SUMMARY OF EPHESIANS AND BENEFITS OF BELONGING TO JESUS

March 22, 2021

SUMMARY OF EPHESIANS

CHAPTER 1 – We learned that when we trust in Jesus, we are graciously adopted into the family of God. The mystery of the Gospel is that the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer regardless of nationality or background. In Christ, we are redeemed, rich, and recalibrated to be suitable for the work of the Lord.

CHAPTER 2 – We found that we had been spiritually dead-men walking until the Holy Spirit awakened us to salvation through Jesus Christ. Once we have trusted Jesus, we are held by the grip of His grace and cannot lose our place in the Family of God. We learned that all Christians are equal —there is no Jew, no Gentile, no man, no woman, no rich, no poor—we are all transformed into God’s precious jewels.

CHAPTER 3 – Since we are one body, one Messianic community, there should be no discrimination among believers. Jesus gives all believers the ability to approach God’s throne boldly as His blood covers our sin and makes us reconciled to the Father. Paul prayed passionately for the Ephesian believers, a prayer we can use as an example for praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

CHAPTER 4 – Paul again emphasized that all Christians make up one body of believers. Then he gave instructions for building up that body, strengthening our relationships with the Lord and each other. A part of this process is to take off the “old man,” the sinful lifestyle of our past and put on Jesus, dress ourselves in His righteousness.

CHAPTER 5 – We are to imitate Jesus—be His “mini-me”— the child imitating the Father. Jesus has delivered us from our former way of life in the shadows of sin and enabled us to live in His light to the glory of God. We are to be characterized by submission, first to the Lord Jesus and then to one another. In so doing, we will put God and others before ourselves.

CHAPTER 6 – Proper submission in our earthly relationships brings honor and glory to the Lord. God equips us with the armor needed to engage in daily spiritual warfare against Satan and his influence. Finally, Paul instructs us to be persistent in prayer always for all believers. 

BENEFITS OF BELONGING TO JESUS IDENTIFIED IN EPHESIANS

IN HIM:

  • CHOSEN TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS—Eph. 1:4 . . . For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
  • REDEMPTION AND FORGIVENESS—Eph. 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
  • CHOSEN AS GOD’S OWN, HOPE—Eph. 1:11-12 In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
  • SEALED WITH HOLY SPIRIT, INHERITANCE—Eph. 1:13-14 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,  who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
  • BOLDNESS AND CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD—Eph. 3:12 In Him and through faith in Him we may enter God’s presence with boldness and confidence.
  • TAUGHT HOW TO LIVE—Eph. 4:21-22 Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;…

IN CHRIST:

  • ABILITY TO BE FAITHFUL—Eph. 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
  • EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING—Eph. 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
  • DISCERNMENT OF GOD’S WILL—Eph. 1:9 And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
  • UNITY—Eph. 1:10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ.
  • HOPE—Eph. 1:12 . . . in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory.
  • GOOD WORKS—Eph. 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
  • BROUGHT NEAR TO GOD—Eph. 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
  • PROMISE TO ALL WHO BELIEVE, NOT JEW ONLY—Eph. 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
  • THE BENEFIT OF BRINGING GOD GLORY—Eph. 3:21 . . . to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

IN WHOM:

  • SEALED (SECURE)—Eph. 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

IN THE LORD

  • LIGHT—Eph. 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
  • STRENGTH—Eph. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.