In the olden days, when you wrote a letter, you started by addressing, “To Dear Father, mother, sister,” and then at the end, with so and so writing. Nowadays, I think most of us don’t write letters. Why? We all have emails. When you get an email, you see five things – From, To, Subject, Greeting Hi/Hello, and then the Body of the email. Today, we got an email from heaven. This email is the epistle to the Ephesian church. We will see the first four things from this email: From, To, Subject, and Hi of the Epistle of Ephesians. The last point, the body of the letter, you know, will take us more than a year to complete.
Let us see the ‘From’ section: vs 1 states, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,”
We see three things in the From section: We see a name–Paul; a designation/office–an apostle of Jesus Christ; the reason for the designation–by the will of God. We don’t realize the shock of this first phrase because we are now so used to it. Suppose we get a letter saying, “Yogi Adityanath, an apostle of Jesus Christ,” or “Modi, an apostle of Jesus Christ,” or “Rajnikanth, an apostle of Jesus Christ”. How shocking will that be? We may not even believe it, thinking it is fake. But when you realize it is true, you will be stunned and nailed to your chair with amazement at what the grace of God can do to the most unlikely men. That is exactly the shock the first-century churches felt when they read that first line.
This man, Paul, did not just have a slightly different name and a somewhat different life; he was completely the opposite. He was called Saul and was fully against Jesus Christ, and he committed his life not to build but to destroy churches everywhere in the world. But the transforming power of the Grace of God changed him so much that when he went to the first-century church and said, “I am a believer,” they were scared to death. No one believed him, probably saying, “Not on your life! we know who you are. You can never be a believer of Jesus Christ.” But in this verse, he confirms that he was not only a saved believer but an apostle of Jesus Christ. How did it happen? He gives a reason: by the sovereign will of God.
We can keep talking about Paul the whole day. Very briefly: He was born in a city called Tarsus as a zealous and devout Jew, and as all parents want their sons to be king, so his parents named him after their nation’s first king, Saul (a Hebrew name), who was from their own Benjamin tribe. He was not just any ordinary Jew but a strict Pharisee with all Jewish hatred for the gentile dogs. His father was also a strict Pharisee; imagine how he must have raised him. At the age of thirteen, he was sent to Jerusalem and studied under the famous teacher Gamaliel about all Jewish traditions. At a very young age, he utterly outstripped his contemporaries, advancing beyond many of his countrymen in his zeal for the defense and propagation of the Jewish religion, being extremely zealous for his ancestral traditions. He became a very well-known rabbi, a leader, a teacher, and a member of the Sanhedrin. At his first appearance in the book of Acts, as a young man, he was already an acknowledged leader in Judaism and given the task of destroying Christians by the high priest. Acts tells us he hated Jesus and Christians so much that he ravaged the church, entering homes and dragging off both men and women to put in prison and put to death (Acts 8:3; 9:1).
We know that on his way to Damascus, to bring any Christians from that city bound to Jerusalem, God sovereignly intervened in Paul’s life. The Lord appeared to him, changed his life, and gave him ministry as an apostle to Gentiles. He would probably have said, “I will never go into a gentile house nor see their face. Be careful what you say to God; He will make you do what you said you’d never do. God made him an apostle not to Jews but to the Gentiles.
This raging opposer of the Church of Christ now delights to call himself Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ; goes everywhere to build his churches. How wonderful that the Holy Spirit begins this letter with the name Paul because that name itself is the greatest expression of the very theme of this letter, which is the greatness of God’s grace. The name embodies the most marvelous human display of the grace of our God. 1 Corinthians 15:10, I am what I am by the grace of God. When he writes about the riches of grace in this first chapter, he is writing not as a cold lecturer–you can feel his heart beat with gratitude to the God of grace who raised him to life from death. When he was running like a blind horse, He stopped him, opened his eyes, and revealed His Son to him. So his name is Paul.
Next, we see his designation/office. He calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. Why does he add this? The way we read and respond to this letter rests on our understanding of this important office. When an email comes from the security staff or HR, we may generally ignore it. But when it comes directly from the CEO… ah, don’t we think we should read every word carefully? So here, this letter comes from an apostle of Jesus Christ with full apostolic authority. We need to understand the unique authority of the apostolic office and what our relationship as a church and individual believer is to an apostle. How many Christians’ faith is weak and unstable only because of not knowing this clearly? This was the main problem of the Corinthians; they didn’t believe his apostolic office. He had to defend and teach them what ‘apostle’ means. Today, how many frauds call themselves apostles without knowing the meaning or biblical authority of the word?
The meaning of ‘apostle’ can be inferred from the root word apostéllein “one who is sent.” Sometimes, the word is generally used to call others apostles; e.g., Barnabas is called an apostle in the general sense–a sent one. But only fourteen people are called Apostles (with a capital A). Twelve were chosen by Christ when He walked on earth. After Judas died, Matthias was chosen, and then Apostle Paul. Their authority and position are unique. No other office has that.
There are unique qualifications that mark an apostle. Every apostle needs to have at least three indispensable distinct and unique prerequisites :
- First of all, to be an apostle, one must have seen the resurrected Christ.
Leading up to Acts 1:21, Peter says we were twelve, and Judas died to fulfill scripture; now we need to backfill him. What is qualification? Of the approximately a hundred and twenty people there, the first qualification is a man who has been with us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection. An apostle then must be an eyewitness to the resurrected Christ. Oh, what about Paul? He defends his apostleship in 1 Cor 9, saying he also saw the resurrected Christ in Damascus and later had a revelation from Christ. So, he met that first prerequisite.
2. The second qualification is that he must be blessed with special miracle-working powers to authenticate his message.
[M]any wonders and signs were done through the apostles, Acts 2:43. In the New Testament, only the apostles performed miracles, with one or two exceptions. Why were they done through the apostles? To authenticate the validity of their message. When they did what God alone can do, we believe God is speaking to us through them and what they have written in scriptures is truly God’s message. Miracle power was an attestation of the genuineness of their message. Not the false miracles we see today, but true, full, healing miracles. We know God performed miracles through Paul in his ministry. 2 Cor 12:12: 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.
3. Thirdly, they must have a special, direct revelation of God’s final word with authority. Our Lord promised them that the Holy Spirit will remind them and lead them into all truth (John 14:25-26). The apostles were given a promise of absolute, plenary inspiration: fullness of inspiration to speak and write God’s final scriptures. They were the Scripture writers. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:37 ASV, “If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord.” That’s strong language. He says, if a man claims to have the Spirit, then the Spirit in him will cause him to recognize the Spirit of Christ speaking in me with full authority. 2 Peter 3:2. I am reminding you words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles. That is, “What comes through your apostles is the commandment of your Lord and Savior.”
So, there are three qualifications: Eyewitness to the resurrected Christ, miracle-working power, and Christ’s final revelation through these apostles.
Are the apostles’ writings the direct, final word of Christ? The words of an apostle are equated with the very words of God. Is whatever they command the command of Christ? Yes, which is why the early church continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching. The apostles had a unique authority and position given by the enthroned Christ. Eph 4 says they are gifts of the ascended Christ to the Church. Eph 2:20 says the Church is built on the foundation of the apostles, with Christ as the cornerstone. Revelation 21, picture of heaven: The city of New Jerusalem had twelve foundations, and on them, the names of the twelve apostles were written. The apostles are unique in redemptive history, there is no continuation or succession to their office. With the death of all the apostles, revelation ceased and was completed. Their written word, completed in the New Testament, has all the authority of Christ behind it. Anyone who calls himself an apostle today is completely a Bible fool and a fraud.
Paul says, “I have become an apostle.” How? Vs 1: By the will of God. Paul did not become an apostle by his ambition or plan, by giving himself the title, or by popular vote. You can become a pastor like that, but not an apostle. The apostolate directly comes from God. Paul did not have anything to do with his appointment as an apostle. It all happened by the sovereign will of God. He came to this peculiar office by divine calling.
Let that sink in. This understanding should completely change how we approach the words in this epistle and even other epistles. This book is not simply the words of man; it is given to us by God, by His will, by the appointment of Jesus Christ.
The moment you hear “apostle of Jesus Christ,” the remaining words that come from this letter are the very words of the enthroned Lord Jesus Christ to you and me. We must listen to the message of Ephesians with appropriate attention, humility, and faith because this message does not come to us from the ideas of man. You are, in fact, hearing the message of the very God Himself who appointed Paul to bring this to you.
If you don’t regard it that way, not only do we do injustice to the authority Christ gave to the apostles, but Christ has threatened us with severe consequences if we don’t take their words seriously with faith.
Mat 10:14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Heb 2:2-4: “For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
This is vitally important today because many people come to church to hear what they want to hear, what is relevant to their lives, not what God wants to say. They think they have the right to decide what is important and what is not. Paul says, “I am here saying the message of God of heaven. Everything I say to you is all-important. You better listen to everything carefully. It is your business to sit under that gospel message’s declaration. Receive every word, embrace it, believe it, to the saving of your souls.”
So, I may warn you of any carelessness in hearing or obeying words that come from this epistle. Every word here comes from Christ through the apostle Paul–the same Christ who died, rose, ascended, and is exalted above every name with all authority at the Father’s right hand. There are terrible eternal consequences if we neglect these verses or are careless about them.
So we have seen “FROM:” From: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. I hope that ‘FROM: apostle’ makes us realize this is not like the Diana statue that “fell from heaven,” but this epistle truly comes from our heavenly Lord, Jesus Christ.
TO: To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: (1:b).
Amazingly, in this simple address, Paul summarizes the whole Christian life: doctrines of faith, justification, union with Christ, and sanctification. Regarding the recipients of this letter, we see two designations and two locations: saints in Ephesus and faithful believers in Christ Jesus. He calls the church the saints and believers and then, secondly, where they are geographically or physically–they’re in Ephesus; but spiritually, they’re in Christ Jesus.
The first word that comes to his mind as he thinks of the Ephesian church is ‘saints.’ This is a favorite term used to describe believers in the New Testament. It is used some 65 times, particularly in the epistles, next to the term ‘brethren.’ Remember, in Philippians, Paul begins with “saints” and ends with greeting them as saints. It comes from the word ‘holy.’ The root word means ‘someone or something that is set apart for special use in the worship or service of God.’ It is called a holy thing. It may not have anything to do with the object, but the holiness had to do with the use of that object. God said to Moses you stand on holy ground; nothing was holy about that ground, but when it was used for God, it became holy. And so, throughout the books of Exodus and Leviticus, all ordinary vessels, garments, and food used in the service and worship of God were set apart and called holy. So, something or someone who is set apart for special service and used by God takes on the character of holiness.
So, as Paul thinks of the church at Ephesus and all the believers, he sees them as positionally set apart for God from the world. ‘Saints’ means “set apart ones,” “holy ones,” or “sanctified ones.” It is the glorious position of every believer because of the work of Jesus Christ; as Hebrews says, For by the one offering He has perfected forever and completely cleansed those who are being sanctified (Heb 10:15) and sits at the right hand of God as infallible assurance for believers. Do you realize that is a glorious position Christ has given? We go to God not as guilty sinners but as saints. That is the position of every believer. I experience everything when I go in prayer: I see one right hand. O, how joyfully and smilingly I go to prayer… we are saints… you are saints.
“Saints…” Where are they? Not in heaven right now, but “saints in Ephesus.” Amazing! Just like “Paul, an apostle…” is a wonder of grace, these people being called “saints” is a wonder of grace. Remember the city of Ephesus with all its idolatry, uncleanness, sexual perversion, mysticism, and black magic? In chapter 2, he calls their city a smelling graveyard: they “were dead in trespassed and sins,” walking corpses, captives to the god of this world, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind. They were cut off from the life of God. Far from being saints, they were unholy reprobates. They were actually like demons. How did they become saints? Look at the next phrase: he says they are “faithful.” The proper translation is “believers” or “ones who have faith.”
When they were dead and living unholy lives, the gospel came to them. And that gospel announced the good news of God’s work in Christ Jesus: What Jesus did on the cross, His rising from the dead, ascending, sitting at the right hand of God, and what he is doing now, and how God saves men from their sin through that Jesus Christ. And what happened? They repented unto God and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. They believed, and by that faith, they were forgiven, cleansed, justified, and called saints. Faith became the bond by which they were united to Christ and experienced His transforming power.
So, the word “saints” describes what they are, and “believers” describes how they became saints: How does a man become a saint? By becoming a believer. The way of acceptance with God and the way of entrance into all of His salvation is by faith. Thus, those who trust in and rely upon God’s revelation in Jesus Christ become saints.
Having found acceptance with God by faith in Christ, they live in the climate of faith in Ephesus while everyone else in the city walks by sense and sight–what they can see and touch and taste and feel. Isn’t that way of life for everyone? What you can see, eat, taste, and feel—your entire life, joy, peace–everything is driven by the senses. There at Ephesus, where most people go on living by sight and by sense devoted unto their idols/sins and their lusts for that–all these are marks of an unbelieving man; happy only when money is there; nice food is there. Walking according to the course of this world the prince of the power of the air fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Eph 2:1-3); the unbeliever is marked by his commitment to a life governed by the world of sense. But these saints are not living by sight or other senses but by faith, and so they are believers. They are saints–holy ones by divine calling, by position. They are believers in lifestyle.
Lastly, they are saints and believers in Christ Jesus: They are geographically and physically in Ephesus but spiritually in Christ Jesus. If we ask what the most important phrase in all the Pauline Epistles is, Hendrickson says this phrase may, without exaggeration, be called the most important one: In Christ. It occurs many, many times. I showed you this in Philippians. Same here in Eph 1:3, we are blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Verse 4, “[J]ust as He chose us in Him…” Verse 6 (NASB95), ”To the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Verse 7 (ASV), ”In whom we have our redemption.” And then you go on right through, and you see everything in Christ.
At the very start, he introduces us to the great Biblical theme of the believers’ union with Christ Jesus. We studied this thrilling truth. When we believe in Christ, God places us “in Christ Jesus” so that all that is true of Him becomes true of us. John Murray says that union with Christ is really the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. The whole breadth–the canopy–of salvation from past eternity to future eternity is all done in Christ. The fountain of salvation itself in the eternal election of the Father is (where?) in Christ. We were chosen in Christ in eternity, we were united to him in his birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session. Not only are we united in the accomplishment of redemption, but even the application of redemption works by this union with Christ; we are effectually called, justified, adopted, and sanctified because of our union in Christ. How we live as believers is all in Christ. After this life, we will die in Christ, rise in Christ in the second coming, and be glorified in Christ.
Do you catch something of the scope of this truth? That our entire salvation pivots upon this little phrase: In Christ Jesus. From eternity in election to eternity in our glorification, no spiritual blessing comes apart from our union with Christ. So, union with Christ has its source in the election of God before the foundation of the world and has its fruition in glorification as heirs of God. The former election has no beginning; the latter glorification has no end.
If there is one phrase that binds all past eternity and future eternity, it is In Christ. Why does past eternity bring so much interest and joy to us before the foundation of the world? Why does the past history of redemption, Christ’s coming and doing his work, fill us with so much comfort? How can we have patience in the perplexities and adversities of the present? How can we have confident assurance of the future and rejoicing hope of the glory of God? Here’s the answer. It is because we cannot think of past, present, or future apart from union with Christ.
If God chose me and secured my salvation in the past in this union, then that union will certainly bring its full fruition in my glorification. But apart from Christ and our union with Him, we cannot view the past, present, or future with anything but dismay and dread. By union with Christ, the whole complexion of time and eternity is changed, and the people of God may rejoice with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.
It’s not simply a phase; it underlies every aspect of redemption, both in its accomplishment and in its application. It encompasses the wide span of salvation from its ultimate source in the eternal election of God to its final fruition in the glorification of the elect. Union with Christ binds all together and ensures that He effectively applies and communicates to all for whom He has purchased redemption. In Christ is the wellspring out of which all saving mercy flows.
As Paul writes the ‘To’ section, he can’t consider the group of Christians at Ephesus and think of any other term than “In Christ” that describes more clearly and more accurately how they came to be saints, separated ones, how they came to be believers. Truly, they were joined with Christ in eternity and time.
You see the wonderful progression of cause: If you start with their present state, “saints,” how did they become saints? By becoming believers, that is, by believing. How did they become believers? Through their union with Christ in eternity, who effectually called them in time by the gospel. You can trace it in the other direction and view it from the perspective of effects: They were united with Christ in eternity. Well, how do they know they are in Christ? How can you know you are in Christ? Only if you believe. How can you know if you are a believer? If you’re a saint. Therefore, whether you trace it from saint back to being in Christ in eternity or from being in Christ up to saint, it’s all interconnected.
Application: Those were in Ephesus; we are in Bangalore. If you have believed in Christ, God has made you a saint, and the reason you believed and became a saint is because you were chosen in Christ in eternity. We are believers, so we have to live by faith and grow in faith and faithfulness. Our position is that of a saint; we have to grow in holiness and pursue a life of holiness. That is your position in Christ. You need to learn to see yourself as a saint; all exhortations to live differently, in holiness, come from this position. God made you a saint; now be what you are. Be increasingly and extensively what you are. We’ve been united to Christ, and so we should abide in Him, depend on Him, and delight in His commands.
Then we come to the ‘Hi: greeting’ section “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is more than just a greeting. As Lloyd-Jones puts it, “No two words are more important in the whole of our faith than ‘grace’ and ‘peace.’” Yet how lightly we just read and move on without stopping to consider what they mean. This greeting shows an inestimable blessing that belongs to all those who trust in Christ. Paul is going to spend the rest of Ephesians 1 cataloging for us blessings that we have received, that we have inherited, and if you ever wonder, thinking, “I don’t feel worthy, what did I do for all this?” It is all given freely. Why? That is what grace does. It takes the undeserving and lavishes on them infinite riches of grace, not for who they are or what they have done, but because of the generosity of the giver.
By this greeting, the Spirit, through Paul, opens the door and welcomes us into the world of Grace and peace. Everything works on grace in this world of [the book of] Ephesians. God says through Paul, “Oh believer, discouraged in the world of merit, of status, of riches; feeling unworthy; Welcome to the world of grace. Oh, confused, troubled, distressed one, welcome to the world of peace!”
The sweetest word for underserving sinners is ‘grace.’ This word appears 124 times in the New Testament, 86 of which are from the apostle Paul, which means two-thirds of all the uses of the word grace in the Bible are from one author: Paul. No wonder he’s called “the apostle of grace.” In Christianity, more than anything, you and I have to understand the meaning of ‘grace.’ Without grasping the concept of grace, you cannot come rightly to God because grace is the basis of all God’s dealings with us. There is a world of false Christianity only because they fail to understand grace. If there is one reason you don’t have consistent victory over sin, struggle with guilt, lack joy and peace, and lack motivation to serve God, it is that you have not deeply understood the concept of grace.
Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is completely undeserved, it is wholly unearned by us, it is freely bestowed, but it is expensively purchased. Grace cannot be bought, earned, or won. It can only be given freely. Remember Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9). This favor, which Paul pronounces, is completely undeserved. There is nothing in us that calls God to bestow it. There is nothing that we could do to earn this kind of lavish favor. It is free grace for us, but expensively purchased at the cost of the blood of the Son! To shower this grace upon us, the Son of God was treated with all inflexible justice. And Paul is saying, ‘I pronounce God’s favor lavished on you in Jesus Christ. You haven’t deserved it, couldn’t earn it, but He’s freely given it at the cost of His own Son. Grace to you.’ “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” Every Christian delights in that reality, but it’s a twin reality here. It’s not simply “grace to you” here. Notice, it’s “grace to you and peace.” Where there is grace, there will always be peace.
Oh, troubled hearts! you can never find true peace without grace. All hearts are troubled; there is no peace within because we don’t have peace with God. We see him as a judge and want to hide our sins and run from him. Peace with the holy God is the basic need of every sinner. When we experience grace, and we don’t feel any condemnation or guilt, our consciences have been salved/pacified because our sins are all forgiven; we experience peace with God. He gives us peace within our hearts, even in the midst of trials.
Now, the order is very significant. It is grace and then peace. For apart from the grace of God, there can be no peace with God, nor peace of God in the human heart. Unless you deeply grasp the grace of God and realize it, you can never experience the true peace of God. This peace comes into a heart that realizes God is a God of grace, and when God is our friend of grace, all is well with us. The foundation of experiential peace is realizing, ‘I have peace with God.’ The objective condition is constant and essential. The feeling may or may not always be present. Peace beyond all understanding: we experience the fullness and wholeness of satisfaction no matter the circumstances of life in this world. When God is my father, all is well.
Notice the source of these blessings as they are declared by the apostle: ‘grace and peace.’ This is the direction in which they come from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle speaks as a messenger of God and proclaims these two blessings on the church, but the source of this peace is neither the apostle nor the Jerusalem church. No, no, it is grace and peace from God, not the Father, but God our Father. God has become the Father of all those united to Christ. What a God is he? This is not some small false God. This is the great living, one true God, who is the creator of the universe; God who is the governor and the righteous judge of the world…he declares, ‘All is well; Peace unto you.’
This grace and peace come to them as the sons and daughters of God, and an apostolic greeting will definitely reach them and not return void, so that when you, as a child of God, read in these greetings, “grace to you and peace,” don’t read them as empty words.
God Himself is saying, “My child who has believed in the gospel of my Son, welcome to the world of my grace and peace. Open your eyes and see above you: an infinite canopy of my grace is stretched over you. See around you: infinite ocean waves of my grace, never resting, keep coming to you every second. The great inexhaustible sea of my grace is full and is open to you, grace to you, and peace.”
Then, notice this grace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Father is the fountainhead, but the great channel is the one who is the Lord. He uses this full orb–the title and name of our Redeemer. And bound up in those titles and a name is the whole essence of Biblical theology concerning the person and work of Christ. Lord Jesus Christ: His sovereignty, humanity, divinity; his work as Priest, King, and Prophet (“PKP”). Those are not empty words.
The source of this grace and peace is not self-motivation or yoga; they are “from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” True peace comes only from this source. You know, one of the greatest gifts Christ left for us believers is peace. He said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled.” (John 14:27.) What did he say every time he appeared after the resurrection? “Peace unto you,” “Peace unto you.” This is a gracious gift for every child of God.
More than anything, you and I need this grace and peace in our hearts. Grace and peace are exceedingly precious for Christians. If you want more grace and peace, the world of Ephesians is waiting for you. Come regularly as we enter every room and experience the wonderful journey through this book, which will reveal the fullness of grace and peace to you in God through Jesus Christ. That’s the adventure of this great book.
We have seen From, To, Hi–greeting. Now, subject:
Subject: As an overview, the book has six chapters. The first three chapters are theological, and the last three are practical (application). Three chapters of Indicatives and three more of Imperatives. Three chapters tell us who we are in Christ, and the next three, how we should live. Amazingly, there is absolutely no command in the first three chapters except for one command to remember. There is a setting forth of the magnitude and grandeur பிரமாண்டம் சிறப்பும் of God’s saving work in the church–the greatest expression of God’s great salvation in Jesus Christ. Chapter 4 starts with a transition: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,” and there are many exhortations and commands given. Commands cover every area of our life: husbands, wives, children, and workers.
See, what we studied last Friday is so clearly reflected here: all the doctrines we learn should result in practical effects in our life if we truly understand with the help of God’s Spirit. That is the purpose of doctrines.
So that is structure. Even children should know what the structure is: Eph 1-3 is an explanation, and 4-6 commands/exhortations. Go home and ask what the structure of Ephesians is. If the children don’t say it, we have to take them inside a room and give some treatment. Maybe I should do this at our home first.
What is God telling us by this structure, by this order? Simply stated, the right knowledge is the foundation of right experience, or, the right doctrine is the foundation of right practice. What I know about who I am in Christ motivates me to live that way. In other words, the fuel of Christian truth drives the car of Christian living.
Let me say, if you are having problems addressed in Eph 4-6: no unity in church; problems in marriage, husband not loving wife, wife not submissive, children not obeying parents; problems in our workplace, it is almost only because of the ignorance of and unbelief in the truths taught in Eph 1-3. The way you correct problems in living is to go back to 1-3 until your mind is ஊடுருவி sunk in (saturated, permeated with) that truth. Only as you live in a climate of thinking 1-3 will your life embody 4-6. As you allow these truths to expand your mind and heart, you will gain all the power, persuasion, lively force, and strength to obey 4-6.
In a beautiful way, in chapter 2, Paul says we are seated with Christ in heaven; in chapters 4 & 5, he outlines how we are to walk in this world, and in chapter 6, how we are to stand firm against the forces of evil. So, in a way, we have to first sit and realize who we are in Christ, Eph 1-3. Once we sit and grasp our position in Christ and get that perspective, we will know how to walk in the world (Eph 4, 5) and how to stand to resist our spiritual enemies (Eph 6). So Ephesians teaches us first to sit, then to walk, and finally to stand.
We have seen the ‘From,’ ‘To,’ ‘Hi,’ and ‘Subject.’
Let me conclude with five appeals:
- Gospel appeal: From: Do you understand that the things that we are talking about are beyond the invention of sinful man? This is a divine letter from heaven. If you still have not believed in Christ, oh, how clearly the gospel shines in these verses! Look at the very first name in the ‘From’ section; the first word smashes all your objections and encourages you that if God can save a man like Paul—if His grace can transform even Paul–it can change you. Not just a slight or marginal change, but make your life useful and meaningful to many, even to future generations. Look at the ‘To’ section: “saints in Ephesus…’ if people surrounded by such idolatry and black magic in this gritty city can believe in the gospel and become saints, why will you not believe? Your great need is grace and peace; it can come to you this morning if you turn to Christ and trust in His work.
If you say, “No, I will not believe,” understand that this is a message from the apostle, meaning this is a message from the enthroned Christ in heaven. Neither Paul, I, nor even God lose anything, for He instructs us to shake the dust off our feet, for it will be worse for you on the day of judgment–an even harsher punishment will be your sentence–than for Sodom and Gomorrah–two doomed cities that didn’t hear this gospel and were destroyed. You have heard this gospel yet did not believe it. Hebrews 2 asks how we can escape punishment if we neglect so great a salvation! - Appeal to Rejoice. See how God sees you, O believer: as a saint, a holy one, set apart to God from this evil world. You have been united eternally to Jesus Christ. You have an endless supply of grace and peace. Revel in His grace and abide in His peace. In the coming weeks, we will begin to explore the treasures of this great salvation.
God says this morning to you and me, “My child in GRBC, saints in GRBC, committed to the church under pastors and deacons, grace and peace to you from God your Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” As we begin our journey in our faith, can you open these two doors of grace and peace and enter this world of grace and peace? Let me welcome you. Whatever state you may be in, grace doesn’t come because you are worthy; it comes from the heart of God for Jesus’ sake. It is received in faith. Don’t allow your unbelief to spoil that. - Appeal to come with fear and diligence to hear the message from this book: Remember these are the very words of God coming through his instrument, apostle Paul, with unique authority. How shall we escape punishment if we are negligent of such great salvation?
- Appeal to trust the gospel: It should give, again, confidence in the gospel. If God can save Paul and make Ephesian people saints, the gospel can do wonders in our society. Even those we think are least likely to become believers can become not only believers but also pastors and missionaries of Christ. Even our worst ones, our relatives, our own children, God can save and make ministers. Paul was the most unlikely, and yet the letter begins with his name, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ.” So may the Lord encourage us, by the very presence of that name, that there is a conquering power in the gospel.
- Appeal to Pray: Like David and Paul, may we regularly pray that God would open the eyes of our understanding and that we might be enlightened in order to know something of the tremendous glory of this truth of our union with Christ. I feel in my own study of the scriptures that I’m standing, as it were, on just the edge of a great, great plane of blessed truth.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore 