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INTRODUCTION:
The progressive logic of Romans sets it apart as the doctrinal manual of the church. The detailed teaching in First Corinthians makes it the supreme guide to the person, work and conduct of the Holy Spirit in the local church body. Even so, the majesty of subject and beauty of language establishes Ephesians as the epistle written specifically to the “new” man, the “Spiritual” or “inner” man; the new creation born at the new birth.
In this epistle, alone, are we given the clearest look, from God’s viewpoint, at what transpired when we were born again and what it means to our spiritual heritage and our daily walk. Ephesians certainly deals with the purity of walk and sanctification of relations, but now it is from the perspective of the Spiritual man being in control, instead of the natural or fleshly (sarchikos or psuchikos) man. Where it deals with the daily walk and affairs of the believer, it does so in light of the believer’s position, as described in chapter one and Paul’s prayer for total understanding and appropriation on the part of the believer. That’s what Paul’s prayer in 1:15-23 is all about: That we might grasp and appropriate that which took place within us when we were converted.
Most commentators recognize Ephesians as being the most majestic of the epistles. It has been called the “Joshua” of the New Testament. Nowhere else in the New Testament are we presented so clear and detailed an explanation of how God views us in His Son. Paul lifts our eyes from the dust of earth to beyond the stars and our attention from our weakness and failures into the very throne room of God, Himself.
Certainly one of the most awe-inspiring and encouraging verses in the entire Bible is Eph 2:6: “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” What more encouragement to “walk worthy of our vocation” then to know that, in God’s eyes, we are already seated on His right hand with (in) Christ. What marvelous grace! What incomprehensible love!
As C.S. Lewis pointed out so well in “Mere Christianity,” God does not dwell or perceive things in time as we do. To God, the past, present and future are all now. He doesn’t see us as having potential but as having already realized our potential. It is not that God is not mindful of the things that happen to us day by day, but He sees the end from the beginning and everything in between. This may have been part of what was in His mind, when Jesus said, “give no thought for tomorrow”.
Between our position, or standing, in Christ and our actual state, where we are now in our pilgrimage, there is sometimes a vast gulf. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places and, at the same time, we are slogging through the muck and mire of this world, waiting for the fullness of our redemption, the actual possession of our inheritance.
In this study of the Spiritual Man, to understand his position and all that has been provided for him by Christ’s blood and God’s grace, we will take a close look at chapters 1 and 2. Later in our study, we will examine other portions of Ephesians, including particularly chapters 4 and 6.
NOTE: The Greek word that is translated “near” in Verse 13 means “to squeeze or throttle”. God loves us so much He just can’t help but give us a big bear hug occasionally.