Convinced of Freedom. Ephesians 1.2-7
4/3/2013 10:43:19 AM
April 2, 2013~Ephesians #7 in series
Convinced of Freedom. Ephesians 1.2-7
Good Day.
For some reason, I have had a tougher time launching into Ephesians than I had with any other of Paul’s letters, including Romans! As with Colossians, Paul is writing from prison to followers of Jesus Christ. Originally, the letter may have actually been written to those in the town of Laodicea, hand carried by Tychicus, and circulated through the churches. The message of this letter, Ephesians, is intended for all who profess the name of Christ, right down to today . . . so relevant are his divinely-inspired words.
As I write, I am praying that you will keep fresh in your mind the scenes of Holy week—including the treasures of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on ‘Palm Sunday’, and his time with his disciples in the Upper Room before he was arrested in the Garden. May the scenes of his treachery burn in your mind, and similarly may you feel again and again the jubilation of the empty tomb—for the two capsulize the glory of the Gospel.
Perhaps you could picture yourself as Thomas1 who the resurrected Lord invited to touch his wounded side to be assured that Jesus truly was a risen Messiah! Aye, forty days the Lord was with his followers and friends2 before he ascended back into Heaven3. Ten days after that, the Holy Spirit who Jesus had promised4 came to fill believers for the first time, changing everything from that day forward. The followers of ‘The Way’5 met together often and regularly, listening to the apostles’ teaching, eating together and praying for one another.6 Their shared love of Jesus Christ and for one another was contagious, and their number grew.
The Jewish leaders didn’t like what they saw, nor did the heavy hand of Rome, so persecution was intense, (like it is in Muslim countries today for Christians). One such ‘persecutor’ prosecuted these Jesus-lovers with particular fury, ‘Saul of Tarsus’ . . . that is until, Jesus stepped into his path, and turned him around 180 degrees7. Now referred to by the Greek form of his name rather than the Hebrew ‘Saul’,8 Paul became the first missionary, travelling from town to town in the Middle East and into Europe, establishing churches as he went.
Then Paul wrote 13 letters to encourage, inform, correct poor behavior and provide right doctrine; these letters of which Ephesians is one, expound on the saving work of Jesus Christ. Paul was forever grateful for the love of God, demonstrated by the life and death of Jesus, which had radically changed his life. Paul lived every day with gratitude that he no longer labored under the weight of religious law, trying to ‘do this’ or ‘be that’ in order to be ‘good enough’, but was set free to live and love because of the grace of Jesus.
And so Paul writes, “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” Amen.
God takes great pleasure in you, beloved son or daughter, and he has promised you freedom, when you love and live the grace of God. What matters more than that?
Christine
1- John 20.27; 2- Acts 1.3; 3- Acts 1.9; 4- John 14.16; 5- Acts 9.2; 6- Acts 2.42; 7- Acts 9; 8- Acts 13.9