For many years Helen Green was known as America's greatest miser. When she died in 1916,
she left an estate valued at 100 million dollars - this was a vast fortune in her day. But she was such a miser
that she would eat cold porridge in the morning because she did not want to spend the money heating it up. When
her son had a severe leg injury, she took so long looking for a free clinic to treat him that his leg had to be
amputated because of advance infection. It was said that she hastened her own death by arguing the merits of skimmed
milk over whole milk, because skimmed milk was cheaper. While arguing, she ruptured an artery in the brain and
died.
Sadly there are many Christians today who treat their spiritual resources as miserly as Helen Green. Many although
spiritually wealthy live as spiritual paupers. One reason for this, people just do not understand what God in Christ
has done for them. They do not understand their riches in Christ.
The book of Ephesians has been called the 'believers bank,' 'the Christians check book,' and 'the treasure house
of the Bible.' This beautiful letter tells the Christian of their great riches, inheritance and fullness in Jesus
Christ. It tells the Christian what they possess and how to claim and enjoy their possessions.
Ephesians can be divided into three parts -
Chapters 1-3, presents "The Wealth of the Christian."
Chapters 4-6:9, presents "The Walk of the Christian."
Chapter 6:10-24, presents "The Warfare of the Christian."
The Author (Eph. 1:1a).
The author of the book of Ephesians is Paul an Apostle. Paul first visited the city of Ephesus in the year A.D. 53, (Acts 18:19-21), but he did not remain there. Two years later while on the third
missionary journey, Paul returned to the city and stayed two years, establishing a strong and thriving church (Acts 19:1-20). But it was ten years later
in the year A.D. 62, that Paul while in prison in Rome and writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit penned
these words to his friends in Ephesus.
The Assembly (Eph. 1:1b-2).
Paul wrote this letter to the saints which are at Ephesus. The word saint is a common word used by Paul in this
letter to describe believers (1: 1,15,18, 2:19, 3:8,18, 4:12, 5:3, 6:18). By definition it means "one who
has been set apart." It is related to the word sanctified
which means "set apart." When a sinner trust Jesus Christ as their saviour, he is taken out of "the
world" and placed "in Christ." The believer is in the world physically, but not of the world spiritually
(Jn 17:14-16). How are people
placed "in Christ?" the answer is found in the two words "faithful" and "grace."
People are not saved by living faithful lives, but by placing faith in Christ. When faith is placed in Christ then
God's saving "grace" is received. The word "grace" refers to "the kindness of God toward
undeserving people." Faith in Jesus Christ accesses the saving grace of God making a sinner a saint, placing
him in Christ (Eph 2:8-9). This
was Paul's audience - saved sinners, men and women in Christ.
The Aim (1:3).
Every book of the Bible has an aim. The aim of the book of Genesis is to reveal the beginning
of human history. The aim of the book of Matthew is to reveal the kingdom of God. The aim of the book of Ephesians
is to reveal to the believer their riches in Christ. Verse three clearly reveals that aim.
The source of our blessings.
Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God the Father has made us rich in Jesus Christ. When we were born again into the family of God you were born rich.
Through faith in Christ, you share in the riches of God's grace (Eph 1:7, 2:7), God's glory (Eph 1:18, 3:16), God's mercy (Eph. 2:4),
and the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8). Our heavenly Father is not poor and He has made us rich in Christ.
The scope of our blessing.
Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings. This phrase
can be translated "all the blessings of the Spirit." God the Father through God the Son has given us
everything we need to live a successful and satisfying Christian life. But the provision, possessions and power
come to us by way of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who channels our riches to us from the Father,
through the Son. Not to know and depend upon the Holy Spirit's provision is to live a life of spiritual poverty.
As we depend upon the Spirit, He takes the wealth of the Father and makes it ours. The Holy Spirit provides the
provisions and power to live as we ought to live and be what we ought to be. All that the book of Ephesians offers
is available to every Christian, in fact it is our birth right, but the wealth and spiritual riches offered are
only received as we depend upon the Spirit.