Paul Greets the Ephesians
Ephesians
1:1-3 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by
the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in
Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from
the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ. KJV
Paul begins his greeting to the Ephesians certainly
recounting the many miracles that our Lord Jesus Christ worked through his
hands in that region of the world and wanted to declare to the Ephesian
believers that he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ only by God’s will. The
English word “Apostle” is translated by the Greek word apostolos meaning a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the
Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ (with miraculous powers); a
messenger, set apart, and sent out with the message of the Gospel of Grace to
the world. The English word Paul uses here “will” is translated by the Greek
word thelema meaning the
determination; specifically the choice or the decided decree of Almighty God.
Paul declares to these Ephesians that he is what he is and accomplished what he
accomplished among them (despite the strong opposition (Acts 19:21-41) by the determined decision of God the Father.
Paul had spent over two (2) years physically in the region
of Asia (Acts 19:10) and now almost
ten (10) years has past and Paul is led by God the Holy Spirit to pen this letter
to the Church at Ephesus and spending so much time there physically, Paul knew
personally many of the brothers and sisters in the Church and he calls them
saints. There has been in the past and it remains to this very day confusion
about what it means for someone to be a saint or the requirements or
qualifications for one to become a saint. Paul was writing to some people who
before his arrival were worshiping a false god or in truth a demon in the
temple of Diana (the goddess Diana), but since they heard the Gospel of Christ
Paul preached among them, repented of their sins and trusted our Lord Jesus
Christ, Paul now declares them saints of God through faith in Jesus Christ. A saint is not some super holy man or woman i.e. a Priest or a Nun or a Monk (although all Priest, Monks, and Nuns who trust Christ are saints), but a saint is a sinful man or woman who has been born of the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9) and are now set apart for God’s Divine purposes. The saints in Ephesus had not worked any miracles that Paul documented for us in this letter, but each one of these saints and every true saint from the time of our Lord Jesus Christ death, burial, and resurrection until right now have experienced the greatest miracle in all of God’s universe and that is the new birth. The true saint is not of this world spiritually any longer because Christ has taken us out of the world as He declared with these words in His High Priestly Prayer, “I have given {and} delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep {and} protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14-16).
Paul now calls them “the faithful” and this English word is translated by the Greek word pistos which means to be trustworthy, believing, sure, and true; to have an inward certainty. The believer in Jesus Christ because of the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit is faithful only because of this truth as declared in this manner by the Apostle John, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:10-13).
When Paul declares that they will be bestowed God’s grace and peace, he is right then praying for the greatest two (2) of the Father’s many “spiritual blessings” granted to them and to us “in Christ”. This grace is not that which saved them and us, but it is extra or added grace needed for our daily lives from God’s infinite supply and Paul in turn is desiring them to be thankful for having received such great blessings as the Apostle Peter wrote with these words, “Who were chosen {and} foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts].” (1 Peter 1:2).
Paul now finishes his greeting to these Ephesian believers and to us with “praise and worship” of our Heavenly Father first for giving us His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and then for giving us all the spiritual blessings that are Christ Jesus’ and making them available to the Ephesians and to us “in Him” as Christ Jesus our Lord promised to the first disciples and to us with these words, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever--The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know {and} recognize Him. But you know {and} recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you. Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]” (John 14:16-21).
The blessings emanate (proceed or issue forth, as from a source) God the Holy Spirit in the Ephesians and in us. Our Lord Jesus Christ is right now seated at the Right Hand of God the Father and this is what Paul means by the spiritual blessings being in heavenly places, for they are to the Ephesians and to us “in Christ” and located where He is and we too are located where He is at the Right Hand of God the Father as Paul also wrote in this manner to the believers in Philippi when he said, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21).
My own Personal Note: “Christ was going to come and change the heart of every man and woman who would trust Him through faith. The Kingdom that He was bringing was not going to come with swords, armies, and force but rather by the way of His transforming Grace working in the hearts of individual men and women.” (Excerpt from my Book entitled “Silent Assassins of the Soul: Finding Freedom from Sexual Impurity through the Lord Jesus Christ, A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs”
“This has been called the “Epistle of In-ness,” because it is so full of the preposition in. Saints are flesh and blood like ourselves, and we may be saints. The word means “set apart.” We are in Christ and He is in us, and any goodness we have is due to our giving room and scope to Him to realize His own ideals. To be in the heavenlies, Ephesians 1:3, means to live a spiritual life and to draw our reinforcements from the unseen and eternal world, which is focused in our Lord. We are in Him so far as justification is concerned-that is our standing; and He is in us for sanctification-that is the source of a holy and useful life. The condition of a blessed life is the conscious maintenance of this oneness.” F. B. Meyer
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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