Thursday, July 13, 2017

The Truth is in Jesus Ephesians 4:21


As Paul the apostle continued to exhort and encourage the Ephesian church members, he told them they had “not so learned Christ” as the “other Gentiles” who were unbelievers. In contrast to the pagans' “darkened understanding”, “being alienated from the life of God” and “ignorance” “because of the blindness of their heart”, the Ephesians, according to chapter four and verse twenty-one of Paul's letter were told, “the truth is in Jesus”. We read:

If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

The verse begins, “If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him,...” Paul began with the words, “If so be that” or “indeed, inasmuch, as and since” “you have heard” “are endowed with the faculty of hearing, given audience and not deaf” “him” which refers to Jesus Christ, “and have been taught” or “held discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses, impart instruction, instill doctrine into one, enjoined, explained or expounded a thing” “by him” which refers to “Jesus Christ”. The Ephesians were to behave in a manner which was in keeping with how they had “learned Christ”, and this came through “hearing Him” and being “taught by him”.

The verse continues, “...as the truth is in Jesus.” Paul added, “as the truth” which means “what is true in any matter under consideration, in reality, in fact and certainly” “is in Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Messiah and the Son of God”. The “truth” is found in “Jesus”, and as the Ephesian church members listened to and were “taught” by Him, they would walk differently than the “other Gentiles”.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we understand the importance of hearing “Jesus” and being “taught by him”. “The truth is in Jesus”, and if we are ever to know what “reality, fact and certainty” are, we must know Him. Let these words inspire us to call upon the Holy Spirit to remind us of the words of “Jesus” and as we hear them and are taught of them, may we live in a manner that is in contrast to that of the “unbelieving” world.

Next time Paul tells the Ephesians to “put off” “the old man”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites,
http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.




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