Ephesians 4:1-32

In the Gospel of John chapter 17 Jesus prayed to the Father for all to be One. Now, I know that God answered Jesus prayer? The Evangelical Gentile, Jewish Church have read and preached out of John chapter 17 and yet their understanding continues to be darkened, and as a result of their ignorance they are blinded to these truths. That there is "Only one God, and Father of All, who is above All, and in us all." Like the Gentiles of Paul's days who had been deceived by the Jews to embrace the law of Moses, so has the Evangelical Religious Church of today.

The end results of their actions is what has led them to alienated themselves from the life of God. As long as anyone continues to believe that there are two families instead of One, they will continue in ignorance, and no doubt will continue to give themselves over to lasciviousness (lusting after self-righteousness, just as lusting for sexual desires) , to work all uncleanness with greediness as it says in verse 19. Friends, these statements made by Paul here in verses 17 through 19 are not being directed to drug addicts, prostitutes, and what have you. Paul is addressing religious ignorant people who were still trusting in the law.

People who would not accept the redemptive grace of God as being for All (Jews and Gentiles) and who were still seeing the work of the cross as being for some. The Evangelical Church is doing no different from what Peter did when he told the Lord: "No so Lord, I will not be part of the unclean". God then rebuked Peter by saying: "Do not call unclean what I have cleansed." In other words, "stop being so greedy and self-righteous, and refusing to accept those who "I" God have accepted." "This salvation is not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles also." Friends, in verse 20 Paul rebuked the Ephesians by telling them that they had not come to know Christ through selfish acts.

In verse 21 Paul reminded the Ephesians what they had been taught of about Christ, and how the truth is in Christ Jesus and not in their self-serving works of the law. That God had made One out of Two and that they ought to put OFF the old covenant way of thinking, living and talking and realize that they were now under a NEW covenant of grace where ALL are now in Christ. Now, if there be 3 verses that have been completely raped by Evangelical Christianity it would be none other than verses 22 through 24. Here are some questions that should be asked out of verse 22 and 23...

"What was Paul making reference to when he said to PUT OFF the former conversation? What was it that the Jews and Gentiles were having their conversation in? What was it that they talked about all of the time and identified themselves with the most? Was Paul talking about the way they used to smoke, drink beer, watch R rated movies, chew tobacco, drink wine, curse their mother in-law? What is this former conversation that Paul had asked the Ephesians to PUT OFF? Did it have anything to do with the words that were coming out of their mouths?" Well, this is how the Evangelical Church Doctrines have presented these verses.

This is how I preached it: "God wants us to PUT OFF our old sinful way of living. You have no business living the life you once lived, in the sinful flesh of perdition. You are now a new person and your duty is to serve God in holiness and stop entertaining the lust of your old sinful nature. You need to change the way you talk and the way you used to think. You no longer live according to the old corrupted nature. You are now cleansed by the blood and you have no business going back to your deceitful lust. If there be any of you here this morning who is not walking worthy of the Lord's calling, then you are walking like sinful gentiles."

These verses have been and are still being preached in light of "coming out from doing bad into doing good." To that I say: "Horse Manure!" Friends, these verses are talking about the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. It has nothing to do with our filthy rags of self-righteousness. What we have PUT ON is Christ, and if Christ has given Himself for the sins of the whole world, then guess what it is that God sees in the lives of the whole world? There was a time when our relationship or as Paul said, our conversation with God was through the law of Moses. But now that both Jews and Gentiles have been made near by the blood of Jesus, our relationship to God is a new relationship of One.

The old relationship produced nothing but vanity, ignorance, judgment, wrath, division, strife, failure, fear, anxiety, worry, blindness, lack of understanding, lies, greed, self-righteous lust, corruption, deceit, anger, sin, etc, etc. Our new relationship with God is one of grace, peace, love, truth, gentleness, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, long-suffering, and eternal redemption for ALL. The claims of justice have been satisfied and we are ALL one family in Christ. Our former conversation and walk was in the law and under the law. Our new conversation is now seasoned with grace and God's love.

We are now all created in holiness and true righteousness in Christ Jesus and because of Christ Jesus. We are all God's children in Christ, and there is no reason why we should allow religious self-righteous pulpits and their legalistic doctrines of witchcraft to be tossing us to and fro, and be carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the smooth and cunning craftiness of religious puffed up preachers who are mixing law and grace, thus leading us into a mind set of two families instead of One in Christ. One body, One Spirit, One hope, One Lord, One faith, One baptism, One God and Father of ALL, who is above ALL and in us ALL.

It doesn't get any better than that. The sin issue was resolved when Jesus broke the middle partition by nailing the law to the cross and taking upon His own body the sins of the whole world. Can you live with that? Can you dig it? Does it make sense? Do you see it in black and white? Has it become clear to you? Does it bring peace to your heart? Does it make you fall in love with God that much more? Does it make your heart rejoice? Does it take away the fear, the worry and bias attitude from your heart? Does all of this set your mind and heart free? Come on, let me hear an Amen! We are One in Christ, alive in Christ and dead to the law.

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Grace N Peace

Eddie Narvaez