I Heard “It is an Emptying of The Old” – By Jahfas Victor Ahua

Royal Life
Daily Devotional & Prophecy
December 28, 2020.

Discovering Christ in Ephesians

We saw in our last discussion, that we are citizens of a different kingdom, even the kingdom of Christ, saints whose spirits are perfected forever.

Then the apostle continues;

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, Ephesians 3:1

“For this cause” for the cause of the Gospel, that the Gentiles should receive the revelation of the truths he has been shared, right from the beginning of this book. That the Gentiles should receive the divine revelation of the will of God for them, Paul voluntarily became “the prisoner of Jesus Christ” for the Gentiles.

This is worthy of emulation. You see, I am for all the blessings the Son of God has brought to us through his death, burial and resurrection. But I do not believe Christianity is just religion of comfort at this side of life.

When we truly love the brethren, it is seen in our letting go of our comforts, a letting go of our freedom for the sake of others. We desire that others also receive the salvation that we already found in Christ, and as such, even if its means we becoming poor, homeless, becoming prisoners, laying down our lives even to death for the sake of the Gospel, it is well pleasing to God, for this is his will for all Christians;

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.1 John 3:16

Without a Paul letting go of all his comforts for the sake of the brethren, you and I would not be celebrating deep revelations of grace today. May the Lord help us to become living sacrifices for his kingdom’s sake.

Then we hear the apostle continue;

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: Ephesians 3:2

Observe this statement carefully “the dispensation of the grace of God”

The word used above for dispensation is from the Greek word oikonomia, which means an administration or an economy.

O’ that you may see this, we are under a new administration. We are under a new economy. We are under a new divine government called the dispensation of the grace of God.

The administration of the law has been abolished, as we saw in our last discussion. God has brought in a new economy, even the economy of the grace of God. The economy of the underserved, unmerited and unearned favour of God upon the ungodly.

To be under this government and to go seeking to live under the administration of the law is spiritual adultery, caused by spiritual dyslexia; an abnormal spiritual condition where we read things upside down.

You see, Paul says this administration was given to him towards the Gentiles. Before this administration came into play, we were aliens in the commonwealth of Israel, a people without hope, and without God in the world.

The only reason we are ingrafted today in the covenant blessing, is because of this new dispensation. Under the old, under the law , there was a partition between us and the Jew, and even with God. That administration was totally against us, we were viewed as a profane people. A totally unclean people.

O’ may we be grateful for the grace of God we have realised in Christ Jesus. So, this dispensation was committed to Paul towards the Gentiles,

The we hear him continue;

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Ephesians 3:3

The preaching of the grace of God is the revelation of the mystery of the love of God.

O’ it is a mystery which is why natural minds cannot comprehend the overwhelming love of the father.

Paul says “by revelation he made known unto me the mystery;” It must come to you by revelation, for it is hidden, a divine mystery. If you do not fully comprehend this mystery, you will always be thinking its a license to sin.

Then we hear “as I wrote afore in few words.” But why did he write to them?

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Ephesians 3:4

Observe carefully this statement “understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ”

Paul personalises his revelation in the mystery of Christ and calls it “my knowledge” Paul had his revelation of Christ, even as the other apostles. At a point Peter had to consent to the fact that, Paul’s revelations of The mystery of Christ were somehow hard to be understood. (2 Peter 3:15 – 18)

It does not matter what people say about Christ, what is your knowledge of him?

This is all we need; to have a personal revelation of the saviour, where we are no longer tossed to and fro by the doctrines of men.

When you read this letters that I write, you get into my knowledge of Christ. It may not be the familiar knowledge of what you hear in your local Church, but if you follow keenly, sooner or later, you will be filled with my personal knowledge of the mystery of Christ.

Desire to have your own revelation of Christ. Know him personally and intimately.

Then we hear the apostle continue on this mystery of Christ;

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; Ephesians 3:5

Today, the mystery of Christ is demystified to the sons of men. The apostles and the prophets being the first custodians of these oracles.

It was hid to men of old, they could not fully comprehend how a virgin will give birth. How the law which was right and holy in their eyes be abolished. How a God to whom the sinner is an abomination unto him will turn around and unconditionally love the ungodly. How God will come down to take his abode in his mortal bodies of men.

All these were mysteries to the old covenant saints. Why? Because it was not for them. They were under a different economy, even the old dispensation of the law. The prophets prophesied of the grace that was to come to us, and not to them at that time;

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.1 Peter 1:10-12

Observe the statement “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things,”

The grace of God was revealed to the old testament saints, but it was not “unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things”

This is why you don’t have to compare your walk with God with the old covenant saints. Grace was not for them, Jesus brought in grace and truth. Because God judged so and so by fire and brimstones doesn’t mean you will be judged thus, You are under a new economy, an era of God’s unmerited favour.

We are in the times of the revelation of the mystery of God’s grace. Today, we have been ingrafted into a new covenant, even the covenant of grace. This is what God committed to Paul for the Gentiles;

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Ephesians 3:6

Today we are “fellowheirs” not slaves, not those that work to earn. An heir just receives an inheritance. We are recipients of the promises of God.

We are of the same body; Today, the Jew and Gentile are of the body of Christ, no partition between us, no special people before God.

And today , we are partakers of the promises of God in Christ, not partakers of the wrath of God but the promises of the father in the one he loves, even Christ.

Concession:

Father I thank you for bringing me forth at such a time as this. I am born a generation of Christ. A child of grace. Born under the dispensation of the grace of God.

Thank you making me a partaker of your everlasting covenant. A covenant of promise, ordered in all things.

In my health, your promise of life is manifesting for me, I have the health of God. In my finances, you have ordered your covenant and your promise of prosperity is manifesting for me. Christ my favour and prosperity.

As I minister your word, Christ is the life in every seed I sow in the hearts of men, He is my divine reward. Thank you father for all these blessings in Jesus’ name, Amen!

In encounter with the Lord, I saw a child of God, I saw this dark wind around which came from every side and closed in on this one. it was as though this beloved couldn’t see anyway forward, feeling completely empty as I perceived.

Then I heard this word from the Lord “Do not be anxious about the emptiness you feel, the emptiness you see. I AM emptying the the old, for what I AM about to do in your life. I AM destroying the old, making room for the new chapter I have opened in your life.”

Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua.
Living Hill Christian Church