I've decided to start a series of my thoughts as I read through the book of Ephesians. I hope this series of blog posts will be an encouraging and edifying.
Eph. 1:1-2 says, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." -ESV
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus"
Isn't it interesting how Paul starts this letter. The first thing I notice is that he identifies himself as an apostle. The title of apostle carries with it authority. When the early church compared biblical writings in order to help recognize which books were actually authoritative and were part of the canon of Scripture, one of the tests they used was whether they came from an apostle. Paul wants his readers to know he has authority to speak on the subject. Paul has a very specific encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. Jesus appeared to him, transformed him, and (literally) gave him new life.
Rest assured that the Bible you carry is AUTHORITATIVE! You can trust what it says and it will CHANGE you as you read it.
"by the will of God"
Paul goes on to tell us that he has been given his apostolic authority by the will of God, not the will of man. He was chosen by God for this task. It was God who called him to be His representative to the church.
You were chosen by God for a task as well. Each and everyone of His children have a ministry. It doesn't always look like what you might think, but God has a very special plan for your life.
"To the saints who are in Ephesus"
Paul calls his recipients "saints." In some churches they actually measure ones good works in this life and if they've done something so self-sacrificing or so amazing they are given the title "saint." I don't like this practice. Why? Because I don't like exulting the works of people. It is God alone who should receive the glory.
The Greek word for "saint" is hagios, and it means set apart for holiness. Paul is addressing a very specific group of people in Ephesus. He is addressing those people who have been set apart by God for holiness. In other words, he is addressing the children of God, Christians.
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
I love this! When Paul greets his readers the very first thing he greets them with is GRACE AND PEACE! If you haven't figured it out yet...IT'S ALL ABOUT GRACE! It really is! And when God's grace permeates our lives, His peace that passes all understanding settles our heart and keeps us close to Him.
You can rest assure that this grace and peace is not fleeting because it comes from God and Jesus. This isn't a mere feeling that comes and goes.
Finally, Paul tells us that God is our Father and Jesus is our Lord. We can rest in our daddy's arms because we are surrendered to Christ, our Lord. The Greek word for Lord is kyrou. It means "decision maker." Christ is our decision maker. The reason we have the GRACE and PEACE of God is because we look to Christ for our answers and not ourselves. When I try to take control of my life, I worry, I get angry, and I get stressed out. I have to learn daily that I am not in control. It is Christ who is sovereign over me!
Be edified!
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