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Body-Builders |
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Issue 4 from |
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In this issue · God’s Purpose and Ephesians 1 · Feedback For new subscribers: · Introducing “Artios Ministries” |
Welcome to Body-Builders! This is a new series of
teaching articles intended to bless and build the Body of Christ. I trust you enjoy this
fourth issue, and I welcome your feedback. Every blessing, George Alexander For Artios Ministries |
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God’s Purpose and Ephesians 1 |
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Here is the text of Ephesians chapter 1 (NIV) with
words that indicate God’s purpose highlighted. (The highlighting is inevitably a little subjective.) See how purposeful God is here! Then read this month’s article. 1Paul, an apostle of Christ
Jesus by the will of God, To the
saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace and peace
to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the
world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure
and will—6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he
has freely given us in the One he
loves. 7In him we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
riches of God's grace 8that he lavished
on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9And he made known
to us the mystery of his will according
to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have
reached their fulfilment—to bring all
things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 11In him we were also
chosen, having been predestined according to the plan
of him who works out everything in
conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in
order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for
the praise of his glory. 13And
you also were included in Christ when
you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed,
you were marked in him with a seal,
the promised Holy Spirit, 14who
is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who
are God's possession—to the praise of his glory. 15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way. |
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THE PURPOSE OF GOD |
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What’s the point?
What’s the focus? What’s my
purpose? Why am I saved? What am I supposed to do? It says in Acts 13:36 “For when David had
served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried
with his fathers and his body decayed.”
David served God’s purpose in his generation. This is a good epitaph and therefore a
good goal. We can say, “Yes, I want
to serve the purpose of God in my generation!” But what is it? Some want to start with “What is God’s purpose for
me?” But we must have a
context in which to find and fulfil our purpose. Just as we should not interpret a verse of Scripture in the
light of itself but rather in the light of the whole Bible, so we should not
seek to understand the purpose of a given individual (i.e. me) in isolation, but
in the light of the whole. The context for your purpose in God is the
purpose of the Church. And the
context for the Church is God’s overall purpose. So we have to start with God. Although it may come as a shock to many
Christians, God is actually up to something! God has a purpose
Reading over Ephesians 1 leaves us in no doubt that God
has a purpose. And beyond that, we
can immediately say four things.
First, God’s purpose is set.
He’s not just making His mind up from day to day. He’s not responding to events and seasons
and the latest bright ideas. His
plans are not boredom-related.
Secondly, God’s purpose is unchanging (see Heb 6:17). Thirdly, God’s purpose is eternal. Ephesians 3:11 speaks of “his eternal
purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We are called in the gospel into God’s
eternal purpose! Fourthly, God makes
everything fit His purpose. “In
him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” Eph 1:11. God’s purpose is in Christ His purpose is completely centred in Christ (see Eph
1:9; 2:15; 3:11). But what is God’s ultimate purpose? Read and ponder Ephesians 1:9,10: And he made known to us
the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in
Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their
fulfilment—to bring all things in heaven and on
earth together under one head, even Christ. In the Amplified Bible: Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of
His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good
pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set
forth in Him, [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of
the ages to unify all things and head them up and
consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. God’s purpose is to bring all things in heaven and
on earth together under one Head, even Christ. His purpose includes restoration from fallenness,
but it’s not to restore us to the Garden before the Fall. His purpose was always from the beginning in
Christ. To use the common phrase,
God wants to restore us not to original condition, but to original intention. The potter makes several pots, and puts these
rough pots on the window ledge to dry.
Then he builds a display cabinet.
After that, he glazes and fires the pots. His intention is to place the finished pots in the display
cabinet. That was always his
intention from the beginning. But we
think, “We’ve got to get these pots back on the window ledge!” We think original condition was original
intention. God’s purpose in restoration is not to take you back
to Eden, but into Christ. God is working out His purpose
He’s about the work of bringing together all
things in heaven and on earth under one Head, even Christ. It’s not that we’re all hanging
around right now, and one day in the future Jesus will come again and we all
take over! In one sense, it’s already
been done. In another sense
it’s being worked out right now. So what is it?
What’s the plan? God’s plan is to call a people to whom are
given revelation and assignment; to make obedience possible
in that people; to model His intended end-result in microcosm in that
people and through that people; to reach out to others through that
people, and add them by response to that people; and finally to call
the whole thing to accountability. Now the plan is in operation in and through the Church.
And Ephesians 1:10 will be fulfilled—“all
things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” God includes us in His purpose We’re not just involved in a general way, but we
are specifically and individually included—“And you also were included in
Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” We’re enabled by grace through faith to
take our place on the central highway of history. In responding to the gospel, we’ve responded to God’s eternal
purpose! Roy Hicks Jnr., in discussing God’s eternal
purpose, wrote: Why should this make me happy? Because He will get where He is going. No heresy, no passing fancy of the church, no personal agenda will alter His course. And He has decided to include me. What is true of Him in His unswervable purpose in the larger sense is also true of Him in the personal sense. My heresy, my passing fancy, my personal agenda will not alter His course in including me in His divine purpose. If God’s eternal purpose is to bring all things in
heaven and on earth together under one Head, even Christ, what’s our
part? The answer is three-fold: 1.
To be under the Head ourselves 2.
To be together as a people under one Head 3.
To seek to promote the Lordship of Christ, the Kingdom of God, the
Headship of Jesus so that more and more people—and more and more of people—would
be brought together under the Head. That’s what we’re about, that’s what the Church is
about, and that’s why we’re here. Next issue, we’ll continue this theme of “Living
to Purpose”, and look specifically at the purpose of the Church. George Alexander February 2004 Note: All Bible
quotations are NIV unless otherwise stated. |
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There’s exciting news in this issue of the new Artios School of Theology, which is
soon to begin. Brochures are
available on request. We’re continuing to refine the method of writing and distributing. I hope by the next issue to be sending the
Body-Builders out in a slightly different way, and that should help the
e-mails get through, as well as making subscribing and unsubscribing more
straightforward. If you have difficulty opening these e-mails or if the text looks weird
and you suspect it’s not showing as it was intended to, please let me know
and I’ll try to solve the problem. This issue, I’m beginning a short series of articles on “Living to
Purpose”, which I trust will build one on another. All feedback appreciated. I continue to receive more requests to subscribe to Body-Builders. If you have received this e-mail
second-hand and would like to be subscribed, please click here and then click “send”. More news and developments soon …. Return to top
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Artios School of Theology |
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This is a modular course
leading to a Diploma in Theology from Artios Ministries. The course is based on one evening a week
and should take three years to complete.
There are 20 modules and each module is 20 hours of classroom teaching
or its deemed equivalent. Fifteen of
the modules will be “taught”, the other five being selected from a list of
“supervised” modules tailored to the individual concerned. There will be three subject divisions,
namely Bible, Theology and Practical Ministry. Modules can also be taken individually. The sessions will be held in Dunfermline,
beginning on April 19th 2004 with a module entitled “Old Testament
Survey”. At present, the course
cannot be offered by extension (distance learning), but it is hoped to make
this available in the future. For a brochure to be
e-mailed (.pdf format), please click here. For a
brochure to be mailed conventionally, please click here. (For
the conventional mailing, don’t forget to include your address!) |
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Introducing Artios Ministries
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Artios
Ministries is a new ministry launched officially in October 2003. The
Founder and Director is George Alexander. For 12 years, George pastored
Liberty Church in Dunfermline, Scotland, before being released in 1997 to a
wider teaching ministry. The
aims of Artios Ministries are:
Artios
Ministries is a charitable trust recognised in Scotland as Scottish Charity
number SC 034194. |
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“Artios” is
a Greek word occurring in the New Testament. It means, “complete,
fitted, completely qualified, with all its needed parts”. It
occurs, together with another word derived from it, in 2 Timothy
3:16,17 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for
every good work.” RSV |
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Contact Information |
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Difficulties or
Comments? Just click here and let us know. |
Artios Ministries 13 Whinhill Dunfermline Fife KY11 4YZ U.K. |
01383-739537 (+44-1383-739537) |
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