Our design in Christ

The Seal of Salvation

Ephesians, part 1

Our design in Christ Jesus

During the next 9 weeks our prayer is that God will open our eyes to see, His design for us, that was Paul’s intention writing to the faithful in Ephesus, and our Heavenly Father’s for you today.

Please read Ephesians with us for the weeks to come.

The book of Ephesians Comprise 6 chapters, one of the greatest works of Paul covering the dept, height and length of God’s plan for our salvation.

Around the spring of 52 AD Paul came to Ephesus

during his second missionary trip, he did not stay long but he

brought a couple with him name Aquila and his wife Priscila.

They were very influential in the early church. He brought them to Ephesus and left them there.

Some believe that Paul may had minister in Ephesus earlier, but it was Aquila and Priscila who started the church there.

While they were there, attending a synagogue they heard a very eloquent Jewish speaker from Alexandria his name was Apollo’s, riveting to listen too, very persuasive, but he didn’t know the totality of Christian doctrine, it was Aquila and Priscila who gave him the rest of the story, so through Aquila, Priscilla and Apollo’s that church begin to take root.

Paul goes back to Ephesus in his third missionary journey and stays there, we don’t know the exact amount of time but probably in between 2 and 3 years. Paul spends his time going to the synagogue evangelizing and teaching in a local school, after that Paul goes back to Jerusalem where he is arrested and sent to Rome, he was there for 2 years.

While Paul was in Rome, in between 60-62 AD he wrote to the church in Ephesus.

Eph 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:

Eph 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

To the faithful, ( in Ephesus). Ephesus does not appear in the early manuscripts,

Ephesus is a city in modern Turkey,

In the first century, Ephesus was the second largest city in the world with more than 500,000 in population and it was the most important city in Roman Asia minor, a major sea port and a commercial center, a very wealthy city.

The city was famed for the nearby Temple of Artemis, Diana (completed around 550 BC) a cult that used prostitution as a form of worship.

Ephesians were deeply involved in the occult practices, and idolatry,

superstition was part of the culture,

Paul’s ministry flourished, because of the power of God that brought healing and deliverance from demonic oppression.

The Ephesians had listened to many lies about themselves and experienced immorality and demonic oppression.

The theme of Ephesians is the new society built in Jesus Christ, Jews and non-Jews, families, relationship to each other, spiritual warfare.

We can divide Ephesians in 2 parts, doctrinal and practical.

By the third century there was no more church in Ephesus, they had good leadership but did not listen to their warnings, Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus warning them about false prophets but also someone greater than Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, yes Jesus Christ wrote in Revelation to the church in Ephesus.

You are hardworking and faithful, but you have forsaken your first love, if you don’t repent, I will remove your lampstand.

Rev 2:4 But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me].

Rev 2:5 So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self--your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior--seek God's will] and do the works you did at first[when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place--unless you repent.

Paul after leaving Ephesus, left the church with his protégé Timothy, after some years John the apostle lived there for a time, according to Eusebius of Caesarea the Christian historian.

Ephesians is the first letter of the prison letters followed by Philippians Colossians Philemon

As we begin with chapter 1 of Ephesians we learn about

The wealth of the believer

Eph 1:3 Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ,

We are rich because of our Heavenly Father (verse 3)

Paul wanted the Ephesians to know that we have plenty in our heavenly account.

God chose us, we are chosen in Christ Jesus

Eph 1:4 just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love

Eph 1:5 He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will—

Eph 1:6 to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].

We are rich we are chosen; we are adopted, redeemed and have the seal of Salvation, the Holy Spirit.

All very important foundations for our Design in Christ

This morning let’s talk a little more about

The Seal of Salvation

Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. [Joh_7:39; Act_2:33]

Eph 1:14 The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God's own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.

During my years of ministry, a question I heard from different people was, how do I know that I’m saved?

Jesus had a young rich man coming to him and asked the same question?

Mat 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"

Mat 19:17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

Mat 19:18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, " 'YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,' 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,' 'YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,' 'YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,'

Mat 19:19 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER,' and, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "

Mat 19:20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"

Mat 19:21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect (complete), go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The Holy Spirit had not yet descended upon us,

Jesus of course spoke right to the heart of the problem, the young man’s possessions were more important to him than God,

but if it was today, Jesus could answer like Paul did, do you have the seal of salvation the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit active in your life? Or doesn’t matter if He is in you or not?

When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit he said this

Joh 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

Joh 16:10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

Joh 16:11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

1 When we have the seal, the Holy Spirit we are convicted of sin

No one must tell us what sin is, the Holy Spirit will convict us, we will believe in everything Jesus taught us. The Holly Spirit conviction will lead us to repentance, to a complete change of life. He is not going just to educate us about sin, but bring a conviction that will save our lives,

Joh 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Jesus teachings will change the way we think, the way we behave, the way we dress and the way we treat each other.

2 Of Righteousness

The Holy Spirit will convict the world that Jesus is the righteous one, Just like the centurion at the cross.

Mat 27:54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

3 Of Judgement

The ruler of this world has been judged and condemned, defeated at the cross. The enemy of our souls has no more power and authority over us, he has no authority.

Prayer

Eph 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

Eph 1:16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Eph 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Eph 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Eph 1:20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Eph 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Eph 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to behead over all things to the church,

Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

All this begins when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Joh 3:16 To receive Jesus we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, asking Him to be our Lord and savior , not that we deserve it, but is a gift from God. If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me? Heavenly Father I’m sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, I’m willing to turn away from my sins. I receive Christ as my savior, I confess Him as Lord And from this moment on I want to follow and serve Him, in the fellowship of His church, In Jesus name, Amen!