Ephesians 1:1-3: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Paul was a man greatly used by God. The story is told in the book of Acts of his conversion. He was formerly a religious man and a member of the Pharisees. He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, and he participated in the persecution of the church.
Acts 9 records the story of Paul going to Damascus to persecute believers. But he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He heard the voice of the Lord, and he saw a bright light, and was temporarily blinded. Three days later he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and his sight returned.
After this dramatic conversion, Paul served God with great passion and devotion the rest of his life. He was the human vessel that the Holy Spirit used to pen several of the epistles to the various churches and individuals.
Paul begins the epistle to the church at Ephesus by saying that he is an apostle by the will of God. He begins by establishing the concept of divine calling. God calls men and women to certain offices in the church. Paul, an apostle by the will of God. Paul implies that he is speaking out of the divine authority and inspiration of Almighty God. He didn't choose the work of the ministry, rather God chose him to fulfill the ministry of an apostle.
Not everyone is called to be an apostle. But God has called each of us to fulfill his divine ministry on this earth. God has a plan of destiny for you! He created you with purpose and significance. You are called by God to impact your world with the Word of God, through the power of God.
Paul then referred to the Ephesians as saints, and as the faithful in Christ Jesus. Thankfully, most Christians have learned that a saint is not some special Christian. A saint is simply one who is born again. All believers are set apart to God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The goal is to be in the world, but not of the world.
What a compliment that Paul referred to the belivers at Ephesus as the faithful in Christ Jesus. Every saint, every believer should be faithful in Christ Jesus. Ask any pastor and you will discover that he is blessed with a few faithful believers in his church. But the vast majority of believers in most churches do not demonstrate the faithfulness necessary to be a dynamic factor in the work of the ministry through that local church.
Faithfulness is necessary for any venture to be successful. If you want your local church to succeed in the purpose of God, then be faithful. Encourage others to be faithful.
Paul then greeted them with a blessing. He didn't just say, "Hey guys, I hope you are doing well. What's happening?"
No, Paul blessed the church by saying, Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. With our mouths we have the ability to bless or to curse. We also have the capacity to speak inane babble, which is what most of the world speaks. But as a believer, daily, you have the opportunity to bless other with the words of your mouth, just like the apostle Paul blessed the church in Ephesus. Take seriously the privilege and the responsibility that you possess to bless other with your words.
Verse 3 is a powerful declaration by Paul. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Paul lifts praise to the Father because He has blessed the church with every spititual blessing in Christ. God has made full provision for his church in the heavenly realms. God is worthy of praise. He has redeemed us by the blood of Jesus, and in addtion He has already provided every blessing we would ever need.
Now, every spiritual blessing is in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. The question is, how do you appropriate those blessing when you need them? Or, how do you access in the natural realm, what is already provided for you in the spiritual realm?
Faith and prayer are avenues to the blessing of God. But there is another avenue I want to discuss. The avenue of praise. Paul praised God because of the abundance of blessing that the Father had provided in the heavenly realms. We praise God for what he has done. We praise and worship God for who he is. No, we don't praise to get, however, God inhabits the praise of his people. As a believer begins to live a lifestyle of praise, just as the apostle Paul did, then the door to the heavenly realm opens wide to provide whatever spiritual blessing he needs day by day!
This is good news. Whatever you need, God has already provided. And as you begin to lifestyle of praise, then you will find that you will not be lacking any good thing from the storehouse of blessings that God has in the heavenly realms in Christ.
Wayne L. Williams
wayne@fotwm.org