This is an exciting study that will bless you and will cause you to grow immeasurably in grace and the knowledge of the Lord, Jesus, Christ.
The author of Ephesians is Paul the great apostle. Some have contested this, but one writer was quoted as saying, “If Paul didn’t write Ephesians, the author was more Pauline than Paul himself.
READ: UNSEEN SPIRITS OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS ARE RULING YOUR WORLD…THE WORLD ALL AROUND YOU
Let’s get started right away. I can’t wait to share with you the truths of what is one of the greatest of the Pauline Epistles.
(1:1) “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
READ: SEATED WITH CHRIST IN HEAVENLY PLACES
Paul is identifying himself as the author of Ephesians. He lays claim to being an ‘apostle’ of Jesus Christ by the will of God.
God had called him, (In the Greek an apostle is ‘one who is sent’, or ‘one who is commissioned).
He wanted believers to know that he had the credentials necessary to speak to them authoritatively and for them to accept his teachings and to promote, prayer for, and support his work and calling as an apostle.
READ: WEAK PRAYER, WEAK RESULTS. STRONG PRAYER, POWERFUL RESULTS.
We need to understand that Paul was not a self appointed apostle, like many today. there are those who want to feel important, so they can call themselves an apostle.
They want the title, but they’re not interested in it’s work and responsibilities. Apostle means a called out one, a sent one.
READ: TRUTHS FROM THE GOSPEL THAT WILL BRING LIFE TO YOUR THIRSTY SOUL
An apostle is one who hears God and is totally committed to His purposes and will. An apostle’s work involves founding churches and seeing to it that they are established.
An apostle may be one commissioned by God to do and establish great works in God’s kingdom. They are not like the false apostles who want the title in order to gain control of believers and ravage their lives.
Paul was an apostle by the will of God for the sake of the Ephesians. He selflessly had submitted himself to the teaching and care of the Ephesians, that at the day of Christ he might present them to the Father blameless and harmless as the sons and daughters of God.
READ; I SAW JESUS IN MY DREAMS IN PURE BRILLIANT LIGHT
Not all the saints (believers) in Ephesus knew Paul personally, but they most certainly had heard of him.
I’m sure some in the church couldn’t wait to hear what Paul had to say, because they wanted to know Christ in a deeper way and at a deeper level.
I’m sure there were others who didn’t like Paul because his words were like knives cutting away the rotten flesh.
Cutting away at the self that continually wanted to impose itself, and resurrect itself every day. The flesh that manifests to others in pride, superiority, and prominence.
(1:2) “Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ”.
READ: YOU’VE PRAYED, “LORD WHERE SHALL I GIVE? THEN YOU PULLED US UP.
What a powerful ‘declaration’ to the ‘saints’ at Ephesus. ‘GRACE BE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD….”
I want you to take note that these are not just words. But those words were spoken under the anointing of the Spirit and they actually imparted grace and peace to them from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
All words have power, but none have power like those of the WORD OF THE LIVING GOD’.
Jesus said in John 6:63, “The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life“.
(Hebrews 11:3) “By faith we understand that the worlds were created (framed) by ‘THE WORD OF GOD’. We can’t even begin to imagine the power in the Word of God. When God speaks the universe trembles.
By faith God spoke the ‘worlds’, (the universe) into existence.
READ: GOD IS SPEAKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE’S SAYING?
Even the unbelivers words have power. But there is no debate on whose words are most powerful. Can you speak and a world or (planet comes into being?) I think not.
Now that we’ve established the difference, we can proceed. We have said very glibly, ‘STICKS AND STONES MAY HURT MY BONES BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME’.
My dear friend, it’s a lie. There’s no truth in it. This clever quip no doubt came from Satan himself, the master deceiver.
READ: THE PATH
Proverbs 15:4 “A gentle tongue is a tree of life but perverseness (rottenness) in it breaks the spirit (or is a break in our spirit)”.
Proverbs 12:18 “The WORDS of the reckless PIERCE like SWORDS”. Some one once said, ‘WORDS ARE STONES’. WE ARE STONE THROWERS. EVERY HURTFUL WORD IS A STONE.
Paul said, “Grace be to you and Peace from God the Father…”
READ: IS DELIVERANCE A DIRTY WORD?
Grace is a marvelous quality. In God’s grace is every blessing mankind could ever hope for. If it weren’t for grace none of us would have any hope at all.
We could never expect to receive salvation from sin, and salvation from it’s consequences. Hell would be our only eternal destination.
READ: GOD WANTS YOU IN HIS FAMILY
We would never ever be blessed with anything. It would only be curses on the left hand and on the right. Only fear, dread and hopelessness.
But Paul said, “Grace be unto you“…. Praise God, that means there’s not only hope for us, but there’s blessings on the right hand and on the left, if we will only walk with God.
And if we’ll walk with God we will receive the greatest of GRACES when He gives us OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
“Grace be unto you and Peace”….”
READ: ARE YOU UNDER A WITCHCRAFT ATTACK? YOU CAN BREAK IT
Child of God I’m so thankful for God’s grace, and I rejoice for the truth and reality of this Scripture (Hebrews 4:16) “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
“Let us therefore come boldly (confidently) unto the ‘THRONE OF GRACE’, that we may obtain ‘MERCY‘ and find ‘GRACE‘ to help in time of need”
This is one of the heavenly places we have access to (through Jesus shed blood). We have already been seated together with Christ in heavenly places. There are many heavenly places in the spirit realm.
READ: DO ANGELS HAVE A FREE WILL?
Such love our God has for all of us. Have you ever seen anything like it. Do the pagans or heathen serve any god or goddess that has such love for them?
The heathen gods have to be appeased. They are angry all the time. There is only fear and the hope that the sacrifice or offering men present to their many gods will satisfy and placate them. They never know.
If it doesn’t satisfy them, they are cursed, they are punished.
READ: SATAN IS INCAPABLE OF TELLING THE TRUTH, RIGHT? (SURPRISING ANSWER)
Their gods (demons) may kill one of their children or cause the spouses wife to be barren, or cause their crops to fail.
But God’s grace only blesses, only brings salvation, only forgives (but only when one truly repents) and turns from his sins.
BUT BE WARNED: God’s grace only forgives the contrite in spirit. It only forgives those who seriously are sorry enough for their sins that they put an end to them.
If through rebellion or willfulness we sin, ‘GRACE STOPS WORKING IMMEDIATELY’, because at that time we are not sincere with God.
READ: A BLACK HOLE IN SPACE. TERRIFYING! YOUR LIFE, IS A LIGHT, OR BLACK HOLE.
But if we humble ourselves once again before God, and are truly sorry, God’s grace immediately starts working for us again.
II Corinthians 7:9-11 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance: for you were made sorry after a godly manner, that you might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world works death”.
What does this all mean?
READ: LOVE IS OF GOD, HATE IS OF THE DEVIL
Paul rejoiced not because the Ephesians were made sorry, but that they were made sorry (probably weeping at the altar of surrender), because they were truly sorry for their sins.
READ: BORN-AGAIN BY THE INCORRUPTIBLE WORD
They wanted to be changed on the inside. They didn’t repent, and then regret it. They didn’t weep with deep sorrow only to go back to the filth of the flesh and the world.
The sorrow of the world (unsaved), however, works death. The unbeliever doesn’t even try to repent, he just sorrows because the whole world is closing in on him
READ: YOU’RE NOT ALONE. REACH HIGHER AND GRAB HOPE…
He’s not willing, however, to let God change his life. Many will actually commit suicide before they will repent.
II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature (creation). Old things have passed away, behold all things are become new”.
READ: TAKE BACK YOUR THOUGHTS FROM ENEMY SPIRITS
Praise God, that’s what the New Birth is all about. When we repent and ask Jesus to come into our heart and life, He does. Then we experience his forgiveness, and a wonderful change in our lives.
Then, what we experience next is peace. When we get saved we have peace with God (because everything has been made right, and God grants us eternal life.
Then not only do we have peace with God, but we then have the peace of God.
READ: DID YOU KNOW YOU MIGHT HAVE A SOUL-TIE THAT’S HURTING YOU?
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”.
When the ‘lost’ won’t turn away from their sins, because they love them so much, they don’t realize it, but they are stepping out of the frying pan into the fire.
READ: DELIVERANCE SERIES #1: CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE A DEMON?
I was horrified a few years ago to see a girl in my neighborhood who grew up along side my son commit suicide. She attended church, but didn’t really want God who would have changed her life.
She gave herself to prostitution, and then loathed her life so much that she finally committed suicide. How very tragic. Our hearts were so crushed. It didn’t have to be that way.
Friend let us pray for our unsaved family members, and friends who are sorrowing, but will not or don’t understand that if they would come to God and ask Him for help, He would graciously help them and save their soul.
READ: ARE YOU PARALYZED WITH FEAR? LET ME PRAY AN ANOINTED PRAYER OVER YOU
“Then instead of sorrow, they would know what the joy of the Lord is really all about.
What do you and I want more than anything else in life? We want peace. First we want peace in our heart and soul.
We want peace of mind. We want to have the peace of knowing that heaven will be our home when we die. Amen? Yes, Amen.
Grace is God’s unmerited favor on sinful and undeserving humanity.
There are two qualities that God has that no others possess. Two qualities of such importance to all of us, to all of humanity, that our world would come to an end without them, and they are ‘MERCY’ and ‘GRACE’. That’s right, mercy and grace.
READ: OUT OF 7.5 BILLION PEOPLE, DO I REALLY MATTER TO GOD?
Mercy and grace are not the same. So, what’s the difference between the two?
Mercy, is God holding back the judgement and punishment that all we as sinners deserve.
Further help and understanding. READ: MERCY, WHERE DO I FIND IT?
Grace is just the opposite. Grace is granting us through our receiving Christ as our Savior, all the blessings of Calvary that ‘WE DON’T DESERVE’.
I think you would agree that you and I need both God’s ‘Mercy and His Grace’, amen? Only God’s infinite love would ever want to, or ever dare to offer such gifts to mankind.
(1:3) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”.
SPEAKING IN TONGUES one of these spiritual blessings out of Heavenly places.
Your understanding will greatly increase as you read SEATED WITH CHRIST IN HEAVENLY PLACES
This word ‘BLESSED‘ here means ‘WORTHY TO BE PRAISED’. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is worthy to be praised because he has blessed and bestowed upon Believers “ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST’.
READ: IS GOD KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH, AND CARING ENOUCH TO HELP ME WITH MY TOUGHEST PROBLEMS?
These blessings officially are ours. Some of these blessings, such as salvation, healing, being Spirit Baptized with speaking in tongues, and deliverance from demon power is something we have already experienced.
READ: HE THAT ENDURES TO THE END THE SAME SHALL BE SAVED
All these blessings come out of the spiritual world. They come from and out of the heavenly places in Christ, Jesus. There are many more blessings that we are not yet even aware of. They are limitless.
Some of these spiritual blessings will yet be revealed to us while living for the Lord here on planet earth.
READ: WEARY PILGRIM, HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER. THE ANSWER’S ON THE WAY
Other’s however will be revealed to us in the ages to come in heaven, and we will be blessed beyond all powers of description.
Paul talks about this in his letter to the Ephesians (2:7-8) “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of His ‘GRACE’ in His ‘KINDNESS’ toward us through Christ Jesus.”
Did you get that? It will literally take eternity to show the full measure of His kindness to us.
Do you also realize that if it takes all eternity to show his ever increasing kindness toward us, it will never stop increasing, but always, forever, and for eternity be more and more blessed.
READ: THE DEVIL FLEES WHEN YOU BATTLE WITH HOLY GHOST TONGUES
One who was actually blessed to be taken to heaven and come back, was told this by an angel. “In heaven, God will never give His best, but only better and better.
THINK ABOUT IT. HOW CAN GOD GIVE HIS BEST WHEN ETERNITY NEVER ENDS.
HE CAN FOR EVER GIVE YOU BETTER AND BETTER AND GREATER AND GREATER, BUT GOD CAN NEVER GIVE HIS BEST BECAUSE ETERNITY HAS NO END. PRAISE GOD. GLORY TO HIS WONDERFUL NAME.
The closer we get to God and seek to know Him better, and as our spiritual eyes and ears are opened and our communication with God becomes keener and we begin to have conversation with God, He will reveal to us more of these wonderful spiritual blessings that we have in Christ Jesus. AND HE WANTS US TO HAVE THEM.
Now, He only gives these glorious blessings that come out of the heavenly places to those who love Him supremely with all their heart, soul, strength and mind.
Well, it’s time to bring this message to a close.
Let me have a prayer with you.
“Dear heavenly Father, bless the reader of this article. Let your presence comfort their heart. If they want salvation, please save them now, as they call out upon your name.
Heal that one who is sick in their body. God, your Word says in Isaiah 53:5 “He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.
Jesus heal hearts, kidneys, bowels, diabetes, cancer, arthritis in Jesus mighty name, and by the stripes of Jesus.
Lord, honor this dear person’s faith, and answer their prayer, now, in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.”
In the Event that you are not saved, born-again, pray this prayer.
Dear God, I know I’m a sinner. Forgive me of all my sins. Jesus, come into my heart and save my soul. I make You my Lord and Savior. I forgive everyone I have held a grudge against and up to now, have never forgiven. I know that Your Word tells me that if I don’t forgive others, You won’t forgive me. And if you don’t forgive me you won’t allow me into heaven.
So, I take care of that issue right now. Lord, I renounce Satan’s influence and control over my life in Jesus mighty name. Jesus, fill me with Your Spirit now, and give me a new life in Jesus Christ. Thank You for giving me authority over all the powers of darkness in Jesus all powerful and exalted name. Lord, I will follow You, love You, trust You, and obey You all the days of my life.
