The Spirit's Work in Ephesians
Last time we looked at what grace and faith are and the role they have in our salvation. Now I want to get into stuff that's going to challenge your faith a bit. In Proverbs it says it's the honor of kings to search out a matter, so take these and go dive even deeper on your own. You should never believe something just because a man told you. Always always always 1. earnestly pray for God to reveal the truth and 2. see if what you're told lines up with the word.
In this post, I want to look at the work of the Spirit in our salvation, specifically as outlined in the book of Ephesians. Even if you're not 100% sure what the Holy Spirit is, you've probably been told in church before or read in your Bible about it. My hope today is that on some level you will begin to see your need for the Spirit. I'll do a separate "How to receive the Spirit" blog but if you have any questions feel free to drop a comment below.
There are so many things to talk about when it comes to getting saved or staying saved, that it can be hard to know what to talk about first. It's tempting to jump back and forth between topics, but I really want to be able to go into detail without posts becoming insanely long so I'm resisting the urge to spew out all the good stuff at one time. So with that, I'm going to stay in Ephesians and look at the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer. We'll get to the Spirit in other books later.
Alright, we left off in Ephesians 2 after Paul told the church that we're all saved the same way, and earning it through obedience to the law was not that way. Remember Ephesians is written to the church and one of the main themes is unity, Jew and Gentile, male and female, young and old, we are all one body. Now let's look further down and then I'll backtrack to chapter one.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
There are so many things to talk about when it comes to getting saved or staying saved, that it can be hard to know what to talk about first. It's tempting to jump back and forth between topics, but I really want to be able to go into detail without posts becoming insanely long so I'm resisting the urge to spew out all the good stuff at one time. So with that, I'm going to stay in Ephesians and look at the work of the Spirit in the life of the believer. We'll get to the Spirit in other books later.
Alright, we left off in Ephesians 2 after Paul told the church that we're all saved the same way, and earning it through obedience to the law was not that way. Remember Ephesians is written to the church and one of the main themes is unity, Jew and Gentile, male and female, young and old, we are all one body. Now let's look further down and then I'll backtrack to chapter one.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
So, there is only one Spirit and that Spirit gives us access to the Father.
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
So Paul tells us that Jew and Gentile both have access to God by the same Spirit then a few verses later that we are built together as one dwelling, one body through the Spirit. The Spirit has a definite part in salvation. The words "spirit" and "spiritual" are mentioned 18 times in the six chapters of Ephesians. It's a very heavy theme that Paul wants to get across. Let's look at some of these verses. Keep in mind where this fellowship in Ephesus started as you read (12 men, didn't have the Spirit, didn't know the truth, Paul preached the truth, rebaptized them now that they had heard the truth, filled with the Spirit with the evidence of tongues).
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
So they trusted (had faith/belief, confidence, reliance) which led them to act upon the truth, and were then sealed with the Spirit of promise. So the Spirit seals us. In Bible times some rulers wore a signet ring with an individual seal as an outward sign of their authority. The ring's engraved seal was dipped in wax or clay and stamped on important documents to show ownership or that the documents were indeed from the ruler. So by giving us the Holy Spirit, the Lord is making it known in an obvious way, that we belong to Him. Looking at the 12 men of Ephesus, when did they receive the seal of the Holy Spirit? When they spoke in tongues. Paul knew as soon as they received the Spirit because there was an obvious, outward stamp.
Ephesians 3:4-6
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
The mystery of Christ used to be hidden but now it's made available by the Spirit that Jews and Gentiles alike are heirs together, united, joined in the body of Christ, partakers of His promise by the Gospel. What was the promise? Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1 to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who He said in John would guide them into all truth. Peter, after he received the Spirit in Acts 2 got up and preached to the crowd that the tongues they were hearing was the promise of the Spirit and that the promise to them was that if they repented (turn from their way to God's and got baptized (which the start of the Ephesian church lets us know needs to be after having heard the truth), then they will receive the Spirit too. And what is the promise to us? The same as it was to them (Acts 2:38-41). Verse six above mentions about the Gentiles being fellowheirs in the same body. Go have a read of Acts 10-11 to see how salvation was first poured out on the Gentiles, when they were sealed with the Spirit, and if there was an obvious, outward sign. See if it lines up with Acts 2 and Acts 19. Let's continue.
Ephesians 3:16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
So Paul tells us that Jew and Gentile both have access to God by the same Spirit then a few verses later that we are built together as one dwelling, one body through the Spirit. The Spirit has a definite part in salvation. The words "spirit" and "spiritual" are mentioned 18 times in the six chapters of Ephesians. It's a very heavy theme that Paul wants to get across. Let's look at some of these verses. Keep in mind where this fellowship in Ephesus started as you read (12 men, didn't have the Spirit, didn't know the truth, Paul preached the truth, rebaptized them now that they had heard the truth, filled with the Spirit with the evidence of tongues).
Ephesians 1:13
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
So they trusted (had faith/belief, confidence, reliance) which led them to act upon the truth, and were then sealed with the Spirit of promise. So the Spirit seals us. In Bible times some rulers wore a signet ring with an individual seal as an outward sign of their authority. The ring's engraved seal was dipped in wax or clay and stamped on important documents to show ownership or that the documents were indeed from the ruler. So by giving us the Holy Spirit, the Lord is making it known in an obvious way, that we belong to Him. Looking at the 12 men of Ephesus, when did they receive the seal of the Holy Spirit? When they spoke in tongues. Paul knew as soon as they received the Spirit because there was an obvious, outward stamp.
Ephesians 3:4-6
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
The mystery of Christ used to be hidden but now it's made available by the Spirit that Jews and Gentiles alike are heirs together, united, joined in the body of Christ, partakers of His promise by the Gospel. What was the promise? Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1 to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who He said in John would guide them into all truth. Peter, after he received the Spirit in Acts 2 got up and preached to the crowd that the tongues they were hearing was the promise of the Spirit and that the promise to them was that if they repented (turn from their way to God's and got baptized (which the start of the Ephesian church lets us know needs to be after having heard the truth), then they will receive the Spirit too. And what is the promise to us? The same as it was to them (Acts 2:38-41). Verse six above mentions about the Gentiles being fellowheirs in the same body. Go have a read of Acts 10-11 to see how salvation was first poured out on the Gentiles, when they were sealed with the Spirit, and if there was an obvious, outward sign. See if it lines up with Acts 2 and Acts 19. Let's continue.
Ephesians 3:16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
We are strengthened by the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
So another work of the Spirit is bringing unity to the body of Christ. Paul also lets the church know here that Christ only has one body, there's only one true church, and it's those who have been brought into unity by the Spirit. We worship the same Lord, we entrust ourselves to the same truth, we are baptized with the same baptism, we serve the same God, and that God is in us through the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
After we've received the Spirit we then need to do those good works Paul talked about in chapter 2, walking (going through life) as people who have been enlightened to the truth, proving (lit. discerning) what is acceptable to the Lord. When we use the Spirit daily (will get to that another time) we began producing the fruit of the Spirit, or rather the Spirit begins producing fruit in us. Then, shortly after that verse, Paul tells the church not be be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit. But aren't they already filled? Yes they are. Paul isn't talking about an initial infilling. The Greek word here also means "to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy" So Paul is telling the believers not be under the influence of wine, but rather to be influenced and satisfied by the Spirit that they already have.
Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
So another work of the Spirit is bringing unity to the body of Christ. Paul also lets the church know here that Christ only has one body, there's only one true church, and it's those who have been brought into unity by the Spirit. We worship the same Lord, we entrust ourselves to the same truth, we are baptized with the same baptism, we serve the same God, and that God is in us through the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
After we've received the Spirit we then need to do those good works Paul talked about in chapter 2, walking (going through life) as people who have been enlightened to the truth, proving (lit. discerning) what is acceptable to the Lord. When we use the Spirit daily (will get to that another time) we began producing the fruit of the Spirit, or rather the Spirit begins producing fruit in us. Then, shortly after that verse, Paul tells the church not be be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit. But aren't they already filled? Yes they are. Paul isn't talking about an initial infilling. The Greek word here also means "to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy" So Paul is telling the believers not be under the influence of wine, but rather to be influenced and satisfied by the Spirit that they already have.
6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The last piece of the armor of God is the sword of the Spirit, which we're told is the word of God. The weapon the Spirit uses to help us fight the tricks of the enemy is the Word of God. It's the same weapon Jesus used when He was tempted of the Devil three times in the wilderness. And then directly following our command to use the word of God as our weapon against the enemy, the church is instructed to pray at all times in the Spirit, which is speaking in tongues just like when we are first filled.
Using the Spirit and the work of the Spirit is another major theme of Ephesians and, looking at these verses, we can see why. The Spirit is our strength and weapon. It's the source of our unity with other believers and the outward, obvious sign that we belong to God. The Spirit reveals God's mystery of salvation to us, which sounds a lot like 1 Corinthians 14:2 where Paul declares that when we pray in tongues we aren't speaking to man and no man can understand us but, in the Spirit, we are speaking mysteries.
Did you learn anything else from Ephesians about the work of the Spirit? Drop a comment or question below!
Using the Spirit and the work of the Spirit is another major theme of Ephesians and, looking at these verses, we can see why. The Spirit is our strength and weapon. It's the source of our unity with other believers and the outward, obvious sign that we belong to God. The Spirit reveals God's mystery of salvation to us, which sounds a lot like 1 Corinthians 14:2 where Paul declares that when we pray in tongues we aren't speaking to man and no man can understand us but, in the Spirit, we are speaking mysteries.
Did you learn anything else from Ephesians about the work of the Spirit? Drop a comment or question below!
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