New York UBF – NY University Bible Fellowship (NYUBF)

Ephesians Lesson 1

SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST

Ephesians 1:1-23
Key Verse: 1:3

“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.”

One day a tax collector came to a poor Christian man to estimate the amount of taxes he would have to pay. “What property do you own?” the tax collector questioned.  “Oh, I am very wealthy,” replied the poor Christian man. “Very good! List your possessions, please,” the tax collector instructed. The poor Christian man made a big smile and replied, “Sure! I have everlasting life, a huge mansion in heaven, unspeakable joy and peace in my heart, unchanging love of God, a beautiful and spiritual wife, healthy, growing and obedient children, many loving and supportive friends and coworkers, a puppy, and I am still expecting to receive the crown of life. So I think I should pay a lot of taxes. Right?” The tax collector closed his book and said, “Well, truly you are a rich man, but your property is not taxable.” Christians are very rich people with great spiritual wealth. But in reality, many Christians do not feel that they are truly rich because of their spiritual blindness.

Paul wrote this letter in order to help the Ephesian Christians to understand the spiritual dimensions of God’s blessings in Christ Jesus. He also teaches them God’s high purpose for the church of Christ, which is the body of all believers in Christ on earth. One of the most important themes of this letter is the unity of believers, and they should act in love toward each other. In today’s passage, St. Paul reminds us how rich we are in Christ Jesus our Lord.

First, Grace and Peace (1-2)

Look at verse 1. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.” Paul says that he became an apostle of Jesus Christ not by the will of men, but by the will of God. Before he was called by God, he had no intention of being an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was a Jewish extremist, who regarded Christianity as a dangerous heresy and Christians as God’s enemies who should not exist. So he thought that destroying the church of Christ was an heroic act as God’s people. He would do anything if only he could arrest and persecute Christians.  But there was God’s will for him. When Paul was on the way to Damascus to arrest Christians, God arrested him instead, made him his servant and establish many churches in the Gentile world through him. The Ephesian church was one of the many churches Paul pioneered in the Gentile world during his three missionary journeys. At that time, Ephesus was the most important commercial center of the Roman province of Asia. The city was also widely known for its gigantic temple of Artemis, the goddess of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the world, such pyramid in Egypt, hanging garden in Babylon and Twin Towers in New York. Ephesus was ungodly, extremely materialistic and immoral. Yet, during his third missionary journey, Apostle Paul had stayed in Ephesus for at least two and a half years and fully concentrated on daily discussion of the word of God in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:1-22) As a result, the work of the Holy Spirit in Ephesus was remarkable in spite of severe opposition. Later on, the Ephesian Church became one of the main world mission centers in the early Christian church.

When Paul wrote this letter, he was in a Roman prison. What greetings could he, who was in prison, possible give to the Ephesian Christians? Well, he gave them the greetings of grace and peace. Look at verse 2. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The words “grace” and “peace” are two most repeated words in Ephesians: grace is repeated 11 times and peace 8 times. Paul also ends this letter by greeting them with grace and peace. (6:23,24) That’s not all, in every letter he wrote, he gave the greetings of grace and peace. “Grace and peace to you!” to Corinthians.  “Grace and peace to you!” to Philippians. “Grace and peace to you!” to Colossians and to every believers he met. Why? It’s because without remembering the grace of God in Christ Jesus, we can have no peace in our hearts. The world we live in is full of troubles, one trouble after another. It’s hard enough just to survive. It’s easy to be disturbed, distressed and overly anxious in this dog-eat-dog world. But those who remember the grace of Jesus Christ and abide in his grace can have peace in their hearts, the peace of God which transcends all understanding even in the times of troubles. Even though we are forgetful and tend to make mistakes, we should not fail to remember one thing, that is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:9,10) Grace and peace go together. So let’s all greet one another by saying not “What’s up?” but “Grace and peace to you!”

Second, spiritual blessing in Christ (3-14)

In the original Greek, verses 3-14 are a single, complex sentence, the longest sentence in the Bible. In this long sentence, Apostle Paul reminds the Ephesian Christians of what kind of blessings we Christians received from God. Let’s read verse 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.” Generally, it’s easy for Christians to praise and thank God when they are blessed materially and humanly. When we are promoted and get good grades, we say, “Praise the Lord.” But when we are in a difficult situation, it’s hard to realize God’s spiritual blessings. Sometimes we compare ourselves with those who seem to have what we don’t have. As a result, we become jealous of others, harden our hearts and become spiritually blind, feeling as if we are not blessed at all.

Some missionaries in Japan and in Middle east countries feel discouraged, because no matter how hard they struggle they don’t have many sheep under their care, while missionaries in some other countries, like Sudan, Indonesia, Russia and Ukraine have so many sheep to take care of. When we see their faces in the Newsletter, missionaries in Japan look gloomy and don’t smile, while missionaries in Russia all smiles. Last week when Missionary Mother Barry went to Japan, she had a hard time to encourage our missionaries in Japan. But we notice that Apostle Paul praised God not because he had many sheep. In fact, he was not in a situation in which he could give thanks and praises to God. In his old age and after serving the Lord so faithfully, he was put in a dark and cold prison cell, being isolated from his coworkers and shackled in iron chains. Yet, instead of groaning and mourning, he praised God. How could he? It’s because even in the lowest point of his life, he had spiritual eyes to appreciate God’s spiritual blessings through his Son Jesus Christ. (3) Then what are the spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus in the heavenly realms? Paul describes them one by one in the following verses.

First, the blessing of God’s election.(4-6) Look at verse 4-6. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us 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.” Here, we learn that even before the beginning of the world God already had a definite plan to make us his children through the redeeming work of Christ Jesus. We call it “election” or “predestination.” We are saved because we are God’s elect. Jesus also said in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” Yet, I cannot deny that I chose to believe in him freely. I didn’t believe him automatically. I also made a decision to believe in Jesus. So the question is “Was it a God’s decision or my decision that I was saved?” Well, my answer is, “I chose to believe in Jesus only because God had first chosen me before the beginning of the world.”

I used to be very proud of my athletic talent. When I was 8th grade, there was a soccer competition in my school. I thought I would definitely be chosen to be one of the eleven players. Unfortunately, however, I was not chosen while all my friends were chosen. I felt so humiliated and rejected that I had to cry with many tears. But that’s nothing compared to God’s election. If God didn’t choose me, I would be in big trouble. I cannot imagine the kind of life I would have lived. I don’t deserve to be elected by God. But why me? I can only praise and thank God for the blessing of his election.

Second, the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ.(7-10) Read verses 7 and 8. “In him 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.” The word “redemption” means “bought with a price.” Once we were prisoners of the devil due to our sins. Nothing in the world can set men free from the slavery of sins, not even money, knowledge, science or philosophy. But God did so through the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:28 and 29 says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” We are set free from the bondage of our sin in order to serve God without fear in holiness and righteousness. Although we still fall into sin over and over due to our sinful nature, we can always be cleansed through the blood of Jesus Christ over and over again and our fellowship with God can be restored. The grace of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ is so abundant that we can never wear it out. We have unlimited access to the grace of forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. Recently I was stopped by police for speeding. I had to pay $ 90. At first I was upset. But what if I have to pay $90 whenever I sin before God. How much should I have to pay to God? But all my due was canceled because Jesus paid all for me. How wonderful grace it is!

Third, the blessing of an inheritance from God.(9-13a) Our redemption through the blood of Jesus reveals not only the riches of God’s grace but also the depth of his wisdom and understanding. Read verses 9 and 10. “For he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” The entire plan of God’s salvation through Christ is God’s mystery, which had been hidden from the eyes of people for a long time. But by the coming of Christ into the world the mystery of God has been revealed to us. And we know that it is God’s plan that at the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth. Many historians and great scholars had failed to see the mystery of God’s salvation plan. But we are given this mystery through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. What a blessed man we are! Jesus said, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” (Mt 13:16)

In verses 11-13a, Apostle Paul describes an inheritance which God gives to his people in Christ. Look at verses 11-13a. “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, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Here, the pronoun “we” refers to Paul himself and his fellow Jewish believers who came to believe in Christ first, and the pronoun “you” refers to the Gentile believers who came to believe through the preaching of the first believers. According to these verses, it was God’s plan that the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers share the same spiritual blessings in Christ. We also learn that when God saved us through his Son, he also planned that his believers would receive the inheritance of participating in his great salvation plan by spreading the gospel among all people of all nations, so that all men, both Jews and Gentiles, may be under the authority of Christ Jesus. There are many things to be done in the world. But believers in Christ are given a mission as their inheritance to spread the gospel of Christ. Our mission to participate in the work of salvation is truly meaningful and rewarding. In Christ, no one is unemployed.

Fourth, the inheritance of the Holy Spirit.(13b-14) Read verses 13b and 14. “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, 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.” When we believed in Christ, God identified us as his own children by giving us the Holy Spirit as he had promised long ago. Even though we are not perfect while we struggle to live by faith on earth, we can taste the joy of salvation through the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised, including immortality, the final redemption of our body. This is just one more reason to praise our glorious God. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:8, “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day– and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

While we live in this world, we can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit as we are united with Christ, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.(Gal 6:22-23) These are indeed invaluable treasures we have. Money cannot buy these things. Although we suffer a little bit while we live by faith in this world, we are truly rich with great spiritual wealth in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Second, Paul’s prayer for spiritual wisdom (15-23)

Verses 15-23 are Paul’s thanksgiving and prayers for the Ephesian Christians. Read verses 15-17. “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”At that time, Paul was in prison. But he didn’t fall into self-pity and sorrow, thinking only about his situation. Instead, he constantly remembered God’s flock in his prayer, giving thanks to God. Although he could not visit them in person, he diligently wrote and sent letters of encouragement to them. What did he pray for them? His foremost important prayer topic for them was that they might know Jesus better. He didn’t pray that they might not have any trouble in this world or they might become rich and successful or even that they might feed many sheep. He prayed that they might know Jesus better. Why? It’s because he considered that knowing Jesus Christ is far superior to anything in the world.

Read verse 18. “I pray also 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 the saints.” Here, we learn that as Christians we should have clear hope and vision in Christ Jesus. It’s very important for God’s children to remember the hope to which they are called. God didn’t save us just to struggle to survive. He saved us to be holy and blameless in Christ as his dear children and inherit the glorious kingdom of God. Most of all, God called us as his servants to participate in his glorious redemption through his Son Jesus Christ.

Most of all, Saint Paul wanted us to see the supreme power of God working for the completion of his redemption through Christ Jesus.  Look at verses 19 and 20. “And his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” When we look at the world in the present age, the world seems to be full of the power of evil. The future of the world seems so gloomy. We ask, “Where is God working?” According to verses19-20, God has been working faithfully and mightily since the creation of the world. Jesus, who suffered and died for our sins, was raised to life, overcoming the power of death and evil. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing. (Mt 11:12) For example, no one in history could overcome the power of sin and death. But Jesus did. He was raised to life, not to die again but to live eternally. He is the firstfruits of the glorious resurrection.

Look at verse 22-23. In fact, God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church, the body of his believers on earth. God is working mightily in and through his believers through the Holy Spirit. We are weak and imperfect. But God, who is working in us, is almighty, all-knowing and perfect. Therefore, we can do everything through him who gives us strength. We cannot change ourselves or anyone else. But God can. Sometimes, we wonder, saying “What God can do through me?” We must remember that God is pleased to reveal his glory through those who are weak but willing to trust in his wisdom and power. We were chosen to reveal his glory through his Son Jesus Christ before the beginning of the world. We are called from above to live with the hope of the glorious kingdom of heaven. Most of all, we are truly rich with great spiritual wealth. May the Lord help us to see the riches of his inheritance and the hope to which we are called and live up to his calling day by day. Let us read our key verse, verse 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.”