Ephesians 1 – God’s Rich Blessings: The Messiah
As I sit here writing and researching Ephesians, I realize that this study is structured a bit different than the study on the Sermon on the Mount. Since it is a letter, I have to study it as such. Instead of writing the entire verse to be studied at the top, I will work through a few verses at a time. I am excited to study this book at this time in our history. I believe it has a lot to say to us about the time we currently live in. So with that said, here goes!
Vs. 1-2: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
As with all Paul’s letters, he opens with a greeting. He is an apostle of Christ, not by anything he did, but by the will of God. He is writing to the church at Ephesus, whom he describes as faithful saints. This opening sets up a letter of encouragement and teaching rather than admonishment. After having spent around 3 years in Ephesus, Paul continues his discipleship through this letter.
Vs. 3-6 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.
Here Paul is speaking to the Gentile Christians in Ephesus. It is amazing to realize God’s intention was always for the nations to know Him. Isaiah 49:6 says, “It is not enough for you to be My Servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations,to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.” Again in Isaiah 60:1-3 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the Lord will shine over you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your radiance.” In the sermon on the mount, Jesus told the people they were the light of the world. He was reminding them to be a light to the nations. Here, we see what happens when the light touches the world. Paul says they were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. They were adopted through Jesus Christ. God always had the nations in mind for salvation. Here, through Paul’s witness, the church at Ephesus was birthed. God’s plan to see the nations come to the light was happening.
Vs. 7-10 We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him for the administration of the days of fulfillment—to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him.
Paul reminds the church they have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. We have forgiveness through His grace. I love the way Paul puts it – riches of His grace that was lavished on us. The Greek word for riches is ploutos, which means fullness and abundance. The word for lavished is eperisseusen, which means over and above. So God’s grace is abundant over and above all that we can imagine. God also made known to us the mystery of His will. All things were brought together in the Messiah. Both things in heaven and earth. We find an echo of that in the Lord’s prayer: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What is the will of God? That all may know Him and His abundant grace would be lavished on all mankind.
Vs. 11-12 We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.
And because of that amazing abundant grace, we also have an inheritance that was, once again, laid out before the foundation of the earth. What is that inheritance? Jesus the Messiah. And, when we put our hope and faith in Jesus, we bring glory, praise and honor to His name and we fulfill the will of God.
Vs. 13-14 When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.
If you remember in Acts, the believers in Ephesus knew about Jesus, but not the Holy Spirit. Once they received the Holy Spirit, they began to understand the gospel more fully. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance. The word for down payment is arrabōn which means a pledge. In John 14 Jesus reveals this promise to His disciples. He says, ”If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.” Jesus goes on to explain that He will be physically gone, but He won’t leave them as orphans. He says, “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” The Holy Spirit is God’s pledge to us. He will not leave us or forsake us. He will always be with us to the end of the age.
Vs. 15-19 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.
These next few verses the end of his opening remarks. He says this is why… Because you have come to know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and have been adopted in. Because you have an inheritance and God’s abundant grace was lavished on you. Because you have experienced the Holy Spirit in your life and you have faith in Jesus and love for the saints. Because of all these things, Paul never stops giving thanks for them and prays for them. These are his disciples. He has taught them and nurtured them and now he exhorts them. It is his prayer for them that I want us to really internalize. It is a prayer for Ephesians, and a prayer for the church today – right now. We need a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. We need a prayer for the perception of our mind to be enlightened. The Greek words for perception of our mind is eye of your heart. It is a picture of being able to see with our inmost being the calling of God on our lives. To be able to comprehend the inheritance (Jesus Christ) among the saints. To be able to grasp the immeasurable power of God working in and through us.
Right now, the church needs to see our calling to be light and salt in the world. Right now, the church needs to comprehend the inheritance that we have in Jesus Christ, our Savior, Redeemer and Lord. Right now, the church needs to grasp the power of God and walk in this world without fear but in truth. Right now, the church needs to rise and walk in faith, proclaiming Jesus. He is the hope for what is happening right now.
Vs. 20-23 He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens— far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.
And then Paul puts it all in perspective. God demonstrated His power when he raised Jesus the Messiah from the dead. Not only that, God seated Jesus at His right hand in heaven. He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace. And we are His church – His body.
During this season of time with covid 19 still “dictating” how we live and the riots continuing around this country and the world, we need to contemplate Ephesians. We need to hear what Paul says to this church. We are in a time where the church needs to be, well, the church – the body of Christ. We are His hands, feet, eyes, ears… When we walk, we need to walk in Him. When we speak, we need to speak His words. We need to see and hear as He hears, with a heart of grace, mercy, love and understanding. When we speak, we need to speak His truth. Just as in Ephesus, we live in a world in denial of Christ, God and absolute truth. He is calling us to be salt and light.
What kind of imprint are we leaving on the world today? Do we walk in judgement or an “I know better than you” attitude? Do we walk as if a certain political party is our salvation? Is sarcasm our normal response to what is going on? Believe me, I have seen all these responses on my Facebook page. It leaves me saddened and shaking my head because NONE of these are going to leave a lasting imprint of Christ in the world. The only way to be salt and light is to get on our knees before an Almighty God and ask for His power to work in our lives. If we really want God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we need to act like it. Ephesians gives us a real look at the will of God: that all the nations will come to know and glorify Him. Oh that the church would walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Oh that we would walk like a people who have had an abundant lavish grace spilled out on us. If we could really be salt and light – no telling what could happen!
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