is the time that everyone will call on Jesus. Some of us will have been calling on Him in this world, some may have to be corrected through Hades, but they too will also call on Him. Our Father would that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth, 1 Timothy 2:4, and because of the power of Jesus they will! 

But if any person’s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:15

Everyone may not be the Bride of Christ in eternity. They may suffer the loss of that reward, but they will be saved from Hell. They will be saved from Hell because they went through the fire of Hades! Our Father has caused me to believe this with all my heart and spirit and He has given me peace with this Truth that passes all understanding and all attacks of men! My prayer is that He does the same for you! 

Also notice how those in paradise have to be restrained from going to those in Hades. Could you imagine being in paradise and your loved ones being in Hades and you knew that they were being punished only to be thrown into the Lake of Fire on Judgment Day? That wouldn't be very much of a paradise would it? But if your knew that it was to bring them to a better place of being, then you could enjoy paradise. 

Ephesians 4:4-6

4 [There is] one body and one Spirit--just as there is also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received--

5 [There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all.

Look at what the Truth is, there is only one body, there are not several bodies that make up the body of Christ, there is only one body! We are Jesus’ body and we are kept by the power of the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:19-20. Consider Jesus’ flesh when you read these verses, Jesus, the Head of the Body. Jesus’ flesh was beaten, tortured, and crucified. His flesh laid dead in a tomb for 2 1/2 days. No blood pumped to Jesus’ brain and no blood flowed through His organs for 2 1/2 days. Yet Jesus’ flesh was raised from the dead and eleven days after it was raised up, Jesus told Thomas to place his fingers in the open wounds. Jesus’ flesh, our Head, is no longer living by the power of flesh, it is living by the power of the Holy Spirit. Eleven days after being cut open, a body would start to heal up, yet Jesus told Thomas to place his fingers in the wounds. Could you imagine how that would hurt if Jesus’ flesh was living by the power of flesh? But it wasn’t, it was raised up and is now living solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Now go back and read the Truth again, the Truth that there is only one body. Do you see how powerful that one little saying is? It doesn’t matter what a doctor may say about our flesh, because we are now kept by the power of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus’ flesh is kept by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why the Truth is that by His stripes we are healed, 1 Peter 2:24, because there is only one body, and as He is, so are we in this world, 1 John 4:17! Amen that is a Truth that will set you free. Faith comes from hearing the Truth and faith is the evidence of things hoped for! The Truth for us is that we cannot help but be godly and our flesh is kept just as Jesus‘ flesh is kept! Ephesians is such a great Book in the Bible. The power of what the Holy Spirit tells us here goes so far beyond what religion wants us to have. The Truth is that today is the day of all of this and now is its appointed time, 2 Corinthians 6:2.

There is also only one Spirit. We do not have several different spirits, there is only one. So we are one with our Father, just as Jesus is One with Him, because there is only One! Think of the One Spirit for a moment. Isn’t the One Spirit, the Holy Spirit Omnipotent? Isn’t the Holy Spirit all knowing, Omnipresent, and all powerful? He is and there is only One Spirit and we are part of the One Spirit. Do you see what this Truth means for us? 

Now ask yourself this question, when are we part of the One Spirit? 

The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. John 14:17

Today is the day of our salvation and today we are one with the Holy Spirit, the only Spirit, the One Spirit. Today we are as He is, even while we are in this world. Faith comes from hearing the Truth and the Truth sets us free.

Ephesians 4:2-3

2 Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

The only way for us to live in complete lowliness of mind is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to have the actual mind of Christ.

For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. 1 Corinthians 2:16

Jesus knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that He only exist through the power of our Father. He knows that the Two of them are One and that our Father is in complete control of His life. Jesus knows that there is only One Body. The Truth is that because we now are one with Jesus, we are one with His mind. Jesus is our Head, so we feel the exact same way that He feels. We are now one with our Father, who is love, 1 John 4:8. Everything that we are and everything that we have is all because we are one with God. Our Father is in complete control of us, this is as meek as you can be. We can do nothing on our own! To glory in this Truth is what brings us an abundant life, just as Jesus has an abundant life.  

3 Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.

Once again we are shown that we have the Holy Spirit causing us to love one another. A lot of people don’t know this Truth, but Jesus lives so that we might have His love dwelling within us.

I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self, and I will continue to make [You] known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them [felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them. John 17:26

Our Lord will Shepherd us to love all men with the same power and conviction that He loves all men with. The Holy Spirit will give us the strength to forgive all, regardless of what they have done and regardless of whether they believe that they receive it or not. I have a friend who always wants to talk about judgment and our Father’s justice. What is in abundance in our hearts, our mouths will speak, Luke 6:45. He does this because he has not been empowered yet to see the glory Grace. The Truth is that if our Father was out to get justice, we would all be doomed! If judgment was anything other then forgiveness, we would all be doomed! 

Jesus was empowered by our Father to love and forgive those who lied about Him, who tortured Him, and who killed Him. They did not ask for forgiveness, they did not accept it, and they did not believe that He had the power to do it. Yet, they were forgiven. This is the love that now dwells within us.