10/15/2026
"Remember where you came from....!"
Paraphrase of Ephesians 2:11
Paul, when writing the Epistle of Ephesians was addressing a group of believers who were very strong in their faith in the Lord, yet they did not understand the depth of spiritual wealth they had inherited when they accepted Christ as Messiah and Lord, surrendering their lives to new life by grace. In Chapter 1 Paul begins by reminding them that they are seated with Christ as heirs of righteousness:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:3-6)
He goes on to explain that in Christ they have redemption through the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, through grace. I love one translation that describes that God "lavished" His love and grace on us. Paul says that God predestined us and, all was done for His good pleasure. Verse 13-14 says: "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." Jesus promised that He would not leave the disciples alone, that He would send His Holy Spirit to dwell in them so they would have power to do the work He had given them to do. The same applies to us when we receive Him as Savior and Lord, but there is so much more awaiting.
This message Paul is sharing with the Ephesians is for all of us - Gentiles believers - who have received the richness of God's grace. In Chapter 2 Paul reminds us that we were once dead in our sins, and we are now alive in Christ. Because we died with Him we are now raised up with Him, and spiritually seated with Him in heavenly places. Once again Paul reminds us that we did nothing to earn this great honor, that it is only by faith in belief in Jesus Christ and God's immense grace - unmerited favor - not by works, lest we should boast. It is only by the blood of Jesus, who paid an unimaginable price for our salvation. How could we ever boast?! And yet, in our pride, we do. In verse 10 Paul writes "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
It boggles my finite mind when I attempt to think about the depth of those words and the richness of the inheritance we have in Christ, and all of this was part of God's plan before the foundation of the world. Listen to Paul's words in Ephesians 1:15-23 and mediate on them:
"Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all thing under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
And as born again believers we are now part of the household of God, with Jesus as our chief cornerstones. We have been described as living stones built and fitted together on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets (Ephesians 2:19-22). 1 Peter 2:4-6 describes Jesus as a "living Stone" and believers as "living stones" being build into a spiritual house. So beyond my ability to understand. All I can say in extreme gratitude it -To God be the glory!

