<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Ephesians 3;1-10<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;For this reason I, Paul, a&nbsp;prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—</b></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;how <u>the mystery</u>&nbsp;was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.</b></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;When you read this you can perceive my insight into <u>the mystery</u>&nbsp;of Christ,</b></div><div><b>5. &nbsp;which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;</b></div><div><b>6. &nbsp;that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise <u>in Christ Jesus</u>&nbsp;through the gospel.</b></div><div><b>7. &nbsp;Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power.</b></div><div><b>8. &nbsp;To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ,</b></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;and to make all men see what is the plan of <u>the mystery</u>&nbsp;hidden for ages in God who created all things;</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Three times in this text Paul writes of <i>“the mystery,” </i>&nbsp;(in verse 4 he adds <i>“the mystery <u>of Christ</u></i><i>”</i>).</div><div><br></div><div>Some commentators say that <i>“the mystery”</i>&nbsp;is simply that the Gentiles are now included in the Gospel and made one in the church, partakers&nbsp;of all the grace of God in Christ Jesus. &nbsp;This is true, but not complete.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“The mystery of Christ” </i>is much more profound and <i>“unsearchable.” &nbsp;</i>Verses 9&amp;10 further explain that <i>“the mystery” </i>&nbsp;is also that&nbsp;<i>“through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.”</i><u></u></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>God Most Holy has a message to deliver to Satan and his fallen angels. &nbsp;This message is to be delivered ‘by the Church!’ &nbsp;It is our job to display, <i>“the manifold wisdom of God!”</i>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>What exactly is the manifold wisdom of God? &nbsp;The manifold wisdom of God is that Satan has not the power to destroy the works of God. &nbsp;The evil one thought he had succeeded when he tempted Adam to sin and infected all of mankind with death. &nbsp;He thought he had the victory when they laid Jesus in the tomb. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>But Christ arose victorious, and we have been raised with him in our baptism <i>“into Christ”&nbsp;</i></div><div>(see, Romans 6;3&amp;4). &nbsp; Death has been conquered and Satan is disarmed. &nbsp;It is the Church (who by the faith and grace given her in Christ by the Holy Spirit), that God displays&nbsp;this glorious&nbsp;victory. &nbsp;This is&nbsp;manifold wisdom of God which shows&nbsp;Satan that&nbsp;his kingdom of darkness and death is defeated</div><div><br></div><div>Sin and death no longer have dominion over us. &nbsp;We wear the armor of God, we hold this&nbsp;ground against Satan,&nbsp;death, and sin. &nbsp;The <i>“heavenly places” </i>(our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits), belong to God. &nbsp;His life and peace now reign in us. &nbsp;What Satan thought he had destroyed, God has restored yet stronger in Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>The <i>“unsearchable riches” </i>of the <i>“mystery of Christ” </i>is none other than this: &nbsp;“<i>God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of <u>the glory of this mystery,</u>&nbsp;<b><u>which is Christ in you</u>&nbsp;</b>the hope of glory.” &nbsp; </i>(Colossians 1;27)</div><div><br></div><div>To share in the glory of Christ, is to <i>“deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus” </i>in the path of righteousness, the way of holiness and true life. &nbsp;We are to have nothing to do with the works of darkness. &nbsp;We are (in Christ) the Light of the World, called and empowered to do good works prepared by God before creation for us to walk in.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant us grace to understand “the mystery”&nbsp;which&nbsp;you&nbsp;revealed to Paul; &nbsp;that Christ has made us one in him, in his own holiness and righteousness. &nbsp;He has set us free to live without fear. &nbsp;Death has been conquered for us. &nbsp;The power of sin over us&nbsp;has been broken.&nbsp; Jesus indwells us,&nbsp;inspires, and empowers us to live for the praise of your glory. &nbsp;Have mercy on us Father to believe this. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,&nbsp;</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Ephesians 3;1-10
1.  For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2.  assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,3.  how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.4.  When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,5.  which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;6.  that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.7.  Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power.8.  To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ,9.  and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;10.  that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
Three times in this text Paul writes of “the mystery,”  (in verse 4 he adds “the mystery of Christ”).
Some commentators say that “the mystery” is simply that the Gentiles are now included in the Gospel and made one in the church, partakers of all the grace of God in Christ Jesus.  This is true, but not complete.
“The mystery of Christ” is much more profound and “unsearchable.”  Verses 9&10 further explain that “the mystery”  is also that “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.”
God Most Holy has a message to deliver to Satan and his fallen angels.  This message is to be delivered ‘by the Church!’  It is our job to display, “the manifold wisdom of God!”  
What exactly is the manifold wisdom of God?  The manifold wisdom of God is that Satan has not the power to destroy the works of God.  The evil one thought he had succeeded when he tempted Adam to sin and infected all of mankind with death.  He thought he had the victory when they laid Jesus in the tomb.  
But Christ arose victorious, and we have been raised with him in our baptism “into Christ” (see, Romans 6;3&4).   Death has been conquered and Satan is disarmed.  It is the Church (who by the faith and grace given her in Christ by the Holy Spirit), that God displays this glorious victory.  This is manifold wisdom of God which shows Satan that his kingdom of darkness and death is defeated
Sin and death no longer have dominion over us.  We wear the armor of God, we hold this ground against Satan, death, and sin.  The “heavenly places” (our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits), belong to God.  His life and peace now reign in us.  What Satan thought he had destroyed, God has restored yet stronger in Christ.
The “unsearchable riches” of the “mystery of Christ” is none other than this:  “God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.”   (Colossians 1;27)
To share in the glory of Christ, is to “deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus” in the path of righteousness, the way of holiness and true life.  We are to have nothing to do with the works of darkness.  We are (in Christ) the Light of the World, called and empowered to do good works prepared by God before creation for us to walk in.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant us grace to understand “the mystery” which you revealed to Paul;  that Christ has made us one in him, in his own holiness and righteousness.  He has set us free to live without fear.  Death has been conquered for us.  The power of sin over us has been broken.  Jesus indwells us, inspires, and empowers us to live for the praise of your glory.  Have mercy on us Father to believe this.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”

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