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NLIKE the epistles we've looked at so far, this epistle does not appear to be a response to any specific problem within the church, but was intended to encourage the believers in Ephesus by unwrapping for them some of the glories of the things which God's children possess in this dispensation of grace.
First off, Paul begins by calling these believers "saints" and "the faithful" (vs. 1). Of course, he spends a considerable amount of time after that showing them just how it was that they became saints, and exactly what it means to be faithful.
We are blessed (vs. 3). That's putting it simply. However, in that little 3-word sentence is a crucial truth. It’s a truth which is reiterated from many angles in this little letter. It is the fact that God is the source of our salvation. He is, after all, THE Savior. We are not our own savior (Psalm 100:3). He does the blessing (Hebrews 7:7). We are the recipients of His grace. He is the giver; the initiator. He is the power behind our redemption. Through (and in) Christ, we are the inheritors of unfathomable heavenly things.
This doctrine of election (here addressed) does not negate our responsibilities. We must trust (vs. 13). In fact, the timing of the application of redemption is addressed here just as surely as is the timing of the plan. The application (through the sealing presence of the Holy Spirit) comes distinctly "after'' belief (vs. 13). In any case, all the glory goes to God (vs. 6). None of the credit is rightfully ours.
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