Ephesians
1 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To
God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise for
spiritual blessings in Christ
3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us
in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with his pleasure and will – 6 to the praise of his glorious
grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and
understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to
his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when
the times reach their fulfilment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and
on earth under Christ.
11
In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of
him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in
order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the
praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the
message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were
marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s
possession – to the praise of his glory.
Thanksgiving
and prayer
15
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your
love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering
you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that
you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the
riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably
great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right
hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also
in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed
him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the
fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The Bible Panorama
Ephesians 1
V 1–2: GODLY GREETING Paul, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets the Ephesian
Christians. His apostleship comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ. So does his greeting of grace and peace.
V 3–12: GLORIOUS GRACE Paul recounts God’s blessing already received by those whom God
has chosen before the foundation of the world. His grace is the means through
which Christians have been redeemed through the blood of Christ and have
received forgiveness of sins. God’s grace is full of riches, accomplishes His
will in the believer’s predestination, and causes those who trust Him to
glorify Him through their praise.
V 13–14: GOSPEL’S GUARANTEE When a person trusts the Lord Jesus Christ through the gospel of
salvation, he or she is sealed through God’s Holy Spirit. He enters that believer’s
life as a guarantee of completed redemption to come, which will result in
praise to God’s glory.
V 15–21: GREAT GIFT In thanking God for the Ephesian Christians, Paul asks that they
will have the most important gift of the spirit of wisdom and revelation in
knowing Him. With this gift they will understand something of the hope of their
calling, the riches which are theirs, and the resurrection power available to
them as Christians. They will see the pre-eminence and wonder of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
V 22–23: GOVERNING GOD God the Father has put all things under the feet of God the Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the head of everything, including the church.
His fullness fills it and everything else.
Where are you? From Elim Missions
Ephesians 1
The year is around AD62, Paul is under house arrest with a Roman guard. He is contained, limited and not free to travel like he has been. He is restricted to reach the many churches he still wants to visit.
Do you know this kind of place? A place of containment?
This is where Paul was.
But he disagrees.
He says, v3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ".
"I am not sitting in this prison, I am living my life in the heavenly realms!"
The heavenly realms is the unseen world of spiritual reality where we are one in Christ.
a. I am under arrest but I am at the horizon. The point of the physical and spiritual, the visible and the invisible.
v1 I am a servant, called, an apostle (sent!), set apart. How is this possible?
Because the physical circumstances will not define me. I will find a way because I live at the horizon.
The horizon is a sitting place, v20 and in the next chapter 2:6. It means you are not moving forward. We are so used to hearing messages of breakthrough, advancement, growth and it is all good. But here is a New Years message: sit down!
Stop trying to make things happen. Stop getting tired from your own efforts. Learn how to relax in God. Learn how not to carry the weight of your problems, but give Jesus your burdens.
Let God work for you not you work for Him.
You are seated with Christ.
b. v18 I am under arrest but I have hope. This is not hope so. This is a real, tangible, guaranteed hope in Jesus. You have not been put on this earth to go under and stay under, to be overwhelmed and eaten away at the predicament you have found yourself to be in. You were created for something much better! Our hope is in His resurrection, v20.
Further Reading
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