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            The chapter begins with Paul reminding the Ephesians (and us) that God made us alive, who were once dead and separated from him because of our transgressions and sins. When we were separated from God we were living according to our flesh and conducted ourselves according to the lusts of our flesh.

            Living by feeding your fleshly desires is dangerous, even if one is born again. The more we feed our flesh the stronger it gets and that isn’t good for our Spirit man. To keep our Spirit man stronger than our flesh we need to resist from fulfilling the desires of our flesh. This is one important reason that we are too fast regularly. It isn’t a commandment, directly, too fast; although Jesus did say in Mathew 6:16, “when you fast,” Indicating that you will indeed fast, thus making it an indirect commandment. There are many reasons why we should fast but we will stick with one reason pertaining to this bible study; to stop fulfilling your fleshly desires. When one craves lets say a piece of candy and then goes to buy a piece of candy, you are then feeding your fleshly desires. I’m not saying don’t ever eat what you want, Im simply pointing out the fact that we, as believers, feed our fleshly desires more than we realize in everyday life. This can be dangerous because if we feed our fleshly desires too much it can separate us from God. How so? Well if one continues to feed themselves according to what they desire rather than whats best for their vessel, (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 tells us to honor and take care of our vessel) then this continuous act can lead to gluttony. After your flesh received what it desires through food, the desires become stronger and can brach out and could lead to other fleshy desires like sexual immortally. Gluttony and sexual immorality are sins and if we live in sin we can eventually cut our selves off from God. It is a slippery slope. We don’t need to live in fear and sin conscious, we just simply need to be open to God showing us what we need to change and prune in our lives so we don’t fall away from the amazing gift HE has given us, Himself. He doesn’t want you to fall from Him again, if you allow Him too, He will gladly weed out your weeds and make you into the beautiful garden He created you to be. In doing this we surrender to Him and our sinful, children of wrath tendencies. We allow Him to renew our minds and grow closer to Him. (In feeding your fleshly desires Im NOT stating your salvation is at stake, Im talking about your relationship with God. Please don’t confuse the two.)

            By God and through His grace and mercy we are loved regardless of our trespasses or sinful ways. Even when we were dead in our ways He still loves us. By His grace and mercy we are saved and brought up to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

            In the ages to come He may show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. We are saved by God, not by our works. There are things we can do to seek God more like fasting, but it’s not by the works that gets us born again; it’s by the love and grace of God alone.

            We are His workmanship created in Jesus to do good works for Him; He prepared us beforehand that we should walk in them. We are Gods masterpiece and He instills His creative works within us to know and serve Him. We are each uniquely and wonderfully made for a predestined moment in time for a reason. We all have a calling; to know Him and be in relationship with Him and to use the gift He gave us. This can be in the five fold ministry or it can be something else. We are all called to know Him, share the gospel with others and disciple, but there might be a specific area to which you will be called to do this in. For example, maybe God gave you the talent for baking and will use you to further His kingdom in that skill trait. Nothing is impossible with God, nothing. He is so creative and just needs to be let out of the secular box the world tries to put Him in.

            Paul tells us to remember that we were once lost and dead without any hope before we became in Christ. We need to be humbled and not take this for granted but rather praise God continuously because of it. Jesus is our peace and broke down that veil that was keeping us from encountering God. The vail that we couldn’t cross because of our sin, through Jesus we can encounter God and have His peace and know Him. Through His flesh He abolished the law of commandments (Jewish laws) that favored the Jews and exiled the gentiles and made a relationship with God available to all. In doing this He reconciled the two (Jews and gentiles) into one; believers. Therefore putting the enmity to death and creating peace. Jesus came and preached peace to us who were afar , through Him we have access the Holy Spirit.

            Therefore, we are not strangers, rather saints and members of the household of God. The head of household provides for those who live in the house and they take care of the house. How much more so will God provide and take care of us? So much more! We have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone. In Jesus the whole structure is joined together and increases to grow into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

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            Quick recap on verses 1-14: You were chosen by God to be His child. You were predestined by God for this specific time in age to know Him and serve Him. Your existence isn’t a coincidence. God loves you and chose you by name before He spoke the universe into existence.

            Paul continues to give thanks for those who have faith in the Lord Jesus. Paul always prays that God will grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation ( a deep and personal insight) into the true knowledge of Him. To know Him not just know about Him. Any historian can read about Jesus, but without the revelation and the deep insights on it our relationship with Him doesn’t grow. God knows our hearts, if we desperately want to know Him and we are reading to know Him more, He will give the revelation we are needing in that moment. The only way to God is through the Son, Jesus. The more we seek Jesus and invite the Holy Spirit to teach us as we read His word, the more deep understanding in Christ we will have.

            Paul continues to pray that our very core, our soul will be flooded by the light of the Holy Spirit and know what we were called for. He prays that we will know the incredible power in us through Him. These are in accordance with the work of His mighty strength which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. He is seated far above all rule and authority and power and dominion whether angelic or human; far above any other name or title that can be conferred in this age and the one to come.

            God appointed Jesus above all things and all things in the church (His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all believers). Jesus is above any other name, I know we have all heard this many times in worship songs; however, this is something that really needs to be absorbed in your spirit. Jesus is above any other name. He is above any other name and He is for you, because you were predestined to know Him. When this really sinks in you will see how there is no reason to ever doubt, fear or worry. The name above any other name is for you and this chapter is our proof for it.

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            This book is written from Paul to the saints at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus (that’s us!) This book is written to strengthen the believers and their faith by explaining the nature and purpose of the church, the body of Christ.

            Verse one states that Paul is an apostle of Jesus by the will of God. This means it wasn’t a coincidence or a random act that Paul was chosen by Jesus. Mathew 16:17 showed us that we know who the Father is because He has revealed it to us, it’s not something our flesh can show us. Paul being an apostle wasn’t a coincidence; and you reading this today and wanting to know God more is no coincidence either. We know Him because He has first revealed Himself to us, this alone should show you His love for you if you ever doubt it.

            The chapter begins with grace (good favor) and peace (absent of conflict and to be at rest) be to you from the Lord, Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who has blessed US with with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. In Christ, we have all the spiritual blessings needed to know Him, to truly know Him and have a relationship with Him. We have been chosen for salvation, we have been chosen and adopted as His without any coincidence being involved, it was intentional. WE have been predestined into adoption as His by Jesus.

            If you are wondering if God loves you, and you are seeking Him and know Jesus is the Son of God; know that you are so loved. He loves everyone, but the fact that you know Jesus is the Son of God and you seek God means you know this and are doing this because He has revealed Himself to you. By revealing Himself to you it is confirming verse five that you are predestined into adoption as HIS. This is important and can’t be missed. If you know who you are in Christ, your true identity, you can overcome any temptation that comes your way because you will know your true identity. The fact that you are reading this right now, interested in God means you have been chosen by Him, why else would you be reading an online bible study? You have sought Him, you are interested in Him because He has revealed Himself to you because you are His adopted child whom He loves. Your past doesn’t matter, He remembers that no more. What matters is that you see and receive His love that He wants to cover you with.

            Before the world was even created, He chose you as His. Meditate on that one.

            In Him, we have redemption through His blood, we are forgiven of sins by His amazing grace. Through His wisdom and love He allowed us to know His will according to His good pleasure. He has given us heavenly insight even to the end of age.

            In Him we have also received a destiny, we have been claimed by God as His own and (here we go again) PREDESTINED (chosen beforehand). The fact that this is mentioned AGAIN lets us know we NEED to absorb it. We were chosen beforehand. This means it isn’t because our works or our bank account, no. We were chosen beforehand because HE loves us and has chosen us as HIS. It isn’t a coincidence that this word is being used so much and we are only eleven verses in. Nothing is a coincidence with God. We just need to open our eyes, see we are loved and receive it.

            Verse 12 states that we who first trusted in Christ would exist to the praise of His glory. This lets us know that our job is to trust in Christ. Pretty simple, right? Sense we were predestined and chosen by Him before He even created the world, trust should come fairly easy after receiving revelation on that.

            Verse 13 then goes on to remind us that we trust Him after we hear the word of God and as a result of our belief we are then stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit as owned and protected by God. This confirms that our job is to trust and believe. It isn’t our works that gets things done, it is simply our trust and belief in Him and what He says. He has made it so easy for us, truly. I feel like some would rather it be done through works because it is something they feel like they have more control over. It’s easier for the flesh to work for things rather than it is to just simply allow your heart to trust.

            My toddler doesn’t hoard her food after dinner because she knows without a doubt that I will give her more food tomorrow. It isn’t even a thought in her mind if she will eat tomorrow or not. No doubt whatsoever. She unknowingly trusts that I will feed her tomorrow with her childlike faith so she doesn’t feel the need to worry about food or take her left overs to her room incase she needs them tomorrow. We need this type of child-like knowing. We need to know that He is true to His word and we don’t need to even consider not getting fed tomorrow. We need childlike faith to have full trust and belief in Him.

            Try a meditation visual aid this week. Sit somewhere alone and close your eyes. Visualize God, a beautiful, bright, brilliant spirit being at peace and completely content, just pondering on creating the world. But before He speaks it into existence, He chooses His elect, who His predestined will be on this world. Before He speaks the world into existence He says your name, His son/daughter. Really try to visualize this and let it sink into your soul. Visualize and listen to Him saying your name. You were chosen by the Father before the world was even spoken into existence. He knew your name and knew that He would love all, but you would hold a special place in His heart because you were chosen to be His. You are His.

            I pray this will truly sink in and give us all a deep and fresh revelation of how much He loves us and how we are truly His.

            It doesn’t matter how far away you feel you might be from Him, you are His and He will celebrate and kill the fattened calf for your return (Luke 15:27).