You are wrong...the letters were written to believers in Jesus
Ephesians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
[sup]2 [/sup]Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[sup]3 [/sup]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, [sup]4 [/sup]just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, [sup]5[/sup]having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, [sup]6 [/sup]to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
[sup]7 [/sup]In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace [sup]8 [/sup]which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, [sup]9 [/sup]having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, [sup]10 [/sup]that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. [sup]11[/sup]In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, [sup]12 [/sup]that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
[sup]13[/sup]In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, [sup]14 [/sup]who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Church is the body of believers...in this case...Gentile believers because Gentile believers are adopted by faith and are the grafted in...
Ephesians 4
[sup]17 [/sup]This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of[sup][[/sup] the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, [sup]18 [/sup]having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; [sup]19 [/sup]who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
[sup]20 [/sup]But you have not so learned Christ, [sup]21 [/sup]if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: [sup]22 [/sup]that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, [sup]23 [/sup]and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, [sup]24 [/sup]and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
It is true that we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind and are to put on the new man....This however, is a free will/ choice thing...not an automatic done deal... :huh:
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
[sup]25 [/sup]Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. [sup]26 [/sup]“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, [sup]27 [/sup]nor give place to the devil. [sup]28 [/sup]Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. [sup]29 [/sup]Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. [sup]30 [/sup]And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [sup]31 [/sup]Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. [sup]32 [/sup]And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
If we were already in the place of walking in our new man...we would not be warned about or capable of, grieving the Holy Spirit as the verse above states...
Salvation is a free gift but sanctification is an on-going process. We are being transformed into the image of Christ daily as we make right choices and appropriate changes according to the will and word of God...
Shalom!
Ephesians 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
[sup]2 [/sup]Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[sup]3 [/sup]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, [sup]4 [/sup]just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, [sup]5[/sup]having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, [sup]6 [/sup]to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
[sup]7 [/sup]In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace [sup]8 [/sup]which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, [sup]9 [/sup]having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, [sup]10 [/sup]that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. [sup]11[/sup]In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, [sup]12 [/sup]that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
[sup]13[/sup]In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, [sup]14 [/sup]who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Church is the body of believers...in this case...Gentile believers because Gentile believers are adopted by faith and are the grafted in...
Ephesians 4
[sup]17 [/sup]This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of[sup][[/sup] the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, [sup]18 [/sup]having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; [sup]19 [/sup]who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
[sup]20 [/sup]But you have not so learned Christ, [sup]21 [/sup]if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: [sup]22 [/sup]that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, [sup]23 [/sup]and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, [sup]24 [/sup]and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
It is true that we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind and are to put on the new man....This however, is a free will/ choice thing...not an automatic done deal... :huh:
Do Not Grieve the Spirit
[sup]25 [/sup]Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. [sup]26 [/sup]“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, [sup]27 [/sup]nor give place to the devil. [sup]28 [/sup]Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. [sup]29 [/sup]Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. [sup]30 [/sup]And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [sup]31 [/sup]Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. [sup]32 [/sup]And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
If we were already in the place of walking in our new man...we would not be warned about or capable of, grieving the Holy Spirit as the verse above states...
Salvation is a free gift but sanctification is an on-going process. We are being transformed into the image of Christ daily as we make right choices and appropriate changes according to the will and word of God...
Shalom!
