Ephesians Parallels Today’s Church
In a sermon series unpacking the book of Ephesians, Pastor Mike Signorelli begins by giving his church a look into the spiritual and cultural context of the Ephesian church.
The Apostle Paul kicks off Ephesians 1 by telling the people of Ephesus who they now are in Christ despite the customs they were used to. The Ephesians people were polytheistic so they served many Gods and were pagan. The custom was to believe that anything that happened wrong was by way of evil entities. There was rampant sexual promiscuity amongst the people and lots of money was spent trying to please their Gods.
They were known for worshiping the deity Artemis. This pagan deity is known as the Goddess of nature, childbirth, wildlife, the hunt, and virginity, among other things. The Ephesians had all these statues which represented something different and they were giving money to them hoping these deities satiated their requests. Artemis as their central deity, highlighted the societal value placed on fertility and agriculture.
Intimacy With Christ
Pastor Mike draws parallels between the ancient beliefs of the Ephesians and modern Christian practices. He criticized ministries that commercialize spiritual gifts similar to the Ephesians who gave money to their deities in exchange for things. Spiritual gifts from God are freely given because of Jesus. The minister likewise slammed a popular practice in Catholicism by rejecting the need for praying to saints. There is direct access to God through Jesus Christ.
“You don't have to pray to a saint, we are to accept Christ and become a saint,” he exclaimed.
In Ephesians 1, The Apostle Paul really emphasized the Christians’ adoption to sonship through Jesus. That adoption leaves an inheritance of everything needed for those who believe in Christ. Righteousness and favor comes through Jesus, not through human effort. Without Jesus, all of mankind is lost so we must remain connected to Christ.
Paul's message to the Ephesians emphasizes living differently from past generations and being transformed in Christ. Being a child of God is about receiving, not earning God’s love and grace. The Apostle teaches the Ephesians to have an intimate relationship with God as opposed to how they were used to interacting with their many gods.
There is an incomparable power given to believers by the Holy Spirit which is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Ephesian belief was known to rank deities but the scripture is clear that Jesus is supreme over all. Jesus is above every single name!
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory”
—Ephesians 1:13, 14
The Importance of God Word
The Bible reads us when we read it. Scripture exposes what is in us that needs to be aligned with God’s truth. There is a holiness of the Bible that brings conviction. The apostle told the Ephesians that his hope for them was for them to grow by the Spirit in wisdom and revelation so that they would know Jesus better.
Christians today are fortunate to have scripture. We are to meditate on the scripture and its prophetic nature which has the ability to reveal truth. Reading God’s word aims to plant a seed which brings forth transformation. Our first instinct shouldn't be to go talk to someone about what is going on in our lives, it should be to go to the word of God. “What if we went to people for confirmation instead of counseling because we’ve went to the word?” Pastor Mike questioned.
Ephesians 1 speaks of the spiritual blessings that come from God. Religions are birthed because people are so used to providing for themselves that they do not often know how to receive from God but as we yield and surrender to God, He makes known to us the mystery of His will.
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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