Ephesians Study Chapter 1 - God's Blessings

Our  Sunday school class begins our study of Ephesians.  In this episode we discuss chapter 1 verses 1-14. 

Background

• Paul first ministered in Ephesus in about the year 53 but didn’t remain there (Acts 18:19-21) First missionary journey
• Two years later returned to Ephesus, third missionary journey, and remained for at least two years. (Acts 20)
• Ten years later writes to the Ephesians
  • He is a prisoner in Rome 

Chapter 1

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

• Paul begins by telling us what God has done for us.
• We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
  • Blessing - God’s favor and protection
• Spiritual blessings that he lists
• First, He chose us.
  • With all of our warts, inconsistent worship, forgetting about Him lack of bible study, lack of prayer, etc.
  • With all of that, He chose us before the world was created.
•  Blameless before Him
  • Remember all of our blessings are in Christ
  • One day when we stand before God Christ will present us as one of His, blameless because Jesus paid the penalty on the cross because we are in Christ.
• Accepted in the beloved.
  • God doesn’t accept me for me.  He accepts me because I am in Christ.
• The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of God’s grace
  • Jesus’ death paid my debt so that I can be forgiven of my sins
• He made know to us his will
  • Unity will be brought to all things in heaven and earth under Christ.
  • This isn’t a maybe for possibly or I think I might
  • This will happen and if we aren’t in Christ we son’t be part of the unity.
• We praise God and give him glory by the fact that we put our trust in Christ 
  • When we trust Christ in the bad times and the good times we are praising God and giving him Glory.
• We were purchased by God.
  • When we heard the Gospel of our salvation we were introduced to Christ.
  • When we believed the Gospel and in Christ, Christ then knew us and God purchased us and places his seal on us by giving us the Holy Spirit.