As we continue our study of Ephesians and the revelation of our full purpose in Christ, we will patiently, verse by verse, examine the depth of the revelation found in this letter.
Ephesians 1:1
This is a letter from the apostle to the saints who are in Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus, which includes all today who are faithful in Him.
Ephesians 1:2
Paul began by releasing grace and peace from the Father. This is no insignificant salutation. There is no force on earth that can overpower the grace of God, and no force that we cannot overcome if we will abide in the peace of God. This is crucial for us to understand as we begin to perceive the high calling of God that we have been given. The grace of God is given to the humble (see James 4:6), and the peace of God is the result of walking in righteousness and obedience to Him (see Romans 14:17).
Ephesians 1:3
We have been blessed "with every spiritual blessing." Think about that! There is not a single spiritual blessing that has not been given to us. The least of the spiritual blessings are far greater than the greatest of the natural blessings that are of the earth. One of the reasons why we are going to search this book in depth is to discover what has been made freely available to us in Christ.
As he also makes clear, these spiritual blessings are in "the heavenly places in Christ." When we are born again we become a new creation, or literally, a new species. We are a species that bridges the realities of the heavenly and earthly realms. We should actually be more at home in the heavenly realm than in the earthly. As we are told in II Corinthians 5:5-7:
Ephesians 1:4
Each one of us were known by Him and chosen in Him "before the foundation of the world." As incomprehensible as this is to our finite minds, He could see the end before the beginning, and He knew us before we existed. He knew and chose us to walk before Him holy, without blame, and in love.
If we are to fulfill our purpose in Him today we must resolve that today we will walk holy before Him, always considering that what we do is done in His presence. We will also therefore resolve to be innocent, without blame, not doing anything to injure the name of the Lord, or our fellow man. We do this by walking in love.
Ephesians 1:5
We were not only foreknown by the Lord, but we were predestined to be adopted by Him, to become His sons and daughters, the true royalty in the earth. This is His pleasure and His will. None of us deserves it, but we were bought with a price, the most valuable commodity in the universe—the blood of the Son of God. Since we value a thing by what someone is willing to pay for it, God Himself set a value on you that is more precious than anything else in creation — the Son Himself gave His life for you. Let us therefore treasure our own lives, and the lives of one another, as the infinite treasures that they are, and not waste them frivolously.
You were predestined. You have a destiny. Your destiny is of more value than all of the treasure that is on the earth. Invest therefore in your destiny.
