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Good morning dear friends,
Today we begin one of the most powerful books in the entire Bible…Ephesians. It is a letter, written by the Apostle Paul, during those two years he was in Rome, under house arrest, as noted in Acts 28:30,31.
We know Paul received many visitors during those years, from the churches he had planted across modern day Turkey, Macedonia and Greece. As they gave him reports of how things were going, Paul wrote letters back to several of those churches. Mr. Tychicus is mentioned in Eph. 6:21 as perhaps the man, with whom Paul sent this letter, back to Ephesus. He’s the same man who may have taken the letter we just finished reading, to Colosse.
Ephesus was one of the main cities of the Roman empire. It was special to Paul since he’d lived in that city at least twice, and for more than three years (Acts 19, 20:31). Many people had become followers of Jesus in this great city, even though it was a pagan city with great temples and a large idol manufacturing industry. (Acts 19:23-27) Paul’s love for the Christians in Ephesus is perhaps best seen in his final, tearful, reunion with several of the elders of the Ephesus churches, who met with him as he was traveling to Jerusalem, for the final time. (Acts 20:17-38)
I like the way Paul begins his letters. . .a clear statement of identity and life purpose. May I paraphrase it just a little? “I am Paul, I am an apostle of Jesus Christ, I am called by the will of God.”
It was evidently important to Paul that he not use his given name Saul (Acts 8:1-3), but rather the name he took on his first missionary journey…Paul (Acts 13:13). It’s almost like he’s wearing a name badge, like you and I would at a conference, but on his badge there are two names. The pre-printed name Saul, but he’s put a scratchy line through that name…, and then the name PAUL in bold letters, hand written. He’s making a statement! “I’m not the man I once was. I am changed by the will, power, and work of God. My life identity, my value, and life purpose have all been changed, by God.” Wow…what a statement.
My friends, that challenges me, and I invite you to let it challenge you. What’s in your name and mine? When you write your name, what do you think about? I think Paul loved to write his name… each time he did, I think he smiled, and I wonder if sometimes, if he was with friends when he wrote his name, he’d even wink at them? They all knew what he was thinking. “I’m not the man I was…oh thank God! I’m very different, living for a very different purpose.” So what about you and me? How different are we from years ago, and what great, God given, life purposes are we pursuing these days?
I received a picture from old friends last week. 50 years ago I was a freshman in college and the guys in that picture were my best friends. (I wonder where you were in the fall of 1969?)
We were all consumed with one passion… winning soccer games for our College. Of course 5 decades later we must all admit, none of us is who we were, and by God’s grace, He brought wonderful wives to each of us, and by now we have children and grandchildren. So I admit…I’ve spent some time reflecting these days… 50 years. Where has the journey of life taken me…and Dawn, my dear wife? Who have we become? What have been our passions along the way and what are they today? May I invite you to take a few moments and do the same?
Paul writes…“To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 1:1,2) Please don’t let the word “saints” trouble you. It is not an official category of people, nor title given by special ceremony. Jesus never used the word, nor did He ever instruct us to formalize it as a special classification to be awarded to certain people for unusual achievement. It is a word Paul chose very carefully, to remind these Ephesian Christians, that as a result of their salvation by Jesus Christ, they are changed people and viewed by God as forgiven sinners, whom He has declared Justified (Romans 5). The holiness of Jesus has been applied to them by God, in their salvation experience, you and me too! Peter describes it this way: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” (1 Peter 2:9) It’s each and every one of us, who is authentically saved by God’s grace, through full faith in Jesus Christ, and His death and resurrection…a holy people! By God’s definition!!
While this letter may have originally been addressed to followers of Jesus in Ephesus, it was widely circulated among all the churches across the Roman Empire, and greatly revered as particularly helpful in the development of those first century churches. Even today, from corner to corner of our globe, Ephesians is carefully translated, studied and applied in widely diverse societies, for the establishment of healthy, Christ following churches. Now think about that just a moment friends…from the jungle tribes in Papua, or the upper tributaries of the Amazon jungle, to villages spread all across Africa, to the massive cities of India, and China… this letter, Ephesians, from Paul, is guiding the growth and development of clusters of Christians, Christ followers, all over the world, today! As we read together, I hope you ask yourself often… “What evidence do I see that Paul’s letter Ephesians, is alive and true in my church?”
Paul continues: “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: For He (God the Father) chose us (you and me) in Him (Jesus Christ) before the creation of the world, to BE holy and blameless in His (God the Father) sight.” (Eph. 1:3,4) Oh my…take a deep breath, and just hold it a moment and ponder the majesty of that statement! What are some of these “spiritual blessings in Christ”, which you believe are the inheritance awaiting you in the heavenly realms? Blessings only God Himself could award to us? May I give you a few, and you add to them. . .
* The future of eternity in the Presence of Almighty God, with the risen Lord Jesus Christ, seated in authority at God’s right hand, and all the holy angels, thousands of them!
* No evil, no pain, no tears, no guilt, no shame, nothing of the kingdom of darkness there in heaven!
* No temptation, no demons, no Satan there in heaven!
* Every human being, from all time, who has trusted in God’s provision for salvation, all together, for all future time!
and so much more… what else can you add to the list of ‘spiritual blessings in Christ”?
This is so powerful that we’re only going to deal with these first 4 verses today, my friends. It may take us a little while to work through Ephesians, I hope that’s OK with you!
So as our final verse today, let’s ponder that powerful verse 4 “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world…”
My friends, when God said “Let us make man in our image…in our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26,27) among other things, that meant HOLY, without sin, no evil.
That’s how Adam was created, and Eve also. Between Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:1, there is a huge gap of time. Have you considered that? How long, we don’t know, but in that time God, Adam and Eve had a wonderful sinless relationship. No evil was anywhere present on this planet. Everything on planet earth was perfect, as God had designed it, from eternity past.
But then came sin, and failure in Genesis 3, and everything changed, forever. Right there God could have given up on us, destroyed it all and started over.
But instead, with God’s desire and design for humanity made in His holy image unchanged, God designed His unimaginable redemption plan, which would required Jesus, God the Son, to come here and pay our rebellion price, with His death on the cross! Paul wanted his dear friends, and us 2000 years later, to understand God’s ultimate desire and design for us… “holy and blameless in His sight!”. Living in uninterrupted, fully satisfied, relationship with God.
Perhaps you’ve heard this statement from Pastor John Piper: “God is most glorified, when I am most satisfied in Him.” And here’s a statement I offer us to consider today. . . ‘God is most delighted when I am living my ‘new creation in Christ life’ (2 Cor. 5:17) to the fullest’. (John 10:10)
And to think God had all this in His mind ‘before the creation of the world…”! Let’s ponder that. . .all day today! God was thinking about TODAY, before He created the Universe!!
Oh Lord Jesus… we are overwhelmed when we consider YOU and this new life you invite us to live with you!
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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