“The local church is the hope of the world”-Bill Hybels

Ephesians-No other biblical book describes both the individual believer’s life and the life of the church.

The first half of the book describes God’s initiative in saving us (His works) and the second half is our response.

Ephesus was a city of idols, and each city, town, village, even career had their own. When people worshiped these, what they were really doing was worshiping what they represented. They tried to control fate, but instead they ended up controlled…by fear and evil spiritual powers.

People today still worship idols, and the kicker is when it comes to an idol, you are the one who does all the sacrificing (your money, dignity, freedom, integrity, etc.), but worshiping the true God is different. He is the Creator not part of the creation; worshiping is based on relationship, not manipulation; in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, it is God who sacrifices His dignity, freedom, and so much more.

Paul here is reminding Ephesians, they have nothing to fear from these idols and can instead have freedom from them, for it is the true God, the Creator who loves you and has given you everything.

The work of the Triune God is at work in this section and this text is really a doxology-praise for what God has done.

Father-God is the author of our salvation. He chose us for no other reason than He loves us. He knew our flaws and still chose us, for not other reason that His grace.

We can not take any credit for having earned our salvation, for later on in Ephesians, Paul says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith, not of your own doing; it is the gift of God-not the result of works, so that no one may boast”

I cannot stress this enough: It is God’s work in us and through us. We didn’t earn it. He chose us simply because He is love, He is gracious, and freely gives salvation. Now in Christ, it is as if we never sinned.

Jesus Christ, who is God by nature, became man by choice. now , if we choose Him, we who are human by nature are being made perfect by grace.

Being a Christian does not simply mean, “inviting Jesus into your heart”, but accepting Christ’s offer to be part of His life, and it is that life that is still at work in the world. That grace is still drawing and wooing anyone who would listen.

The fact that God has chosen us ought to give us both value and humility, for it says that we cannot do anything to earn eternal life, but the gospel of grace says we don’t have to because we are loved. God loved us enough to take on flesh and lay down His life for us!

God chose us to be His people to be holy and blameless, and this is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Son-In Jesus, redemption and forgiveness are lavished upon us.  

The Gospel is a divine trade. In Christ, His death was traded for our death and His life is now our life.

When Jesus came to earth, He identifies with us, and in faith, we identify with Him.

Grace is God giving us Himself. He makes us His children! Grace is God inviting criminals to His table to meet and eat. The Pharisee and the tax collector can now sit together.

Christ not only knocks down walls and builds bridges, but pulls down barriers in His church so that we can be one in Him. In the first century, Jew and Gentile became one in Jesus. Today, the rich can sit with the poor,  black can take their place with white, different backgrounds who call on Jesus’ name can be together.

It is easy to simply say the way of Jesus is simply “going to heaven when we pass away” but it is so much more than that. Jesus came and brought the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom is on a mission, to redeem and reclaim all of creation, and God is inviting us to help! Not because He needs it but because He values us!

The first evidence of that redemption is point 3

The Holy Spirit-This is the proof that God is no idol. Idols are cons for the promise everything and give nothing, or at least nothing substantial.

God makes a promise: Redemption will be completed and as a down payment, we have the Holy Spirit, God’s signature.

The Holy Spirit is the lifeblood of the church, and because we have that life, the church is not an organization, but a living organism, growing, creating, expanding, learning. We all depend on one another, and that is why the spiritual gifts are so important.

With the Holy Spirit, we are in Christ, and in Christ we are in God’s presence constantly. If we remember that we live in God’s presence always, our lives will change.

If we live in Christ, we will become more like Him, not through rule-keeping, but inward transformation based on relationship we will be friends with God.

The church as we will see in Ephesians,

→ It is called to be God’s people, by His grace

→ A community for the broken

→ A hospital for sinners

→ a redeemed and free people of God

We may live in Johnstown, we may live in the United States of America, but that is ultimately not our identity. Our identity is in Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians, the Christians there had to live in Christ and remember His superiority over idols. We are called to do the same here today! Not to run from our culture, but to challenge it to accept the freedom that Jesus Christ gives.

God has chosen us out of His love, to be saved in Jesus Christ, and secured by the Holy Spirit.

Are you ready to journey into Ephesians to get a glimpse of what church is supposed to be about? To see God’s vision for it? TO see how the local church is the hope of the world?

Remember: For the Christian, religion is grace and ethics is gratitude