Something New and Something Yummy!😊An Introduction to Ephesians #devotions

An Introduction to Ephesians. 

The book of Ephesians, written by the apostle Paul, beckons us to seek God first.

Paul, was radically transformed from persecutor of the church to their pastor when he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.

And Paul penned this letter from prison in about AD 60, which places it historically near the end of the book of Acts. It was written to his dear son in the faith, Timothy, whom he left in charge of the church in Ephesus. Did you know the Bible contains more words written to Timothy than to any other person. Their correspondence records Paul’s heart to equip this young disciple, and we have the blessing of watching this relationship unfold through in Ephesians, and in 1 and 2 Timothy.

Ephesus was a world-class city we could compare to New York or Paris today. It was a seaport town and Ephesus was open to the religious influences of several cultures that arrived at her ports every day.

The Ephesians worshiped most of the Greek and Roman gods, but especially the goddess Artemis. They had built a huge temple in her honor, which has even been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Yet still, the young church of Christ thrived here even amid great evil and severe persecution.

Paul spent three years in Ephesus, and his ministry had a profound impact on the city and on the believers in Ephesus.

We are even told in chapter 19 of Acts, that the gospel spread from Ephesus to all of Asia, most likely because the world came to her doorstep to trade.

And Paul wrote to this group of believers because he wanted them to know and to remember the truth, and since he couldn’t be with them, he put that truth down on paper.

He also wrote passionately because he cared deeply for these believers in Ephesus.

He wanted his friends to know and to remember what he had taught them about the truth of the gospel. this was always Paul’s heartbeat – the gospel story.

So turn to Ephesians 1: 3-14 (NKJV) and let’s look at where it begins and ends...

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

 This letter begins with praise and thanksgiving to

• God the Father, who blesses us
• Jesus, who redeems us
• the Holy Spirit, who seals us.

Now please, don’t miss it!

You see - The starting point is God.

You are not the starting point. I’m certainly not either.

God, the Father who has blessed us, is first. We bless him because He has blessed us.

Also notice the blessings are past tense. The word used for “blessed” is in the past tense in Greek. This means, the action of blessing us has already happened. The writer is saying to take note—the blessings are already yours.

We are blessed in Christ. Everyone who comes to salvation through his redemptive work on the cross has access to every spiritual blessing in the heavens. Our blessings from the Father are completely based on the finished work of Christ.

We don’t earn them or deserve them. They are all because of his completed work on the cross.

Do you notice how at every point in the first few sentences of this letter that Paul is shifting our focus off ourselves?

Watch my video as I share a little of my day and a great chili recipe! God bless...