Be Not as Fools

Understanding God’s Predestined Purpose

Note: This was edited by AI, so it’s not perfect. The font size changes and style but the point is, that the message is getting out. Time is short, the harvest is great and the workers are few. So, with this in mind, please ignore any errors that you may see.

 

Be not as fools. Now, before you ask if Pastor Emry is addressing you, I want you to hear the rest of this sermon, and we’ll find out whether that little phrase I quoted from scripture is addressed to you, to some of us, or to all of us.

Turn with me to the letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament. This is a letter, as we know, to Christian Israelites, written of course after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 1, verse 1: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.

So this epistle, like all of them, begins in such a manner that we know he is not writing to people who do not know what has happened or who are not Christians. It is true that most preaching today—especially what we would call missionary work—is addressed to the unbeliever. But the New Testament is addressed to believers.

Grace be to 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 hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

So we just barely begin this letter addressed to believers, and we find that Paul says of them—he uses the term us meaning himself and the people to whom he is writing—that he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.

Now that is rather strange doctrine to much of Christendom today, because most people are told, “Well, you end up being God’s choice when you make some sort of decision and come down to the altar.” And yet here, in the beginning of this letter—and Paul goes on for pages—he says: God hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

That phrase children reminds us of what it means to be sons of God. If we are going to be children of God, then it fits the phrase sons of God. In the natural—and apparently in the spiritual—there is no closer relationship between two beings than that of father and son, or mother and daughter. Even brothers are not as closely related as father and son. For in the one case, the son is a part of the father, coming from the father as it were.

So Paul says we are predestined unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. This is God’s will, not man’s will, nor the will of any group of men.

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Notice in each case, as Paul talks about some portion of this blessing, he refers back to God. It is his will, his grace, and so on.

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself.

So, at the very beginning of this letter to these people, Paul says in simple terms: you who are reading this are not ignorant of this. This is something you know. This is something revealed by God Almighty to you. It has been made known unto us. We have been told.

Verse 9 again: Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

Here is that repetition of the same word again—predestinated.

We’re not used to very long words in the Bible. Many of you who are quite familiar with scripture might be surprised at the number of one-, two-, or three-syllable words with which God has written this message. It is written in words easily understood. And even this word predestinate is simply two words joined together: pre meaning “before,” and destined meaning “what is to follow afterward.”

So something has been decided in advance as to what your destiny will be. It was decided before the foundation of the world—which leaves you out of the original decision.

Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Now that phrase who first trusted in Christ could be misunderstood. Some may think it means that group of church people there in Ephesus, that perhaps they were the first believers. But if we believe and understand—as most of you here do—that Jesus Christ was God incarnate, in other words Jehovah of the Old Testament, then trusting in Christ goes back long before Paul wrote this letter.

If Paul is writing to people who are predestined, he is writing to those chosen of God. And the only people in the Bible who are clearly said to be chosen are the Israel people. They were chosen by God as a peculiar people unto Himself at Mount Sinai.

We read in other portions of scripture that Christ who came was God incarnate—God in the flesh—Emmanuel, which means God with us. One of the great damages done to understanding in Christendom has been the separating of Jesus from Jehovah—referring to the God of the Old Testament as if different from the God of the New. But there is one God.

So, anyone who first trusted in Jesus must have trusted Him long before Paul wrote, even long before God came in the flesh.

Now notice: Paul uses us and we collectively throughout this letter, referring to these people and himself as one entity. We believe he is speaking of Israel—we Israelites—and so on.

In the next chapter, he goes on to explain how Jesus fulfilled that which was necessary so that God’s will—His predestined plan with these chosen people—would take place.

Chapter 2, verse 1: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Past tense—you were dead in trespasses, but God has quickened you.

Verse 11: Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

You Israelites—what were you? You were cast off from God. You were divorced from God. You were without God, without the covenant, without hope, without God in this world. He is writing to people who knew the history of Israel.

Sadly, most of our people today do not know this. They would understand better that when Jesus came to these Israelites, He was coming to a people divorced, cast off, and without God in the world.

Yet Paul says to these people: you were (past tense) without God—even though God had chosen you before the foundation of the world. There was a time in your past history when you were without Him.

Verse 13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes (literally “a foretime”) were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.

Israel was divorced because of their covenant. God had given them a covenant at Mount Sinai, and within that covenant itself was the warning that disobedience would mean their casting off. And they were cast off—until they were reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, who Himself paid the penalty for the sins which broke the covenant.

 

Reconciled to God

So now they have been reconciled back to God by the work of Jesus Christ.

Verse 16: And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Paul is not telling these Israelites, “If you will follow certain instructions which I will give you, and go through certain mental exercises which I will define, then you will become fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.”

No. He says: Jesus has come, died, paid the penalty. You now are fellow citizens with the saints. You are reconciled. You who were cast off and were strangers are now no more strangers or foreigners.

He goes on in verse 20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

That should be an identifying mark in the verse, because no other people upon earth were built upon the prophets except the Israel people.

All of this would be familiar to the Israelites who had been told that God would dwell in Israel. God’s habitation on the earth is in the Israel people. When Israel was cast off, God was no longer with them. Now Paul is explaining: Jesus has come, you are reconciled, God is now with you, you are once again the habitation of God.

And remember, as I read this letter, I’m reading a letter to Christian Israelites written about 1,900 years ago. Isn’t it strange that ministers today can read the same book we do and still not recognize that Israel was reconciled to God at the cross? Israel was brought back and made the habitation of God nearly 2,000 years ago.

I wonder how many of us—even those of us who know to whom this is addressed, and know that we have a part in this—realize the tremendous message God is giving to these people: that they are literally the dwelling place of God upon the earth.

Now think of the rest of the earth today, in the darkness it is in. Pagan religions prevail on every continent where our race does not live. Why? Because God lives in this race of Israelites.

And I know—we are sinners. I am not telling you that you are not a sinner. I am not telling you that you don’t need the blood of Jesus Christ to be saved. I am simply telling you: look at the world, and you can see where God dwells. That happens to be in the land occupied by the Israelites.

Why? Because God said, “I will dwell in Israel. I will make my habitation in them.”

 

Walking Worthy of the Call

Chapter 3 is a continuation of the explanation of how Jesus has accomplished that which God had predestined to happen. Then Paul goes on in Chapter 4 and begins to get personal with the people to whom he is writing.

Chapter 4, verse 1: I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

In other words: I am asking you, Israel people, to rise up to that which God has predestined you to be.

Now remember—he is speaking to people who have come out of idol worship. We have to put ourselves in the position of what was going on in the world at that time. The Grecian and Roman Empires, the development of Greece and Rome, Egypt, and all the former territory of Medo-Persia, Babylon, and Egypt were filled with people who worshiped multitudes of gods.

Paul himself had quite a problem in this very city with those who worshiped Diana of Ephesus. Their livelihood depended on that religion—building statues and promoting her worship. So, when Paul spoke to these Israelites, he was speaking to people who lived completely surrounded by idol worship. He had to explain how they had been brought out of that.

Now, since you have been brought out of that, you must walk. That term walk means to live, exist, think, and act in a manner worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.

Instructions for Christian Living

Paul continues, explaining how they should live: With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Verse 17: This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Paul is saying: You Israelites, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, chosen for God’s predestined purpose, must not walk as other nations or peoples walk.

If you don’t know what the word Gentiles means, you should read Pastor Young’s tract on the meaning of the word in the Bible. He explains that it literally means “other people.” It is a Latin word. The Romans called the Greeks “Gentiles.” The Greeks called the Egyptians “Gentiles.” The Romans called the Germans “Gentiles.” The Jews called the non-Jews “Gentiles.” The non-Jews called the Jews “Gentiles.”

So it becomes very confusing when ministers come along and insist the word Gentiles means “non-Jews,” because it does not. It simply means other people. Paul is saying: Walk not as the other people walk—those different from you—in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, alienated from the life of God through ignorance and blindness of heart.

And we will come back to that word fools later. For now, notice Paul says plainly: there are people with ignorance in them.

 

An Illustration of Ignorance

I recall a story from a church in Minnesota. A brother there, teaching a high school class, was leading a study on India. The textbooks, full of anti-American and anti-white propaganda, focused only on the poverty, disease, and ignorance in India, blaming it on British imperialism and American neglect.

So, after several days of this, Brother Gordon asked his students: “Do you think the filth, disease, and poverty in India might be the result of their religion?”

None of them had ever thought of that. So he began a study of India’s religion, where they believe in the reincarnation of man’s spirit into animals. Therefore they do not kill rats or other rodents that eat up their food. In fact, they feed and worship them. They do not kill insects or pests.

As a result, most people—even the wealthy class in India—live in filth which we in the West would never tolerate. Why do they live that way? Because of their religion. They worship rats, animals, and even the Ganges River—whose polluted waters they drink, contracting hepatitis, typhus, and other deadly diseases.

Why do they do that? Because their god requires it.

So when Paul speaks of other people, he is urging Israelites to recognize that there is something better for them. They are not like other people.

The Bible tells us we are not like the other nations. God has done something for us, in us, and given us His Word—the Bible—which He has not given to other races. That Word brings us out of the ignorance in which other people live.

Practical Exhortations

Paul continues in verse 25: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Here Paul is speaking about charity.

I wonder how many of you realize that charitable organizations are found only in Anglo-Saxon countries. Did you ever think about that? In other nations, there is no system for accepting money from one person to give to another in need. That is something unique to our people.

And many of our people who do give to charitable causes may not realize this is one of God’s commands to Israel: you should give, because of what Christ has done for you on the cross to reconcile you unto God.

 

Edifying Speech and Charitable Living

You work, you earn, that you may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Now, that’s a brief description—and of course, you should read the whole letter—of what Christians should be like: how they should live, how they should treat each other, and what their purpose is in the world.

Talking about charity reminds me of a little card that W. B. Record had printed up one time and passed out at some conferences. All it said was: “If we are here to serve others, what are the others here for?”

And yet that is what Israel is on the earth for: to be a blessing and a servant to other people on the earth. The other races have no calling in God to be servants to other people—but we have, and here it is in the New Testament to these Christian Israelites. If we are here to serve other people, what are other people here for? Well—to be served by us, to be taught by us, to be helped by us, to raise them up out of their heathen darkness in order to glorify God through the servant people, God’s Israel people.

 

Chosen Before the Foundation of the World

The whole theme of this letter thus far—before we go on into Chapter 5—is that in Chapter 1 God chose you people; He chose you before the foundation of the world. You were predestinated by God for His will and His purpose. You had no choice in it. It was done that you might be His sons and the praise of His glory.

Also, you know this—it has been revealed to you. Sometimes, when people first hear me on the radio, or hear a sermon, or read a tract about this, they write back: “Well, I knew there was something different about our people, but I didn’t know what it was. I couldn’t believe that God had chosen the Jews, because when I look at them their life is so completely corrupt. They constitute much of the criminal element in the nation; they can’t be trusted; you can’t sign a contract with them; they hate Christ and blaspheme His name.”

They see that, but they don’t put it together until someone points out: “Look—God had a certain plan for certain people, and we see the earnest of it. It is happening. If you’ll read the Bible, you’ll recognize who those people are—and you happen to be one of them.”

Now, since you know this—and as I say, this isn’t always a sudden revelation; often it’s just pointing it out and they say, “Well, I knew that”—I speak for myself. When I first heard a sermon identifying the Anglo-Saxon and kindred people as the descendants of Israel in the Bible, I remembered a song we used to sing in grade school with the line: “Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, ye ransomed from the fall.” And I thought: Well sure—that’s why we sang that song.

In truth, I already knew our people were different from other people; I just hadn’t put it all together until someone pointed to it in the Bible. It has been revealed unto you. And specifically to the Christians of Ephesus, Paul says to them: You know.

 

Live What You Are

In the latter chapters Paul says: because God has predestined you—because you were cast off but are now brought back, and Jesus has placed you again where God predestined you to be—therefore live like you’re supposed to live because of what you are.

I sometimes wonder why so many ministers—especially the evangelicals who spend most of their time preaching to the public on radio and television—direct almost all their message to whom they call the “unsaved.” Our problem is that we have millions in this nation who know they are saved, yet go right on living like the heathen because they don’t know they’re supposed to straighten up, turn to God’s Word, obey His law, keep their house in order and their nation in order, and be to the praise of God’s glory—because no one tells them what they’re supposed to do or why.

They’re so busy “saving souls” that they never turn around and get the Christians straightened up.

We’ve been studying tracts on the subject of hell and purgatory in recent weeks while preparing a booklet showing false doctrines taught in place of Bible truths. I have a quote from a radio minister who is on every day: he says, in effect, that the main reason for our preaching is to save souls from hell—that’s why we do everything we’re doing.

Paul says the main thing you should be doing is straightening up your own lives and living according to the Bible. Then the rest of the world will see what God’s Word does in people. We’ll be a light to the world when we live according to what God has predestined us to live. Instead, many spend their time and effort trying to “save souls from hell.”

And I would guess that 90% of those preachers don’t even know that hell means the grave—and that every one of them is going to go to hell. It is appointed unto man once to die—and where does he go? He goes to that Saxon word hell, meaning the grave, the place where they are covered up.

Anyway, we have somehow missed the mark in this.

 

Walk as Dear Children

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;—as what? As sons of God. If you follow God as a child, what are you doing? You’re following God as a child would follow his father.

If we could be as little children—this is one of the easiest things to get a child to do, especially young boys: to mimic his father. Some parents are disturbed to find their young children out behind the garage smoking cigarettes. Well, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the only reason that child is smoking is because his father smokes, and he is mimicking his father. Generally, if the father doesn’t smoke, the children don’t. Why? Because children mimic their father.

So what is Paul saying? Be like children following their Father.

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

For this ye know—in other words, here is something else you know—that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Now, that does not mean a man who once was one of those things won’t be in the kingdom of God. It means he won’t be there doing those things. None of those things will be in the kingdom of God.

So what then? Well, live like you’re in the kingdom—where those things do not exist.

This is the admonition—though I’m preaching out of Ephesians this morning, which I don’t usually do from just one place—it is the admonition in every New Testament letter: Jesus Christ has saved you; now live like you’re saved.

Verse 6: Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Why is most of the world living under the curse of poverty, ignorance, disease, and short life? Because they follow the very things Israel is commanded not to follow. The curse of God is upon mankind because mankind, by and large, is sinning—violating God’s commandments.

No, the people of India do not live the way they do because we failed to send a few million tons of grain. They live and die as they do because they are in violation of God’s commandments.

The best thing Israel could do for any people on earth is to teach them God’s laws, statutes, and judgments: teach them the Ten Commandments, teach them the statutes that define the commandments, and teach them the judgments—what to do with those who break the commandments.

Paul says: Let no man deceive you with vain words. Don’t let them tell you that people come under condemnation for any reason other than that they violate God’s law.