Ep 577 – Ephesians 1:15-23

The church at Ephesus was filled with people from all walks of life. Not only did it feature a seemingly toxic blend of Jews and Gentiles, there were slaves and masters, rich and poor, religious-minded do-gooders and former prostitutes – all thrown together into this mysterious thing called the body of Christ. And Paul knew full-well that this motley group of diverse individuals, while called by God, were also a potential time bomb. Their differences could easily become cause for dissension and disunity. So, Paul prayed. And he asked God to give them what he knew they were going to need to survive and thrive as a community: The Spirit of Wisdom and a knowledge of God. Paul was ecstatic that they had been chosen by God and had experienced the wonderful gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. But he knew God expected more. They were to grow spiritually. They were to experience the full measure of the power made available to them through the Holy Spirit. And he wanted them to understand that they were under the direct supervision of Jesus Christ Himself, as the head of the body – the church. This small, fledgling congregation located in the heart of a spiritually dark city, had all that they needed to live in unity and love. God hadn't just called them. He had fully equipped them with all that they would need to live as His children on this planet.