Made New: An Ephesians Book Studyنموونە

When I was a kid, if I walked into your house and there was a staircase to a second floor, then you were rich. If you had a second refrigerator in your garage filled with drinks that anyone could take at any time–rich. If you had a pool–rich. Then, as an adult, I lived in the Midwest for a short time. I couldn’t believe all the green grass. It was everywhere. I grew up in Nevada, where water is precious and expensive, so I looked around and thought, “Wow, these people are doing well!” Then I realized that they weren’t doing anything at all. Grass just grew there naturally. It’s funny to look back now and remember the perspective of wealth I had as a child with no job, no bills, and no responsibilities.

As Paul continues writing to the Christians in Ephesus, he moves into praise about the riches that we have because of Jesus. He begins with our redemption. Paul and the church in Ephesus accept that they no longer have any debt to sin, which they could not pay. When Christians talk about sin, we talk about our personal thoughts and actions that go against God’s ways. We need God’s forgiveness for those things. We are also talking about a state of brokenness that we and all of creation live in–one that we can never fix by ourselves. We need God to set us free and make us whole. Yet, where sin increased, grace increased (Romans 5:20) because of the riches we have in Jesus.

Beyond that, we have not just received a lavish gift that rescued us, but we have been given the gift of insight into the future. God’s plan is not a mystery. He has already shown us how He intends to bring us and all of creation together, and we will be with Him forever.

Wealth is often about perspective. As Paul begins his letter, he wants us to have the right perspective. We are rich. God has lavished our lives with grace and blessings. It can be easy to lose that perspective; just like anything else, our perspective affects how we live.

Response
1. God has redeemed us (v. 7) and revealed His mystery to us (v. 9). Which gift means the most to you right now?

2. Do your choices change if you live knowing that you are rich in Jesus? How?

3. Paul says God gives us these blessings lavishly. Write about how closely “lavishly” fits how you understand or experience God’s attitude toward you.

Weekly Memory Verse
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."
Ephesians 1:3-4

Written by Jake Musselman