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THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS
Outline by Rev. Charles Alonso
THE BELIEVER'S POSITION "IN THE HEAVENLIES"
God sends His message to the believers at Ephesus and all of Christendom.
I. The mercies of God directed to all believers throughout the whole world and for all of time – made evident by the faithful who are in Christ Jesus.
"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Romans 9:16).
A. To know the grace of God in the local church:
1. Proven by the will of God, which was foreordained before the foundation of the world, to reveal at the appointed time the dispensation of grace.
2. Proven by the way God had in the past, has today, and will have forever, the total authority and power to bring to pass His perfect will in grace.
3. Proven by the eternal purpose that God has established: "That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7; Galatians 4:4-7 & Ephesians 1:4-9).
B. To know the spiritual growth that should unfold in the local church:
1. Proven by the will of God to bring all believers into "one new man" growing and being led by Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 2:15 & 4:11-16).
2. Proven by the way God continually conforms the believers into the image of Christ by a daily holy way of living (Romans 8:28-31 & Colossians 3:10).
3. Proven by the eternal purpose of God to provide for the believers the necessary tools and spiritual insight to live victoriously every day over the devil, the world, and the fleshly desires and lusts (II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:21- 32; Galatians 5:16-26 & II Peter 1:2-4).
II. The call of God to each believer to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ; of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:15 & 4:1).
A. To know God's will for everyday living:
1. Proven by the way we learn from Christ how to "put off... the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Ephesians 4:22).
2. Proven by the way we learn from Christ how to "be renewed in the Spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:23).
3. Proven by the way we learn from Christ how to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).
B. To know the power of God in everyday living:
1. Proven by His power to: "grant you, according to the riches in His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
2. Proven by His power to grant you: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height..." (Ephesians 3:17-18).
3. Proven by His power to grant you: "to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).
III. The ministry of the Spirit of God within the local church and throughout the whole world:
A. To know the work of God in which believers minister to believers, in order to fulfill the ministry of grace... "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:10-15) within the local church:
1. Proven by the various levels by which the believers understand our past justification - "being quickened” In love Christ redeemed the church: For "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
2. Proven by the various levels by which the believers understand our present sanctification - "being raised." In love Christ sanctified the church: "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word" (Ephesians 5:26).
3. Proven by the various levels by which the believers understand our future glorification - "being seated with Christ in glory/ 7 In love Christ will present the church to Himself in perfection: "That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, ...holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 2:4-6 & 5:27).
B. To know the work of God in which believers minister to unbelievers, in order to fulfill the ministry of "The Great Commission”(Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:7-9) within the local church:
1. – (A = Admit that we are all sinners.) Proven by the (past) plan of God: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, ...but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (I Peter 3:9)
2 – (B = Believe on the power of Christ's resurrection.) Proven by the (present) power of God: "He (Jesus Christ) came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name" (John 1:11-12).
3 – (C = Confess that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior.) Proven by the (future) purpose of God: "For... your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4). (Also: Romans 10:8-17 & I John 3:1-3)
I. The mercies of God directed to all believers throughout the whole world and for all of time – made evident by the faithful who are in Christ Jesus.
"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Romans 9:16).
A. To know the grace of God in the local church:
1. Proven by the will of God, which was foreordained before the foundation of the world, to reveal at the appointed time the dispensation of grace.
2. Proven by the way God had in the past, has today, and will have forever, the total authority and power to bring to pass His perfect will in grace.
3. Proven by the eternal purpose that God has established: "That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7; Galatians 4:4-7 & Ephesians 1:4-9).
B. To know the spiritual growth that should unfold in the local church:
1. Proven by the will of God to bring all believers into "one new man" growing and being led by Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 2:15 & 4:11-16).
2. Proven by the way God continually conforms the believers into the image of Christ by a daily holy way of living (Romans 8:28-31 & Colossians 3:10).
3. Proven by the eternal purpose of God to provide for the believers the necessary tools and spiritual insight to live victoriously every day over the devil, the world, and the fleshly desires and lusts (II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:21- 32; Galatians 5:16-26 & II Peter 1:2-4).
II. The call of God to each believer to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ; of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:15 & 4:1).
A. To know God's will for everyday living:
1. Proven by the way we learn from Christ how to "put off... the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts" (Ephesians 4:22).
2. Proven by the way we learn from Christ how to "be renewed in the Spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:23).
3. Proven by the way we learn from Christ how to "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).
B. To know the power of God in everyday living:
1. Proven by His power to: "grant you, according to the riches in His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16).
2. Proven by His power to grant you: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height..." (Ephesians 3:17-18).
3. Proven by His power to grant you: "to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).
III. The ministry of the Spirit of God within the local church and throughout the whole world:
A. To know the work of God in which believers minister to believers, in order to fulfill the ministry of grace... "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:10-15) within the local church:
1. Proven by the various levels by which the believers understand our past justification - "being quickened” In love Christ redeemed the church: For "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
2. Proven by the various levels by which the believers understand our present sanctification - "being raised." In love Christ sanctified the church: "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word" (Ephesians 5:26).
3. Proven by the various levels by which the believers understand our future glorification - "being seated with Christ in glory/ 7 In love Christ will present the church to Himself in perfection: "That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, ...holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 2:4-6 & 5:27).
B. To know the work of God in which believers minister to unbelievers, in order to fulfill the ministry of "The Great Commission”(Matthew 28:18-20 & Acts 1:7-9) within the local church:
1. – (A = Admit that we are all sinners.) Proven by the (past) plan of God: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, ...but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (I Peter 3:9)
2 – (B = Believe on the power of Christ's resurrection.) Proven by the (present) power of God: "He (Jesus Christ) came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name" (John 1:11-12).
3 – (C = Confess that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior.) Proven by the (future) purpose of God: "For... your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4). (Also: Romans 10:8-17 & I John 3:1-3)
