Ephesians: Understanding & Praising God from Whom All Blessings Flow:

The first Faith Study was published on January 1, 2004, 22 years ago today and 302 studies have been posted since then. I’ve wondered if I’d ever get to the book of Ephesians and looked forward to it because Ephesians is the pinnacle of truth for today’s Saints. It fills in the details of the mystery God kept secret since before the world began until He revealed it to the apostle Paul for all true believers called “saints”.

Paul addresses the believers as saints in Romans 1:77 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

; 1 Corinthians 1:22 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:

; 2 Corinthians 1:11 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

; Ephesians 1:11 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

; Philippians 1:11 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

; Colossians 1:22 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

in his greeting to them. He mentions saints in both 1st & 2nd Thessalonians but the word saint/s is not found in Galatians. “Saint/s” is from the Greek “hag’ios” (G40), which is translated in the King James Version (KJV) 161 times as “holy;” “saints” 61 times; “Holy One” 4 times and 3 times otherwise. It means “sacred, physically pure, (morally blameless or religious, ceremoniously consecrated), etc.”

There is nothing to read into the fact Paul does not address the believers in Galatians and Thessalonians as saints. The fact is that all true believers in all the churches to whom he wrote, as well as all true believers for the last 2000 years are saints in God’s Eyes. Ephesians points out that all holiness and blamelessness in believers so God can consider them saints comes from God’s Grace:

• Paul himself was an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, Ephesians 1:1;

• Grace and peace comes from God The Father and The Lord Jesus Christ, Ephesians 1:22 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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◦ God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with all Spiritual blessings, Ephesians 1:33 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

. Believers enjoy this blessing from the time they believe and will do so throughout eternity.

◦ God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ chose us In Him (as Members of Christ’s body) before this earth was created to be holy and without blame in His sight, Ephesians 1:44 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

◦ It was because of His love for us (“in Love” from the end of verse 4) that God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ predestinated (predetermined) believers to be His children by the finished work of Jesus Christ in fulfillment of His Will and Grace, it was He who made us acceptable to Him because He views us in His Son, Ephesians 1:5 - 65 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

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◦ Believers are in Christ (Members of His Body) having been redeemed through His death on the cross and forgiven of all sin/s, according to (after the manner of) the abundance/richness of His Grace, Ephesians 1:77 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

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◦ It was by His Grace that He abounded toward us in all spiritual wisdom and intellectual/moral insight, Ephesians 1:88 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

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◦ By spiritual wisdom and intellectual moral insight The Lord Jesus Christ enlightened believers to the secret of His will according to (after the manner of) His delight/good pleasure, Ephesians 1:99 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

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◦ God guarantees that in the future administration of eternity when time as we know it is no more He will consolidate all believers throughout the history of mankind in heaven and earth, Ephesians 1:1010 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

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◦ All believers in Christ have been allowed/assigned as determined before in God’s purpose Who effectually works everything by His own volition/will, that the Jews who first believed/trusted in Christ to the praise and glory of His goodness and grace, and in Whom the Gentile Ephesians (and all since then) also believed/trusted when they hear and take to heart the Gospel of the Grace of God and have been sealed (attested to) by the Holy Spirit of promise (as announced), Ephesians 1:1111 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

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◦ The Holy Spirit’s seal (attestation) is the earnest/pledge/security for the believer’s eternal Heavenly home by the precious blood (death, burial and resurrection) of Christ to the Glory of God the Father Who chose and predestinated all saints and to Christ the Son Who redeemed believers and in Whom is their inheritance, Ephesians 1:1414 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

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Paul then offers a prayer of thanksgiving and requests that God would provide the saints at Ephesus (and all true believers since then) the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of The Lord Jesus Christ, that the vision of understanding of all saints will be enlightened/illuminated so that all know with total and complete understanding the earnest expectation of God’s calling/invitation to the over abundance/wealth of the glory to be inherited, Ephesians 1:1515 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

-18.

Paul prays that believes may fully know and understand God’s great unlimited power, that same power He used to raise the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and seat Him at His Own Right Hand in the Heavens, Ephesians 1:1919 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

-20. Paul’s prayer extends to all believers since then and the believer’s prayer today should be as Paul’s, that we fully know and understand God’s great unlimited power in our lives and for eternity.