Transformed in Christ (Ephesians - Part 3)

Today we will explore Pastor Sam Merigala's sermon on the book of Ephesians - part 3 given at Grace Gospel Church on July 13, 2025. Pastor Sam, provides an in-depth exploration of Paul's greeting to the Ephesian believers, focusing on their identity in Christ and the challenging context in which their faith was established.

The sermon begins by detailing the author and recipients of the letter to the Ephesians. Paul identifies himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God". The recipients are addressed as "saints" in Ephesus, who are faithful in Christ Jesus. Pastor Sam clarifies that the term "saints," as Paul uses it, does not imply a distinction based on moral or spiritual perfection, but rather signifies those who have been set apart because they belonged to Christ, having been called by God, and have responded. This understanding is further expanded, explaining that Christians are considered saints because they are integral members of the holy community—the community of God. He beautifully illustrates this concept by stating that a saint is a person the light shines through. The sermon emphasizes that Christ Himself has transformed believers into a holy people, as noted in Ephesians 5:26. Pastor Sam distinguishes between "positional holiness" and "personal holiness," explaining that positionally, believers are holy through their union with Christ. Consequently, personal holiness involves living in a way that aligns with this established position, becoming in practice what one already is in position.

A central theme woven throughout Pastor Sam's sermon is the profound concept of being united to Jesus Christ, which he defines as "the heart of Christianity". Christians are fundamentally people who are in Christ, and this union extends to being united in His death and His resurrection (Ephesians 2:5–7). It is exclusively by being "in" Christ that one gains access to "every spiritual blessing". Pastor Sam powerfully elaborates on the implications of this union: If you are in Christ, then Christ’s riches are your riches, His resources are your resources, His righteousness is your righteousness, His power is your power. His position is our position: where He is, we are... what He has, we have. This union also provides immense security, assuring believers that despite facing opposition on every side, they remain secure in Him. Therefore, a believer's true identity is rooted "in Christ," not in external factors such as performance, popularity, productivity, or prominence.

The sermon provides extensive details about the characteristics and blessings bestowed upon the Ephesian readers, highlighting what can be discerned about them from Paul's letter. They are described as men and women whom God has blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Specifically, God had chosen them in His Son before the foundation of the world, and predestined them to be adopted as his sons and daughters in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 5). For their part, these readers had heard the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and appropriated it for themselves (Ephesians 1:13). They are identified by numerous designations used for God's people in both the Old and New Testaments, including 'saints' (Ephesians 1:1, 15, 18; 3:18; 5:3; 6:18), those who 'believe' (Ephesians 1:1, 13, 15; 2:18; 3:12), and those who 'love our Lord Jesus Christ' (Ephesians 6:24). They are also called 'children of light' (Ephesians 5:8) and recognized as 'God’s work of new creation' (Ephesians 2:10). The Ephesian believers had personally experienced the grace of God (Ephesians 1:6, 8; 2:5, 8) and the love of God and Christ (Ephesians 2:4; 5:2, 25). Furthermore, they understood the blessings of redemption (Ephesians 1:7), the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7; 4:32), life (Ephesians 2:5), salvation (Ephesians 1:13; 2:5, 8), and reconciliation (Ephesians 2:14–18). Having been sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30), they comprehended what it meant to have access to the Father through Christ by the same Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Like other Christians, they had been united with him in his resurrection and exaltation, so that now his destiny has become theirs (Ephesians 2:5–6).

Pastor Sam emphasizes the corporate identity of these Christian readers, noting that many images and metaphors in the letter describe their belonging to a broader community. As 'saints,' they are also fellow citizens with God’s holy people (Ephesians 2:19; cf. 3:18; 6:18), and are considered brothers and sisters who have been adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family and are members of his household (cf. Ephesians 6:23; 1:5; 5:1; 2:19). They are part of the church, which is intimately related to the exalted Christ (Ephesians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23, 25, 27, 29, 32), and are individual members of his body (Ephesians 1:23; 2:16; 3:6; 4:4, 16; 5:23). Furthermore, these men and women are depicted as members of God’s temple, which is structured on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19–22). A particularly significant point in the sermon regarding Ephesians is that these readers belong to one new humanity which was created in Christ out of Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14–16; 3:6), both groups having been reconciled to God and to one another. This new creation of God is characterized by its unity in diversity and maturity (Ephesians 4:1–16). These corporate designations, Pastor Sam notes, are universal truths for all Christians, not unique identifiers for the Ephesian believers.

A significant portion of Pastor Sam's sermon is dedicated to The Struggle in Ephesus, providing crucial context for Paul's letter. He highlights Paul's unusually long stay in Ephesus, approximately three years (Acts 20:31), which was his longest missionary journey, filled with both great opportunities for ministry and intense opposition (1 Corinthians 16:8–9; Acts 19:8, 10, 22). Paul himself recounted serving in Asia with tears and trials (Acts 20:18–19) and facing "wild beasts in Ephesus" (1 Corinthians 15:32). Pastor Sam draws a vital application here: Just because something is difficult does not mean you have moved out of the will of God. The will of God does not mean you are free from opposition. In fact, opportunities and opposition are often mingled together.

He then delves into the specific reasons why Ephesus was such a challenging place for ministry:

1. The Size of Ephesus: It was a busy port city, one of the fourth or fifth largest city in the world at that time, boasting a massive amphitheater held about 25,000 people. Situated at the junction of four major roads in Asia Minor, it served as the gateway of Asia that became the gateway of the gospel. Pastor Sam draws a contemporary parallel, comparing it to a modern missionary moving to NYC or Istanbul—massive cities with great need for the gospel and local churches.
2. Spiritual Warfare in Ephesus: The city was rife with different forms of paganism, ranging from sophisticated Greek enlightenment philosophies to quite sleazy practices, steeped in materialism, sensuality, and perverted idolatrous practices. Ephesus was also the home to the Roman emperor cult, where figures like Caesar Augustus was spoken of as the “Savior” and his birth was hailed as the beginning of good tidings to the world. This created a direct gospel conflict, as the church proclaimed the gospel of Jesus while coins, statues, and temples broadcasted the gospel of Augustus. Pastor Sam illustrates this with the statue of Roman emperor Trajan, whose foot on top of the world symbolized his perceived godhood, contrasting it sharply with Ephesians 1:21–22, which declares that Only One has all things under His feet: the Lord Jesus. The declaration "Jesus is Lord" was, in this context, a direct rejection of Caesar's claim to lordship. Furthermore, Ephesus was the headquarters for the cult of the Roman goddess Diana (or Greek “Artemis”), whose temple was a Seven Wonders of the World. Paul's ministry directly threatened the commerce of those who made silver models of Diana (Acts 19:23–41). The sermon suggests that the spiritually conflicted context of Ephesus, with its obsession with demons, magic, and idolatry, particularly the worship of Diana, likely influenced Paul's writing style in the letter, where he frequently uses words like authorities, power, and spiritual forces, and strongly emphasizes Jesus’ lordship over all.
3. A Glimpse of Warfare in Ephesus (Acts 19:9–20): Pastor Sam recounts Paul's teaching ministry, which began in the synagogue for three months before moving to the hall of Tyrannus for two years, where Paul taught daily during the midday siesta period. This allowed all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. Pastor Sam applies this by stating that Bible teaching does not require a temple or spectacular building but can occur anywhere, such as a modern community center, or through Bible study with colleagues before work begins, or a businessmen’s luncheon, or a student starting something at school during breaks. The sermon also highlights the demonic opposition Paul encountered, evidenced by extraordinary miracles performed by God through Paul, even through items like handkerchiefs or aprons. A pivotal event was when the seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva, itinerant exorcists, attempted to cast out evil spirits using Jesus's name but were overpowered by a spirit who recognized Jesus and Paul but not them. This incident caused fear to fall upon all residents, leading to the name of the Lord Jesus being extolled. It prompted many new believers to confess and divulge their practices and to publicly burn their books of magic arts, worth fifty thousand pieces of silver, signifying a spiritual awakening. This profound impact was not without controversy, leading to a major disturbance about the Way (Acts 19:22–23). Christianity was known early on as the Way, representing a new way of life centered on Jesus, who declared, He was 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). This holy disturbance ultimately led to severe opposition from the silversmiths, led by Demetrius, whose wealth was threatened because the gospel caused many Ephesians to stop buying silver statues. This conflict escalated to Paul and his companions being dragged into the amphitheater, where they were all but killed (Acts 19:28–41). Adding to these trials were the plots of the Jews (Acts 20:19). Despite these immense difficulties, Paul's ministry in Ephesus was remarkably successful, particularly among the Gentiles, and the church was largely birthed... in the midst of opposition. Pastor Sam concludes this section with an application for contemporary believers, especially those considering church planting in challenging urban areas: It will be a struggle. You may bleed, but take comfort in Paul’s journey. Be prepared for war, but be confident in the Lord. He affirms that the gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to break through these forces of idolatry, superstition, occult, demonic activity, sexual immorality, materialism, godless education, and political leader worship, to bring people to saving faith. He urges boldness in proclaiming the only one Lord.

Finally, Pastor Sam analyzes the greeting in Ephesians 1:2: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He explains that this is a typical Pauline greeting, functioning as a prayer wish for grace to come to the Ephesians. Paul is identified as the theologian of grace, with the word grace appearing twelve times throughout the letter (Ephesians 1:6–8; 2:4–9; 4:7; 4:29). Similarly, peace is a prominent theme, with the sermon highlighting that Christ] is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), He proclaimed the good news of peace (Ephesians 2:17), the importance of keeping… the peace that binds us (Ephesians 4:3), and the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). This greeting would have been read aloud in corporate worship (cf. Colossians 4:16). The sermon notes that the letter presents a magnificent picture of the Father (see also Ephesians 1:17; 4:6) and a majestic picture of the Lord Jesus as the cosmic King of all, underscoring that Jesus fills the mind of Paul. The enduring significance of this greeting is evident as Paul concludes his letter in Ephesians 6:23–24, where he again prays for peace and grace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus for “all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.