Unless otherwise marked, Scriptures are taken from the HOLY BIBLE,
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984
International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

FORWARD:

This Study, based upon the book of Ephesians, is designed to point you toward
"the mark of the high calling in Christ" (PHP 3:14). It is my hope that you will
awaken to a deeper understanding of the reality of the will of God for you, and
approach Him in faith for the fullfillment of His promises. Partake of His
empowerment, and receive His will as your life's commission, let nothing stand
in the way of it being accomplished.

Ephesians 1:3-4a

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us
in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. BECAUSE He chose
us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.

Ephesians 1:9+10

And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good
pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will
have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in Heaven and Earth under
one head, even Christ.

Ephesians 1:18-23

I pray also that the eyes of your understanding may know the hope to which He
has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His
incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of
His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead
and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and
authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in
the present age, but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under
his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the sake of the
Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every
way.

God chose those who would be "In Christ" to be made holy and blameless in
His sight before the creation of the current world. It was and is God's plan
and purpose to bring mankind to a state of total harmony with Him. He desires
that we be like the angels who (as psalm 103:20 says) Hearken to His Word to see
that it is performed. It is God's plan that Jesus be manifested as LORD over
Heaven and Earth. His power at work in us to cause us to mature and grow up in
all things into him who is our head is like His mighty strength that He exerted
in Jesus when He raised him from the dead, seated him at His right hand, and
subjected everything to his authority. All of what God did was for our sake, so
that when we became "In Christ" and the Body of Christ we would have total
authority. God has pre-destined the Church to conform to the image of Jesus.
Jesus is not in any way at odds with God, he has total harmony with Him, they
are in total unity. That is God's plan for us. That we would always be instant
and in season to produce the fruit He desires. We are to manifest His kingdom
instantly and totally. We are called to be totally sanctified (holy), and
completly blameless. We are called to total perfection which will be
accomplished by His power at work within us.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God has prepared in advance for us to walk in.

One translation says we are "God's works of art", and another says we are to
do good works that "He has fore-ordained that we should walk in". Clearly the
body of Christ is called by God our Father to walk in works that He has already
ensured we are able to accomplish. The Lord has indeed made a way for us.

Ephesians 4:11-16

It was he (Jesus) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to
be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for
works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer
be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by
every teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their decietful
scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up
into him who is the head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and
held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love
as each part does its work.

God's people are the ones who will do the works that He ahs to be done, but
only after they have been prepared by the ministry gifts. We are called to
grow up in EVERY ASPECT to the full measure of Jesus Christ. That will be
accomplished by God's mighty power as we cooperate with Him and seek Him with
all our hearts.

Ephesians 5:1+2

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of
love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself as a fragrent offering and
sacrifice to God.

We, like little children, imitating our Father will live a life of love like
Jesus did, we will dedicate all our resources to one another and it will be a
sweet sacrifice to the Father.

Ephesians 5:23-27

Christ is the head of the Church, his body, of which he is the savior...
...Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy,
cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her
to himself as a radient Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish,
but holy and blameless.

That God truly intends us to reach a state of total Christ-Likeness and
sin-less perfection is clear from these scriptures. "In His sight" means that
God who sees all things will be pleased to find us holy and blameless. Not that
somehow God will "look at us as though it were so". If that were the case He
would be a liar. No His intent and plan is that we will truly reach, by His
mighty power, such a conformity to His will that there will be no stain or spot.

AFTERWARD:

It is my hope that this study has encouraged you to persue the things that
God has for you. Always remember that He is able to do exceeding abundantly
beyond all that we ask or think. Partake of His power, make a demand on it.
You can have a car with a 400 horsepower engine in it, but until you make a
demand on the enigine to develop that kind of power nothing will happen.
The following prayer of confession is designed to aid you in tapping into God's
promise of power for your life.

Father, you promised that Your power at work in my life is like Your mighty
strength that you exerted in Jesus. I believe that I receive that power to be
continually at work in my life. I expect to prevail over temptation, over sin,
and over the enemy. I receive all knowledge that I may lack. I choose to walk
in what You have predestined me to. I commit to You to be faith filled, and
obedient to You and Your Word. Jesus is Lord of my life, and I count Him Head
over everything for my sake, You placed all things under his feet, I am in his
body, therefore all things are subject to my authority in Jesus Christ. And in
all things I choose to be subject to my Head, Jesus Christ. He is my Lord.