Ephesians 1:1-23. Chosen Us, Bless God, Predestination, Dispensation, and Forgiveness.

1. Grace and Peace to the saints and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.

"Ephesians 1:1 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: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Like all other epistles, this letter also was written to the saints, who are faithful to Jesus Christ. Mostly, we think that they are written to us if they are blessings; but, if they are commandments or disciplines, we will take them as scriptures to recite to receive blessing. But, if we are not faithful to Jesus Christ and if we have no intention to become saints to God, this letter is not to us. In that case, we will not benefit from it, since we are not God's people. If we are God's people, we will receive the grace and peace of God. "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" It appears as we are blessing God. But we cannot bless God. This mistake happens only in the English bible. The bible principle is that a higher person may bless a lower person, but a lower person cannot bless a higher person. It is in "Hebrews 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." God must bless us, but we cannot bless God. In the USA, a janitor can talk to the CEO with first names, that is in level. In India, it is a no, no. Millionaires can give arms to poor people, poor people cannot give arms to millionaires. Usually, teachers grade students. If students grade teachers, that education system is rotten. We must not bless God, instead we must praise God, and God may bless us. It is the truth. Verse 3 says, God the Father has blessed those who are faithful in Christ Jesus, but we think that God blesses all those who reads this verse. Such bible understanding is erroneous. But we must be converted like them for blessing.

2. 'Chosen Us' refers not to readers of this, but only to the Faithful.

"4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" Before the foundation of the world means, even before the creation of this world. God has planned it; it was for the future; a group of people must be holy and without blame; that is, they will be perfect people in holiness. God being omniscient, foreknow the future, tells what and how will it happen in the future. These people were chosen in Jesus Christ; and so, they were already abiding in Jesus Christ. God's selection comes after this, but not before. From them, God choses the holy and blameless people, who have perfect love for God. Here God "chosen us" are these holy, blameless, loving saints, who are faithful in Jesus Christ. This is the criteria of God. Crooked theologians give a spin to this as God randomly pick people for heaven, but God says that he chose, and choosing is not random pick. They preach to their church, who are even sinning people, as they are "chosen", and it means that they all will go to heaven. Their preachers are perfect workers of Satan, and the people are also of Satan. I do not want to teach their spin further, and if you have come across to their spin, reject it; and please know that the people selected by God are holy and blameless, and they will love Jesus Christ truthfully. If they do not live as holy saints, they are not chosen by God. Even if we, do not strive to holy, we do not belong to this group. If you like to know more of this, let me give a link for your study: Link: "Predestination". "5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will," The good pleasure of God's will be, that we must attain such a Spirit quality, to be adopted as the children of God, and then only Jesus Christ will adopt us to be his children. It is foolishness and twist to say that God picks up some random filth. Again, "US" in this context are those who God has selected according to his will. They will be holy people without blame. "6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." This group of people, who are referred as "US", will be with the beloved of God, and they will have fellowship with the true brethren, as they live in this world. "7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" Christians think that God will forgive everybody by his blood as soon as they say sorry. It is ignorance and it is a mistake. I have a lesson just describing this topic. You may study it in this link: "Forgiveness by Blood". Ordinary sins are forgiven to heal the sick and such things; but it is entirely different, to be cleansed by his blood from all past sins, and to protect them from committing future sins. Such are the "US" group of people here. Study this book will not include us in this group. Instead we must live their life.

3. God gives us wisdom and prudence; made 'US' know his mystery.

"8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;" If we are the perfect in holiness and faithfulness, he gives us abundance of heavenly wisdom and prudence. Please notice, it is not the wisdom of the world since that is foolishness to God. "9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:" God reveals his mystery to them, since it is his purpose. "10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:" The fullness of dispensation means; the distribution of all things is completed; that is, it is the end of the program of God; or all things are fulfilled. When the time is fulfilled, he will gather all his people to heaven, unto himself, that is to Christ; but notice that no sin can enter Christ, and sinning people enter hell. But every sinning Christians proclaim that they are in Christ and Christ is in them. False preachers taught them to believe and speak. "11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" If we meet his purpose, we will inherit his kingdom as his children. But how can we be chosen by God? Jesus Christ says in John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." If you are religious, you are of the world since religion is of the world. If you are godly, religion will hate you, but God will love you and he will choose you. If you want to be chosen by God, be godly. "12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." These holy people, who trusted Jesus Christ, will be the praise of God's glory. "13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Gospel is for salvation, it is to inherit the kingdom of God, and it is for the souls. To those, who will strive and ask God for help, God gives the holy Spirit. If it is us, God seals this holy Spirit on us, and say God purchases us, that is, we belong to God. This holy Spirit is also the earnest, which is an advance given to 'US', for inheriting the kingdom of God, since we trusted what Jesus Christ told us and followed him. So, at the dispensation of his time, we will receive this inheritance in the kingdom of God, in heaven at the end of the world.

4. Jesus Christ received 'US' and gives exceeding greatness of power.

"15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;" These Ephesians had faith in God, and as the manifestation faith, they loved all fellow saints. So, Paul and his fellow saints were praying for them giving thanks to God. "17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:" God the Father is the father of Jesus Christ as well as the Father of glory. He gives them and also to us also if we fit in, wisdom and revelation of knowledge. "18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," They are given the revelation and understanding, and so, they know the glory of inheritance in heaven. So, looking forward to the hope, they follow Jesus as in Hebrews 12:1&2. If we are like them, we will also look forward to the hope of glory in heaven, we will easily run the race and overcome Satan and the world. "19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," God the Father will do the same work in 'US' that he has done in Jesus Christ. God made Jesus Christ to be seated even in his right hand of honor. "21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church." In Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10&11 say, "10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This is the glory that God the Father gives to Jesus Christ. "23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." That is, in the body of Jesus Christ, we are included. Jesus Christ is made the head of the Spiritual church that is his body, but not religious church. His church in Spirit will be filled with him and his fullness.

5. Chosen Us, Bless God, Predestination, Dispensation, Forgiveness.

I like to tell a few points from today's study. What is chosen us means? Apostle Paul wrote this letter to believers in Ephesus, who were saints and faithful in Jesus Christ. Most Christians think that God has chosen them, but they live comfortably in sins. This kind of understanding is wrong, unless at least they try to be faithful to Jesus Christ and to become saints. Next point is, can we bless God? We cannot bless God, but only God may bless us. This is an error in the English bible. Next is, what is predestination? The preachers of Satan made a doctrine called "predestination" and they say that God has already decided who will go to heaven and who will go to hell for no reason. This teaching is pure manipulation of Satan. But, it says that since God knows everything before it happens, he arranges them accordingly, even before it happens. The net result is that the holy people who are faithful to Jesus Christ will inherit his kingdom in heaven. What is dispensation? It is to dispense; that is to distribute the power, gifts, and the Spirit of God in the proper way, in proper measurement, to the proper people, and so on. And when it is all done and complete, it is referred as fullness of dispensation. False preachers again manipulate this word to say nonsense. What is forgiveness for eternal life? Even Jesus Christ forgave many people to heal sickness, to deliver them from different situation, and so on. These kinds of forgiveness will not result in eternity. Jesus Christ has to forgive all the past sins and cleanse the very sinning nature from a person, by his shed blood, so that they may not commit future sins; and this will give the person inheritance in heaven. For that Jesus Christ became the sin sacrifice, passover lamb, and scape goat; all three in one: For details please refer Links "Savior", "Forgives."