The book of Ephesians contains two major themes: power and identity. Which leads to two other major themes: worship and prayer. In fact, a good portion of the letter is worship and prayer. Some believe the author, Paul prays through the first three chapters. What would give Paul a heart for worship and prayer?
His identity in Christ and God’s love in his life. Paul was “in Christ” and he was living a life of love. In chapter 3 Paul wants you to grasp the fullness of God’s love for you.
As we grasp the fullness of God’s love for us then we learn who we are, who God is, and what we are to do. As you study the book of Ephesians you will discover the power given to you by God to become who we were created to be.
Living with the God of love we learn how to live for him. We learn to live a life of love.
How much does God love you?
God Places You In Christ
In
I grew up in a biracial household. My father, a white man from Alabama and my mother a Latina from Panama. She was a blend of black, European, and indigenous people. My family moved from Panama to Alabama and growing up in South Alabama people thought we had two heads. We just didn’t quite fit into many social circles.
Kids didn’t have a category in the 80’s to place us in. I wrestled with racial identity growing up and as I entered college. Then Jesus found me. What I love about Jesus was that when he discovered me he gave me a royal identity. I am in Christ. I am confident in myself because I am confident in Christ. I fully accept who I am because the Great I Am has fully accepted me. I am loved.
You may have struggled with or are struggling with your identity.
It may not be racial identity but it could be how you want to be known. Your family identity; your identity based on addiction, occupation, wealth, sickness, sexual identity, or relationship status.
What you center your identity may be things that you have done or have happened to you. Or they may be things that you have chosen. But God chooses you to be in Christ. He takes our multiple identities and unites them in the name of son Jesus.
Our world is fractured by racism, individualism, classism, and sexism and all of us know the pain and the enormity of these problems.
Ephesians holds up another model, one that destroys racism and divisions, for it tells of God’s providing a wholeness that binds us together. We must know our identity as people who are joined together in Christ.
God Blesses You
God loves you
In Christ, and by the Spirit, God brings us to himself and gives us what we need for life. All the privileges of life are found in union with Christ and conveyed by the Spirit. See how much God loves you.
God Chooses You
You were always meant to belong to God and God has been at work to make the reality of your relationship with him happen.
He chose you to make you pure and blameless.
God’s goodness is revealed in his desire to choose people for himself. Salvation is not an accident or an afterthought. The cross and the empty tomb were not plan B. “Election” and “predestination” is just another way to talk about grace and salvation.
It is not arbitrary choosing but the Paul describes it as adoption. Election is based on relationship. God is your father. And he sets you apart for himself.
But if God chooses some why doesn’t he choose others? Or all?
Don’t think of election in terms of fairness. Election does bring privilege and a heavy dose of responsibility. God’s choosing enlists people in his work. To God you are very valuable and very useful. He chooses that you do something for him and your neighbor. He chooses you cause he loves you and he loves you so he chooses you.
See how much God loves you.
God Freely Lavishes Grace On You
Verses 6-8 in Ephesians 1 are inundated with grace. Verse six can be read like this, “God’s glorious grace has graced us in the beloved.” That means that God pours out his free gift of grace freely in his son Jesus. And in all his wisdom and understanding, God knew what he was doing.
He knows what he is doing when he chooses you to pour out all his grace upon. But in a shame based culture, we are so resistant to the pouring of his grace we may say to God, “Wouldn’t you rather pour it upon someone more deserving?”
No because grace isn’t God giving us something. Grace is God giving himself to us. God is not giving you something he is giving you his presence. When you are saved by Grace you live by grace.
See how much God loves you.
God Makes Known His Will to You
He does all of this to make known his will to you. Some say verse 10 is the key verse for this book.
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.
Ephesians 1:10
Why? Because verse 10 is God’s vision for all creation. His will is for us to assist him in uniting everything under the mission of Jesus.
Jesus is the eternal Lord of our lives. We want to bring the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ to people in the present so that when they will be ready for when the fullness of Jesus comes in the future.
God’s will is for his church to unite around his one mission of bring all things together under the name of Jesus.
When in Christ you must take on a missional identity, to seek and save the lost.
My Wife’s Journal
After marrying Ana we would find ourselves telling the story of how we met
I didn’t understand until I picked up her journal one day. (Yes, her private journal. I’ve since asked forgiveness. Don’t judge me too hard).
What I discovered was a life devoted to praying for me and our relationship that far surpassed my prayers for her. It was like her journal was saying to me, “See how much I love you.”
It was no accident that we were to be together. It is not accident that salvation comes to you.
God’s word is not like a journal. You don’t have to sneak away to find it and read it. He has revealed his will and his heart for you. Let his word give you eyes to see how much he loves you.
Loved people love people. My hope is that you will grasp God’s love for you and go live a life of love.
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Jovan preaches for the Littleton Church of Christ near Denver, Colorado. Visit here to listen to sermons preached at the Littleton Church.