Ephesians: Who You are in Christ, You're a Child of Light [Part 2]

There was nobody thinking the confident history of the people of this world is confident in love and faithfulness to the covenant God love them from the beginning. Pastor Paul through an Bible teacher, I would write welcome to shearing the light of program of healing and hope shearing. The good news of what God is done for us in Jesus Christ were also to hear Allen's message in a series called Ephesians if you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program.

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Contact us@shearingthe.org or call 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now starting today's teaching here is Alan Wright most people tend to think of anything that they think the Bible is like a robot core set of instructions or like the owners manual that you keep in your and your glove compartment for the car so the Bible is all the Bible instead miraculously by the supervision of the Holy Spirit is all different eras of time and different pins put down under the divine inspiration to put down the word of God in many different centuries, and there are many different genres of literature in the Bible, and yet all together as one is one canon of Scripture. What you have here. Whether it be in poetic literature, whether it be in prophetic literature with the historical narrative whether it be in an eight unit pistol like Ephesians, what, whatever it is it's part of the big points and the big point of the Bible is one overarching story of God reveals himself to be the lover of all people, and had a plan where and by the greatest sacrifice imaginable and beyond our imagination. He would send his only son, and do a redeeming work. It would be so thorough they would absolutely save us both from the consequences of our sins and to save us from the dominion of our sands so that we can have our fellowship with God restored forever, and reign with him for all eternity is one big story every single thing in the Bible is pointing to that story at all points in one way or another if you're reading Leviticus is part of that story is not the whole story as part of the story.

If you if you're reading the book of Genesis chapter 3 it's part of the story. It will prefigure so much of the story but it's not the whole story is what you have.

The Bible really is a progressive revelation of who God is and then he comes in the full revelation of himself in the person of Jesus. So in other words, all of the Bible is pointing to Jesus when Jesus was walking with the disciples on the Emmaus Road after the resurrection, and he began to explain the Scriptures to them is has explained all the Scriptures and how the concern himself sick. What a real Bible study is this coming out. This is where this story. This is where this exhortation.

This is where this ethical implication.

This is where this fits in to the whole big story, so when you read Ephesians 5 verse five, or any of this stuff and you go man itself, tough on my not have an inheritance you have to look at in the context of Ephesians itself and everything that Paul's been saying and what he's been saying is that who you are in Christ. This means that because of what Christ has done for you. In chapter 1 he starts is that you been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ and then he contrasts in chapter 2, the contrast of the sons of disobedience, who are those that walk in darkness, is that you used to be like that racing you're not like that anymore. That's not who you are now and what he saying here again Ephesians 5 saying here, not children of darkness.

Those are in Christ.

Children of light. So when he is speaking of those who have no inheritance. He's referring here as he was in chapter 2 to the sons of disobedience, which are those that are apart from Christ, but you understand Ephesians itself.

In light of the whole big story of the redemption of God limits if I illustrate this white imagine he was reading a story like Cinderella.

How silly it would be to choose out one part of the story and sample study. This part and then your to decide what the stories about based on like if you agree, Cinderella, and all you did was just read and study the part, Cinderella is dressed in rags and scrubbing the floors and she is persecuted by her stepsisters and stepmother. And if you're so what's Cinderella all about. If that's what if that's the story you read that's only part you saw is it with this is a story about how rough life is about how unfair treatment. People receive and she had a good attitude and remain a hard worker. Even during such difficult times of persecution and the motto, therefore, are the moral of the story must be that you two should just keep a good attitude even when people are being cruel to you that you would say that's what Cinderella is about what Cinderella is about a huge mistake and he said that's what the story of Cinderella about or you could just read towards the end of the store. You can read where the clock strikes midnight and he has to flee from the royal ball and beautiful downturns back to rags in the beautiful carriage chariot turns back to pumpkin and and and you'd say oh what this story is about is you better watch out because the clock will strike and at some point it's all can be taken away from you and so you better be ready because that day is coming in and the stories about you miss the whole story.

If you only focused on that as you so what's what Cinderella about Cinderella is a romance. Cinderella is a love story. Cinderella is about a prince who loves a woman, and it is about destiny and it's about happily ever after that, therefore, make sense of all the other adversities right it's it's that kind of story is a redemption story it's it's a is Cinderella so each part of the story is important to it right so the part of the story of the gospel. That is all about the law in the Old Testament is very important because the law was a good gaffe, but the law is of the people never could keep so as part of the stories very important part of the story because what the law and the law still proves this is that we need a Savior exhibiting people all so read the Bible in context of the whole story and that's what you want to do with Ephesians chapter 5 so as to what is Paul referring to here because the whole nature of God is that God is a God who is merciful and slow to anger, and yet here he speaks of the wrath of God against the sons of disobedience. And so you have to first start with the whole gospel is a story about the lengths that God went to in order to save people if you don't read that and keep that at the heart of everything that you know to be true, then you can miss read other texts. So the first thing you want not do is don't miss read this text and say, well, God must be anger know God is love right and find the Bible says that God is slow to anger, so God is slow to anger the other. Hate all evil. These slow to anger, and only by the slow to anger.

I got a father-in-law is slow to anger my my my follow Graham Lynch and he been in the family over 30 years of voice, and get angry.

One time, and it was only covers all get angry. It was a town that is why tell stories like this and up by those that Rosario is that I like two weeks before wedding and out to be such a joyful time you have a wedding start getting really stressful and there was something going on in the ladies were all talking about some nitpicking. What a flower arrangement was no look like a son like that and it was stress in the house and I saw for one of its own, 30 of the saw my father go dead, let's just get along about this or something like that. That was it allows about 10 seconds. In other words, he is slow to anger, and it would run if somebody is slow to anger, you know, that means you gotta do something really really bad for a long time before he gets angry as God is slow to anger was 11 people protest nicer when will God be angry that he's got it.

He's God and and and and our sins. They seem so small, how can there be such a thing as his people being separated from God for all eternity. It seems like punishment is way too big for the smallness of our crime again must understand this in the context of the whole big story guy is perfect love and perfect holiness, and he made this world out of the overflow of his goodness and he gave Adam and Eve paradise.

He said I do give you choice though the choice you have is up all the fruit of all the trees just don't eat of the one in the middle is you're just they would just rebellious of that one thing and ever sent people been born in sin is that we have, but I'm not that bad of a sinner, she must understand that there really that we know that there's a green just sand in their horrible genocide and things and then there are little covetousness, no gossip and I will but you've assigned to God to God is not really a scale that it can't wrap your mind around this except to say that a little offense becomes much greater when it is against that which is of infinite value right if you took some spray paint and went downtown and spray-painted graffiti on the side of an old abandoned building that nobody hardly cared about, it was still be vandalism and you can still get in trouble and was still wrong because of no comparison.

If you snuck into the Louvre and spray-painted the Mona Lisa is the same can of paint in the same amount of spray and the crime is way different is in it, simply because of who it is or what it is perpetrated against mansion there for what seems to be the small offense against the Mona Lisa scans God.

That is why the Bible says the wages of sin is you're listening to sharing the lying will have more teaching from today's important series. Think Eli really think about how you see yourself as you see yourself as my first family might as well do nothing worthwhile in your investor stuff with joy to become free determines how you listen to Allen's messages from God with your digital Dharma sphere partners journey nations drink and discover according to God. Time to finally find out who you really are were in the final days of this special offer being made available to you. 877-544-4860 or come to my website sharing the right like you're listening to sharing the today's teaching now continue once again is Alan Wright all of this begins with with knowing that God is slow to anger and he is he is alive and is very essence and yet God is righteous and people who want to speak of a world where everything is relative and want to and want to have a vision of God that is that God is love, but he never has any wrath against sin or any judgment against unrighteousness.

I just don't think it makes sense in the end because we all want there to be some form of righteous good be rewarded in sin and evil be punished, right what we've got. We got things going on this world right now that horrible night and and and you see the soul of of the nation and Americas is now another thing to say no to the beginnings of genocide with just look at genocide and go no matter what just love everybody. Then it was our son was one of the vacation Bible school teachers this week and he had think third and fourth graders and he said that 211. Good job at vacation Bible school region. Some families that don't don't have your kids have been raised in Christian homes and so they don't then all act nice and so you want to reach the world and in the world comes in. You like and you not acted like Christians well and are Christians.

So anyway, but there was one cavity would be a meeting to another to know, like 1/3 grader be a means another third-grader and the one that it was the hat we had the offense perpetrated against the Bennett told him Sonny's analysis said you know the Bible says that we do when people are mean to us like that because it is said says we're nice to them against the West is stupid. That was his first turn the other cheek West is stupid head and so that it is well do anyway. Alright so but to the natural mind about boy that is I well there's just a lot evil in the world and here's what were supposed to do about it.

Just you know this is, God is says well you know that is horrible. People oppressing the poor racist genocide, child abuse, but hey, that's just stupid right did make sense because this most people this is what they do, they either are going to form their own version of spirituality that would take away anything uncomfortable about the holiness of God. But in so doing, would sacrifice any sense of ultimate justice and righteousness in the world so they have a loving God, but not a righteous God have a loving, not righteous, but if God is not righteous is a loving what happened so many other people, and this is the main issue with Christians who think that God is mad at them still is that the idea that God could forgive your sins so completely that you would be utterly and completely forgiven. That seems unbelievable because we know that sin should be punished right here in comes the wonder of the gospel. The gospel is the redemptive answer to this dilemma. Years ago I was interested in watching an episode of the old old Oprah Winfrey talkshow and because author that was interested in. Scott Peck was on the show that night and I made a point to watch it. It was many years ago and I can't find the transcript to it. I found other things that Oprah has had since then, but I couldn't find a treasure. This particular but I remember seeing this and going all you know that I need. I wish I could speak to that because Oprah and and Scott Peck are talking Oprah said.

She said the thing that she said is is bother me so much and and began to make her cheer really kind of move away from what we would say is an Orthodox or evangelical Christianity to some kind of broader vision of spirituality.

She said it bothered me so much, he will talk about God is a jealous God and she sees like my vision should God be jealous of me or of anything she said in such a petty emotion while when she said that the time thing I such a misunderstanding.

There is a concept of jealousy which can be part of someone's wrath that is rooted in human insecurity right if you've ever been in a relationship with some of this insecure and one of the things they do is they tend to get jealous or even paranoid and is very painful thing and in jealousy can seem so petty right. I mean this is where semi-so insecure that it is a warning only want you to talk to somebody else or spend of five minutes with anybody else, and what is that rooted in its rooted and I'm insecure and I'm just worried that I finally have your constant attention then something is wrong and and and and so for that.

That's a guess, petty jealousy, but isn't there a different kind of jealousy is altogether different than that this actually holy and right and pure and good. And this is this a scenario where if there was a man and his wife were unfaithful to him. If that man's said well I yeah she's been cheating on me, but I don't think I should say anything because you know she might leave me for good or something. If I do worry about that.

We would say wake up man quit being so codependent. What you talking about your valuable you are not a doormat right or if the man said well you know I've been cheating on me.

But you know okay with that I can share her with with others and everything be fine with looking like you say you love her. Why, because isn't there a part of love, that if the because the net of love is violated that you feel good enough about yourself. You say I'm not taking that and another party says I'm intensely jealous.

I'm not jealous of you.

I'm jealous for you I love you too much to share.

You with others.

This is the nature of God's love.

God is love. The Bible doesn't say God was so angry at the world that he sent his only begotten son says God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, and I wouldn't say God's anger. The Bible says God is slow to anger the Bible says that God is love. But that love if you really love and he's really righteous.

He will hate all that is evil. The bottom line is this the issue is the covenant God made a covenant with Adam and Eve and they broke it covenant with this world that he created in the world rebelled against and he made a covenant with a special people Israel, and they broke his covenant what you see in a lot of the prophetic literature is the response of a God who loves deeply like the response of anybody who loves deeply is going to be twofold.

I am grieved and I may have love you so much as they don't be angry. Bible says be angry but don't sin. Jesus came and Jesus was the fullness and expression of who God is and what happened when he saw the covenant unfaithfulness and he saw how the religious aristocracy was lording it over like self righteous hypocrites. They were like whitewashed full of dead and Jesus Jesus all Jerusalem who had betrayed the prophets and stone them soon come to get the message of good news and who would ultimately kill him what to reside grieved over this and he was mad why because you love the love the intensity of the law and that there be wrath against all righteous. The issue is that there was nobody they can keep the covenant whole history of the people of this world is of covenant unfaithfulness to the covenantal God who loves them from the beginning is what God said was I just need somebody on this earth that could keep the covenant if they could just be one person on the one human being. That would keep the covenant and be faithful to me so that I could show the fullness of my love and never ever have to be grieved and never have to be jealous for him never have to be angry because there never a said if I can just do that with one representative I could pour out my real nature and that is the pour out only love and blessing, and there was no one so so the world that he came himself listening to shearing the line and that's a praise God right there from our teaching your a child of the light in the series of Ephesians in anchorages. They with this Alan is here in the studio and were back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life in a final word you think Eli really think about how you see yourself. If you see yourself as my friends then you might as well do nothing worthwhile in your investor stuff to become free determines how you listen to Allen's message is from God with your digital nations drink and discover who you are, according to God and to finally find out who you really are in the final days of this special offer being made available to you.

877-544-4860 or come to my website sharing the right leg for someone listening right now. Today they're discouraged by the darkness and of course you have a lot of heavy stuff were talking about what you were today. You know where we're leaving off the day we needed God to make him bring about covenant, and establish a covenant partner who could keep the covenant on our behalf and that that news never grows old to me because it is such wonderful news that that Jesus became a covenant partner who was faithful for us so that God could do what he always wanted to do and that is pour out blessing upon humanity.

And here's the important point when you come to a tough text like this work falls and not diminishing the nature of the darkness all around. But God didn't overlook sin, he crushed, he condemned sin in the flesh through the cross of utterly defeated power over us. That's what Paul says your child of the light don't associate with a curse like oh no you might not make heaven. Christ, you're guaranteed have it what he saying that you have a whole new way of living. Now a wise life, not a fearful and aliveness empowered by the Holy Spirit. This has been shearing the like, Alan listener supported production of shearing the like