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Today we set sail into the amazing letter from the apostle Paul to the Ephesians. This is the first of four letters Paul wrote that we call the “Prison Epistles.” All four of them, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, were written around AD 60 or 61. And here is something to keep in mind: all four were written while Paul was a prisoner—under house arrest—in the city of Rome.

Ephesus was in western Asia Minor, which is now known as Turkey. Paul briefly visited this city on his second missionary journey in Acts 18 and then for an extended period during his third journey in Acts chapter 19. Paul spent a total of three years ministering to the Ephesian church (see Acts 20:31), along with his coworkers Aquila and Priscilla. Apollos and, later, a young pastor named Timothy also ministered there.[1]

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians does not deal with any particular problem in the church, as most of his other letters do. Bible scholars believe Paul intended Ephesians to be a “circular letter”—that is, it was sent to Ephesus but meant to be circulated among all the other churches in this part of the country.

The theme of Ephesians is the church, and it is an easy letter for Bible teachers like me to outline. The first three chapters present the doctrine of the church, and the last three chapters present the duties of the church.[2]

Following his typical greeting, Paul just launches into a little praise service, so to speak, focused on all the blessings the church has in Christ. He praises God, beginning in verse 3:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Do not miss that. God has blessed us in Christ, not with a few blessings here and there, but with every spiritual blessing! And by the way, every one of these blessings is for every follower of Christ. You do not have to reach some spiritual milestone in life before you can claim them; they are all yours right now.

Keep in mind, though, that these are spiritual blessings. Paul is not talking about your automobile or how many suits you have hanging in the closet. Those are material blessings, and you might enjoy some of them. In fact, I have read that if you have food in a refrigerator for the following week, an automobile, several outfits of clothing, and some money in a bank, you are in the top 5 percent of the world’s wealthiest people. However, you might be wondering where the next meal is going to come from.

Paul is about to list spiritual blessings that every believer has. No matter how rich or poor you might be, they are yours—right now.

Paul gives us a list of them that will take us from verse 3 all the way down to verse 14. In the original Greek text, this is one sentence! You have to stop and breath every once in a while, before you can finish this one sentence.

This list is grouped around the three persons of the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

We have already explored a number of these blessings in our Wisdom Journey through the book of Romans, so I will just go through these verses and make a few comments along the way.

First, Paul gives us the blessings related to the choice of God the Father in verses 4-6:

He [God the Father] chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Here is the truth that you have been chosen by God. In fact, His choice occurred in eternity past, or as Paul puts it, “before the foundation of the world.” Now, this is a hard doctrinal truth to comprehend, because God is doing something before He created the universe. He did it in secret, so to speak, and we are told in the Bible that the secret things belong to God.

His choice of you before time began is a mystery, but your choice of Him at some point in your life is no mystery. You fully understand your part, don’t you? Jesus referred to both choices in John 6:37, when He said, “All that the Father gives me [that is His choice] will come to me [that is your choice], and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

Paul continues his list in verses 7-12 by adding blessings that relate to the redemption of God the Son. We have been redeemed, Paul writes, “through his blood.” And we have been given the promise that God will ultimately “unite all things in him”—in Christ. Paul writes that this will finally take place in “the fullness of time” (verse 10), which is a reference to the return of Christ. So, here is a blessing for the believer: you have the promise that one day God will make all things right in the world; and that is a blessing you can cling to, especially during dark and difficult days.

Next, the list focuses on the guarantee of God the Holy Spirit:

You . . . were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (verses 13-14)

This affirms that at salvation, the Holy Spirit came to dwell personally in us. Paul explains that the Spirit’s presence in us is God’s seal, His “down payment.” The Holy Spirit is God’s assurance, His guarantee, of an eternal inheritance for every believer.

What more could we possibly need? Well, on our part, we probably could use a little more appreciation for what God has already given us through Christ.

Paul concludes this first chapter of Ephesians with a prayer. It is a prayer of thanksgiving but also a request for his readers.

He writes in verse 16, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” This is a wonderful example of how we ought to act toward other believers. Just consider the fact that it is nearly impossible to criticize people and thank God for them in prayer at the same time.

Specifically, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in verse 17 is that they will grow in wisdom and in the knowledge of God’s work in their lives. It is to that end he also prays for them in verses 18-19:

That you may know what is the hope to which he has called you . . . the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and . . . the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.

Beloved, as your understanding of God’s Word grows, your understanding of God’s work grows—and your hope and appreciation and praise for God will grow as well.

Finally, in verses 19-23, Paul emphasizes that every blessing we have and will inherit throughout eternity is the result of God’s work in His Son, Jesus Christ, our risen Savior who even now is, as Paul writes, “seated . . . in the heavenly places . . . above every name that is named.”

When you pray for other believers, maybe you wonder what exactly to pray for. Well, here it is! Pray for them as Paul prayed for the Ephesians—that they may have greater understanding and appreciation of their blessings from God. And while you are at it, pray the same thing for yourself.