I heard, “What You See is Just a Temptation!”

Yes, Discovering Christ in Ephesians.

I believe a lot of us have been blessed by our previous discussion, Gleanings from the book of Galatians.

I believe the Holy Spirit will be doing a greater work to as many of us that will give ourselves to the revelations He is bound to give to us again in this Discovering Christ in Ephesians.

The Book of Ephesians was a letter written by Paul to the saints and faithful at Ephesus. It was his final address to this Church as he was on his way to Jerusalem, not knowing what would befall him there.

At Miletus he sent for all the elders of the church at Ephesus:

“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church,” Acts 20:17.

This letter is one to be taken very seriously, for there are deep things the apostle related in this epistle as his last words to the Church.

We hear him say to the elders;

“And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified,” Acts 20:25-32.

The heart of the apostle is clearly revealed to the Ephesians. First, he confesses his preaching to them was the unfeigned word of God.

Then he warns that after his departure grievous wolves would enter the Church and among themselves men shall arise, who would turn away the faith of the people from Christ, drawing disciples after themselves by speaking perverse things.

Then we hear him talk of his labour of grace, that in the space of three years, he laboured in the word warning each one night and day not to deviate from the ministry committed unto him to the Gentles, which was to testify to The Gospel of The Grace of God. (Acts 20:24)

Now observe his final recommendations,

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His Grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified……”

So, in this letter to the Ephesians, he seeks to establish the Church in doctrines of The Gospel of The Grace of God, that they be not carried away by false brethren, the grievous wolves and of they themselves been led away by the error of the wicked.

So the apostle begins;

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus,” Ephesians 1:1.

There is something peculiar about the apostle’s introduction, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God….”

By the Will of God and not by the will of man! He was so sure of whose will he was under. The teachings of the apostle were hard teachings, doctrines that demanded true spiritual illumination, hence, not to be easily accepted by those who go with human reasoning.

Wherefore the apostle would take time to established his divine apostleship. This is the reason all the persecutions he faced bothered him not (Acts 20:24), because he was so sure of his calling, he fully understood the purpose of God for his life.

This ought to be every believers stronghold. In life we are bound to face trials, persecutions and diverse temptations, but if we know we are in God’s will, we will be encouraged to bear the reproach of Christ, knowing God’s will for is to prosper us and to give to us an expected end.

We have a lot of believers today who are not sure they are living in God’s vision for their lives. Are you doing what God called you to do?

This the apostle knew and was so sure of, that he was called and made an apostle by the will of God and not by himself or any man’s will.

Then we hear, “to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus…..”

He calls them saints. All believers are saints. The word used above for saints is from the Greek word ‘ἅγιος’ hagios meaning sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious ceremonially consecrated) (Strong’s Concordance G40).

This is amazing, Paul is writing to a people he was not present with, yet he calls them sacred; physically pure, morally blameless and consecrated. How was he able to know this?

He saw them in Christ. He looked at them with the eyes of the father. He saw them through the Cross, and as he did, he saw that through the Cross they were sacred, consecrated by Christ, perfectly holy and faithful before the eyes of God.

How do I know this?

Observe the last words in the verse, “in Christ Jesus…”

This is who we are in Christ Jesus. In ourselves we are weak, fighting to even keep our eyes on Jesus, but God sees us in Christ and calls us sacred, physically and morally pure, a holy and faithful people in Christ.

Then the apostle continues;

“Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from The LORD Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 1:2.

He prays for them that the unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour and peace of God rests upon them. This is the heart condition of every true believer. That the saints be favoured and enjoy the peace of God.

I pray for you; may the unearned, undeserved, unconditional favour and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest upon you all.

Then we hear:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” Ephesians 1:3.

This statement “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” does not mean our blessing God adds anything to him. God is eternal and complete in himself wanting nothing. It is just our ascribing blessings, honour and glory to him.

God the father is the God of Christ of whom Christ came from, subjecting himself to the nature of a man, and looks to him as his God and father. Even the father of our Lord is our God and Father.

Then the apostle says something very peculiar “who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ…..”

Observe carefully the tenses “hath blessed”. He is not going to bless — but has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

You see, God is Spirit. And one born of The Spirit, is spirit.

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth,” John 4:24.

This entire universe we see came from the Spirit of God. whatsoever God has, comes from the spiritual before the physical. This is why we hear “all spiritual blessings….”

Every thing we need, temporal and eternal blessings have already been given to us . All we need in life, all we need to live godly lives has already been given to us. We have it right in our spirit. We walk around with the wealth of God in us.

If you need provision, it is there in your spirit. If you need Healing, it is right there in you . God is not withholding anything good from us.

“According as His Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue,” 2 Peter 1:3.

Observe the the last statement “through the knowledge of Him….”

What is in us becomes manifest to the physical through the precise knowledge of God. When we leave information to the intimate knowledge, where we conceive the truths of who we are in Christ, the truths of all we have in him, of all we can do in him, then these things become operative.

There are riches untold in us. There are incalculable, unfathomable, inexhaustible, unending, untraceable riches of the Christ in us.

Our major duty in life is to pursue the knowledge of God. When we truly know him all the wealth in us will divinely express itself.

Hence, our confession needs to change. We have to move from a lack mentality to a provisioned mentality. From a disease mentality to a God’s health mentality. From a death mentality to a life and immortality mentality.

Dear Beloved, they are riches untold in you… See you tomorrow.

Confession:

I have the rich treasure of God on my inside. I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ.

Everything thing pertaining to life and godliness has already been given to me. I have the health of God; The prosperity of God; The Joy of God; The strength of God!

I declare I am living in the all encompassing, overflowing and superabundant life of Christ. Glory to God!.

In an encounter with The LORD, I saw a Child of God. You have been on the right path but for sometime you have been lured by negative circumstances to become supine in the pursuit of the the glory.

You have been seeing things in the natural and one way or the other your zeal has being running cold towards this work.

But I saw the Hand of God rest upon you. And instead of you giving heed to all the enemy has being showing to you as proof of things not going well, I saw you turn with a holy anger, filled with divine courage as your faith rose in The Name of The LORD Jesus and faced the enemy as he appeared toward you.

I saw you run toward the enemy and swung a punch at this dark force, I saw your hand go through it as though it was just smoke, and then I heard, “It is just a temptation!”

I was led to:

“Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David,” 1 Samuel 17:45-50.

Then I heard The LORD say, “Be courageous my child for I AM with you. The LORD of Host, the God of the Angelic Host is with you. What you see is just a temptation.

This day I have delivered your enemies into your hands. My Hand is upon you dear one. What they do unto you is actually unto My Name. Turn again and face your adversaries for the battle is the LORD’s.

Look not to your sword, nor to your strength, but to your God, for My Covenant is with you, and in My Name you shall prevail over all your adversaries!”

 

Blessings in Christ,
~ Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church.

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Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua is the founder and lead pastor of Living Hill Christian Church headquartered in Nigeria, which has a vision to restore the earth with the gospel of God’s grace. Called to be a pastor, he functions in the Healing/ Prophetic/ Teaching/ Music and Writing Ministries. He releases Prophetic Words to encourage the body of Christ on the Church’s blog.

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