One People of Grace (Ephesians 1:1-2)
Singapore is sometimes described as an “accidental nation”. Accidental, because we did not originally intend to be independent. The prevailing wisdom of the day said our chances of survival would be higher if we joined with our larger neighbour to the north. But the merger failed, and this nation was born as a result. Unlike other countries that gained their independence after a prolonged struggle, we had ours unexpectedly thrust upon us by the circumstances. How do you build an accidental nation made up of diverse peoples of different races, languages, and cultures? With common songs, symbols and stories, among other things. As a student, I remember singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge daily at my school’s flag-raising assembly. We were also taught the history of how Singapore came to be. To be one united people, we all had to know the shared story of where we came from.
In some ways, this gathering can also seem somewhat “accidental”. We look like a disparate mix of people of different ages, from different backgrounds and places. We might not have a lot in common with one another. So, why are we together? What unites us? In a world that is increasingly fragmented, is true unity even possible?
Unity is a major theme of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Writing to a church consisting of Jews and Gentiles, the apostle reminds them that their unity is rooted in their identity. We are one because of who we are. And, we are who we are because of what God has done for us. We began the year in the Book of Haggai, which encourages God’s people to build God’s house. Paul wrote Ephesians with a similar goal. To build God’s house means to build up God’s people. And Ephesians builds us up by teaching us who God is and what he has done, so that we know who we are and how we ought to live.
Forgetting our identity often leads to discouragement and disobedience. We struggle because we lose sight of who and whose we are. In tough times, we lose heart when we forget we belong to God. Anxiety grips us when we forget we have a loving Heavenly Father who has promised to never leave us. We fall back into sinful, worldly ways when we forget that Jesus has brought us out of our darkness and into His light. When we forget we are God’s people, our hearts grow colder towards one another. We become less loving, more unkind.
Ephesians reminds us of our identity in Christ. We are the church, the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. After the birth of my first child, I became a father. Just like that, my life changed. Along with my identity as a new dad came all the responsibilities of parenthood. We live out our identities every day – whether as a parent or child, as a husband or wife, as a student at school or as an employee in the workplace. Who we are shapes our lives and lifestyles. Understanding our identity matters for how we think, how we live, how we relate to one another, and how we engage with the world. The world is hostile to our identity as followers of Christ. It seeks to conform us to its mould, to reshape our identity in its own image. To help us remember who we are in Christ, we’ll spend the next few months in Ephesians. May God’s word encourage us to live as one church.
God has saved us by His grace, so live as one church in holiness and love.
Ephesians can be divided into two halves: The first half (chs. 1-3) focuses on what God has done for us in Christ; the second half (chs. 4-6) focuses on how we should live in response to what God has done. This is the big idea of the book: God has saved us by His grace, so live as one church in holiness and love. I will give an overview of Ephesians by unpacking these two points: (1) God has saved us by His grace; (2) So live as one church in holiness and love. We’ll be dropping into various places in Ephesians, so keep your Bibles open to follow along.
God has saved us by His grace (Eph 1-3)
Look first at Ephesians 1:1-2. These two verses preview some of the letter’s big themes: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul wrote Ephesians around 62 AD, during his imprisonment in Rome. Having been away from Ephesus for more than seven years, Paul writes to encourage the Christians there. Paul is an apostle of Christ Jesus, which means he was called and sent by Jesus. Paul was a witness of the resurrection, having personally seen the risen Jesus. He writes with divine authority. His apostolic testimony is God’s word, on which the church is founded. Listen to 2:20: The household of God is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone”.
Paul serves Christ Jesus, who is fully God and fully man. He took on flesh and came into this world to save sinners. Jesus is the Christ, God’s promised King. Through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus saves all who repent and believe in Him.
Paul’s apostleship is “by the will of God”. Paul did not appoint himself; he did not earn the title. In fact, Paul is probably the last person we would expect to be an apostle. This is how Paul describes his life before Jesus: “Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (1 Tim. 1:13, 15)” Paul was a Pharisee, a Jewish religious leader and expert in the law. He had made it his life’s mission to destroy Christianity, which he saw as contrary to the Jewish law. But God had other plans. He sovereignly chose Paul, having predestined Him for salvation and service. While Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, Jesus appeared to him, changing him from an enemy to a servant of the gospel. Paul was called, converted and commissioned to preach the good news, especially to non-Jews or Gentiles. Paul says in Ephesians 3:8, “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Paul understood himself to be a sinner saved by grace. He did not deserve salvation, but he received it as a gift from the gracious and merciful God. It was all by God’s will.
Ephesians is addressed to the saints, who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Paul is writing to Christians in Ephesus and the surrounding regions. He calls them “saints”, which literally means “holy ones”. They have not attained holiness through their own efforts or achievements, but they have been set apart as holy by the grace of God. We cannot clean up our lives ourselves. Only God can make us holy. How do we go from sinner to saint? It is by believing in Jesus. This is what “faithful in Christ Jesus” means. We are saved not by our works, but only through faith in Jesus. We trust in Jesus and what He has done for us. As saints, we are called to live new and holy lives. We are to be who Jesus has already saved us to be.
Grace and peace come from God the Father through His Son. We are saved by grace alone. In Christ, we have peace with God and with one another. Grace and peace are key themes in Ephesians. They open and close the letter. Look at Ephesians 6:23-24: “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
Do we struggle to remain faithful to God in the world? The original readers of Ephesians lived in a culture hostile to their Christian faith. Ephesus was a centre for magical practice and pagan worship. Acts 19 describes how Paul faced opposition in the city. In this world, we will have trials and trouble. The church may seem small and insignificant in the world. But be encouraged. We belong to something much bigger. God has saved us to be a part of His cosmic plan for all of creation. God has made known to us “the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Eph 1:9-10)”. We are a part of God’s plan to unite all things in Christ.
This sums up the main message of Ephesians. Since humanity’s fall into sin, all of creation is fallen. Everything is broken. Life is futile and frustrating. We sin. We suffer. We die. But the good news is that God has a plan to make all things right through His Son. The Father planned salvation, and the Son accomplishes that plan. God’s plan is centred on Jesus Christ. He will restore and reconcile all things to God. Jesus will make all things new. In Christ, we have a part in this amazing plan. The first three chapters of Ephesians tell us how God has saved us through Jesus. We must be united to Christ by faith. All the benefits of salvation come to us through our union with Christ: God has blessed us in Christ. God has made us alive in Christ. God has made us one in Christ.
God has blessed us in Christ (Eph 1:3-14)
Paul begins his letter by praising God for what he has done for us in Christ. God the Father has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3). How has God blessed us in Christ? God has chosen us in Christ. God chose us in (Christ) before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4-5). Why did God choose us? Not because of anything good in us, but simply because God loves us. He predestined us in love to be His adopted sons and daughters. Because it is entirely according to the purpose of (God’s) will, all the glory goes to Him. We cannot take any credit whatsoever for our salvation. Ephesians 1:6 says, “It is all to the praise of (God’s) glorious grace”. Because we are saved by grace, to God be all the glory.
God has blessed us by redeeming us through Christ. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses (Eph 1:7). Thanks to Jesus’ death on the cross, our sins are forgiven if we trust in Him alone. Jesus has atoned for us by paying the penalty our sins deserve. He died the death we should have died. By His sacrifice, we are made clean. Our guilt has been washed away. We have been redeemed, freed from our slavery to sin and death, bought by the precious blood of Christ. So, live as those who have been set free to serve a new Master, the Lord Jesus.
God has also blessed us in Christ by giving us an inheritance in Him. In the Son, we have been adopted by God. We have been given the right to be heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. We look forward with a sure hope of glory, because God has given us His Spirit. When we believed in Jesus, we “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” (Eph 1:13-14).
God has made us alive in Christ (2:1-10)
We were once dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Once, we lived in sin. We neither knew God nor followed Him. We were in danger of God’s wrath and headed for eternal destruction. But God, in his rich mercy and great love, intervened. “But God” are two of the sweetest words in all of Ephesians, indeed in all of Scripture. They speak of God’s grace to undeserving sinners like us. We were spiritually dead. We had no ability to save ourselves. But God, who can raise the dead, rescued us. Look at Ephesians 2:5. God made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. Just as Jesus was resurrected, so God has raised us up to new life together with Christ. We had the joy of witnessing baptisms this morning. In baptism, we see the gospel. Baptism is a picture of how Christ has made us alive. It is an outward sign of an inward spiritual reality. Going into and coming out of the water symbolises how God has made us alive.
Beloved, remember what you have been saved from, and how God has saved you. Our salvation is God’s gracious gift from beginning to end. We were chosen by God from before the foundation of the world, and kept by God for eternity to come. Be grateful. We did not get what our sins deserved. Be humble. We have been given what we could never earn. We are not saved by our works, but we have been saved for good works. Look at Ephesians 2:10. We are (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. In Christ, we have been made alive to live a new life for Him.
God has made us one in Christ (2:11-22)
God has not only saved us as individuals, but He has also saved us into His people.
God has not only saved us as individuals, but He has also saved us into His people. Once we were strangers and aliens who did not belong. We were estranged from God and His people. But now in Christ, we have become children and citizens of God’s household. God has brought us back to himself and also reconciled us to one another. God has united us in Christ. Look at 2:13-14: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one.
God’s plan to unite all things in Christ begins with the church. Formerly, Jews and Gentiles had nothing to do with each other. But God has made them both one in Christ. This is a divine mystery that was once hidden but has now been revealed in Christ and the church. Both Jews and Gentiles are equal members of the people of God. There is no distinction, for all have sinned. Hence, all must be made right with God by His grace as a gift through Jesus Christ. The gospel unites us. Whether we have been religious or irreligious, moral or immoral, we all come into God’s family on the same terms. Jesus is our peace. He came and preached peace to us, whether near or far (Eph 2:17-18). Through Christ alone, we can all come to the Father. There are no second-class members of God’s household. So, do not look down on others in a proud, self-righteous way. And, do not think you are not good enough to belong. The truth is none of is good enough. But God has welcomed us in Christ. The same Spirit dwells in us all.
The church is a spiritual house, built on Christ the cornerstone. As Christians, we are meant to grow in community, together with other believers in the church. In (Christ) the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:21). The church is not “accidental”, but a diverse people gathered by God according to His good purpose, for His glory. God means for the church’s unity to reflect His wise plan in uniting all things in Christ. Listen to Ephesians 3:10: So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known. In a world of division and strife, the church is to be a distinct people of grace and peace. We are a living testimony of God’s plan to restore all things in Christ.
The first three chapters speak of how God has saved us by His grace in Christ. Paul wants us to know and remember what Christ has done for us and who we are in Him. What stands out in the first three chapters is that there are hardly any commands for us. We are simply to marvel at and rest in the amazing grace that God has lavished on us through His Son. For this reason, Paul prays in chapters 1 and 3 that we might know how rich a treasure we possess in Christ, and that we might grasp the greatness of His love. Beloved, may we never tire of the gospel. The Christian life begins not with what we do for God but what He has done for us. Our “doing” flows out of our “knowing” Christ.
So live as one church in holiness and love (Eph 4-6)
Having reminded us of who we are in Christ, the second half of Ephesians exhorts us to put into practice the truth of the gospel. We have been saved into the body of Christ, the church. Having received a new identity in Christ, we are now called to live it out. Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 4:1: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” We have a high calling as God’s people. He has brought us together as one church. So, practice a lifestyle that reflects this. Live as one church in holiness and love. This means to walk in unity, holiness and love.
Walk in unity (Eph 4:1-16)
Look at Ephesians 4:1-6. Since we have received grace and peace from God, we should be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. We have been called to be members of the one body. We have one God and Father, one Lord Jesus, one Holy Spirit, one faith, one baptism, and one hope. Therefore, walk in unity by cultivating humility, gentleness, and patience, so that we bear with one another in love.
Unity does not mean uniformity. God has gifted the church with diverse gifts for building up the body of Christ (Eph 4:7-12). We are to help one another grow to maturity in Christ together. To be mature means to attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4:13). A mature Christian is someone who is united with other believers in a church in the truth of the gospel. You may have heard of Simeon the Stylite. He was a Christian from the 5th century the who lived on a pillar for 36 years in the hope of purifying himself. But even Simeon could not go it alone; he relied on other Christians to bring him food and water. Don’t try to live the Christian life on your own. To grow, we need the church. We need one another. So, if you are a Christian, join a church. Grow alongside others as a faithful member of a local church.
How do we help one another to grow? We are to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15-16). Humbly, gently, patiently, lovingly speak God’s truth into one another’s lives. This is the job of every member of Christ’s body, not just the leaders. In fact, the pastors-teachers (or elders) are to equip the whole church, so that all of us do the work of ministry. We do not all have to do the same things, like preach, teach a class or lead a Bible study, but we are to work together for the common goal of building up the church.
Walk in holiness (Eph 4:17-32; 5:3-20)
As God’s people, we are to be holy as God is holy. Since God has made us alive in Christ, we should live a new life of holiness. Having learned Christ, we are to put off our old selves, to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:20-24). In other words, Jesus has rescued us from our former way of life. In Christ, we are a new creation. He has given us a new identity. So, live according to who we now are in Christ, not according to who we once were without Jesus. Pursue a new lifestyle of forsaking sin and following Jesus.
Beloved, are there things in our lives that are inconsistent with our new identity in Christ? It may be anger (a bad temper?), dishonesty, laziness, gossip, complaining, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, pride, self-centredness, selfish ambition, covetousness, greed, lust, or sexual immorality. What is God calling us to repent of today? If you are in Christ, you no longer live in the dark. You are in the light. So, live in the light. Listen to 5:8: For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
God has brought us together to encourage one another to walk in holiness.
God has brought us together to encourage one another to walk in holiness. Let us continue to build a culture of humble honesty, where we can share our sin struggles with one another. Confess sin to one another. Forgive one another, as God has forgiven us in Christ. Let us care for one another’s spiritual health. God wants us to be channels of His grace to one another. Listen to Ephesians 4:29: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Walk in love (Eph 5:1-2, 22-6:9)
Finally, live as one church by walking in love towards one another. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Just as Jesus gave himself as a sacrificial offering to God, so we worship God by loving one another as he has first loved us. This is our offering of worship to the One who has loved us so lavishly in Christ.
We are to reflect Christ’s love as husbands and wives, as parents and children, as employers and employees. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Do your work as to the Lord. Be a good boss, knowing that you serve your Master in heaven. Relationships in the home and in the workplace have often been broken by sin. But they can be healed, restored, and renewed through the transforming power of the gospel. The church is the place where our relationships with one another should look different from the world. Our relationships in the church, the home and the workplace are to show God’s grace.
Jesus has made us one. His love for us is the glue that binds us together. So, be encouraged to live as one church. Trust not in our own resources, but look to Jesus. Take to heart Ephesians 6:10 — “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might”. So, arise and put God’s armour on. Put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. Remember what God has done for us and who we are in Christ. We are one people of grace. God has saved us by His grace, so live as one church in holiness and love.