The Gospel in Ephesians
When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians he opens with an expanded summary of the benefits of being a Christian. He uses superlative terms,
“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.” Ephesians 1:3
He then goes on to list what these blessings are.
1. Chosen by God
This is a remarkable way to start. All those of us who become Christians discover that we have been chosen by God to be his representatives or his ‘chosen people’. God’s chosen people are not just the Jews in Old Testament times, all true Christians are now included. This is a strong New Testament teaching but it is nearly always associated with an explanation of the purpose why we were selected,
“ . . . to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Ephesians 1:4
This emphasis, that Christians have been set apart to live as God wants, is such an important teaching that Paul repeats it using different words,
“In love he predestined us to to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the one he loves.” Ephesians 1:4-6
We have been predestined, before the world began, to be adopted into God’s personal family but again the purpose is stressed. We have been predestined so that we will live in accordance with his pleasure and will. This means however that we have been chosen and commissioned to live as God wants us to live. What greater privilege can there be than to be included in God’s chosen family?
What is more, this gift is free, we cannot earn it. It is given to all who see their need and ask God for this gift of salvation.
2. Forgiven our sin by God
In common with the rest of Scripture, forgiveness of our sin against God is central. It is our sin and not a lack of evidence that prevents us from accepting the forgiveness God has won for us through the death of Jesus Christ. It is our sin that will prevent us from understanding and from going to live with God when we die. It is vital therefore that we know for certain that our sin has been forgiven.
“In him (Christ)we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8
No wonder Paul was so excited about the benefit of being forgiven. It is because we have been forgiven that we have the right to be called ‘children of God’ (John 1:12) and can know for certain that a place has been reserved for us with God after we die. The resurrection after death is certain for those who are ‘in Christ’.
3. Taught by God
One of the joys of being a Christian is that we are not left in ignorance as to what we have been saved for, what it is that God wants us to be ambitious about.
“And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ . . .” Ephesians 1:9
God has always spoken to his chosen people through ‘his Word’. This is why it is such a tragedy that so many Christians do not make understanding and learning God’s Word a priority both for themselves and for their family.
Ultimately, in the next real life, all creation will become unified in the service of our creator and that is what all Christians are looking forwards to. This is the goal we work towards.
“ . . . to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Ephesians 1:10
The return of Jesus is both our hope and our goal. Our focus should be on the next life, the real life.
Paul now brings these ideas together, we have been chosen, according to God’s plan, to live for the honour and reputation of our Lord Jesus.
“In him (Jesus) we were chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:11-12
This teaching that our Lord is in complete control is a fundamental teaching in the Bible. Everything will work our ‘in conformity with the purpose of his will’.
4. Believed by us
Although we serve an omnipotent God, he has ordained that each of us has proscribed our own eternal destiny. When we first heard that our sin has created a barrier between us and God but that this has been overcome by Jesus, we responded with gratefulness. We should keep ensuring that what we are committed to is really true. Honest questioning is the route to faith, Christian faith is not naive. Doubt is not the opposite of faith but is often the door to faith, if the questions are honest. No-one should forget that it is our sin, our innate rebellion against God, that prevents us finding answers to the big questions of life, as we know that recognising the role of God must radically affect the way we live both now and in the future. Our views on the creation and sustenance of the universe, our instinctive recognition that there are values in this world such as love, honesty and truth and the problem of our sin will all be influenced by our innate rebellion against God.
“And you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed . . .” Ephesians 1:13
Christian belief is much more than an intellectual acceptance of some doctrines. No, we are saved when we recognise the authority of Christ and ask him to save us and direct our lives.
5. Empowered by God
To live such a new life is daunting but the joy is that we are not left alone.
“Having believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance . . .” Ephesians 1:13
It is the Holy Spirit who gives us a love for Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us to want to understand and know the Bible, God’s word to us. It is the Holy Spirit who draws us to become involved with others of God’s people, his church. It is the Holy Spirit who excites us in wanting to share the gospel with our friends and families. It is the Holy Spirit who encourages us to share everything with our heavenly Father – to pray. It is the Holy Spirit who revives our consciences and encourages us to live godly lives that are pleasing to our Lord. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us that assurance that we really are members of God’s chosen people and will join him in heaven,
“ . . . the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
6. Resurrected by God
Throughout this present life we will still be tempted and we will keep failing our Lord by falling into sin. However our Lord has promised that we will join him in heaven if our sin has been forgiven. Jesus ‘guarantees our inheritance’. No wonder Paul ends this one long sentence which lasts from verse 3 to verse 14 with the wonderful words,
“ . . . - to the praise of his glory.”
7. It is all because of Jesus
Scanning through this long sentence it is clear that Paul wants us his readers to recognise that everything we have is because of the Lord Jesus. In this long sentence God and the pronouns referring to him are used 17 times. Jesus Christ is mentioned 9 times with a further 7 pronouns referring to him. The two, Jesus Christ and God, his Father, are inseparable.
At the beginning of the next chapter Paul stresses that our salvation is completely the work of God, our role is to accept God’s offer. We were dead because we were living for ourselves and we could therefore do nothing to help ourselves,
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world . . . All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” Ephesians 2:1-3
However God then stepped into our lives and gave us life – we woke up.
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” Ephesians 2:5
God chooses some of the most unlikely people to belong to him. Moses was a murderer and exile, Samson was an immoral egotist, Joseph was a spoilt boaster, Abraham a lying coward, David an adulterer and murderer, Rahab a prostitute, Gideon was spineless, Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul was a persecutor of the church. God chooses the least likely to do great things. Paul wrote,
“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are., so that no-one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
What a wonderful doctrine this is. It means that anyone can be called by God to be empowered to live for him.
The whole Bible focuses on God’s Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the salvation he will give to those who are enabled to believe in him. His followers will be forgiven their sin and given the Holy Spirit. These are foundational truths but there are clearly many other benefits that belong to God’s chosen people; we have the certainty of being resurrected to be with our Saviour in heaven, we have a God who answers our prayers when they are in accord with his will, we are given a peace that passes all understanding as we face the rigours and troubles of life here on earth. Who could need more?
BVP