Lesson 1 – Grace and Peace from God
Read: Ephesians 1 - https://www.bible.com/bible/59/eph.1.esv

In the book of Ephesians we will look at what the Christian’s responsibility is to God. In this first lesson we will look at who is responsible to God, and for what. I ask you to open your Bible, or go to the online Bible listed above and begin reading at the first verse.

“Paul,” - let’s stop right there for a moment. What do we learn here about who is responsible? This is the name of a person. Jesus always deals with each of us as individuals. He never tells someone else to tell you what He wants you to do. He may confirm through someone else what He has already said to you, but He will first talk to you as an individual. Did you know Jesus knows your name? He does.

What’s next? “…an apostle of Christ Jesus.” In these few words we find that Paul had a very specific assignment given to him. That assignment was that he was to be an apostle for Jesus Christ. Apostle means Paul was a messenger of whatever Jesus wanted him to say to people. Paul did not speak or say what he wanted to say, he said what Jesus wanted him to say.

What do the next words tell us about this messenger? “By the will of God.” Paul was not an apostle because he wanted to be, because he thought this would be the best way to serve Jesus, or because he thought this was a glamorous job. Paul was a messenger of Jesus Christ because God chose him to be so. We cannot choose what position we want to fill in Jesus’ kingdom. The King has the right to choose who fills which positions.

In one sense all of us who are followers of Jesus Christ are “sent ones” just like Paul. Jesus gave us a command in Acts 1:8 that we are all to go and make disciples. He sends some of us to fields as farmers, some He sends to homes as parents, some to churches as pastors, some to factories to build the necessities of life, some to schools as teachers – but all of us are sent to where God wants us to be His messenger.

What was Paul’s message? Read verse 2. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul’s message very simply was grace and peace.

What is grace? Let’s look at three words together – grace, mercy, and judgment. Judgment is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. If I had stolen something, I would deserve punishment and judgment. Mercy says, “you deserve it but I’ll set you free, just don’t do it again.” Grace says, “I will take your punishment for you, you are no longer guilty.”

Peace with God is best described in Romans 8:7 – we are naturally hostile to God, we are His enemies because of our sin. We cannot find peace with God on our own because every time we try to approach Him, His perfect holiness can only destroy us – therefore, we dare not approach God on our own.

Then how can we find peace with God? Romans 5:1 gives us the answer. We find peace with God “through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Have you accepted the message Paul was sent to deliver to you of grace and peace from God in your life? If you haven’t, I urge you to do so today. It’s the most important decision you will ever make in your life. You can find grace or peace no other way, only through Jesus Christ is it yours.
*Who wrote the book of Ephesians? 
*What is an apostle? 
*What is “grace”? 
*How can we find peace with God?