October 10, 2025 - Ephesians 1:1,2 - "God's Free Grace in Christ"

Ephesians 1:1,2

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ."

Paul begins this letter to the Ephesian church by identifying himself simply as “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ.”  Not “Dr. Paul,” not “Reverend,” but a man sent by Christ. The word "apostle" means 'one sent'. He was sent as an eyewitness of the resurrected LORD. That’s why there are no apostles today. They had to be witnesses of His resurrection. In Acts 1:21–22, we see that qualification—“to be a witness with us of His resurrection.” Paul, too, was such a witness. In 1 Corinthians 15:8 he said, “Last of all He was seen of me also.” On that road to Damascus (Acts 9), the risen LORD met him and said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”

Why was this so vital? Because if Christ be not raised, then your faith is vain (1 Corinthians 15). There’s no hope, no proof of satisfaction. But the fact that God raised His Son from the dead is evidence that Christ finished the work, that He did all that the Father sent Him to do. As it says in Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Paul says that he was an apostle “by the will of God.” God’s will is absolute. Salvation is not by the will of man but by the will of God. Paul said in Galatians 1:15–16, “When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me.” That’s conversion—to reveal His Son in me.

Paul was sent to preach Christ and Him crucified. The Gospel is not a plan; it’s the Person of the LORD Jesus Christ. To preach Christ is to preach Him: the God-Man, the Substitute, the Intercessor, the Sacrifice, the Lamb. To preach Christ and Him crucified is to preach His finished, effectual work on the cross. As Ephesians 1 says, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” We have it now as sinners elected by His grace—through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. That’s the only means of acceptance before a holy God. Beware of making forgiveness and justification contingent upon faith. Those whom the LORD has redeemed, He will cause to know His Son. Faith follows redemption. It looks to Christ as the Object, the Author, and Finisher of salvation (Isaiah 43:1).

To preach Christ and Him crucified is to preach Him as the fulfillment of all Scripture. All the types, pictures, and prophecies point to Him. The Bible is a biography, or better yet, an autobiography—because Christ wrote it. It’s all about Him. From Genesis 1 onward to Revelation 22, look for Him. Doctrine divorced from Christ is only a deadly philosophy. Duty without Christ is self-righteous legalism. Devotion not motivated by love for Christ is mere ritualism. Christ is the subject of all biblical truth, the fulfillment of all prophecy, the end of all law, the motive of all precepts, the basis of all hope, and the reward of all faith.

The LORD established a congregation in Ephesus, a great metropolis filled with idolatry, yet it pleased the LORD to have a people there. The Gospel was preached in that city, and it stirred confusion. Paul preached Christ, and men cried out, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians”  (Acts 19:34). Wherever the LORD gives liberty to proclaim the Gospel, there is often confusion. It stirs men up. Some get glad, by God's grace. Some get mad, and others are simply confused because of the blindness and darkness of their heart. But in that very place God was pleased to give His grace to some, calling them out of darkness into His glorious light, by His good pleasure, for the glory of Christ. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

Christ redeemed them and justified them, making them worthy to be called saints. Before God, He looks upon them just as holy as He is. So complete is the work of Christ that every sin of His people has been put away from an all-knowing God. He sees it no more (Hebrews 8:12). More than that, the very righteousness of Christ is put to their account, so that when God looks upon His people, all He sees is righteousness—perfect righteousness.

Paul continues by writing, "Grace be to you, and peace, from God..." Grace and peace—one is the effect of the other. There’s not going to be any true peace apart from the grace of God. It must be founded upon a just grace, upon a God Who is satisfied, and the only way He is satisfied is in Christ's obedience unto death, (Philippians 2:8). That’s where grace and peace are to be found—from God our Father, even from the LORD Jesus Christ. This is God’s free grace in Christ. It’s free to His people, though it wasn’t free to Christ. Christ paid the great price, the great price that God might be just and the justifier of His people. But as far as His people are concerned, it’s free. Like Isaiah said, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters... come, buy and eat without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). What kind of marketplace is that? It’s the marketplace of free grace.

Grace and peace—free grace and true peace—come only from God our Father through the LORD Jesus Christ. This is the Gospel of God’s free grace in Christ. All of it is of Him, through Him, and to Him. To Him be all the glory forever, (Romans 11:36).