Ephesians 1

Ephesians 1:1-23

CHAPTER 1

The author of this letter is _______. He is an apostle. The word apostle means ________________. He states that he is not an apostle by his own choice. He is an apostle by the will of _____. The letter is addressed to the _____ at Ephesus. It is also addressed to the _______ in Christ Jesus.

“____ and ________” was a common form of greeting. The greeting was given a spiritual emphasis by showing that these blessings come from God our __________ and from ___________.

God is to be ___________ because:

A. He is the ________ of Jesus Christ.

B. He has given us ___ spiriutal _______.

C. These are located in ________ places.

D. These places are found only in _____.

God has ______ us who believe to be in __. God made this decision ________ the creation. The reason for this decision is that we should be ______ and without __. We should show our as we live before God.

Paul now introduces the subject of ______________. The word come from two words. ___, means before, ahead or in front of. The second part of this word, _____________, means to decide, determine, make up one’s mind.

NOTE: Some hold to a view that God makes all the decisions and choices for us. They believe that our ________________ is already decided and there is nothing that we can do to change this. This is known as ___________ predestination.

Paul speaks of ___ predestination. God has predestinated _. What has God ____ before the creation? He decided:

A. The ___ will be the family of God.

B. Each member will be ______ by God.

C. The church will be composed of all ____ children.

All that God does is ________ to His will. God is _. He will not make decisions that will __ us. God is ____. His decisions will always be consistent with that love.

Instead of questioning God’s decision, we need to offer _______ to the ____ of his grace. We are saved by ___. (2:5) It is through his grace that we are ______. This is only possible through the salvation work of the ______ Jesus, the Son of God.

It is in Christ that we have _______ through his __. It is only possible for us to have ______ of sins if we are in ___. Such blessings come from the ____ of his grace.

Christ has _______ toward us all the riches of heaven. This includes ____ and ___________.

NOTE: Both of these are attributes of God. They are also things that should characterize the child of God. Wisdom is the ability to __________ knowledge and made it practical and useful. Prudence is the special ability to ___________.

God does not keep his decision a _____. He has ____ it to us. It was a ___________. The word “mystery” is often used of some-thing that is beyond _______ comprehension until it is _______. It was God’s good ____________ to reveal it to us.

HERE IT IS! HERE IS THE “MYSTERY” .

In the last of the three ______________.

In a ___ when God was fully prepared.

God will ____ together in __.

All the ____ of God will be in ____, both those in __ and those on __________.

In Christ we have the ______________ of all that belongs to God. This is part of what God decided would fit his ___________. He predestined that the _____ would be the family of God. As members of the __, we inherit all that God has placed in _________.

Why did God decide to do this? Answer: God chose to bless the church so that we would offer our __________ of his glory. God decided to __ into his family (the _____) all who first ____ in Christ.

Through __ in Christ we heard the __. Truth is used interchangeably with ___. To obey the _____ is the same as obeying the . After we _________ and obeyed the truth we were __ with the Holy Spirit. This is not a command. This is a ____. The is proof of the item being _.

The presence of the _____ is an _ of our inheritance. It is temporary until we are __ and the purchased ____ is ours.

Paul heard of the _ of the Ephesians and their for all . He offered to God.

Paul remembered them _. He did not _ to give thanks and to mention them in his __. This is called ___________ prayer. Intercession should be made in our prayers for several groups of people. Name several for whom we should pray.

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What should be say in our _____ of intercession? Paul gives us some suggestions. PRAY FOR:

1. God to give us a spirit of _____.

2. A _____ of knowledge.

3. Knowledge of _.

4. Your eyes of _________ to be enlightened.

5. That you may know the of his calling. (See 4:4)

6. The ___ of his glory.

7. The ______ of the saints.

8. Appreciation of the _ of God in us.

9. God’s ___ power to in our lives.

It was by this mighty ________ that God raised Christ from the dead. Christ is now set at the _______ __ of God.

God’s power is far all _______, power, might, and _______. All of these words refer to civil and temporal powers.

NOTE: The greatest power shortage is not electricy or oil and gas. It is in our ___________ lives. Will Paul’s prayer be answered in your life? God has power over ____ ____. This means that all things are under his . He has made Christ the of all things. This headship includes the which is his . The church is the ________ of God who fills all in all.