Michael Taylor
This is basic to Christianity, you must understand who you are in Christ that and that alone is the foundation upon which you operate. And if all you do is just get in the pulpit or all you do is just try to challenge yourself to live the Christian life whimsically beating yourself sort of into it emotionally you're going to miss it. You've got to understand the foundation principles, this is who I am, this is my position, this is my understanding of it, and Paul is praying for the Ephesians, oh God may they deeply understand who they are, may they get a grip on this incredible reality that they are one with the eternal God through Christ, that all of the blessings of the heavenlies are theirs, that this is the standard of their existence forever and may they live...
Therefore, the purpose of this book is to explain the concept of some of the biblical doctrine: The Concept of Sin; The Consequences of Sin; The Christian and the law; The concept of Redemption; The concept of Righteousness; The Concept of sanctification; Who is the Holy Spirit, The concept of grace, The privileges of the Believer and many more. All these concepts are in their simplified form, though not exhaustive so that you may understand the meaning and application of the word of God. My desire is to equip you with the word of truth so that you will stop been tossed to and fro with every kind of doctrine. My position is to declare what the bible says about the topics in question and to provoke you to further studies. In themselves they are not exhaustive, but they will help you to appreciate and appropriate the significance of these theological doctrines in your daily life...
Michael Taylor is respected as a lecturer, Bible Teacher and Leadership mentor. As a Bible teacher, Michael is dedicated to helping Christians understand the “full counsel of God”. His goal is to expose believers to understanding: the hope of their calling, their identity in Christ, their inheritance and position in Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-16 is a driving force for the author who teaches to build up the saints and believes the church will come to maturity and rise to glory. The central theme of his message is the transformation of believers by the renewing of their minds into a mature body of believers.
OUR PRESENT LIFE IN CHRIST
We were “dead in sin” and subject to our old nature until Jesus came along. Do you know what it meant to be dead in your sin? It is speaking about a positional reality-you were dead in sin. When you were born, you were born spiritually dead. It means “an inability to respond”. You can’t react to God because you are dead. You were the very “nature of sin”. But now:
· “…Hath he made alive…” This is precisely what Ephesians 2:4-5; “ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved”.
· “…together with him…” In some way, when you receive Christ, God sends you back two thousand years, put you on the cross with Christ, in the grave with Christ, and raise you with Christ. I don’t understand that miracle!
· “…having forgiven you all trespasses…” That is past tense, it’s already been accomplished.
I am always amazed at the fact that there are many Christians who continue to remember what God has forgotten. Sin consciousness is what is destroying lots of Christians today. Sin consciousness is Satan’s chief hindrance to faith. Today it springs from an ignorance of the substitutionary work of Christ. The ministers, in attempting to separate the congregation from the worldly influences and build them up in a “Holy Life” have industriously preached sin rather than Righteousness, Redemption and Sonship.
It is easy for us to break fellowship with the Father. The epistle of John was written to show us the secret of maintaining fellowship with the Father and with one another. The word “back-slide” does not occur in the New Testament. Why? It describes Israel. The first covenant people who were the servants of Jehovah would “back-slide” or leave Jehovah for another god. They didn’t have eternal life. They were not sons, only servants. They had never been recreated. They were servants of the Abrahamic covenant and the Law of that covenant. We should never use the word “back-slide” in referring to a Christian who has broken fellowship. We should teach him clearly what fellowship means.
