Embracing Faith and Spiritual Community
Podcast 82 Blog Post
In today’s fast-paced and secular world, many Christians find it challenging to align their lives with divine intentions. My latest podcast episode, “Embracing Faith and Spiritual Community,” dives into the wisdom of Ephesians 1:15-23, encouraging believers to refocus on spiritual priorities over worldly pursuits. The discussion centers on embracing a life rich in faith and love for fellow believers, recognizing the temporary nature of worldly achievements, and understanding the eternal rewards that come from living in accordance with God’s purpose.
A key aspect of the episode is the exploration of the “body of Christ,” where we emphasize the difference between simply attending church and truly being born again. This distinction is crucial for believers to actively participate in their faith community, utilizing their spiritual gifts for communal growth. The conversation highlights the challenges posed by apostates and societal influences that dilute genuine Christian teachings, urging the church to support both backsliders and baby Christians. By embodying Christ’s teachings, believers can strengthen their spiritual journeys and foster a more profound connection with God.
In the first chapter, I delve into the essence of living God’s way in an ungodly world. Reflecting on Ephesians 1:15-23, the podcast underscores the importance of faith in Jesus and love for fellow believers. Many American Christians have gradually prioritized worldly success over spiritual devotion, a trend that requires a conscious shift in focus. By embracing the spirit of wisdom and revelation, believers can deepen their knowledge of God and align their lives with His calling. This spiritual enlightenment empowers individuals to recognize the temporary nature of earthly achievements and seek eternal rewards in heaven.
The episode continues by discussing the concept of the body of Christ, emphasizing the distinction between churchgoers and those who are truly born again. Active participation within the faith community is vital for discovering and using one’s spiritual gifts. The challenges posed by apostates and worldly values that dilute true Christian teachings are also addressed. The church’s role in supporting both backsliders and baby Christians is crucial for fostering growth and engagement. As we approach the end times, believers are called to embody Christ’s teachings and guide others in their spiritual journeys.
A key takeaway from the episode is the importance of nurturing our spiritual community to gain a deeper understanding and fulfillment in life. By actively participating in the body of Christ, believers can enhance their connection with God’s purpose for them. The conversation challenges listeners to utilize their spiritual gifts within the faith community, overcoming obstacles posed by societal influences. This active engagement is essential for navigating modern challenges with faith and embracing the eternal rewards that come with aligning one’s life with divine intentions.
Ultimately, the episode serves as a call to action for believers to embody Christ’s teachings in their lives. By supporting one another in their spiritual journeys, Christians can strengthen their faith and build a more vibrant spiritual community. The podcast encourages listeners to seek the spirit of wisdom and revelation, allowing them to deepen their understanding of God’s purpose and find eternal rewards over temporary achievements. As we navigate the challenges of a secular world, nurturing fellowship and embodying Christ’s teachings are vital for living a life that aligns with divine intentions.
Podcast 82 Transcription
This is a computer generated transcript of this podcast. This is NOT a typed transcript and it has not been edited. Expect grammatical and syntactical errors.
B.R.Maul: 0:29
Hello and good day to you. You are listening to Living God’s Way in an Ungodly World, and I am BR Maul. Thank you so much for joining me. It’s good to have you here for another teaching in God’s Word. We are currently in the book of Ephesians, we are in chapter 1, and I will be reading verses 15 to 23.
B.R.Maul: 0:55
In verses 13 and 14, Paul reminds us that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit of promise is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption, in other words, when Jesus Christ comes back to redeem us. Have a lot to cover, so I’ll jump right into it. Verse 15, therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers 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 eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Okay, as usual, I will back up and break this down verse by verse. So Paul says. Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints that’s verse 15, 16, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. So, after Paul hears of their faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, we are in a time that this becomes all the more prevalent in a life of a Christian.
B.R.Maul: 3:13
I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but I can speak for much of America in this case, because America Christians here over the decades have fallen for the ways of the world. We have set our eyes upon that which the world promises us Now. I love America. It is a wonderful nation.
B.R.Maul: 3:37
The Lord, without a doubt, blessed the United States in its birth, but over time what happened is even the Christians began to buy into the American dream and the American dream became something far less than a relationship with God as it became more engulfed in the things of this world having success in this world, the things of this world having success in this world. America is a place where that can be done and ultimately, I feel everybody in the world deserves that chance that with one’s own efforts, with sweat and perseverance, that one should be able to feed their family, make for a healthy home, maybe a business, or go on to education for a profession. And even though we’re seeing a lot of this fade away in America, I firmly believe there’s reasons for that beloved, because as Christians, god’s people, over the decades we have become less interested in loving the saints, our brothers and sisters in the faith, and we have become more preoccupied with loving ourself, so much so that we have even taken our eyes off of love of country, taking for granted the blood that has been spilled before us for our freedoms. And with that comes negligence as we focus on our own success, our own comforts, our own retirement, none of which is biblical. Paul says that, after hearing of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints, that he does not cease to give thanks for them, making mention of them in his prayers. The love of the saints, the love of our brothers and sisters in the faith. I am calling on all my brothers and sisters to drop the dreams of this world, whether you’re in America or not, to stop spending the time that God has given you here to do his work for his kingdom, and our rewards will be in heaven. Our rewards will be in eternity. We are to do the work now. Here is not the place, now is not the time to be building stuff up, because that is just in this world, and remember, this world in the end burns. This isn’t the world we’ll be even living in in eternity. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. Verse 17,. Now, that’s lowercase s. That’s not the Holy Spirit.
B.R.Maul: 6:37
This letter is written to the saints, so these are born-again believers. To be a saint is to be a follower of Jesus. To be a follower of Jesus, one must be born again. Not my words, it’s the words of Jesus Christ himself, so the gift of the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. This is talking about knowing him, knowing what God says, knowing what our Lord wants us to do as saints, as his children In my teachings. That’s why I talk much about this, that reading God’s word each and every day is so important, for this very reason. This is how we grow in the knowledge of him, of our Lord, of our God.
B.R.Maul: 7:27
Verse 18, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, To actually have our eyes opened to the truth, to God’s word. As God’s children, as believers, it is important that we, of course, don’t know Jesus by knowledge only, but in our heart I have seen over the years that it is quite easy for someone to be born again, but then stop right there, as if that’s it. Now that you are born again, there’s nothing more to do, just live your life here and wait for death, and that way you can enter eternity. That certainly will happen if you’re born again, even if you do nothing after that. But that isn’t the way it is set up. Here we are being told that we need to know him, and to know him is to follow him and to do what it is he tells us to do to walk in the paths of righteousness, to follow his ways. I’m reading here that understanding kardia can also be translated heart, so this includes intellect, emotions and will.
B.R.Maul: 9:43
The heart is the channel through which God imparts the truth about his son. This is an understanding that unbelievers don’t have. It’s impossible. We must have the Holy Spirit in us to be able to have this understanding, and that is available to you as a born-again believer. The Holy Spirit dwells in you so that you have direct access to this knowledge, to this understanding. With that said, you must access it.
B.R.Maul: 10:14
In Proverbs, we’re told over and over that wisdom is something that you obtain, that you seek, that you look for, and that you will find it. If you seek it and then you make it a part of who you are, it goes into your heart, it goes into your very being, into your very existence. Until you start to talk like Jesus, you start to live like Jesus, like the very God who walked this earth for 33 years Continuing in verse 18, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints I really love in verse 18 when it says we are God’s inheritance. How special is that beloved? Think for just a couple of moments here, the very fact that God, who has created everything, wasn’t satisfied with just the stars and the moon and the sun, just the stars and the moon and the sun, all the beauty that we see on earth itself. He wasn’t satisfied with that. He refers to his saints, his children, as his inheritance. What a privilege, what an honor to be that Now.
B.R.Maul: 11:47
This, by the way, does away with the teachings that everybody is God’s children, because here Paul has been referring to the saints, and the saints are his inheritance. God wants everybody to be in his family. He wills that nobody be in hell. But God has designed love that it must be given to somebody. The love that we have, we get to choose. Do I want to give it, or maybe I should say keep it for myself and love myself and live for myself in this life, or am I going to love God? Am I going to love his son, Jesus Christ, giving my life to him here and now, being a servant of God, knowing that the treasures are in heaven, not here.
B.R.Maul: 12:41
There’s no promise that because you are born again, that you are following God, that you are going to be free from disease, that you’re going to be free from pain and misery? Perhaps loneliness that you’re going to be free from pain and misery? Perhaps loneliness that you’re going to be free from violence, as this world continues to hate Christians more and more? None of that. And since, on this side of eternity, the work needs to be done, there are people out there that still do not know who Jesus is. They don’t know the gospel message, and in the meantime, there have been many who have been deceived by giving false gospels, false doctrine. So we give up our treasure, our time and our talents, here and now, knowing that none of that belongs to us, that these are mere tools that we use to do the will of God. We, the saints, are God’s inheritance. That’s beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
B.R.Maul: 13:44
Verse 20, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Well, there’s quite a bit in those two verses. He raised him. So God, the Father raised him, Jesus, from the dead and seated him, Jesus, at God the Father’s right hand in the heavenly places. Think about this that he didn’t raise Jesus spiritually, he raised him bodily from the dead. He overcame death and so Jesus is seated right now, at this very moment, at the right hand of God the Father, in his physical body. It’s his glorified body because he’s been raised from the dead, but it’s still a physical body. We know that because when Jesus appeared to the apostles after his resurrection, they could touch him, they could hug him, they could touch his wounds, that Jesus decided to keep the holes in his hands and the holes in his feet and the hole in the side where the spear had entered him, and I’m grateful for that because it will be a constant reminder in eternity what he has done for me. But it’s a physical body, so in bodily form, and that physical form is, far above all, principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Interesting thought Right now we are currently in the church age, this is the age that follows the cross, but it’s really interesting, I think, when we’re reminded also in that which is to come, the age which is to come, and then verses 22 and 23,.
B.R.Maul: 15:52
And he put all things under his feet. So God, the Father, put all things under the feet of Christ and gave him to be head. So gave Jesus to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him, who fills all in all. So now, during this time, when we’re still in this church age and we act as his body, the body of Christ. Now, the body of Christ isn’t everybody who attends church. Everybody who attends a church are considered church goers, but everybody who is born again is considered the body of Christ and that’s why we have brothers and sisters around the world Beloved.
B.R.Maul: 16:36
If you’re born again, you are part of a very large family and you have been given spiritual gifts, and those spiritual gifts you are to be using in the body of Christ. That’s why you have been given those gifts and I’ve learned that the way to discover those gifts is to participate in the body of Christ. Do stuff. You’re not going to learn what your gifts are in the body of Christ by just sitting there and reading books all day. You certainly need to read God’s word. But even that, now you know about the spiritual gifts and you know the will of God as you read his word Very important. But then you need to put that knowledge and that wisdom to practice and as you participate in the body of Christ, those gifts will be manifest, they’ll be revealed to you and to others. In fact, going to church and being with brothers and sisters is a great way for others to sometimes see what your gift is before you even know it. So if you’re not sure, if you’re thinking well, I just don’t know what the Lord wants me to do in the body of Christ. We’ll start asking other believers, because often we can see what other people bring to the body of Christ. Now think about that for a while.
B.R.Maul: 18:04
The body of Christ. What does that look like? Well, in part it’s when we gather at a church. That’s one way that can be difficult in days like we live in today, where deception is great. We are living in the day and age, as we get closer and closer to the day, the coming of the Lord, that evil is working overtime, and so there are many who are apostates, who are going to church, who are church goers. They’re not born again. They are not children of God, but they look like children of God. They act pretty close to the children of God, but they don’t have access to the Holy Spirit. But with such an abundance of apostates among those who are the body of Christ, it sometimes is difficult to see what a person is to do. One example that comes to mind, where the body of the church isn’t the same thing as the body of Christ, and the reason for that is because you have people who are apostates, who are not believers, who are not born again but they act like it, that are on the board of eldership, and some of them are leading the way in certain programs going on in the church. And there’s even the pastors themselves who are apostate, who are not born again, who are even reading God’s word and teaching God’s word. A scary thought, but that happens, and these days, unfortunately, it’s happening quite a bit.
B.R.Maul: 19:40
More and more churches are falling to the ways of the world. In order to please the world, to blend into the world Under the cowardice act them saying well, we need to bring people in so these who are sinning will accept them for who they are, for what they’re doing, just the way they are, so we can get them into the walls of the church. Well, in theory that would be nice, but unfortunately it’s not working at all, because that’s where it ends. They do things to entice those who are sinning to come into the church, but then they don’t do anything else about it. So now we have churches that are full of people who are not born again and who are not contributing to the body of Christ. I’ll be speaking more about that in coming weeks because, as we are so close, getting closer and closer to the end time, it is time for Christians, it is time for God’s children, god’s church, not man’s church, but God’s church, the body of Christ, to step up and help those who are apostate and also those fair-weather saints.
B.R.Maul: 20:51
Fair-weather saints are baby Christians, not newly born again. No, not newborn Christians, someone who’s recently has been born again into the family of God, so it’s got nothing to do with age. A newborn Christian can be 60 years old, but a baby Christian is somebody who was born again some time ago and are still where they’re at when they were first born. They’ve made no progress.
B.R.Maul: 21:19
The other fair-weather saint are backsliders, those who may be seasoned Christians but because of perhaps a major event in their life, such as the death of a loved one, a terminal illness, losing their way of life because perhaps losing a job or profession, a business, whatever it might be. It’s different for every backslider, and every Christian, by the way, is capable of backsliding. You don’t lose your salvation I don’t have time to get into that. You do not lose your salvation, beloved, if you are backsliding, but you are missing out on the blessings that your Heavenly Father wants you to have on this side of the grave, because he will not turn his back on you. If you are backsliding, you have turned your back on him.
B.R.Maul: 22:12
But fair-weather saints, they too, in the body of Christ, are the ones who are just not contributing. They’re born again. But as for baby Christians, they don’t know what to do, maybe because of lack of leadership, or they themselves. They were all gung-ho about it and then they didn’t see some major change they wanted, and so they’re just kind of hanging around. But backsliders and baby Christians with love and understanding, with their brothers and sisters in the faith, coming to them and guiding them, offering a hand and, for the baby Christians, a hand to walk them through what it is to be a Christian, getting them to read God’s Word, getting them to participate in small groups, getting them to participate in small groups, getting them to get to the church and to worship the Lord. This stuff isn’t things that we do to get into heaven. No, because as Christians we already understand that it is the blood of Christ that gets us into heaven. But as Christians, we are so thankful for the very fact that Jesus paid our sin debt that we don’t have that price anymore to pay. We are so grateful that we want to serve Jesus, we want to be a participant in the family of God, and so I encourage you this day.
B.R.Maul: 23:31
If you fall into that category of a baby Christian, somebody who was born again years ago, but yet you have not progressed in your walk. You are still, as Paul put it, still taking in just the milk of God’s Word. You are unable to eat and chew the meat of God’s Word. There are deep truths in there that every Christian needs to learn and apply to their life. As baby Christians. It’s time to get away from just. Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Jesus is love, love, love. Yes, he is love. Yes, Jesus loves you so and yes, the Bible does tell you so, but he’s also righteous and he has jobs for you to do, and those jobs mean giving up things of this life. So find yourself some seasoned Christians, those who have been walking with the Lord for some time, who are strong in their faith to walk alongside Proverbs I believe it’s in Proverbs 13,. He who walks with wise men shall be wise, yes, well then, walk with those Christians who are wise, who are deep into God’s word. It is a part of who they are.
B.R.Maul: 24:47
As for backsliders, beloved, if you are backsliding, bless your little heart for whatever hurt it is that you have. But it is time to get over that hurt. It is time to look to your heavenly father, look him in the eyes and actually let him know what it is that is ailing you, that is hurting you so much, and turn back. Walk with him, get back on the path of righteousness, get back on the path where he can bless your comings and goings in life. Leave whatever it is that has pulled you away from your heavenly father. Take the hand of a seasoned Christian, somebody who they themselves are currently. Their walk with the Lord is strong and they have the strength to help carry your burden with you because we are told to do that for one another, and a brother and a sister in the faith who understand this will be quick to help. They’ll want to glorify Jesus Christ by helping a hurting brother or sister.
B.R.Maul: 25:53
And if you don’t know Jesus Christ, if you are not born again, if you are not in the family of God, which means you are not part of the body of Christ but you would like to take this very moment and turn to God, and you do that by praying to him. There’s no magic prayer. It comes from the heart. We are told that with the mouth one confesses the Lord Jesus. So by merely confessing that he is your Lord and by confessing that you are a sinner, that you are broken, and knowing that in your heart, that Jesus lived that perfect life, that he was sinless, that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and claim him as your Savior and Lord, and know in your heart that God, the Father, raised him from the dead and you will be saved. Right now, just ask him and turn from your sin. Admit that you can’t do it on your own because you cannot, and once you have asked him into your heart. Well then, you’re born again and it’s important that you get in touch with brothers and sisters in the faith.
B.R.Maul: 27:05
Open God’s word and read it and don’t stop. Read it every day. You know it was about 20 years ago, now over 20 years. At this point I believe that the Lord convicted me and I have been reading his word ever since. But when I first started reading it was 10, 15 minutes some nights, because some of the stuff I read I didn’t get it. It was hard for me even praying on it. Now I look back and I can admit quite easily it’s because of my own distractions of this world. I had all these television shows I wanted to watch. I had all these other plans of mine of this world that was getting in the way. So at that time I was trying to fit in the walk with the Lord in my life. But hopefully you can save some time by this advice.
B.R.Maul: 27:56
When you are born again, it’s not your life anymore and be thankful for that. That’s a beautiful thing, because then you are redeemed. You will not have to pay that price in all eternity of death, because Jesus paid that price. But it does mean start throwing stuff away in this life. If you don’t have time to read God’s word every day, beloved, that means you got too much of yourself going on. Chuck it, make time. A person doesn’t need near as much money as you think to survive because the Lord will provide Pray to him every day.
B.R.Maul: 28:35
Get together with brothers and sisters in a small group, a small gathering or even one-on-one mentoring. If you are blessed to find a brother or sister in the faith who is willing to mentor you, to spend regular time with you, to walk with you, to help you get through the ins and outs of this life as a Christian, well, take it, take it, take it, take it. Now. I can’t mentor everybody who listens to this program. I sure wish I could. This is the best I can do is teach with this podcast. So I invite you to come back. Lord willing, I’ll be back again next week and I’ll just keep teaching. You’re welcome to get a hold of me on my website, brmaul, that’s B-R-M-A-U-L dot com. Click on contact if you have any questions, things that you’re struggling with or things that you don’t understand in God’s Word, or just something in your walk in life.
B.R.Maul: 29:39
If you don’t have a pastor who is a Bible believing Christian, an adopted son of God, that is well get a hold of me. The Lord has put it on my heart to help all those that I can, in any way that I can, and I’m grateful to do it. Beloved, I care for you. I love you very much, I really do so. Blessings to you and your loved ones. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, beloved, and bring you peace.
And until next time,
God bless.
Songs from Storyblock
“Heroes Inspire Hope” and “Mountainscape” by Humans Win