Pastor George Stormont had taught long ago, “We need to first learn how to be a Christian, than a soul winner, and then a minister… a Pastor or a Teacher, a Prophet, an Evangelist or a Disciple of Jesus Christ ministering His Gospel. We need to learn the basics before ministry.

In fact the Sunday school acronym for the word B.I.B.L.E stands for: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, and it truly is. Yet the basic instructions can be the most difficult to carry out, if one is only partially committed to follow Jesus Christ our Shepherd.

Jesus Christ Himself took all His disciples through a process of maturity and was given power of the Holy Spirit to witness before ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing is over night with the Lord, and Matthew chapter 10 is our great example of this fact.

The Apostle Paul also testifies this fact in his own testimony throughout His letters. And when we put them all together, we see that the Apostle Paul went through a rigorous process of maturity and sanctification all throughout His life:

  • Learned to be blameless in the Law of God (Philippians 3:4-6).
  • Road to Damascus conversion (Acts 9).
  • Went to Arabia for three years (Galatians 1:11-24).

It is speculated that he went to Arabia to learn the truth and be trained directly by the glorified and resurrected Lord; Jesus Christ. But never-the-less, he became a powerful instrument in the hands of the living God, to bring forth the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in all of the Mediterranean region, under the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

Same thing with Moses. It took 40 years for God to take the world out of Moses and train him in righteousness how to trust and obey God Most High. So God can use him to deliver His people out the bondage and slavery of Egypt, and bring the Jews into the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Those whom the Lord Jesus Christ called into the ministry, even new converts in Jesus Christ today, needs to learn the basics of the Christian walk with Jesus Christ before He can use us fully and completely in a personal powerful way according to His perfect plan, purpose and will.

Let the Lord teach you all His holy and righteous ways. Because we are bought and called through His salvation, by His blood, to represent Him as He is. we are to glorify Jesus Christ as Lord in all that we do, say and think.

And the Book of Ephesians is a great place to start, or be reminded of the basics of Christianity. And when we live according to His word, He will withhold no good, holy or righteous thing from us.

If, only we would totally submit, commit and absolutely desire God and all His ways with all our heart, strength, mind and soul. Because we are born-again this way.

Audio Length: 0:22:13

Study Highlights:

*00:38   Ephesians 4:8-10
Many people misunderstand and misinterprets this passage of Scripture as proof that the Jesus Christ descended to Hell. But the correct understanding of this passage strictly deals with the fact that Jesus Christ is eternal with the Father according to Genesis 1:3-5 and John 1:1-14.

And that He descended to the earth, from His eternal thrown at the right Hand of His eternal Father; God, to become a servant and save His people from their sins as the Sacrificial Lamb of God that the Prophets of Old has seen and testified about.

*01:48   Ephesians 4:11-16
This passage of holy Scripture also dismantles any notion that all Christians are called by God into the leadership positions of the church. Not all are called to be Pastors or Teachers, Prophets, Evangelists or Apostles.

Only some are called. The Leadership role is for one purpose only and that purpose is to edify, encourage and equip the saints of God for the good work of the ministry through our walk, by sharing the Gospel message of His Salvation.

We are called to work together as a functioning, working body of Jesus Christ our Lord as He wills, through the unity of the Holy Spirit of God. Using the Spiritual Gifts, Godly talents and abilities He has bestowed to each of His members for a specific common goal. And that is to increase the harvest of Jesus Christ for God our Heavenly Father to gather in

*08:30   Ephesians 4:17-24
Many people today believes the Holy Bible teaches eternal security. No where in the Old or New Testaments does it ever teaches that Christians are eternally secure.

It is possible for all Christians understanding be darkened, just as Jesus Christ preached that it is possible for His elect be deceived in the last days (Matthew 24:24). And this is the great reason why God Most High will shorten the last days (Matthew 24:22).

But how is ones understanding darkened? There are many avenues, that’s why Jesus Christ warns us, “wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many who go in by it (Matthew 7:13).”  

One common way comes to mind; people never started to live the life of repentance nor were thankful in heart. Another way is by sinning and are discouraged to repent. Or grieving the Holy Spirit, or not fully committed to the Lord.

Or by doctrinal deceptions or never truly learning and/or discerning the truth vs. error of imaginations. This all boils down to this fact: people never had put on the new creation of Jesus Christ, nor purified themselves.

And just as Romans 1:18-32 warns us, if, we continue down the sinful path of destruction, God will give us over completely to the sinful desires of our hearts to the point of no return.

But it doesn’t happen over night. Just as the Christian group: Casting Crowns once sang, “it’s a slow fade to give yourself away, when black and white turns to gray…kingdoms never crumble in a day.”

We have to learn how to walk carefully before the Lord because our eternity depends on it (John 3:3-21). But God our heavenly Father gives us a way out of the path of destruction, through faith in Jesus Christ and following Him through the narrow way which is His way. As we get closer to the Lord and walk each step with Him, the path of righteousness gets narrower and narrower to eternal life

*17:08   Ephesians 4:20-32
And since Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth and The Life (John 14:6) and our perfect Shepherd who leads us to the path of righteousness for His name sake (Psalm 23), here’s the beginning of the narrow way since we are to follow Jesus Christ in true righteousness and holiness.

Because once we are justified through His blood, God our Heavenly Father calls us to the life-long process of sanctification of the born-again life through the power of His Holy Spirit.

For His way is to melt us, mold us and fill us, in order to use us for His glory and good pleasure. He is the Potter and we are His clay, the workmanship of His holy hands (Isaiah 64:8)

Be sure to check out out next study Ephesians 5 (Be The Glorious Church)