Ephesians 1:3-14
In Ephesians 1, Paul talks about
blessings God has given us. In fact, these blessings are spiritual and from
heaven.
Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:3 ESV
God created the world for us. We
were on God's mind when he created us, and he had special plans for each of us.
Paul tells us that God chose us specifically for his purpose before even the
world was created. That purpose was to be holy and righteous. This is the first
blessing in verse four.
even as he chose us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love
Ephesians 1:4 ESV
Even after the Fall, God has been
trying to get us back into a proper relationship with Him. Moreover, God sent prophets,
kings, and judges to give us his word and to bring us back to him. This did not
work, and God had to send his son to reconcile us.
he predestined us for adoption to
himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Ephesians 1:5 ESV
However, Jesus did not just save
us but promised us a better life. Jesus stays with us so that we will have a
better future that we will be ready for the new heaven and new earth. It is not
a case of Jesus rescuing us from a one-time disaster or lifting us out of the pit
and letting us fall back into the same trap. The salvation from Jesus has
permanently endowed on us and allows us to work in the kingdom of God not as a
worker but as a child through an acquired birthright.
In him we have obtained an
inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works
all things according to the counsel of his will,
Ephesians 1:11 ESV
We also need to respond to these
three blessings.
For this reason, because I have
heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do
not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
Ephesians 1:15-16 ESV
We must love others and share
what God has given us. We might not have physical blessings to share with
others, but we have spiritual blessings to share. We can share the great love God
has shared with us to others so God can bless them, too.
that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of
revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the
riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 1:17-18 ESV
We also need to be aware of work
that has been given to us. We need to give our daily life to God. We need to
put God in our daily life. We need to live as daily sacrifices. We do our best
in the positions we have been put into. Do not break the rules but do your best
in the position God has put you in.
and what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his
great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 1:19-20 ESV
The one who raised Jesus and
placed him as the highest authority is the same who gives us power.
And he put all things under his
feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 1:22 ESV
The head is Christ. We need to
work together and work as if Christ is the head of the church and His mission
is our mission. Christ loved us and saved us, and we, too, must others as Christ
did, so He can save them as well.
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