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Ephesians

Salvation & Freedom Patterns From Ephesians [1]

I. Introduction - First Things First

When we are pursuing a particular goal such as healing, deliverance, salvation, income, marriage or life vocations, it is easy to forget that we must seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33).

We are to love the Lord more than human goals and grow to know Him and obey Him. Then we can live for the Lord and die for the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

When we are pursuing deliverance, it is important to remember the priority of prayer and actions: Humbly submit to God and (then) resist the devil (James 4:6-7).

The book of Ephesians shows us how right relationship to God through Jesus Christ prepares us for proper personal sanctification. This in turn prepares for proper relationships in the family and church. Then and only then can we begin successful spiritual warfare.

We see the same truth in the Lord's prayer where the "Our Father" precedes the "deliver us from evil (or the evil one) (Matthew 6:9,13). Psalm 23 establishes "the Lord is my shepherd" before the testings of "the valley of the shadow of death" and the victory of "you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalm 23:1,4,5).

1 John 2 describes a growing maturity from being a child of God who knows that his sins are forgiven and knows the Father (vs. 12,13) to the experience of overcoming "the evil one" and being "strong and the word of God abides in you" (vs. 13,14).

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II. Looking For The Patterns in Ephesians

  • Addressed to the saints who have already experienced grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:1,2)
  • God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3)
    • Chose us in Christ to be blameless (1:4)
    • Adopted us as sons (1:5)
    • Gave us redemption and forgiveness (1:7)
    • Made known to us the mystery of his will: Bringing all things in heaven and on earth together under one head in Christ (1:9,10)
    • We have obtained an inheritance in Christ (1:11)
  • Salvation's blessing are extended to the Gentiles in Christ (1:13)
    • In Christ we have been claimed as God's own possession (1:11)
    • He works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will (1:11)
    • We are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (1:13,14)
  • Prayer for the Gentiles to know Him better (1:17)
    • Eyes enlightened through a gift of the Spirit in wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him (1:17,18)
    • To know the hope to which He has called you (1:18)
    • What are the riches of His glorious inheritance (1:18)
    • What is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe (1:19)
  • This power is like the working of His mighty strength (1:19)
    • Same power that raised Christ from the dead (1:20)
    • Same power that seated Christ at God's right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given (1:20,21)
    • Same power that placed all things under his feet and appointed Christ head over everything for the church (1:22)
  • What the Gentiles are being saved from
    • Dead [spiritual death & hell] in transgressions and sins (2:1)
    • Following the ways of the world (2:2)
    • Following the ruler of the kingdom of the air [the Devil] (working in the disobedient) (2:2)
    • Living in the passions of the flesh, carrying out the desires of the body [queen] and mind [antichrist] (2:3)
  • How God saves the Gentiles (and everyone else)
    • Makes us alive in Christ when we were dead in transgressions (new birth) (2:4)
    • Raises us up with Christ and seats us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ (2:6)
    • The surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus
    • Saved through God's faithfulness, not by works (2:8,9)
    • Created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (2:10)
  • Gentiles are now able to participate in God's promises
    • In Christ we have been brought near through the blood of Christ (2:13)
    • Destroyed the dividing wall of hostility so that we have access to the Father by the Spirit (2:14-18)
    • Being built into the same spiritual house built on the foundation of apostles, prophets and Christ Jesus (2:19,20)
    • Fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ (3:6)
  • Purpose of the church is to reveal God's wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms according to the eternal purposes accomplished in Christ (3:10,11)
    • We need power through His Spirit in our inner beings so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith (3:16,17)
    • We need to be rooted and established in love so that we know how wide and high and deep is the love of Christ (3:17,18)
    • We need to know this love so we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (3:19)
  • We must grow up in Christ (4:1-16)
    • Walking in a manner worthy of the calling (4:1)
    • Behaving with all humility, gentleness, and patience (4:2)
    • Bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit (4:2,3)
    • Recognizing that God has given gifted persons to the church with different gifts (4:7-11)
    • These gifts bring us to maturity- and unity of faith - the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (4:12-15)
    • The body grows in love when each part is working properly (4:16)
  • Old ways of living must be left behind
    • Must no longer live as Gentiles (4:17)
      • Futility of their thinking [antichrist] (4:17)
      • Separated from God [spiritual death & hell] due to hardening of their hearts (4:18)
      • Given over to sensuality and impurity and lust [queen] for more (4:19)
    • Must put off the old self (4:22)
      • Put off falsehood (4:22)
      • Put off anger (4:25)
      • Put off stealing (4:28)
      • Put off unwholesome talk (4:29)
      • Stop grieving the Holy Spirit (4:30)
      • Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander and every form of malice (4:31)
      • Put off every hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed (5:3)
      • Put off obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking (5:4)
      • Expose the fruitless deeds of darkness (5:11)
      • Put off unwise use of time and foolishness (5:15-17)
      • Put off drunkenness (5:18)
  • Must put on the new self in Christ (4:23,24)
    • With our speech
      • Speak truthfully (4:25
      • Resolve anger quickly (4:26)
      • Speak what is helpful for building others up (4:29)
      • Give thanksgiving (5:4)
      • Be filled with the Spirit, knowing God's will (5:17,18)
      • Speak to each other with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (5:19)
      • Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord giving thanks to God for everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (5:19,20)
    • With our actions
      • Work and share with those in need (4:29)
      • Be kind and compassionate, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also forgave you (4:32)
      • Be imitators of God and live a life of love (5:1)
      • Live in the light so as to wake from spiritual sleep and death (5:14)
  • Submission to Christ defines other relationships
    • Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (5:21)
    • Wives, submit to husbands as to the Lord (5:22-24)
    • Husbands must love their wives as Christ loved the Church (5:25-33)
    • Children must obey their parents in the Lord (6:1-3)
    • Fathers are to express spiritual fatherhood (6:4)
    • Workers are to treat employers correctly (6:5-7)
    • Employers must treat workers fairly (6:9)
  • When the Church's obedience is complete, disobedience may be fought against (2 Corinthians 10:6)
    • Work in Prayer
      • Must be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (6:10)
      • Put on the full armor of God (6:11)
      • Take a stand against the devil's schemes (6:11)
      • Our enemies are the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (6:12)
    • Stand firm after having done everything (6:13)
      • With belt of truth buckled around waist (6:14)
      • With breast plate of righteousness in place (6:14)
      • With feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (6:15)
      • Take up the shield of faith (6:16)
      • Take the helmet of salvation (6:17)
      • Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God (6:17)
    • Continue in fellowship
      • Pray in the Spirit on all occasions (6:18)
      • Keep alert with all perseverance (6:18)
      • Pray for all the saints and especially for those working in the gospel (6:18,19)
      • Communicate with and encourage each other (6:21,22)
      • God's gifts come to those who love Him (6:23,24)
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Footnotes

1. Gordon H. Powlison. Principalities and Powers Workbook. (Gordon H. Powlison and Associates, 2011), 13-17.↩