Ephesians (#2): "In Christ?"

Background:
Over the past couple of weeks we have been getting started with our study of the great letter to the Ephesians. I believe that in order to move forward we need to go back and pick up, or emphasize a couple of facts.

1. This was a Circular Letter: Many of the ancient manuscripts do not have "at Ephesus." We know that Tychicus carried the letter (6:21) and we learn in Col. 4:16 we read that there were letters circulating, specifically that the Letter of Col. was passed on to Laodicia. Ephesus was the center of were a huge Christian movement had broken out. Most of the cities influenced through these circular letter were never visited by Paul. In Ephesians 3:3 Paul wrote, "what I wrote before." This was probably making reference to one of the other letters, maybe the one to the church in Colossi.
2. Prison Epistles. These circular letters, unlike many of his letters, was not written with a specific issue, but a general presentation of a bigger picture. If we wonder what Paul might write to us, this letter is a great example. It is more advanced that Romans, because Romans was written to young believers, and therefore starts with the basic principals of salvation. Unlike this, Ephesians starts with who we are. It would be like starting in about Romans 6. It is to growing believers, like us.

Last week we looked at Ephesians 1:3-13. Let's consider a couple of specifics in these verses.

Lets start with verse 3.

Ephesians 1:3 (NASB95) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

• Paul starts with what God has already done. He "has blessed" us.
• He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, and
• He has done this "in Christ."
• This expression "in Christ" is a central truth to this study. We see it occur ten times in theses ten verses. See if you can find them. What does this mean? It is all about our "Position in Christ." This is the basis of our standing with God, and what is true of Christ is true of us. When we come before God, this is what is true of us. This is different from our condition. Another way to look at this is that it is "our identity." It is this from which we live. This defines who we are, and whose we are.
• How much does this issue matter really? It must be important because it seems that this is the central and foremost truth in most of Paul's letters. This is because the position controls how we relate to God. From the position our actions should be defined. This position is the key to lasting, real change in our lives. It is kind of abstract, but it is paramount that we crab hold of it. This is central to living a life that Peter will later describe as "holy" living.
• This raises the question: "When you think you are one thing, but you actually are something else, how will you act? The way you think you are or the way you truly are. What will determine your behavior? If you believe you are one thing, but you are truly something different." Usually, we act according to what we think we are. When
  God says this is what you are, then that is what you are.
• Let's think about this. Let's say we are an orphan in Romania living in the sewers of the city. We have nothing and we have to steal and fight and take care of ourselves. Then one day someone adopts us and takes us to America. They give us new clothes and a new place to live and even a new name. One day shortly after that, our new parents takes us to Walmart to shop. We do not believe yet that we are who we are, but in our mind we are still an orphan with nothing. What do we do in Walmart? We steal whatever we can, because we are still that orphan in our mind. It is not true, but it is to us. We just cannot believe we have all of this, because we have never understood such wealth. To us it is impossible to have that much.
• Our identity determines our values, priorities, actions, etc. It is who we really are. Everything that interest us is defined by our identity. Only if we believe that we are no longer this orphan, can we be a son. A son of God. We at times, and maybe much of the time, do not really believe in our identity.
• Watchman Nee once wrote, "at the beginning of our Christian lives we are concerned more with our doing than with our being." The more we grow in the Lord the more we must base our actions on our being, not our being on our actions. God always starts with our being not with our doing.
• This is why Paul always places the emphasis on our being before he talks about our doing.

This brings us to verse 4 where we see these "spiritual blessings."

Ephesians 1:4 (NASB95) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

• The first spiritual blessing is that we have been chosen by God. He chose us "in Him." God has always seen us, the believers, in Christ as chosen by Himself. God has chosen us for His purpose. We are chosen in Christ, to be partakers in the purpose of Christ. In our new identity we do not have a useless purpose, but our lives are part of the greatest thing to ever happen and that is the purpose of Christ.

Then to the second blessing in verse 5 and 6.

Ephesians 1:5-6 (NASB95) 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

• We will pick it up here .....