Ephesians 1:1-6

INTRODUCTION:

If ever on an island and I could only bring one book of the Bible, it would probably be Ephesians because in my opinion its complete

The riches in Christ, all we have in Him, rich in doctrine, but also practical application on how to grow in Christian maturity

The Book of Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul somewhere between AD 60–64, while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Though addressed to the believers in Ephesus, it was most likely a circular letter intended for many churches—an inspired message for all who long to grow in Christlike maturity.

Unlike some of Paul’s other letters, Ephesians is not correcting a crisis; it is presenting the great themes and doctrines of the Christian faith.

Paul writes to strengthen and equip a maturing church.

He gives a clear vision of our identity in Christ, the unity of the body, salvation by grace alone, and the believer’s calling to walk worthy of that grace.

The letter connects sound doctrine with right living. Half of the book declares who we are in Christ; the other half calls us to live out that identity. Paul also lifts up Christ’s sacrificial love—agapē, a word he uses nine times—as the mark of true spiritual maturity.

Ephesians reminds us that God has made the church His masterpiece, and He equips His people for spiritual warfare, gospel-shaped relationships, and faithful living. This is a book meant to ground, fortify, and guide the children of God.

1. (V1) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God

a) Paul an apostle

Paul was originally Saul of Tarsus

Saul was a devote rabbi who led an antichristian movement in Jerusalem, but in the midst he had an encounter with Jesus which radically changed his direction

Saul became Paul and he went on to be one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with his writings forming a considerable portion of the New Testament.

b) Apostle by the will of God

Apostle means to send one off on a commission, to do something as one’s representative

Paul didn’t decide he was going to be an apostle, it was the will of God

There is no one calling that is higher than another

My first opportunity to serve was setting up chairs at Calvary Chapel Beachside

I thought it was great, I remember thinking the service depends on these chairs being set up

I got there early and set up the chairs, made sure they were all perfectly straight, and I prayed for the people who would be sitting on those chairs.

I felt like I had the highest calling because that is what God had called me to do.

I had great fulfillment because I was doing the will of God

c) He counted Paul worthy despite his past or his short comings

God didn’t hold his past against him, the fact he opposed God didn’t stop God from using him

If were honest, there are more reasons God should not use us than he should use us

Yet, Paul an apostle by the will of God

⚡️Application: What has God purposed for you to do, by the will of God?

1.1 To the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ

a) To the saints

Your a saint

In the NT, a saint refers to someone who has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ

Someone who is set apart for God, they are a consecrated person in their worship and in service

b) To the saints who are in Ephesus:

In a few ancient manuscripts there is a blank space instead of the words in Ephesus.

Some believe that this letter was actually a circular letter written not to any one congregation, but meant to be passed on to many different congregations in different cities.

Paul formed the church on his third missionary journey

Ten years later Paul is writing this letter from Roman prison

c) Faithful in Christ Jesus

Paul recognizing their faithfulness in Christ

⚡️Application: It reminds us to do the will of the Lord, we must be faithful in Christ

1.2 (V2) Grace to you and peace from God our father

a) Grace to you and peace from God our Father

Grace expresses God’s steadfast love towards man and peace shows the relational state as a result of that grace

Imagine living in this world without God’s grace, you would have no peace

b) Why do some people lack peace in their life?

Grace and true peace come from God, so those who reject him cannot experience it

2. (V3) The Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

The work of the Father 3-6

a) Blessed be the God and Father

Our blessings are only as great as the one who gives the blessings

Great is our God, who is worthy of our praise and worship

Sometimes we can take our eyes of Christ and become overwhelmed in the world

We need to be reminded of who God is and all that we have in Him

b) Who has Richly blessed us with every spiritual blessing

Our blessings are not necessarily of this world, they’re in the heavenly places

The meaning: They’re found in Heaven and brought to us

We can make the mistake of looking at possessions as a way to measure our blessings

A new heart is better than a new coat.

Our spiritual blessings are far greater than material blessings

The first 3 chapters breaks down all that God has done for us, I counted 28, but here is 11

1. He Chose Us (1:4)

God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

His purpose: that we might be holy and blameless.

2. He Loved Us (1:4–5; 2:4)

His saving work springs from His great love.

3. He Predestined Us for Adoption (1:5)

He planned from eternity to make us His children.

4. He Accepted Us in the Beloved (1:6)

We are welcomed and favored through Jesus alone.

5. He Redeemed Us (1:7)

Purchased us out of sin’s bondage through the blood of Christ.

6. He Forgave Us (1:7)

Complete forgiveness according to the riches of His grace.

7. He Made His Will Known to Us (1:9)

He revealed the mystery of His plan centered in Christ.

8. He Gave Us an Eternal Inheritance (1:11, 14)

Our future is secure because God Himself guarantees it.

9. He Sealed Us with the Holy Spirit (1:13–14)

The Spirit marks us as God’s own and is the down payment of our redemption.

10. He Made Us Spiritually Alive (2:1–5)

We were dead in sin, but God made us alive with Christ.

11. He Raised Us Up with Christ (2:6)

d) In Christ

The only way to receive these blessings are In Christ

For those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ

2.1 (V4) He chose us in Him before the foundation

a) Chosen

Not only did God chose us, but our Father poured out his resources and richly blessed us

We were chosen before the foundation of the world

Which means before we have done anything, right or wrong

God doesn’t need us, but He chose us

b) Us

The “us” includes both Jews and Gentiles in the church at Ephesus and beyond.

First century Jews had a strong sense of being blessed, called, and predestined.

Paul showed that these things are now given to Christians, be they Jew or Gentile.

c) Our responsibility is to respond in faith to being chosen

We are chosen, but God gives us the responsibility to believe in Him or to reject Him through unbelief

God respects our free will to decide

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

⚡️Application: Have you put your faith and trust in Christ?

I would be a fool to assume just because people are in church that everyone is saved

It’s not about how you start but its how you finish

God knew Paul would be a persecutor of Christians, yet he was still chosen by God

2.2 That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love

a) For those of us who have accepted Christ, He Calls us to a life of holiness

We’re called to salvation, but also to a life holiness

Because we are God’s children there is an expectation of how we should live our lives

Luke 1:74 “Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,”

Luke 1:75 “In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.”

b) Without blame

We’re to walk out our faith, where it cannot be blamed or called evil because of our actions

c) We’re blameless in the Father’s eyes

God chooses not to remember our past sin, the sin we have confessed and been forgiven of

Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

c) Before Him in love

Holiness and blamelessness are nothing without love.

Fulfill the royal law, Love God with everything and love your neighbor as yourself

3. (V5) Having predestined us

a) Predestined us

The word simply means to ordain beforehand, to predetermine

God doesn’t predetermine some to heaven and others to hell

When we read the Bible in totality we find God’s character is rich in love and mercy for humanity

The difference between someone who goes to Heaven and Hell, is one accepted Christ and the other rejected Him

One of the attributes of God is all knowing

He knows beforehand who will accept Him and who will reject Him

3.1 To adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself according to His good pleasure

a) He adopted us

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

In Roman law, “When the adoption was complete it was complete indeed.

The person who had been adopted had all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family and completely lost all rights in his old family.

In the eyes of the law he was a new person. So new was he that even all debts and obligations connected with his previous family were abolished as if they had never existed.” (Barclay)

God’s unfolding plan for us not only includes salvation and personal transformation, but also a warm, confident relationship with the Father.

b) According to His good pleasure

He gladly adopted us, according to His good pleasure

4. (V6) We praise God for His grace By which he made us accepted in the Beloved

a) We praise God

Heart of worship

A heart of thanksgiving

By the way we live our life

b) Accepted means to be highly favored

Jesus was completely accepted by the Father.

All His character, all His words, all His work was acceptable to God the Father.

And now we are accepted in the Beloved.

In Conclusion:

As we close, Paul reminds us of three powerful truths.

First, Paul was “an apostle by the will of God.” His life shows that calling is God’s work, not ours. God uses ordinary, unlikely people—not because of their past, but because of His grace.

Second, Paul writes “to the saints.” That’s who we are in Christ—set apart, forgiven, and called to live lives marked by grace and peace. Our identity is not rooted in our failures but in our faith in Jesus.

Third, the Father has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Before the foundation of the world, God chose us, loved us, adopted us, redeemed us, forgave us, and accepted us in the Beloved.

Our response is simple: praise Him, trust Him, and walk worthy of the calling we’ve received.