The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ..." (Ephesians 3:8; NKJV).

Unsearchable - not tracked out, i.e. (by implication) untraceable (Strong's); that cannot be traced out, that cannot be comprehended (Thayer's).

Riches - wealth (Strong's); universally, fullness, abundance, plenitude (Thayer's).

The riches of Christ cannot be traced. They cannot be tracked out. They cannot be comprehended.

33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Romans 11:33-36; KJV

Jason Cicero

The Mystery of Christ Revealed

The Father has revealed the mystery of Christ to us "by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 3:5; NKJV).

The Apostles revealed what the Spirit revealed to them "by word" and "by epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15; NKJV).

When we "read" what the Spirit inspired the Apostles to write we can "understand" the mystery of Christ (Ephesians 3:4; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." (Ezekiel 37:12; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

If the Lord wills tomorrow morning at 10:00 PM we will consider the lesson, "We're Marching To Zion," a lesson about singing in relation to our theme, "Looking for a City."

"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads, They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:10; NKJV)

Jason Cicero

An Ephesians Outline

"...according to the working of His mighty power" GOD has created...

1. New Life (1:3 - 2:10)

2. New Society (2:11 - 3:21)

3. New Standards (4:1 - 5:21)

4. New Relationships (5:21 - 6:24)

Jason Cicero

The Exceeding Greatness of His Power

GOD would have us know "the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:19; NKJV). GOD has given us new life in Christ. He has also given us a new community to live in, "a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:11-22; NKJV).

Read Ephesians and stand in awe of the "exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe."

"...according to the working of His mighty power" we have be blessed with...

1. Life in place of death.

2. Love and peace in place of hatred and strife.

3. Reconciliation and unity in place of alienation and division.

4. Righteousness in place of wickedness.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

The People of GOD

Who we are...

The Family of the Father: "...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself..." (Ephesians 1:5; NKJV).

The Body of the Son: "...head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23; NKJV).

The Dwelling Place of the Holy Spirit: "...in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2:22; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

That You May Know

Our Father in Heaven has "blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3; NKJV). No blessing is withheld from us in Christ. Every blessing is ours now.

The plea of the prayer of Ephesians 1:15-23 is for the conscious awareness of the blessings that belong to us now...

1. The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (17)

2. The enlightening of the eyes of understanding (18)

3. That one would know the hope of His calling (18)

4. That one would know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (18)

5. That one would know the exceeding greatness of His power (19)

Pray the prayer of Ephesians 1:15-23. Live with an awareness of the blessings that are available to you in Christ. Receive every spiritual blessing in Him!

Jason Cicero

To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have saved us by grace through faith.

The Father has saved us "to the praise of the glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:6; NKJV).

The Son has saved us "to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12; NKJV).

The Holy Spirit has saved us "to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:14; NKJV).

GOD is to be praised and glorified for the grace that has brought salvation unto us!

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You." (Psalm 86:5; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

Encourage, don’t just wait to be encouraged.

Pray, don’t just pass the time during prayers.

Sing, don’t just pronounce words.

Partake, don’t just eat the emblems.

Give, don’t just pass the plate.

Listen, don’t just look up front.

Read, don’t just turn the pages.

Practice an active, not a passive religion.

Jason Moore

Redemption

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace..." (Ephesians 1:7; NKJV).

"Redemption is deliverance or release from any form of bondage upon payment of a ransom. Our spiritual bondage is enslavement to sin. Redemption is effected by Christ and the ransom price is His blood, His life" (Colly Caldwell, Ephesians, p. 26).

He paid a debt that I could never pay. He shed His blood for me. He released me from the bondage and sentence of death.

I hope to see Him one day. To look Him in the eyes. To thank Him.

Jason Cicero

Accepted in the Beloved

"...to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:7; NKJV).

Accepted - to grace, to indue with special honor (Strong's).

Beloved - to love, is used of Christ as loved by God (Vine's).

Because the Father accepted the sacrifice of Christ as sufficient to redeem the sins of men, the Father has accepted us in Him. He graces those with special honor who respond to the sacrifice of the Beloved. Because He is beloved, so too are we.

Jason Cicero

The Role of GOD in Salvation

1. The Role of the Father - Election - Loving Choice - Ephesians 1:3-6

2. The Role of the Son - Redemption - Redeeming Work - Ephesians 1:7-12

3. The Role of the Holy Spirit - Protection - Sealing - Ephesians 1:13-14

Jason Cicero

Blessed

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..." (Ephesians 1:3; NKJV).

Three words come from a single basic derivation (eulogeo #2127) in Ephesians 1:3. Blessed (eulogetos) refers to the exalted glory of the eternal Father and has the effect of an adjective qualifying or describing the character of God. Has Blessed (eulogesas) is a verbal participial form referring to what the eternal Father has done for us in providing. Blessings (eulogia) is a noun identifying the gifts bestowed.

“There is an intimate connection between the source (the blessed God), the action (blessing us), and the gift (blessings). The great God of heaven is to be praised. He has mercifully provided for us when we did not deserve to be so blessed. His gifts are the greatest in kind for they are spiritual in nature, far superior to any gift given by any man” (Colly Caldwell, Ephesians, p. 16).

Jason Cicero

Position and Practice

Ephesians 1-3 describes the position of the believer. These three chapters focus on what the believer believes. The privileges of the believer are defined in Ephesians 1-3.

Ephesians 4-6 describes the practice of the believer. These three chapters focus on the believer's behavior. The responsibilities of the believer are defined in Ephesians 4-6.

Read Ephesians and rejoice in your position. Determine to fulfill your responsibilities. "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen" (Ephesians 6:24; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You." (Jeremiah 32:17; NKJV)

Fullness in Colossians and Ephesians

The emphasis of Colossians is on the fullness of Deity - Christ.

The emphasis of Ephesians is on the fullness of Christ - The Church.

Rest your hope fully on Christ. Let the fullness of Christ rest in you. Hold on to Him!

Jason Cicero

The Head and the Body

The emphasis of Colossians is on the Head: "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18; NKJV).

The emphasis of Ephesians is on the Body: "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23; NKJV).

As a member of His body, hold "fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God" (Colossians 2:19; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

Does GOD'S Grace Define You?

Look at how grace defines us (Ephesians 2:4-9)...

We are…

1. Spiritually alive (5)

2. Heavenly positioned (6)

3. Connected to God (6)

4. Billboards of mercy (7)

5. Honored children (8)

Jason Cicero

The Christ of Ephesians

Jesus is the source of every spiritual blessing!

The Christian is…

1. In Christ (1:1).
2. In the heavenly places in Christ (1:3).
3. Chosen in Him (1:4).
4. Adopted through Christ (1:5).
5. In the Beloved (1:6).
6. Redeemed in Him (1:7).
7. Given an inheritance in Him (1:11).
8. Given hope in Him (1:12).
9. Sealed in Him (1:13).
10. Made alive together with Christ (2:5).
11. Raised and seated with Him (2:6).
12. Created in Christ (2:10).
13. Brought near by His blood (2:13).
14. Growing in Christ (2:21).
15. A partaker of the promise in Christ (3:6).
16. Given access through faith in Him (3:12).

Jason Cicero

Introducing Ephesians

Ephesians is addressed to a group of believers who are rich beyond measure in Jesus Christ, yet living as beggars, and only because they are ignorant of their wealth (2:11-13).

Those “in Christ” have a heavenly bank account: adoption, acceptance, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom, inheritance, the seal of the Holy Spirit, life, grace, citizenship – in short, every spiritual blessing (1:3-14).

Drawing upon that huge spiritual endowment, the Christian has all the resources needed for living “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (1:6).

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

Look for the good.

Assume the best.

Help the lowliest.

Hope for the noblest.

Aspire to worthiest.

Think on the purest.

Work on the hardest.

Jason Moore

The Colossian Heresy

Epaphras’s visit and report about the conditions in Colosse prompted the letter to the Colossians. Although the Colossians had not succumbed (2:1-5), an encroaching heresy was threatening this predominantly Gentile Colossian church (1:21, 27; 2:13). The nature of the “Colossian Heresy” can only be deduced from Paul’s incidental references to it in his refutation in 2:8-23. It was apparently a religious system that combined elements from Greek speculation (2:4, 8-10), Jewish legalism (2:11-17), and Oriental mysticism (2:18-23). It involved a low view of the body (2:20-23) and probably nature as a whole. Circumcision, dietary regulations, and ritual observations were included in this system, which utilized asceticism, worship of angels as intermediaries, and mystical experiences as an approach to the spiritual realm. Any attempt to fit Christ into such a system would undermine His Person and redemptive work.

Jesus is all we need. We do not need Jesus and _____. We are "complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10).

Jason Cicero

If Then

To be raised with Christ is to be "buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Colossians 2:12; NKJV).

If you have not been raised with Christ then you are still "dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh." You are not yet "alive together with Him." You have not yet been "forgiven" of your trespasses. See Colossians 2:11-14.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is…Set your mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-4).

Jason Cicero

The Four Chapters of Colossians

Doctrinal truth (1-2) must bear fruit in practical conduct (3-4).

"If then..." (Colossians 3:1)

"Therefore..." (Colossians 3:5)

"But now..." (Colossians 3:8)

"Therefore..." (Colossians 3:12)

Jason Cicero

Know Him

Instead of taking apart the “Colossian heresy” point by point, the Holy Spirit guides the apostle Paul to present a positive presentation of the truth of the preeminence of Christ:

In order to recognize the counterfeit one must be able to recognize the genuine.

If you know Him, you know everything you need to know: "...in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3; NKJV).

Jason Cicero