Prayer:

Father, How wonderful you are to us, to lovingly seek our good no matter where we stray and no matter what our mindset is. We thank you that you give us peace; not as the world gives, but with a heart of everlasting serenity that reminds us of the calm that is in the desert, a peace that transcends time and spatial limitations.

Key Word:  
 “Blessings, wisdom”  

Outline:

I.  The believer's position in Christ. 1:1-3:21.  

    A. Salutation. 1:1, 2.  

            2. Redeemed by the Son. 1:7-12.  
           3. Sealed by the Holy Spirit. 1:13, 14.  
     
      C. Paul's first prayer. 1:15-23.

In the last lesson  we started this study of Ephesians with an introduction to the city of Ephesus;  its geographical, political, and spiritual roots.  We ended our study with thoughts of where we began our spiritual roots.  

We were chosen by God the creator of the universe before the world began. Even before the molten earth had cooled to make our planet habitable, we were formed in the mind of God. If it wasn’t for the Lord Jesus Christ’s salvation,  by shedding His blood on the cross, we wouldn’t have known this glorious experience. We shall therefore be holy before him and blameless, ready to share to the world the goodness of the Creator. What roots we have!  As we gaze further into the Scriptures let us see some more goodness done by the other two persons of the Holy Trinity! Let’s start with Jesus:

Eph 1:7-12

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:  

10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Actually all the goodness, assurance, and security we need are in the first of these 6 verses. The salvation of our souls, the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins and the richness of His Grace, is all there for the taking. Can anyone ask for more than this? First we have our roots displayed for the world to see.  Then from that abounding source of heavenly grace which we did not earn, yet were granted, came the blood that forgave sin and turned unrighteousness into righteousness. Thank you Jesus for your mercy! What a reason to wake up in the morning!

He has all wisdom and graces [verse 8] and wants to abound in us, give to us; He takes pleasure in this activity. It is almost like a child on Christmas Eve waiting to open the presents under the tree, such is His excitement towards us. [verse 9].Our inheritance, besides our present state of joy, is right around the corner. He is bringing together the events that will make this whole world give praise to His glory. [verse 12] What a beginning for us, and what indeed, an ending. For us to be a marvelous part in the whole scenario is truly a wonder of the universe. He doesn’t need any help setting this whole situation up for us, and the great news is that he will not need any of our help in bringing it to completion!

Just so we know that the events and everything He told us are going to happen, will happen, Jesus has so graciously given us the Holy Spirit as a promise. Just look at these next two verses:  

Eph 1:13-14

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The word “sealed” means stamped with a special mark. We don’t know what that mark is, but we do know who the giver of that mark is, and the terrible price He paid. Curiosity caused us to delve deeply into the word “earnest” in verse 14, and we found a treasure there that was truly significant! If you have ever applied for a bank loan and had to have someone cosign for your mortgage or car loan then you’ll understand the meaning of this word. It means a pledge, security deposit or “collateral”.  Since God could not give us a promise better than Himself, He gave unto us the Holy Spirit, He gave us Himself. By looking at the two different lexicons, or dictionaries in the back of Strong’ exhaustive Concordance we find the definition of the word “glory” to be the “heaviness of His presence”. Like a heavy mist on a cold winter morning.  It sounds like the time when Abraham was sleeping [trance] and God walked through the animal halves in Genesis. A promise from the very creator Himself. It doesn’t get any better!

The rest of the chapter is so tender first, and then so profound.  Paul writes about being thankful to hear about them, and their faith, and prays continually for them [verse 15-16]. In verses 17-19 his prayer is one of concern that they remember their position in Christ, by focusing their hearts on God and not on their situation. Verses 20 through 23 state exactly who the foundation for our belief in our eternal security is based upon. It is the Lord Jesus, who will have all dominion under His nail-scarred feet. Is there anything He has left out in this chapter to the Ephesians?