A Study of Ephesians

The Relationship of God and His Saints

Many folks who read this lesson from the blog or email will miss a great deal of context simply because time does not allow me to fill in a lot of the material I will be discussing during our class. If you have questions please let me know I will be glad to answer you via email. Jesse

Ephesians 2:11-22; 3:1-13

Lesson #6

Goal of the Lesson:

• To present to us God's desire to fill all believers with the Life of Christ and His Love.

   

This Lesson will help us:

• To trust God for Spiritual Growth and Christ-likeness

• To know that it is God's great power that transforms our lives

• To welcome Christ into our life and be at home with us

• To allow Jesus Christ to be the Lord or Head over our lives

Each of us should be well aware of measurements: How far; how tall; how much weight; how wide; is the light bright enough; how long is this bible study and I am sure the list could go on.

Measurements of time, distance, weight and intensity are common to mankind simply because mankind is limited to these earth bound conditions.

But, try and place God into any of these fixed or limited conditions and you will begin to realize that God does not fit in any of these limited finite systems. So we cannot measure God. God is Eternal, He is all powerful and His understanding cannot be measured. He is infinite. God Goes beyond all of the possibles of mankind, making Him able to do the impossible. Psalm 24:10; 90:2 and 93:1-5; Luke 1:37 and Romans 11:33-36.

Ephesians 3:1-6: So for us to understand the mysteries of God's dispensation of grace then we need to hear from the person whom God reveal that mystery too.

Ephesians 3:8-11: From the beginning of time God has hidden from mankind and angels His unsearchable riches called “grace” but now revealed in Christ Jesus. Through Christ the Creator, God has made known to the church through the people of God in order to reveal to the powers and principalities of darkness to know the eternal purpose of God through Christ.

Ephesians 3:12-13 In Christ we have boldness and access to the grace of God. We also have confidence because we have faith in Christ. If we do not have faith in Christ, such as if our faith is in a church doctrine, or a person other than Christ, we have no faith and no confidence and no access to the grace of God.

Ephesians 3:14-15 God honors prayer, and it is Jewish custom to kneel down and pray. I believe that all of us at one time or another have knelt for prayer, but this does not mean that God only hears the prayer of the one kneeling. In fact; to say that God does not hear prayer is simply a lie. The gospels and the book of Acts reveal many instances of men and women who are unbelieving but they pray and God answers. Acts 10:1-2.

But here in our text the apostles prays, this is the second time in the epistle that Paul prays for us. We are the family of God made up of the Jewish and Gentile nations. So the gospel of God is unlimited and open to the whole world – Romans 1:16-17. Now here is something to grasp hold of; compared to the family of God in heaven, we who are on earth are a small group. Most are always and already at home with God. Hebrews 12:22-24. So while we are feeling at home in this body, we are actually away from our eternal home, thus we must allow Christ to be at home in us otherwise we are torn between the two worlds. Ephesians 2:19

Ephesians 3:16 Physical or human strength fails the criteria of an infinite being, if you are saved and hope in Christ then Christ must be at work in you, in your inner being. If He is not than we become weary and faint. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 is not just for the apostle Paul, it is for all of us to conform too. Philippians 4:12-19 these were penned by Paul for you and me to get hold of.

Ephesians 3:17 Faith is the substance of spiritual things we hope for and our faith is the evidence of things unseen. Our testimony of Christ in us is evidence to those around us that Christ lives in us. Hebrews 11:1-2. When Christ is involved with every aspect of our life then we will be comfortable with Him, like Martha who found it comfortable to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him speak. Luke 10:39. Christ is the Head over all things. Creation, church and church goers.

Ephesians 3:18-19 Again we see that faith is in the subject of the apostle's prayer. We can say we love God from our finite ability, but this is not going to be very pleasing to God. God loves us infinitely and He expects us to return that love to Him. Notice that we need to comprehend the supernatural lengths, depths and heights of God's attributes. We cannot know how to love God or how God loves us, unless we are willing to be filled with the fulness of God, who is Christ in us. 2 Timothy 3:16-17. So when the going gets rough, remember that Jesus calmed the seas and He walked on water. Remember also that He does beyond what we could ever ask or thing. Ephesians 3:20-21.