The Blueprint: A Study in the Book of Ephesians
Series Outline
1. The Blueprint for our Provision and Position (1:1-2:10)
2. The Blueprint for Restoration and Reconciliation (2:11 – 3:21)
3. The Blueprint for His Church (4:1-32)
4. The Blueprint for a Spirit-Filled Life (5:1-21)
5. The Blueprint for Healthy Relationships (5:22 – 6:9)
6. The Blueprint for Spiritual Warfare (6:10 – 20)
Introduction and Overview
Probable that Ephesians wasn’t written exclusively to the Church at Ephesus. (Circular Letter)
- Gives all churches a picture of God’s plan regarding how we are to walk in our new identity as believers and as a body of Christ.
It's the Blueprint for God's Plan to:
- Have a unified body that understands and expresses the fullness of Jesus to the world.
- Equip, empower, and mature the body to a place where we would co-labor with Christ to model and express His love towards all people and enforce victory over all evil.
Chapters 1 – 3 - Our POSITION & PROVISION in Christ
Chapters 4 – 6 - Our PRACTICE of Walking out our PURPOSE on Earth
This plan, or blueprint, is given in a beautiful progression in which we are shown our provision and position in Christ, and how we are to respond to all He has done by the way we live our lives both in personal character & conduct within community.
Because He chose us in Christ (Ephesians 1:4), we therefore have the responsibility to walk in a manner worthy of that reality (Ephesians 4:1).
- We see how our vertical relationship with God is supposed to inform, impact, and influence our relationships with others. Our union with Jesus brings us into a place of community with others and positions us together to overcome evil.
Chapters 1 - 3
Our position “in Christ” has given us an abundance of spiritual blessings, and an amazing reality of spiritual authority.
Chapters 4 - 5a
To experience the above truths in their fullness, we must have the personal character and conduct within community that will represent the One we’ve been positioned into and bring us into a mature and unified body.
Chapters 5b - 6a
We bring these revelations and disciplines into the life of community by keeping our relationships in order:
1) Marriage
2) Parent/Children
3) Workplace
1) Marriage
2) Parent/Children
3) Workplace
Chapter 6b
We take all that we’ve learned into Spiritual Warfare. The individual and relational disciplines are essential to victory over the enemy because true spiritual power flows from a place of purity and submission to the ways God has outlined us to live life together in a community of faith.
The Trinity and the Church
The Family of God
Because Ephesians is such a relationship-oriented book, it’s important to see the ways that God is displayed in the context of family. We see God as the Father, Jesus the Son, and the church as His children being adopted and unified through His Spirit.
God, the Father:
- Father of Lord Jesus (1:3)
- Father who gives all spiritual blessings to His children (1:3)
- Father of all who are in Jesus through adoption (1:4-6)
- Father who has a plan for His children (1:9-10)
- Father who has given an inheritance for His children (1:11,18)
- Father of glory who gives wisdom and revelation (1:17)
- Father rich in mercy and love who saved us, raised us, and seated us with His son (2:4-6)
Jesus, the Son:
- Son of the Father (1:3)
- Source of our union and adoption (1:4-5)
- Our Redeemer (1:7)
- Resurrected Lord and King who has all authority (1:15-23)
- Our Peacemaker and Reconciler (2:11-18)
- Chief Cornerstone (2:19-22)
- Our Treasure in which all of life’s riches are found (3:8)
- The One in whom we understand and experience God’s love (3:17-19)
- The Victor who held captivity captive (4:8-10)
- The Giver of Gifts to His Church (4:11-12)
- The Bridegroom/Model Husband (5:25-27)
- The Mighty Lord and source of strength and protection for spiritual battle (6:10-18)
The Holy Spirit:
- The Sealer: identifying us as His, protecting us from the stain of sin, and authorizing us to be representatives of God (1:13)
- The Guarantor: the pledge and promise that we will enter the fullness of our inheritance with all its benefits (1:14)
- The Revealer: the one who opens the eyes of our heart to see all the things that have been freely given to us in Christ (1:17)
- The Strengthener: the one who empowers us from within (3:16)
- The Spirit of Unity: the source of our unity in the bond of peace (4:3-4)
- The Spirit of Holiness: the one who is grieved when we have actions that go against what He works for regarding love, peace, and unity within community (4:30)
- The Fountain of Life: the source we are continually needing to be filled with (5:18)
- The Weapon of Warfare: the giver of the Word as a sword needed for battle, as well as the source of supernatural prayer and intercession (6:17-18)
The Church, God’s Children:
- Adopted sons and daughters with a plan and promised inheritance (1:4-14)
- God’s masterpiece: His priceless work of art (2:10)
- Those brought near and close to God through the blood of Jesus (2:13)
- A Holy Temple and Dwelling Place for God (2:21-22)
- The Body of Christ blessed with His gifts and Him as the Head (4:11-16)
- Members of the Body are Children of Light (5:8)
- Worshippers of God (5:19-20)
- Fully equipped soldier for God (6:10-18)
Part 1
The Blueprint for PROVISION & POSITION
Ephesians 1:3 NKJV
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ
The first three chapters stem from Ephesians 1:3 and these two concepts:
1) We’ve already been provided with everything we need
2) Our provision comes from our position in Christ.
1) We’ve already been provided with everything we need
2) Our provision comes from our position in Christ.
“IN HIM”
Our position determines our provision. Ephesians 1:3 – 1:14 is only three sentences in most Bibles. Each of them either start and/or finish with ‘IN HIM’ and describe elements of the ways we’ve already been blessed. In Greek, this portion is one long and complicated sentence.
PAST TENSE PROVISION OF SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS (1:4-14)
We are not trying to work towards being blessed. We already are! These are written in the Greek aorist tense, meaning there was a point in the past when all these blessings were obtained and given to us. Paul is simply describing what is already ours in Christ, and completely fulfilled in the Spirit. We are going from Victory to Victory (spirit – soul – body):
- Chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless
- Predestined to be adopted as sons and daughters of God through Jesus
- Have been made accepted and already have redemption/forgiveness through the Blood
- He has already made grace abound toward us with wisdom & understanding
- He has revealed to us His mysterious will
- We have obtained an inheritance and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit
- Etc.
PAUL’S PRAYER (1:15 – 23)
This is Paul taking a moment to pray for us. Not that we would get something that hasn’t already been provided. Instead, he prays we would supernaturally have the eyes of our heart opened and enlightened to see the abundance of riches and Spiritual blessings we have already been given through our position in Christ. Moreover, that we would know the immensity of the power of the Holy Spirit that is working in and toward us.
BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH (2:1 – 2:10)
Paul reminds us that all of this was done for us through God’s love and by His grace while we were still sinners. The way we receive salvation (by grace through faith) is also the way we continue in the life to receive every other spiritual blessing. It’s not by our works, but by His grace and our faith in what He has already accomplished. We were saved, raised, and seated with Him. We are His workmanship, created new in Christ to walk in His good works.
Part 2
The Blueprint for our RESTORATION & RECONCILIATION
Jesus’ sacrifice restored right relationship with God and reconciled all division between people, establishing a new humanity in Christ.
BROUGHT NEAR TO GOD (2:10 - 13)
We can never forget that before Christ we were all separated from Him. There was no hope in this life, no ability to know God’s presence. But the Blood of Jesus took those of us who were far from God and joined us with God’s chosen people to share in the inheritance from God.
JESUS IS OUR PEACE (2:14 - 18)
We were brought near to God and restored to relationship with Him through Jesus, as well as brought into peace with all of mankind through Christ. He reconciled people groups that were once hostile toward each other (Jews and Gentiles) into one unified body. His ‘peace’ is the Greek word eirēnē; joining together as one something that was previously separated (like a bone that was broken that is mended together). All people of all backgrounds are coming together as one new humanity and body in Christ.
JESUS IS OUR CORNERSTONE (2:19-22)
Now that there is no division between His people, Christ becomes the Chief Cornerstone of the new Dwelling Place of the Lord. We, who were once strangers, are now being fitted together by Jesus into a Holy Habitation where He can live among His people. He inhabits us individually in our Spirits and corporately as His church being built together in Him.
THE DIVINE MYSTERY (3:1-13)
The joining together of Jew and Gentile people had been a hidden mystery for all of time until this point. Think about the two most extreme and hostile people groups you can, being united. That is now our reality in the Body of Christ. And now we all have a responsibility to steward this revelation (3:9) and allow God to reveal His plans and purposes for peace with Him and one another to all of creation (3:10). We all have access to the same Father through Jesus and are to confidently bring forth this revelation into the world.
PAUL’S PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING THE LOVE AND POWER OF CHRIST (3:14-21)
Verses 14-19 are one long sentence. He first prays that we would have spiritual strength by God’s Spirit (3:16), and that Christ might make His home in our hearts by faith (3:17). He also prays that through being rooted and grounded in love, we would comprehend the immensity of His love (3:17-18). Lastly, he prays that by the experiential knowledge of Christ’s love, we would be filled with all the fullness of God (3:19). The prayer ends by praising God in anticipation of Him answering this prayer (3:20-21). It’s important to note that the exceeding ability of God to do more than we ask or think is dependent on the power of the Spirit working in us. No power working in us means no manifestation of God’s fullness to accomplish these things.
Part 3
The Blueprint for HIS CHURCH
Beginning in Chapter 4, Paul admonishes us to live holy lives. But notice that he didn’t do that before he revealed all the wonderful things the Lord had done for us in chapters 1-3. Our holy lives should be the fruit of our personal relationship with the Lord, and not the other way around. We don’t live holy to get God’s love; His love comes only by grace through faith. We live holy lives in response to the love that God had for us while we were still sinners and what He accomplished for us on the cross.
WALKING IN UNITY WITH BELIEVERS (4:1 – 6)
Because of all the things we learned from chapters 1-3, we are to live totally committed lives to Jesus as His fullness is manifested in us. The picture of our provision and position in Him and His love and power towards us (vertical) is then what influences and informs the way we live in community with others (horizontal). As we receive what’s been given to us through Jesus, we release a life full of the attributes of Christ. We walk in humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love. These are the characteristics and conduct we are to have to maintain unity with believers.
MINISTRY GIFTS GIVEN TO THE CHURCH (4:7 – 16)
Jesus gives specific gifts and positions to leaders in the church for the purpose of equipping and empowering the people. These gifts are supposed to function more like a coach than how we typically see them function today. In most churches, the pastor is the one doing the work of the ministry. Instead, the pastor, teacher, evangelist, etc., are supposed to train the members of the body. And then the members of the body are the actual players who get the job done. This is all to lead into unity of the faith and maturity in the body.
THE NEW MAN (4:17 – 24)
After beginning to show us how we are walk in conduct towards each other, Paul contrasts the conduct and character of the unbelievers and the life we used to live. The Ephesians had previously been lost Gentiles, but had recently become saved Gentiles. Paul was telling them not to live like their lost neighbors. The application for us today is that we should not live like unsaved people around us. Paul goes on to explain the root areas where unbelievers are typically ensnared. We should recognize this. Then, we are to put off the old man, be renewed in our actions and attitudes by the Spirit, and put on the new man that we’ve been given in Christ.
DON’T GREIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (4:25 – 32)
We continue to see a picture contrasting the character and conduct of the old vs. new man and how we are to practically walk with others in community through love. Moreover, we see how our conduct with each other affects the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person who can be grieved. While not an exhaustive list, Paul lists things in this passage that grieve the Spirit of God. When the Spirit of God is grieved, the Spirit of Unity is affected, therefore our community is negatively impacted.
Part 5
The Blueprint for a SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE
Our position in Christ, our provision from Him, & our unity with one another, is all from the Holy Spirit. Paul continues to reveal to us practical ways in which we can walk and maintain a life being filled with the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who is the source of our union with Christ & unity within community.
WALKING IN LOVE (5:1 – 7)
We are encouraged to walk in love. Why? Because we are God’s children and it is a part of our new nature to act like our heavenly Father, who is LOVE. Children of God act like God because of who we are, not out of a motivation of fear. Children simply imitate their fathers. As highly loved children seek to please their father, so also, we as the children of God should seek to please our heavenly Father. We receive His love and release His love to others in community.
WALKING IN LIGHT (5:8 – 14)
Paul did not say that we were getting more and more light from the Lord, but that we ARE light in the Lord. We become light the moment we are born again. That is a positional truth we have that doesn’t change with performance. But it needs to be more than just a positional truth. It needs to become an experiential reality our lives. That’s what Paul leads us to in this section. Before we were saved, we were not just part-time children of darkness; we were lost in the darkness all the time. Now we have become full-time children of light. That’s who we are. That’s our new nature in Christ, and it needs to become our experience within our community. As we walk in love, we can then walk in light as we work together to expose darkness with light.
WALKING IN WISDOM (5:15 – 21)
The only way we can effectively reveal God’s light in our generation is to walk in His wisdom and know the will of God for us: individually and for mankind. It is God’s will for everyone to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). It is God’s will for everyone to be free from the bondage of the devil (1 John 3:8). God wills that we prosper in every area of our lives (3 John 2). Etc. Once we really see the heart of God and His desire to set people free, we will walk in wisdom and redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16).
This is all fulfilled with the command to be presently and continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. Most people don’t get drunk on just one drink. Likewise, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just a one-time experience. There is an initial filling and many subsequent fillings required. Just as drunkenness can change people’s personalities and make them act totally different, being filled with the Holy Spirit can make people act just like Jesus. Some people measure being filled with the Spirit because of feelings that we may experience in that moment, but Paul related the filling of the Spirit to how we act within community. Those of us who are truly filled with the Holy Spirit will have the fruit and behavior to show for it. We can walk in love, light, and wisdom, being filled with the Spirit, causing us to have healthy relational and community dynamics.
This is all fulfilled with the command to be presently and continuously filled with the Holy Spirit. Most people don’t get drunk on just one drink. Likewise, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just a one-time experience. There is an initial filling and many subsequent fillings required. Just as drunkenness can change people’s personalities and make them act totally different, being filled with the Holy Spirit can make people act just like Jesus. Some people measure being filled with the Spirit because of feelings that we may experience in that moment, but Paul related the filling of the Spirit to how we act within community. Those of us who are truly filled with the Holy Spirit will have the fruit and behavior to show for it. We can walk in love, light, and wisdom, being filled with the Spirit, causing us to have healthy relational and community dynamics.
Part 5
The Blueprint for HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
A life filled with the Spirit will influence and transform all other earthly relationships. In this section we see the main tiers of our earthly relationships, and what Spirit-filled conduct looks like practically within each. Beginning with the most intimate family relationships and extending into the workplace, we see how love, respect, honor, and mutual submission is displayed.
MARRIAGE (5:22 – 33)
The mystery of the church is found in the family. Ultimately, we find a depiction of the relationship between Jesus and His bride, the church. Within this dynamic we see the model way that men and women are to walk in a marriage and how this constitutes the foundation of a healthy family and community. Equal in value, but differing in function and needs, men and women are to love one another and uphold God’s intended original design for marriage.
The woman is called to willingly submit to her husband as the man is submitted to Jesus and commits to lay down his life for his wife as Christ laid down His life for the church. The woman is to serve and support her husband with respect and high esteem. The man is called to lead the way by sacrificing his own interests to heighten her needs by loving, nourishing, cherishing, protecting, and providing for her. Each equal partner, living in this way, contributes to a healthy marriage that helps bring their spouse into their full potential. All of this mirrors the interactive type of love that Jesus has for His church and how we are to respond to Him within our union.
The woman is called to willingly submit to her husband as the man is submitted to Jesus and commits to lay down his life for his wife as Christ laid down His life for the church. The woman is to serve and support her husband with respect and high esteem. The man is called to lead the way by sacrificing his own interests to heighten her needs by loving, nourishing, cherishing, protecting, and providing for her. Each equal partner, living in this way, contributes to a healthy marriage that helps bring their spouse into their full potential. All of this mirrors the interactive type of love that Jesus has for His church and how we are to respond to Him within our union.
CHILDREN AND PARENTS (6:1 – 6:4)
Beginning with the children’s role of obeying and honoring their parents, we see a few key verses on the importance of parents taking the responsibility to be the primary disciple makers of their children. This is ideally done within the context of walking in a healthy marriage, as the previous section of text would outline and be carried over into this relationship.
Parents should take the role seriously to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This done well ultimately helps our children learn to honor and obey their Heavenly Father. We must never forget that we as parents are also simultaneously children of God and must practice what we preach to our kids in how we honor and obey God ourselves. God’s loving discipline towards us serves as example of how we can discipline our own children in an honoring and loving way.
Parents should take the role seriously to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This done well ultimately helps our children learn to honor and obey their Heavenly Father. We must never forget that we as parents are also simultaneously children of God and must practice what we preach to our kids in how we honor and obey God ourselves. God’s loving discipline towards us serves as example of how we can discipline our own children in an honoring and loving way.
EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES (6:5 – 6:9)
Paul is speaking of a master/servant relationship in the context of their culture. We could interpret this in modern language by speaking of the employer/employee relationship. Today, we can take this to mean, “Give your boss your very best work. Don’t just work hard when they are around but do your work as if you were working for Jesus. Remember, whatever good thing you do, God will repay you. And employers, treat your employees well, for we all have the same Master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with Him.”
Part 6
The Blueprint for SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Paul culminates Ephesians by saving the most important truth for last. We must recognize that we are in a battle and are called to enforce the victory that Jesus has already won in the Spiritual and heavenly realms. Although we learned in the beginning of Ephesians that Jesus has authority over every power, we are in a time in which we get to co-labor with Christ to walk out His victory until the day He returns and all things in heaven and earth are forever placed under His sovereign rule.
HIS STRENGTH, AND HIS ARMOR (6:10 – 11)
We become victorious Christians when we live by the power of God’s might. Our weakness is not an issue if we are drawing on God’s power and not our own. One of the greatest secrets of Christian living is not just a “changed life” but an “exchanged life.” Jesus doesn’t make our old selves righteous, sanctified, redeemed, or strong. Instead, He becomes our righteousness, sanctification, redemption, and strength. The Christian life is impossible to live through our own ability. It is only when we stop trying to operate in our own strength and let Jesus live through us that we can obtain victory.
It's not just His strength we are given, but also His very armor. We must not see this as armor that He has made for us. Instead, this is the very armor He is mentioned wearing in Isaiah 59. When we put on His armor and operate in the strength of His might then we appear as Him to our enemy. Furthermore, it’s important to understand and utilize ALL the armor or we become vulnerable in battle.
It's not just His strength we are given, but also His very armor. We must not see this as armor that He has made for us. Instead, this is the very armor He is mentioned wearing in Isaiah 59. When we put on His armor and operate in the strength of His might then we appear as Him to our enemy. Furthermore, it’s important to understand and utilize ALL the armor or we become vulnerable in battle.
OUR COMMON ENEMY (6:12)
It’s imperative to realize that we, in no way, fight against people. No human being, no people group or organization comprises the enemy we face. God loves all people, and we are called to love all people. What we fight against are the evil spiritual forces that are operating behind the scenes through people. We love people fiercely but are fierce in our fight against any evil that undoes people. This passage is best understood when coupled with the understanding of the spiritual war we wage in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 as we learn to destroy strongholds and take all thoughts and attitudes captive that are contrary to God.
THE ARMOR (6:13 – 20)
There is more to overcoming the devil than just being saved. We must recognize and apply the full armor of God by the way we understand our righteous position in the Lord, faith, the Truth of His Word, the Gospel of peace, and prayer. Seven pieces of armor are mentioned: a belt, a breastplate, shoes, a shield, a helmet, a sword, and prayer in the spirit. It’s also important to see that these are all on the front, meaning we have no protection if we retreat. This is a battle where we stand and face our enemy with the power, armor, and might of our Lord as we trust Him to be our rear-guard (Isaiah 52:12). We also need to see that the armor of God is not to just be applied and used individually but within community through our prayers with and for one another. Prayer in the Spirit is the application point of our armor in this Spiritual battle.