The Christian Experience in Ephesians

Ephesians is an epistle that shows us things past, present and future. This applies to God's purposes for believers in particular and for the church, which is very profound. But here we would like to give just a few touches on some things concerning believers, in their Christian experience.

In chapter 2 we have related our condition in the world, and our salvation in Christ, by grace. Then, in the second part of the chapter, it is explained to us how God made to have only one people; that is to say, there is the unity of the children of God. Unity is not an aspiration, but an achievement of Christ on the cross.

In chapter 3, after commenting on his ministry, Paul introduces us to the third great thing about the Christian experience. It is the indwelling of Christ in the believer, and in the church as a whole. In verse 3:12 it is the believer dwelling in Christ, and in 3:17 it is Christ dwelling in the believer. (This has a perfect agreement in the words: "Abide in me and I in you", Jn. 15:4). This experience will allow the whole church a real and deep knowledge of the person of Christ and the love of Christ (v. 18-19). This represents the perfection of the Christian experience in Christ.

Then, in chapter 4, there is the culmination of the Christian experience, as a church as a whole. (Note that the Christian experience begins very individual, with salvation, but then becomes very collective, very much of the church as a whole.) What is this culmination?

Naturally, the culmination has to do with Christ in the church, not in the individual believer. Here we have the ministers fulfilling their service of equipping the saints; then we have the saints doing the work of the ministry, and so the body is built up to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the stature of a mature man, Christ Himself. That is, Christ fully imparted and expressed by the complete Heavenly Man, which includes the church.

But what do we have in chapters 5 and 6, if the culmination is in chapter 4? We have said that, as far as the Christian experience is concerned, the culmination is in 4. Chapter 5 shows us the church in glory, having already attained the goals of God, for it is a church without spot or wrinkle, given to her heavenly Bridegroom.

Chapter 6, meanwhile, is a final teaching, and as an appendix, about the spiritual struggle to be faced - and how to face it - for, for the attainment of God's purposes, there is opposition and there are battles to be fought. When we see God's purpose in its eternal breadth and see what our role is in it, the darkness will manifest its opposition and try to disturb us.

Thus, in Ephesians we have some of the most important Christian experiences, both personally and collectively: salvation in Christ, the unity achieved by Christ, the indwelling of Christ in us (which is the fullness in Christ), and the full maturity of the heavenly Man (which is the fullness of Christ in the church).

Design downloaded from free website templates.