Read Ephesians 1:1-2.

A note on the Scripture text that accompanies each individual study: The American Standard Version and the New International Version, along with the original Greek and Hebrew, have been used in an effort to achieve the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity. Where words or phrases have been added to the original text in an effort to better express the meaning, those words or phrases have usually been indicated by means of [brackets].

Introduction⤒🔗

Who are you? How do you identify yourself? Your personal identity is very important.

Sometimes one can suffer the loss of his identity; that loss can be either temporary or permanent. Sometimes a loss of identity results from injury or illness. Perhaps a person has fallen and struck his head, or maybe he has taken ill and runs an excessively high fever, as a result, he suffers a loss of memory. He suffers amnesia; he cannot remember his past, he cannot even remember his name; consequently, he has suffered the loss of his identity.

Sometimes a loss of identity occurs as the result of a crisis in one’s life: we hear about “an identity crisis.” Maybe the individual has just lost a long-standing job or has just retired; maybe he has just gone through a divorce; or maybe it is a young person making the transition from childhood to adulthood. Whatever the cause, the person is undergoing a traumatic emotional experience in his life and, consequently, is experiencing “an identity crisis.” As a result, he is confused as to who he is and what he is supposed to do; his former relationships that served to give meaning and identity to his life have been severed and now he is grasping to “find himself.”

Sometimes one can have his identity stolen from him by force and oppression. The 1977 T.V. movie, Roots, portrayed how the African slave was deprived of his freedom, of his dignity, and even his identity: his African name was replaced with an English name. The effort was made to totally sever the man from his past and then create for him a whole new identity, so that he might be exploited for his master’s purposes. The same was true of Daniel and the other young Hebrews when they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians (Dan. 1:6-7).

When a person suffers a loss of identity there results a great deal of confusion in his life, he finds himself grasping in the dark. Furthermore, when one suffers the loss of identity he is very susceptible to being manipulated and controlled by other people, usually with sinister motives.

Now these same things can happen to us as Christians if we lose sight of our spiritual identity: there will be a great deal of confusion in our lives, a loss of orientation and focus; we will be very susceptible to being controlled and manipulated by the world and by the devil himself. For our own assurance as well as for our spiritual welfare, it is essential for us to know our Christian identity.

As we study the Epistle to the Ephesians, we find that the Apostle Paul at the very outset defines for the Ephesian Christians and for us our Christian identity. Because it is vital to our spiritual life, we must be ever aware of our Christian identity.

As a Christian, You Are Identified as Belonging to God←⤒🔗

The Apostle Paul addresses his epistle to “the saints who are in Ephesus.”

A T.V. news show featured a segment on the process the Roman Catholic Church employs when it wishes to bestow “sainthood” upon a noteworthy Christian. According to that documentary, the candidate for sainthood must have exhibited an eminently holy life; furthermore, the candidate had to have performed at least two miracles. The whole concept underlying the canonization of saints in the Roman Catholic Church is the idea that there is a distinction between super Christians (who can become saints) and average Christians (who can derive benefit from the super Christians). In this scheme of things the super Christians are actively devoted to Christ, and the average Christians may passively receive the benefits of their “superabundance of merit.”

But in striking contrast to this concept of sainthood for the super Christian, the Bible defines every true believer in Christ as a saint. This is seen clearly by the way the Apostle Paul addresses the whole congregation of the church in Corinth, he writes: “to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be saints” (1 Cor. 1:2).

By virtue of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which brings you into a living union with Him, you have been “sanctified;” that is to say, you have been set apart for God to be His own possession, and you have been made like God in His holiness, (you have come to possess Christ’s own holy nature). The biblical principle that is operative here is the fact that what was once morally and spiritually unclean has now been made holy by coming into living union with Christ, the Holy One of God. Now, as a Christian, we are called by God to live out in everyday life the new identity of holiness, which we have entered into by virtue of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

With this background, we can better understand what the Apostle Paul means when he addresses this present epistle to “the saints who are in Ephesus.”

He is writing to Christian people who by virtue of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been set apart to belong to God. In Ephesians 1:14, the redeemed are defined as “[God’s] possession.” Furthermore, as ”saints,” believers have been set apart to become like God in His character of love and holiness, as the Apostle Peter informs us: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people [appointed to be God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Paul is writing to “the saints who are in Ephesus.” That is to say, he is writing to those who have been set apart for God but still find themselves living in this present sinful world.

As a “saint,” what may the Christian expect from the world? He may expect ridicule: The Apostle Peter reminds “the saints” to whom he writes that as they live out the Christian lifestyle before their neighbors, those pagan neighbors “think that it is strange for you not to plunge with them into the same flood of dissolute living, so they malign you” (1 Pet. 4:4). Furthermore, he may expect to be slandered: “Conduct yourselves in a proper way among the Gentiles; so that, even though they slander you as evil doers, by observing your good works they must glorify God on the day of his visitation” (1 Pet. 2:12). He may expect hostility, Jesus testified to His disciples, “If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you” (John 15:19).

As a “saint” living in this present world, what may the Christian expect from God? The saint, the man who belongs to God by virtue of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redeeming work, can be sure of Christ’s intercession on his behalf and the faithful watch care of the Father in response to His Son’s prayers. In His prayer on behalf of His church, the Lord Jesus makes the following request of His Father: “I am not asking that you would take them out of the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one” (Jn. 17:15). Let us bear in mind Martha’s testimony when she said to the Lord Jesus, “I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you” (Jn. 11:22). Furthermore, we have the sure promise of the LORD’s abiding presence, which becomes very evident in the hour of trial, as the Psalmist testifies, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psl. 46:1). (The NKJV gives as an alternative rendering of the Hebrew text, the translation, “God is an abundantly available help in trouble.”)

As a “saint” living in this present world, how should the Christian conduct himself? Writing to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul gives this admonition:

Do all things without grumbling and arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without blemish, in the midst of a perverse and depraved generation, among whom you shine like stars in the universe, ^16aholding forth the word of life.Phil. 2:14-16a

As Christians, we must always be aware of the fact that we are identified as “saints;” we have been set apart from the world, purchased with the price of Christ’s shed blood, to belong to God. This means the loss of our former identity: “You do not belong to yourself; ²⁰you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19b-20). But this also means the gaining of a new and blessed identity, note, again, 1 Peter 2:9-10,

...you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people [appointed to be God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Formerly you were 'not a people,' but now you are 'the people of God.'

As Christians, may we be ever mindful of this blessed truth, especially at those times when we are tempted to blend in with the crowd and identify ourselves with them.

As a Christian, You Are Identified as Being Faithful to God←⤒🔗

The Apostle Paul further identifies the Ephesian Christians as those “who are faithful.” There is an intimate and unbreakable connection between belonging to God and being devoted to God.

As Christians, we are challenged to be faithful to the Lord our God. We are called to be faithful in the midst of opposition:

Live your life only in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that if I come and see you, or if I remain absent, what I will hear about you is that you are standing firm in one spirit, and with one soul contending for the faith of the gospel; ^28aand that you are in no way being intimidated by those who oppose you.Phil. 1:27-28a

We are called to be faithful in leading a productive Christian life: “my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor for the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58).

As Christians, we are encouraged to be faithful to the Lord our God by the example of the saints of God who have gone before:

We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end; ¹²that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb. 6:11-12

We are encouraged to be faithful to the Lord our God by the example of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

Let us focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb. 12:2-3

We are encouraged to be faithful to the Lord our God by the sure reward that is to be obtained:

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev. 2:10

As Christians, we can be assured of faithfulness to the Lord because our faithfulness occurs within the context of His faithfulness. First and foremost, it is the Lord who is faithful. The Apostle Paul declares that he is confident of this thing, namely, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). The Lord’s faithfulness becomes the incentive and the source of our faithfulness:

Therefore, my beloved ones, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who is working in you both to create the desire and to produce the work for the sake of his good purpose. Phil. 2:12-13

Our faithfulness is produced by reliance upon the Holy Spirit, rather than reliance upon ourselves, as the LORD declares through the Old Testament prophet Zechariah, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, declares the LORD of hosts” (Zech. 4:6)

Let us ever be aware of the fact that as Christians, we are identified as being faithful to God; let us especially remember this when we are confronted with a moral decision and are tempted to think that it does not matter what we do or how we live. Consider the example of Daniel: “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s delicacies [i.e. food that had been offered to the idols of Babylon, the partaking of which amounted to a communion meal with the idols], nor with the wine that he drank; therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8).

Consider the example of Joseph:

Now Joseph was well built and handsome, ⁷and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me!' ⁸But he refused. 'With me in charge,' he told her, 'my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?' Gen. 39:6b-9

Once again, note the example of Joseph: he is honored for his steadfast faithfulness in the midst of severe trials:

Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring; his branches spill over the wall ²³With bitterness, the archers attacked him, and shot at him, and persecuted him. ²⁴But his bow remained steady, and his arms were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ²⁵by the God of your father who shall help you, by the Almighty who shall bless you with blessings from heaven above, blessings from the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. ²⁶The blessings bestowed upon your father have exceeded the blessings of my ancestors, reaching unto the utmost heights of the ancient mountains, they shall be bestowed upon the head of Joseph, and upon the brow of him who was separated from his brothers. Gen. 49:22-26

In pronouncing this blessing upon his son, Joseph, Jacob sympathetically acknowledges the ordeals to which Joseph was exposed: “With bitterness, the archers attacked him, and shot at him, and persecuted him” (vs. 23). He also acknowledges Joseph’s faithful perseverance in the midst of his ordeals, and attributes his perseverance to the grace of God: ”But his bow remained steady, and his arms were made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ²⁵by the God of your father who shall help you, by the Almighty who shall bless you” (vs. 24-25a). Joseph’s perseverance and his faithfulness are attributed to the grace and strength of God; they are not self-produced, not something for which he can take credit. Secondly, nevertheless, Joseph receives abundant honor, blessing and reward for his faithful Christian life: he receives the reward of grace.

As a Christian, You Are Identified as Being “in Christ Jesus” ←⤒🔗

Paul describes the saints, the faithful ones, as being “in Christ Jesus.” This identification of the Christian as being found “in Christ Jesus” occurs four times in the opening chapter of Ephesians:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Eph. 1:1

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Eph. 1:3

...he chose us in him before the creation of the world in order for us to be holy and blameless in his presence. Eph. 1:4

...he predestined us to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ... ⁶for the praise of the glory of his grace. [This grace] he freely bestowed upon us in the Beloved. Eph. 1:5-6

From all of eternity, God has viewed the Christian in his relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, God has viewed “in Christ Jesus.” There has never been a moment when God did not identify you (as a Christian) in your relationship to Christ, as being in Christ. Note Ephesians 1:4, “he chose us in him before the creation of the world in order for us to be holy and blameless in his presence.” In the course of time, God caused you to believe in Christ as your Savior and to personally enter into His life; note 2 Thessalonians 2:13a, 14a, “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation... ¹⁴he called you to it through our gospel.” (The Apostle Paul will have more to say about the sovereignty of God in the next verses of this epistle.)

We may attempt to illustrate the truth of 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 in the following way: At the beginning of the day the farmer envisions his hay being reaped, baled, and stored in the barn. During the course of the day, he actually proceeds to reap the hay, bale it, and bring it into his barn. Spiritually, God always considers the Christian in his relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, (even before he has been born), and at some point in the earthly life of that individual God actually brings him personally into that saving relationship with Christ.

It will only be at the return of Christ in glory that our amazing relationship to Christ shall be fully realized and revealed. The Apostle Paul assures us in his epistle to the Colossians, “your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall be revealed, then you also shall be revealed with him in glory” (Col. 3:3b-4). The Lord Jesus Himself declares, “On that day [He is ultimately referring to the day of His return] you shall know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (Jn. 14:20).

Let us ever be aware of the fact that as Christians, we are identified as being “in Christ Jesus.” Let us especially remember this blessed truth at those times when the devil would seek to make us concentrate upon ourselves as though we were independent, “unaffiliated” sinners standing before the holy God. Let us be assured by the truth expressed in Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion←⤒🔗

A man who does not know his identity suffers a great deal of confusion in his life, and he is very susceptible to being manipulated and controlled by others for their own sinister purposes. Likewise, a Christian who loses sight of his spiritual identity will suffer a great deal of confusion in his life, and will be very susceptible to the manipulative influence of the world and of the devil himself.

As a Christian, it is very important for you to know and to always remember your spiritual identity if you are to live a productive and happy Christian life. Let us ever be aware of our spiritual identify as it is defined for us in Ephesians 1:1-2. We are “saints,” set apart to belong to God and to have His righteous and loving character reproduced in us. We are called to be faithful to God our Savior and heavenly Father. We are “in Christ Jesus,” united to Him and heirs to all the eternal blessings bestowed upon Him by God His Father.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What did the Babylonians do to Daniel (and his companions)? See Dan. 1:7. Why did they do this? In what ways does the world try to separate you from your Christian identity and fashion your thinking to conform with its identity?

But the chief official gave them [new] names: to Daniel, he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, the name Shadrach; to Mishael, the name Meshach; and to Azariah, the name Abed­-Nego. Dan. 1:7

2. How does the Apostle Paul define the Ephesian Christian’s identity (cf. Eph. 1:1b)? As a Christian, in what two ways are you a “saint” (i.e. someone who had been set apart from the world)? Note 1 Pet. 1:15-16 and Eph. 1:13-14,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus... Eph. 1:1

But just as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶because it is written, 'Be holy, because I am holy.'1 Pet. 1:15-16

...having heard the word of truth, [that is], the gospel by which you are saved, and having believed in it, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. ¹⁴He is a 'deposit' guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of [God’s] possession, to the praise of his glory. Eph. 1:13-14

3. Have we, as Christians, been set apart because we were inherently different from the world? Note Eph. 2:3. If not, what was the reason for our separation from the world? See Eph. 1:5. Since we owe our calling to nothing other than God’s sovereign good pleasure, should this not humble us in worship and wonder before the LORD our God, and increase our gratitude to Him and our love for Him?

Indeed, we all formerly lived among them for the lusts of our sinful nature, doing the will of the flesh and of the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath just like the rest [of mankind]. Eph. 2:3

In love ⁵he predestined us to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ, by his own will and desire, ⁶for the praise of the glory of his grace. Eph. 1:4b-6a

4. How else does Paul define the Christian (cf. Eph. 1:1c)? Is the initial receiving of Christ as your Savior all there is to being a Christian, once having done so you are free to get on with your life; or, is the initial act of placing your faith in Christ the entrance into a life of faithfulness to Christ? Note Jn. 1:12-13. What is the extent of this faithfulness? See Rev. 2:10b. Is this faithfulness narrowly confined to religious activities, or does it encompass all of life (cf. Col. 3:23-24)?

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus... Eph. 1:1

But to all who did receive him, to those who are believing on his name, to them he gave the right to become children of God; ¹³[they] were born, not by natural descent, nor by human will, nor by a husband’s desire, but by God.Jn. 1:12-13

The use of the Greek active participle (“are believing”) indicates an on-going, persevering faith in and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev. 2:10b

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Col. 3:23-24

5. What benediction does the Apostle Paul pronounce upon the Ephesian church? See Eph. 1:2. What is the opposite of grace? See Eph. 2:8-9. From whom do we as Christians receive this unmerited favor (cf. Eph. 1:2b), and how is He defined? See Rom. 11:36. In conjunction with the Father, from whom else do we receive this unmerited favor (cf. Eph. 1:2c), and what position does He occupy? See Acts 2:36b. What wonderful assurance does this provide for us? See Rom. 8:31. Is this unmerited favor dispensed to us sparingly? See Jn. 1:16. When shall we experience the full measure of this grace? See Eph. 2:7,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:2

⁸It is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹it is not of works, therefore, no one can boast. Eph. 2:8-9

For of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Rom. 11:36

Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom. 8:31

From his fullness we all received, grace upon grace. Jn. 1:16

...even when we were dead in transgressions [God] made us alive with Christ, (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and he raised us with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms, in Christ Jesus. ⁷[He did so] in order that in the coming ages [of eternity] he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace [expressed] in kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Eph. 2:5-7