MEDITATION NOTES ON EPHESIANS 1:1

[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:

By the will of God: Not by the will of other men, not by his own will, but by the will of God. I am what I am by the will of God. It is what God has ordained me to be, not what I have desired or chosen to be. I am a prophet, teacher & pastor by the will of God. I am a servant/minister of the LORD Jesus Christ by the will of God. Not by the will of any man, not by my own will, but by the will of God.

To the saints (believers) which are at Ephesus: Every believer is a saint. The very fact that I have believed has made me a saint. I am sanctified by faith which is in Christ Jesus. Sanctified by believing in Christ and His finished redemptive work.

BELIEVER = SAINT.

There are saints at Ephesus, Ile-Ife, Calgary, everywhere. We are saints on earth, now; not in heaven, not later. Saints here, saints now.

SAINTS HERE & NOW.

And to the faithful in Christ Jesus: In Christ, we are the faithful. It's how God sees us. It's how He deems us. He deems us faithful in Christ. Because Christ is faithful, we are faithful. Full of faith & fidelity (faith & truth/loyalty). In Christ, God judges us loyal.

Hallelujah!

Glory to God forevermore!

THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

Ephesians 4:28: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Notice that this verse was written to the Ephesian church, a body of believers, not unbelievers. A believer stole?! Wonders shall never end!😳

Right?😀

If it was an unbeliever that stole, the instruction would have been different. It would have been: "receive Jesus, then steal no more".

So to the believer in Christ Jesus: even if you stole yesterday, 2 hours ago or a minute ago (the time frame doesn't matter), at the moment that you're reading this, it is already past tense. That's not who you are now or what you do now. That's your past, that's the old nature still trying to creep up on you, latch on to you and control you. NOW STEAL NO MORE! It's an instruction and the grace to do it comes with it. Now labour, work with your hands something good. That you may have for one purpose: to give to the needy. You're no longer a taker, you're a giver now. God sees in you a giver, cooperate with that grace.

Don't do just any work, but what is good (beneficial) and can yield enough to give.

Such transformation!

The gospel of Jesus Christ not only makes sinners into saints, it makes takers into givers!

Hallelujah!

Ok, maybe YOU never stole, but you lied or fornicated, cheated or defrauded, gambled or killed, committed abortions or had your female sexual partner commit them; but you are born again. The instruction to the former thief still carries grace for you. DO IT NO MORE!

You are the new creation in Christ Jesus and you retain the capacity to cease from sin, to stop purely as an act of your will, for grace has delivered you from sin (Romans 6:12&14, Titus 2:11&12).

WALK FREE!