The God of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 1:16-17

Ephesians 1:16-17

November 23, 2021

In Ephesians 1:16, Paul says that he does not cease giving thanks and making mention of the Ephesians in his prayers.

As believers, we ought always to pray and not lose heart (Luke 1:18). In this, Paul is our example. He expresses his gratitude to God for other believers, and then he continually makes requests for them.

Notice the prayer Paul has for the Ephesians. Since he prays for this without ceasing, it is always at the front of his thinking and on his mind. Let’s read Ephesians 1:17.

Ephesians 1:17 (NKJV) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him

The first thing we see is that Paul is specific to whom he is praying. His requests are directed to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.

John begins his gospel account by explaining who Jesus is. He says,

John 1:1–4 (NKJV) ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

These verses show the unique relationship between Jesus and God. Jesus described His relationship with God by saying:

John 10:30 (NKJV) I and My Father are one.

John 10 is telling of a conversation between Jesus and some of the Jewish leaders. Upon hearing Jesus say these words, they took up stones to stone Him. Jesus asked them which of His good works they were going to stone Him for, and they answered:

John 10:33 (NKJV) “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

Our English language causes some confusion in our understanding of John 3:16. We all know the verse to say “only begotten Son.” The literal translation of the Greek word used is “the only one of its kind.” Some use the word “unique” to translate the Greek term.

The point that comes from all this is that Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity. So, when Paul says, “the Father of glory,” he points to God as the Father of the Lord Jesus and heaven and earth. His position as “Father of glory” puts Him above all beings. 

Who we pray to is crucial. We do not fire off wishes into the universe when we pray. Some people talk about “Karma” and the “universe” looking out for them. But such talk is all nonsense. We live in a universe controlled by and under the rule of the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of this, Paul makes the following request.

Ephesians 1:17 (NKJV) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

“The Spirit of wisdom and revelation” is the Holy Spirit. Given at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is God at work in our world. He is working through the Church in this present age. All three members of the Trinity are mentioned in this prayer because all three members of the Trinity are involved in our salvation. 

Without the Holy Spirit, we can't understand the things of God. Satan blinds the eyes of the unbelieving, and it takes the work of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 tells us:

1 Corinthians 2:9–10 (NKJV): ⁹But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” ¹⁰But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

The Holy Spirit makes the truth known to us. 

Ephesians 1 has already shown us that the Holy Spirit seals us for the Kingdom of God. But, God gives more grace. Paul is asking that the Holy Spirit give wisdom and knowledge.

Later in the letter, Paul tells us to be filled with the Spirit and not drunk with wine. We can choose to yield to the Spirit. We cannot control or manipulate the Spirit. But, we can submit to Him as sent from the Father.

It is important to pray for each other’s health and well-being. However, as Paul prays for that which is most crucial, we must follow his example and pray for each other that God would give each of us the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge of Him.

Sensuality and Vanity

2 Peter 2:10-22

November 21, 2021

This week we return to 2 Peter 2:9.

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

The paragraph before this statement uses Noah and Lot as examples of God delivering the godly out of temptations (trials). The remainder of chapter two condemns false teachers.

Today, we continue from verse 9. This verse ends in the middle of a sentence that continues through verse 10. So, let’s read verses 9 and 10.

2 Peter 2:9–10 (NKJV) …the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.

First, let’s concentrate on one word “…especially.”

Please allow me to give you the English definition of this word. The New Oxford American Dictionary says:

used to single out one person, thing, or situation over all others

God is singling out one class of people. This class of people is defined in 2 Peter 2:10 as “…those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.

This particular class of people was a big part of Peter’s decision to write this second letter. Therefore, the remainder of chapter two is about these false teachers.

However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s remember why God is singling out these particular people. Verse nine tells us: “…the Lord knows how to…reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…” God is singling these people out for judgment. His plan is to keep them under punishment until the day of judgment.

In chapter 3, Peter tells us God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. However, if false teachers do not repent, they will suffer a terrible fate. Everyone will be judged, and the unjust and ungodly will suffer punishment. But false teachers will receive harsher punishment (judgment) than others.

James 3:1 warns us against becoming teachers.

James 3:1 (NKJV) My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

Teaching is a tremendous responsibility, and teachers are necessary. Elementary school teachers influence the lives of children. A bad teacher can damage a child, even if the subject matter is taught. A godly person teaching math can do a fantastic amount of good.

James is speaking of spiritual teachers (pastors). Pastors and spiritual teachers are entrusted with the care of souls. A poor math teacher may cost someone a career, but false spiritual teachers cost others their souls. 

False teachers lead people away from the truth and keep them from being saved. Every sin affects others, but mishandling, twisting, and perverting the word of God is exceedingly insidious. False teachings lead people to hell under the pretense of leading them to heaven.

We will consider two things Peter tells us about false teachers.

First, false teachers walk in the lusts of the flesh. 

Their sensuality is described for us in the verses that follow. Verse 13 describes their behavior as “carousing.” Then verse 14 says, “…having eyes full of adultery.” While claiming to be teachers ordained by God, false teachers are controlled by their appetites. 2 Peter 2:14 says they “…cannot cease from sin,” and “they have a heart trained in covetous practices.”

We must guard our hearts lest any of us should be like these false teachers. What does it mean that a person “cannot cease from sin?”

A person is a slave to whatever he chooses to obey. Unless Jesus delivers us, we are all slaves of sin and, as such, are unable to do otherwise. An unredeemed person (unbelieving) cannot help but go wrong if they teach spiritual truth. They go wrong because they do not believe.

The Pharisees were the teachers of Israel in Jesus’ day. Although they knew and studied the Law of Moses, they had unbelieving hearts. So, they were the most significant single hindrance to people being saved. Jesus called them a “brood of vipers.” Let’s consider what Jesus said to these teachers.

Matthew 12:33–35 (NKJV) ³³“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. ³⁴Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

With these thoughts, we will move on to consider the second thing Peter tells us about false teachers. The Pharisees Jesus addressed were motivated by greed, the sensuality of pride, and the lust of the flesh. However, they were also characterized by the second thing Peter mentions. They boldly spoke about things that they did not understand. They even pronounced judgments against the Son of God.

Peter calls such teachers presumptuous. This is the second thing Peter talks about “presumption.”

Some other translations say “bold.” Another word we could use is “audacious.” Verse 10 uses the example that they are not afraid to speak evil of “dignitaries.” The word used for dignitaries is translated as “glory” in other places. These beings are “glorious ones.” We would have a hard time understanding who these beings are but Jude 8-9 answers this question.

Jude 8–9 (NKJV) ⁸Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. ⁹Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Michael is an archangel, and the devil was also a high-ranking angel before he rebelled. Therefore, we know that the “glorious ones” spoken of in Peter and Jude are spirit beings. 

False teachers are not afraid to make thundering judgments against spirit beings that even the highest angels do not dare. 

2 Peter 2:18 says they speak “great swelling word of emptiness.” That translates loosely, “They are full of hot air.” The problem is that they “allure” people away from the truth. Their “great swelling words of emptiness” appeal to peoples’ pride and lusts. 

Corinthians, Galatians, Thessalonians, 2 Peter, Jude, and other letters were all written to correct errors and false teaching. From the beginning, false teachers have challenged the truth. The Apostle Paul gives this warning:

Colossians 2:8 (NKJV) Beware lest anyone cheat (take you captive) you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

This same warning is repeated in Ephesians 5:6.

Ephesians 5:6 (NKJV) Let no one deceive you with empty words…

Please notice that 2 Peter 2:18, Colossians 2:8, and Ephesians 5:6 all contain the word “empty.” This is also translated as "vanity.” Vanity is emptiness. These words are empty and vain because they are meaningless.

Do not be deceived by complex, lengthy arguments. Some things are complicated and hard to understand, but the gospel is not one of them. John 16 tells us that the Spirit will lead us into all truth and 1 John 2:2 tells us that we have an anointing from the Holy One that teaches us all things so that we do not need anyone to teach us.

For example, some “modern” scholars (mostly dating back into the 1800s) espouse various theories about how Genesis was not written by Moses. They do this with many books of the Bible. They have very sophisticated-sounding explanations that divide the books up. These arguments are built off of what names are used of God in certain portions or variations in grammatical uses.

With these kinds of arguments, any book can be divided up in the same way. All the empty words avoid the critical, central issue. Either the Bible is the word of God as it claims to be, or it is not. Seminaries teach such garbage to our teachers, and then they come out to teach us, but they have subtly been taught that the Bible is not really what it claims to be. So Genesis 1 becomes the “Creation Myth," and the fall of man in the Garden of Eden becomes an allegory to teach truth but certainly not history.

We do not have any reason to doubt these Biblical accounts besides “great swelling words of emptiness.” Either the whole thing is true, or it is just so much garbage and mythology.

We do not have to blindly accept anything. God gave us our minds, and He expects us to use them. That includes having the sense to realize that some “scholars” tell their own versions of history to avoid the truth. 

2 Pete 2:17 describes them.

2 Peter 2:17 (NKJV) These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for who is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

I will close with a reminder from what we read in Colossians.

Colossians 2:8 (NKJV) Beware lest anyone cheat (take you captive) you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

God Keeps the Godly

2 Peter 2:5-9

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) …then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

This verse comes at the end of a paragraph that begins with 2 Peter 2:4 and must be understood in that context. In this paragraph, Peter tells us that God cast certain angels into Tartarus (hell), where they are held under punishment for the final judgment.

After telling us about these angels, Peter tells us about two men who God kept from destruction. Noah and Lot differed in their occupation and circumstance, but God rescued them when others were judged.

First, Peter talks about Noah. This is the “Noah and the Ark” Noah.

A couple thousand years after God created humankind, humanity had become so corrupt that God decided to destroy every living thing on earth. However, one man was faithful to God. Noah was the one righteous man on all the earth. So, God had Noah build an “Ark” (a really big boat), and with that boat, God preserved Noah and enough of every creature to give the world a fresh start. 

Here is what Peter tells us about these events.

2 Peter 2:5 (NKJV) …and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly

God did not spare the ancient world. All the people alive at that time perished in the flood and are now in Hades (hell, but not the same as Tartarus) waiting for the final judgment. However, notice what the text says about Noah. He was “a preacher of righteousness.”

I get the impression that if measured by numbers, Noah was not a successful preacher. However, the Bible tells us a couple of things about Noah. First, in Genesis 6, when we are introduced to Noah, the Scriptures say:

Genesis 6:8 (NKJV) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

And then, the Scriptures give us the reason that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 7:1 (NKJV) Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.”

Finally, we see in Hebrews 11 that Noah was a godly man of faith.

Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV) By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Noah spent over one hundred years building the Ark. During that time, God waited. He was waiting for Noah. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah building the Ark condemned the world. His example of unwavering faith in God, although it did not persuade people, left those around him with no excuse. One aspect of this condemnation is that Noah was divinely warned. I want to show you two verses that apply to this subject.

First, Amos 3:7 says:

Amos 3:7 (NKJV) Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.

And Second:

John 16:13 (NKJV) However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

From Amos 3:7 and John 16:13, we understand that God tells His people what is to come. In Noah’s case, Noah was given instructions to build an Ark because a flood was coming. There is no way Noah could have known a deluge was coming apart from God revealing it to him. Noah believed God and made preparations. The process of building the Ark took over one hundred years, but Noah never wavered. That faith saved Noah. 

In our day, we anticipate the return of our Lord Jesus. By reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation, we can get a good picture of what is to come. And, we have been warned to be ready. We are not called on to build boats but to remain faithful to Jesus and to be about God’s work. And like during Noah’s time, God is waiting. He is waiting while we tell people about Jesus. We, as a people (as disciples), are called to be His witnesses to an ungodly world.

The people that ignored Noah continued life as usual, so they were caught completely by surprise. It is the same in our day. The signs of the times indicate that the Tribulation (something God made known to us) will be coming upon the earth very soon. And, most people are not aware and will be caught entirely by surprise. Their destruction will come upon them seemingly out of nowhere.

However, it is not so with us. We have nothing to fear because the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptations. The world around us may be apathetic and not listen to our warnings, but that does not mean we should stop preaching. WE have nothing to fear, but the WORLD should be terrified because something worse than the flood is coming.

Noah serves as an example of someone the Lord kept from temptations in a world filled with wickedness. A second person Peter speaks of is Lot. 

Lot was Abraham’s nephew. Abraham was a man of faith, and because Lot stuck with Abraham, we know that Lot was also a man of faith. When Abraham left his home and moved to a land neither had seen, Lot packed up and went with Abraham. No other relatives (brothers, cousins, sisters, etc.) followed, just Lot. 

Lot and Abraham both kept sheep and other livestock. God blessed them and caused their herds and flocks to grow. Soon they had so many possessions between them that the land could not support both of them. Because of this, their herdsmen began to bicker over grazing and water rights. So, Abraham suggested to Lot that they split up. Lot looked at the Jordan valley, which was lush and green in those days, and decided to move there. 

Peter tells us that Lot was a righteous man, and yet, he chose to live in an ungodly city. (They didn’t have internet service out in the country?) When God delivered Lot from Sodom, He told Lot to go into the mountains, but Lot said,

Genesis 19:18–20 (NKJV) ¹⁸Please, no, my lords! ¹⁹Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. ²⁰See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

I do not know what Lot feared, but he definitely was afraid to live in the mountains. So, this may have been why Lot chose to live in Sodom.

Whatever the case, Sodom was wicked in the extreme. Let’s read what Genesis tells us about Sodom.

Genesis 13:13 (NKJV) But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.

Here God says the men living in Sodom were “exceedingly wicked.” (I think that means very bad!) Lot was a righteous man, and yet he chose to live in the middle of such wickedness. He did not avoid the society of Sodom, but he did not join them in their sin against the Lord.

The wickedness got so bad that God decided to end it. He burnt it. He rained fire down from heaven and turned the whole city to ashes. 2 Peter tells us that God did this as an example to those who would live wickedly later. However, God does not destroy the righteous with the wicked. So, He sent angels who literally pulled Lot out of the city before burning it.

For whatever reason, Lot chose to live in cities, and the willful rebellion against God tortured him. In the Genesis account, we see that Lot had “sons-in-law” in the city. From this, we gather that Lot and his family were accepted as part of the community. How could Lot have lived among and shared life with these people without caring? Of course he cared! That is why his righteous soul was tortured. Lot lived differently because he was a righteous man. However, his righteous life did not have enough influence to save even his sons-in-law. 

Here is what Peter tells us about this incident.

2 Peter 2:6–8 (NKJV) ⁶…and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)

First, we see that Lot was oppressed by the filthy conduct. The word translated here as “oppressed” is elsewhere translated as “exhaust by labor or suffering,” “wear out,” or “overpower.” Peter explains Lot’s suffering more by saying Lot “tormented his righteous soul from day to day.” The word used here for “tormented” means to interrogate a person by torture and it is also used of the waves “battering” the boat the disciples were in on the Sea of Galilee.

The torment for Lot was seeing and hearing their lawless deed. From day to day, he saw and heard what the people in his city were doing. It was heavy upon him. 

Our world is not different from Sodom and Gomorrah. Look at how Romans 1 describes our world.

Romans 1:18 (NKJV): For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 

Romans 1:28–32 (NKJV): ²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³²who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

God’s messengers grabbed Lot’s hand and took him out of the city so that he would not perish with the ungodly. Before that happened, Lot tried to warn people, but they would not listen. When Jesus returns, He is going to catch us up to meet Him in the clouds. Just like Lot, we will literally be lifted out of the destruction to come.

Each of us must choose. We can choose to be a part of this world and its destruction, or we can choose to be saved.

All it takes to be saved is to talk to Jesus. Just tell Him you want to be saved. He does the rest. 

Sadly, like in Noah’s day and Lot’s day, very few will actually be saved. Not because God is unable, but because people are unwilling.

Angels Who Sinned, 2 Peter 2:4

Angels Who Sinned 

2 Peter 2:4

By way of review, we should consider what subject 2 Peter is addressing. The main subject is the gospel of our salvation; the Apostle Peter wrote this letter to the Church to ensure that we remain strong in the faith and faithful to the gospel. In chapter one, he confirms the solid foundation upon which our beliefs are built, and then, in the opening verses of chapter two, he warns of false teachers. False teachers are a certainty; false teachers will be among us until Christ returns.

In chapter two, verse three, he says of false teachers, “…for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” 

2 Peter 2:3 (NKJV) By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

The verses following this declaration cover the subject of the judgment and destruction of false teachers. The judgment and destruction of false teachers are one and the same. In other words, the judgment of false teachers has already been decided, and the judgment is their destruction.

However, Peter assures us that their destruction has not been idle. This assurance is necessary because it appears to the human eye that their judgment is idle—[Idle means motionless (at rest); doing nothing (inactive)]. If we look back through history, we see many false teachers that have lived long lives, and some of these have had plenty of money. It is just as 2 Peter 3:4 says. People adopt the attitude that says, “Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”

In answer to such thinking, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Peter, gives us four examples of situations where judgment seems to wait. Today, we are going to look at the first of these examples. We are going to consider what Peter says about angels who sinned.

2 Peter 2:4 says:

2 Peter 2:4 (NKJV) For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

First, we will need to consider who we are talking about. Who are these angels? 

Understanding what Peter is saying about these angels will help us figure out who these angels are. First, they were cast down to hell in the past. Second, they are in chains of darkness. And, finally, they are reserved for judgment.

When the Bible says they were “cast down to hell,” it uses the word “Tartarus.” In other places, the Bible uses the word “Hades” to speak of the place where the unrighteous dead await the final judgment. Then, the Bible uses the word “Gehenna” to refer to the lake of fire where death, Hades, and the devil will be thrown after the final judgment. Thus, three different words are translated as “hell.”

Tartarus is a special holding place for angels (demons) who did not stay in their own realm but committed a particular class of sin. Jude references the sin and the holding place of these demons when it says:

Jude 6 (NKJV) And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

Since these demons are in chains of darkness, they cannot function in or disturb our world. As 2 Peter 2:4 says, they are reserved for judgment. They, like all of creation, await the final judgment. At that time, these particular demons will be cast into the lake of fire along with the devil, death, and Hades.

Peter says that these angels sinned and are held, reserved for judgment, nothing more. However, Jude adds to this that these angels (demons) did not keep their proper (own) domain and then says they left their own “abode.”

A domain is a realm, a place that a king or prince has dominion over. An abode is a dwelling place or house. The word for abode that is used in Jude 6 is also used in 2 Corinthians 5:2.

2 Corinthians 5:1–2 (NKJV) ¹For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation [abode] which is from heaven,

These demons did not stay in their own abode. In Corinthians, “abode” is used of the human body. (The root word is “oikos,” which translates as “house.”) Therefore, we can assume that the demons mentioned in Jude did not stay in the body they were created with.

In addition to their abode, Jude 6 says that these demons did not stay in the “proper realm.” The realm spoken of here is the unseen realm where spiritual beings dwell. The spiritual world is the proper realm or domain of spirit beings.

According to Ephesians 6, the spiritual realm has principalities and powers, a hierarchy, of spiritual beings. For example, in the Old Testament, we see these spiritual beings interacting with God. Job 1 says:

Job 1:6 (NKJV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

Looking at this verse, we see beings called “the sons of God,” and these beings are of the same “kind” as Satan. The text says, “…and Satan also came among them.” 

Humans are called sons of God. In Exodus 4:22-23, Israel is called “My son,” and in Matthew 5:9, peacemakers are called “sons of God.” Both angels and people are called sons of God because we are all created by God and bear His image. But, we should not let this confuse us about the identity of these angels. 

Genesis 6 gives us this account:

Genesis 6:4 (NKJV) There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

In this verse, the “sons of God” refer to angelic beings (demons). These are the beings to which both 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 refer. These angels deserted their proper realm and took on a physical form that was not the abode they were created with, and they reproduced with human women. As Genesis 6:4 tells us, this action created the mighty men of old, the giants. The ungodliness of men and this intermixing of spirit beings with humans (hybrids) are given as the reasons God destroyed all life with a flood.

Angels have no chance for redemption. Therefore, these human offspring of angels had no chance of redemption. It was Satan’s purpose to destroy the plan of God, and God allowed Satan this attempt in order to show the extent to which God will to go to keep the redeemed for Himself.

This determination of God is what 2 Peter 2:9 is referring to when it says:

2 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

The flood is proof of this statement. God destroyed all life except Noah and locked up the angels that stepped over the line. With the destruction of all life, the pollution of humanity by unredeemable hybrids was stopped. 

God made these details known to us to teach us what Peter says in 2 Peter 2:9. “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly and to reserve the unjust under punishment.”

This is why I use Jude as the doxology most Sundays.

Jude 24–25 (NKJV) ²⁴Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

These verses make an essential point. Namely, glory, majesty, dominion, and power belong to God. As much as we do not acknowledge this is the extent to which we fall prey to the sin of the devil, which is pride.

In Romans 1, when the Bible tells why God judges men, it says they refuse to acknowledge Him. 

2 Peter 2:10 says that false teachers are presumptuous, driven by lust, despise authority, and run on instinct like brute beasts. This is what refusal to acknowledge God looks like. And, the scriptures use the angels who sinned and the flood to show us the extent to which God will go to keep the righteous for Himself and reserve the ungodly for judgment.

There is a truth inherent in the fact that God is the creator of all things. That truth is:

Romans 11:36 (NKJV) For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Maintaining the truth, avoiding false teachers and salvation start with acknowledging God.

I am not going to ask you if you acknowledge God. What I am going to ask is in what part of your life do you not acknowledge God? Where do I hide that sin that is more valuable to you than God?

If you do not repent of these sins as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you, please realize that you are toying with destruction. 

For the child of God, the one who has called on the name of the Lord, the physical body of the unrepentant will be destroyed. For the one who has not called on the name of the Lord for salvation, your soul is destined to be destroyed. 

Take a moment to pray and ask God to reveal His heart and your heart, to make known to you the way of life.

Sealed, Ephesians 1:13-14

 

Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1 repeats “in Him” several times. Verse 7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood.” Verse 11 says, “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance.” And then, verse 13 starts with, “In Him you also trusted.” All of these references speak of the blessings that God has bestowed upon us in Jesus Christ our Lord. “In Him” means “In Jesus.” 

Let’s read Ephesians 1:13.

Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise

The gospel of our salvation spoken of in this verse is the truth “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3 gives the account of a religious scholar and leader, Nicodemus, coming to Jesus. Nicodemus acknowledged that Jesus was a teacher sent from God. And Jesus cut right to the chase. He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

We must talk about two things in this statement. First, the point of God sending Jesus was that we (humans) could see (enter) the kingdom of God. And second, the whole deal rests on being “born again.” The word translated as “born again” means “born from above” (above, as in heaven). 

Jesus explains to Nicodemus that being “born from above” is as simple as believing in Jesus.

When Ephesians 1:3 says, “…in who also, having believed…” it refers to being “born from above” by believing in Jesus. However, Ephesians 1:3 adds to this truth by explaining that having believed in Jesus, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

To be sealed is to be marked as someone’s property and also signifies the full authority and backing of the owner. This happens when we are “born from above” and is a work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit marks us as God’s property. Romans 8:16 tells us:

Romans 8:16 (NKJV) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Ephesians 1:13 tells us that the “Holy Spirit of promise seals us.” In several places, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. John 16 explains some of that promise.

John 16:7–13 (NKJV) ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

¹²I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

This is a long quote but an important one. It is to our advantage that we have the Holy Spirit and not the physical presence of the Lord that the disciples experience. This is hard to comprehend, but we have the very person (Spirit) of God living in us and teaching us all that we need to know. 1 John 2:27 says we need no one to teach us because we have the Spirit. Acts 1:8 tells us that He is the power of God living within us.

The promise of the Holy Spirit, like the gift of His Son, is an outpouring of the tremendous love and grace of God. Being “born from above” is accomplished by the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within us. However, that is only the beginning. An additional meaning of the gift of the Spirit is explained in Ephesians 1:14.

Ephesians 1:14 (NKJV) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

This verse says that the Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance. In other words, knowing we have the Spirit assures us that we are God’s children, belong to the kingdom of God, and have an eternal home in the heavens.

Just as the Spirit teaches us, empowers us for witness, and testifies to our spirit that we are children of God, He also is given as a deposit or surety on our estate in God’s kingdom (our inheritance).

These are glorious truths and great blessings from God our Father.