A study of the Letter to the Ephesians
Chapter 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. 2 Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ: 4 As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity. 5 Who has predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will: 6 Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has graced us in his beloved son.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace, 8 Which has superabounded in us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he has purposed in him, 10 In the dispensation of the fullness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him. 11 In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 12 That we may be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ:
My Friends,
In St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he makes some rather bold statements just in the first few verses. First he calls himself an Apostle by the will of God, remember that St. Paul never followed Jesus but was a murderer of those who did. How could he have become an Apostle called by God? Next he separates God the Father from the Lord Jesus Christ and yet sends grace and peace in both names as if they are equal in ability to send grace and peace. He blesses God the Father, why? Because we receive spiritual blessings from Him, the Father, He blesses us so it is right that we are to bless Him and not to neglect Him in our worship.
How are we blessed by God? There are many prosperity preachers out there who would say we that we are blessed by financial gain and prosperity. What is the true gain, what is the true blessing that we receive? Read again what is written above, in summary to the few verses above St. Paul is telling us that since the foundation of the world, since the beginning, it was the design of the Father that we were to be like Him our Creator, not in His essence of course because we cannot be God but in love, in understanding, compassionate and caring for the created things and ruler of our planet in this manner.
We were given a mind to think, we were given free will to make decisions, and we had the ability to walk with and to talk with and to know our Creator Father. Man tainted the image that we were created in and so the Father sent His Word to be born into the flesh so that the flesh could be redeemed by the spotless sacrifice and that through this spotless sacrifice we can become adopted sons of the Father thus restoring us to where we should have already been. This is the mystery of His will that St. Paul speaks of in verse 9, the plan of salvation through the blood of the Only Begotten Son so that we may regain our place in creation as adopted sons and daughters.
It is for this that Almighty God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are to be worshipped and praised. This is why we bless Him who blesses us because He did not have to bless us and yet He did. Do not be fooled and misled.
How many claim to believe that there is a God and yet spend not a moment in prayer and worship? How many expect good things to happen to and for them who claim that there is a God but yet do not pray to or worship Almighty God? How many stand in prayer in selfish ambition expressing only that which benefits their personal well being rather than the well being of all and praise to Almighty God? Do not forget that the God of mercy is also the God of justice, if you claim to believe, then you must stand in prayer and worship or else what is your belief? Do you expect that heaven will be an endless party without work or praise or worship?
If you cannot stand in worship now, you will not stand in worship in heaven; you will not like it there any more than you like it here. We have been redeemed only if we choose to accept this redemption, it is not automatic.
May Almighty God bring you to a place of understanding.
God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.
In Christ,
Monk Michael
Chapter 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. 2 Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ: 4 As he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted in his sight in charity. 5 Who has predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will: 6 Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has graced us in his beloved son.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins, according to the riches of his grace, 8 Which has superabounded in us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 That he might make known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he has purposed in him, 10 In the dispensation of the fullness of times, to re-establish all things in Christ, that are in heaven and on earth, in him. 11 In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 12 That we may be unto the praise of his glory, we who before hoped in Christ:
My Friends,
In St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he makes some rather bold statements just in the first few verses. First he calls himself an Apostle by the will of God, remember that St. Paul never followed Jesus but was a murderer of those who did. How could he have become an Apostle called by God? Next he separates God the Father from the Lord Jesus Christ and yet sends grace and peace in both names as if they are equal in ability to send grace and peace. He blesses God the Father, why? Because we receive spiritual blessings from Him, the Father, He blesses us so it is right that we are to bless Him and not to neglect Him in our worship.
How are we blessed by God? There are many prosperity preachers out there who would say we that we are blessed by financial gain and prosperity. What is the true gain, what is the true blessing that we receive? Read again what is written above, in summary to the few verses above St. Paul is telling us that since the foundation of the world, since the beginning, it was the design of the Father that we were to be like Him our Creator, not in His essence of course because we cannot be God but in love, in understanding, compassionate and caring for the created things and ruler of our planet in this manner.
We were given a mind to think, we were given free will to make decisions, and we had the ability to walk with and to talk with and to know our Creator Father. Man tainted the image that we were created in and so the Father sent His Word to be born into the flesh so that the flesh could be redeemed by the spotless sacrifice and that through this spotless sacrifice we can become adopted sons of the Father thus restoring us to where we should have already been. This is the mystery of His will that St. Paul speaks of in verse 9, the plan of salvation through the blood of the Only Begotten Son so that we may regain our place in creation as adopted sons and daughters.
It is for this that Almighty God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are to be worshipped and praised. This is why we bless Him who blesses us because He did not have to bless us and yet He did. Do not be fooled and misled.
How many claim to believe that there is a God and yet spend not a moment in prayer and worship? How many expect good things to happen to and for them who claim that there is a God but yet do not pray to or worship Almighty God? How many stand in prayer in selfish ambition expressing only that which benefits their personal well being rather than the well being of all and praise to Almighty God? Do not forget that the God of mercy is also the God of justice, if you claim to believe, then you must stand in prayer and worship or else what is your belief? Do you expect that heaven will be an endless party without work or praise or worship?
If you cannot stand in worship now, you will not stand in worship in heaven; you will not like it there any more than you like it here. We have been redeemed only if we choose to accept this redemption, it is not automatic.
May Almighty God bring you to a place of understanding.
God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.
In Christ,
Monk Michael
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