Key Verse: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:1-2 CSB)
The book of Ephesians, a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in the city of Ephesus, is rich in theology and practical instruction for the church. As such, it would be easy to quickly pass over the opening verses in order to take a deep dive into all that follows. But to do so would mean missing an amazing truth about the grace of God.
Paul begins his letter, like he did most of his letters, by introducing himself. He said, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will” (v.1). The significance of that statement is found in recalling where Paul was before He encountered Jesus Christ. In the book of Acts, we are first introduced to Paul when he was “a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58). Saul stood and watched in agreement as Stephen was stoned to death and became the first martyr for Jesus Christ.
Following Stephen’s death, “severe persecution broke out against the church” (Acts 8:1). Saul fully participated in this, “ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). In his reflections later on his journey, Paul wrote, “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man” (1 Timothy 1:13).
But something radical occurred in Saul’s life. As Saul headed toward Damascus so that he could find more disciples of Jesus to take into custody, “a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”” (Acts 9:3-4). It was Jesus. He had encountered the resurrected Lord!
In that moment, everything changed for Saul. Jesus later described Saul as “my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings and Israelites” (Acts 9:15). Instead of seeking to arrest and murder Christians, “Saul began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues” (Acts 9:20), declaring that Jesus is the Son of God. Saul went from a chief persecutor of the Church to one of its greatest missionaries, planting many churches including the one in Ephesus to whom he wrote.
In some ways, Paul may have been considered one of the least likely people to do such great things for the kingdom of God. Who would have expected the Church’s top opponent at the time to become one of its greatest advocates and leaders? Yet, as Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers, he did so as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will” (Ephesians 1:1). God was the one who had chosen to do such an incredible work of transformation in Paul’s life. It was all by God’s grace and for His glory.
Paul’s testimony is a reminder to us of the incredible grace of God toward us through Jesus Christ. While your story or mine may not be like Paul’s, the reality is that each one of us was at one time without Christ, separated from God because of our rebellion against Him. Yet, God in His mercy and love reached out to us in our helpless state. He opened our eyes to the truth about Jesus and all that He has done for us. We encountered the resurrected Jesus, and He transformed our lives. He caused us to become part of “the faithful saints in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1).
If that is true of you, then praise God today for His life-changing grace!
Prayer: God, I praise you for how you have changed my life. I was once far off, living in rebellion against you. But in your love, you reached out and saved me by your grace. Thank you that I am now part of the faithful saints in Christ Jesus. I give you glory today for all that you’ve done and continue to do in me. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
