Ephesians 1:6-8 April 5, 2014

Juanita King           

Ephesians 1: 6 - 8        

April 5, 2014

… to the praise of his glorious grace which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesus was once a thriving port city located on the western edge of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey}.  It was the most important port on the Aegean Sea on the main route from Rome to the east.

It was to this great city that Paul traveled several times to preach the message of Christ.  On his third missionary journey, he stayed about three years, and it was during this time he developed a genuine concern for the church at Ephesus.

Out of this concern came a letter to the Ephesians – a letter that was written while Paul was in prison in Rome.  (This letter was passed along to churches in other Roman cities.)

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul does not address specific problems of the church, nor does he admonish the church for any wrongdoings.  Instead, he write to encourage the church to follow God’s plan to bring people from every nation and background together, with Christ as the head.

In the above quoted scripture, Paul says that we should live in praise of God for his ”glorious grace.”  It is through God’s loving grace that we nave redemption and forgiveness of sins.  How many times and in what ways has each of us felt God’s grace being lavished upon us?

Prayer: Our Father. Help us to be ever mindful of the fact that we are all one in Your Church.  May we always remember that it is through Jesus Christ that we receive your grace and forgiveness of our sins.  We pray for your guidance and blessings as we strive to live the kind of life you would want us to live.  Amen.