RESURRECTION BIBLE ©

Copyright © 2017 by Bertie Brits

ISBN 978-0-620-70121-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be re-

produced or transmitted in any form or by any means

without written permission from the author.

Bible translation permission.

THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson

1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by

permission of NavPress. All rights reserved.

Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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Dedication

This work is dedicated to all those that are

passionate about knowing and understanding the

depths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................. 5

Ephesians 1 .............................................................. 6

Ephesians 2 ............................................................ 10

Ephesians 3 ............................................................ 16

Ephesians 4 ............................................................ 21

Ephesians 5 ............................................................ 30

Ephesians 6 ............................................................ 37

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Introduction

his is a paraphrase of the Epistle of Paulto the Ephesians. T

Paraphrase simply means to express themeaning of something written or spoken usingdifferent words, especially to achieve greaterclarity.

This work is written from the perspective ofwhat I believe Paul understood when he wrote theletter to the Ephesians. It is about getting rightinto the mind of Paul, feeling and understandingwith him.

We all speak from an understanding. If I sayAPARTHEID, we all know what I mean for weall are familiar with the concept. If I would speakto a person that does not know anything aboutapartheid I would briefly explain it as Icommunicate with him.

This is what this paraphrase is all about.

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Ephesians One

I am Paul, sent by God according to Hiswill, which I am about to explain toyou. My letter is addressed to the

church. To those that are faith heroes as well asthe others, I make no distinction. What I am aboutto say will be good for all of you.

11:2I just spoke to the Father. His message to

you is the original message that will never change.Father and Son both radiate with willingness toinfluence your life by continual goodness towardsyou. His goodness is expressed in His eternalunion with man in the resurrected Jesus. Perfectharmony, perfect peace.

1:3Let us speak well of God, the Father of theOne that has served us with His life. He hasspoken well of us with the highest and most elo-quent speech that could be found in the heavens,which is Jesus. Jesus is the word about every man.Jesus, all He is and all He possesses, is God’sfinal declaration and eternal message about us.

1:4This extravagant language is not somethingnew we find in God. It has always been His planthat we would be in Him and fully like Him. His

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extravagant love shapes us into co-owners of Hislove and life. His plan has always been that wewould be co-loving, co-sharing and co-experiencing Him eternally as glorified humanbeings.

1:5He set the boundaries wherein we can haverelationship with Him. It is an everything ornothing situation. We will have all He is foreverin immortal bodies like Jesus for free on accountof Him. This is not a new plan but the originalplan that He would never turn from. He will neverpartner with any other way of doing.

1:6It was unacceptable in the eyes of God tosee us under the bondage of death. What wasacceptable was brought into the light in theresurrection of Jesus, giving us freedom from thebondage of sin, living in the hope of theglorification that awaits us in the resurrection. Theway we are now is acceptable to Him. Slavery isunacceptable.

1:7By His doing we have been redeemed fromthe power of sin, called the law of self-preservation. This freedom is not just a theory.We received redemption from the power of sinand death in the death He died when His bloodflowed. Included in the freedom package is themanifestation of our new freedom by the power ofHis Spirit. All this is by His extravagant richinfluence on our hearts on account of Him beinggood to us in Jesus when He raised him from thedead. This influence He has on us in Hisincarnation, death and resurrection is calledGRACE.

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1:8This grace is the liberty unto a new holy lifewhich greatly exceeds the boundaries of ourimagination. This perfect liberation and access toHis quality of life was carefully planned andpowerfully brought forth by Him and Him alone.

1:9He joyously let us in on all He planned ingiving us eternal life, in the hope of immortality(the resurrection from the dead).

1:10This is the plan: “Let it be on earth as it isin heaven.” His plan is to have earth explode withthe glory of Jesus Himself. We are not excludedfrom it; it all started with Him and will also showin us. All death literally gone, eternal life fullyexpressed in all things.

1:11The glory of the Son of God is actually ourinheritance. What belongs to Him is equally ours. Heis God’s view and opinion of us. What happenedto Jesus when He was raised from the grave is ourinheritance.

1:12We inherited God! Those who believedthat His doing is the only way unto life, freelygained His way of living and His endless life. Theend goal is to have a quality of life that cannot butbring forth praises unto God eternally.

1:13We believed in Him after hearing the goodnews of how we have been saved from the tyrannyand bondage of our old husband, death. When weheard the good news of His resurrection that givesus the hope of eternal life in also being re-surrected, everything changed. The moment webelieved that the old has passed away and Hisimmortal life in a human being at the right hand of

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God is the only word about us, our lives explodedinto a Spirit filled life of glory and good fruit.This is what He promised from the beginning.

1:14This Spirit born life of freedom and Godlyfruit is the proof that we have inherited His life, alife that will end up in holy immortality.

1:15-16My communication with God continuallyerupts in praise after I heard of your “loveexplosion” for His people on account of believingand seeing what God sees. Every time I talk toHim I cannot but praise God for His lifemanifesting in you. I am overwhelmed by thegood report of you sharing in His life.

1:17As I pray, I find myself thanking andasking God, (the one who manifests His quality oflife in us by His doing) to cause you to know andunderstand things from the perspective of all thatHe has done for you. I want you to understandwhat He planned for us. By knowing what He hasdone and planned for you, you will discover Himfor who He really is.

1:18As you start to see everything from thefoundation of who God is and what He originallyplanned and achieved in Jesus, you will concludethat God inherited you as much as you inheritedHim. As much as eternal life is His, it is yours. Hewas raised and so will you be. We cannot butexpect the fullness of what Jesus is today tomanifest in our lives.

1:19Every believer of the truth in Christ willdiscover the greatness of the power of God as God

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manifests the life He made available for them, inthem, as they believe.

1:20-21The power that raised Jesus from thedead is the power we talk about. There is noName, neither thing that He does not have the ruleover, be it in this life or the one to come. Whatthis means is that nothing can keep you awayfrom having what He intended for you. He hadalways been, and will remain the final word onyour life.

1:22-23Let me put it this way. He is above allthings and no one has the say over Him. Since youare His body you shall not be shaped by the worldbut the world shall be shaped by Him in you. Asyou are glorified, made immortal by Him, allthings will be co-glorified, made immortal. This isHis will. It is all by His doing.

Ephesians Two

He has the rule over all, be it Jew orGentile. This is proven by Him rulingover the death in you Gentiles by

bringing forth His intended life in you, thewonderful life of His Spirit you now experience.

12:2Just as the Jews, you Gentiles in Ephesus

were completely given over, and in bondage to thecore principle that manifested death in humans.

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This death system is still at work and bringingforth bad fruit in all those that are ignorant and inunbelief of His original plan. Their unbelief in thetruth is the opportunity death gladly uses todestroy them.

2:3We as Jews were not excluded from sin’sdeath-blow. We were as much given over and inbondage to death as you were. The fact that wewere given the law-code did not save us from thisdeath. As a matter of fact, we were worse off. Ourminds and the desires of the flesh were runningwild, manifesting sin and all forms of lust. Jewsand Gentiles were both in the same sinking boatand in need of a life preserver.

2:4God that loses His breath over us, the onethat desires us, never lost vision of who we areand why we were made. Humbly he came andbowed His head in adoration of us in Hiskindness, by setting us free from the sin thatdestroys us. He has set us free and blessed us withone and the same kind of life Jesus was risen into.This you experienced first-hand, seeing the love-fruit you bear; it is His life in you.

2:5Even we as Jews were dead in our sins. Thegood news is that our disobedience to the law didnot render Him powerless. Our lives also co-exploded in a spirit led life of holiness and goodfruit because of His goodness. The kind of life weexperience is exactly the same life as what youexperience, no nation is excluded from His grace.The new life we have today is not because wekept to the law-code. Our hearts were influencedunto the manifestation of it by His goodness

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towards us. This heart influence unto salvation onaccount of His goodness is called grace.

2:6The new life we (Jews as well as Gentiles)are experiencing now is completely different thanthat which we previously possessed. The qualityof life we were raised up into is the proof thatJesus represents Jews as well as Gentiles. Itproves that He is the Messiah of mankind and notjust a certain nation. Jew and gentile are seatedtogether in the heavens, no nation is on a higherlevel than the other, they are seated together. Wehave Christ as our life, we are co-seated in Him,in God. He forever destroyed the insider/outsidermindset that existed between Jew and Gentile bywhat He did.

2:7This life is not only spiritual as you knowvery well. We see God bringing forth His fruit inour lives today. This is through His endless lovein what He has done in Jesus. That is not all; sincewe are in Him we are the display window ofheaven. God has perfectly set us up for endlessgoodness unto the manifestation of endless life.Through the believer all will see how powerfullyrich His influence through goodness unto a newholy and sin free life really is.

2:8I want to say this again and you can testifyof it. The moment you had faith in His goodnessHIS LIFE came forth in you. This new life, as youknow, is because of His love effort and not yourethnicity. The life you now experience is a sheergift, the very salvation from God.

2:9This life is all His, its manifestation is allHis doing, and not your laboring in good works.12

He never asked for a helping hand in setting usfree from sin and death, gifting us with the hopeof resurrection. No man can boast in his flesh.You don’t have this life because you are a gentileneither do we have it because we are Jews andhave the law. We cannot take any glory for theGod filled life that will have its full manifestationin immortality.

2:10We cannot boast in who we are, neither onwhat we have been saved unto. Salvation is Hisplan and doing. Long before time, the trinitylooked at the most exhilarating life they wereliving and said, “Someone needs to share in thislife, it is so good”. That someone is you, the life

He lived before time is prepared for you. He gaveHimself to redeem you from any other life thanHis life. He raised you up into the fruitful life youlive today. That is why there is no room forboasting in Jew/Gentile ethnicity, neither in thegood we do. His life is a gift to us all.

2:11Not too long ago you were still findingyour identity in if you are circumcised or not. Thelaw and the nation that received it (in this case theJews), was the measure you measured yourselfwith. According to this system you were outsidersby the Jewish insiders.

2:12At that time, you were living in theloneliness of ignorance, not having any hope of asavior or inheritance. You had no clue of what thecovenants were about (as clueless as we wereourselves), you were completely left out of theconversation, sitting outside in the cold withouthope of being warmed.

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2:13In Christ Jesus something wonderfulhappened, a universal re-creation took place. Jesusended the insider outsider system forever. Therewould not be insiders neither outsiders. All therewill be is people that have access to the lifeoriginally intended by faith. What brought theseparation between Jew and Gentile is the lawsystem. You are not outsiders; the blood of Jesusended it all and you are now at the place Godwanted us all.

2:14Jesus spells harmony between Jew andGentile. He ended the law-code which was theroot of the separation system we were boundunder.

2:15Jesus fulfilled and eternally ended thatwhich was the greatest separation between peopleknown to man. It is called “the law”. The purposeof ending all of this is so that He could have auniversal recreation of mankind from Jew/Gentileto a new man before Him. This new man would bethe man that enjoys the new platform from whereman communicates with God and has eternal life.This platform is that of the Man, Christ, in whomwe believe.

2:16The reason He ended the law system wassimple; He wanted all people to be reconciledunto Him and His way of doing. In His death isthe place where all people were united. Throughthe law all were sinners, both Jew and Gentile.Since Jesus became sin, all could be united inHim, since all were sinners. When He died we alldied. The only life we have left is the one He wasresurrected into. We are back at the beginning, we

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are at the place where our life can only be inbelieving in, and trusting Him. This is true forboth Jew and Gentile, since by the law we couldsee we were all in the same death boat, Jesuscould then through His death and resurrectionplace us all in the same resurrection by faith boat.

2:17Jesus in person declares peace unto all.God has brought all of us to the place where thereis no more enmity. The enmity was taken out ofthe way in Christ. The separation between nationsas well as the separation between you and the lifeGod wanted for you is over.

2:18Because of Him, Jew and Gentile both have

access to the Father by the Spirit. What this meansis that both have access to His life and the originalplan by the power that raised Jesus from the dead,which we know is the Spirit of God. Idol worship,sacrifices or literal obedience to the law of Mosescan never bring about that which He has plannedfor you.

2:19Gentiles are part of a new kingdom. Youare not outsiders but insiders. You are partakersof the kingdom of His love, where He is winningyour heart over to trust Him to manifest His life inyou, bringing forth your salvation from sin anddeath.

2:20The foundation on which God is buildingHis work in the earth, is the immortal man, JesusChrist. This foundation was made clear by thefirst preachers of the Gospel.

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2:21-22As God lives in you, your lives areshaped into a holy place of thanksgiving andsplendor, His dwelling place.

Ephesians Three

I am not in jail because I harmed anyperson. I am in jail because I declare theNEW MAN, where we know no man

according to his ethnicity or obedience to laws. Itis a life where we know no man according to sinsmanifesting in him. There is more to humans thanflesh and works.

13:2I think you know what I believe by now. I

believe that no person was excluded from whatJesus has done. I boldly declare His influence onmankind.

3:3I did not suck this message out of mythumb. Jesus appeared to me and told me what Iknow and shortly declared to you. What I declaredto you might sound strange and like a fairy-tale tomany, simply because it was not commonknowledge. God knew it all the time and then toldme what was going on.

3:4By reading what I am writing to you, youwill understand my insight into the mystery and Itrust that you will see what I see for yourselves. I

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am not trying to lead the blind, I want you to seewhat I see for yourselves.

3:5The truth was only a mystery to the peopleof old. They knew very little to nothing aboutwhat is being revealed to mankind today. Godgave messengers, apostles and prophets (peoplethat can actually see Christ in the scriptures, takethe prophets of old and explain them fulfilled inJesus) and point Him out as tangible and not farfrom any person, declaring Him and theconclusion of what He accomplished.

3:6Let me say it as it is. The Messiah was themessiah of all people, not just the Jews. Allpeople got the same deal. Here is the deal. Allwere sinners and dying. All (Jew and Gentile)were made partakers of the same body. The bodyof Jesus was made sin and since all are sinners wewere all included in His death. All have thepromise of eternal life now; no person is excluded.All people died in Him and all were made new.Who is this All and what is the new? THE OLDALL (works, Jew/Gentile man). All the peoplethat were standing in the old man where self-preservation and assurance by works, was theplatform from where attempts unto eternal lifewere made constantly. [THE NEW ALL] (Manthat lives by trusting in God). The new man webecame stands in open relationship with God, theplatform from where we can exercise faith in whatHe has done. It is the man that can now have thehope of freedom from sin ending in immortalitybased on the doing of God alone. The man thatcan see and believe that God can manifest the

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fulness of Jesus in him physically. We are a newfaith man, not an old flesh/works man. Let all ofus therefore believe.

3:7The grace-given passion that drives me is tomake all people see the truth. I want every person,Jew and Gentile, to see themselves included inwhat Jesus did for them. No more gentileexclusion! My life’s dream by His grace is to seeeveryone respond to this truth by having faith inwhat Jesus did. By having faith in what Hepromised in His return on account of Hisresurrection.

3:8Even unto me, the man who persecuted theChurch, was given to see and declare all peopleincluded in the Messiah’s work. The riches thatcame by Christ were for all people, and belong toall people. I am empowered by the power of thisnew life to declare this life to the Gentiles.

3:9My passion is to declare every person’sperfect union with the work of the Messiah. I amnot to exclude the Gentiles from the lavish gift ofrighteousness revealed in Jesus, neither will Iexclude the Jews. The original plan which wasfrom the beginning of creation was brought intomanifestation by Jesus. He brought it all into thetangible for us all to experience.

3:10As you believe and are seeing the ma-nifestation of the new life consuming your oldlife, angels and all the heavenly hosts arebeholding the depths of God revealed in you.They are learning as you are living, really living,for the first time.

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3:11This extravagant life you are starting toexperience, and the way by which it comes forthin you, is His plan in action through Jesus. Thisplan is not something new, it has always been Hisidea to Give you His life. He is bringing you tothe manifestation of sons, which is immortality inHis return.

3:12Because of Him, the life we live is a loudand bold declaration of our access to the divinenature of God, the life unto eternal life by Hisresurrection.

3:13Don’t let the persecution I experiencedistract you. I know I am in jail because of themessage I preached, bringing you the life youexperience today. Don’t confuse my experiencewith the hope of the resurrection. Don’t bediscouraged; stand strong and enjoy His life inyou. What would break my heart is if you decideto walk away from the faith on account of mytrouble. There is the hope of the resurrection thatI want to see manifest in you. Stick to trustingwhat Jesus has accomplished, it will end in yourglorification.

3:14-15My prayer is to God, who is not ashamedto call all people His own by making His nameavailable for every person.

3:16The request of my heart is that the deepestpart of your being finds its strength in thegreatness of His goodness. This is experiencedthrough the resurrection power of the Holy Spirittowards you. I want His goodness to persuadeyour heart to the point that everything you believe,and every conclusion you come to, finds its alpha

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and omega in Christ. I pray that your encounterwith Christ would not be a one-time encounterwhere you experience Him and then hide and runfrom the truth because of my persecution in jail.

3:17I want Him and what he has done not onlyto be a visitor to your heart. I want you to giveHim permanent residency because of the greatlove He has shown and constantly exercisestowards you. Don’t be threatened by those thatpersecute me.

3:18I want you to have an excited mind,bearing the knowledge that what He has done isgreat, but there is more. Grab ahold of what he hasdone, grab ahold of the full dimensions of Hislove with the purpose to make use of it, not just tobear knowledge of it. Have a confidentexpectation that this truth has power untomanifestation of life.

3:19Making His love the only reality in yourlife, the fullness of Him in you, will spill over onthe outside, showing forth in your everyday life.This is how you will be filled with the experienceof His fullness, manifesting unto immortality. Hisway of doing is to love you into the victorious lifeHe planned for you from before time.

3:20Unto Him that will bring forth the fruit ofthe Spirit in you today, as well as manifest you asHis sons, immortal human beings in theresurrection, be all the glory.

3:21The glory revealed in the church throughJesus Christ belongs to God forever and ever. Theeternal life that will manifest in the Church, the

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literal making new of all things, will all be onaccount of Him.

Ephesians Four

Although I am in jail, it does not movewhat I believe about Him, in what Hehas done for me or you. Being locked

up in jail does not become the reality of who I amand what He has accomplished in me in Christ.From this stable unmovable platform in Him, Igive my advice. You have been called unto perfectunion with Him, a place where who you are findsits origin in Him and not your ethnicity or works.Let this reality be the foundation of your walk inthis life. Walk according to this truth and nothingelse, expecting the blessed hope of theresurrection.

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4:2This walk I talk about is earmarked byhumbly accepting His view about you and othersas the only truth, standing in full agreement withGod. It is a walk where you made peace with thefact that He made peace with you as well asothers. This will result in a life of leniency andunity between you and all people. It is a life wherethe hope of eternal life, found in the union youhave with God in Christ, ending up in im-mortality, is so stable that not even time orpersecution can move you from your hope in Him.

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4:3Let your life be a life where every thoughtand action is born from the revelation of nodifference between Jew and Gentile, where everyfibre of your being finds life from the Spiritwherein God lives and reasons from. Let thereconciliation made available unto all peopleenjoy centre stage attention in your lives.Passionately guard your hearts against any otherbelief.

4:4There is no other truth to believe in, so don’tbe open for “other truth”. There is only one bodymade available unto salvation for both the Jewand Gentile, which is the resurrected body ofJesus. There is only one force that brings life andthat is the Spirit of God. Forget any otherteaching. The only hope you have is the hope ofthe Spirit of God raising you into immortality.There is only one thing we can expect withconfidence. We can confidently expect the powerof His resurrection bearing fruit in us today. Whatwe can confidently expect in the last day, is thatwe will be manifested as immortal human beings,just like Jesus.

4:5Let me say it this way. There is only onethat has the rule over sin and death. There is onlyone having the power to manifest Gods’ originalplan in you. There is only one that served youwith His life, His name is Jesus; there is no other.Why bother with principles and laws that are oflower ranking unto holiness and eternal life thanHim, and what He brought forth? Nothing and noone has power over death but Him. There is onlyone true faith and that is the faith He has. His faith

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is based on His view of you on account of whatHe has done and what is true in God, why botherwith any other persuasion (faith) than that whichis secure in the heart of God? There I nothingworth your while to become a disciple of, but themessage that all died in Him. The only truebaptism is the one where you are baptized into Hisdeath.

4:6There is only one God, He is the Father ofJesus and above all things. Why bother with falsegods? You are now finished with all that rubbish!He is the Father of Jesus and here is what itimplies: He is the only God that decided to make aman, in this case Jesus, in whom the world isrepresented, to sit at His level. This is the placefrom were immortality became our portion. Fromthere we pray “our” Father, since He is the fatherof Jesus He is ours also and we are in Him. He isthe one that infused his own Spirit into us, bywhich He actuates and governs our thought andlife. He is not just our Father as the one thatbrought us forth, but the Father of the victoriouseternal, immortal life we are starting to experiencenow. This is how He finds His place and settlesdown in you all.

4:7The goodness of God resulting in a newbelief in your heart, demonstrated towards allpeople, will never be outside the boundaries of, “itis an influential gift and it is for free by Him andonly Him…”, leaving no room for human effortsunto life. The gift He gave was the Messiah, thegift He gave was His life. He rewarded mankindwith Himself. What God gave can never be

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defined and understood outside of the work ofChrist, leaving no room for Judaism or Idolworship.

4:8This extraordinary gift is what David wastalking about when he said, “Thou hast ascendedon high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hastreceived gifts for men; yea, it is even available forthe rebellious also, that the LORD God mightdwell among them.” We clearly see that Jesusreceived gifts that He could give mankind and thatwe are His destination. The gifts he received onbehalf of us all enable Him to make us His home.

4:9The one that ascended is the Jesus wepreach, the one that walked amongst us all. Hebecame God in flesh for us all. He incarnated ourdeath stricken lives and blessed us with life by allHe did.

4:10He did more than that. After beingglorified, He blessed heaven with an immortalglorified “God man.” When He sat down at theright hand of God. He blessed heaven and earth;all is now flooded with blessedness as thefoundation from where life can shine forth in thebeliever.

4:11As if blessing us with a seat in the Godheadis not enough, to make sure we have a fullunderstanding of this blessedness, He furtherblessed us by giving us people that are “Godgifted” to help us understand what He has doneand what it concludes. These gifted servants of thechurch are there to serve you as apostles,prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

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4:12The language they speak would beresonating with the inner truth that God has beenspeaking to you from your birth. They are there toget you to understand how one you are with God.They will declare how you have been restored tothe original place in Him, thus making youcomplete with the completion of understandingand full persuasion of the truth. In their hearts,they are bearing the work of how God ministerslife to you by what He did in Jesus. They are thereto serve you with the ministration of re-conciliation, declaring, and reminding you thatyou have been reconciled to Him. This re-conciliation is Him putting an end to the deaththat wanted to destroy you, offering you eternallife. This is the purpose of the gifts He gave,edification unto the hope of immortality, does notmatter what happens.

4:13Their gift and passion is to continue toteach and encourage people to the fullness ofunderstanding of the union there is between Godand man in Jesus. We all need to come to therevelation and full persuasion of oneness. God isnot far from you, neither is any man. Theirpurpose is to get you to see all people as a newkind of man, the kind where life is not found inethnicity, worshiping of idols, or anything you doexcept trusting in Jesus, the Messiah of all people.They are there to help you come to the fullapplication and conclusion of who Christ is andwhat He has done.

4:14The life born from understanding theGospel for what it truly is, is the only stable life.

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The key ingredient of wrong doctrine is divisionand separation, which gives way to reliance andboasting in the flesh that ends up in death. A lifeborn from understanding the dimensions of Hislove for you will not be driven by the next, “get abreakthrough” or, “get blessed quickly” or bydoing this or that scheme. These false teachingsare normally driven by those willing to take therisk of gambling with your life to make them feelgood in the flesh.

4:15When you hear and believe the truth aboutwho you are in your union with God, you will findthat the power of His grace, flowing from Himand what He has done, floods every area of yourlife, causing you to experience the fullness thatflows from Him, expressed in your emotions andactions.

4:16With the truth found in the bond of unity inChrist, as the foundation of our new life, we canreally be good to each other and love each otherthe way God loves us, as well as all people. As wesee this love manifest, we see the churchfunctioning in perfect unity, becoming strongerand stronger in the earth. At the end of the daythe church is edified by the love that is in Christmanifesting in every person in the here and now.This is by knowing and believing the truth andnothing else.

4:17I have said all of this to say the following,confirming and reminding you of what I havementioned to you before. Be careful not to followafter the empty-headed wisdom that the Gentileslove to embrace unto their own destruction.

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4:18-19Walking in any other wisdom is calledwalking in darkness and you will never experienceHim living in you that way. This I call alienationfrom His life where people only bear the fruit oflust in its wildest form instead of the good fruit Hepromises. Darkness blinded their hearts to thepoint that they don’t feel the pain of sin leadingthem unto death. They even start to enjoy thetorture. We don’t ascribe the bad fruit to theperson, for we know that the bad fruit is onaccount of the ignorance or unbelief he lives in,for it is not him sinning but the sin in him.

4:20You have first-hand experience of thisdestructive life that has nothing to do with Christ.You know very well for yourself that Christbrought forth a completely different kind of fruitin you since the day you believed the truth. Thewisdom you trust in, which is Jesus and what Heaccomplished, is the source of the good fruit inyour life.

4:21I would like to instruct you from theplatform where you see all things from theperspective of being in Christ. Where Christ, whatHe has done, and what it concludes, is the logicyou reason from. You have knowledge of thisdon’t you? Yes you do, let me begin.

4:22The first and foremost thing I want you todo is to completely forget the old way of believingconcerning your life and God. That way of lifeleaves you wanting and can never satisfy you.This “wanting” is the platform from where de-struction flows.

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4:23Let Jesus and what he has done, includingall people in His great work be your new thoughtfactory. Let the foundation from where youapproach everything be Jesus and your union withHim. Get separation and the old way of thinkingout of your mind. It is not relevant for it is not trueat all.

4:24Clothe yourself with the good fruit thatonly Christ can bring forth in your life. This ishow. See yourself as a new man, a man that doesnot find life in self-preservation, by works, or byidol worship. See yourself fully united with Godin the Man Jesus, for this is the only platformfrom where you can see His life manifest in you;this is the only way unto a holy life. The new mancomes complete, holy and righteous, with no needto add to the package.

4:25With this in mind, don’t lie to each otherabout who and what you are. I have not lied toyou in all my dealings I had with you when Ideclared you as new on account of Christ. HaveJesus as the only truth about every man. Jew andGentile became all part of a new man. As I haveexplained before, the old has passed and we arenow made new in Him. Forget separation throughknowing people according to the flesh, which isthe “OLD MAN”

4:26Let us apply the new man practically.Should it be that you get angry at a brother, don’tmiss the mark by throwing out the baby with thebathwater in excluding the other from what Christhas done; stick with the truth. Be yourself and seehim for who He really is. Don’t go to bed angry;

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you are a man of peace. Why torture yourself withthinking of another man’s wrongdoing all night?

4:27Don’t give any place in your life to Satan,the one that puts focus on the flesh and humanability as the foundation from where you gatherglory unto life. Don’t give place to the accuseraccusing you that you don’t have enough and thatyou are not good enough.

4:28If you steal for a living I have good newsfor you, the New Man is free from stealing andflooded with generosity, honoring others and whatbelongs to them. Let this truth about you, sinceyou have been made a new kind of man, set youfree to the point that you can enjoy giving toothers, earning your money by working an honestjob.

4:29Let the truth about you in Jesus affect yourmouth to a new kind of speech called the truth, alanguage that has its origin in Christ and what Heconcludes for you as well as all people. Thislanguage will have a divine influence on the heartand manifestation of godly virtues in the lives ofthose that really hear what you say. Don’t speakgrace opposing language, why live in the lie.

4:30The Spirit of God is the heart of God, thelife he made available for you, assuring yourvictory over death in Him. The good fruit Hebrings forth shows you what everything willamount to in the last day; holy resurrection untoimmortality. Don’t do Him wrong by acceptingany other kind of life that does not belong to you.Why go back to Judaism or pagan idol worship

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unto death, if He is your life, that would onlyfrustrate Him since He wants to bless you.

4:31Allow God to remove all bitterness,violence, evil passions, “OLD MAN” living andbelieving, from you. The new life belongs to youin reality and manifestation of His kind of living,not just in theory.

4:32By belief in Jesus you can now be, insteadof do. You can be helpful and be a person thatfeels the pain of others from the foundation thatevery man is separated from his sin in Jesus. Thisis a life where you don’t confuse the person withwhat he has done. Since you are new in Jesus,believe it; that is how you walk in it. Don’tsuppress freedom. Give over to the new life, for itbelongs to you.

Ephesians Five

I would like you to be an imitator ofChrist but not from an outsiderperspective, but birth. All the com-

mands I am about to give should be expressedfrom the birth of beholding the glory of God in theface of the Man, Jesus. Fully associate yourselfwith the truth you behold in the Man Jesus Christ,seated at the right hand of God.

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5:2Christ gave His life in His love for us andthat is what I would like to see manifest in you, Iwant you to walk in love towards others whereyou freely and lovingly give of yourself. Since thelove of God is contagious, the only way you willget to that point is by beholding His love towardsyou as well as all people. Have an open heart tosee it manifest in you also.

5:3Live in the reality of who you really are.Finding your fulfillment in cheap sex and thestrong drive to have wealth is completely out offrequency with the real you. Don’t let the worldlysystem influence your belief about what “blessed”means. This will only be unto the manifestation ofsomething you are not, destroying what Heintended for you.

5:4Let me mention some things that arecontrary to the real you. What I am about tomention manifests in a person forgetting whatkind of man he is. Foolish talking, complaining allday long. Under the belt and degrading jokes. Itleads to breaking down the value of a person, it isa life where what God made beautiful is treated assomething cheap and worthless; it is filthy. Whatis natural and belongs to us is a life flooded withhow much He loves us, exploding into thanks-giving.

5:5It is common knowledge that no person thatabuses his body, living in the filth of sexualimmorality, where you find life is in how muchsex you have, neither a person that loves to berich, finding life in the abundance of hispossessions, really grabbed ahold of what he

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inherited in Christ. They are still living in theworship of “I am what I achieve”. If the god ofego, which forms the foundation of their beliefcannot even free them from the love of money andsexual immorality, how will he be able to raisethem up into immortality? Will it not eventuallyend in eternal death? Yes it will.

5:6Do not be deceived by any person; there isno life in the flesh. God passionately said NO topartnering and giving life to the flesh system. Hisdisassociation with identity by works can beclearly seen in the absence of life in those that arerefusing to put their trust in Him. This unbeliefwill eventually result in being raised untocondemnation, which God wants to save youfrom. Keep away!

5:7If God is not partnering with a system untodeath, why will you want to be partakers of it byallowing its fruit in you? Keep your focus onJesus and who you really are.

5:8You were children of darkness. Everyemotion and action in your life was born from theblindness of your wrong gentile beliefs. Now thatyou are believers in Jesus, don’t frustrate thenatural inclination that rises in you through theSpirit unto a holy life by confusing yourself inpartaking in the life that you were saved from.You have been born from the revelation of Hislight that is now shining in your heart. Allow it toshine in your life by expecting and giving yourselfto the good it prompts you to do from the innerman.

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5:9I would like you to know that the new life ismore than a theory. It possesses the power toactually manifest in you. This is what you can andshould expect. The fruit of your new life ismanifested as a life flooded with goodnesstowards yourself and others. It is a life where youexperience His life, flooded with love, neverlosing focus of Jesus as the truth of who youreally are; this is what pleases God.

5:10Since His life belongs to you. Your life isnow the display window of His heavenly powerunto a new life in human flesh.

5:11-12Don’t have the old system fornicate withyour belief unto the manifestation of evil works.Make your body available for the manifestation ofHis life. In so doing you show forth what lifereally is. Why would you want to make what isholy (you are holy), available for that which is sobad that one cannot even mention it in public?

5:13Everything that destroys and kills isbrought to an end by the manifestation of Jesus inyou. The new life manifesting in you is the light-life that God brings forth by His power. Any otherform of life outside of His life is dim incomparison. As a matter of fact, it is exposed asdarkness by the brightness of His life in you. Thelight of Christ is what brings life.

5:14God had a new life in mind for us. That iswhy it is written, “get out of the dark room whereyou sleep all day in the ignorance of who andwhat you truly are.” Christ is the light, revealingyour origin and purpose. See it, believe it andlive!

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5:15Walking outside of that which is revealedin Jesus, making yourself a slave of legalism andidol worship, would be defined as absolutefoolishness in the light that reveals the truth aboutGod and you. See that you walk in the revelationof the truth and not in that which is now declaredas darkness. (It is unbelievable to think that weonce thought Idol worship and Judaism as weknew it, was a bright revelation unto life comingstraight from God)

5:16Let us not give one second to the effortsevery day presents which is unto saving ourselves,neither to the secret wisdom on account ofpleasing an angry God. Those efforts and wisdomare declared as absolute foolishness in the light ofthe true life revealed in Jesus.

5:17Live in Jesus who is the wisdom of God.Why present your own wisdom if God has madeHis available to you? You know His will revealedin the man Jesus seated at the right hand of Godvery well. What belongs to Jesus is yours and it isthe will of the Father to manifest the fullness ofthe life He possesses in you. Stick to His wisdom;it is the only truth and bears eternal life.

5:18-19Don’t get drunk on wine, it will lead youto a place where you are not experiencing thefullness of what He has for you. Let your mind beflooded with the ministration of the Spirit to thepoint that you catch yourself talking to yourself,reciting the Psalms that declare what He has donefor you, flowing over into worship that comesfrom a heart flooded by revelation of your unionwith Him.

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5:20Understanding the dimensions of His lovecauses happiness that brings forth praise in allthings, so let it flow. Don’t settle for anything lessthan what He planned for you. If what you see inHim does not cause praise in your heart, you needto look deeper into His goodness; look until praiseflows out of you in abundance. Let praises flowfrom the revelation of what His name spells. Hisname spells forgiveness, innocence and eternallife.

5:21From this foundation have respect for eachother on account of God’s great acknowledgmentof His love for mankind.

5:22From the foundation of His respect for us,we give advice. This kind of advice would be easyto follow since it is common design language forthose that can see who and what they are onaccount of Christ. Let us start with the women. Asyou are not submitted to other gods but submittedto Christ, be submitted to your own husband andnot the husband of another. Don’t let another manbe “the man” in your life.

5:23The husband provides leadership to hiswife the way Christ does to his church, not byruling over her but by making her see her beautyand true value.

*5:24Just as the church submits to Christ as Heexercises such a high quality of leadership, wivesshould likewise submit to their husbands.

*5:25Husbands, go all out in your love for yourwives, exactly as Christ did for the church - a lovemarked by giving, not getting.

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*5:26Christ's love makes the church whole. Hiswords evoke her beauty. Everything He does andsays is designed to bring the best out of her,

*5:27dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiantwith holiness.

*5:28And that is how husbands ought to lovetheir wives. They're really doing themselves afavor - since they're already "one" in marriage.

*5:29No one abuses his own body, does he? No,he feeds and pampers it. That's how Christ treatsus, the church,

5:30since we are part of His body.5:31It is on account of this powerful principle

of unity that a man shall leave his parents andcleave unto his wife.

5:32There is much that can still be said aboutmarriage that points to our relationship with Godin Christ. The unity, closeness and intimacy ismind blowing.

5:33What I am getting at is the following. Letevery husband and every wife find the power for ahealthy marriage from the revelation of theirunion with God in Jesus. It is especially simple todo in the area of marriage since it is the closestthing we have to resembling and being a perfectshadow of the real truth.

* verses 24-29 taken from THE MESSAGE ©

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Ephesians Six

It is holy, equitable and simply the rightthing for children to give attention andmake use of the instruction and

guidance parents leading you in Jesus gives.16:2Have the highest value for your Father and

Mother as they point you to the grace andgoodness of Jesus. Obeying your parents as theyinstruct you unto Jesus as the merciful savior waseven recorded in the Law of Moses. It is notsomething I am just sucking out of my thumb tokeep the house tidy.

6:3Obeying the instruction of your parents inthe Lord will cause your life to flourish with thepower of the kingdom of God. Your life willresult in more than just a long life; it will result inimmortality in the return of Jesus. His life willmanifest and bring forth the real you.

6:4Fathers, don’t be weak and lazy in thethings of the Lord. You don’t want to lead yourchildren, which I have just commanded, to obeyyou into the destruction that is part of a lifewithout faith in Christ. Realize the power of yourinfluence on them and teach them what the lifeJesus has for them really is all about. The only

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true education is to be educated in what Jesus hasdone for you, sharing in his life, and receiving Hisgrace. That is what your children really need.

6:5Servants and slaves, obey your mastersfrom the strength the revelation of Christ brings toyou.

6:6His life in you is the real deal where yourrevelation of what God did for all will bring amaturity to what you do in the workplace. Yourmaster will see that you are not just working formoney but that there is a real depth to you andwhat you do.

6:7The power that is between you and the LordJesus will show in your work.

6:8What you do will be born from therevelation that Jesus also loves your master anddied for Him. The master will not be the onedefining who you are, neither will your incomebe. As you work from this kingdom mindsethaving true respect for all, you have tapped intosomething that is much greater than just workingfor the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.You will work in the reality that God is the onethat will see you through, that He is your trueprovider.

6:9Whatever I have just said to the servants Ialso say to the masters and I add even a bit more.Don’t threaten your people, don’t drive them withfear. Look at your master in heaven; He neverthreatens you. The kingdom of God is not foundedin an atmosphere of fear neither does He tap thelast bit of strength from you for His own good. Is

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it not that He came and served you with His life?Remember that in the eyes of God you are notbetter because you are a business owner, althoughit is the take this world has. Let the servants seethat you are flooded with the life God served youwith, respecting the servant as your equal beforeGod. Remember that all people are the same.

6:10Let me wrap this up. I don’t want you tobe weak in the knowledge, neither in experienceon what Jesus has done. Be strong in therevelation of Him ruling over sin and death. Bestrong in the revelation of His power unto a newlife that includes you through the resurrection ofJesus.

6:11There is an accuser out there that wouldwant to harm you with guilt and condemnation,dumping you into the pit of hopelessness untodeath. Take up what Jesus has provided for youand be clothed in it. The revelation of what Hehas done will act as powerful armor, protectingyou against the accuser’s attack of guilt and self-preservation by works.

6:12Please note that we are not involved in aphysical war here. The war is on our belief andthe foundation from where we understand allthings. The logic of this world, the thoughts andbeliefs that have been driving this world for a longtime are what we are up against.

6:13Be clothed in the protection provided byJesus giving you eternal life as a gift. Whatprotects you against death is what God providedin Jesus. Let me go through it step by step as Iexplain to you what He has done and how it

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protects you in this life unto the eternal life Hepromised.

6:14This is what will keep you bearing fruiteffortlessly. Continually seeing Jesus as the truthabout you. Protect your heart by believing Healways sees you in the light of your innocence inJesus.

6:15What takes the sting out of life, the pain outof walking in this world, is being flooded with themessage of the good news, the news that He wasraised. The message declaring our victory in Hisvictory prepares you against anything that this lifecan throw at you.

6:16Everything in your life is safe behind theprotection that is provided in a heart that is at restin the integrity of God revealed in Jesus when Heraised Him from the dead. A life at rest in whatJesus has promised is not moved by theaccusations the accuser will bring your way.

6:17Let your mind always dwell on the fact thatHe promised you a holy life, a life where He savesyou from sin and death. Remember it is not yourwork but His work to save you. Let your minddwell on the fact that He is the savior and you arethe one He saves. Think of His power that raisedJesus from the dead, promising you eternal life.

6:18As you stand in all I have mentioned, makesure that you pray to God from the perspectivethat all things are subject to the power of HisSpirit that raised Jesus from the dead. Pray for allthe brethren in the power that comes from the

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Spirit of God; in the revelation of the resurrectionwe await.

6:19Pray for me also. My desire is to speak inboldness and clarity. I want more opportunities todeclare the conclusion the good news of Hisresurrection leads to.

6:20This is what I want you to pray for. Thisbold clear preaching got me into jail and I wantthe strength to continue to preach as I always did,even if it is from the jail.

6:21-22Tychicus, a man who keeps to the goodnews that Jesus was raised from the dead, is withme now. He will come to you and answer all thequestions you have about me. The good news hecarries will comfort your hearts; he is truly stuckon the true Gospel and he will bless you all.

6:23I have to greet you now. The harmoniouslife where your life is entangled with the life ofGod that springs forth from seeing and believinghow He loves you, be with you continually.

6:24The power that brings forth the life Godpromised, eternal life, manifests in all that lovesand embraces what God did in Jesus. This poweris with you. Amen

(to the Ephesians, written in Rome byTychicus)

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