OUR FATHER WHO PREPARED GOOD WORKS FOR US TO DO IN OUR REDEMTION

The apostle Paul, having described manˋs hoplessly fallen condition, now reveals, in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 - 10, Godˋs impetus of love for us such that even while we were dead in our falleness, He reached down to save us by grace. Not only did He raise us up from death but then lifted us up to the heavenly places in Christ Jesus to where the true scale and scope of His gracious kindness will be shown toward us.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The nature of this redemptive transaction precludes any effort from our part to accomplish because in our corrupt state, we canˋt contribute anything towards our salvation and therefore cannot claim any credit for reaching our redeemed state in heavenly places.

We have nothing to boast about but rather, in gratitude, we can walk out the good works of the kingdom that were prepared for us from before the beginning of the world.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO MADE ALIVE THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN JESUS

The tapostle Paul, in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1 - 3, outlined the condition of the human being prior to God's intervention thusly;

1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

The characteristics of our fallen nature can be summarized this way;

• We were dead in trespasses
• We were dead in sin
• We pursued fleshly gratification
• We followed fleshly desires
• We indulged in fleshly thoughts
• We were qualified for wrath

It is this corrupt nature of ours that God, in His love, had to save us from even though we were fit for destruction, He provided a way of redemption by which we were restored to Him for those who wished to be redeemed.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO PUT ALL THINGS UNDER JESUSˋ FEET

Continuing with his letter to the Ephesians chapter 1 verses 15 - 23,  Paul describes his prayer for the Ephesian believers that they would be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation and come to know the true hope that our Father in heaven in His riches and glory ( as well as His exceedingly great power ) brought to bear through the Lord Jesus for those who believed.

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO SEALS US IN THE HOLY SPIRIT 

The book of Ephesians chapter 1 verses 7 - 14 continues with the exposition by the apostle Paul of the condition and status of those who believe in Jesus. 

Having explained that these things were not put in place as an improvisation to solve the problem of the fall of man but rather as the foundational raison d'être for the design and unfurling of creation, Paul gives us a listing of the privileges that are accrued towards those who believe in Jesus.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

The believers in Jesus who trust in the word of truth are lifted above their original fallen estate and find themselves in Him with these entitlements;

• They are redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus
• Their sins are forgiven 
• They are given knowlege of the otherwise classified sovereign will of God
• They are gathered into the one family of God
• They obtain an inheritance related to the purpose pre-assigned to them
• They are sealed with the Holy Spirit who reserves them as a down-payment
• They are guaranteed to be finally acquired in a glorious redemption to God.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO ADOPTED US AS SONS

Ephesians 3 - 6.

The apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians, after an introductory preamble, plunges into a heavy revelatory exposition of the pathway of mere fallen men into the family of God. This pathway was established from before the groundwork was laid for the creation of the world.

This pathway that was carved out by our heavenly Father bestowed spiritual blessings on those He had chosen so that they could be set apart and blameless having been adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Those selected by the Father's sovereign choosing were made acceptable as sons in the company of the eternal Beloved by the glory of His grace.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHOSE SON GIVES US PEACE BEYOND ALL UNDERSTANDING

Having reached the end of the book  of John, we begin an exploration of Paulˋs letter to the Ephesians which begins with an introduction of himself with his God-given name ( he was formerly known as Saul until God changed his name to Paul) and  his God--give calling as an apostle. Paul then adressed the church members living in the town of Ephesus as saints and as the faithful in Christ Jesus.

 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostleˋs letter also begins with a blessing over the congregation where Paul declares grace ( pertaining to the favour and absolution of God extended towards flawed human beings who trust in Him ) and peace ( which is the gift that comes from the Father and from the Lord Jesus to those who believe in Him ) over the people.

With this introduction, Paul clarifies His spiritual identity given by God and the spiritual identity of those he was addressing in Ephesus.

Amen.

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