Why start with Ephesians? First, it’s a familiar book, with key verses about being saved through faith, about the armor of God and other topics. Second, it’s a book that focuses closely on salvation and on Christ. Third, it focuses on relationships, building a diverse group of people into a unified fellowship – very relevant. So is the focus on spiritual warfare, and the practical
The theme verse for this series is Ephesians 4:23 — “be renewed in the spirit of your minds.” For the believer, the word of God reframes our perspective on life. We need to see things differently in the light of the gospel.
Paul starts by calling himself an Apostle, a messenger of God. The message that he brings is greater than him, than his ability to understand or sustain it.
So that’s who’s writing. Who is he writing to? Possibly just the Ephesians, though that reference is not in all the manuscripts – out could be a circular letter that went to a large number of churches in Asia Minor. Ephesus was the hub of Christianity in that region. The message of John the Baptist reached the area early, and Paul met a group of his disciples there. Lots of other things happen in Ephesus in the book of Acts, and in fact that book is one of the main sources of any information about the city in ancient literature. The Ephesians also receive a letter from Christ himself in Revelation, where they are praised for their faithfulness, but called back to the live they had at first, but had lost.
So, Paul, to the Ephesians. As a greeting, he conveys grace and peace through Jesus Christ.
Grace is the unmerited favor of God, a gift to the unworthy, and we only truly understand it when we understand the truth of our unworthiness. Peace is Shalom, not just a lack of violence, but wholeness and completeness – creation as it was intended to be.
This is a common greeting across Paul’s epistles, but it is most suitable here, where he packs the most concentrated discussion of grace in all the Bible.
Then he goes on to discuss the spiritual blessings God gives us. Calvin writes about Ephesians,
Paul tells us that the benefits which are brought us by our Lord Jesus Christ and of which we are made partakers by means of his gospel are so excellent that we must surely be extremely unthankful if we scurry to and fro like people who are never at rest or contented.
These blessings have been interpreted many different ways – often badly, as wealth or prosperity. In reality the blessings are fast better, far more than mere material stuff or even health.
The blessings of Christ are far more, and they are secure. Calvin goes on to say,
And then he shows us also what we have in Christ in order that we should so cleave to him as not to presume to seek help anywhere else, but assure ourselves that he has procured everything for us
We can struggle with the security of salvation, especially if we focus too much on ourselves. But it isn’t about us. We aren’t enough, and we have never been enough. But Christ is enough and the security He offers should give us the utmost confidence.
Are you in Christ today? If so, you are blessed beyond anything you can imagine. If not, listen to the writer of Hebrews, quoting Psalms: today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.
– Sermon Notes, Bart Hodgson, Seed Church, Lynnwood WA, July 12, 2020