Ephesians 1

Eph 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: grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." ~ If you will notice this letter was not addressed unto the children of God in general, but specifically unto the faithful saints. Having said this I am not saying Paul, nor any minister who is called today, can know who has been sanctified unto the truth as recorded in 2 Thess 2:13: therefore the servants of God must sow the word, seed wheresoever the Lord directs them. Having sown the word, seed it will find a logging in the heart of only those who hath an ear to hear (Mt 13:9), that is those who have been sanctified unto the truth, as 1 John 2:20 tells us, ‘those who have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things (Rm 8:28). I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.’ It is my understanding that the unction of the Holy One is the ones too whom the Holy Ghost hath administered the new covenant unto. This inner law can not ever deceive nor promote a lie in the mind of those who are in possession of it. When the word is preached in the power and demonstration of the spirit, it will resonate with this inner law and those who hear will know the truth, which is able to set them free from the law of works. Having this knowledge does not insure that they will take up there cross and follow Jesus into the water grave. If they chose to follow the truth it will bring the conscience unto the peace from our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vs 3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." ~ Paul by the direction of Holy Ghost, informs these saints that the Father purposed before the foundation of the world: beginning with the coming of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:33), to betrothed unto Jesus (Hos 2:19), his son a bride. He continues actively engaged in adding members of his body unto him (Acts 2:47) through out the gospel day. Under the old covenant the Father adopted (Rm 9:4) his wife, Israel (Jer 31:32), out of the world of race of Adam, wherein they were placed when Adam partook of the tree of knowledge. Israel, and only Israel (no Gentile Eph 2:12) was adopted (Rm 9:4) under the law in stone. Their flesh (Heb 9:13), not their conscience was brought under this law of adoption, for we read in Galatians 4:23 where it was ‘after the flesh, which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage.’ Paul is herein showing how much more blessed are those who have been predestined unto the adoption under the new testament (Heb 9:15), called, sanctified, betrothed, unto Jesus are, than those who were under the old covenant. This new covenant has brought about a freedom to praise and glorify, as it is all by grace, which did not exist under the first. The phrase ‘accepted in the beloved’ is an enduring term, which is expressed between husband and wife. It then is my understanding that this is timely lesson, although the eternal principle can be taught herein, as long as we do not attempt to carry adoption further then the lesson allows. Adoption does not change the nature of the flesh, it is the inner man, seed, engrafted word, that causes a change in the lives of those called into this fellowship..

Vs 7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." ~ We need to read the entire thought embraced in this sentence before we assign this redemption (apolutrosis) to all of the family of God. There is three Greek word used in the translation of the different area of redeem, redeemed, and redemption. Young’s Concordance gives us these distinctions: The one used here is to purchase and set free. The other two ~ Agroazo – to buy from the market for one use (horse). This thought is seen in the way God uses the nation of Israel, Exagroazo – to buy from the market place to slaughter. This thought is recorded in Ps 2:8 ‘The heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.’ We need to ask how many of his children are made to known the mystery of his will? If we stay in context of the lesson it is the ‘us’ who have been called as the bride of Jesus. Also notice the following verse which first trusted in Christ.

Vs 11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." ~ Again God purposed to predestinate his bride unto the inheritance (New Canaan), that fadeth not away (1 Pet 5:4), found here in the third or gospel day. God hath purposed this for the praise of his glory, by positioning, giving them the unction of the Holy One, truth, wherein they were able to 'that Jesus is the Christ'. This is the fulfillment of the type found the children of Israel, which was given (unconditionally) an inheritance in the land of Canaan that did fade away (Heb 8:13). There are only three times wherein the phrase ‘believe that Jesus is the Christ’ is found, two (Jh 20:31, 1 Jh 5:1) positive, and one (2:22) in the negative. We can see that in the negative they are called an antichrist because they have denies that Jesus is the Christ, having the unction of the Holy One, which gave them creditable evidence to the truth, they denied it and lied about it. One cannot 'believe that Jesus is the Christ' without this inner man (unction of the Holy One) too testifies to this truth.

Vs 13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. ~ This simply states that in order to trust, believe in any thing, one must have two creditable witnesses (first the law written upon the heart of the inner man, and second: the preaching of the gospel in power and demonstration of the spirit). Having the two witnesses this truth will be established in the mind for belief is involuntary. After this belief is established (Mt 18:16) in the mind, they then have a decision to make, either to deny it or confess it and attempt to follow after this truth. Once one believes, confess these truths, they are then sealed with the Holy Ghost and can not be deceived. This is not to say that one will not turn away from these wonderful truth (Heb 6:4), but in doing so he is committing a willful sin (1 Pet 3:5), or a sin unto death (1 Jh 5:17, 1 Sam 15:23). The redemption (Rm 8:23) of the purchased possession is speaking of the adopted bodies, which are to be present unto God as a living sacrifice, unto the praise of his glory until they are changed in the great day of the resurrection. Until such time these adopted bodies grown within them selves waiting for that glorious day of their redemption, wherein they will be set free of sin.

Vs 15 "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." ~ Paul having heard of these saints faith in Jesus rejoiced in this wonderful knowledge, and ceased not to give his Lord thank for such wonderful news. He then tells them that he continues to pray that the Father of Jesus would give them the spirit of wisdom in the revelation in this truth, that they may find greater enlightenment, which was able to increase their hope of this calling, as it is with all the saints who are enjoying this inheritance while they sojourn in the low ground of sorrow.

Vs 19 "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." ~ Paul further expressed how this understanding came unto these saints. It is by the working of his, not theirs’, might power. Paul by his experience realized, that this knowledge was empowered by the understanding that he was raised from the dead. This last part of this lesson defines who is under consideration herein. We understand that as God the Father raised up natural Israel, His wife (Jer 31:32), so the Son raises up and quicken whomsoever he will (Jh 5:21), that is his bride (spiritual Israel – Rm 11:7), being her head. When all things has been subdued unto him, Jesus the husband will relinquish His authority (1 Cor 15:27) as their husband while she dwelt here in time. Jesus the man will then be joint heirs with the entire family of God, worshipping the only true God, Elohyim.