Ephesians Explained | Grace SwaggerSample

Day 1 | Ephesians Intro | Meant to Be

Note: These TTW Audio Guides are designed to be listened to as an audio experience. If you prefer to read, the transcript is included in the devotional content for each day.

Welcome to Through the Word, leading you on a journey through the entire Bible, one chapter at a time. Today Kris Langham guides us through the New Testament book of Ephesians. Now to Pastor Kris.

Hello Through the Word. Welcome to the book of Ephesians. It is so good to be back in your speakers and headphones. I missed you guys! And this book - I have been looking forward to this book.

Ephesians is known among theologians as the very mountain peaks of scripture. Ephesians is a letter from Paul to the church in Ephesus, and in Ephesians we learn who we are and how we walk. It is a call to what we were meant for. 

Do you ever get that feeling like you were meant for something? Have you ever been part of something that was just meant to be? Just seemed so right, so fit together and planned; the perfect little accident. Or have you tried so hard to make something happen that just didn’t? And all you can say is, “Wasn’t meant to be.”

Well, lots of people say that. But what you mean by it changes significantly depending on who you believe gives meaning to the “meant to be.” Does that person mean to do you good? And do they love you?

Ephesians teaches us who we are, what we were meant for, and how to live it out. But most of all, Ephesians draws us close to the one who meant it. It’s not just who were are, it’s who we are in Christ. 

That phrase, in Christ or in Him, shows up ten times in the first eight sentences. Who we are and what we were meant for is found in Jesus. 

So let’s jump in. The letter starts with a friendly greeting from Paul in verse 1:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:1-2).

Simple enough. Paul is writing. He’s the apostle whose story is such a phenomenal testimony of God’s mercy and grace. Angry, hate-filled, self-righteous, and intolerant until he met Jesus. And grace changed him. Now an apostle sent out by the will of God. Meant for something. 

And he is writing to “God’s holy people.” Holy means set apart for a purpose. Meant for something. This letter was written to God’s people in Ephesus, but if you follow Jesus, it’s for you too. And he calls us “the faithful in Christ Jesus.” 

Don’t miss that. From the very first statement of who we are, our identity, we are in Christ. 

Now if you’re not a Christian, you are welcome here. Thank you for joining in. And you are invited, at any time, to follow Jesus. And if you’re considering it, Ephesians is a great place to learn what it means. 

Now let’s read verse 3. This is how Paul opens:

“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” (Ephesians 1:3).

We begin with praise to God because He blessed us. I love that word, “blessed.” I know we do silly things with it with hashtags and whatnot, but it’s a beautiful word. 

There’s actually two words for blessed in Greek. One of them means happy or prosperous. But this one literally means “to speak well of.” God has spoken well of us. You know what it’s like when someone says something genuinely kind to you. That is blessing. And it’s actually the same word translated as “praise” here. We “speak well” of God because He has spoken so much kindness and so much grace over us. And when God speaks, it comes with power. 

He has blessed us “in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” His blessing is heavenly. Now don’t misunderstand. Blessing in heaven isn’t like a million dollars in invisible money, or a Nigerian prince making empty promises. (Sorry Nigeria - you deserve better). No, these blessings are real, and they’re better. Because blessings on earth are nice but they don’t last. But Heaven’s treasures are forever. 

Now Ephesians, the first half anyway, will fix our eyes on heaven’s blessings. And you might say, “Hey, that’s all great and good, but I got problems now. I need help here on Earth. With work, relationships, character…” 

I know, me too. And Ephesians will get there. The last half has clear instruction on marriage, kids, work, and more. But isn’t it nice to not think about your problems for a minute? It’s not avoiding. Not getting high to forget them. This is about getting perspective. Sometimes you need to climb a mountain to look back down and see how small your problems really are. Ephesians gives us heavenly perspective from eternity past where God chose us, to eternity future where God fulfills His great plan. And from that perspective, today makes a lot more sense. 

So check out verse 4:

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Ephesians 1:4).

Wow. God’s plan for you goes way back. This is not your latest whim. This is God’s big plan. God chose you. 

That means a lot to me. Back in high school, I was not often chosen. In sports, when the talented kids picked teams. I wasn’t outcast, I was just kind of invisible. I remember the time in PE class, flag football, John Drake was team captain. Nice guy, super talented. And amazingly, I got picked. Second round! For a kid like me, being chosen meant a lot.

Back in the present, know this: You are chosen. Before the creation of the world!

Now how does that work? Well, that brings us to one of the Bible’s most controversial topics. Want to get a room full of theologians into a hot debate? Just say “predestined.” Look at verse 5:

“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will….” (Ephesians 1:5).

God predestined. That word is a big one. The Greek word literally means “He marked out a course ahead.” Does that mean that we don’t have free will? Well, it doesn’t say that, and that’s a little weird to me. 

Does it mean that God predestined some people for Hell? Doesn’t say that either. Also weird to me. But I’ll leave those arguments to the theologians. What matters to me is what it does say.

It says that God chose you to be holy, set apart, and he predestined, marked out a path for you, “for adoption to sonship,” to become His child. The word here means full legal standing: an heir in full. No second class kids. 

This is our identity in Christ. We are God’s own children. Unconditionally loved and chosen before we could even think about earning it. And our response is praise. 

In verse 6:

“...to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:6).

Praise; speak well. His grace is amazing. That word, grace, is the heart of this book. As we read forward, we will find so much more that God has done for us: redeemed us, saved us, and all by the riches of His grace. Grace is a gift. Can’t earn it, don’t deserve it; God just loves you. Grace. 

Grace changes everything. Grace tears down our pride and guides us to walk in humility. And grace tears down the walls that divide us and guides us to walk in unity. God’s grace.

And that is the road that awaits us here in Ephesians. Go on and read ahead a bit today. But slow down for this one. The words here are rich with meaning. So take your time and dwell in them. And I’ll see you tomorrow.

Thanks for joining us for today's audio guide. You can find the full audio guide to this chapter and hundreds more on the Through the Word app and website. Download our apps, tell your friends and take the journey together. And remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word.