Today's Passage: Ephesians 1

I absolutely love the book of Ephesians!  So I am very excited to get us started on our adventure through it.  An important thing to know about Ephesians is the format that Paul wrote it in.  The book of Ephesians can be neatly cut down the middle between the end of chapter 3 and the start of chapter 4.  The first three chapters deal specifically with belief and the privileges of Christians.  While the last three chapters focus on behavior and the responsibilities of Christians.

Here in chapter 1 we find Paul's customary salutation, a three part declaration of God's plan for His people followed by a prayer for the church in Ephesus.  Paul describes in verses 3-14 God's plan for us and how the three parts of the trinity are involved.  In verses 3-6 Paul explains that we were chosen by the Father before time began; in verses 7-12 he explains that we were redeemed by His son Jesus through His death on the cross and finally in verses 13 & 14 Paul makes clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit is like a seal that marks us for the inheritance that we will receive when Jesus returns. 

Paul's prayer for the church in Ephesus not only praises them for their faith in the Father but it also establishes the truth of Christ as the head of the church.  This established truth will be what Paul builds upon for the rest of the book, as the universal church is the focus of Ephesians.  As modern-day believers we should be praying this same prayer that we find in verses 18-23 for our churches.  We must always strive to exalt our Lord Jesus Christ while humbling ourselves, especially when it comes to the matters of the church..