A Love Letter

Have you ever received a love letter? Perhaps you have written one yourself. Maybe more than once. I would like to take the time to share with you a love letter of another kind. It is different than the ones you and I have written because it is not filled with emotions. This love letter is all about facts. It was written in the year 62 A.D. by the apostle Paul. He wrote his letter to the Christians who lived in a city called Ephesus. But this love letter is not really about Paul’s love for the people in that church (though he did love them). It is really about God’s love for His people.

What I am proposing is that you let me take you on a journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. If you are a fellow believer, or just wondering what Christianity is all about, read on. This blog will strengthen, encourage, and comfort anyone who has true faith. But be prepared, because this could take a while. I am not in a hurry and hopefully you aren’t either. Shall we begin?

Just a little context here, before we get into the actual text. Since this letter was written in 62 A.D. you might have already  guessed that some time has passed since the death and resurrection of Jesus–some 30 years. Christianity is in its infancy, if you will, and Paul is one of the chief instruments God has used to build His church in various parts of Asia. Paul wrote this letter while in prison. You should also know that the people of Ephesus believed in their own god whose name was Artemis. So being a Christian in Ephesus was not easy–it came with persecution.

Here is the beginning of Paul’s letter:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”

It is interesting to note that Paul understands how he got to be what he is, namely an apostle of Jesus Christ. It was by the will of God, not by his own will. This is important to see, and something that is sorely missing in the teaching going on in most churches today. If you know Paul’s story of his conversion, you know that he was actually a hater of “the way” (early Christianity’s name) and he persecuted those who followed it. He threw people in jail, traveled to various towns to find the Christians and bring them to trial, and even had a hand in the death of some! But God had plans for Paul and when the time was right, God revealed Himself. The story of Paul’s conversion is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 9.

The point I am trying to make is that Paul’s story is not unique. This is the way salvation comes to everyone who believes. Though on the surface your salvation may not seem as dramatic, I can assure you that spiritually it was. You were in rebellion to God in much the same way Paul was. You see, his behavior was not the problem. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world (1John 2:2). There was nothing that Paul was doing that was not already forgiven on the cross. The problem was the nature of his heart which was in rebellion to God. He, like you and I at one time, was rejecting the Holy Spirit’s attempts to reveal Jesus to him as the Savior. Thankfully, the Spirit was able to overcome his rejection and not only save Paul but also use him to build the church. The same is true for you and I. If you are reading this, agreeing that you believe Jesus is your Savior, don’t allow yourself to think even for one minute that you decided to believe in Jesus. That is impossible. We are all born with a sinful nature that rejects God. Like Paul’s conversion, God was able to overcome your rejection by His power and will. There are those whom God will not be able to overcome. They love the darkness (John 3:19) so much that God will let them win the struggle to redeem them. Every salvation is a miracle from first to last. At the moment you were saved, you lacked the one thing necessary for salvation–faith. The letter we are studying–Ephesians–tells us that faith is a gift. It is not something you are born with. Therefore the only thing you had was the sinful nature which would never “choose” God. The sinful nature wants to be its own ruler. It bows to no one. So at the time of God’s choosing, He overcame your rejection through ways we cannot fully understand. He gave you the gift of faith, saving you through belief in His Son. Actually, your salvation occurred before you were even aware of it. The Bible even tells us that we were “chosen in Christ before the creation of the world”. So how can it be our own work or choosing that made us Christians? It can’t. This principle is built upon throughout the Scriptures and is the key to understanding the Christian life as well as salvation. I hope this sits well with you, because it is the truth! I will write more soon, continuing with the same verse.

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