Ephesians 1

What a difference two letters make!  We leave those foolish, crazy Galatians and head on over to a church that Paul loved so much, he spent three years living there.  However, this letter was written while in prison in Rome.  It was not a letter of correction, but rather a letter to strengthen and encourage them.  It is not entirely sure if this was just for the Ephesian church, or if it was meant to be circulated.  There has been some debate on this issue.  None-the-less, it is a letter that is just as relevant today, as it was in Paul's time.

Paul starts Ephesians the same way he did Galatians, stating that he was chosen by God.  He then tells the Ephesians that they are faithful followers of Jesus.  What an honor to be recognized as a faithful follower of Christ, rather than a fool!

Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  Most of it has yellow highlighting through out it.  One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 1:4-6

How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

because we belong to Christ.

Long ago, even before He made the world, 

God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family

by bringing Himself through Jesus Christ,

and this gave Him great pleasure.

There's that word "adoption" again!  He adopted us into His own family!  

So God's secret plan has now been revealed.  This was His plan from the beginning.  

Ephesians 1 is pretty much highlighted with a yellow highlighter throughout the whole chapter!

Paul goes on to tell us that because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we are free, and not just simply free, but abundantly free!  All our sins have been forgiven and by God's grace we have been set free.

God's great mysteries have been revealed to us.  He gives us understanding and wisdom because it is His great pleasure! 

This reminds me of when I buy a gift for someone.  I love to be able to watch that person open that gift and see the look of joy and excitement on their face.  I take great pleasure in seeing how happy it made them. 

Matthew 7 verses 9 - 12 explain it pretty accurately:

 ⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish,

will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give

good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts

to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them

do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

We then go on to verses 17-21.  These verses are very dear to my heart.  I pray them over each one of my children, inserting their names into it when I pray.

¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you

(each child's name inserted here and throughout), the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you  may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

This prayer is AWESOME!!!  And we can say this prayer for family members, friends, our church, etc.  I pray this prayer for myself as well.  I want the eyes of my heart to be enlightened so that I may know the hope to which He has called me.

May you also have your eyes of your heart enlightened to that which God has called you to.

Be blessed,

Sue