Ephesians Studies 1 & 2

Bristol Road Baptist Church October 2002

Life in the Body of Christ STUDIES IN EPHESIANS

David A. Green BD

OUTLINE 1.

1 1-14

In Christ The Plan & The Process

2.

1 15-23

chosen predestined redeemed privileged Heard Believed Marked Owned

Empowered The source of life in Christ: Faith mixed with love Constant Prayer A deeper knowledge of Christ A place in His Church

3.

2 1-10

A Great Life A great Change Great Love Great Grace Great Prospects

4.

2 11-22

Through the Cross What you were… But now … through the cross You are …

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ

Study No. 1

IN CHRIST

1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus,a the faithfula in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace

and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 hea predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And hea made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. 3 Praise

In him we were also chosen,a having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. 11

I wonder what impresses you most as you read through the first chapter of this letter? I was always struck by the length of the sentences – especially in the AV. Paul’s argument is a long string of statements and it’s difficult to read the passage without having a sense of thoughts tumbling over each other. I also used to get a bit tense whenever I spotted that word in v 5 “predestined” – I’d worry a bit about it. As a result I often missed the general thrust of the words.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ There’s little doubt about this being a particularly important passage theologically – for here Paul is soaring like a bird of prey above the landscape of the expanding Church, taking in the immensity of the territory and the wonder of its design. Most of the time we have a very restricted view of the Church, don’t we? And here at Bristol Road, just at present, it is all to easy for us to see the trees and not the wood, the obstacles and not the course, the problems and not the plan. It’s my hope in these studies to take an OVERVIEW of the passages rather than handle the letter verse by verse. I believe we have a great need of seeing the Church from a heavenly perspective – so that we can begin to address the day by day problems we face as people trying to make sense of the way our particular church is going. This letter will help us to do that. The Letter to the Ephesians is a letter about the Church of Christ. It has a very simple but very profound key phrase – “in Christ” and I want you to make sure that you examine the book, and particularly this first chapter looking for all the occurrences of that phrase in its various forms. (We have four studies, three of which are sequential – and these lead up to a Church Members’ meeting at which we need to review the way things are.) A

1: 1-14

IN CHRIST

The Plan and the Process

B

1: 15-23

EMPOWERED

Prayer, Power and Purpose

C

2: 1-10

A GREAT LIFE Great … change, love, grace and prospects

D

2: 11-22

THROUGH THE CROSS

Were ….+…. Are

That will do for a beginning. Tonight we are getting straight into the first major paragraph. I am going to assume that you know that Paul was writing this letter from prison, and that although we always know the letter as “To the Ephesians…” there is good reason to believe that the original was written out with the destination church left blank – rather like a circular letter intended for a group of churches. (In fact Paul refers to the practise of churches handing on the letter he writes them and reading the letters he has written to other churches in the group. See Colossians 4 16: 16 After

this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea )

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ This letter is part of the group that includes Colossians, Philippians, Galatians and Philemon. A general letter to the churches in Asia – those in Rev 1-3. So it could just as easily be entitled “To the Church at Bristol Road…” I have entitled this study

IN CHRIST There are ten instances of that hallmark phrase : 1,3,4,6,7,9,11,12, and 13(twice) and I want to divide it up into two broad sections: The Plan & The Process Paul gets into his theology very quickly by a statement of praise to God for what He planned and what He has done in us – the members of the Church. In doing so his words are chosen for their profound meaning and astonishing depth. As I said earlier, he soars above the landscape, going high, so that he can present us with the extent of God’s plan and the amazing nature of what He has done for us and in us. He presents our salvation as something seen from the perspective of heaven and from the vantage point of eternity: 3 Praise

be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. This is NOT a view we often share. We are so limited in our vision, so restrained in our understanding. We see only the immediate surroundings. Indeed we are often so preoccupied with that limited view that we worry incessantly about the obstacles to our faith and our spiritual progress. The world is vast, the need great, the resources we recognise so restricted that it is amazing that we even consider progress possible!

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ Paul shares with us a different viewpoint and a totally different time scale. Despite the fact that we are constantly being encouraged to “look away to Jesus the architect and perfecter of our faith” we get distracted by our own limited perspective. We look back over our yesterdays and worry about tomorrow. I remember as a young man reading Milton’s “Paradise Lost” for the first time. It’s a long poem and the language is fairly inaccessible – but what impressed me about Milton’s view of God’s work with man was its perspective of a HEAVENLY DIMENSION. This world is not an accident. It bears all the marks of its Creator. When we look at the amazing design of the created world we wonder at the Person of the Creator who made it so. I will understand it best if I know the One who designed it – and the wonderful truth is that, in Jesus Christ I do. In the Creator this wonderful world, this astonishing Universe makes sense. In Christ my part in all of that – and especially in the Church whom Jesus has brought into being – In Christ the uneven tracks of my life begin to have a purpose. That is what Paul is saying here. See your part in the whole. See how God PLANNED all this in the heavenly realms in Him before the creation of the world… He was not frustrated in His purpose for the Universe He will not be frustrated in His plan for the Church – the very body of Christ. This plan is further elaborated for us in these key words: chosen predestined redeemed revealed

The Plan

CHOSEN “He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…” v 4 I may not understand it – indeed I don’t – but it is gloriously true. Page 4 of 11

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ It may seem incredibly presumptuous It may seem impossibly inaccessible It may seem – as I look at myself and ponder my imperfections – that it just isn’t like that in the real world… But which is the real world? The world of man or the world of God, the world of sin or the world of grace? TWO essential components make it REAL : o The One in whom I am chosen – My Lord Jesus Christ and o The reason for which I am chosen “to be holy and blameless in His sight…” It is wonderful – but not too difficult to say: “I belong to Jesus” Paul views this from the reality of eternity and the glory of “heavenly places” and uses the ever so common but gloriously gracious word CHOSEN Then he moves on and amazes us with that controversial, conquering word PREDESTINED

v 4b,5 and 6

In love 5 hea predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. “Destiny” is a rare word these days. A settled purpose decided by an outside power that cannot be altered. No wonder the word gives us a headache as we try to grapple with its implications! But it is in a FAMILY SETTING I like the way the NIV begins the sentence “In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons…” We are not chiselled out by some divine sculpting tool to make an impression in the world – but lovingly predestined to be adopted as sons.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ And that love is reinforced in the phrase of v 6 “grace which He has given us in the One he loves” In verses 11 and 12 Paul develops this theme of DESTINY and DIVINE PURPOSE a little more especially with regard to himself and the other apostles. He wants us to rejoice in the CERTAINTY of it. If God has set His love upon us, if God has chosen us, then he has emphatically arranged it all so that we meet His requirements and bring Him all the praise. Our human will and our imperfect understanding may jib at it that God should organise our lives for us – but He does. Nothing is going to stand in the way of His plan for His family. As our Lord did so do we acknowledge: “Your will be done!” Paul goes on – REDEEMED

v7

7 In

him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. God’s plan does not ignore our sinful nature and our guilt – it meets head on in the the work of Christ the problem of our sin. redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins This is the plan as seen from God’s side if you like. It is all in Christ, all of grace, and as such it is UNSTOPPABLE, CERTAIN, SURE! All the OT ideas of sacrifice and redemption and salvation meet in the work of Christ redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins I am not yet like my Lord – but I will be! I cannot bring it out by my effort or my deserving – but it is gloriously real in CHRIST.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ So I am not surprised by the last part of that PLAN:-

REVEALED

v9

9 And

hea made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. CHOSEN – PREDESTINED – REDEEMED – REVEALED He made known to us…. That is the fourth part of this great plan – as God designs the Body of Christ to bear His likeness and to demonstrate His grace We are SHOWN what He is doing PURPOSED IN CHRIST Once again the wonder of the plan is centred in CHRIST and expressed in two ways: The wonder shared 9 And

hea made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, The future glory shown 10 to

be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. What a view of God’s design! chosen,

predestined,

redeemed,

revealed

These are the works and wonders that God has done.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ Now Paul turns to the similar wonders of our response: THE PROCESS

in vv 13 and 14

The Process

Heard, believed, marked and owned:13 And

you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. As we noted earlier, in verses 11 and 12 Paul writes of himself as part of that plan, and now tells us (with the churches to whom he wrote this letter) our EXERIENCE of this wonderful design: You also were included in Christ… How? The plan outlined in such majestic terms is now expressed in language that tells of our response: HEARD v 13 when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. As we were reminded on Sunday last – the Gospel has been going out into the world ever since our Lord’s disciples were first baptised in the Spirit and sent out to share it. It reached the province of Asia, as it had done the towns of Collosse and Ephesus – so it moved into Europe and Philippi – and, down through the ages in which that Plan has been working out His purposes the gospel reached these shores and our times – and us. We HEARD. When did you first hear? Ah! Part of the plan that was. We heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation. Page 8 of 11

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ What had been a design in the very heart of Creator God is now applied to ME! And after hearing comes: BELIEVED

v 13b

Having believed… With what simplicity does the reality of my faith In the Gospel get stated. I responded to the Gospel – as you did. And in that glorious instance God worked in me by His grace a wonder that one day will be celebrated in the Coming again of My Lord! There’s no doubt about it! And what happened next? MARKED v 13b Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, The work of the Holy Spirit memorably described as a seal set on the believer – marking him out as His But notice that the mark is “in Him” - although the language suggests a “seal” as used to denote ownership or “quality” the focus of the Holy Spirit’s work is still upon Christ. As the Message renders it: It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. (The Message) As John 6 27

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ 27 Do

not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

2 Cor 1 20 2 Cor 1 20 20 For

no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Eph 4 30 And

do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. and, finally:OWNED

v 14

Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. 2 Cor 1 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Cor 5 5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. This is evidently a favourite analogy of Paul. There can be no escaping the certainty of which he writes.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ Having soared above the natural world, having fixed the certainty of God’s plan in eternity and the heavenly places in Christ, Paul brings us down to the individual witness of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and hearts. Know this – the apostle is saying – all your hopes of salvation and the future, all your expectation of a final likeness to Jesus – these things are guaranteed by the PLAN and the PROCESS of God’s work in us – in Christ. Whatever the world may throw at me, however I may be challenged by circumstances or by the world around me – my God designed it, has determined it will be and has set His love on me and completed His work in Christ for me. Now by the Spirit – completing a Trinity of work on my behalf – it is so! Against any background of uncertainty I am encouraged to see the Church – local and universal – from the perspective of God’s Plan and His process for our inclusion. I am encouraged to soar above the mundane and the troublesome, to catch a glimpse of a Divine Purpose and a Divine Process. We too often see the church from the pew – or even the pulpit, when we should be looking away to Jesus in whom the Church has its life and being. I believe that we need as a group of God’s people to set aside those things that have disturbed us and focus on our Lord. I am not saying that you have not been doing that in previous months. I am not suggesting that this means a setting aside of all the lessons you have learned recently. I am saying that we need to gather at His feet who knows what is best for us. We need to set right our relationship with Him – then our relationship with one another. We have to stop seeing the Church from our own limited perspective, or even by comparison with other churches that seem less troubled by schism and hurt. We need to see ourselves as IN CHRIST first. He will not ultimately allow His plan to be thwarted He may allow us to step out of the way – or deviate from what He most desires for us, but His plan is secure, His process certain in the whole godhead – Father Son and Spirit. This realignment of our spiritual life is the subject of Paul’s prayer in the next paragraph (vv 15-22) – it is also the subject, God willing, of our next study.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ

Study No. 2

EMPOWERED 15

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirita of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way. Chapter 1 vv 15-23 In a passage which reminds us of the Early Church’s emphasis on the resurrection power of Jesus, Paul shows us the hallmarks of the Christian’s life in Christ. We may summarise these in the following way: o Faith mixed with love o Constant Prayer o A deeper knowledge of Jesus and o A place in His Church

v15 v16 vv 17,18 and 19 vv 18,22 and 23

First of all take a look at the verses before us. Notice how the prayer leads into a general statement about the power that works in the believer. Can you see where the prayer ends and the statement begins? Almost exactly half way through, in the middle of verse 19. Study 2 : Page 1 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ We shouldn’t be surprised at that. Real prayer like that which Paul describes always leads on to a better understanding of the nature of the Lord Himself. You will find it in all his letters – and mixed with doctrine and thanksgiving. So then where does the strength to live a Christian life come from? Essentially the power of the Risen Jesus – but expressed to us here firstly in:-

FAITH MIXED WITH LOVE

v 15

15

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

These are the hallmarks of the believer: Faith in Jesus Love for others Paul has already told us where that FAITH began

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, v13 (See also 2 v 8; 3 v 12, 14; 4 v 12; 6 v 15) How do you recognise this faith in yourself? It shows itself in the work of the Spirit, a relationship with Christ. How do you recognise it in others? Possibly by words of witness and arguably by works of righteousness – but here in this passage the emphasis is upon FAITH mixed with LOVE. Although faith in Jesus is the touchstone of the spiritual life it MUST be worked out in LOVE. And not a love in isolation but “for all the saints” Study 2 : Page 2 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ Faith Christ Jesus always opens the way to a wider fellowship - as in verse 19: 19

and his incomparably great power for us who believe

CONSTANT PRAYER

v 16

16

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you … As in Chapter 3 14-19, PRAYER – fervent and focussed prayer is the feature of Paul’s ministry for these believers. I have not stopped … Even when fresh challenges, new churches, new areas of service presented themselves, Paul carried an immense weight of burden in prayer for those with whom he had shared the Gospel. I have said elsewhere that I find prayer the hardest of all spiritual disciplines. I find it hard to imagine how Paul could remain constant in prayer for his contacts. Of course you could say it was just a general prayer appropriate to any and everyone – but that does not seem to be the way with the apostle. He frequently alludes to specific individuals and specific needs. He uses many different kinds of prayer. Here in this passage we have THREE COMPONENTS: (1) (2) (3)

Giving thanks Asking Praying also

v16 v17 v18

16

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirita of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that …

17

Study 2 : Page 3 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ GIVING THANKS Paul always mixes his prayers with thanksgiving. Here he claims “I have never stopped giving thanks for you…” Paul’s model is a good one for us as individuals and for the church. Phil 1 v 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 3

Col 1 v 3~ 3

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Clearly this was a phrase that Paul used frequently. A sequence of related thoughts that he tends to unite in a common pattern for his own prayer. ASKING I know that some believers get confused about how we should ASK. Some set limits on the kinds of things you may ask for – others suggest that ANYTHING can be the subject of supplication. Certainly our Lord Himself seemed to invite any kind of request – he speaks of prayer as the natural language of our relationship with the Father. Paul has no hesitation – having thanked His Lord – in getting down to the business of ASKING that God will do certain things for the (Ephesian) Church. We’ll look at that in a moment or two as we take a closer look at his aspirations for the Lord’s people. But for this moment consider the possibilities of PRAYER REQUESTS. Notice how Paul says “keep asking” – he has taken the teaching of His lord to heart. Study 2 : Page 4 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ PRAYING ALSO The words are supplied by the NIV to make sense of the next long sentence. Prayer is an extended conversation in which many areas are revisited. God is – according to the OT pattern – constantly reminded of His previous faithfulness and ASKED again and again for present faithfulness and help. Prayer continues that work begun in us by faith. It deepens our awareness and understanding of the Lord and expresses itself in love. As we look at what Paul ASKED for the Ephesian (and Colossian) churches we see further evidence of the hallmarks of the Christian life.

A DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST 17,18,19 17

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirita of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe Compare this with his words in Colossians: 9

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Paul’s first strand of request for these believers is indeed a deeper knowledge of Christ. v 17 so that you may know Him better The secret of a vibrant Christian life is knowing more of Jesus by the working of His Spirit. “the spirit of wisdom and revelation”. As Paul desired for himself: in Phil 3 v 10 10

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Study 2 : Page 5 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ In the next verse Paul expands that phrase “know Him better”: v 18 that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened… …that you may know the hope to which He has called you … …the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints… …his incomparably great power for us who believe… It begins in the heart It embraces the hope of our calling It measures the richness of our inheritance It tests the power of God in believers’ lives This is no mere academic knowledge – but a heart response to the heart of God. A wisdom that reaches out in admiration of God’s calling to a special hope Which is (implied) the vast resources of His inheritance in the believing community It is a powerful force beyond our comparison. All of this is a knowledge of Him A return to BASIC UNDERSTANDING

of Jesus Himself of all He has done of all He promises us in the future of the power of His risen life in us.

This thought of knowing Christ leads Paul on to explore the wonder in his own words. It seems he is taken up with that word POWER. This makes the natural connection between his prayer and his presentation, between verses 15-19a and 19b – 23 That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised

him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way.

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Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ Paul leaves us in no doubt that the POWER that drives the Christian life, the power that drives the Christian community forwards is the RESURRECTION POWER – and even more than that ASCENSION POWER. In considering the knowledge of His Lord Paul sees Christ

RISING SEATED ABOVE ALL OVER ALL

Our hope and our daily spiritual life is lived in nothing less than the “mighty strength” of God demonstrated in the rising, ascending and triumphing work of Christ. It is – as we saw last time ALL IN CHRIST. As He is “on the up” – so are we! So Paul concludes his prayer and his presentation of the alignment of the spiritual life IN CHRIST by showing us that that life includes:-

A PLACE IN HIS CHURCH v18, 22 and 23 v 18

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

v 22 & 23 22

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way. It is difficult to find words that describe the Church to equal what Paul says here. As we move with the risen, ascended and majestic Christ into the heavenly places language is strained to express the meaning of what it is to be PART OF HIM – to be truly IN CHRIST If you want to see the Church as God sees it you must see Christ. You must also lose the preoccupation with the foreground issues that splinter and divide, and see the vast background tapestry on which is woven the immense wonder of the Body of Christ. No way can we see this from pew or pulpit – we have to rise with Him and, as Paul says to the Colossians Study 2 : Page 7 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ “Set your mind on things above”

(An excellent College motto – LBC)

But it begins (v18) with the folk we know…

(A) the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints Notice this is not OUR inheritance – it is His glorious inheritance – in us! Of course we share it – but in a wonderful way WE are His inheritance We are meant to shine in the reflected wonder of those RICHES {This word is used repeatedly in this letter: 1,7 1,18 2,7 3,8 3,16

usually of grace, or glory or of Christ Himself}

(B) head over everything for the church, This must surely reassure us – put our problems into perspective – he is head over EVERYTHING (C) 23 which is his body,

See 1 Cor 12 27~

12

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptised bya one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part uffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1

There is a wonderful echo here of the Communion Table “This is My Body”. 1

Believers as the Body of Christ Rom. 12:3–5; 1 Cor. 6:15–17; 1 Cor. 10:16–17; 1 Cor. 11:29; 1 Cor. 12:27; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 1:22–23; Eph. 4:11–13; Eph. 4:22–25; Col. 1:24; Col. 2:19

Study 2 : Page 8 of 9

Ephesians Life in the Body of Christ SUMMARY So we see the measure of the Christian life – the EMPOWERMENT of the believer as an individual and as a member of the Body. By FAITH and LOVE By PRAYER in its various forms By a DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS and By FELLOWSHIP IN THE CHURCH – Which is His body.

Next week, God willing we move on to a series of “Greats” in the first half of Chapter 2.

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