How Can We Experience the Fullness of God? Ephesians 3:14–19, Part 3

Look at the Book
Teacher: John Piper

[wandalester]

I experienced this in 1985, l had so much hate in my heart, l didn't see colour and didn't know it. I was saved in 1974, but didn't go the a church building or read the Bible until that Sunday night in 1985. I got down on my knees and ask God if He was real, could He take the hate and Skincrawling feeling l had for my father and men and myself away. It wasn't until the next morning that when I opened the door to go outside, that my breath was taken away, l saw the most beautiful blue sky and the most beautiful green trees. I thought to myself, how long was it that l didn't see colour. I don't know. I have been reading His Words everyday since.

[reneeoceankim]

I love and appreciate "look at the book" series so much. Thank you so much Pastor John and team!

[bsideadventures]

Thank you sir for all your work in the gospel and helping lead us to Christ

[Richie]

St. Paul taught of Christ dwelling in the heart through faith.

[intercessorz]

I think Oswald Chamber’s idea is slightly different:-

“The New Testament teaching about regeneration is that when a person is hit by his own sense of need, God will put the Holy Spirit _into his spirit_, and his personal spirit will be _energised(strengthened) by the Spirit of the Son of God_— ‘… __*_UNTIL Christ is formed in you_* ‘(Galatians 4:19) The moral miracle of redemption is that God can put a new nature into me through which I can live a totally new life!” ( _Utmost of the Highest_, October 6th)

Honestly, I don’t know _how regeneration_ can take place except by grace through faith in Lord Jesus Christ.

After reading Ephesians’ relevant verses again, I think that Paul’s teaching is very consistent. Here’s Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, “For this reason, I kneel before the Father…I pray that out of His glorious riches, that He may _strengthen you with power_ through _His Spirit in your inner being_, _*SO THAT Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith*_.” (Ephesians 3:14-17 NIV)

It requires supernatural strength from the HS so that we have the “mountain moving faith” ( to denial our old self) in order to totally surrender our throne to Christ and let Him reigns in our lives!

That’s why, I have been fervently praying the above prayer for our families. And, we must make every effort to _wait upon the Lord_ as regeneration can only take place at His grace and in His timing. “For those who _wait upon the Lord_, __*_their strength will be renewed_* .They will soar and mount up with wings like eagles…They will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Prayerfully and hopefully, this regeneration can take place for the whole Body of Christ at large also🙏

Praise be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! Amen

[imprezars]

Reread Philippians 4 13 in the greek. It mirrors this passage. It never says "through Christ"...I think as the books of the apostles help answer each other and fill in details, I believe comparing these will too.

[TheCannonofMohammed]

Piper says he’d like to cheerfully tell his neighbor he’s at odds with abortion and arrogance hence he could not vote for Biden or Trump (although he was baffled that anyone could think abortion was worse than arrogance). What if his neighbor was an unborn child? What if the child was going to be aborted? Wonder if Piper’s cheerful salutation would be well received or reviled? If the child could speak, would it say “I’m thankful you are at odds, but your sentiments ring hollow. What are you going to NOW”? What Piper fails to grasp is both the severity and finality of abortion. To equate abortion and arrogance as similar sins is absurd. Everybody displays arrogance in one form or another. Is there some gage or meter that would indicate if the amount therein was so horrible it would be deadly? On the other hand, abortion IS deadly. There are no gradations of abortion. No one goes in for a little bit of abortion. Abortion leads to death. Real, immediate death. Does Piper grasp the finality of death? One wonders if it were pastors being led to slaughter if he’d feel differently. What if the end of a day’s work for an abortionist was a vat of severed legs, arms, crushed skulls, sliced bowels and bruised brains from woke evangelical pastors? Piper, can you see a difference now?

[briendoyle]

The Bible 'book' = a compendium of fire side tales and fables,

recounted orally
for generations by goat herders and primitive tribes from the stone age,
until writing was invented,

and then, many different sources, transliterations, and versions were copied and written down..

The Bible was created during a time where stories were verbally passed down over hundreds of years.
Stories constantly morphed and changed over time, and the Bible is a collection of these.

This is why it has the nearly identical flood fable story from Gilgamesh,
and why this mythical Jesus has the same characteristics as Dionysus, Osiris, Horus, Mithra, and Krishna.

The contradictions and immorality in the stories are not evidence that God is flawed or evil,
but rather that humans invented him,
just like the thousands of other gods that we used to, but no longer believe in.

..and to answer the questions of the many fears and mysteries of our universe, like 'thunder' and earthquakes,
since there was no science yet.

That was the old Testament!