Ephesians 1: 1-14
Hope on the Way
Verse 1
Who is this Scripture written to?
Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle of Ephesus to the saints in Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ!
That is us also! Remember that we are part of the “faithful in Christ” because He has made us “one of His” by “grace” through “faith” through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2: 8-9). Nothing else! No other way! (Acts 4: 12) This “grace” and “peace” are given over and over to us daily who are Christian believers (Lamentations 3: 22-23). We cannot survive without it and are often confounded and frustrated when we are not aware of this power which we are ignoring.
Verse 2
In order for us to better understand what God is sending us through Paul’s writing, we are also being sent “grace” and “peace” from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
This provides authenticity of the writing and the importance of our reading and heeding its message! God’s “grace” and “peace” are incomparable with any earthly gifts. God’s “unmerited favor” (grace) from the Creator is the backbone of our salvation and gives us assurance of our inheritance through Christ. God’s peace Phil. 4: 7) is not as the world defines peace but passeth all understanding here on earth because this peace keeps our hearts and minds safe and pure in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4: 7).
Verse 3-4
Paul states that we Christian believers have already been blessed in heavenly places by being chosen by God the Father before we were born. His plan for us before the foundation of the world was to present us holy and without blame before the Father “there in the presence of all heaven and in the presence of all earth here” showing the incomparable love of the Creator for His Creation (John 15: 13) (John 3: 16) (1 John 2: 2) (John 1: 29) (1 Tim. 2: 6).
Verse 5-6
Notice that this choosing of us is “not based on any merits of our abilities, good deeds, or our potential to accomplish something majestic for God. We were chosen before we were born to be adopted receiving full benefits of Sons and Daughters because “this choosing brought “good pleasure” to the Lord. We are not convicted criminals forgiven! We are Sons and Daughters of the Most High God; adopted within the family of God. He was not our Lord at the time; we had no knowledge of being chosen. This was God’s future plan for His created believers.
Why? This was to show the Majesty of the Father’s Great Love for believers under His gift of grace through faith (Eph. 2: 8-9) in bringing to Heaven joy, peace, and gladness to all people of earth that all creatures in heaven and earth would acknowledge their Creator.
Verse 7-9
How would God the Creator reveal His majesty to the world? Through the Redemptive Plan of Salvation through Christ’s sacrificial death, and most importantly, through the power of the Comforter or Holy Spirit sent to us, God’s believers would be equipped to herald the “good news” of the Gospel to an unbelieving, lost, and dying world (John 14: 16).
Believers’ redemption would access them to the “riches of his grace”.
God would pour lavishly all wisdom and prudence on believers having the knowledge of God’s perfect will for mankind which he had purposed for his good pleasure and not for anything that his creation would be worthy of receiving. We, as believers would have access to all power and resources to fulfill our responsibilities. Any failures of believers to respond to God’s commandment (Matt. 28: 19-20), would most likely to fall on an “unfulfilling relationship” of the Creation to the Creator.
God’s Ultimate Goal for His Creation?
Verse 10
Because that in the fulness of time when life on earth shall cease, God, Himselfwill establish His Kingdom and unite all things in Heaven and on earth unto Himself and open the eyes of all to see Him as He is.
Verse 11-13
Explains how believers are able to accomplish any work commanded of the Lord through His Word. Because we were chosen and believed, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit which is God’s down payment for the redemptive price of sin as determined by the Father (Romans 6: 23). This down payment will be finalized at Christ’s Second Coming(1Thess. 4: 14-18), and until then, we should “not only praise God in the highest” but realize that “we ARE His Pride and Joy (Col. 1: 16-17); that he valued His creation enough to redeem us back to the Father by dying for us!!!
We are Christ’s light on a hill!! (Matt. 5: 14-16) for the world to know Him! How is our light shining?
Verse 14
We have the greatest honor of realizing that being chosen was not enough. We had to believe and trust in Christ’s work on Calvary. It was then and only then, were we sealed with the Holy Spirit that was promised by Jesus (John 14: 16). The Holy Spirit empowers believers for ministry, convicts the world of sin, regenerates and indwells believers, and testifies of Jesus Christ! (John 16: 8) (John 3: 5-6) (John 16: 13) (Rom. 8: 26) (Gal. 5: 22-23). This presence of the Holy Spirit will be with us UNTIL the fullness of time in which Christ will reveal the purchased prize (His holy and blameless creation) to the Father (Jude 1: 24). Then Eternity after Judgment will begin (1 Cor. 2: 9)!
Oh, what a glorious day that will be!!! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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Acknowledgement of Accomplishments
It is noted here that Christ’s substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary defeated Satan and his challenge to destroy God’s Creation. Satan thought that he had defeated Christ by Christ’s death.
Through Christ’s death, Christ defeated Satan’s “power” as “god of this world” where God had cast him. (Luke 10: 18-19)
Through Christ’s death, Christ defeated “death” itself. Christ will never die again as Lazareth would die again until his own resurrection. We, believers, believe we will be also be resurrected with Christ unto eternal life (John 11: 25-26).
Through Christ’s death, Christ defeated the “bondage of sin” which had begun in the Garden of Eden. Sin would no longer control believers (Romans 6: 14).
Christ’s death defeated the “fear of failure”relating to Satan’s accusations of the brethren daily. (Rev. 12: 10) (2 Tim. 1: 7)
This does not mean that Satan will end his harassment and attacks to destroy believers, but that he can only attack within the limitations of what God will allow (Rom. 6: 11) (Rom. 8: 1-2) (Luke 10-19).
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Importance of Being Watchful
We need to recognize ourselves as The Lord Jesus’ masterpiece creation. We therefore need to be mindful to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service”. (Rom. 12: 1-2) (1 Cor. 6: 18-19)
How do we recognize this? We do this by putting on the Whole Armor of God (Eph. 6: 13) and Belt of Truth which represents integrity and honesty; protects against lying and deceit;
Breastplate of Righteousness symbolizes the righteousness of Christ protecting the heart (the core of one’s being) from sin, negativity and condemnation.
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace represents readiness to spread the Gospel and the inner peace that gives stability in conflict.
Shield of Faith represents a believer’s trust in God, protecting against the “flaming arrows” (doubts and fears) of the enemy.
Helmet of Salvation protects the mind, reminding believers of their identity, security, and hope in Christ.
Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6: 17) identifies the Word of God: It is the only offensive weapon, used to counter temptation and spiritual attacks.
Life is Full of Challenges
Jesus said that the greatest commandment for his believers to follow is this. . Thou shall love the Lord thy God with ALL thy HEART, and with ALL thy SOUL, and with ALL thy MIND!
That’s a Handful!
People love those who they spend their lives with. How hard it is for a husband or a wife to love God more, whom they have not seen, than a husband or wife, who they have spent a lifetime with?
In God’s mind, this could only be a reality for one, “who spends more time with God than he or she would spend with husband or wife”!
This reflects, (Isa. 55: 8-9) (His ways are not our ways and God’s ways of thinking are so much higher than any of our thoughts!)
Although God’s commandments sometimes seem impossible to follow, it however, does not lessen God’s expectation of our attempts to follow his commandments if we believe in God’s name!
The more I read of God’s Word, seemingly the less I know; regretful of whom I have become as well. I am aware of His great tolerance and great mercy and love for little children such as I.
Inner Reflection
I remember vividly the years of my younger adulthood in which as Apostle Paul penned it so well in (1Cor. 13: 11). When I was a child, I spake as a child; I understood as a child; I thought as a child: But when I became a man, I put away childish things”. My shameful testimony to my Lord is that I did not put away childish things. I forgot to grow up! Yet, through my entire life, He walked with me and talked with me and told me I am his own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known (1912 Christian hymn, In the Garden by C. Austin Miles). Oh, what great love He has shown to me! No one has been blessed greater or more abundantly than I. No one has failed the Lord anymore than I. No one has asked for or needed forgiveness more than I. Yet, He has blessed more than I am able to have room to receive (Mal. 3: 10). Scripture is indeed full of great truths. The present suffering or difficult times are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us (Rom. 8: 18).
Sower's Field by L. Michael Schoonover 