Ephesians 1 - Predestined for Resurrection Power!

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Introduction to the Book of Ephesians

1. Ephesus was on a commercial trade route, and therefore many people visited it from many areas around it.

2. Ephesus was in Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey. 

3. Many call Ephesus the hub of the early church. 

4. While most of Paul's letters dealt with a specific issue in a church, Ephesians is more a manual for the early church. Chapters 1 - 3 deal with doctrine, and Chapters 4-6 deal with practical matters in the church. 

5. Paul spent 2 years at Ephesus during his third missionary journey, so he knows the church well. 

"Ephesus was the most easily accessible city in Asia, both by land and sea. Its location, therefore, favored its religious, political and commercial development, and presented a most advantageous field for the missionary labors of Paul."  (bibleatlas.org)

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 predestined us for adoption to sonship 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 fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Paul starts out with a very poetic statement about the mystery of God revealed in Jesus Christ. We have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ. Spiritual blessings would include among other things peace, forgiveness, the assurance of salvation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Here we also see the doctrine of predestination. 

God chose us before the world even was created. We might say we made a decision to accept Christ, but he chose us long before that. Note that he chose us to be holy and blameless. Holiness is not something we achieve or manufacture in our own power, it is who we are in Christ. We are holy, which means special, because God chose us to be his sons and daughter. 

Paul uses the language of adoption to underscore that he chose us. He chose us to be part of his family and gave us all the rights as His son or daughter. All of these mysteries God made known through Jesus, whom we have received redemption and forgiveness. To redeem means to "buy back". Jesus bought us back by paying our sin-debt. He paid for it with his precious blood. This shows us the value we have in God's sight. God the Father did not do this begrudingly, but freely lavished on us His grace and was pleased to do so. It was his plan, his purpose, and his pleasure to save us through Christ. 

As you can see the first chapter of Ephesians sets the groundwork for what God has done for us in Christ Jesus!

11 In him we were also chosen, 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.

Our predestination is not just for our salvation, but also for our life here on earth. We are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. We call this "Christ-like" maturity. This is not about me achieving Christ-likeness, but allowing God to conform me according to His perfect will. It is God's will for us to look like Jesus. This is our purpose on earth as his sons and daughters. We also call this discipleship, but Paul is approaching this from a different angle, the angle of predestination. 

Finally, Paul has talked about the role of the Father and the Son, and then he talks about the role of the Holy Spirit. We know the Holy Spirit gives us wonderful gifts, but perhaps the best gift he gives us is the assurance of our salvation. Paul says the Holy Spirit is like a "downpayment" guaranteeing our future inheritance. 

This is so important because God never wants us to worry about our salvation and where we will spend eternity. The Holy Spirit is also a seal and shows we are under new manaagement. A seal and a deposit were both words known very well in a commercial center like Ephesus. They are financial terms. A downpayment guarantees a loan, and a seal is an indication of who the owner is, and how he backs what has been sealed. In this case it is the Holy Spirit who acts on behalf of God to give us 100% confidence in what he has done for us! 

“The seal is therefore the Holy Spirit Himself, and His presence in the believer denotes ownership and security. The sealing with the Spirit is not an emotional feeling or some mysterious inward experience.” (Gaebelein)

The word guarantee (“down payment”) is used only in the New Testament of the Holy Spirit. He is our only down payment of coming glory; nothing else is provided – or needed. (Guzik)

Do you sometimes worry about if you are saved, or you have done enough to earn your salvation? When you heard the gospel of truth and believed you were given the Holy Spirit! Your salvation is guaranteed by God Himself!

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.

Paul ends on a personal note of thanks praising the Ephesians for their faith and love for all of God's people. Apparently they used their means to help others less fortunate. Paul shows he is a man of prayer and doesn't just preach to people but prays for them! 

Paul prays that they would continue to go deeper into the revelation of the Trinity. It is the Spirit which gives them and us wisdom and revelation. Paul prays the eyes of their hearts might be opened to know the hope which they were called to and the riches they have in Christ. 

Importantly Paul says, "His incomparably great power for those who believe". 

Where does this power come from? The same power that enabled Jesus to risee from the dead. Can you believe it? You have resurrection power living in you. I think so many Christians never tap into that power. We have the power of the risen Christ in us through the Holy Spirit. This should challenge and inspire us to go much deeper than we do in the church today. I think sometimes we are just living on the surface level of our faith, when God has given us so much more. 

Paul closes by showing the all surpassing power of Jesus, as he sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is Lord over every authority, power, and dominion. His name is the name above all names. While it may look like at times He is not in charge in our world today, one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father! 

We can and should put forth the powerful name of Jesus in a more intentional way. We apologize for Jesus rather than proclaiming him as Lord! But first, he needs to be Lord in our lives, as we submit to the Holy Spirit and not our sinful nature. We often say about others, "They are a really powerful Christian!" 

Well guess what? We are all powerful Christians if we dive into God's resurrection power in our lives!