Erv Puckett Bible Study Ephesians 1:5-9 WE ARE IN CHRIST!
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Erv Puckett Bible Study Ephesians 1:5-9
Erv and Ric pick up after verse 4. We start to discuss several topics.
We worship using Psalms
1. We talk about what it means to be predestined. And we discuss that we are adopted into the family of God.
2. We discuss God's kind intention of His will, which is what we are after as we study the Bible, and what that means for our lives.
3. We talk about the praise and glory of His grace and how that matters. Grace is always moving us away from ungodliness which is toward God's will in our life.
4. We talk about "in Christ", "in the beloved" and what that means for us. We are no longer a part of the world. Yet we live in it. But He lives in us!
5. We get into specifics about redemption, what it means for the Gospel, and our daily lives. Do we understand salvation correctly?
6. He lavished His love, grace, and forgiveness on us and we are still in amazement! We just need to believe in Him. Put our full weight of trust in Him and have the assurance of the things hoped for.
Join us to see how we can live praiseworthy to God. BTW you can use this bible study with a group if you like.
Erv is approaching his 1st anniversary after becoming born again. His life has dramatically changed.
The second week we had a Bible Study he said something similar to this: "Ric and Pete, I am stuck at home with my pancreatic cancer. I do not know if I will live long. But how can God use me? How can I share the Gospel with people". Pete and I shared that we should just ask God for the opportunity. Erv, within two or three weeks of salvation, was sharing the Gospel of Christ in a youth prison where he still serves! He was asked to run a nursing Bible study AND has found a home church. Your prayers have helped to put him in remission! God's glory!
Ric and Erv started a bible study that we have been doing all year. We decided to record them so people could enjoy the back and forth and use good bible study principles.
This week we start a study in Ephesians.
We learn about these topics.
1. What is the will of God? How do we find it?
2. What is the difference between an Apostle and Disciple?
3. We talk about what Grace is and what it is not, and why we need to respond to God
4. When Paul talks about Peace, what does he mean. Too often, we just read over verses and don't pause to ask the HS for help in understanding. Peace with God is a giant concept that needs to be understood. Paul sets the stage for understanding all of Ephesians with this simple line. Think: We have Peace with God! The war is over! We have eternal life and much, much more, as Paul will explain!
5. What does "in Christ" mean?
Let's be a community of bible studiers, so we learn to live a life pleasing to God.
"I have lost my husband from this. He actually hates me because I do not follow the doctrine that he has adopted for 8 months now. He has left me and he has told me that he is no longer married to me because we were not married in a HRM. He has told me that our marriage was a mistake on his part and we have only been married for 8 years and we are older people. I can't understand how this could happen to someone at this age. He has abandoned everyone except HRM friends. His family, the children, his siblings. I don't understand this at all I don't understand anything about this and it destroyed my life"
Daughter caught up in Torah Keeping
I’m sorry about this. I know you’re not alone. My wife and I are afraid our middle daughter is lost in this maze of heresy. She has gotten entrenched in it and seems miserable now at our church because we do not observe the Sabbath, the dietary laws, or feasts. She does not believe we are currently under the new covenant. For a while, she was questioning the deity of Jesus. I think she’s come back to orthodox belief in that regard but I’m not positive. She believes the kingdom of God is all future. Her husband is an elder at our church where I preach. So we have that to deal with. I say all of this to say many of us know how this can destroy families. And some can share your pain regarding how it destroys marriages too. I will pray for you right now.
We know why this happens. Because people believe other people's teachings rather than do proper bible study themselves. Biblestudycompany.com is here to help.
So if we, who are Gentiles, want to keep the Torah (Law of Moses), how will we do it? The Torah is for the Children of Abraham who were led out from the "world system" (Egypt). At Mount Sinai, God made a covenant with the Children of Israel (Gentiles were not even considered), but it was conditional. Deuteronomy 28 discusses the blessings and the curses. But notice the blessings are all about the Jews who took "care to keep His word," and GOD MOVED on their behalf. The Jews were never to live this life without His help. So, is it about keeping Torah? No. It was about Faith in God who could help them obey His word, just as Abraham had help from God to live in a hostile world. We will state that Abraham was the father of their faith and now ours, and Abraham had no law to follow except the command to leave his relatives and home! He did. Gen 12:1-4 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1-40
If you lived during those days, there were so many laws (613) that it was nearly impossible to keep track and required sacrifice. The rabbis created an oral law and tradition on the "how-tos" of keeping the Law. BTW many Torah Keepers use Judaism as the "way" to follow the Law of Moses, adopting their traditions. How do we know those are correct? So, what should their response be to the Law of Torah? Faith and dependence on God. But instead, they decided to focus on their efforts to keep the Law. "Doing the law in their own power" was not the intent of the Law. It was and is to reveal sin and God's righteous character compared to our evil character. Christ made it very clear in Matthew 5, 6,7 sermons that sin is a matter of the heart motive. Sin is missing God's will. Someone who has not committed adultery may have already, in their heart. We all have been in situations where man or woman is cavalier in their comments of "being sexually attracted" to the opposite sex, and even Godly men will be snared by porn, but we laugh it off. Do not laugh this off. It speaks of sin ready to blossom in people's hearts. But they could still say they "kept Torah." God sees the heart where sin lives.
Christ said, "you have already committed adultery in your heart." No one can keep the Law in our flesh which, if we try by doing so weirdly, gives us "pride" to say we are "Torah Observant." Primarily, if we attack the church or other Christians that rightly divide the Word of God in Ephesians 2, which shows the Law was abolished or fulfilled in Christ's sacrifice are we guilty of attacking the very Body of Christ?
How was it fulfilled? First, prophetically. The foretold Christ was coming in prophecy from Genesis to Micah. He has come! Except, He did not come as the then-current Torah Keepers (Jews) were expecting. We see this in John 3 and their eventual attacks on the New Christians who were trying to obey the will of God as Christ was doing. This attitude is eerily the same as the Torah Observant folks of today. Attack the church as lawbreakers. Exactly what the Pharisees were doing. So we have several questions to ask: Are they going to go to Jerusalem to the feast three times per year? That is Torah. Are they going to so dishonor our Lord's sacrifice for all of us that they will sacrifice lambs? Torah. We know Torah people who have sacrificed goats! We also know people who left their marriage covenants because they got caught up in Torah Teachers' web of twisted Scripture and because a spouse would not follow into legalism and fleshly pursuit of the law and out-of-context verses left their spouses! That is breaking God's law! They will also displace other family members who "don't go along with their fear-based legalistic approach to Torah. For anyone to do that is breaking the laws of God. Is Christ our High Priest? If you are claiming to be Torah Observant, is Aaron your high priest vs Your Lord and Master the Torah pointed to? We have a new High Priest who took our sin debt and that of the Jewish people in Christ Jesus! Glory to God!
The second way Christ fulfilled the demands of the Torah was to be the paschal lamb for Passover. Their sin debt for breaking Torah had to be paid. The placing of blood on the doorposts is a type and shadow of Christ's death. And we see another type and shadow of Christ in Exodus 29:39-46. An inspiring picture of those who wanted to be right with God all day long. In the morning and evening, they could look by faith to the lambs God provided that were sacrificed to cover their sin, just like Christ. How? By faith, one could place their sin each morning and evening on the little lambs to be "right with God." We put our sin on Christ by faith, WHO KNEW NO SIN for us. The entire rest of the chapter is a beautiful picture of communing with God! Is this not our goal to commune with God and His goal with us? Or is it to keep the Torah in our flesh versus faith? Faith would have allowed them to see their sin. Paul says in many places that the Law of Moses, for the Jewish nation, is abolished. Yes, that is hard to hear, but Christ paid the price for law-breaking Jews and gathered the Gentiles (us) back to Himself by allowing both Jew and Gentile to have our sins forgiven by FAITH. THERE IS ONE NEW MAN. NO JEW or GENTILE. No works of Torah (that anyone should boast) will save us. Ephesians 2. It is by faith. We often hear from Torah Keepers that, "yes, we are saved by faith," BUT we must keep the Torah... Why the but? Because of poor biblical study methods. We have a course to help learn the best practices of Bible study to live praiseworthy to God. Thus, Christ did fulfill the Law. We are under a New Covenant (the Jews), and we Gentiles are under Christ directly. The whole Bible has much to teach us about God's character. We encourage you to let go of this false focus to keep Torah. Aren't you following a man who is a teacher? Follow Christ instead.
We hear this frequently; "Ric, I am caught up in one of these groups or a family member. What should I do?" If you are in the group, immediately submit your heart and life to Christ. Exercise faith in God's word to change from "study about knowledge of Torah and Judaism practices" to "Lord, how can I learn to do Your will and what sin do you want me to deal with? Please change me according to Your power." (Titus 2:11-12)
Do not submit to men. The Torah Teachers we experienced have inferior biblical study methods. And there are many, with any number ways to: "how to do" the Torah, and oddly they disagree! Start there. For a family member, pray Ephesians 1 earnestly for your family member and yourself, and grab a psalm, and learn to pray them back to the Lord in worship. David went through many tough times and learned to worship God in the midst.
We heard from people who said, "Ric, how will we know what sin is if we don't keep Torah"? Was not Moses God's direct representative to the Jewish people and Gentiles that went out of Egypt? Our answer is the entire New Testament, written by Christ's direct representatives, the Apostles. The New Testament has many "laws" in the form of imperatives and explains the Torah. The old testament was pointing to Christ. Christ came. Now what? Keep Torah? No. The long-prophesied One is here, and He has risen. Follow Him!
Read the Mount of Transfiguration story. Christ showed the disciples His glory. Moses and Elijah were there representing the Law and prophets. What did God the Father speak from a cloud (think cloud in Mt Sinai)? "This is My Son in Whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him" (notice the I AM?). Many have shipwrecked their faith by following Torah Keeping and not Christ. Don't be one of them. Follow Christ, Who is our God. Torah is teaching. Torah is not who we serve! Christ is. Amen.
The bottom line is that in Ephesians 2, Paul lays out for both Jew and Gentiles that we are now "in Christ." Think of an envelope covered in Divine blood. We are now, "in the envelope," in Christ.
When Christ took the wine and broke the bread, representing His Body (may we say our efforts?) and the wine (blood) poured out for our sin (missing God's will for our lives), Christ was able to release us (may we say fulfill?) from our obligations as Jew and Gentiles through the Cross for our sin! Glory to God!
What was the result? Christ said it best: John 2:19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." A change has taken place: A New Covenant is here! While some would say the New Covenant is only for the Jewish people, we can benefit as Gentiles. How? Because we become Born Again. We are made alive eternally "in Christ" by the Holy Spirit of God.
Remember the envelope? Could you think of us as inside of Christ? Christ was able to keep the Law and pay all penalties. We get to "hide" in Him! Paul said: Eph 2: "14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity." Peace; THE WAR IS OVER WITH GOD! Hallelujah!
Is the Law abolished? YES, IN CHRIST. Are our efforts to keep the Law abolished? Yes, because no one could keep it perfectly as humans. Remember His Body was broken for us. All of our efforts are "filthy rags." Our sin debt is paid. The Holy Spirit is now in us and is teaching us "away" from ungodliness! Titus 2:11-12
Mary and I look at it this way. Where are our eyes? On Christ? Or the Torah? We know we better have our eyes on Christ. He is our Maker. If my focus is keeping Torah or any program about us "doing," then my eyes are off Christ. We also will compare ourselves to others. Otherwise, how do we know we are "doing it," right?
We know that people who want to keep the Law are wanting to please God. But is our job to do what the Jewish people could not? No. When my focus is on Christ, I can let the Holy Spirit work on my sin in this body. Do I have sin in my life? Do I Lie? Steal? Cheat? Lust? Work until I drop? Think about allowing the word of God to show you sinful motives. From motives is where sin is born.
Let's walk in the Spirit, letting Him lead us to proper biblical study methods to live a praiseworthy life to God for His plans and purposes!
Join us for this podcast. Let us know what you think.
Dr . Baruch of Loveisrael.org and Ric Joyner of Biblestudycompany.com discuss the topic of law-keeping. Dr. Baruch brings a unique perspective to our discussion, which is the Jewish Context. A biblical study principle is to know who the text is writing to, and an attempt is made to determine how the audience would understand what was said. Dr. Baruch lives in Israel and has a Ph.D. in Jewish studies. He also has Orthodox Rabbinic training.
Some gems Baruch lays out.
1. Judaism is not Torah Observant today. Those who claim to be Torah keeping need to be aware that over 250 "laws" or instructions are related to the Temple being in place. Thus, no one is a true Torah Keeper.
2. There are many versions of Judaism in the US.
3. The "Law" is a unit. If we cannot keep the "law" with no temple in place, the whole law is "broken." We can learn much about spiritual truth from the TORAH, and that should be our focus when studying the Torah.
4. We all must base our doctrine on the Word of God and our study with the Holy Spirit. We should not follow men.
5. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone as Abraham was.
6. In Ephesians 2, the penalty and the debt we owed to God from the Law was paid by our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
7. How does Christ fulfill the law? Watch the video or listen.
8. We must be careful not to disparage a group or church in our process or compare ourselves over other Christians. Keep our eyes focused on Christ.
9. Sabbath is a day of rest. We worship God EVERY DAY, ALL DAY.
10. The whole Bible is available to us, and we need to learn how to handle the Word of God rightly.
Join us for this interesting podcast on Should Christians Keep the Law?
Our discussion today is with Dr. Daniel Goepfrich, a pastor, theologian, professor, author, and Greek scholar. He runs a website called: Theology is for everyone. Click the link below for more information and resources. His book on Discipleship should be in everyone's library.
Highlights of the interview:
1. Dr. Goepfrich gem of a statement: "Christ was not the atonement for our sin...HE PAID FOR IT ALL. Christ gave us the great exchange. He took our sin to the cross, paid the price for our sin that we could not, and then gave us His righteousness. Thus it is as if we never sinned! Do we keep on sinning? No, because the power of the Holy Spirit is to train us away from ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12)
2. Goepfrich gem #2: Jewish people, before Messiah came, had to go to the temple. WE ARE THE TEMPLE!
3. Goeprich gem #3: Christ didn't abolish the law; HE COMPLETED IT! We have a new beginning with the Holy Spirit inside of us.
4. Goepfrich gem #4 We are not under the Mosaic law. We are under the law of Christ!
5. Goepfrich gem #5 Should Christians keep the Shabbat? It is wise to have a day of rest. So the "spirit" of Shabbat is to be dependent on God every day, but a day of rest is important. The "church" is not a nation as Israel was.
6. Where does the church appear in the Old Testament? Hint...oops, watch the video or podcast.
7. Daniel discusses his version of Biblical study principles.
Coming to a Church or Fellowship near you. "Christians must keep the law!"
Mary and I are introducing a new Podcast and Video series based on movements that seek to make "Christians keep the Mosaic law" called the: TORAH. Is this true? Is this the right biblical understanding? We explore these options.
READ THIS BEFORE WATCHING
Our series will include:
A. Our introduction for what is in the series and updates about Biblestudycompany.com
B. Next week: Dr. Daniel Goepfrich from Theology for Everyone will discuss the covenants and how the church should look at the New Testament covenants. His viewpoint is helpful to know why churches say, "The law was nailed to the cross." He debunks and clarifies for us.
C. The week after: Dr. Baruch Korman of Loveisrael.org gives excellent balance and answers tough questions
D. The final podcast will be Mary, and I am recapping our way forward and gives us tools from a proper biblical study process.
So why do this series? Some in this Mosaic law-keeping movement are referred to as the: Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). However, law-keeping is also in some legalistic churches as well, usually called performance-based to get God to "move" on their behalf, if we do the "right things in the right way". Or we develop traditions and regulations that are not biblical but unique to our group. The problem with these views is the subtle shift away from a focus on Christ. Our eyes must be on Him as Paul said in 1 Cor 2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
The Torah was part of a covenant with Israel after God miraculously created a nation from Egypt to keep His promise to Abraham. The Sinai covenant is detailed for the daily life the Israelites were to live in the promised land. The "promised land" can be a symbol of the Bible we have today. As Christian, we can submit our hearts and will to the Word of God to live praiseworthy to God in our daily lives. Why? Because we have the entire Bible at our disposal from Genesis to Revelation.
We were in Charismatic groups that were focused on "doing something great for God". We were part of Messianic Judaism which focused on worship-like services of Judaism and that is where we heard of Torak Keeping groups and people. "You must keep the sabbath, you must eat Kosher, and those that do not, are all lawbreakers and many more rules apply. How do we find our way through this morass and pressure to conform? These are our questions too. But all of this changed as we learned proper biblical study principles to please God.
The extraordinary thing about people caught up in these movements is that we all have several things in common:
1. A love for God, and they wish to please Him and thus do not want to miss anything He has to offer, and least of all, disobey Him. Obeying the Mosaic law can set people up to a type of bondage based on someone's (a leader's) interpretation of the Bible. Keeping the Mosaic law will depend on the group and leader's interpretation of what to do. But is our walk with God about what we "do" or is it about Him working through us? Have we taken our eyes off of Christ and onto the Torah that is pointing to Christ? Yes. Do we learn and study from all of the Bible? Yes. Shall we keep our eyes on Christ? Yes!
2. A misunderstanding of proper biblical study methods by taking the Bible in the Old Testament and applying it to obey today rather than the principles Scripture is trying to teach us. Suitable Bible study methods can help us sort this out. Today we are focused on learning lessons from the law (the whole Bible) to please God. Here is a course link for how to get started studying the Bible with proper methods: https://biblestudycompany.com/blog/article/207
3. Nearly everywhere in the Bible, even in the New Testament, the word "law" is interpreted as "Mosaic law," thus, a bias is created TO OBEY THE MOSAIC Law when none exists. By stating this comment many will get their "hackles up" but we ask you to watch and pray through the whole series before coming to a conclusion. Christ referred to the "Law and the Prophets." However, the Samaritans were only focused on the Torah as mentioned in John 4 which we think is interesting. And Torah Keepers are bound to keep the Torah that the Jewish people could not. Why? It was done in our effort not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was only given after Christ rose from the dead. We now can keep all of God's Holy Word through Him because we are in Him. Eph 1-2.
4. A disdain for current Christian churches and practices, which they assume are anti-Law and even pagan! We will sort through this as well. We are the body of Christ. All those who call themselves by Christ's name and are saved. We best be careful to not go against "His Body" on earth. Criticism of a local body is fine if done in love but let us be careful with the logical fallacy of "sweeping generalizations".
5. A misunderstanding of the Grace of God as a license to sin. If one preaches the grace of God that is interpreted as approving sin. When in reality, Titus 2:11-12 shows us that the Holy Spirit will "teach" us away from ungodliness. How do we know what is ungodly? Through the Whole Counsel of God (Bible). The New Testament, written by Christ's direct representatives, the Apostles, gives us an interpretation of the Old Testament! If you are in the Grace of God, you are turning FROM sin...not TO sin BY HIS CHANGING POWER, not our performances to do the law or a program.
6. Today, or in this particular time, after the Cross of our Lord, we are under His blood and have forgiveness of our sin. We can now give Him a gift. We can offer, at the feet of His Throne, our will and our life. He is our Creator and Savior. Read Ephesians Chapter 1, 2, 3 for some hope and change of our position from doing to being.
7. Are you in a group like this? No worries. Remember, always follow the Holy Spirit's leading not men. Put all the teaching you hear against the Word of God. He will lead you. Psalm 23. Feel free to ask God questions and to contact us. We will be happy to help you sort this out.
We will explore these areas of concern that have caused many to become ensnared. None of what we write or say should offend anyone. If we do, please remember that we were caught up in some of these groups, as well. But because we wanted to study Scripture to live a praiseworthy life to God, He led us to correct Biblical study principles. Join us for this podcast. Please share!
Two good friends have a live podcast/video of a bible study the way Bible Study Company studies. Grab your Bible, your beverage, Biblestudycompany.com, and your friends to join us for this engaging study.
Is the wilderness going into the desert to be with God? Are we called "out" of the world (Egypt) but still be in it? We discuss these topics and why knowing what "dabbar" means is crucial in our bible study. One of the names of God is YHVH (Jehovah) Dabbar which translates to Jehovah Speaks. And when God speaks...we need to listen. But is there a difference between a casual conversation (amar) that indicates a relationship with God and God's revelation (dabbar)? Yes, there are differences!
Then we need to ask: "Lord, what is the difference between God's revelation and God's casual conversation with us?" Do we receive "new" revelation today? No, because we have complete Scripture called the Bible, which has Genesis to Revelations. But we do have a relationship with God, and He does speak to us and He does illuminate to us Biblical truths.
Let's find out the differences! Join us! Please share your thoughts, and please share.
Experience doubt? "When in doubt..." they say. Let's ask God questions. God is our Creator, and we cannot see into a spiritual realm, but we can *hear*, *see*, and *experience* a relationship with Christ; doubts come with the territory. Even the disciples doubted in more instances than we typically realize.
Our special guest is Kedar Joyner, our daughter, artist, techie, Trekkie, and User Experience Designer for the University of Wisconsin. Together we discuss growing up in a Christian home but finding her way through doubt and developing our assurance of faith in Christ through understanding sound biblical study principles.
Is doubt accepted in the church or "frowned-upon"? Who can you go to with your doubt questions? Did you know doubt is connected to anxiety? Did you know that at the heart of doubt are questions? For those with doubt, please let us know in the comments below. We would love to walk with you! Please comment and share. Don't forget to subscribe.
Did we just define our struggle in our life? We start our second Bible Study of Ephesians with the biblical study principles on what Paul is communicating what we "are" in Ephesians 1. So we are to "be" in GOD's POWER v.s., not to "do" IN OUR POWER and strength. But this is where we live, in our heads, emotions, and our will. How can we change to "be" in His will? Easy to say, hard to accomplish. But not complicated in His power. Let's see.
Our podcast and video are the practical applications of our DEPENDENCE ON GOD, not on our strength. Did you know Adam and Eve were to have God's help daily to carry out God's will while they were in the Garden? Yes, our lives were never meant to be lived without God's help. Paul explains we are IN Christ now. Yet, our struggle continues.
Adam and Eve decided to do their own will, and this rebellion caused them separation from their CREATOR. Christ came as a sinless man, and also God Almighty, the same One in the Garden, Who was to help Adam and Eve carry out God's will. Through the blood of Christ, even though we are in our sinful flesh, we have the Holy Spirit given to us to help us carry out His will, with "every spiritual blessing," which is HIM!
We can get excited about this and worship our Creator. He wants us to be dependent on Him. How do we practice this principle? By having our hearts submitted to His Word and be in personal fellowship with Christ and realize we are to "be" in Christ. Join us for this revealing podcast!
