10 Words All Christians Should Understand

Can you explain these 10 words?  You should, we all should.  As Christians we should all be able to use, understand, and explain these 10 words.  As Karl Barth said in his famous quote, “The church of Jesus Christ can, and should, not have any non-theologians.”  We need to all be theologians!  We need to all be committed to the study and understanding of God.  As such, it is imperative that we learn these definitions and use these words as they are meant. 

1. Faith: not referring to “blind faith”, but referring to “saving faith”
   1. Faith indicates a knowledge of Christ, and His work in salvation
   2. Faith finds agreement that the claims of Christianity are true
   3. Faith is complete trust in Christ alone for our salvation
   4. Faith is the instrument through which Christ’s perfect atoning sacrifice is credited to us. 
2. Grace: Grace is an attribute of God.
   1. “Grace is God’s free, sovereign, undeserved favor to mankind, given to him while still in a state of sin, which manifests itself in the forgiveness of sin and the deliverance from justice.”- Louis Berkhoff
   2. Grace cannot me earned in anyway.  We receive it solely as a sovereign and unmerited choice from God.
3. Peace: the state of order and equilibrium, of “shalom”
   1. Christians are declared at peace with God through Jesus Christ.  That means that we have peace with God regardless of how we feel or how we keep His commandments at any given time.
   2. Even when we feel anxious, knowing we have this peace should spur us on to trust God even more, to repent of our sins, and to live in a manner that honors our Lord.  That is where we will find peace.
4. The cross: the instrument of Christ’s atoning death
   1. We cannot separate God’s love from His holiness, mercy, or justice
   2. “God would not be God if he did not possess all His attributes in the perfection of His essence.”- Michael Horton
   3. Jesus was born in the flesh so that he could fulfill the whole law, and be the perfect sacrifice on behalf of all those who place their faith in Him.
   4. At the cross, Jesus offered up His life as a once-for-all, perfect sacrifice for all who trust in Him for salvation.
5. The Law: The Old Testament
   1. “The law is like a mirror.  It can show us our sin, but it cannot save us.”- RC Sproul
   2. Jesus was born in the flesh to be the perfect Son whom God had promised since the fall of Adam in Genesis 3:15.
   3. Jesus kept the law perfectly on behalf of all those who trust in Him for salvation, and we are then counted righteous in God’s sight through faith alone, by grace alone in Him.
   4. The law also serves the purpose of restraining evil and showing us what is pleasing to God. 
       
6. The Gospel: The Good News of Jesus Christ
   1. The Gospel is the Good News of what Jesus did to redeem His people (His birth, life, death, and resurrection), and to inaugurate the Kingdom of God and the new creation.
   2. It is Good News because without Jesus we were unable to save ourselves because everything we do is tainted by sin.
   3. Without Christ, there could not have been a perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for our sin.  That is the Good news.  That is why there is salvation in no other name.
7. Justification: Just-as-if-I’d-never sinned
   1. The Bible says that we are declared righteous in Christ.
   2. Christ has taken upon himself the punishment that we deserve, and has earned life for us through His perfect obedience.
   3. We believers will never have to face the JUST sentence of our sins, or spend eternal life in hell because we have been justified in Christ.
   4. Actually, not only are we spared punishment, we are made co-heirs to the Kingdom through Jesus.
8. Sanctification:
   1. Here the Holy Spirit indwells in justified believers, working to conform them to the image of Christ.
   2. We are daily dying to the “old self”, and then living unto God.  We should be diligent as believers to seek to live Godly lives
9. Imputation (of Righteousness):
   1. This may be the most under-taught, neglected doctrine in the church today, and we all need to know it!
   2. Imputation means that God “credits” to us the righteousness of Christ, though faith alone.
   3. Additionally, our sin is “credited” to Jesus Christ who knew no sin, and was punished on behalf of all who trust in Him for salvation.
   4. Martin Luther referred to this as “The Great Exchange”: Christ’s righteousness counted to us, in exchange for our sin counted to Christ.
10. Resurrection:
    1. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is our greatest hope.
    2. It proved that Jesus conquered death.
    3. Christ’s death proved that He was a man, and His resurrection proved that He is God
    4. It gives us comfort knowing that one day we too will have resurrected bodies.
    5. One day all suffering and pain will be gone, and we believers will behold the beauty and splendor of our Savior.

Definition Of A Good Friend

With so much going on in the world, and so much anger, and so much toxicity, and so much tribulation, we can all use a friend. A real friend.  A true friend. I think we should take a moment and consider what friendship is.  We have friends on Facebook.  We have friends at work, on our teams, or in our groups, or sitting with us at church.  We talk about loving Jesus and others, about being involved in out communities.  But have you considered one fundamental question:  Can we truly love others, can we truly be Christ in our communities, if we are unable to be a good friend?  I think this is something worth considering.

Our Lord Jesus gave us the definition of a true friend when He said: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His "friends." He eliminated the status that existed between “servant and master”. That is a true friend. What is more, anyone may become Jesus’ friend by trusting in Him as their Savior, being born again, repenting and receiving new life in Him.  And note, Jesus’ friendship is not dependent on the friendship being reciprocated!  Jesus is a good friend, even if you are not a good friend back.

Another example of true friendship in the Bible is between David and Saul's son Jonathan, who, in spite of his father Saul's pursuit of David and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend David. You will find that story in 1 Samuel chapter 18 through chapter 20.  Jonathan remained a friend to David despite it costing him his relationship with his dad, and regardless of David reciprocating.  Although, David did reciprocate the friendship and the two were very dear friends.

Proverbs is full of wisdom and advice regarding what it means to be a friend. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17). "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). There are several others too.   In these examples here, in order have a friend, one must be a friend.

The meaning of friendship is also found in Amos. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3 ). Friends are people that get along, are of like mind, and care for each other.  Back stabbing, gossiping, jealousy, conniving have no place in a friendship.  Friendship brings joy, love, encouragement, kindness, and rest for the soul.

The truth that we can gather from all of this is that friendship is a relationship that is entered into by individuals, and it is only as good, or as close as those individuals choose to make it. Someone has said that if you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand, you are blessed. A friend is one with whom you can be yourself with and never fear that he or she will judge you. A friend is someone that you can confide in with complete honesty and trust. A friend is someone you respect…and probably more importantly, a friend is someone that that respects you, not because you have “earned” it, but out of love. A friend is refuge during a storm, and a strong defender during an attack. That’s why when a friend hurts you, it hurts.  It really, really hurts.

Finally, what I would consider the ultimate definition of a true friend comes from the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:7-8). "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13). Now that is true friendship!  Examine yourself, and model Jesus Christ by being a true and loyal friend.  Be friend to all.  Stay close to Jesus.

Jesus Will Never Let You Down

In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In your teaching show integrity, seriousness… Titus 2:7

Over and over again we are reminded that people, no matter how good or how sincere, can and do let you down. Even though I have personally witnessed this several times in my own life, I was reminded by that again this week in a more casual way. 

Mark Driscoll was the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church back in 1996, and a leader in the Young, Restless, and Reformed Movement that started in the late 90s.  He was also someone that I looked to as an example early in my Christian walk.  He was bold, aggressive for the Lord, unabashedly Biblical, and gave Reformed Theology a young, cool, hip look.  He was dynamic, irreverent at times, and funny.  As a result, his books sold, his fame grew, as did his congregation which reached over 14,000 and had several satellite campus’.

Sadly, the fame got to him.  Pride got to him.  He came to love himself more, and the Gospel he preached less.  He started speaking out on topics he should not have.  He was accused of plagiarism.  Finally, the leadership of his congregation came out and accused him of being a bully, and of spiritually abusing those that were under his care (please note I am summarizing a lot here).  As a result, he lost his church, was went through a period of reconciliation, rehabilitation, and restoration.  For me this was tough news to take.  I know that all leaders are prone to making mistakes, but some of the things he said and did to those under his care were awful, and the church did what was right.  I was hoping that during his time off, he would realize his ways and truly change and come back stronger than ever.

Well after some time off, Mark did come back.  I haven’t heard much about him lately, until last week.  In an interview last week, Mark stated that he has now learned that the 5 points of Calvinism (something he had advocated for years) are not Biblical, and that they are garbage.  I was stunned.  Not only was I stunned because he is clearly wrong (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints are absolutely Biblical), but I was stunned thinking about how many thousands of people may have come to the Christ because of Mark Driscoll that are now hearing him say that what he taught for all those years is “garbage” and “not Biblical”.  Its such a letdown.

A great professor of mine during a Pastoral Ministry class taught us two things:

1) Having the title of Pastor is the most wonderful, and the most honorable title anyone can have, and that it comes with immense responsibility.

2) That every single decision we make will have a ripple effect.  There will be people that we have impacted along the way, and that any decision we make will impact each and every single person we have ever touched.

I wonder of Mark Driscoll thought, or cares about those people he touched in his 20+ years in the ministry?  I wonder if he considers that some people that came to faith because of him now hear him calling what he taught unbiblical garbage, and I wonder if he considers how that might impact some of those folks.

It’s sad, it truly is.  But as I said when I started this, people can and will let you down.  Its good to have mentors, its good to have role models, but at the end of the day, Jesus is the only one that will never change and will never let you down.  Let’s keep focused on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Its been a while

Just brushing off the dust and seeing what its like to get back into blogging.  Looking to get started again, and I have some ideas especially with Lent coming up.  Stayed tuned, and lets see where this goes!!  Stay close to Jesus. -V

Ephesians 3: The Revelation of God's Plan

Following Ephesians 1 and 2, chapter 3 is another powerhouse where Paul reveals the mystery and revelation of God's plan!!

Ephesians 3 (NRSV)

Paul’s Ministry to the Gentiles

3 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for^[a] Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— ² for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you, ³ and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, ⁴ a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. ⁵ In former generations this mystery^[b] was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: ⁶ that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

⁷ Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make everyone see^[c] what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^[d] God who created all things; ¹⁰ so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.^{[e] 13} I pray therefore that you^[f] may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

Prayer for the Readers

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,^{[g] 15} from whom every family^[h] in heaven and on earth takes its name. ¹⁶ I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, ¹⁷ and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. ¹⁸ I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.


Comments/Thoughts
There is so much to write about in this chapter, its difficult to be brief and pithy, and keep this from becoming a sermon, as opposed to a blog entry.  Its just so good!!  I'll try to keep it to 3 main observations.

1. Through God's Grace, the mystery has been revealed to Paul.  What is this mystery?  That the salvation has come to the Gentiles!  That there is now a radical equality and unity between Jews and Gentiles.  Its stressed 3 times in verse 6 (remember 3s: Peter denied Jesus 3 times, Jesus restored Peter 3 times, etc...).  In verse 6 Paul declares that the Gentiles are now 1) fellow heirs, 2) members of the same body, and 3) sharers of the promise in Christ through the Gospel.  We, the Gentiles, the wild branch, have been grafted into the tree of God's family and now are a permanent part of God's family!!
2. That Paul in his ultimate humility, stating that he is the least of all the saints, declares that the curse of Gen 3:15, the separation between man and God, the enmity between man's seed and God, is no more!!  Paul writes in  11 and 12 that the eternal purpose has been carried out and that now we have access to God in boldness and confidence through our faith in Jesus!!
3. Starting at verse 14, Paul ends with what is considered by some to be one of the most powerful apostolic prayers in the New Testament.  Paul, through the Holy Spirit calls to have the "inner man" strengthened, to bring our Spirit into accordance with His will.  That we may be rooted to comprehend the depths and length's of God's love which surpasses our understanding.  And lets look for a moment at the word "rooted" and "grounded" verse 17.  The Greek word used as rooted  is errizomenoi.  and the Greek word used as grounded is tehthemeliomenoi.  Rooted is a horticultural term, and grounded is an architectural term.  In this instance, a believer that is rooted, is like a solid tree, planted, with deep roots.  A believer then that is grounded, is like a building with a strong foundation; this believer is deep, not superficial.  What is needed for a rooted and grounded foundation is, of course, love.  A simply wonderdful verse by Paul, and a promise with for us as belivers.

Chapter 3 ends with a beautiful doxology.  Great chapter!!  What are your thoughts?

Ephesians 2: Once dead, now alive in Christ!

Ephesians chapter 2 is usually famously known for 2:8-9, and rightly so, but there is so much more in this chapter of Ephesians.  Lets take a look...


Ephesians 2 (NRSV)

You were dead through the trespasses and sins ² in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. ³ All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵ even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ^[a]—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— ⁹ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

¹¹ So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth,^[b] called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. ¹⁵ He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile both groups to God in one body^[c] through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.^{[d] 17} So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸ for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.^{[e] 21} In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² in whom you also are built together spiritually^[f] into a dwelling place for God.

Footnotes:

1. Ephesians 2:5 Other ancient authorities read in Christ
2. Ephesians 2:11 Gk in the flesh
3. Ephesians 2:16 Or reconcile both of us in one body for God
4. Ephesians 2:16 Or in him, or in himself
5. Ephesians 2:20 Or keystone
6. Ephesians 2:22 Gk in the Spirit

Comments/Thoughts

• Chapter 2 begins with verse 1 and  the strong statement, "You were dead in your trespasses and sins..."  Now think about that for a moment.  You were dead.  DEAD!!  What can a dead person do?  The answer is NOTHING.  A dead person cannot do anything, because they are dead.  Because of our sin, we were dead...unable to save ourselves...unable to do anything for ourselves.  We followed the ways and the ruler of this world, and were unable to follow our Lord.  We were creatures of desire, creatures of the flesh.  It goes on to say on 3 that we were by nature children of wrath.  Wrath is defined as "extreme anger".  In other words, we were dead spiritually, and a hot mess in any other sense of the word.
• But then our gracious Lord comes in.  Starting in v4 we learn that out of God's great mercy and love, even though we were dead, though Jesus Christ he made us Alive!!  Much like the Lord on Easter Sunday, we are brought from death (in our former state), to life in Christ Jesus (in our current state).  How wonderful!
• This is followed then by the famous verses 8-9, that tell us that it is our faith that saves us, and that the faith is given as a gift of God, not a work of man, so that we may not boast.  This is pivotal to understand: there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.  Our God, in His infinite mercy has given us Jesus, and the gift of faith, so that through belief we can be saved.  This is His gift to us, not our action!!  We cannot boast of our salvation as something we earn, because we do not earn it.  It is gifted to us by an all loving, all merciful God.
• Vv10-22 go on to then speak of the unification between Gentile and Jew.  There is no more differences amongst the people of God.  There is unity in Christ.  Those who believe are all God's children, the wall has been brought down, the distinction of the circumcision, the law has all been brought down and we are one in Christ.  I love the imagery in vv 11-15, that at one time we were strangers in the land, aliens, we had no hope, we did not have God.  But then, we are brought near and unified to the Kingdom through the blood of Christ.  How awesome.  I mean seriously how awesome!!  Once unified, all of the people of God are brought in under Jesus Christ, the cornerstone.

I'll leave it here for now.  Chapters 1-2 of Ephesians are just so powerful, so uplifting...they should provide all Christians a tranquil reassurance that our loving and merciful God has spared no expense to save us and bring us close to Him.  How great is our God!! 

Paul's Letter to the Ephesians: Intro and Chapter 1

I'm going to be spending a little time reading through the Letter to the Ephesians, one of my favorite books of the Bible (as they all are)!!  But I do have a particular fondness for Ephesians as I spent a lot of time with this book while I was in seminary.  That said, I'll kick things off here with an introduction and my reflections on Chapter 1.


Opening Notes

• Ephesians is has been called "The Crown Jewel of Pauline Theology" by RC Sproul
• This letter is closely related to Colossians.  Both were possibly written in the late 50s AD
• It shows a highly evolved theology and Christology: the "Cosmic Christ" that unites all.
• While it is called a letter, it is laid out more like a liturgy, with a long opening eulogy. 
• Its a general epistle.  Unlike Paul's other letters, Ephesians does not address a specific issue in the church
• The phrase "to the praise of His glory", or "to the praise of His glorious grace" is only found in Ephesians among Paul's letters.
• Key themes include: God's plan of salvation, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the purpose of the church.

Ephesians 1 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Salutation

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful^[a] in Christ Jesus:
² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ just as he chose us in Christ^[b] before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵ He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹ he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ¹¹ In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,^[c] having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹² so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³ In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴ this^[d] is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Paul’s Prayer

¹⁵ I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[e] toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸ so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰ God^[f] put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²² And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Footnotes:

1. Ephesians 1:1 Other ancient authorities lack in Ephesus, reading saints who are also faithful
2. Ephesians 1:4 Gk in him
3. Ephesians 1:11 Or been made a heritage
4. Ephesians 1:14 Other ancient authorities read who
5. Ephesians 1:15 Other ancient authorities lack and your love
6. Ephesians 1:20 Gk He

Thoughts and Comments

• I have often said that if you are depressed and you read Ephesians 1 and are still depressed, something is wrong!!  What a great opening chapter.
• From the get go, we see Paul's heart as he states that he is an apostle of Jesus "by the will of God" in v1.  Really shows Paul's gratitude and humble heart.
• Verses 3-7 are a powerhouse!  We learn that:
• We have been blessed in Christ with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!!  Every blessing!!  We may not see them materially on earth, but in the heavenly places we have been blessed with every blessing!
• The we are told that before the foundations of the world were laid, we were CHOSEN to be holy, blameless and to stand in His presence.  How awesome!  What a tremendous thing to know.  That we were thought of in Christ, not by chance, not by circumstance, but at the very beginning of creation.
• That through Jesus we were destined to be adopted as children of God.  Brothers with the Lord, a part of His family.  How wonderful that is to know.
• And the best part, this is bestowed freely on us by the Father, through Jesus, for His good pleasure!!  To His grace!!  That's right, God does this for us because it make Him happy, and brings Him pleasure to do so.  Its not about us, its about Him and His goodness and grace.
• In v9 he continue on that He has made known to us the mystery of His will through Jesus.  As sons and daughters, as children in the family, the Father makes known to us His will through Jesus.
• And one day Jesus, the "Cosmic Christ" will gather up all things in heaven and earth to Him.
• Vv11-12 show us that we are truly children, and as children we are heirs, and as heirs we have an inheritance...and that inheritance is Jesus Christ.
• In vv 13-14 we learn that when we heard the Good News, and accepted, and believed in Jesus we were marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit!!  The mark of Holy Spirit is our guarantee.  It is God's pledge that we are His and we cannot be lost.  A seal in the early church times in which this was written denotes ownership and protection.  We are His!!  And why, because it brings God pleasure to make us His.  How wonderful!!
• Vv 15-23 close with a beautiful prayer, where Paul asserts Christ's authority over all power and dominion, and above every name. 

I leave it here for now.  Ephesians 1 is an outstanding chapter that is the source of hundreds of books, so this is just a very, very brief few thoughts.  Feel free to comment away and ask any questions as well. 


Stay close to Jesus- V