<TITLE>18. Par 178-186</TITLE>L-178   Now we see His mystery He had hid in His mind before the foundation of the world. Now would you just like to read a little of this? Let's just read it. Have you got plenty of time? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] We'll--we'll read it. Now let's just all turn, just for one reading, anyhow, to the Book of Ephesians, and let's begin at the--the 1st chapter of the Ephesians, to read. And now as the Sunday school lesson goes on now, in this threefold manifestation of Christ, let's read.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,...

L-179 Now watch, it's not addressed to the world, but:
... to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

L-180   How do you get into Christ Jesus? By joining church? [Congregation says, "No."--Ed.] By a Birth! "By one Spirit," First Corinthians 12, "we are all baptized into one Body." See?

L-181 All right, that's the ones he's talking to. That ain't addressed to the outside world. We can't talk to the sinner on this, 'cause he knows nothing about it. Paul didn't address it to no sinners. He said, "This is to that--that--that Group there that's in Christ Jesus."
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings (whereabouts?) in heavenly places in Christ:

L-182 "Heavenly places." Oh, how I wish I had time! Here I've got it marked right here in my Bible, about Heavenly places, what is Heavenly places. Heavenly places, just for a moment, is "the believer's position in Christ," see, "where the believer stands in Christ," in Heavenly places.
According as he has chosen us... (listen close)... chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,...

L-183 When did He choose us? "Before the foundation of the world," when His great hidden mystery, His great secret.
... He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in (what?) love:
Having (what?) predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

L-184   "Predestinated!" There's the mystery. He, before Christ or anything else was ever on earth, you see His great mystery, that He chose the Bride. Knowing Eve would fall, from disbelieving the Word, knowing that she would fall; but He would choose a Bride that would not fall, that would hold to that Word regardless of what all the rest of the world had to say about It. They would hold to that Word! They are predestinated to stand there, "the adoption of children by Jesus Christ," predestinated the Church to that great, glorious stand!

L-185   Now you see His secret? What to? To restore fallen Eve, as she was a prefigure of the Church. And now notice, as God opened up the side of Adam and took out Eve, by his own flesh and blood; and divided his spirit from masculine and feminish, to feminish, and put it in Eve. Took the rib from under his side, and made Eve out of it; so God did the same thing, taking out of the side of Christ, the Blood and the water. And Christ is the Word, and taking the Word and making up His Church, Eve; see, back to Himself again, redeemed by the Blood that was come from His Body. You see it now? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

L-186 God's great mystery now being unfolded, that's been hid since the foundation of the world, but prefigured it all the way down through. Now watch, we find that, that He--that He did that. And here in Ephesians, and many other places, but that will give you enough to... Now, down through the ages, He has been slowly unfolding this mystery. Can you see now? Now, down through the...


<A HREF="P19">Next Page</A>