Ephesians 1(Devotional)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:
To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.[a]
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. 4 For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.[b] In love[c] 5 He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. 7 We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him 10 for the administration[d] of the days of fulfillment[e]—to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him. 11 We have also received an inheritance[f] in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.  13 When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 14 He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession,[g] to the praise of His glory.  15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,[h] would give you a spirit[i] of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the perception of your mind[j] may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength.  20 He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given,[k] not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put everything under His feet[l] and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.

God:
Do you know that I love you? Don't you know that i chose you to be with me before the beginning of the world? Why don't you trust me? Why do you reject my love by acting like we're not together? Don't you remember that I loved you so much that I died for you? Don't you remember that I took your place and received the punishment you deserve? Why do you choose to live like a beggar and in the rags and filth you have when I've given you so much more? Don't you know how much it hurts me when you reject my gifts to you? Don't you know that when you reject Me you dishonor Me in front of everyone. If you're going to be in a relationship with me then show me you love me. I know you still encounter pain, i know that doing life with me is still difficult. That's why I gave you the Holy Spirit to give you hope. I gave you the holy Spirit so you would know how serious I am about our relationship. Be a person known for your love. Be a person known for loving me. Trust me and walk with me if you do you will be filled with my Spirit. Depend on Me and I will give you everything you need. I love you and I have called you! Take joy in that, focus on Me, know who I Am and you will know who you truly are.

Me:
God forgive me for not trusting you. Forgive me for living like we're not in a relationship. I have been ashamed of You and have rejected You and shown that to other people by how I live. I'm sorry I haven't demonstrated a trust in you. I'm sorry I haven't remembered what you've given up for me and what I deserve.

Ephesians 2:1-18

Ephesians 2:1-18

Key Points:

1. I was an enemy of God destined for destruction and without hope.
2. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, his shed blood on the cross, I have the grace and mercy of God and am now His friend.
3. God has saved me so that my life can bring Him glory by being a witness of God’s abundant grace and mercy through Christ.  

Key Themes:

1. Before God we were all dead in sin and enemies of God(1-3)
2. Because of God’s mercy and love we have the opportunity to experience God’s grace by coming to life through Christ.  (4-5)
3. Through Christ, his followers share in Jesus glory as a testament to the grace of God shown in His Son.  (6-7)
4. Every Christ follower is saved through faith in the grace of God and created and saved to bring glory to God. (8-10)
5. Paul reminds the Philippians that as Gentiles they and all other Gentiles were excluded from the promise of God’s covenants  and without hope. (11-12)
6. All people can now have peace with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus which reconciles God with Man.  (13-16)
7. The good news of Christ is that we have peace with God and commune with God through the Spirit. (17-18)

Reflective Discussion Questions:

1. Why does Paul tell the Philippians they were without life?

1. How do our trespasses/sin lead to death?
2. How does vs 3 describe the behavior of a person walking toward death?

2. Who does Paul say is the one who brings the dead to life?

1. According to vs 4 what are the reasons why God brought the dead to life?
2. What is the relationship between God’s grace, love, and mercy in His interaction with us? Do one of these elements receive more focus than the others?
3. How does over-stressing, to the detriment of the others, one of the elements in vs 4 negatively affect our understanding of God’s redemptive plan?

3. Why does Paul say we have been seated with Christ in the heavens?

1. How does your understanding of why you are alive affect your life priorities in how you: spend your time or choose your career?

4. What does Paul say we are saved by in vs 8?

1. Whose grace and whose faith is Paul talking about?
2. What is faith? What are the evidences of faith placed in God’s grace given through Jesus?
3. Why does Paul say no one can boast in their salvation? How do people attempt to boast in their salvation?
4. How does the sacrifice and work of Christ affect the way you understand vs 10?  What needs to change in your life so that you can walk in the works God prepared for you to do?

5. Why would Paul remind the Philippians that they were without hope and excluded from the promises of God?

1. How were the Philippians without hope before Christ came? What does citizenship in Israel have to do with having peace with God and being a recipient of the promise?
2. How does vs 11-12 affect your view of being a witness of Christ and participating in global missions?
3. How does reflecting on who we were before Christ bring God honor?

6. How does Paul say we have been brought near to God?

1. How does vs 14 affect your perspective on people who are without God? Do you think most people view themselves as being enemies of God apart from Christ?
2. How does your understanding of vs 14 add depth to what Paul describes Christ did in vs 15?

7. What is the good news of the gospel according to vs 17-18?

1. Who is eligible for the peace Jesus Christ brought? (17)
2. What habits can you cultivate that will help you follow Christ in proclaiming the good news of peace to the lost in your life?

Individual Challenge:

Write down a specific spiritual discipline you’d like to cultivate in your life and the steps to carry that out.  Share your written plan with another believer and ask this person to prayerfully keep you accountable.