Paul, a fellow believer, set apart by Jesus himself for your benefit, that I may share with you the glorious truth about God.

To the saints in Ephesus, who by God’s grace and love hold firm to the truth we have in Jesus.

Give God praise! Allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of his love for you and give him praise! God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, has truly blessed us beyond measure. A man can earn money and buy things of luxury, but he cannot earn the peace of God, and what no man can earn, God has freely given us! What man could ever earn the joy of God? What man could ever earn the rest of God? No man can earn these heavenly blessings, and yet through our faith in Jesus, God has freely given us all of them as a gift!

Oh how he loves us. Just as the cross was planned by the Father and His Son Jesus before the creation of the world, so was his decision to love all those who accept his Son! Before time began our heavenly Father made a promise to himself, to see every person who accepted his Son as holy and without blame in his sight. This promise is not kept by God only in the moment we believed, but forever! Brothers and Sisters, praise God! How great is our saviour Jesus, that through him he has made us ‘new’ in the eyes of God, and we are never again seen in our faults, but forever seen in His grace!

What is more, in this wonderful grace he has also adopted us as his Children. If it is true that you were born once through the body of your earthly mother, how much more is it true that you were born again through the body of our Lord Jesus Christ! Not as a child of man, but as a child of God. Hallelujah.

All these blessings were not free of charge, they cost the Son of God his life, but through Jesus paying the price upon the cross, we now freely receive all the benefits that God gives to his children, and this is Gods will, outworked in accordance with the riches of his glorious grace that he gives freely to us, because Christ has already paid for everything on our behalf!

We receive everything, because we are now living in the One who paid for everything. Not because of our works, but by the working of his grace! We are forgiven, redeemed, and established in His love, through the blood of Jesus, spilt upon the cross for us. My fellow brothers and sisters, how great is Christ’s love for us! He did not withhold anything, but gave himself up freely for all of us, so that now God may take great pleasure in pouring out his Grace without restriction upon us who believe, and it is not an act God does hastily, but he gives us an abundance of his grace with all wisdom and understanding. It isn’t a risk to God; it is the power of God!

And now God has made known to us the mystery of his will. It gives God pleasure to reveal to us his will: That we would find rest in his Son. God is not giving us a burden to carry, but a place to rest! And that rest is in His Son whom you now belong to. The days are coming when heaven and earth together will understand this great truth.

My dear friends, we can rest assured God does not chose people based on their own accomplishments, but he chooses those who place their trust in the perfect accomplishments of Christ. This is good news for us, for now that we have believed upon Christ, through our faith we have been chosen by God as his adopted Children and his treasured possession.

We don’t ask God why, for we know our acceptance is not based on our flawed merits, instead we freely thank God that we are chosen based on the perfect finished work of Christ! God planned it all before time began, and through faith in Jesus we have entered into the ‘light’ of that plan. God is working out everything according to the purpose of his will, he has created a way so that we who are the first to hope in Christ, can truly rest in him, know him and boast freely in Him, to the praise of his glory.

How, I ask you, did we find ourselves In Christ, the One whom we find not only rest for our souls, salvation for our spirits but also Gods blessings in this life? Were we included In Christ by our own efforts? Of course not, we were included In Him when we heard the word of truth, the good news that by his life, sacrifice, death and resurrection we are saved! Now that you believe, you are marked as a Child of God with a Heavenly seal, that seal is the promised Holy Spirit now living in you, given to you, to remind you daily of this wonderful reality.

You belong to Jesus, and the day is coming when you will inherit the kingdom of heaven itself. We’re not simply going to heaven one day as servants, but as sons and daughters! We will not only be part of the Kingdom of Heaven, but together with Christ we will own it! We now belong to God, and for that reason we inherit all that is Gods, and all this is by His will! Oh how he loves us!

It is for this very reason that I write to you, to remind both you and I of the good news of Jesus. I have to let you know how Christ has filled me with joy with the news of your new found faith in Him and the love you know have for each other.

Indeed, since I heard of your faith, I have not stopped thanking God. I’m telling you the truth! I feel so blessed to know you too have believed upon Christ, and write to welcome you to His family! And now just as I thank God for you all, I also keep asking that our awe inspiring, universe creating, redemption making, glorious Father may also give to you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know him even more intimately, for that is His desire! Just as you now belong to Him, I pray the Lord will also draw your heart even closer to Himself and help you understand the fullness of his love for you, in order that you may know him even better.

My dear friends, God has not only saved you, but he has called you into the riches of his glory! You are not saved and now kept distant from Him; you are saved and drawn close to Him! Oh may the eyes of your heart see this beautiful reality that is your birth right in Christ Jesus. His Life now lives in us! And his Life is powerful! It is the same power that he demonstrated to us when he created the universe and once again when he raised Christ from the dead. That power is now living in us, and through his grace it is now at work in us!

My brothers and sisters in the Lord, stop and think about it: that very same power that was strong enough to raise Jesus from the dead and place Him at the Fathers right hand in Heaven is now dwelling in you. By that same power Jesus now reigns in glory above all. Nothing can compare to the power, authority, and dominion that Jesus now has. He is above every title that can be given from eternity to eternity, he reigns supreme – and we are now in him! We have been united together as his Church, which is his body, and through our faith in him, God is his wisdom is fulfilling his glorious plan of mankind’s redemption!

Tell me, how does it feel to know the truth? To know that you are brand new person, cleansed and made pure in every way in the eyes of your heavenly Father? It feels glorious, I know, for I experience this same wonderful reality! How different a life you now have!

For in the past you walked in the ways of darkness, lost in the foolish things this world offers, and spending all you had to buy what only broke your heart or burdened you with guilt and shame. I know this because all of us lived in this way at one time, and to our thinking it was all we could hope for, to gratify the cravings of our self absorbed egos and follow its desires and thoughts. We were no different from anyone, and by our own merits and deeds deserved nothing good from God, but praise God, that he does not give to us based on what we deserve, but on what His Son has done on for us!

In his great love for us, he has given us a new life despite our past misdeeds, for the riches of his mercy are truly endless. By his grace and only by his grace could we ever receive such a blessing. I Praise God that weather we had ‘good’ or ‘bad’ works in our life, he looked at neither when making his decision about us. He did not look at our past performance; he looked solely at our belief upon His Son. And now, having put your faith in Jesus, you have received a covenant relationship based on his grace: an intimate relationship with Him based on his perfect love and faithfulness to you – for it is by grace you have been saved.

My dear friends, you have not only been forgiven of all wrongdoing, you have been given so much more! You have been raised up with Christ and seated with him in the glorious Kingdom of God. This won’t just happen one day – it has already happened! When you accepted Jesus, His Spirit came and lived in you and your Spirit went to sit with Him!

We are now one with Jesus, both He with us as here on earth, and we with him in the Heavens. And what is God doing as you sit with him in the Heavens? He is looking at you with love and affection, he is enjoying your company, and he is reminding you of how he sees you: Holy, blameless and forever loved! He does this to reveal not only to our hearts, but to all of creation the incomparable riches of his grace. For the rest of eternity we will be the proof of Gods unending kindness. We are His beloved forever!

Our salvation is an act of pure grace, there is not even one iota of our own good works that have contributed to it. Our adoption, and new life, our redemption has nothing to do with our own efforts, but only through faith in the King of Kings, the One and only, Jesus our Lord. And just as Jesus was a gift to the world, how much more the salvation that we have received through him!

We have nothing to boast about, except of his love for us. We are now Gods children, and as a Father he will lead us in the way of His love, and we rest in the knowledge that all the good works that will be done through our life will be accomplished not by our own will and strength, but through the working of his glorious power living in us.

Therefore, remember His grace always, and remember the whole story of God’s redemption plan. Remember that God first set apart the nation Israel. Giving them the Holy Scriptures and a temporary covenant of Law through which He prophesied the coming of the savior of all mankind – Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus that the previous covenant was fulfilled and the new, eternal covenant has been established. It is this new covenant of grace that you have now been saved into. At one time you were separated from God, but because God is faithful, all of you who were far from God have found yourself now living in the very presence of the Almighty through the blood of Christ.

Previously there was only one way, and that way was for the Jewish people. The Law of their covenant excluded you Gentiles from participating in a covenant relationship with the Living God. Yet now we see how truly merciful God is, that he allowed the Christ of the Jewish Law to come and fulfil all the righteous requirements of the Law, bringing that covenant to fulfilment through his perfect life, ending the era of religious obligations and regulations, and establishing the promised new covenant no longer based on Law, but based on grace! No longer available for only one nation, but available to every nation, people and tribe on earth!

For Jesus himself has become our peace and he has made a way for all of us to belong to God. Jesus preached to all of mankind, both those close and those far away. He died upon the cross for all people, regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds, and he is now the savior of everyone who turns to him and believes, and through him we all have access to the Father by the one Spirit.

Through this great work of Jesus, we can all now rest in confidence that through our faith in him we are citizen of heaven and members together of the one household. This household is build up through the gospel message the other Apostles and I proclaim to you, with Jesus himself the one who holds the whole household together. In him we are held together in unity, in him we are joined together in love and in him your hearts are being connected together. For we are a family, and God is drawing us all closer as a family, where he also lives by his Spirit.

I am writing to you in the hope that you too would find as much joy in the gospel truth that I have. Even now I rejoice, weather a free man or in jail for proclaiming the glorious truth. I preach it regardless of the consequences for the sake of all who have not yet heard it, that they too may know Christ.

Surely you have heard my testimony by now, and the powerful working of Jesus in me? God by his grace not only saved me, but also revealed to me the mystery of the ages. It was this mystery that was revealed to me by divine revelation. And so as you read my letter, you can begin to understand why I so passionately lift Him up and make plain the good news of Jesus. This mystery is that the Son of God came down to earth, born of a woman, born under the Old Covenant of Law to fulfil that covenant that no one else could fulfil.

The mystery is that through Jesus fulfilling the old exclusive covenant, he brought it to a close, and opened a new inclusive covenant for all! And through this gospel the gentiles are heirs to a relationship with God as much as Israel and can both share together in the promise in Christ Jesus. God has made a way that all mankind may have access to know him through faith in Jesus.

It is this message that I have become a servant to, according to the gift of God’s grace that continues to work so powerfully in me. I boast in Christ, but not in myself, for I have not earned this gift, but have received it by grace. Indeed in myself I am truly nothing, less than the least of God’s people. Before my salvation I hated the name of Jesus, I tried to destroy the church, I punished Christians, I was brutal in my passion against the message of Jesus – and yet God has shown through me the truth of his promise, that in Christ we are made new, clean and without fault in his eyes, and he has given me the blessing of preaching his gospel of grace, according to his grace and not my past or present accomplishments.

And this was the grace that was given me: To proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to help you who are in Christ to understand clearly that Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law, so that you may now enjoy the benefits of his grace. This great redemption plan was decided before time began in the heart of God, but kept hidden until Christ accomplished it in full. Now it is the time to declare it and make it plain to all!

God’s purpose is outworked through our life together as God’s Church, allowing the wisdom of his grace to be revealed to all creation, both here on earth and in the heavens above! All this is in accordance with his eternal purpose that has always been grounded and established in the life and perfect work of His Son, our Lord Jesus. In Jesus and through faith in him we may all now stand in the very presence of God with total freedom and confidence.

In light of this wonderful truth, you can understand why it is not a burden for me, or a concern for you, regarding my imprisonment for preaching the gospel. It is a blessing, not a burden, for me to stand up and proclaim the truth of God’s grace, regardless of the consequences.

With all this in mind, I bow down in awe of our Father, through whom all of us as members of his family receive our name. I pray that God would do wonderful things in you. I don’t ask that you would attempt to strengthen yourselves with your own limited strength; I pray that God himself, out of his glorious riches may strengthen you with his almighty power through his Spirit now living in you, that your inner being would be established in his strength. And now, resting in his strength, I pray Christ may dwell in your heart through faith.

By resting in his strength, and trusting in his power, you are also allowing yourself to be rooted and established in his love! Dear family, now as you are established in his grace, I continue to pray that God will work his mighty power in you so that you may have power, together with all the family of Christ, to grasp how truly deep his love is for all of us. His love is so deep, so wide, so long and so high!

The love of Christ has no limits in glory, and all his love is given to us who belong to him! We are the object of his affection, and he delights to reveal to our hearts the depth of his love for us! It is through knowing this love, a love that truly surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled with all that he is!

You belong to him. You are his treasured possession. As glorious as we know him to be, the truth is he is even more glorious! Our heavenly Father can not be measured, for he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask and imagine.

He has redeemed us, and filled us with his Holy Spirit who is now the power of God at work within us. As we come together as the church, may the revelation of his almighty love and grace be the message we are united by and give him glory for the rest we have received in our savior Christ Jesus, through every generation and for evermore! Amen.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I ask you to always remember the truth of who you are. You are children of the Most High God, you are the beloved bride of Christ, and you are the treasured possession of Heaven’s King. You are perfect in him, and with all this in mind allow yourself the blessedness of living a life that reflects this wonderful calling you have received.

Allow the power of God in you to be active in your life. Be humble and gentle; remember that we are all still growing in our understanding of God grace, so let us be patient with one another, allowing Gods love to be our guide. As you grow together in the truth of Christ’s love for you, make every effort to stay established in his ways; the way of love that the Spirit in you is walking.

We are one body and in all of us there is one Spirit – through Christ you were called to one hope. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. It is God’s desire is that his children would live in unity, so let us be one in spirit as we walk the way of His love together.

As we walk in his love, rejoice that Christ also pours out grace on all of us, just as he desires. Christ is a gift giver to those who belong to him, just as it says: “When he ascended on high, he led the redeemed in his train, and gave gifts to them.” (Now what does ‘he ascended’ mean, except that he also first descended to earth? It is Jesus who first descended, and who has now also ascended higher than all the heavens, where his Spirit fills the whole universe!)

It is this very same Jesus who gave some of us to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. The reason some are called in these ways are for your benefit my brothers and sisters, that you too would be build up in your callings, and through faith in the finished work of Christ would also allow the power of God to work powerfully in you.

For no matter what our calling in Christ may be, his purpose remains the same: That we may all be united in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, and through accepting his grace and goodness over our lives to become mature in him, and receive the fullness of his love into our hearts.

Christ loves you completely, and his desire is to give to you the whole measure of his very Life, that you may truly live in him. It is through receiving more of his love, and trusting more in his finished work completed upon the cross that we grow up in our faith in Christ. Remind yourself daily that God is not measuring you by your works, but by your faith in Jesus, and it is for that reason you can receive a full measure of his love!

Through this truth, you can grow up and no longer be tossed back and forth by all sorts of worldly messages and teachings from men who want to control and manipulate you by seeking to place your focus on your works and religious obligations. As Children of God remember our focus is on his grace, we walk in the way of love, and we speak the truth in love, and we are able to do this only because we have full assurance in his love for us!

Through this great blessing, we can grow up established in Christ. For it is only through Christ that we can grow in the ways of God, and together, through our faith in Jesus, we can support each other as we are built up in love, just as each one of us outworks Gods love in their own life.

So what now? How should we live in light of this wonderful new life we have received in Christ? We should live as Jesus himself lived – as a beloved Child of God in the eyes of our Father. We should live by faith, for we know and believe the message of salvation through Jesus is not just a good idea or concept, it is the truth! It is our reality, and now that we live in this wonderful light, we will certainly not live as he unbelievers do, in the foolishness of a self adoring lifestyle.

A self adoring lifestyle only leads to darkness, burdens and the hardening of hearts, but a Christ adoring lifestyle is led in the light, given rest and a heart overflowing with hope and love.  Those who still walk without Christ continue to walk their own way, having lost the ‘Christ desire’ they were born with (for we have all been made in his image) and have been deceived to accept the ‘Self desire’ and continue to chase after all the things the body and ego lust after, with a continual desire for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ according to that pattern. Surely you received the gospel as it truly is: The good news of God’s grace that has been given to us in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught how Christ became darkness on the cross, so that you may now become light in him. It is not your efforts that have changed you, but the power of the cross, for you traded in all your pain for all his joy, all your brokenness for all his wholeness, all your sins for all his righteousness!

You exchanged your old self that was being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and were made ‘new’ in Christ! And now that you are a new person in Jesus, see to it that the attitude of your mind agrees with this glorious reality. God never doubts that you are his beloved, holy and perfectly loved child, now remind yourself of this truth and don’t doubt you new nature either. Each day, live in this truth, for you have been created new to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore, as you grow in his grace, allow your old mindsets and doubts to be cast aside. The way of love does not speak in the language of lies, but in the language of truth, and so speak truthfully to each other, after all, we are a family and all belong to the one body of Jesus. “In your anger do not fall into unbelief”: My dear friends, we all still live in this earthly body, and if on occasion your negative emotions overtake you, don’t allow them to remain the leader of your life. For you are children of faith, and so remain in this faith and let peace be restored to you, and don’t allow the devil take advantage of your anger and so get a foothold in your life.

You have traded in the old for the new, the darkness for the light, and the lies of this world for the truth of God. With this in mind allow your life to mirror this reality. If anyone has lived the life of a thief, God has now given you grace to walk in freedom and honesty. In light of this blessing don’t remain slaves to stealing. Christ has set us free, be free then, and do something productive with the abilities God has given you, that you may be a blessing to those in need.

Don’t speak in ways that are unwholesome, but as you truly are, speak in ways that reflect your life in Christ. Talk to each other in ways that are helpful in building each other up in love, so that your words may benefit those who listen. The Holy Spirit is now living in you, and so remind yourself of his wonderful presence in your life, and in accordance with his leading empty yourself of any remaining bitterness, rage and anger.

Allow the full work of the Spirit to heal and refresh your inner being so that you may be kind and compassionate to one another. Keep the great work of Christ fresh in your hearts, and forgive one another just as you remember how much Christ forgave you.

Keep the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, and allow the working of Gods power in you to imitate his love. As dearly loved children, live a life of love. Allow the Holy Spirit to remind you daily how much Christ loves you and how he gave himself up for you, enabling you to forever stand in the presence our heavenly Father.

And now continue to walk in his way of love and do not chase after the things that are along other darkened paths. The way of love is not sexually immorality, impurity or greed; indeed these things should have no partnership with your life as a child of God. Neither should you fill up your time with foolish talk or dirty joking, instead allow your words to result in thanksgiving to God. God’s kingdom is one of love, and those who indulge in the immoral and impure things of this world have not yet crossed over into Gods kingdom.

Don’t let anyone deceive you with empty words, for your salvation is not empty of power, but powerful enough to free you from all the things that deceive and trap those still walking in the darkened paths. For although you were once darkness, you have no become light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of light is consistent with all goodness and truth) and enjoy the walking the path of light that pleases the Lord. Do I need to tell you what the fruitless deeds from the darkened path are? You know yourself the depth of their darkness, and why we no longer partner with them. For it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient to in secret. You however have traded in your dark secrets for God light. You have been redeemed, you dirty rags have been removed by the Spirit of God and have been replaced with his righteousness.

Now that you live in the light your eyes can see what is consistent with the way of His love and what is not, for his light makes everything visible. That is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleepy one, rise from your unbelief and the light of Christ will shine on you.”

Be aware then how you are living. Not as a fool, but as one who has come to know the truth. Make the most of every opportunity to live in the light, for these days are evil. Take the time to understand what the Lords will is. Don’t become disheartened and turn to excessive drinking, which only leads you off the path of light onto the foolish path of darkness. Instead, be filled with the Spirit of God! Talk with one another with loving affection, with the words found in the Psalms, with hymns and with songs that declare the glory of God.

Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord. As you walk with God, give him thanks for everything, and do it all in the name of our Lord Jesus. Love one another as you remember Christ’s love for us all.

Wives, believe your husband when he speaks words of loving affection over your life, just as you do with the Lord. For your husband is committed to being a strength to you, as he imitates how Christ is the strength of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. Now just as the church submits to the Christ when he confirms his love for us, so also wives should submit to their husbands and accept their husbands praises in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved his church and gave himself up for her, declaring her holy, speaking words of life over her and reminding her of her beauty and cleanness, reminding her that she may stand confident of His love as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

In the same way, tell your wives how loved they are, how radiant they are, how they are completely beautiful in your eyes. Remember how the Lord sees you with the eyes of his grace, and do the same with you wife. Care for you wife as you imitate how Christ cares so abundantly for his church. Scripture declares: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

My brothers, this is a profound mystery—but this scripture is talking about Christ and the church! It is truth that in the eyes of God you have been united as ‘one’ with your wife through your covenant marriage. Now realise that even our marriages are a glorious illustration given to us from above to help us understand the heavenly reality that through our union to Jesus, we too have become one with Jesus in the eyes of our Father!

And so husbands and wives, in light of the loving acceptance you have received from Christ, in the same spirit, love and respect each other as you live together under his care.

Young children, you too have the Spirit of God, and so you too can walk in the way of love and be obedient to your parents in the Lord, for this is pleasing to God. Indeed, we are all children of the promise of Jesus, and because of this we not only honour our Father in Heaven, but also our parents here in earth.

Fathers, may our Father fill you with the grace of his character, so that you may be an example to your children of the grace and kindness of God. Bring your children up with the example of love, so that they may continue to grow in their own relationship with our heavenly Father.

As you work in the workplace God has placed you, do so with respect and sincerity of heart, just as you joyfully obey Christ, so also do what honours your employer. Allow God to work through you, so that you may work wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. Christ is with you, he loves you, and when you allow his grace to flow through you in your workplace, he will reward you.

To those who are employers, treat your employees with the same respect and sincerity of heart you desire from them. Do not threaten them, for you know that Christ never threatens you, and yet the result is obedience and a fruitful life, so too when you treat your employees with respect and in the spirit of love they will work more productively to your benefit.

Finally to all of you, be sure to always find your strength in the Lord and in his mighty power! God has equipped you with all you need to stand strong and victorious in Christ. Always remember you are standing not just near Jesus, but you are standing in him! With this in mind be assured that you can stand against the devil’s schemes. For we who are in Christ do not struggle against people, but against the spirit of deception and the authorities that try to impose it upon mankind.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the spiritual forces try to deceive you, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have remained standing in the truth that is found in Christ, you can glory in God and his mighty power to save. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. With the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness to proclaim the goodness of God that comes out of being established in the gospel of his grace and peace.

In addition to all this, always keep hold of your mighty shield of faith, not faith in your own godliness, but faith in the perfect redeeming work of Christ, so that when the devil bring accusations against you based on your works, they will be destroyed before they can even draw near to you. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with any kind of prayer and request you may have, for your Father will always listen when you call to him. With this in mind, keep your conversation going with the Lord, and pray not only for yourself, but for your fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Finally, pray also for me, that God will continue to preach his glorious gospel powerfully through me. Pray that when I open my mouth, words may be given to me in order that I may also stand firm and passionately proclaim the mystery of the gospel, and that I preach it fearlessly and with all his power, just as indeed I should.

Tychicus, my fellow preacher and faithful servant in the Lord who has delivered this letter to you can continue to tell you everything concerning my situation. May he be a blessing to your community as he continues to proclaim the glorious gospel of our saviour Jesus and encourages you in your journey of faith.

May the Lord of all peace pour out his peace upon all of you, along with his love and faith that come from the very heart of God the Father and the Lord Jesus. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love that will last throughout eternity!