2015 Ephesians Lesson 1

Spiritual Blessings

Ephesians 1:1-14

Key Verse 3

1. Who is the sender and the recipient of this letter? (1) How did Paul become an apostle? What is the significance of his becoming an apostle of Jesus Christ? How did he pray for the members of the Ephesian church? (2)

2. What was Paul’s situation when he wrote this letter? (3:1,13, 4:1, 6:20) Describe how he begins his letter? (3) What prompted the Apostle Paul to give praise to the God? What might be the spiritual blessings that our Lord has blessed us with? (4,7,11,14)

3. When and with what purpose did God choose us? (4a) How did this grace of God’s choice materialize? (5) Why did he call this his glorious grace? For what purpose did God allow this grace? (4b)

4. How did we receive the forgiveness of sins? (7) What else did God give us? (8) With wisdom and understanding, what mystery was made known to us? (9, 10) What are the examples of division and conflict, that resulted in tragedy in our times? How can we overcome these problems? (10)

• Dear Coworkers! Please note that both questions and note posted here, are for reference only! Please use questions posted in question section for Bible study with Dr. John Jun.

Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Key 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.

1. Read verses 1 and 2. How does Paul introduce himself to the Ephesians? (1a) Why does he call them ‘God’s holy people’ and ‘the faithful in Christ Jesus’? (1b) What can we learn from the way Paul greets the body of Christ throughout his letters? (2)

2. Read verses 3 - 6. How does the Apostle Paul praise God? What does he mean by ‘every spiritual blessing in Christ’? (3b) With what purpose did God choose us? (4) How did we become his children? (5) Why does Paul praise God all the more? (6)

3. Read verses 7 - 10. How are we redeemed? (7, 8a) What is the mystery of God’s will? (7,8a) How was the mystery of God’s will made known to us? (8b, 9) When will the mystery of God’s will put into effect and what will happen? (10)

4. Read verses 11 - 14. How were we chosen? (11) What was the purpose of his will? (12) What happened to the Ephesian believers when they heard the message of truth? (13a) What else happened to them when they believed? (13b) What does the Holy Spirit do for them? (14) What can we learn from this passage?

Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Key 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.

Introduction

In today’s passage Paul praises God for the spiritual blessings he has given us through Christ. Everyone wants blessings. God has poured out his abundant spiritual blessings on us through Jesus Christ. Let's think about his blessings one by one so that we may not live in spiritual poverty, but enjoy the rich spiritual blessings God has given us. There are two parts in this passage. Verses 1-2 are the Apostle Paul’s opening greetings to the Ephesians believers. Verses 3-14 are his outpouring praise to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Originally his statement was composed as a single sentence. What an amazing transformation of the Apostle Paul! The Apostle Paul used to be a man who persecuted Christ and his followers, without ceasing. But he became a man of praise towards God, without ceasing. Praise the Lord who is the master of transformation!

1. Read verses 1 and 2. How does Paul introduce himself to the Ephesians? (1a) Why does he call them ‘God’s holy people’ and ‘the faithful in Christ Jesus’? (1b) What can we learn from the way Paul greets the body of Christ throughout his letters? (2)

1-1, Read verses 1 and 2.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1-2, How does Paul introduce himself to the Ephesians? (1a)

• He identified himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus.

• Even though he was not chosen as one of Jesus’ disciples from the beginning, he became an apostle by the grace of Jesus Christ.

• He pointed out that it was not by his own decision, but by the will of God.

• He mentions in 3:1 and 4:1 that he is a “prisoner,” and in 6:20 he says he is “an ambassador in chains.” This leads us to believe that Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison.

• It is traditionally believed that Paul wrote Ephesians, as well as Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, during his first imprisonment in Rome, ca. A.D. 60 or 61.

• Also this letter was known as a circular letter, intended for other churches such as Laodicea, Colossae, in addition to Ephesus.

• We can find a similar pattern to the beginning of his letters in Colossians 1:1-2.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.”

1-3, Why does he call them ‘God’s holy people’ and ‘the faithful in Christ Jesus’? (1b)

• From a human point of view, the believers in Ephesus were not perfect. They were still vulnerable to greed and immorality, typical of the Gentiles.

• But from God’s point of view they were holy, set apart for the Lord, and very special people.

1-4, What can we learn from the way Paul greets the body of Christ throughout his letters? (2)

• Paul prayed for them to have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Grace and peace are God’s gifts to those who put their faith in Jesus. Those who have grace and peace in their hearts do not falter in any situation.

1. Read verses 3-6. How does the Apostle Paul praise God? What does he mean by ‘every spiritual blessing in Christ’? (3b) With what purpose did God choose us? (4a) How did we become his children? (4b, 5) Why does Paul praise God all the more? (6)

2-1, Read verses 3-6.

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.

2-2, How does apostle Paul praise God?

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.

• First he praised the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for he has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

• The words, “has blessed,” means that God has already given his blessing in full; he did not wait for us to improve before giving us more.

• But the only issue here is that often times we are not aware of this blessing like Jacob who was seeking God’s blessing for more than two decades blindly.

• Jacob later found the fact that he was truly blessed and confessed in Genesis 33:11,

“Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.”

• Likewise God has already given us his blessing when we believed in Jesus.

• In the past, we were cursed in Adam. But now, we are blessed abundantly in Christ. We are rich; not just like a millionaire, but like a Billionaire.

• However, sometimes we behave like beggars, or stingy people, who think they have no blessings from God at all.

• We need to realize how much God has blessed us and live happy, generous lives like spiritual billionaires.

2-3, What does he mean by ‘every spiritual blessing in Christ’? (3b)

• ‘Every spiritual blessing in Christ’ reminds us of Colossians 1:15-20,

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

• But Paul emphasizes that every spiritual blessing has been given in Christ; they need nothing more.

• When we feel in want, we should realize more deeply that God has already given us every spiritual blessing in Christ instead of looking elsewhere.

• There may be spiritual blessings as well as material blessings. People usually praise God when receiving material blessings.

• However spiritual blessings truly satisfy our souls. They are most valuable. God has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ.

2-4, With what purpose did God choose us? (4a)

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

• It is incredible and unbelievable. God chose us even before the creation of the world.

John 15:16 says,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you.”

• We became chosen people by God’s one-sided grace. God chose us before the creation of the world.

• We did not volunteer to become God’s chosen people. God chose us according to his eternal plan. It is not a burden but a great privilege.

Ephesians 1:11 says,

“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,”

• God chose us with a clear purpose according to his eternal plan. This is truly amazing grace that God has given to us.

• We were not chosen by a random chance based on random fishing on campus but by God’s clear plan.

• The purpose of calling was to make us holy and blameless in his sight. God chose us to make us a holy nation, serving his eternal will and purpose.

• Paul knew that it was a great blessing to be chosen by God. He said in 1 Timothy 1:15

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst.”

He also said in 1Co 15:9-10,

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”

• Humanly speaking, Paul deserved to be killed and was not qualified to be chosen because he was the worst of sinners, persecuting many Christians and putting them to death.

• But to our surprise he became God’s chosen instrument for the Gentiles. By the grace of God he was chosen.

• God’s grace motivated him to work harder than anyone else. Due to the grace of Jesus, he worked hard for Jesus’ name.

• Abraham in Genesis was a useless, helpless, childless, and hopeless 75-year old man. But God chose him to become the father of faith for all believers.

• He was the least likely person to be chosen. But God chose him and Abraham obeyed God’s calling and became a great nation and a source of blessing for all mankind.

• That’s why God said to him in Genesis 17:1, “I am God Almighty, walk before faithfully and be blameless.”

• Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who chose each of us in the same way to be holy and be blameless before His eyes!

2-5, How did we become his children? (4b, 5)

In Love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

• Some people might have trouble when they hear the word “predestined.”

• But when we consider the words “In love”, we come to understand that predestination is not a fate but an act of God’s love.

• This knowledge leads us to pursue a holy life. We can rest assured that after we have done our very best to serve God’s sheep, we can entrust the matter into the hands of the Lord.

• This does not nullify incentive for evangelism and missions. We do not know who the elect and the non-elect are, so we must continue to spread the word to all people.

• Our efforts to evangelize is God moving to bring the elect to salvation.

John 6:37 and 44 reads,

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

• Next, let’s think about the word, ‘adoption’.

• This adoption is a legal term. This adoption is possible through Jesus Christ.

• In the movie, “Ben-Hur(1959)”, the main actor, Charlton Heston plays a Palestinian Jew, named Judah. Judah was a man battling the Roman empire at the time of Christ. His actions sent him and his family into slavery, but an encounter with the Roman Consul, changed his life. The Roman Consul, Quintas Arias, jumped into the sea, wanting to commit suicide, because he sensed that he had lost his battle. Judah jumped in and rescued him. Finally, news came that Rome won the battle. Consul Arias adopted Judah as his son. Suddenly, misfortune turned into great privilege as the son of the Roman consul. Heston finally meets his rival in a justly famous chariot race and rescues his suffering family. However the most significant part of the film is an inspirational encounter with Jesus that changes everything. Through this personal encounter, Judah realizes the sins of hatred, revenge, and bitterness in his heart and receives Jesus’ sin forgiveness. He was then adopted into the family of God, thanks to Jesus who died on the cross.

• Likewise once adopted as a son, he will enjoy all the privileges as the son - 1) become a member of the family of God, 2) become an heir with Christ (Romans 8:17), 3) and imitate Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).

• Once we were not God’s children, lost in our sins and rebellion. But God adopted us as his sons through faith in Jesus. Now we can call “Abba Father” and enjoy all the spiritual blessings as his sons.

2-6, Why does Paul praise God all the more? (6)

to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. “

• Throughout this passage the words “through Jesus Christ” or “in him” or “in Christ” is repeated.

• We praise God all the more for his glorious grace. We praise Him for His abundant love in and through Jesus Christ!

1. Read verses 7-10. How are we redeemed? (7, 8a) What is the mystery of God’s will? ( 7, 8a) How was the mystery of God’s will made known to us? (8b, 9) When will the mystery of God’s will put into effect and what will happen? (10)

3-1, Read verses 7-10.

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 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.

3-2, How are we redeemed? (7, 8a)

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.

• Redemption means to buy back, especially out of slavery. When we are free, we do not appreciate how precious our freedom is.

• But when we lose it, like prisoners of war(POW) or when we are put in prison due to violating the law, we really come to appreciate our freedom.

• The Bible says we were slaves of sin. We did not do what we wanted to do, but we did what we hated to do.

• Even though we hated it, we could not stop doing it.

• Many young people are addicted to drugs or video games. Even though they fail in their school studies, they cannot stop playing video games.

• Others are slaves of lustful desires, alcohol or drugs. Some are slaves of anger, bitterness or hatred.

• Some have a chronic habit of holding grudges, and this imprisons them. How can we get out of such bondage that ruins our lives?

• To be redeemed requires a price. The price is not money or community service, but life, for the wages of sin is death.

• So we have to die in order to pay the price of sin. People think that sin is enjoyable. They think they can enjoy sin as they please and then escape from it.

• But when we try to escape from it, we find that we are trapped by Satan.

• Verse 7 says we have redemption through his blood. In order to redeem us Jesus shed his blood on the cross.

Leviticus 17:11 says,

“For the life of a creature is in the blood...the blood...makes atonement for one’s life.”

Hebrews 9:22 says.

“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

• This looked forward to Jesus’ blood. Jesus was the sinless Son of God. His blood has power to satisfy God’s righteousness and to cleanse our sin-stained blood. Jesus’ blood brings us forgiveness of sins once for all.

Hebrews 10:8-14 reads,

“First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

• In this way, God redeemed us in order to adopt us as his children.

• He did this in love, and in accordance with the riches of his grace that he lavished on us (7b-8a)

• Praise Jesus Christ who became the lamb of God on the cross to redeem us from our sins and eternal condemnation!

3-3, What is the mystery of God’s will? (8b,9)

• The mystery of his will is God’s plan of world salvation fulfilled through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:19-20 reads,

“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Romans 16:25-27 reads,

“Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 reads,

“No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Colossians 1:25-27 reads,

“I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Colossians 2:1-4 reads,

“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”

Colossians 4:3 reads,

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

3-4, How was the mystery of God’s will made known to us? (8b,9)

With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

• With all wisdom and understanding

3-5, When will the mystery of God’s will put into effect and what will happen? (10)

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.

• It was hidden in the past. It is revealed clearly both to the Jews and the Gentiles alike when God’s appointed time came.

• The blueprint of God’s salvation plan is to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Ephesians 3:6 says,

“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

• In this world, there are so many distinctions made between people based on conflicts between countries, tribes, and communities.

• These kinds of conflicts happen even within the church. How can people be united? With human beings, it is impossible. But with God, it is possible.

• God brings unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Christ is the center of spiritual gravity which draws all things together and unites them.

1. Read verses 11 - 14. How were we chosen? (11) What was the purpose of his will? (12) What happened to the Ephesian believers when they heard the message of truth? (13a) What else happened to them when they believed? (13b) What does the Holy Spirit do for them? (14) What can we learn from this passage?

4-1, Read verses 11-14.

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.

4-2, How were we chosen? (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,

• We were chosen in him, according to the plan of him who works everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

4-3, What was the purpose of his will? (12)

12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

• Paul explains in verses 11-14 that God gave the same blessing and had the same purpose in salvation for both the Jews and the Gentiles.

• But chronologically, first it was given to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. In verses 11-12 the pronoun “we” refers to the Jews, including Paul himself.

4-4, What happened to the Ephesian believers when they heard the message of truth? (13a)

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

• In verses 13-14 the pronoun “you” refers to the Gentile believers.

• Paul expounds in verses 13-14 how the Gentiles were brought into God’s blessing and how they can be sure of it.

4-5, What else happened to them when they believed? (13b)

When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

4-6, What does the Holy Spirit do for them? (14)

14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

• In order to explain this, he talks about the role of the Holy Spirit. It was hard for the Gentile believers to accept that they were also God’s possession, like the Jews.

• But Paul explains that when they believed, they were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is the guarantee that we are God’s children.

2 Corinthians 1:21b-22 says,

“He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

• Here “deposit” is like a down-payment. This deposit validates that the purchase has been made.

• In the same way, the Holy Spirit confirms that all of God’s blessings have been poured out upon us, and we will receive our full inheritance in the kingdom of God.

• Verse 3a says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” Verse 6 says, “...to the praise of his glorious grace.” Verses 12 and 14 repeat the phrase, “to the praise of his glory,” referring to Jew and Gentile respectively.

• This tells us God’s purpose in redemption. In the past we were objects of God’s wrath and grieved God due to our sins.

• But God redeemed us through Jesus Christ to restore God’s image in us so that we might be for the praise of his glory.

• Now when God sees us he finds pleasure in us and takes delight in us. Wow! We are redeemed to the praise of God’s glory.

• To people we may be nobodies; but to God we are very special. By the same token, this gives us purpose to bring praise and glory to God.

• Why do we have to bring praise and glory to God, and not to ourselves? God wants us to be God-centered, making everything about himself.

• This is right. For in fact, God is worthy of all praise, honor and glory. God is the Creator, Savior, and Sovereign Ruler over all things.

• If we do not bring praise and glory to God, our thinking becomes futile and our foolish hearts are darkened.

• Then we will give praise and glory to lesser things, such as mortal human beings, birds, animals, and reptiles (Ro 1:21-23).

• We will become idol-worshipers. Also, we become proud, corrupt and miserable. God wants us to maintain God’s blessing by giving praise, glory and honor to God.

• When we do there is harmony in God’s creation. But if each created thing wants to glorify itself most, there will be disunity and chaos.

• When people gather and have a conversation, if each one brags about himself, what happens? They become tired, angry, dissatisfied, and upset, until there is great disharmony and conflict.

• But when each one brings honor and glory to God, they can be encouraged and strengthened and enjoy unity in God. That is why we have to accept God’s purpose for us to bring praise and glory to God.

4-7, What can we learn from this passage?

• Personal application

• After contemplating all the blessings God has given us through Christ who is God’s mystery, we are compelled to be evangelists by obeying Jesus’ command. (Matthew 28:18)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Conclusion

We have learned that God has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ. He chose us and predestined us to be adopted to sonship. He redeemed us through the blood of Christ, forgiving all our sins. He revealed the mystery of his will. He guaranteed our inheritance in heaven with the deposit of the Holy Spirit. He redeemed us to the praise of his glory. Thinking of all this, we cannot but praise God. Praise God.

One word: Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ!

Ephesians lecture 1

Spiritual Blessing

Ephesians 1:1-19

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."

The Ephesian church was pioneered by Apostle Paul for 3 years(Acts19:1-20). The characteristic of the church was that Paul raised disciples in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. Through the church, the gospel was preached not only in Ephesus but also in the whole region of Asia (Acts 19:9). When Paul was imprisoned, both the Jewish believers and the gentile believers gathered together for worship service in Ephesus. However, there was a serious problem that they were not united in God.

Today’s message is the introduction to Ephesians. The content is; first, spiritual blessing of the believers(1:1-14),second Paul’s prayer for Ephesus church(15-19), I pray that through today’s' passage, we may know the spiritual blessing God gave us so that, as Paul did, we may praise God in any difficult situations.

I. Spiritual Blessing(1-14)

Look at the verse 1. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:” As Paul did in other epistles, he introduces himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. 1Corinthians 1:1 also says, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”. Whenever he wrote a letter to his fellow brothers, he always introduced himself as an apostle of Christ. This shows us how he identified himself. We pray that we follow his example that we may identify as shepherds of God. We pray that we may not forget God’s calling and renew our mind that we were called as missionaries of Christ, and shepherd of campus by the will of God.

What was Paul’s situation at that time?

Ephesians 3:1 says “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you, Gentiles--". Ephesians was written in prison. Paul was in chains, enduring the hardship of imprisonment in Rome (Eph 6:20). The prison stood in the cave at that time, It was very dark, and moist, there was no wash room in the prison of Rome, the prisoners suffered from terrible smelling. They were fed only one meal a day. Apostle Paul might be very old. He must have been very lonely in the foreign land. He had no wife or children. He had no time to get married like Missionary Sarah Berry.

However, what was the earthly reward God gave to him? His hands were chained by heavy cuffs and his feet with shackle. The hardship of imprisonment at that time was beyond description. They say that because of the terrible condition of the prison in cave and daily beating up, 75% prisoners died before completing their prison term.

He might have been complaining out of victim's mentality and despair. But, what was his response? Did he grumble or complain?

Let’s read verse 3.”praise be to the God and father of our lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ”.

He begins his letter with the word ‘praise’. In the Greek original text, the verses 3-14 are of one long sentence. For Apostle Paul, once he began to praise God, out of thankful heart, he could not help praising him continually on and on. Someone says that this part of his praise was like a making a snowball of praise. That is, the praise beginning with a small scale got bigger and bigger like a snowball, and it made Paul overcome all the agony and sorrow of imprisonment.

Why did he praise and thanked God?

Look at the verse 3 again. “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." He could praise God even in the prison because of spiritual blessing that belongs to heaven.

What then is spiritual blessing God gives us?

First, he chose us to be holy and blameless sons (4-6).

Let’s read verses 5. ”he predestined us to adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ ,in accordance with his pleasure and will “ God accepted us as his sons and his daughters. Now he takes care of us so that we may live holy and blameless lives. The happiness that a forgiven sinner enjoys is beyond imagination.

How blessed it is to have a father who takes care of us so that we may live a holy and blameless life? God is not like our physical father in this world, God is the Lord of the world who created the heavens and the earth? God rules the universe, he is the king of kings and owner of the world. When God accepts us as his son or daughter, we become prince or princess. Even earthly prince has many privileges, for example, a prince of United Kingdom Charles receives 70,000,000 pound as 1 year salary. United Kingdom is not that big country as we might think. Yet, Charles enjoys that privilege because he is the prince of the kingdom. How much more are we blessed since we are princess and princesses of Almighty God

Second, we have redemption, that is, the forgiveness of sins(7-10).

Look at verse 7. “in him we have redemption through his blood , the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” The more we think, the more we realize the unutterable blessing we received that sinners like us who deserved the fire of hell have been forgiven. We were dead in our transgressions and sins. (2:1,3) However, we have redemption, that is, the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. This is the greatest grace of all.

The founder of one of biggest companies in Korea, was dying of stomach cancer about 25years ago. At that time, he pleaded with his doctor to extend his life 3 years, promising that he would give him one billion dollars. But, his money could not save his life. Present life is temporal and money has its own limit though it may give some temporary enjoyments. There will be a strict and eternal judgment after death(Heb 9:27). God saves those who believe in him at the time of judgment to be his children, and gives blessing of salvation that they may live without death, disease, and tear(Rev 21:4) Therefore, we should put our hope in the true blessing of heavenly kingdom and look for the salvation in Christ, in spite of suffering and poverty in this world.

Third, we are God’s inheritance(14, 11). ESV Ephesian 1:11 said “ In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who

Works According to the counsel of his will (ESV 1:11)”. God’s inheritance here means that we have become his heirs. God considers us precious because we are his heirs. He gives us all we need. Also, he protects us from Satan. We cannot bear with ourselves, but God can. It is because we are his possession.

What are the contents of God’s inheritances ?

Some explanations could be found in the Bible.

1). The kingdom of God (Matthew25:34) "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

First inheritance from God is the kingdom of God.

2). Eternal life (Matthew19:29, John3:16) “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.”

God gives us eternal life to those who love God than his family and his wealthy

3). Blessing (1 Peter3:9) “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

God promised to give special blessing to those who endure persecution for feeding God’s flocks.

4). Promises (Hebrews6:12) “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

There are about 8,000 blessing promises in the Bible, God promised us to inherit the blessings written in the Bible.

5). Happiness in new Jerusalem (Revelation21:3, 4) “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

God will be with his children in new Jerusalem.

6). The redemption of our bodies (Romans8:23) “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

The redemption of our bodies means our bodies will remain the strongest, in the most glorious and beautiful condition forever as 1 Corinthians 15:43-46 says. If we would have to live with our present bodies, skinny, bent, and suffered by nerve pains like me of 74 year-old, life in heaven would be just another suffering. Our redemptive bodies would be like the body of resurrected Jesus, that we will be like Jesus who appeared to his disciples suddenly, passing through a wall and he ascended to heaven without any limitation.(Acts 1:9)

‘Spiritual blessing’ is different from earthly human blessing. But, if we read carefully verses 3-14, we can find that Paul uses ‘spiritual blessing’ in two meanings. The first is a blessing that only God can give. There is a blessing you can get in human ways and tricks in the world. But, the blessing of salvation mentioned above is a blessing that you never get no matter how good you are humanly or no matter how hard you pursue in the world. It is a blessing only God can give and it belongs to heaven. Therefore, Apostle Paul calls it spiritual blessing. Second, God’s blessing is trustworthy and eternal. Earthly blessing dies out at some point.(1 Peter1:24) But, once you have God’s blessing, it does not go away nor is taken away. It is perfect spiritual blessing. Apostle Paul praised because such a great spiritual blessing has been given to us.

Then, what is the ground that Paul believes that God’s blessing is precious and perfect? First, it is because God chose us to be his children before the creation of the world(Romans8:29). That we became God’s sons was not by our decision, but God chose us. There is no one holy and blameless in the world. There is no one righteous. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. How could men become God’s children? In a word, it is because God chose us before the creation of the world. He predestined us to be adopted as his sons. This truth Paul talking about is really profound.

The second reason why God’s blessing is reliable and spiritual is that we have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus(7). We know well through the study of Romans that we have been redeemed through the blood of Christ. But, Romans just talks about the way how we are saved. Now, Ephesians opens our eyes to the abundance of God. It teaches us that the basis of our salvation is not us but the grace of Jesus. In fact, Jesus redeemed us, after receiving judgment in order to pay the price of our sins. Also in Romans, Paul says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”(Romans5:8) The redemption through Jesus’ blood proves God certainly loves us. So, the blessing of salvation given to us can be sure spiritual blessing.

By the way, verses 8, 9 tell us that when we are forgiven through Jesus, we come to understand a mystery. Look at the verse 10. "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ”. To bring together means to turn things around or gather things for original purpose. God created the heavens and the earth to remain in order and in harmony. God created them in the way God remain on top, men in the middle, and all other things at the bottom. He made all creation exist for God’s glory as well. However, because of men's sin, the creation order and harmony have been broken down. As a result, distress never ceases in the world, and people live in the way they like. So, the world has been split up and become hell full of hatred and jealousy. This is not God’s will. His will is that all things are united and recovered into original purpose. God set up his sovereignty of redemption for that purpose. At the right time according to his sovereignty, God granted us the forgiveness of sin through Jesus, because a true unification cannot be realized without forgiveness.

In short, God wanted everything to be united and recover the order of creation under Jesus’ rule. God recovers the order of all things through the second coming of the Lord. So, his sovereignty and predestination through Jesus remain as mystery. Only to those who have wisdom and understanding God gives forgiveness of sin. Therefore, only those who are forgiven have shepherd's hearts, and truly pray for the world. Because Apostle Paul was forgiven and knew the mystery of God’s will, he proclaimed the gospel to the Gentiles. Moreover, he made an effort to bring the Jews and the Gentiles together, for which he went as far as to be in jail. We should participate in the amazing administration of God and the mystery of his will through prayer for world mission.

The third ground supporting that God’s blessing is perfect is the seal of Holy Spirit. (14) Writing a letter and putting a seal is different. Similarly, to believe and to get sealed is different. God's answer to our faith means sealing. That “you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” means Christ came to have a personal relationship with believers. God adopted the Jews as his inheritance, that is, a people belonging to God. Besides, he made the Gentiles his inheritance. In addition, God marked us with a seal, with the promised Holy Spirit. (13) People in those days marked their livestock with a fire-seal to mark their ownership. Similarly, God sealed us with Holy Spirit to mark that we belong to Him.

II. Apostle Paul's prayer(15-19)

After praising of spiritual blessing from God, Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus.

he gives thanks to God for the faith and their love.

Look at verses 15. “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, Paul gives thanks to God because of their faith and love”. How did he thank God? Let’s see 16. “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Then, what are his prayer topics for Ephesian Christians?

First, Paul prayed that they may know Jesus better. (17) His prayer is that God may give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in order to enlighten their hearts so that they may know him better. Not only for Ephesian Christians but also for us, we should pray with this prayer topic. What is your daily prayer topic for yourself?

Second, Paul asked God so that they could know the hope and the glorious inheritance (18) The hope to which God has called them means the hope God put in the heart of each the Ephesian believers when God called them. It is the inheritance from God.(11) We should know what hope God put in each of us when he called us so that we should live according to the hope. On the glorious inheritance, Paul prayed they might know how rich and glorious it was so that they may not put their hope in earthly glory but in the glorious inheritance. The riches of his glorious inheritances are “Kingdom of God, Eternal life, Blessing(1Peter 3:9), Promises(Heb 6:12), Happiness in new Jerusalem and redemption of our bodies.”

Third prayer topic was that we may know the power of God. Calling means looking back the past and God’s glory means looking ahead the future. The work of God’s power belongs to the present. What kind of strength God’s power is? Look at verse 19. “and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.” The third prayer topic is that coworkers of Ephesians church may have great power through the faith and by the Holy Spirit. The characteristic of God’s power is described in two ways.

It means God's mighty strength. It means especially conquering power. God’s power is the strength to overcome difficulties and winning a victory. God’s power means also the power that works. The power that works means effective power. God’s power changes people. It saves lives. The gospel work is not done by human ability. It is the work of power that is given to us. The event that the power of God was revealed most powerfully was the one that happened in Christ Jesus.

Then, how can we enlighten our eyes of hearts? Look at verse 17. God should give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. We can be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation by studying the word and repenting according to the word. We can know God when we are given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Therefore, we should study daily bread every day and repent according to the word so that we could be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. We need spiritual desire to know God better.

When we came to USA as missionaries first, our calling grace as his servants, our sense of mission and passion of the dedication for God was very hot (100 degrees). But as 10 or 20 years has passed since we became servants of God, our degree of vision and passion of dedication went down to 50 degrees or 20 degrees even to 0 degrees. However, passion of mission of Paul had had been continually hot (100 degrees).

What is the reason? Did Paul receive another spiritual spiritual blessing from God? No. Then what is the reason?

First, apostle Paul renewed the saving grace through blood of Jesus every day and thanked and praised God.

Second, apostle Paul When we experience the saving grace through the blood of Jesus, accepted the grace of God’s inheritance as son’s and daughters and thanked and praised God everyday.

Third, Paul renewed God’s promise of inheritance and held firmly the living hope everyday.

Fourth, he renewed God’s calling as apostles of Jesus Christ every day and thanked and praised God.

In conclusion, as we studied above, Apostle Paul praised spiritual blessing of God. We should give thanks and praise the grace of the Lord who redeemed us through the forgiveness. In addition, we should praise the grace that he adopted us as princes and princesses of the holy God. We should give thanks and praise to God who adopted us as his heirs and gave us the kingdom of God, eternal life, spiritual blessing, and happiness in New Jerusalem as our inheritance. Let us give thanks and praise to God in any hardships like Apostle Paul.

“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.” Hallelujah Amen!