Introduction to Ephesians | Ephesians 1:1-2

We are starting a new series called Gospel Transformation: The Letter to the Ephesians. The purpose of this series is to explore how the gospel is meant to transform lives. In this introduction, we will attempt to gain a big picture of what this letter is all about and how it’s meant to work together. Two of the common corruptions of the gospel are legalism and license— a person obeys the commands of God to earn the favor of God, or the cross of Christ gives permission to live however you want. The gospel cuts right in the middle of both of these errors. Looking at the letter to the Ephesians as a whole helps us rightly get the gospel. In it, Paul writes 40 commands to the new believers in Ephesus—he clearly expects a great deal from them. However, this is not where Paul begins his letter. He does not start by telling them what to do; he starts by telling them what God has done for them. The first three chapters of Ephesians teach what God has done to rescue the Ephesians from darkness, to bring them into this great salvation, and to adopt them into His family. Only one command can be found in the first three chapters of Ephesians, and it is the command to remember what God has done. This is not a coincidence, but rather Paul making a very important point—identity comes before activity. Before a Christian can rightly embrace new behaviors, he or she must understand that God has miraculously made him or her into something new. The gospel transforms the believer into a new creation.