NOTES FROM EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1

·         Paul was made an apostle by the will of God. It was the Lord who selected Paul to serve Him and His gospel as an apostle, not the choice of men. This means the words Paul wrote in His epistles are the words of God.

·         God the father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. The spiritual blessings flow from election, which is the first and greatest of these blessings. Because believers are elect, they may receive every spiritual blessing.

·         Election took place before the foundation of the world. How was this possible before the atoning blood of Christ was spilled, before Christ suffered and died to satisfy the wrath of God? Because Christ is the Lamb who was slain before the foundations of the world.

·         On what basis was election of believers decided? It was according to God’s good pleasure. God chose to elect certain people to salvation, and He chose others to die in their sins because it pleased Him to do so. No other reason is necessary for the God of the universe to do anything. Note that the apostle uses the phrase “good pleasure”. Only that which is good will please God, and all that God is pleased with is good.

·         Believers are chosen for salvation so that they may be found to be holy and blameless in the day of judgement, and that so even whilst on earth we can be seen as holy and blameless in the sight of God.

·         The outcome of this great election of sinners is the “praise of the glory of His grace”. God is glorified through the praise of His attributes, grace being one of them. When a sinner is saved God’s grace is put on display, and when He is praised His grace, He is glorified.

·         When believers are joined to Christ, there are several blessings that accompany that salvation including redemption through the blood of Christ, forgiveness for sins past, present, and future, and that we are made an inheritance.

·         Once again, the purpose behind this is given, “to the praise of His glory”. God does all things for His glory.

·         Believers are sealed by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us as a “pledge of our inheritance”.

·         Paul prays that believers would be granted wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of God. This is so that they would know the hope of election and the glory of Christ’s inheritance in the saints. By having this knowledge, we may come to know the “surpassing greatness of His power” toward us. This strength was shown in Christ’s resurrection and ascension.

·         Christ has been given all authority; He is now the King of kings reigning over all things.