[241]. A Message From A Poem – Some Thoughts From Ephesians 1

[241]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SOME THOUGHTS FROM EPHESIANS 1

Ephesians is the most doctrinal book in the New Testament along with Romans. There is so much in Ephesians that it is a gold mine with more and more veins the further down you go. In this poem I took some of the marvellous teaching from the first chapter and put them in this form.

It is an earlier poem and some of the rhymes are imperfect, something I do not do with later poems. Nevertheless, just take the thoughts here and dwell on them.

Ephesians is sometimes called The Book in the Heavenlies, and I think that is fitting because it spends time with the Lord in heaven, and the heavenly blessings for His redeemed.

There are so many Christian and doctrinal words in Ephesians 1 and here are a few – a number of them feature in the poem – predestined, adoption, grace, redemption, kind intention, inheritance, salvation, glory.

The word featured the most in the chapter is inheritance. In Christ we have a marvellous inheritance and we were not worthy of that in any way because we were filthy sinners. It is God’s grace and love and kind intention that raised us to heavenly places and blessed us with every spiritual blessing.

As for verses, we could list the whole chapter, but the moment you begin reading the chapter, fact after fact jumps out at the reader. I will quote here the first 7 verses –

{{Ephesians 1:1-7 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus 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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He PREDESTINED us to ADOPTION as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the KIND INTENTION of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have REDEMPTION through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His GRACE”}}

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SOME THOUGHTS FROM EPHESIANS 1

Christ Jesus the Lord, who is now praised,

Was from the dead gloriously raised.

In heavenly places He’s seated -

All enemies’ claims are defeated.

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Above all pow’r, rule and dominion,

And o’er every name, in subjection,

He, Head of the Church over all things -

His Body, with all His fullness, rings.

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Still sounds out the marvellous story,

With cascading riches, His glory,

To know the sure hope of His calling

In love shed abroad, is enthralling.

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Glorious pledge of inheritance,

Confirms before God our acceptance.

It encompasses our redemption,

And seals God’s own special possession.

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And disposed with kindly intention,

The Lamb’s blood has brought us redemption.

Forgiveness and wisdom are given

To those, who by sins had been riven.

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Predestined in love to adoption,

And sealed before this world’s foundation.

Now chosen children we have become,

Through Jesus Christ, the belovéd Son.

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This gospel of our full salvation,

Of truth is the verification.

Once having believed, we all were sealed;

In the Spirit’s promise, were concealed.

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From every language, from every race,

By faith, God has saved us through His grace.

God’s workmanship is displayed in us

Created for good works in Jesus.

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March 1998 R E Ferguson 9-9-9-9 AABB