Ephesians 4-1b

Did you comment on he led captivity captive, did I miss that? No, we haven't gotten there yet. Wherefore, it says, now he's quoting here from the psalm, Psalm 68, and of course there it was a psalm related to the ark, being brought up, having its place among the people of God in the temple, spirit of God, now the spirit of God has full liberty to take the word of God and apply it as he chooses to. So he has taken Psalm 68, which referred to the ark having its place among the people of God, and he now applies it to Christ that he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive.

Now, again, the spirit of God has changed wording. If you go back to Psalm 68, he received gifts in the man. Here it's he received gifts and gave gifts to men.

Now, there's really not that much difference if you really think of it. He received the gifts as a man to be able to give the gifts to men. But it's part of the glory of Christ.

Remember, chapter one, two or three, Christ has been exalted. He has the highest place. God has made him chapter at the end of chapter one, higher than every principality, power and so on.

We are learning here that he has ascended up on high to fill all things. So it is Christ and his supremacy, Christ and his sovereignty. Christ is the source of everything for his body.

He is the head meeting every need of a body. And one of the ways in which he meets that need is by supplying gift, supplying men for the purpose of the unity, the growth, the blessing of that body. Send just a little bit on the quotation and the application of the spirit of God is not changing his mind about what he wrote.

He is letting us know that there's something deeper in what he wrote than what we would have noticed in the Old Testament. So it's the ark in its absolute triumph. Here it is, the antitype of the ark in his absolute triumph.

And that that seems to me to be the common principle that links the Old Testament Psalm 68 with New Testament Ephesians four. Now, we probably have not answered your question. What does it mean that he led captivity captive? I don't think this is the idea.

And maybe my brethren will comment and disagree. I don't think this is the idea that Christ descended into hell and took home to heaven the Old Testament saints. OK, I don't think that's a view here.

And we'll discuss why that is the case. If you went to Colossians, the sister epistle, remember what it says that occurred in Calvary. He made a show of them openly.

He spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, in his crosswork. So in Calvary, the defeat of the enemy is seen occurring at the cross. I would take it here in Ephesians.

It's seen in his ascension and his resurrection and ascension that he stripped off every foe. And as the ascended, supreme, victorious savior, he's ascended up on high. And now he is in that place of sovereignty and supremacy, dispensing what is needed for his body.

Are you OK with that? Now, maybe some have a different view and we should give time for the airing of that view, the error of that view. What is the idea, then, since we haven't touched on this, he ascended, he descended first into the lower parts of the earth. He that descended is the same that ascended far above all heavens.

So what is the ascending and the descending? What is in view? What is descending into the lower parts of the earth? It's linked with his incarnation and his death. Psalm 139, you get that expression linked with natural birth and that's with a view to his death. The Lord Jesus said to men in John chapter eight, ye are from beneath, I am from above, ye are of this earth, I am not of this earth.

So I would take it the idea of descending is really it's always in contrast to heaven. He descended to the lower parts of the earth. I would take it his incarnation and his life here.

And of course, then his death and so on. But I don't think this refers to Joseph's new tomb or a descent after that into Hades or anything of that nature. This is his incarnation.

He became incarnate that as a result, he might die and then ascend as a man. And have in his manhood all that was required to meet the need of his body. David, did you, as our resident theologian, have more to help us there? There must be some other orders you got me confused with.

I thought it was helpful, but I'm not sure whether I'm agreeing with what you just said. So I want to be careful. I thought it was helpful to go to Romans 10, actually, where you have who shall ascend into heaven and then Paul says to bring Christ down.

So I think that's his descent. Who shall descend into the abyss or the deep? That is to bring Christ up from the dead. So I thought that we're looking here at the one who went down to the depths, not necessarily talking about the tomb of Joseph, but who went down to the very depths of death.

It involves his incarnation, but I thought it continues to look at the one in all the depths of his suffering even, but now ascended. I would go there as well. If we follow from Judges 5, the captivity captive theme to your Bible, certainly there's no question here, coming back to this, that the Lord Jesus, in coming down, it's beyond that, it's beyond the grave.

He's certainly gone into death, even the death of the cross. And subsequent to that is what Brother Sandy has said, triumphantly now, he's ascended, he's gone back, but he's not only gone back, he's gone above all, and it's at this capacity that the believers can rejoice in having been brought from darkness to light, death to life and so on. And a risen, ascended Christ is now hitting the dips.

I thought rather than take the lowest parts of the earth to be a literal expression, I thought it is telling us he has gone to the lowest depths, the heavens for height, the earth for depths. I think it was Mr. Sidney Maxwell who first used to teach us that if Christ was going to move, he had to move down. He could go no higher than he was.

So any movement had to be down. And now, as a result of having come down, he is now ascended up. And the purpose was that he might fill all things.

And I would take that to mean every office, every glory that God ever intended for his son, he has filled as a result of his coming down. Nothing lacking, complete. Christ himself has never lacked.

And now at this point in time, every office that God intended for him to fill has either been filled or it has been secured that it will be completed in the coming day when he reigns. So before the filling, we have a fire above all things. That's if he wants.

So he went down to the lowest, up to the highest, and fills everything in between. Very good. Sandy, just a second here.

I'm sorry. I'm going backwards. Gordon had mentioned Judges 5. I just think it's worth reading what he referred to because it's the expression that's there.

Wake, awake, Deborah. So this is Deborah's song as there has been triumph now for Israel. Out of her song, arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, as I have done.

So it's an expression of complete triumph. Okay. And Judges chapter 5 certainly affirms that.

That's the source of that expression. Sorry, Sandy. No, it's fine.

Now, we just want to move to the diversity now that is expressed in verse number 11. He gave some apostles and some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, or as some versions give, some pastor teachers, as though the gift is one. So whether we look at four or five gifts here, we have these gifts that are before us.

The apostles to establish their authority, the prophets to enlighten their prophecy, the evangelists to embrace and enlarge numerically, the pastors to encourage pastorally, and the teachers to edify doctrinally. And all of this is with a view to furthering this great masterwork of God, the church which is his body. So we have now in verse 11, the diversity, all with a view to fostering a unity and a furtherance of God's purposes.

Now, David, if I can just not put you on the spot, but just ask you to comment on the lack of charismatic gifts here. Okay. In some sense, I have no idea why you're asking me, but just let me take up what you talked about in terms of the chronology of the listings of gifts.

Okay. Corinthians, Romans, and then finally Ephesians in terms of Paul's writings. Corinthians occurs within the book of Acts where God is dealing with the Jews, the Jew first and also to the Gentile, and the Jews seek after a sign.

So therefore, there are signs being given to Jews, both as a judgment to remind them that God is turning from them to the Gentiles and as a reminder that this is indeed God's word, confirming the word with signs following. So you have that in the book of Acts. Now, Paul is moving to Rome as he writes to the Romans.

You're looking at one now in the conclusion of the book of Acts. You have not so much the gifts of tongues there any longer, but you have the gift of gift of prophecy functioning and so on. Those are confirming gifts.

You are now in Ephesians past the book of Acts in terms of the timeline, and you're looking now onward to what God is doing when it's no longer Jew and Gentile being distinguished. So in what God is doing now, Jew and Gentile in one, then there's no there's no sense of God giving sign gifts for the Jews. I'm not sure whether that's exactly what you had in mind.

I found it helpful, Brother Stanley, to relate the sign gifts to three things. Number one, in 2 Corinthians, Paul will relate them as the signs of the apostles. I'm aware that those gifts were given to other than apostles, but they're related to the days of the apostles, number one.

Secondly, the sign gifts are given in a time when the New Testament scriptures are not complete. So relate them to the days of the apostles, relate them to the time when the epistles are not complete. And thirdly, relate them to the fact that they're given in a time when Israel is yet nationally in the land, in other words, in AD 70.

So when Israel is dispersed, Israel versus Jews require a sign, when the nation is dispersed, post AD 70, sign gifts are no longer the function. When the epistles are complete, we have the Bible, we walk by faith, not by setting. When the apostles are gone, then that which characterizes the day of the apostles is over.

So I would say on that basis. That the sign gifts, and we have many other verses to support that, are fading as we come to the end of the days of the apostles, to complete the scripture. Let's say we have apostles and prophets today.

The apostles and prophets of this section, and I appreciate what Brother Sandy is saying, are foundational, they laid the foundation of the church. When we look at the evangelists, they're for the furtherance of the church. When you look at pastors, teachers, you've got it for the function of the church.

And your authority for that is written within this epistle. And chapter two. Yes, chapter two, where Paul points out that it's a foundation connected with the apostles and prophets.

Furthermore, we look at later in this point, to accept the fact that there is any revelation given today by any who claim to be prophets or apostles, to accept that fact leads to the cults and the suicides, mass suicides and everything else. Keep in mind the seriousness of it. If we accept that any given individual is enlightened with a special revelation of God, then we must do what that individual tells us.

That leads to utter confusion. But we today have the word of God. It needs to be one little quantifier on this subject of apostles and prophets.

The apostles absolutely are limited to those who have seen the risen Christ, who have seen the Lord, okay? Therefore, they do not exist to the present time. But there will be prophets in the future that is after the church. So we need to recognize these prophets actually bring fresh revelation from God.

These prophets in the future will not bring fresh revelation. They will say this is that. They will say this prophetic utterance about Israel is now fulfilled by the man of sin, etc.

Okay, so there will be prophets in the future, not because the word of God is not complete, but because God is interpreting prophecy for specific fulfillment in a day that's coming. But again, the prophets of the future will appear in a day when Israel nationally is recognized in the land again. And they are definitely for Israel and an application of prophetic scripture for that nation.

And again, just a simple expression from Jude, the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We have a whole body of truth revealed to us. God is no longer speaking out of the he's no longer speaking apart from the word of God.

The witness of the spirit, the voice of God is all heard in the word of God that we have before us, complete, entire and sufficient for us today. Now, we come in unless there are comments about these specific gifts, if we could come to the goal that is envisioned in verses 12 and 13. Why were these gifts given for the perfecting of the saints with a view to the work of ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ till we all comes, we have the purpose and the period in view in verses 12 and 13, the purpose of those gifts and the period of time in which gifts will function in verse 13.

I think what Brother Sandy has mentioned here in verse 12, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, as our translation would say, the idea of this onto because what you see in Christendom today is that the so-called pastor teacher is the one who is going to do the work of the ministry and the work of the edifying of the body of Christ, whereas the idea of teachers and pastors or pastors and teachers is to equip the saints so that they can do the work of the ministry. And so it eliminates the need for one pastor teacher in any particular congregation. Just to again emphasize in case you didn't miss, in case you did miss what I said, the word there for perfecting is not, as you would think of, oh, this is for the purpose of making me a better Christian.

It's equipping. It's the idea of making others able to carry on the work of God. So it's with a view to the equipping of the saints, with a view to their work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ.

So there is a progression here that is being suggested by these prepositions rather than the idea that one man does everything. These gifts are with a view to others being able to carry on and be equipped for serving God in their own spheres. So these are gifted men that are given to the church, which is his body.

And do they function and they function in the local assembly, but do they move among assemblies? They're not. My question is, are these men that are not resident in one assembly? I think we have to we need to be careful here. We don't want to suggest that gift is only found in local assemblies.

Gift was meant to function in local assemblies, but God and his sovereignty has given gifts to the body, or rather here, Christ has given gifts to the body. If that gift is functioning outside a local assembly, that man is responsible for before the Lord, for his stewardship of that gift. What we are looking at here are ideally gifts that should function within a local assembly.

And for the sake of what we're looking at, the evangelist, pastor, teacher, is what is available today. And there is no thought of any gift functioning independent of a local assembly. Now, I want to say independent.

Every individual, be he commended or be he not commended, still has a responsibility to bow to the authority of a local assembly with which he's linked. So while his gift may function continent wide or worldwide, he still has roots to which he has a responsibility. So I hope that answers your question that you have in mind.

God has no lone rangers or freelancers. Sandy, if what you said is true, and sometimes I believe what you say, if what you said is true, then the assembly in Mount Sterling is bereft of what it could be if all who are in the body of Christ in this region were in the assembly. In terms of gift, it would be building up the assembly.

I'm content from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 to recognize the assembly is complete as a body functioning. But it could be, would be enriched. Now, I'm not saying let's go out and hire pastors or let's go and tell all the Christians around here, come and meet with us.

But I think we all ought to be concerned to see every believer gathered to the name of Jesus, not because it's our way, but because it's God's mind. What is the difference between the unity of the faith that we have here in verse number 13 and the unity of the spirit that we had back in verse number three? One faith in verse number three is the faith that one kind of faith that both Jew and Gentile have exercised in their salvation. I would take it when we come to verse number 13, till we all arrive in the unity of the faith and of the full knowledge, I would take it that is the idea of the completion of a church, which is his body and this as it refers to here, unto a perfect man, this completed man.

And I would take it this is the embracing of all who will come to faith in Christ. So we will come. Sorry, go ahead.

The word unity is found three times in our King James Bible. I know it's more in the Greek, but there are three thoughts that are associated with it. The unity of the spirit, as our brother has said here, would take us backwards to that which was done, going back to the coming of the spirit, the formation of the body, the day of Pentecost.

The unity of the faith would be would bring before us that which is given, and it's the idea of looking ahead, not way down the road, but looking ahead to the maturity of the body, the perfection of what God wants. In between the past and the future aspect, we have Psalm 133, behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. So there's your present aspect.

So the unity of the spirit to the past, unity of the faith, looking to a point in the future, and unity of the brethren in the present. Until we all come. So that is showing that these gifts, the effect of these gifts, are with us until the end of the church age.

Yes, but be careful with the apostles and prophets. Yes, their function is past, but the effect is still with us today. We still have the writings of the apostles and so on.

Until we all come, it's not when we get to heaven. I think it's the completion of this perfect man. So taking your point, evangelist, pastor, teacher, which are still operative.

God has promised the word of God promises Christ will continue to supply until the completion. So now, if I am part of a local assembly and there is no one to preach the gospel, there is no one to shepherd, no one to teach the word of God, I should be very exercised. There's something wrong.

Now, our brother David has reminded us, maybe it's because those to whom God has given this gift are not meeting with us, recognizing the truth of the local assembly and expressing that gift locally. But I would think if there's an assembly that has more than just a few brethren in it, that if there were a genuine exercise on the part of the assembly for God to raise up that gift in the assembly, there would be men raised up, able to preach the gospel acceptably, able to teach the word of God acceptably, able to shepherd the flock. So you sisters who are listening in silence and thinking there's nobody in our assembly, you make it a point of personal prayer.

That's something you can do. Cry to God like a Hannah, that God will raise up men that can carry out the gift because God has promised it. And this is not a name it, claim it type of thing, but God has promised it to the assembly, to his people rather, and his desire would be to see that develop.

So likely in your assembly, if these things don't exist, they do exist in this sense. God gave the gift, someone hasn't developed it. Someone isn't using it and isn't really developing it for God as it ought to be developed.

It's being buried. God has set every member in the body as it pleased him. First Corinthians chapter 12.

Therefore, there's a sovereignty of God in those who are in the assembly. Therefore, it has all the function inherent is required. I mean, I just want to support what you're saying.

You don't think this completion would ever arrive before the rapture? Well, I would, there's a note in the context of this passage. If we look at the sequence of it, that we henceforth be no more children. That's not after the rapture.

But speaking the truth in love, surely that's not waiting till after the rapture. Yeah, but I think what our brother said that verse 13 has in view the ultimate, the completion of the new man. Whereas now when we come to verse 14, I think it's very individual.

He's now coming back to the individual development of believers, that we henceforth be no more infants. So it's not now a singular one new man, but it is now no longer infants in our immaturity. But tossed to and fro, carried about and so on, but growing up and so on.

So I think that the two things are in view here. The one corporate and now the individual that we come to in verses number 14 and 15. How would you see it, William? Yeah, I see verse 14 as the goal, but really there'll always be need right through until the end of the church age.

Yes, absolutely. But if we go back to the context here where you have this division of Jew and Gentile and all these things that can cause problems with them, what we have is the tremendous truth of a one body and a unity that's given, now gifts given, faith given, truth given, all of this with a goal of one. That the body be enterprised, that Christians become what God wants them to become.

And our brother Sandy is right, that will be ongoing all down through time. But there's an immediate goal that's in view, not some far distant after the rapture goal. That's what I'm saying.

So the word completed is being used to clarify that. When is it completed? Our brother has asked us to clarify the word completed. It's not it's not the word that's used here in the in the in the letter.

I'm just saying that I would take it that verse 13, till we all arrive in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man. I would take it that is the completion of the one body. There is one body now, but it's others are being added to that one body.

And I would take it that is the perfect man, the new man, the body in all of its completion. So I would take it that is what is in view in verse number up to verse 13. But I think in verse 14, it now changes to an individual application because it uses now it's plural that we be no more infants, not an infant.

Not speaking of the church in its infancy being brought to completion. But now he's referring to infants, plural. So I think this is individual application of this teaching.

So God does not intend us to be to stay in a state of infancy. It's interesting. This expression is used a number of times.

The only time I think it's used in a in a good context is when the Lord Jesus uses it back in Matthew chapter 11. Now, let's reveal these things unto babies. That's their innocency.

But then when you think of it in First Corinthians chapter three, Paul speaks of having to speak unto them as as unto babes. That's the thought of their infancy. First Corinthians chapter 13, he uses it again.

And it's relative to their when I was a child, I speak as a child. It's their inadequacy. When you come to Hebrews again, chapter five, you remember he speaks he could not speak unto them.

He had to speak to them as those that had infants that needed milk. And there would be the idea of infancy or rather of their insensitivity to divine truth. And here, when we're in Ephesians, it's the idea of instability.

Infants tossed to and fro. Just, you know, they just believe the last thing they heard, the idea of a child and its instability. It just, you know, it has no frame of reference to no truth.

And he's trying to tell them, you do have a frame of reference to no truth. And he's going to come to that in the verses that follow. So here it is not an infancy that is in any way commendable, but rather that which should not mark us the idea of an instability in our Christian faith.

Could we have some help then on these expressions that we have carried about? Sleight of men, cunning craftiness, deception. What is in view in these expressions? Without jumping to chapter six, would you not agree that some of these are the tactics of the animal Satan? The like invaded the wilds of the devil. So you're looking at, he doesn't mention Satan here, but part of the problem in Ephesus was there was heterodoxy.

There was wrong teaching coming in. And what he's saying here is actually there is a satanic hand behind that. You remember in Ephesus, what did they burn? Remember their curious books that they burnt? That really is not the idea just that they went out and found their novels and threw them away.

It's got the idea of sorcery and that which had a demonic background to it. So there was that influence already at Ephesus. And that is part of what is in view here and that he will elaborate on in chapter six.

There would be no more children. Thin experience, tossed to and fro by the waves, suggests that which is on the surface. Then carried about with every wind of darkness suggests that which is light.

So you have inexperienced Christians that are just light on the surface and lightweight. Paul doesn't want that. He wants them to be mature and settled in the things of God.

Good. These words you're saying, is that the word that's connected with the dice? Just using trickery, just a way of making the Christians think this is good, but it is underhanded. The throw of the dice, the idea of deception that looks so plausible and so on.

Colossians will deal with some of these issues, especially in chapter two. The four dangerous men that he speaks of there, the philosophic man and so on. The danger of being drawn in by specious arguments and what sounds so logical and yet is so contrary to the truth that God has revealed.

Tossed by the waves, blown by the wind, deceived by the wicked one. The idea would be that these gifts that are given by a risen Christ, an ascended Christ, this truth that has now come to us in the Bible, should enable us so that we are not tossed back and forth as to what we believe. We're not tossed back and forth as to how we live.

We can have absolute confidence, again I know I'm approaching the chapter six, but we can have absolute confidence in the word of God, in the truths of Christ, and know where we stand. Now we need to balance that, and I agree wholeheartedly with what has been said. That doesn't mean that I do not allow the word of God at times to change my thinking.

I mean all of us have hopefully learned as we have learned the word of God more and more, and it has modified some of our thinking and adjusted some of our ideas. We allow the word of God to speak to us, but we do not allow anything outside the word of God to change our thinking about the word of God. It is the word of God alone that we come to, to frame our convictions, our thinking, and our attitude, not something outside the word of God.

We're actually looking at a continuity here of truth from the apostles and prophets right through to the present time, which raises a note of caution. I'm responsible to mind from the word of God the truth of God personally, and I am not really obligated to be a student of what Luther taught and what Calvin taught, etc. But there is tremendous help in truth that has come down through the centuries.

If I'm going to disagree with it, I need to be very modest in doing so, and very careful to have the word of God to support me. The idea of coming up with something novel is not a benefit in Christianity. I'm not just saying let's keep things the way they've always been.

But truth has been preserved by God. Let me not think that somehow I arrived at truth in my generation that nobody knew before. Did Satan change his tactics early in the church back in Acts? He persecuted the Christians, and now he's coming more as a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Is that what we have here? Well, we're reminded that Satan's tactics vary depending upon time and the individuals. For example, there are still places where he is a roaring lion, and there are places where he is an angel of light. His tactics differed with the Lord Jesus.

First he would attack the Lord Jesus at a moment of hunger, a moment of hardship, and then he will take the word of God and alter it and use it there. So his tactics will vary depending upon the circumstances. So here, as we'll see when we come to chapter 6, it's the carefully thought out strategy of Satan as he controls the darkness of his age.

Cunning craftiness. Cunning craftiness. It's not just what looks good, but it's actually very carefully designed.

It's not accidental or haphazard or reactionary to what is going on. He has a tremendous game plan that he is implementing as time goes on. I've got to try to get you, brethren, away from chapter 6. That's what I'm thinking.

Well, let's move on then if we can. We'll leave you a moment. Verse number 15.

I just should mention this before we jump to the next section. Speaking the truth in love. So how do I respond to error? Now, this is vital.

How we respond to error is speaking the truth in love. Actually, literally, truthing it in love is, I think, the expression here. It's not with arrogance and it's not with discouragement.

You know, Christianity is never advanced by being arrogant or by being discourteous. That never advances the cause of Christianity or the truth of God, I should say. Speaking the truth in love always has the idea of seeking to win another, to help another, rather than just a matter of in-your-face type of attitude.

Well, there's a saying that we should always be careful. We can win an argument and lose a soldier. And actually, to be a little critical of us, if I may just put it that way, we have been better at slicing off ears than we have been at speaking the truth in love.

That's a generalization of Surah. I don't mind. But I think it's important that we recognize someone with whom we differ in terms of vital truth, even, is someone whom we should seek to win to truth.

Now, I know there's going to be a remedy when you get to the book of Jude. There are other issues to be involved. But as a general response to believers in assemblies that don't see the truth of an assembly as I see it, how do I deal with them? Speaking the truth in order to win them because I want them to have all the equipment they need for the present time.

And even those who are overtaken by false doctrine. Not just they don't quite see things the way we do. But even when dealing with them, I know there's a danger of discoursing with cults and so on.

We need to be careful of that. But it still should be this in view, speaking the truth in love. Richard, you were going to ask? Yeah.

Is there not a realization maybe from 2 Timothy 2? And the servant of the Lord must not strive to be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose himself, if God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth. So it isn't so much us convincing them, it's that God will use us. Yes.

Sandy, you just clicked an association in my mind. I heard one time a tape of Russellite training for their door-to-door work. And one way that they knew that these born-again Christians were wrong was because they became angry when they talked to them.

Well, that's a good criticism. If we're going to deal with even someone at that level, without the discoursing matter, but responding in a way that's kind and Christian is important. Good.

Okay, we have about 17 minutes left and we really should look at verses 17 to 24 to help introduce the subject our brother will deal with in the next Bible readings. I'm stalling this so we don't get into my readings. We won't.

We won't. Don't worry. We have enough here.

This I say, therefore, in testifying the Lord. Now, what he is saying is, that word for testify is an extremely strong word. Not just the idea, here's what I want to tell you.

I'm in earnest about what I'm about to say. That he henceforth, from this moment on, walk not as other Gentiles. Now, did we mention at the beginning the idea of walking? I think we did, yeah.

He's going to take up that subject, chapter 4, 5, and 6, five different times. And here he's speaking about our walk, that we walk by manner of life, not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity, the emptiness of their mind. And he brings us now to a progression.

Why are they walking this way? Understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. So I would take it, he is tracing all back to this, the blindness of their heart, that has led to, going backwards in our progression here, ignorance and vanity of their mind. And the result of this is they have given themselves over actively to work all uncleanness with greediness up.

An insatiable desire for sin is what is in view in those verses. This is what marks the society in which they live, and it's what marks the society in which we live as well. So, he is saying this is what marks others, but, the big contrast, you're different.

Ye have not so learned Christ. But now before we get to verse number 20, we want to look at verses 17 to 19. Here are the garments that are exchanged and could also call it the radical change.

We have their dark past in verses 17 to 19. We have the dramatic message in verse number 20 and verses number 21 to 24. A decisive change that has been made in their lives as a result of the message they have heard.

So, verses 17 to 19 now, the dark past that marked them and it still stands itself upon the society in which they live and we live today. So, Sandy, you have body, soul and spirit in terms of its function in every one of us. The spirit part of the natural man is totally empty.

The vanity of their mind and their understanding darkened and alienation from a connection with God. Rather than putting spiritual things first, it's actually putting the body first. You have uncleanness, lasciviousness, past feeling.

So, we have empty minds, darkened understanding, inward ignorance, hard hearts. It appears that the whole thing springs from the hardness of their hearts, their willful rejection of truth. Willful rejection of truth.

Please do not think somehow that these are mere victims. We're not looking at victimization here, that they have no choice. They have willingly hardened their hearts.

They have willingly, active verb, given themselves over to work all manner of lasciviousness with all uncleanness and greediness. So, there is a willing hardness that leads to a blindness and a darkness and a vanity. And they have given themselves over as a result to seeking to fill that emptiness, that void, with giving themselves over to work all kinds of sinful things.

An insatiable desire to fill an empty mind and an empty life with something else. There are a number of illusions here in the temple too, aren't there? But brother, can you just give us some thoughts on this, that we have the mind, the heart and then the life here. We notice that it's a life that's lived for lasciviousness, lust and all of that.

And yet, ironically, it identifies them as past feelings. Aren't all those other things linked with feelings and reflections of life? I think the idea here that our brother has alluded to, of being past feelings, I'm trying to find that verse, okay, beginning of verse number 19, who being past feeling is the idea that they no longer even have a sensitivity to the evil that they are creating. It's almost like it's natural, it's normal, it's a way of life.

Same thing in Romans chapter 1, that we have, that this is the norm. So today, if you're not involved in these sins, there's something wrong with you. Could they be insensitive to the voice of God, the call of God in the gospel, not where they're counted? That would be Romans 1 again, you see.

With the consciousness of God and the knowledge of God and, can we say, in relation to feelings, a sensitivity to God. Once that becomes hardened, a seared conscience of your life, it leads them into a life of nothing but pleasure and all these other things that are given here, but they become insensitive to anything genuine, anything of God. And just let me add this little point, let's be careful with it, because our society is such that we too become insensitive to certain things.

I often use this illustration. Most of us today, if we walked into a tavern and blew a cigarette smoke, we'd start gagging. The people in there don't.

They're used to it. We're not. But we can become accustomed to wrong things.

We're talking the world. I think we need to keep in mind, and again we're going into chapter 6, one of the great strategies of Satan today is to remove from society everything that would remind men of what God placed into human society. Do not think that the attack on creation is just some offshoot.

Do not think that the dissolution of marriage or redefinition of marriage is somehow just a matter of society today progressing in its thinking. Do not think the redefinition of family and the putting aside of authority at every level. It's all a master stroke of Satan to remove from the minds of men every reminder of what God placed in human government and human society so that now God is far into the minds of men.

And as a result, society has become more and more insensitive to all that God placed in society and every reminder of God and every standard of God as well. So therefore, it's totally changed. The word they use is the paradigm has changed.

It's just a totally different way of thinking than what the word of God would remind us of. So in the beginning of the chapter we were stressing unity, but we're not to be united with everything. Here we have a division.

We should be divided from these things. Very good. So this is separation now that is in view, or at least a tremendous transformation that God intends in those who have been brought into that one body.

This is a generational thing I'm referring to. I'm not so much brought up on Lee Strobel's apologetics as I was on Josh McDowell. One of his statements working with younger people in colleges, he would often ask a young person, if I could give you an absolutely reasonable presentation for the existence of God, would you believe it? The answer invariably was no.

I do not want to change the way I live. And that's a tragic commentary on just what we have here. It is a choice to live this way and therefore as a result it's a denial of God and so on.

That does not mean therefore that we should not give people reason to believe the word of God and reason to believe the existence of God, but to remember this, that there's another power, there's another level involved. What our brother has said is very helpful because especially for young people in college, you'll frequently be asked, why do you believe this? And how do you know there is a God? How do you know the Bible is true? Sometimes to preface it with what our brother has mentioned, if I could show you the Bible is the word of God, would you be willing to bow to what it says? As he has said, nine out of ten will say no. I don't want to bow to any other authority than what I think is right.

If that is the attitude you could argue for years, you will never change their minds. Don't waste your time. I know it sounds cruel, but until there is a willingness to bow to the word of God, there is not going to be the ability then to really convince anyone that it is the word of God.

That's important too from your standpoint, Sandy. Some of us might have a herd mentality, okay, some of us. And so we present our arguments to someone and they don't faze the individual.

And they're a good person and they're a reasonable person and they're a nice person and we get along with them fine. And we begin to think, wait a minute, there must be something wrong with my argument because they're not even fazed by it. Let us remember that the best argument will not necessarily change a person, will not change a person whose mind is made up, at some level, this is what I'm willing to accept.

Don't be stymied by the fact that your argument doesn't change your whole ethics class into accepting the word of God. We want to come to verse number 20. Ye have not so learned Christ.

If so, we have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. So we have, in these few verses, we have Christ presented to us as the theme, as the teacher, and as the truth. Now, what does it mean, ye have not so learned Christ? When did this occur? And what does it mean? And why should they have made a difference in their lives? This is conversion.

It is conversion. So that at conversion, every believer learned Christ. Did you? Absolutely.

In what sense? He became my all in all. I would link it, Sandy, perhaps with Titus 2. The grace of God which bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared, teaching us. So, at the moment we trusted Christ, he became the standard of our behavior.

We accepted that he is the light which lighteneth every man. Very good. We've been given in verses 17 to 19 a terrible picture of the world that these believers would have come out of.

And let's face it, it's dramatically presented before us as a world of darkness, a world of death, and a world of terrible sin before God. We've come from that. We've been introduced to some of the great blessings that believers have been brought into.

And now we're set before them the wonderful person of Christ. So instead of minds being darkened, understanding being darkened, you have learned Christ. The light of God has shined upon you.

Instead of being alienated, you have heard and been taught as the truth is in Jesus. Instead of being past feeling, you're being renewed. Instead of being given over to all licentiousness, to work all iniquity and so on, it is to righteousness and true holiness.

So we have a great contrast in these two sections. What we once were, what we now are, what God intends us to be as members of this new body. Now, since the time is very brief, could we just look at verses 21 to 24? Ye put off and ye put on and be renewed.

Is this something he is exhorting them to do? Or did this occur at conversion? Did you put off your old man at conversion and put on a new man at conversion? And now God says, I expect you to live out what occurred at conversion. William, go ahead. You're shaking your head.

So that this is not exhorting you to do something. Paul was telling you here what occurred at conversion. You put off all that you once were in Adam.

You're standing in Adam. Not your old nature, not your flesh, your old man. You're standing in Adam.

All that was marked by corruption. Now he says you put on a new man. You have a new standing in Christ.

A new position before God. Brought into a new sphere. You are in Christ.

You put on a new man at conversion. And now you are to express that. What God's intention is for it is as we have at the end of verse 14.

After God has created in righteousness, that's my relationship with others. And through holiness, my relationship with God. Although wouldn't just restrict it to that.

But one is conduct, the other is character, I would take it. And this is what God intends to mark you. And then our brother's Bible reading would take us to how that is expressed.

In everyday life. By my lip, by my life, by my labor and so on. In the verses that follow.

So verse 23, in contrast to the vanity of the mind of the Gentile. The believer is to be renewed in spirit of his mind. How does that happen? Well, I mean, we could be very simple and say it occurs as I read the word of God.

But I think in the context here, as the truth is in Jesus. That as I appreciate more and more his person. And maybe we could comment on why it's Jesus.

It's interesting we have the son of God earlier in the chapter. In verse number 13, we have the Christ in verse number 20. And now we have the truth is in Jesus in verse number 21.

I would take it this is the moral perfections of that person. As he moved here, the holy manhood of the perfect man as he moved here. And as I appreciate more and more of him.

My mind is renewed to see as God sees and appreciate virtues that God appreciates. David. I just going to point out that the first word of verse 21.

If it's not Paul saying, I don't know whether you people are saved or not. He's saying this is if this is the case. And it is the case for every believer.

We heard, learned and been taught that is. And now this takes place. We have put off.

And we have put on. And therefore, we are renewed in between those two. That's all taking place at conversion.

Jesus is the man who died and was raised again. The believer died with Christ. And he's got something new to live now.

The believer died with Jesus. So we're not being exhorted here again. Just to underline to put off and put on.

This occurred at conversion. And now he is going to develop in the verses that follow. How that is expressed in all of our relationships.

In our conduct here on Earth. To express this righteousness and true holiness. Which God intends to distinguish us.

From everything that once marked us in our lives. And all that marks our society. That is all around us.

Good to keep in mind is that Romans 6. The old man is crucified with Christ. It takes it back to salvation. A couple of things.

And since it's at the end of the Bible reading. I'll allow this much. The put off here is something that took place at conversion.

The same word will be used further down in the chapter. And that becomes conditional now for the believer practically. But the new man is only used in Ephesians and Colossians.

The old man is used in Romans. I'm tempted to ask the question. It would be awkward.

Why is the new man not brought in in Romans? You're being awkward. So go ahead and answer it. Thank you so much.

The old man embraced Old Testament saints. New Testament saints. Coming saints.

In tribulation and millennial times. All have a standing in Adam. And therefore there is only one other federal head.

And that is Christ. And that's Romans. Particularly is New Testament teaching relative to the church of the body.

So there needs to be just a fine line in our understanding. The old man applies universally to all men. But the new man here is something that's peculiar to the age in which we live.

It's another way of speaking of being in Christ. So only believers in this age are in Christ. And are in the new man.

So that federal headship embraces all saints. The headship of Christ to the body just relates to the body to believers of this dispensation. Time is gone.

Does anyone else have a comment or a question on what we have just looked at so hurriedly? Especially these last few verses that are so important. So verse 1. Worthy of the vocation wherewith we call it. Does not sum up everything we talked about this morning.

Very good. And just one other comment. I think we did skip over 15 or 16 and 17.

Or just 16 perhaps. The whole body fitly joined together. Speaking about the use of two gifts in the body.

When we come to verse number 16. And speaking about the entire body. And then it speaks about every joint.

And each part. And so some of you might say well you know what purpose do I have in the assembly? Or what purpose do I have in the body? And I think that verse number 16 would tell us that we all do. And therefore from verse 16.

Excuse me. From verse 16 it's a reality. If I am not functioning spiritually.

I am blocking someone else's growth. Exactly. Very good.

Very important to underline that. Yes. Well thank you very much for your help.

And contribution. Just make a brief announcement. We have a line form for dinner.

Line form right across the hall. And another line form on the far side of the cafeteria. We have two serving lines.

We are glad for Dr. Higgins being with us. And those who contributed. We are not sitting in this circle.