EPHESIANS OFFERS ANSWERS AND VICTORY

This is where the study of Ephesians comes in.  I could quote many of the familiar verses, but had never truly studied this profound book.  I’m sure God smiled, waiting for the day when I would be on lock-down in my own home, running to my little office to breathe in oxygen from His Word.  You see, the economy affected my family as it has yours.  God gave me a job caring for babies, allowing me to remain at home to raise my own children.  While this job was an answer to prayer, and even though I have raised eight babies, settling back down to the routine and structure of baby-ville required transition.  During every little break in the day, I would go to His Word for refreshment and renewal.  God smiled because He knew that I would discover life – spiritual life in those moments in Ephesians.  The truth that He had already lavished His grace upon me, choosing me to be His child because of His great love for me, would become a new pillar point in my life.

I plunged into the depths of the mysteries of Christ as I prepared to teach my class each Sunday.
Lesson One:  Predestination
Lesson Two:  Election
Lesson Three:  The Mystery of the body of Christ.

WOW – I couldn’t believe that I had been entrusted with handling and teaching lessons such as these!  “Didn’t someone want to instruct me before I instructed others?”  I guess the Biblical warning for teachers, coupled with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, gives solid churches confidence in their lay teachers.  We will face the judgment of God if we teach false doctrine.  We also experience personal tutoring by the Lord Himself during our times of study.  The sessions were life-changing.  The words I had memorized now jumped off the page as God taught and spoke to the core of my heart.  His truth was taking hold and began to tear down the strongholds Satan had built in my mind. God was revealing His truth to me.

I succeeded in teaching the concept of predestination after relaying the sperm and egg illustration God gave to me (to be shared in another post).  It was all making sense in class until one hand went up to ask the familiar question:

“But what about free will or free choice?”
“Of course there would have to be one person in the crowd to bring up that thought!”  I contemplated to myself.

Somehow, I muddled through an answer that seemed to satisfy everyone in the class . . . except myself. Perplexed, I wondered, “How can we mesh the Sovereignty of God with the surrender of man?”  Even though it didn’t seem to mix any more than oil mixes with water, I was determined to find a way.

After attempting to stir the two together in my heart, I asked a spiritual mentor of mine this simple question, “What about free will or free choice?”  Truly, I had prepared myself for a long dissertation for the answer—a reply that would eventually satisfy my analytical mind.  I was stunned, however, when the response was short and sweet.  The spiritual light bulb went on with truth – the truth – shining bright in my heart.

The answer, “There is no such thing as free will, like you’re thinking of it, in the Bible.”

Wow!  “Really, really – for all of this time, the very peak of my torment and doubt was not even a viable point?”

No longer did I need to wonder if I chose right, because God was the One who did the choosing! While I had repented of my sins and trusted in the blood of Christ for my salvation, God’s will for me was for salvation all along and that was entirely the result of His mercy and not a result of my will (Romans 9:16). This brings true freedom and makes salvation all grace.  I had absolutely nothing to do with my salvation except to repent and receive this beautiful gift.  I know, as I share you may think, “The two are still not mixing!”  This is where the sweet mystery of God comes in.  Meshing God’s choice and man’s need to choose, comes together at a point of great, but sweet, mystery.

For me, this has become a place of great victory.  From this point on, the lies of the enemy in this area are mute subjects.  In fact, I can even agree with the argument from Satan against my salvation.  When the enemy uncovers all the ways I could have done it wrong, I can agree wholeheartedly with him!  “You are right, Mr. Enemy, I would never have been able to do it right because all have sinned.  Salvation is not of me, but of Christ.”  It is at this place, the position of God’s divine sovereignty, that I triumphantly rest my case to the enemy’s defeat.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not a result of works, that no one should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

There will be more to come on this subject and how God has worked it into the depth of my heart, but until then I leave with you these thoughts from John Piper:

“How then shall we think of free will?
It is not a saving power.  In his freedom to will, fallen man cannot on his own do anything but sin.  Such “free will” is a devastating reality.  Without some power to overcome its bent, our free will only damns us.”

Romans 9:16-17:  "It is not of man who wills or runs, but of God who has mercy."
“Our willing and our running are not decisive.”

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for God is the one who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure."  Philippians 2:12-13

Verse after verse in the Bible teaches that my willing—which is real, responsible, accountable—is not decisively and ultimately my own creation. It is God's decisive governing.

My willing is real.  My willing is responsible.  And this is what's glorious, if you ask me what's the most glorious universe:  the most glorious universe is the universe in which we really will things, and we are really responsible for what we will, and we will be held accountable for the choices we make.  And God is still absolutely sovereign over those willings.

That's the great paradox. That's the great mystery and the great glory. Not the universe that somebody creates out of their own heads where everybody is endowed with the autonomy that only God has.”

...more to come