Ephesians 1-3 ~ Because of our Saviour...

Through Jesus Christ we are…

 

Chapter 1

Given grace and peace (vs. 2)

Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (vs. 3)

Holy and without blame before God (vs. 4)

Adopted children in God's family (vs. 5)

Accepted in the beloved (vs. 6)

Redeemed and forgiven from our sin (vs. 7)

Given an inheritance (vs. 11)

The praise of Christ's glory (vs. 12)

Sealed with the Holy Spirit (vs. 13)

Given the Holy Spirit as an earnest of our inheritance (vs. 14)

Given hope (vs. 18)

 

Chapter 2

Quickened from the trespasses and sins that made us dead (vs. 1)

Quickened together with Christ (vs. 5)

Raised up and seated in heavenly places (vs. 6)

Shown God's exceeding riches of grace and kindness (vs. 7)

Saved by grace through faith (vs. 8)

Saved not by our own works (vs. 9)

Created to walk in good works (vs. 10)

Made nigh to God (vs. 13)

Granted peace with God (vs. 14)

Reconciled to God (vs. 16)

Given access to the Father through the Spirit (vs. 18)

Fellowcitizens with the saints (vs. 19)

Built upon the foundation of God's apostles, prophets, and Christ (vs. 20)

The temple of the Lord (vs. 21)

The habitation of God through the Spirit (vs. 22)

 

Chapter 3

Fellowheirs, of the same body, and partakers of God's promises (vs. 6)

Given the unsearchable riches of Christ (vs. 8)

Given fellowship in the mystery of the church (vs. 9)

Given boldness and access with confidence to God (vs. 12)

In God's family (vs. 15)

Loved with an incomprehensible love (vs. 18-19)

Given the ability to be filled with all the fulness of God (vs. 19)

WOW!!

-Stephen

Adam & Eve... Jesus & the Church

Ephesians 5:25-33
"25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

Genesis 2:18-25
"18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

What God did to create Eve from Adam is the exact thing that he did to create the church from Jesus Christ! As God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, so God sent his Son to die upon the cross and fall into a deep sleep. As God wounded Adam to take out a rib and create Eve, so God wounded Jesus Christ by putting our sin upon him and taking Jesus's righteousness and putting it upon us to (re)create us. As Adam awoke from sleep, so Jesus awoke from the dead. As God brought Eve to Adam, so through the salvation of God we were brought by the Lord to Christ. As Eve was declared bone of Adam's bone and flesh of Adam's flesh, so the church is one with the Lord Jesus Christ, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. What a miracle is the mystery of the church! Christ in us and us in Christ!