Ephesians 1:15-16

What a great thing it is when someone believes in Jesus Christ. This is cause for rejoicing, and that is exactly what Paul is doing. He is giving thanks for his fellow believers coming to faith. He also keeps them in his prayers. Paul knows that the Christian life is not complete after one believes. They must grow in their knowledge and love of Christ. They must continue to work out their salvation by putting off sin and putting on Christ, and Paul prays that God would do these things in their lives. As Christians, we have to continue to grow and progress in our faith. We have to daily call on the Lord to help us in this. Are you growing in your faith? Are you asking Jesus to help you overcome the sin in your life?

Ephesians 1:14

Paul mentions that the Ephesians are sealed in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of the inheritance we receive as sons and daughters of God. We will not see all of this inheritance until we reach heaven, but the Spirit assures us of this. The Holy Spirit is the “down payment” of the inheritance that we will have in heaven. His presence in our life is God assuring us that every blessing He has promised will be ours. Although we will receive more, the Holy Spirit is an amazing blessing. He helps guide us each and every day, making us more like Christ. He provides us with a direct line to Christ as we pray. He provides strength and comfort as we face temptation and trials. The Holy Spirit is something we should cherish. Do you cherish the Holy Spirit in your life or do you take Him for granted?

Ephesians 1:12-13

Paul is speaking to the Christians at Ephesus.  These were Gentiles, and they were not part of the nation of Israel. However, Paul shows that they are part of the family of God. When he mentions “we who were the first to hope in Christ”, Paul is talking about the Jews, who heard the Gospel first, but then he mentions in verse 13 that the Gentile Ephesians had believed and were saved. One of the greatest blessings of the Gospel is that it does not matter where you come from, your background, your ethnicity, your job, so on and so forth. All that matters is faith in Jesus Christ. If you feel inadequate, remember that Paul, who was an apostle, called himself the chief of all sinners and he was forgiven. There are no conditions on our faith. The only thing salvation requires is to repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Have you trusted in Him?

Ephesians 1:11

Through faith in Christ, we have obtained an inheritance with Christ. We have been adopted into the family of God and become younger brothers and sisters of the heir of all things, Jesus Christ, for all things are ours in Him. From before the beginning of time, God predestined us to be His sons and daughters, and we have been restored to Him because of Jesus. You may not come from an affluent background. You may have not had much growing up, but you are sons and daughters of the Heavenly King. Those who believe in Christ and trust in Him for their salvation are brought into God’s family, and they will share His inheritance which is much greater than any earthly inheritance.

Ephesians 1:10

God has revealed His will through Christ, but how? When Adam and Eve sinned, they fell along with all creation. God’s plan was to bring all of creation back to its original state, being united to Him, through Christ. Jesus’ atonement on the cross reconciled both God’s people and His creation with Him. This is why Jesus is so important. It is only through Him that both we and creation itself could be restored to the state of righteousness before the Fall. Jesus Christ is the crux  by which God’s purposes of redemption are fulfilled.

Ephesians 1:9

God is an omniscient, all-knowing, God, and He will always know more than us. However, there are things that God has made known about Himself and His purposes through the Bible. He has been revealing His will little by little, as we see in the Old Testament, but now His will is fully known because everything in the Old Testament points to Christ. The entire Bible from cover to cover is about Jesus and God’s plan to save His people. We can see there is a God by looking at creation, but we need the Bible to show us God’s revelation of Jesus Christ. This mystery has been brought to light in Jesus through God’s Word to us.  

Ephesians 1:7-8

Paul explains to the Ephesians that they have redemption and forgiveness for their trespasses because of the blood of Christ and the grace of God that has been poured out upon them. We love our accomplishments, whether it be trophies, certificates, plaques, etc. These things all highlight something we have done. However, there is not a single thing we have done to accomplish our salvation. It is all through Christ and by His grace that we have been saved. You may have done some great things in your life, but you have done nothing, and will not be able to do anything, to earn your salvation. Because of this, we should love Christ all the more. We owe our lives to Him. We owe our salvation to Him. We owe everything to Him, and this should be our response. Are you glorifying Christ in your daily life for who He is and what He has done for you that you couldn't do for yourself?