Ephesians 4:18,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Paul speaks about another reason for vanity of the mind "because of the blindness of their heart." Verse 18 is really connected to verse 20 where he said, "but you have not so learned Christ."
This verse focuses on a major problem, we have a love affair everywhere except with Christ in us.
We love God, we love our church, our families, we love God's word.
We sing and pray to God, but seldom have a love affair with the Christ in us.
The only Christ on earth you can come to know and to fix in your mind is the one who is in you.
That is where your love affair should be.
When believers dont understand the fullness of grace I have heard the grace (Christ in you) of God called alot of things.
Greasy grace, a licence to sin, even heard it said "the believer was probably not even saved."
The problem with this kind of thinking is; everything in a believers life will come from the relationship they have with Christ.
A person who knows Christ is in them is not a wilful sinner. We all sin but there is a big difference in sin and living apart from Christ by knowing what you are doing.
When you know that you are a living expression of the Christ in you no matter where you are or what you do.
One of the fruits of the Spirit is self control.
Confirmation of this is in James where he says "he that knoweth to do right and don't do it, to him it is sin."
Remember, love is an act of the mind, a decision, a choice.
What was the "blindness of their heart" Paul spoke about.
Christian people look everywhere for Christ except in them. Vanity of the mind separates you from Christ in you (again, mind only).
Songs we sing, by their words, can separate you from Christ in you.
Such as; "Cast me not away from thy presence, oh Lord," and "Take not thy HolySpirit from me."
Many radio and TV personalities may pray what seems to be a prayer of faith "I ask you God to reach out and touch these believers in their trial."
But it has in it the state of separation.
We all need physical body ministry sometime, but what is needed the most in the body of Christ is for believers to know there is no separation from the Christ in them. That is what we need to know and if you get a miracle that is wonderful and thank God for it. But if you don't get everything worked out as some suppose, it's ok because you still have Christ in you.
Can you see the power in the knowledge of Christ as your only life.
That is the power Jesus said would come upon you when the HolySpirit was poured out.
The power of the HolySpirit is to reveal Christ in you. Not to make men and women great in themselves.
It doesn't matter the circumstances and situations, you have the greater in you.
Christians spend alot of time trying to find the will of God. We spend time trying to see where God would have us live, or who to marry.
The will of God is Christ in you and you developing that love affair. It is my opinion God doesn't really care where you live, you can express Christ and give a witness to the world wherever you are at, and whatever you are doing. In marriage you find someone you love and can live with.
Alot of imaginations come in view when we have an idea how marriage is supposed to work, it will not work out as you think. "I'm looking for my soul mate," that is a worldly term that does not exsist.
We trust the lord in all things, He gave us a mind and we can renew it to Him who is our life and begin to live life, that is the Christ life, the Christian life, Gal. 2:20.
Why is Ephesians 4:20, ("but ye have not so learned Christ) so important to our understanding?
Because you learn Christ by how you express Him.
I learn Christ by my failures, by my shortcomings, by my separated state from Him in mind when I do the things that are contrary to what I know of Him.
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Paul speaks about another reason for vanity of the mind "because of the blindness of their heart." Verse 18 is really connected to verse 20 where he said, "but you have not so learned Christ."
This verse focuses on a major problem, we have a love affair everywhere except with Christ in us.
We love God, we love our church, our families, we love God's word.
We sing and pray to God, but seldom have a love affair with the Christ in us.
The only Christ on earth you can come to know and to fix in your mind is the one who is in you.
That is where your love affair should be.
When believers dont understand the fullness of grace I have heard the grace (Christ in you) of God called alot of things.
Greasy grace, a licence to sin, even heard it said "the believer was probably not even saved."
The problem with this kind of thinking is; everything in a believers life will come from the relationship they have with Christ.
A person who knows Christ is in them is not a wilful sinner. We all sin but there is a big difference in sin and living apart from Christ by knowing what you are doing.
When you know that you are a living expression of the Christ in you no matter where you are or what you do.
One of the fruits of the Spirit is self control.
Confirmation of this is in James where he says "he that knoweth to do right and don't do it, to him it is sin."
Remember, love is an act of the mind, a decision, a choice.
What was the "blindness of their heart" Paul spoke about.
Christian people look everywhere for Christ except in them. Vanity of the mind separates you from Christ in you (again, mind only).
Songs we sing, by their words, can separate you from Christ in you.
Such as; "Cast me not away from thy presence, oh Lord," and "Take not thy HolySpirit from me."
Many radio and TV personalities may pray what seems to be a prayer of faith "I ask you God to reach out and touch these believers in their trial."
But it has in it the state of separation.
We all need physical body ministry sometime, but what is needed the most in the body of Christ is for believers to know there is no separation from the Christ in them. That is what we need to know and if you get a miracle that is wonderful and thank God for it. But if you don't get everything worked out as some suppose, it's ok because you still have Christ in you.
Can you see the power in the knowledge of Christ as your only life.
That is the power Jesus said would come upon you when the HolySpirit was poured out.
The power of the HolySpirit is to reveal Christ in you. Not to make men and women great in themselves.
It doesn't matter the circumstances and situations, you have the greater in you.
Christians spend alot of time trying to find the will of God. We spend time trying to see where God would have us live, or who to marry.
The will of God is Christ in you and you developing that love affair. It is my opinion God doesn't really care where you live, you can express Christ and give a witness to the world wherever you are at, and whatever you are doing. In marriage you find someone you love and can live with.
Alot of imaginations come in view when we have an idea how marriage is supposed to work, it will not work out as you think. "I'm looking for my soul mate," that is a worldly term that does not exsist.
We trust the lord in all things, He gave us a mind and we can renew it to Him who is our life and begin to live life, that is the Christ life, the Christian life, Gal. 2:20.
Why is Ephesians 4:20, ("but ye have not so learned Christ) so important to our understanding?
Because you learn Christ by how you express Him.
I learn Christ by my failures, by my shortcomings, by my separated state from Him in mind when I do the things that are contrary to what I know of Him.
