Date: December 20, 1936, morningPlace: Pu-Chien-Ding, Foochow
Of all the Epistles of Paul, the book of Ephesians touches the highest pinnacle of the Christian life. This book can be divided into three sections. The first section covers chapter one through chapter three. It emphasizes the facts which we hold in Christ. The second section covers chapter four to chapter six, verse 9. It speaks of the things in Christ and how they are applied to man. The third section covers chapter six, verse 10 to the end of the book. In addition to what we have obtained in Christ and what is applied to men, this section speaks of the attacks from Satan and the way to withstand him.
We are not going to do a detailed study of the book of Ephesians today. We will only consider the spiritual principles revealed in the book. Ephesians 2:6 says that we are "seated" with the Lord in the heavenlies. The word sit is the key word in the first section. Ephesians 4:1 says that we should "walk" worthily of the calling with which we were called. The word walk is the key word in the second section. Ephesians 6:13 says that everything is done, and that we have to "stand." The word stand is the key word in the third section.
Every time we read the Bible we should pay attention to these three things: what God has gained, what man has gained, and what Satan has lost. If our position in Christ is right, our living before men will also be right, and we will also be right before Satan. The Bible shows us that the basis for us to be right before men and Satan rests in Christ. We can walk rightly before men because we have received our fullness in Christ. We are able to stand and defeat Satan because we are firmly established in Christ. No other person in the Bible spoke like Paul. Most people concentrate on what they can do; their focus is on man himself. However, man can never meet the demands placed upon him. What he says is one thing, and what he does is another. In fact, what he does is often contrary to what he says. For example, Paul said that before there was the law concerning covetousness, he did not know coveting. But once the law came, coveting also came (Rom. 7:7-8). According to Paul's message, we can do something only because God has done it first. The outstanding thing about the gospel is that God's Son worked first, after which we work.
A doctor once told a nurse to give a patient some instructions. The nurse twice had to tell the doctor that the patient would not cooperate. When the doctor went himself, the patient said, "It is not that I will not do it, but that I cannot do it." He was extremely weak mentally. The doctor came back and said, "It is not that he cannot or that he will not. He is at the point that he cannot will." Not only was he short of the outward power to do the thing, he did not have the inward power to will to do it. He did not even have the inclination to will to do it. What makes the gospel so distinct is that God has first done something for man, after which, man does it accordingly. Figuratively speaking, God has not asked you to earn money to feed yourself; He has put money into your pocket already. With His money you can buy food. If you still do not buy food, it means that you are really hopeless. God has done His work. If you still say that you cannot make it, it is not because you cannot make it, but because you choose not make it.
Ephesians 1—3 speaks of the facts we have in Christ. Afterwards, chapters four through six speak of our walk in this world and our responsibility before Satan. This is Paul's message and his method. First he tells us what God has done, and then he tells us what we should do. For the past ten years I have only practiced God's way and Paul's way, which is presenting our position in Christ and then dealing with our daily walk and standing firm against God's enemy according to this position.
Ephesians 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ." This verse points out the central thought of the first three chapters of this book; it contains a most important point. According to Paul, this book is not about earthly things, but about heavenly things. God has given man every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies.
When I was in Changchow, some brothers wondered how we have all the blessings in the heavenlies. I used the illustration of a water bucket to explain this matter to them. God's salvation is like a well. He has no intention that we draw out water with a water bucket, as the Samaritan woman did. It is too unreliable for man to draw the water himself. The rope may be too short and not reach the water. One may not have enough strength to draw up the water. There- fore, God has given us the whole well. He has given us everything that we need once and for all. The Samaritan woman's thought was only on the water bucket. But God has prepared everything for us in Christ Jesus His Son. Chinese has an idiomatic expression: "As long as the green mountain remains, there is no fear of shortage of firewood." If a whole mountain is yours, you do not have to worry about running out of firewood. But man thinks that as soon as he stops cutting wood, he will run out of firewood. Christ is our "green mountain," and as long as this "green mountain" remains, we have all the provisions we need; there is no need for us to worry anymore.
Ephesians 1:4-14 then speaks of how God selected and predestinated us unto sonship, how He redeemed and forgave us, and how we have received the Holy Spirit. All these are the heavenly blessings mentioned in verse 3. Since we have already received these things, why are we still so poor? My answer is that we are all millionaires, but that we are poor millionaires. Suppose a prodigal son does not realize that his father has left him a will. He will continue to live in poverty. When he takes out his father's will from the safe and reads it, and when he begins to claim his inheritance, he will become a rich millionaire. Spiritually speaking, we often are poor millionaires. If our eyes are veiled day after day, we will surely live a life of poverty. We will live a life that is beset by sin and frustrated by temptations. We will not see that God has given us everything in Christ. Our eyes must be opened to see the inheritance that God prepared for us in Christ.
This is why Paul continued to pray for the saints in verses 15 through 23, after he mentioned God's heavenly blessings in verses 4 through 14. He prayed that our eyes would be opened, and that we would have a spirit of wisdom and revelation to know of our inheritance. Everything depends on God's revelation. We need God's revelation before we can see the riches in Christ. A preacher may preach the doctrine of salvation, but he may not be able to save others. A preacher may preach the doctrine of victory, but he may not be able to help others overcome. The Lord said, "He who has an ear, let him hear." Many people have the first part of this sentence, but do not have the second part. They have ears, but they do not hear and they do not receive anything. We need to pray and ask God for revelation to see the riches of our inheritance in Christ.
Mr. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission did a good work in China, but at one time there were a few sins that he could not overcome. He could not sustain an uninterrupted fellowship with the Lord. One day he read in John 15 that the Lord is the vine and that we are the branches, and that those who abide in Him will bear much fruit. He thought that he had not been abiding in the Lord continually, and he prayed day and night to be a branch in the vine. He wrote to his sister, saying, "For a few months I have been praying to be a branch, but have not experienced it yet. I am in much turmoil. Please pray for me." Later, in another letter he wrote to his sister, saying, "The scales have fallen off from my eyes. I saw that the Lord's Word clearly says that I am a branch. Yet I was still praying to be a branch. How foolish I was." He saw that he was a branch, and that there was no more need to beg earnestly to be one. Once his eyes were opened, he realized that the Lord is the vine as well as the branches, the water, the sap, the soil, the root, the sunshine, and the fruit. The Lord is everything to the vine. As long as he remained in the vine, everything would be all right. From the day he saw this, his spiritual life took a great turn.
Here is a glass cup. It does not have to pray to be a glass cup. You are Ching-fan Chan. You do not have to pray to be Ching-fan Chan. A man can stumble upon salvation accidentally, but he cannot stumble upon victory accidentally. As soon as a man aspires to be holy and victorious, he will try all he can to seek after the Lord. But once his eyes are opened, he will see that he has inherited everything in Christ already. He will say what Hudson Taylor said in jubilation: "From now on I am a new man."
In chapter two, Paul went back to the time before man's salvation and told how God leads man step by step and guides his footsteps. Verses 11 through 22 tell us how we start from the point of being Gentiles, and how we are led from the lowest pit to the highest plane.
In 3:1-13 Paul goes on to say that he was appointed by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and that the Gentiles are now able to receive the same grace. According to doctrinal sequence, verses 14 through 21 should immediately follow the last verse of chapter one. Ephesians 2:1—3:13 is actually a parenthesis; it describes our condition as sinners, our position as Gentiles, and Paul's apostleship for the deliverance of man.
Ephesians 1:23 is joined to verse 3:14. These two passages are Paul's prayers. What is the goal of these prayers? The prayer in chapter one is for us to "know" something through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The prayer in chapter three is for us to be "granted" something through the power of the Holy Spirit. Chapter one is on revelation; it enables us to know what we have. Chapter three is on the strengthening of the inner man; it enables us to be rooted and grounded. Chapter three does not tell us what we are in Christ, but what Christ is in us. If there is no air, we cannot survive. However, even if there is air, we cannot live if we cover up our nose. In order for a man to live, he must be in the air, and air must also be in him. Chapter three's emphasis is not on us being in Christ, but on the Holy Spirit being in us. Thank the Lord that the air that I am in is also the same air that is in me. In the first prayer, Paul mentioned revelation. Revelation shows man that everything is accomplished in Christ. In the second prayer, Paul mentioned faith. Faith is believing that what God has done is real. Revelation is always linked to faith. There are three main points in chapters one through three: (1) God's provisions, (2) God's revelation, and (3) man's faith.
Now let us come to the second section. Ephesians 4:1 says that since we are called, we should "walk" worthily of this calling. If a man has never sat, he can never walk. To sit is to rest. It indicates that everything is done, or that someone else has done all the work. This is like riding in the car or on a boat; someone else is moving the vehicle. We can sit in the same way because the Lord has done everything. He has done everything for us; He has identified Himself with us, and He has given us His life. When did God create Adam and Eve? He created them on the sixth day. Hence, the seventh day for God is the first day for man. Man's first day is God's Sabbath day. As soon as man was created, he entered into God's rest. If we cannot sit, it must mean that we have not yet received salvation. There was only one person who entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for sins — the high priest. Even ordinary priests were not allowed to enter (Heb. 9:7). The curtains of the tabernacle kept outsiders away from the sanctuary. God wants us to make no mistake about this — He does not want man to have any share in the matter of redemption. As far as man's forgiveness is concerned, he "sits" on the Lord's redemption. It is not a matter of serving God or seeking for salvation. God has freely given us the grace of forgiveness. Both the problem of sin and the problem of the old man are dealt with by "sitting." If we have never sat down, we can never do any work. Wherever faith is, there is no work. Everything has been accomplished by God already; all we have to do is receive.
If we can sit, God will make us walk. The second section, Ephesians 4:1—6:9, is on walking. Ephesians 4:17 says, "That you no longer walk." Verse 19 says, "To work all uncleanness in greediness." Verse 22 says, "Your former manner of life, the old man." Ephesians 5:2 says, "Walk in love." Verse 8 says, "Walk as children of light." Verse 11 speaks of "unfruitful works," and verse 12 speaks of "the things which are done." Verse 15 says, "Look therefore carefully how you walk." Ephesians 6:8 speaks of "whatever good thing each ones does." This portion of the Word repeatedly and emphatically mentions the matter of a Christian's walk.
Please remember that not only are we in the Lord, but the Lord is also in us. Once we are connected to Christ, His life will flow into us and we will be able to walk. This is like the electric light bulb; when the bulb is connected to the current from the power plant, electricity will be in the bulb and the bulb will light up. First God operates, and then we walk. Without God's operation in Ephesians 3:20, it would be impossible to have the walk of chapter four. First we overcome, and then we go into battle. Christ's salvation first brings in rest and then brings in a walk, unlike other religions which work first and then achieve something later.
Ephesians 4:2-16 tells us how we should relate to the brothers and sisters, to the church, and to the Body of Christ. Verse 3 speaks of the oneness of the Spirit. Paul said that we should "keep" the oneness of the Spirit, rather than "striving at" the oneness of the Spirit. Verses 17 through 24 tell us what we should do concerning our former manner of life. Verse 22 speaks of a putting off. A putting off is not a change. An experience of putting off is a precious one. The Lord has crucified our old man already; we only have to put off the old man as regards its former manner of life.
Ephesians 4:25—5:14 draws special attention to the words we speak with our mouth. Ephesians 4:17-24 deals with one's conduct, while Ephesians 4:25—5:14 deals with one's words. In Ephesians 5:15-21 the most crucial point is the filling of the Spirit and thanksgiving and praise. We can put Ephesians 5:15-21 together with the previous section. Ephesians 5:22-33 shows husbands and wives what each should do, Ephesians 6:1-4 shows parents and children what each should do, and Ephesians 6:5-9 shows masters and slaves what each should do.
Let us summarize the second section: (1) Keeping the oneness of the Spirit and not offending the brothers, because this grieves the Spirit. (2) Putting off the old man. The putting off of the old man is related to the growth of the new life within. This is like the shedding of old leaves from a tree. When new leaves grow, the newness of their life replaces the old leaves. (3) Paying attention to our speaking. We have to be delivered from all kinds of negative speakings. Our conver- sation should not be focused on the brothers and sisters, but should be words of thanksgiving and praise. (4) Giving a word to husbands and wives, with the emphasis being on the wives. According to God's conviction and commitment, the goodness of the woman lies in her testimony of submission. I wish I could be a woman so that I could submit. Christ was equal with God, yet as the Son, He submitted to God in everything (Phil. 2:6, 8; Heb. 5:8). In the same way, the wife is equal with the husband, yet she is willing to be submissive in everything. Submission is a sign of meekness. The Lord honors the woman by asking her to submit. This means that the Lord places higher hopes on the woman. (5) Giving a word to parents and children. Parents have to nurture their children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. The word "nurture" means "to bring up." Many parents want to send their children to the Lord, yet they themselves do not go along. Some say to their children, "I am a grown-up; therefore, I can smoke. You are a child; therefore, you cannot smoke. When you grow up, then you can smoke." This kind of teaching is wrong. The parents must bring up their children. This means that they have to be a pattern for their children to follow. (6) Giving a word to masters and slaves. Slaves should not try to be equal with their masters. They should be obedient to their masters according to the flesh, as to Christ. Many people do not like to hire believers as servants, because brothers who serve as servants often think that they are the same as their masters because they both are brothers. Therefore, they think that they should be treated better, instead of being treated simply as servants. This is wrong. A brother who is serving as a servant should serve his master all the more diligently and should be obedient to his master, as to Christ.
The third section of Ephesians begins with chapter six, verse 10 and goes to the end of the book. It is the "final" word. The final word concerns the way to deal with Satan. We must first understand that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies and then understand our proper walk on earth. Finally, we need to know how to deal with God's enemy, Satan. Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand. It says to stand because we do not overcome Satan by our fighting. The Lord has overcome and placed us in the position of victory. All we have to do is to stand and withstand. None of God's armor is for attacking; it is all defensive. Chapter two says that we are seated in the heavenlies. Sitting means that we have overcome the powers and principalities. Now we only need to maintain this stand. Chapter six does not mention any actual warfare; it only mentions withstanding. If a person realizes that he only needs to withstand and that everything is done, he will encounter no problems.
Thank the Lord that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Now we can walk on earth before men, and we can stand to withstand Satan. Thank God that we can "sit," "walk," and "stand."
