Epistles of Paul 96

The key theme of the pistol of the Ephesians, as we have discussed a few times, is unity. Unity in Christ. We have seen how Paul, in the first few chapters, describes God's great purpose, as Paul mentions it, God's eternal purpose, to create a family.

This is out of every type of person living on earth, Jews and Gentiles, of all races, all nationalities. Paul, after he explained this great purpose of God's purpose, God's purpose, which basically to the world has been and still is a great mystery.

He then moved on to some practical points of encouragement and application of this scripture from the point of view of how is it that we need to apply specific Christian living principles so that we, indeed, fulfill that eternal purpose of unity with God.

For that very purpose, that's why God gave us in the Church of God, servants and ministers, to help us to be closely knit together, working together in love for that purpose.

With the ultimate intention and end result, that we all would be perfected as He cites in this life. And in chapter 4 verse 13, chapter 4 verse 13 of Ephesians, he says, and that purpose is still, we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. And so we are all to come to that unity of faith and that unity in the knowledge of understanding who Christ is, with with desire of the end result of us becoming a perfect man. That he says there to a perfect man, and that is according to the measure or the standard or the stature of of Christ, the fullness of Christ. And then he says, and so what, so what? Well, so that we the brethren are not carried about by false doctrine, winds of doctrines which always keep coming up. And I've seen it so often that every decade or 12 years, maybe 15 years, whatever is the same old things keep coming back again. So as far as not to be tossed about by these, as it is called here, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, you know, every idea and great ideas that people come up, etc., by the trickery of man in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. It is interesting that the word plotting is used here, deceitful plotting. So some of these ideas of man are deceitfully being plotted, which is quite interesting as like a little Joe in the church, just John the citizen, a member of the church. We don't think that some people are actually deceitfully plotting, and that is amazing. And then he says, but the intent is that we should stand firm. We should stand firm in the truth. You know, we're speaking the truth, you know, we stand firm in the truth, being truthful, but in a loving, kind way. And that would lead us to grow. That would lead to growth in the church, so that we can be like Christ, who is the head. And so God has given ministry for us all to come to the unity of the faith and of who Christ is. So we can become perfect like he is.

So we're not tossed around by winds of doctrine, and we all are living the truth, speaking the truth in Godly love. And so that we might continue growing to be like Christ, from which? From whom? In other words, it's Christ that's from whom? He's the head, Christ, that the whole body gets growth. In other words, us, the church, the body is a church. When we work together, when we are well knit together, as it says here, that the whole body joined and knit together, but what every joint supplies, each member of the body adds a little extra value for the body, for the church, to function properly, as let's call it a united team. We see, so it says, and that each joint supplies according to the effect of working by which each part does its share. So we all do our part. Somebody prepares the whole, somebody prepares flowers, somebody prepares the PA, somebody prepares the webcast. All these things take work, take service for the well-functioning of the church, for the unity, for the growth of the church. So we all supply, and it is a pleasure, a blessing when we see the brethren supplying and helping and helping one another in just doing that, in being supportive of one another and helping this growth in the church. And then it says, so this growth basically comes from the head down, from whom the head, the whole body is nourished, you know, and then it, and as each one supplies his part, it provides or causes growth to the whole body so that the whole body is edified, is, is, is go, goes through continuous constant growth. Now, so that, so we see that Paul here describes what we need to aim, describes our, our great purpose to be sons of God in his kingdom. What do we need to aim? To be like Christ, to be a perfect man. And now, starting from verse 17, he starts emphasizing that we've got to change. We're going to put off that old man. We're going to put on the new man. He gives some details about that, and he hints about the helper, which is God's only spirit that we need to use, because it's only through and with God's only spirit that we can put off the old man and become godly people like Christ in the words imitating Christ, imitating God. So let's read verse 17. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind. So we must not walk like the Gentiles did anymore. In fact, what some of us wear amongst the Gentiles, we wear amongst people, and we did those very things. So that's why it says, it says that you should no longer walk. We are not to act like the world like we acted in the past, so we gotta we gotta change. We gotta we gotta be different. So it says, yeah, continue having their understanding darkened. You see, so people in the world follow their own ideas, thoughts, desires, motivations, but because they're unconverted and their minds are not turned towards God, they are actually darkened. Their understanding is darkened. They don't get how they're affecting themselves.

We read in Isaiah chapter 4 verse 6 that my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, and so there's a lot of knowledge. Knowledge shall be increased, and knowledge is increased, but people don't have the true knowledge, the real knowledge that changes us. And so continuing us is being alienated from the life of God. What do you mean that? Where do we get God's life from?

Through God's Holy Spirit. Through God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is what begets us as children of God. We are begotten by the seed that proceeds from the Father, which is God's Holy Spirit. And so when people have their understanding darkened, they're not following God, they're alienated, they're separated from the life that comes from God. In other words, the eternal life that comes from God of God, because that's what God wants to give us as his children. And then he says, because of the ignorance that is in them, well, they don't have knowledge. Their understanding is darkened. As we read, their understanding is darkened. They don't see the real knowledge, the real truth.

And because of the blindness of their heart, in other words, because of the hardness of their heart, God cannot work through those minds. It's interesting that God basically cannot work with those minds because they hardened, they against God, they don't want God. And therefore, they're alienated from the life of God. And in verse 19, who, being past feeling, now that's an interesting statement, being past feeling, it's like they have no more feelings. They just, they past any real feelings of compassion, of normality, of understanding, of sound-mindliness. It amazes me, and I'm sure it amazes most of you, when you watch the news and you see some people saying certain things, that you just say, how can these people say this? You know what it's being past feeling, they just, it's beyond this, they just don't have feelings. And they have given themselves over to lewdness.

They have given themselves over to licentiousness, to sensuality. Well, isn't that so true today?

There's all these movements, LGBT, and all that stuff, and wokeness, and gender identities, and all these other things, their minds have become corrupt. Their minds have gone, are gone, are gone. Being past feeling, giving themselves over to lewdness, to sensuality, to work all uncleanliness with greediness. They just give themselves to evil, depraved, depraved activities and wrongs, and they just greedy for themselves.

And then, so what we have here is Paul is saying, you no longer walk in that way, because those that walk that way are real bad news. That's what he says in verse 18 and 19.

And then in verse 20 and 21, he says, But you have not learned Christ, O Beethoven, you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard him, and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. You see, if we have the true knowledge, if we have truth, and if we are firm in the truth, because we Christ said, the way, the truth, and the life, he's the truth. People don't know, they don't have knowledge of the truth. We gotta speak and live the truth in a loving way. And so he says, we have not learned this way from Christ. This is not a way of doing things that Christ has taught us.

And then verse 22, That therefore you put off concerning that former conduct. You know, you put off that old leaven, as we went through during the days of leaven bread, put off that old leaven, put off that former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts. We got it put off. So anything that we may have had in the past, we have walked away from that. That's why it says you should no longer walk as the rest of the world. It says as the rest of the Gentiles. But really today is the rest of the world. We should not walk that way. And then he says in verse 23, And be renewed in the spirit of your mind. This is so important because what do you mean being renewed in the spirit of your mind? What is it that makes our mind renewed day by day? Well, first, yeah, we need to renew our minds day by day as we read in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 16. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 16. We read, Therefore do not lose art, even though our outward man is perishing. You know, as we're getting older, right, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. Inside we need to be renewed day by day. How are you and I renewed day by day? Well, a very, very encouraging scripture is in Titus. I have mentioned the scripture a few times. I like to refer to it because it really is a very significant scripture when we read it carefully. And the Istitis chapter 3, it talks like the one I want to emphasize is verse 5, but I want to start from verse 4. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior, so in the kindness of God, the kindness and love of God our Savior, in other words, the kindness and love of God the Father, who is our Savior. Of course, Christ is our Savior, but Christ died for us, but the Father sent him to die for us. That was his plan. So the Father is also our Savior. In that sense, the two are working together in this, let's call it, process of saving mankind. It says, but when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared. Oh, so who appeared?

Who appeared? It was Christ. So the kindness and love of God, God the Father our Savior, towards man appeared. That kindness of God is him sending his son Jesus Christ. Verse 5, and Christ did not come by works, did not come by your works or my works of righteousness, which we have done, but Christ came according to God's mercy, and he saved us. In other words, he opened up the way of salvation. So ultimately, you will be saved. I mean, it is a process, of course, but that's the process, and he has redeemed us from our sins.

How? Well, obviously, through his death, but in addition to that, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. You see, Christ came, died for us, redeemed for us, he resurrected, he's at the right hand of the Father, and he then sent us the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

And the Holy Spirit is the power that we receive when we are baptized after baptism upon the laying on our vans. We receive God's Holy Spirit, and that is obviously in condition that we've repented and and we're willing to change, and that we believe and trust in God. So we receive the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is like rivers of living water, and there is the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

There's two things here. One is regeneration, a legendia, which is a big ghetto again. We are begotten again, which is we are now re- let's call it regenerated. We were generated for the first time, or let's call it conceived for the first time, in our physical mother's womb. But we are now quote-unquote reconceived the second time when we receive the seed of God's Holy Spirit. So it's that washing, that receiving, like living water, like that seed that comes into us, into the spirit of man in man, and regenerates us.

But also God's Holy Spirit renews us. You see, it's a washing both of regeneration and it's a washing of renewal. Of renewing, or what? Of our mind. It's God's Holy Spirit that renews our mind, that pricks our conscious, and tells that we need to repent and change. And we are led by God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit then leads and says, no, don't think that way. Don't say this. Don't act that way.

And so God's Holy Spirit is leading us and has regenerated us, has begotten us again from above, from the Father, who had been fathered again, and we are renewed daily by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, which He poured, verse 6, on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You see, it's Christ that, quote unquote, gives us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and then Christ gives it to us. So it is poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Lord. So it comes from the Father, and comes through Christ to us. And that's why I really like this scripture, Yain Titus. It's so meaningful. But anyway, back to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 23, we were reading, we renewed in the spirit of your mind.

So in the spirit of your mind means in our spirit of man in you and I. We are renewed with that living water, which is God's early spirit. And so we have God's early spirit in us because we've been begotten again. And we have God's early spirit flowing into us day by day, renewing us that living water flowing into us and filling us up every day. And that's why we need prayer and Bible study. We need to be close to God to be renewed through God's word because His word is spirit, Thy word is spirit. And so continuing that, we've got to be renewed in the spirit, that's in the spirit of man in man, the spirit of your mind, that verse 24, and that you put on the new man.

And so with God's early spirit, it helps us to be righteous, to be to put on God's righteous, not my own self-righteousness, but God's righteousness and true holiness. That's what it says. Put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. So God is creating this new man in us in true righteousness, in other words, God's righteousness and true holiness.

Again, speaking about God's righteousness, we look at a scripture that focuses on that, which is Romans chapter 10 verse 3, where it says it's talking about those Israelites, that they're very zealous. It's like I was saying, a number of Christians today are very zealous, very zealous, no question about it. But then it says at the end of verse 2, but not according to knowledge, because they don't have the truth. They don't have the truth. They don't understand the true Christ. And their minds have been closed one day. God will be merciful to them and will open their minds, because, you know, there will be the day, as it reads in Romans 11 verse 26, so all Israel will be saved. So there'll be a day where everybody will understand it. But now those people are zealous, but not according to knowledge, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness. You see, a lot of people try to be righteous, and they understand that they need to be righteous, but they're working on their self-righteousness. And that's why we've got to be careful about what'll-do's and don'ts and things like that, because they try to establish their own righteousness, their own self-righteousness, and they have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

For Christ, for Christ, is the end of the law for righteousness. When we look at Ephesians chapter 4, he says, Christ is our goal. He says, He's the perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fullness. That's what we've got to aim. Christ is what the law points to, as the ultimate fulfillment of the law is Christ. For what? For God's righteousness. And so, continuing in verse 24, we have to put on the new man, which is created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. And these verses, where even are parallel, as we know, with Colossians chapter 3. I just want to highlight a few things here in Colossians. So just, we will look at that in more detail when we go into Colossians. But in Colossians chapter 3, starting in verse 5, says, Therefore put to death your members, which are on the earth, fornication, uncleaniness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walthed when you lived in them. And so, Yah in verses 3 to, I beg your pardon, Colossians chapter 3 verses 5 to 7, is basically saying the same thing as in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22, that you put off concerning your former conduct. And that's what it says in Colossians chapter 3 verse 7. It says that you yourselves once walthed. And then it says, now this is a very interesting, some of us may have not noticed. It says, but now, now look at it, you once walthed. So you've put that off, in a sense, you put that off. At baptism, you put those things off. Right? You once walked. So basically, you put those things off that are listed in verse 5 of Colossians chapter 3. But now it says, but now verse 8, you yourselves, now it's talking to Christians, converted Christians in the area of Colossia, and it's telling them, now you yourselves are to put off all these as well. And so look at a basic difference between those things listed in verse 5 and those things listed at the latter part of verse 8 and verse 9. It says, those things listed in verse 5 are basically very physical, should I say, very physical things that we walked in and that we have repented. And basically, they are more outward-like things. They're more like outward-like things that we repented of before baptism. But now in verse 8, it's talking about people are baptized, and it says, but now you yourselves are to put off all these as well, which basically implies that when we are baptized, we still have some of these emotional things, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, outward of your mouth, and even lying to one another.

So you need to put these also. Since you have put off the old man with these deeds, since you've you made that commitment, and at baptism and that old man, completely man, was completely under the water, you need to put these other things off, which are more of emotional feelings that sometimes we say, or emotionally we get angry, or we get frustrated, and these things come out in ways that might be incorrect words, filthy language, or not positive words. We've got to put that out. You see, and there he says in verse 10, still in Colossians chapter 3, and have put on the new man who is renewed.

So Yah is again that renewing of the mind in the true knowledge, in knowledge, according to the image of Christ. In other words, understanding the knowledge of Christ. That's why at the end of Peter, 2 Peter chapter 3, 18, says, growing the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's emphasized so many times. That's what we've got to do. We've got to grow in the knowledge according to the image of Christ who created us. So that's what we've got to do. So let's go on back to Ephesians chapter 4. And yeah, we're talking also about that sort of putting off, renewing on the mind, and putting on the new man in true righteousness and holiness. Think about it. One thing that I emphasize quite a bit during baptism counseling is that we need to repent of what we've done, and we need to repent of who we are. Now we are, what we are is that we have this carnal mind. We have this mind that is this heart that is deceitful. You can read that for instance. Let's just glance at it very quickly. In Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 23 and 24. Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23 and 24.

Yeah, it says, oh Lord, I know the way of man is not himself. He's not a man who walks to direct his ways. In other words, we just don't know the right ways. In other words, who we are is what we need to change. We ask God, please, I don't have it in me the right way to be. That's why then Jeremiah says, Lord, correct me, but it was justice. In other words, in a loving, kind way, not in your anger, but gently, lovingly, guide me in the right direction. And why? Well, Jeremiah 17 verse 9 explains a little bit more about this. Jeremiah 17 verse 9, it says, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Would you think that your heart and my heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked? Who can know it? Well, that's mankind. That's us. And that's who we are. And we gotta change. We gotta change of that sort of person. That's why then says, I the Lord search the heart. I test the mind.

And why? God puts us to certain tests. Why? So that as we go through these trials and tests, we come to see ourselves. And then we gotta realize, oh, I have this problem.

Oh, I have that problem. Or whatever. And God proves us. Not because he doesn't know, but because he puts us to the test so we can see it ourselves. So it comes out of our blind spot, and we can see who we are for what we are. And we say, I need to repent. And this is what Paul did when we see in Romans chapter 7, he recognized that he had these problems. He came to a point in maturity to be able to admit that he had these problems in himself. Look at it and understand he was an apostle for many years already when he wrote Romans. And he says, yeah, in verse 15, he says, for what I'm doing, I do not understand for what I will to do that I do not practice. But what I hate I do. In other words, there is this inner thing in me, which we normally call carnal mind, carnal carnality. It's in me. And I don't want this in me. That's what Paul is saying. I recognize I have this problem. And then that's why a little later in verse 23, he says, but I see another law in my members. In other words, that's who you are. It's in my members. It's in your members. It's in us. And he says, and there's a war against the law of my mind. Why? Because you and I are being renewed every day with God's mind of God's Spirit. And so our Spirit is being renewed with God's mind. And now there's this battle. There's this conflict in our minds. And that's really bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Oh, rich and man, there I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? Which is basically admitting it's in my body. It's in his body. And it's going to be there. Because it's part of his, the way he is of the carnal mind. It's part of that. We've got to be overcoming it all the time. And that's why it says, verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

How? Because Christ has given us, he's poured on us, God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is what is helping us to change. And so I thank Christ because of God's Holy Spirit. I am trying to change and I'm making some progress. Oh yes, some. Why? Because there's days where you and I will feel, oh, we're making good progress. And other days, oh, we're not making any progress. But we are making overall some progress. And so he says, so with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. But I'm trying. I'm growing. And I'm overcoming. Therefore, that's what it says in the next verse, in chapter 8 verse 1, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. If you and I are trying to live according to Christ's standards and towards his measure, according to the knowledge of the Son of God, we are working on that. He says, there's no condemnation on those who are in Christ Jesus. We do not walk according to the flesh. Oh yes, they got the poles of the flesh. They got the temptations of the flesh, but they are overcoming. They're overcoming it. And they're overcoming it according to the Spirit with the help of God's Holy Spirit. So we've got to use God's Holy Spirit. That's why I mentioned a little earlier, in this section of Ephesians, Paul is now telling us not only that we have this great goal of being sons of God, but God has given us the ministry and his word for us to strive to reach the standard of being a perfect man to the measure of the Statue of the Fullness of Christ. That's what it is. We all help one another. We all stick to the truth, and we need God's Holy Spirit to change from the old man to the new man. And then he continues in verse 25, Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth of his neighbor, for we are members of one another. You know, sometimes saying truth may hurt us. Well, maybe we've done something wrong then. And yeah, well, I've got to admit the truth. And that's it. And that's it. It may put us in a bad light, but we speak the truth.

Speak the truth with his neighbor. But again, in love, as we read in verse 15. And then in verse 26, Be angry and do not sin. Now, this section here, Be angry and do not sin. This phrase or sentence comes from Psalm 4 verse 4, which the Hebrew word there is related to being trembling, being agitated, being perturbed, being troubled by what is happening around you. And so you have that anger towards or that put agitation and upset about what is happening around us. I mean, you and I, when we watch the news, it just makes you, in a sense, angry about what is happening. But we're not angry at people. We're angry at sin. And what is happening? It's so terrible. So that's what we got to do here. It says, For we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. So we are not to allow this to breathe and breathe and breathe and breathe. Now, it's very interesting. We should look at this. There are three words here for anger.

In verse 26, this first verse 26 says, The angry and do not sin. That angry there, that verse 26, is the word 3710, or gizmo, which is being provoked or being upset or enraged, but do not sin. And then, still in verse 26, it's got another word for anger, which is wrath. Let not the sun go down on your wrath. That is a Greek word 3950, but our gizmos, which is anger with the embittiment, in other words, carried a little further. It's a rage. It's a wrath. So you've got angry, which is more of perturbed, agitated, troubled, but then don't allow it to breed to a form of anger with embittiment, carried on a little further. And then, if you read a little further in verse 31, verse 31 says, that all bitterness, wrath and anger. Now the word wrath there is a different word, which is thumos, which is indignation, which passion means like breathing hard, fierceness. You're so angry that your veins are coming out, and that's why it says little bitterness, wrath, and then anger. The word anger there in verse 31 is back to the same word as in verse 36, or gizos, to provoke or to enrage. So yeah, we see three levels of anger, three degrees of anger, but he says, do not let the sun go down on your wrath. It was don't allow it to get so agitated, so enbuttered, that that you go to sleep with it. It says, why? Why? Verse 27 gives an answer, gives an answer, nor give place to the devil. You see, if we allow this anger with embodiment, be in us. We are creating, let's call it, a fertile ground for Satan to be working on in our minds. So that's why we gotta be careful. So when emotions are not handled properly, they eventually can kill us. One gets upset. That can lead to bitterness, resentfulness. It can lead them to an attitude of not being willing to forgive, and then it can lead to a number of health problems, heart issues, and whatever. You see, so we need to be careful that don't allow it to become to an emotional degree of this level. Yes, be angry, but sin not. You know, be troubled, be perturbed with what's happening around us, but don't allow that to reach to an emotional status that can lead to sin. Let's now go on to verse 28.

Let him steal no more, but rather let him labor, work with his hands, what is good, that he may have something to give him with need. And basically what it's saying is it's back to the old man and the new man. The old man, maybe it didn't work, so he stole because it didn't work. He always, so he had an attitude of taking. Now he's saying, new man, you work in a way so that you can give. It's an attitude of giving, and so it's changed that that approach in life. Let him labor, work with his hands, what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need, so that he can give to him who has need. Now verse 29. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. So again, he's talking about the old man and the new man, and the old man is that corrupt word, that corrupt communication, that the negative, the word for corrupt is the Greek 4550, sopros, which is rotten, worthless, bad language, which is kind of is negative towards somebody, tears somebody down, and you want to have words that edify, that build up, that encourage.

I'm not talking about fake, veneer, false encouragement, but genuine encouragement, positive encouragement, that that builds edification, that builds, that edifies, and it says that it may impart grace, that it may impart a good spirit, and then an encouragement to the hearers that may lift them up. Verse 30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. So we are not to grieve God's Holy Spirit. In other words, we received God's Holy Spirit, we received the Spouse from God, and let's use it. Let's use it positively. God's Holy Spirit leads us to all truth. We don't want to grieve the Holy Spirit. We don't want to, quote unquote, cause pain, heaviness, sorrow to God's mind that God is giving us, and we want God to keep giving us more of his mind, of his spirit. And so we want to use it in a positive way. And that's why it says, therefore, kind of summarizing it. The two, verse 31 and 32. 31 is again is the old man, 32 is the new man, and the old man is, let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor. Clamor is more like maybe loud quarreling, but it could also like getting down to punch somebody in the nose. You know, it just gets to that degree of of argumentativeness. And evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice, with all desire to cause evil or hurt or whatever it is. We're gonna put that off. But the new man is, verse 32, be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. You know, Christ told us, and God's law tells us, love your neighbor as yourself. Well, and Christ said, I'll give you a new commandment, love others as I have loved you, which is even a greater standard. And so, what we see here is how to love your neighbor. He says, by being kind, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. So that's what we need to put on. And in the next chapter, it says, therefore, being the takers of God as dear children. And that's what it is. We want to aim to be like God. And in the next study, we'll then start with chapter five.