In today's Epistle, Ephesians 1:15-23, the apostle Paul describes believers' different standings and positions with the Godhead, based on their faith in Jesus Christ. Believers, who choose to live in the mind of the spirit, share with Jesus Christ the mystery, joy and privilege of actually entering and dwelling in God's presence, while here on earth. In the mind of the spirit by faith, they choose to following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery. Paul prays that in the mind of the spirit, all people will share with Jesus Christ the spiritual blessings and divine inheritance, which God prepared for all mankind, before the foundation of the world.
As a devout, well trained and committed leader and teacher in his own Jewish religion, the apostle Paul knew and could share in this letter, what it truly means to have faith in Jesus Christ. As Saul, in the mind of the flesh, he aggressively rejected and sought to destroy those who believed in and followed Jesus Christ as Messiah, who he only heard about, but never met personally. After his encounter with the risen Christ (ADONAI), and his conversion on the way to Damascus, as Paul in the mind of the spirit, he steadfastly sought to lead both Jews and Gentiles to Christ (ADONAI), as revealed in Jesus Christ (John 14:1-7, Acts 9:1-9, Romans 8:1-39). To Paul these believers in Ephesus who he loved and prayed for, knew and chose to follow Jesus Christ as Messiah, in the mind of the spirit (Ephesians 1:15-16).
In the mind of the spirit, Paul prayed that the indwelling Christ (ADONAI), would give these believers the full wisdom, revelation, enlightenment and spiritual knowledge, which he gained and shared with them about Jesus Christ. In that way they would know the eternal hope to which they are called to follow Jesus Christ, in living the Paschal Mystery, in the mind of the spirit. He therefore prayed that in the mind of the spirit, they would know the spiritual riches and glory of their divine inheritance as saints, now living within witnessing paschal faith communities, here on earth (Luke 17:20-21, Ephesians 1:17-18).
Paul knew and experienced that in the mind of the flesh, the believer's faith and hope in Jesus Christ are limited, erroneous and grossly distorted. In the mind of the spirit however, Paul knew and experienced the awesome height, width, depth, and breath of the believer faith and hope in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:1-4, 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16, Colossians 1:26-27). Paul therefore prayed that in the mind of the spirit, their faith and hope in Jesus Christ would be based on the presence, power and working of Christ (ADONAI), as incarnate Savior, Lord, Owner and Master not only within their personal lives, but also within and throughout their witnessing paschal faith community (Luke 17:20-21, Ephesians 1:19).
Jesus Christ in his life, passion, death, glorification, resurrection and ascension revealed the preeminence and dominion of the indwelling and incarnate Christ (ADONAI) in human flesh. As Messiah, Jesus taught and revealed the new and glorified human life with the Godhead, here on earth, in the mind of the spirit. Jesus Christ is now fully elevated and exalted to heavenly place within the Godhead. Paul declares that in Jesus Christ as Messiah, the Godhead revealed and manifested this awesome power to transform every human life, from bondage and slavery to sin and spiritual death, into the freedom, love, grace and truth of the Godhead, the spiritually resurrected life in Christ, while living in our present human flesh. To the spiritually awake believer, resurrection from spiritual death into spiritual life, spiritual awakening, and spiritual formation are critical and vital born from above human experiences, when following Jesus Christ in living the Paschal Mystery (John 3:1-21, Ephesians 1:20-23).
Do you believe in and follow Jesus Christ as Messiah, in the mind of the flesh or the mind of the spirit? Are you like Jesus Christ, willing to embrace and love equally and gently guide and nurture as brothers and sisters in Christ, those believers within your witnessing paschal faith community, who choose to follow Jesus Christ in the mind of the flesh (Matthew 16:21-28)? Have you in the mind of the spirit, entered into and chosen to experience the heavenly placed in Christ, while in your present physical body? Are you willing to leave the past, present, future and final judgment of yourself and other persons in all traditions, religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups to Christ (ADONAI), in the spiritual body of all persons?
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