I told my Sunday class that I didn’t particularly want to teach the first book of Kings--which was in our quarterlies--and if they didn’t mind, could we do a book that has more application messages for our age group.  Kings is history.  I told them they should read it.  But our age group needs application.  They agreed.

The great application writer in the Bible is Paul.  So we are going to do a few of his letters, starting with Ephesians.  We did the first chapter, and last Sunday, the second.  Paul is in prison, writing to a group of people he has never met and his style is different from the way he writes to the Philippians, whom he knew and had lived among and taught.

He starts Ephesians by saying he is an apostle--he almost always gives himself that title--and that he is writing to the “saints” in Ephesus.  But he adds another line: “...and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.”  That’s us!  That’s you.  That’s me.  He had no idea we would be reading what he wrote two thousand years later. 

Since he is writing to Gentiles he doesn’t know, he lays out God’s plan for bringing us into the flock.  “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself...”  I think I am correct when I say that you can’t disinherit an adopted child.  You can disinherit your own children, but adoption is a legal contract.  God’s got you.  He’s adopted me, too.