Eph 1 — Greeting, Thanksgiving and Prayer
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Paul writes this brief letter to the church in Ephesus, probably while he was in prison at Rome. There are two main points in the first chapter: 1) Christ chose us and 2) a call for us to recognize this great gift.
Christ Chose Us (Ephesians 1:3-14)
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (1:4). This was God’s design from the very beginning, he wants a relationship with us. That alone is enough to make me stop an think about how I treat God. He doesn’t just want us to be part of the inheritance, he “lavished” riches upon us (1:8), he didn’t hold back anything. The purpose: “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (1:10). The theme of unity is repeated throughout this letter–must be important! “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…” (1:13-14). As we negotiate the purchase of our house, the idea of a deposit guaranteeing a future acquisition is significant to me. Christ’s guarantee is for an eternal inheritance…so much more important!! Helps me to keep things in perspective. Praise the Lord of all for choosing us! Though we are only made worthy through the blood of Christ, we must get excited about the inheritance that is before us!
His Great Gift (Ephesians 1:15-23)
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you” (1:18). Lord I pray that I might understand even the smallest bit of your “incomparably great power for us who believe” (1:19). I recognize your are “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion” (1:21). Help me to live like I understand this great gift you have given to all who would simply ask.