The Book of Thessalonians

Thessalonica is in Greek. Paul and
Silas brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to Thessalonica at 
Paul's Second Missionary Journey.

Paul taught the Jews from the Scriptures in a synagogue in
Thessalonica on three Sabbath days, until he and Silas were cast out of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1–9).

The teaching of Paul's and Silas' 
didn't arise from error, impurity,
or any attempt to deceive 
(1 Thess 2:3). 

They taught not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts 
(1 Thess 2:4b). They didn't came with words of flattery, nor with an excuse
for greed (1 Thess 2:5). Nor did they seek glory from men (1 Thess 2:6). 
Paul and Silas were gentle among them, like a nursing mother caring for her own children (1 Thess 2:7). They exhorted them, encouraged them to become more Christlike, and commanded them to walk in a manner worthy of God, as a father does with his children (1 Thess 2:11–12, Phil 1:27). Paul sent Timothy to them to strengthen and encourage them in their faith, so that none wavered under their sufferings which they were destined to undergo (1 Thess 3:1–3,
John 15:18–19, Mat 13:20–21), see The Parable of the Sower. Paul prayed for them to work out their positional holiness that they have in Christ by being saved, in a practical way toward others by showing love (1 Thess 3:12–13). Practical holiness is the power of the Holy Spirit to separate from the world.

Paul and Silas were sent to Berea, where they spoke in a Jewish synagogue 
(Acts 17:10). These Jews were nobler than those in Thessalonica, and received the word with all eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were in accordance with the teaching of Paul and Silas (Acts 17:11). The Jews of Berea checked that the teaching was in line with the Scriptures. This is a correct way to check a teaching even today. Paul and Silas didn't mind people questioning them and asking tough questions. If a teacher doesn't want to answer such questions, gets upset and frustrated, or accuses you of not having faith, you should consider leaving that teacher and go to another one who accepts questions.

Paul wanted to come to the Thessalonians, but Satan prevented him (1 Thess 2:18).
At another occasions he was prevented by the Holy Spirit from going to specific places (Acts 16:6–7). We need to ask God in prayer to be able to find out which the case it is when we are hindered in some way.

God's wants us to be holy (1 Pet 1:14–16), see Psalm 101: How to live a holy life. That we refrain from sexual immorality (1 Thess 4:3–7, Heb 13:4, 1 Cor 6:18–20), see the 7th commandment in The Ten Commandments. See also Homosexuality and Sanctification. It means living our lives to please God (1 Thess 4:1), instead of living them to please ourselves (2 Tim 3:1–4), see 1. Deny himself and
2. Take up his cross in The Apostle Peter.

If possible we should live in peace with everyone (1 Thess 5:13b, Rom 12:18). 
We shouldn't repay anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all (1 Thess 5:15, Rom 12:19–21), see Love and not revenge in
The Sermon on the Mount. We should rejoice in hope of God's glory and even rejoice in our sufferings (1 Thess 5:16, 18a, Rom 5:2–5).

Before Jesus second coming, there will be a rapture of the Christian believers, the Body of Christ, both of those who are alive and those who have "fallen asleep".
(1 Thess 4:15–17), see The Rapture. When Paul speaks of "asleep" (1 Thess 4:13)
and "fallen asleep" (1 Thess 4:14–15), he always means physical death for Christian believers. When king David died it also says that he "slept with his fathers" and was buried in the city of David (1 King 2:10), see this explained in 
The Word-for-Word Approach in Bible Translations.

When the Bible uses a reference to sleep instead of death, it's using an idiom or 
euphemism. At death, the physical body takes on the appearance of sleep, and so sleep-related terms are used to describe it. Paul declared that he much preferred to be absent from the body (=dead) because it meant that he would be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:6–8). The Rich Man and Lazarus shows that the human soul doesn't sleep after death. Being dead isn't the same as sleeping.

This physical death occurs only in the the human body. It's only the body that dies. Our spirit and soul can't die, see Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism. To die and be absent from the body means for a Christian to be immediately with the Lord in God's Heaven, see time 23:36–26:20 in
Isaiah 65-66 • Final Judgment and Glory of the Lord. However, people who reject Jesus will unfortunately go to Hell, see The Great White Throne Judgement.
When speaking of the resurrection, it's the body that is resurrected, that is, the spirit and soul receive a new immortal body. The Christians who are alive will then also receive new immortal bodies. The dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thess 4:16).
Then the Christians who are alive will be caught up (= the rapture) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and then we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess 4:17). 

There will be a false sense of peace and security during the 7-year Tribulation period
(1 Thess 5:2–3), see The Day of the Lord. It's probably at the beginning of this period that Antichrist confirms a 7-years peace treaty between Israel and its surroundings (Dan 9:27a, 11:21–12:13), see Visions and Dreams by Prophet Daniel.

Before Jesus returns, there will be a rebellion and the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) will be revealed, the son of destruction, exalting himself against every so-called god or object of worship (2 Thess 2:3b–4a), see The Horses in the Book of Revelation. 
The coming of Antichrist is through the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders (2 Thess 2:9), see Who is the End Time Antichrist? 
He will take his seat in God's temple and proclaim that he is God (2 Thess 4b),
see the end part in Ezekiel's temple. 

When Jesus returns from Heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, he will take vengeance on those who have rejected God and on those who don't obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus (2 Thess 1:7b–8), see The Sheep and the Goats.
They will suffer eternal punishment forever away from the presence of God,
when Jesus comes to be glorified by his believers (2 Thess 1:9–10a),
see What Does the Bible Say about Hell? God is just in doing this 
(2 Thess 1:6–7a, Rom 11:33–34), just as he was at the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen (1 Mos) 18:25b), see The Life of Abraham,
and when he pours out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the Earth
at the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev 16:5–7), see the end part of 
The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets in the Book of Revelation.
See also God has wrath in God's Attributes.

One encouragement is that God hasn't destined us for God's wrath, but for salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess 5:9). 

See also The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Philemon

Apostle Paul wrote this personal letter to Philemon, a slave owner in Colossae. His slave Onesimus had escaped to Rome and was converted there by Paul (Phm 1:10).
Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter as protection against the harsh punishments that could await a runaway slave (Phm 1:12). Even Philemon had been converted through Paul's teaching and had become a Christian (Phm 1:19b).

The slave Onesimus was a bondservant (doulos in Greek, meaning one who is subservient to his master and completely at his master's disposal, that is, a slave) (Phm 1:16). 

A bondservant can be a person who has willingly chosen to be a servant for life, usually due to well treatment by his master. Such a person was usually a slave because of some financial debt that he couldn't pay. When the depth was worked out, some slaves wanted to continue to work for their owner rather than be set free (Exo (2 Mos) 21:5–6). Then they became bondservants for life. In this case, it's unclear why Onesimus ran from his master Philemon.

Paul clearly noted in this letter that the bondservant Onesimus and his master
Philemon were brothers in Christ and of equal status before God (Phm 1:15–16). Furthermore, Paul told Philemon to receive Onesimus as he would receive Paul 
(Phm 1:17). This means that he, as a fellow believer, should be treated with respect.
Paul indirectly suggests giving Onesimus his freedom (Phm 1:18).
Tradition shows that Onesimus later became a church leader.

Martin Luther writes the following about this letter:
"Here we see how Paul lays himself out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleads his cause with his master: and so sets himself as he was Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father,
thus also Paul does for Onesimus with Philemon."

What we can learn from this letter is to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave us (Eph 4:32).

See also The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Titus

Paul focuses on the following in the letters to the young men Timothy and Titus, see also The Book of Timothy:

1. Organization of leadership structure in the church.
2. Sound doctrines.
3. The people in the Body of Christ. To be obedient to the Lord, dedicated in your walk with God and fruitful in your walk with Jesus. The intention is to make the people in the Body of Christ grow and mature.

An elder refers to a leadership position similar to overseer, shepherd (= pastor).
A man to be an elder in a congregation needs the following qualifications where all but one (in bold below) deals with a person's character (Tit 1:6–9):

• Must be above reproach (it's blameless). This means that if someone makes an accusation, it can't stick.
• A man of one wife, that's a one-woman man. It speaks of his devotion to his only wife.
• His children should be believers. A man who aspires to church leadership must prove his leadership ability in his home, with the ability to lead his family in a godly upright manner.
• Not being arrogant, meaning he isn't a demanding type of person, not a "My way or the highway" person. Such leadership comes from brokenness from pride, see the last part of The Apostle Peter.
• Not have short temper.
• Must not be a drunkard, see "What does God think about Christians drinking alcohol?" in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
• Not be violent. 
• Not be greedy for gain. No one can serve two masters (Mat 6:24),
  see The Love of Money and Hillsong Employee Leaks Thousands of Financial Documents | Australian Government Gets Involved.
• Must be hospitable. Receives strangers in his home. Kind hearted.
  Wants to open up to people.
• Not live in immorality, see the 7th commandment in
  The Ten Commandments.
• Must be self-controlled. Sober-minded. It means a balanced character.
  A person who doesn't give in to wild emotional highs and lows.
• Must be sincere, holy, and disciplined. 
• Must hold fast to the word that's taught, so that he may instruct (teach) sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it, 
  see Dealing With Sin in the Church. See shepherd and teacher in
  The Book of Ephesians. Teaching isn't the same as preaching:
  • A teacher must be able to convey the truth from God's word, read a text from the Bible and explain what it means and encourage application of the message. He brings instructions. 
  • A preacher brings news. He exhorts and proclaims the gospel.
    An evangelist falls into this category. 

See why it's important not to elevate someone too quickly as a leader at time
40:37–42:55 in 1 Timothy 5 • Instructions concerning widows and Elders/Pastors. 

See also examples of bad and good leadership at the end of The Book of John.

It's important to teach what is suitable for sound doctrine (Tit 2:1). Teaching must be consistent with God's Word. The older men should be taught to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and endurance (Tit 2:2). The older women should be taught to be reverent in their way of live, not to be slanderers, or addicted to much wine (Tit 2:3). Then they can exhort the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, busy at home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that no one slanders the word of God (Tit 2:4–5). Similarly, the young men should be encouraged to be self-controlled (Tit 2:6), to be balanced.

We should obey rulers and authorities (unless it's against God's will (Acts 4:18–20)), be ready to do all that is good, not to slander anyone, be peaceable and considerate and always be gentle to everyone (Tit 3:1–2). See This World is Not Our Home in The Book of Romans.

When the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Tit 3:4–5a). 
He saved us by the new birth in Christ, by renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us freely through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs with the hope of eternal life 
(Tit 3:5b–7), see Salvation.

The grace of God has been shown to offer salvation to all people (Tit 2:11). It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, sincere, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for that blessed hope,
the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Tit 2:12–13).
He gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people who are his very own, eager to do that which is good (Tit 2:14).

See also The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Timothy

Apostle Paul begins both his letters to Timothy with "Grace, mercy, and peace 
from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Tim 1:2, 2 Tim 1:2):

1. Grace is favor that we receive from God without deserving it. It always begins with grace. It's a life-changing thing. God loves us and has chosen grace through Jesus death and punishment on the cross for us, when we accept Jesus as our Savior (2 Tim 1:9, John 1:12).
2. Mercy is something that we don't receive from God even though we deserve it, such as punishment for our sins.
3. Peace is what we get as a byproduct when grace and mercy work in our lives. We get peace between God and man.

Timothy was commanded by Paul to rebuke certain persons in love not to teach false doctrines (1 Tim 1:3–5). They wanted to be teachers of the Mosaic Laws but didn't know what they were talking about (1 Tim 1:7–11), see The Book of Galatians. 
The Mosaic Laws make us aware that we are all sinners and need a Savior 
(Rom 3:20–24, 7:7–12), see The Book of Romans. Jesus was born into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15). That was his main reason for coming to Earth. He is the only mediator between God and man, because he gave himself as a ransom for mankind (1 Tim 2:5–6a), see The Atonement. 

If we want to rebuke another person in the Body of Christ, we must do it with love and respect, with great patience and careful teaching (2 Tim 4:2), if we are going to do it at all. We shouldn't rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he was our father. We should treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity (1 Tim 5:1–2). See also 
Dealing With Sin in the Church.

We should pray for all men and for all in authority, that we may live peacefully and in holiness (1 Tim 2:1–2). Praying with raised hands was the most common prayer position in Jesus' time and in the Old Testament (1 Tim 2:8, Psalm 63:4 (5 in some translations)). This doesn't mean that we have to raise our hands when we pray,
but we can if we want, see Must we lift up our hands when we pray? in
The Woman's Place in the Congregation.

There is beauty that is external and beauty that is internal. We shouldn't focus on external beauty but on God. A woman's beauty shouldn't derive from the outside
but from the inside (1 Pet 3:3–4). The use of jewelry or fine clothing shouldn't be excessive (1 Tim 2:9). We must not have our focus on such things, see 
How should a woman dress? in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.

The title of overseer (1 Tim 3:1) refers to a leadership position similar to elder or shepherd (= pastor). Although these three titles are represented by three different Greek words, they all speak of the same person (Acts 20:17, 28, 1 Pet 5:1–2a).
The Bible makes no distinction between pastor, elder, and overseer.

The Old Testament raised up elders to come along with the leadership of Moses and to be leaders among the Israelites. Elders are used many times in today's churches to help the pastor, who many times works full time for a church.

Can a woman be an overseer? What does it mean when Paul doesn't allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man (1 Tim 2:11–13)?
This is explained in chapter Can a woman be a leader in a congregation? 
in The Woman's Place in the Congregation. 

A person who is to be an overseer in a congregation needs the following qualifications, where all but one (in bold below) deal with a person's character 
(1 Tim 3:2–7):

• Must be above reproach (it's blameless).
  This means that if someone makes an accusation, it doesn't hold up.
• A man of one wife, that's a one-woman man. It doesn't mean
  that he must be married, but if he is, he must be faithful to her.
  It then speaks about his devotion to his only wife,
  see the 7th commandment in The Ten Commandments.
• Sober-minded. It means a balanced character. 
  A person who doesn't give in to wild emotional highs and lows.
• Self-controlled, sensible. 
• Respectable. He is respected by others.
• Hospitable. Taking in strangers to his home.
  Wants to open up to people.
• Able to teach. See shepherd and teacher in The Book of Ephesians. Teaching isn't the same as preaching.
• A teacher must be able to convey the truth from the word
  of God, read a text from the Bible and explain what it means,
  and encourage application of the message. He brings instructions.
• A preacher brings news. He exhorts and proclaims the gospel. 
  An evangelist falls into this category. 
  
• Not a drunk. He must not use any kind of drugs. See
  "What does God think about Christians drinking alcohol?"
  in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.
• Not violent but gentle. He must be peaceful with individuals.
• Not quarrelsome.
• Not a lover of money. No one can serve two masters (Mat 6:24),
  see The Love of Money and Hillsong Employee Leaks Thousands of Financial Documents | Australian Government Gets Involved.
• He must manage his own family well and ensure that his children obey him, and he must do so in a way that deserves full respect. A man who aspires to church leadership must prove his leadership ability in his home, with the ability to lead his family in a godly sincere way. 
• He must not be a new convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. A rapid advancement of leadership for a person in a church can create for some an attitude of vanity that would make that person an object of pride. God opposes the proud
  (Psalm 138:6, Proverbs 3:34, 29:23, Mat 23:12, Luke 1:52,
  James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5).
• He must be well thought of by outsiders (outside the church),
  so that he won't fall into disgrace and gain bad reputation.

See why it's important not to elevate someone too quickly as a leader at time
40:37–42:35 in 1 Timothy 5 • Instructions concerning widows and Elders/Pastors.

See also examples of bad and good leadership at the end of The Book of John.

The role of a deacon was very different from that of those who held a spiritual leadership; the pastor, elder, and overseer. A deacon primary had the role of providing for the physical needs of the flock, to serve in a congregation (Acts 6:1–6).
The Greek word for deacon means servant. But a deacon could also act in spiritual works, like Stephen who was a deacon and evangelist (Acts 6:8–10), and Philip who was also a deacon and evangelist (Acts 8:4–7, 30–35). A woman can be a deacon, such as Phoebe (Rom 16:1 (which uses the Greek word diakonos for servant)).

A deacon needed the following qualifications (1 Tim 3:8–12):

• Dignified, worthy of respect.
• Not double-tongued (deceitful, hypocritical) but sincere.
• Not addicted to a lot of wine.
• Not greedy for dishonest gain, see The Love of Money.
• Be able to hold on to the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
• He must first be tested, and if there is nothing against him (blameless),
  he can serve as a deacon. (Note that blameless doesn't mean perfect.)
• The women should be worthy of respect, not malicious speakers,
  but temperate and reliable in all things.
• He must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and household well, see the 7th commandment in The Ten Commandments.

Those who served well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves
and also great confidence in the faith of Christ Jesus (1 Tim 3:13).

The Greek word for church is ekklēsia and means an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting (1 Tim 3:15, Eph 2:19, 1 Pet 2:5, 9). 
We are a holy temple, God's household. God's spirit dwells in us. It's the believers who make the church, not the building where we meet to worship.

There will be false teachers who forbid people to marry and order people to abstain from certain foods (1 Tim 4:3, 7, 1 Cor 7:9), see Legalism in 
The Book of Colossians. 

If anyone teaches another doctrine and doesn't agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing
(1 Tim 6:3–4a, Proverbs 9:10a). This person has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produces envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a means of financial gain 
(1 Tim 6:4b–5, 1 Pet 5:2). 

Those who want to be rich fall into temptation (1 Tim 6:9). For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils (1 Tim 6:10a), see The Love of Money. We should flee from such behavior and instead strive to do the right thing, live in godliness, faith in the
Lord, unconditional love, standing firm under adversity and gentleness (1 Tim 6:11).

In the last days there will be difficult times. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unsatisfying, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving what is good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, who have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power (2 Tim 3:1–5, 4:3–4, 1 Cor 4:20). 

Godliness means a desire to obey the Lord. Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim 6:6, Phil 4:6, Heb 13:5). However, living a godly life in Jesus Christ will lead to some form of persecution (2 Tim 3:12, John 15:19). 

All Scripture (the New Testament and the Old Testament) is breathed out by God, profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16–17), see Misconceptions about the Bible in Misconceptions and Objections.

See also The Book of Titus and The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Philippians

Paul wrote this letter to the saints in Christ, that is, to those who believe in Jesus Christ (the body of Christ), who are at Philippi (Phl 1:1). Philippi is in Greek, see
the map in The Book of Thessalonians.

We should let our way of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phl 1:27a). We should stand firm in one spirit, with a mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
and not be dismayed in anything by our adversaries (Phl 1:27b–28a). It's a blessing not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake (Phl 1:29, Acts 5:40–41).

We should be of the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord, and of one mind (Phl 2:2–3, 4:2). Paul isn't talking about organizational unity. It's how we treat each other in the body of Christ (Luk 22:25–27, 1 Pet 5:5b–6), see Unity. We
shouldn't go in selfish ambition. We are obliged to love one another (1 John 4:11,
John 13:34–35, 1 Cor 13:4–5). We should live for God without complaining and without argument or quarrel (Phl 2:14, James 4:1–3). We should hold fast to the word of life (Phl 2:16, 2 Thess 2:15, 2 Tim 1:13, 1 Cor 15:2, 1 Thess 5:21). The Greek word translated to "hold fast" means to hold your position and to fix your 
gaze. This means that we constantly need to read the Bible. But it's more than that. The Pharisees knew the word but were rebuked many times by Jesus. We must pray to God to open our hearts to better understand what the Bible says (Eph 1:17–18).
We may need to study the Bible and not just read it.

Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Laws (Mat 5:17). When we put our faith in Jesus and believe that he died on the cross for our sins, and believe that what he did is enough to save us, that all that the Mosaic Laws demand was fulfilled in him, then we keep the demands of these Laws. Not by ourselves but through our faith in Jesus Christ
(Phl 3:3, 8–11). We can't earn our way to God. We can't be good enough, see 
Jesus and the Young Rich Man. Our goal should be to become more like Jesus and in the meantime not look back on our failures or bad experiences in life (Phl 3:12–15). 

We need to guard our hearts, that is, our thoughts and feelings, because it affects how we live (Proverbs 4:23, Rom 12:2). For example, of bitterness, anger, and jealousy. Instead, we should set our minds on the following (Phl 4:8):

• Truths
• Honorable 
• Fair, morally right and just
• Pure, uncontaminated
• Lovely
• Commendable, well done
• Excellent, has high quality
• Commendable

We shouldn't be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God (Phl 4:6). Then the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Jesus Christ (Phl 4:7, John 14:27). This kind of peace is based on Jesus Christ himself. It's not dependent on the circumstances.
We should rejoice in the Lord (Phl 4:4). 

Keys to contentment (Phl 4:13):

1. Learn to give thanks in everything (1 Thess 5:18).
2. Learn to rest in God's ability to provide for you (Mat 6:27, 31–34).
3. Be content with what we have received (1 Tim 6:6–8).
4. Refuse to compare my situation with others (James 3:16).
5. Learn to focus on the needs of others (Phl 2:4, 2 Cor 8:1–4).

See also The New Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Ephesians

The Book of Ephesians is all about who we are in Christ. Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the believers in Ephesus (Eph 1:1). Ephesus was located in the province Asia, in present-day Turkey, see the map in The Book of Colossians.

In the New Covenant that we have as Christians, we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 1 Pet 1:3–4). We aren't promised 
physical blessings, such as physical healing. God can heal people physical, but we aren't promised that in this New Covenant, because it's a spiritual covenant. See chapter False Teaching on Healing in Word of Faith Movement in the U.S. 

The following applies to us as Christians:

• We have been chosen by God before the creation of the world
  (Eph 1:4–6). However, this doesn't mean that the condition of lost people is set in place by God before they are borne and and is fixed, see 
  The Predestination Theory.
• God has adopted us into his kingdom (Eph 1:5–6). Adoption is no less valuable than biological connection to a family. An adopted child is considered by law to be the same as a biological child.
• God had redeemed us by his blood (Eph 1:7–8).
  That is, Christ has given his life for us. We are forgiven.
• God has made known to us the mystery of his will (Eph 1:9–10). It speaks of the intimacy of the relationship with Christ (John 15:15). The mystery has been revealed to us through the word of God by the Holy Spirit.
• God has given us an inheritance (Eph 1:11–12, 1 Cor 3:21–23,
  Rom 8:16–17). It's a spiritual heritage. See Jesus and the Law.
• We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13–14, Rom 8:29, i Cor 15:49). It's a living seal. We are sealed with a person. It's a picture of Christ. 
  It's a guarantee of our inheritance in Christ.

Paul doesn't stop giving thanks for them because he has heard of the following:

• their faith in the Lord Jesus, see How to Build Your Faith
• their love for all brothers and sisters in Christ, see Unity
  

(Eph 1:15–16).

Paul gives a picture of what we were like before we were saved:

• Spiritually dead (Eph 2:1). It's not about feeling, it's something we were.
  We are born into this world disconnected from God as a result of the Fall, see The Fall of Man in The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man.
• Walking according to the world (Eph 2:2a).
• Under the Devil's control (Eph 2:2b, 1 John 5:19).
• Indulging the flesh (Eph 2:3a),
  see The lust of the flesh in The Book of John.
• Subject to the wrath of God (Eph 2:3b), see Body, Soul, and Spirit in
  The Danger with Gnosticism and God has wrath in God's Attributes.

After we are saved the following happens:

• We become spiritual alive (Eph 2:4–5), see Body, Soul, and Spirit in
  The Danger with Gnosticism. It's based on God's grace, mercy and love.
  It's not because we deserve it in any way, because we don't.
• We are seated with Christ (Eph 2:6).
• We become a living display of God's grace and goodness (Eph 2:7).

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." 
(Eph 2:5b, 8–9). See Jesus and the Young Rich Man.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15).
We have all sinned (Rom 3:23).

Now that we have been saved, God has given us good works to do 

(Eph 2:10, Mat 25:34–36, 41–43) to bring forth the fruits of our salvation,
see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas and The Sheep and the Goats.

The Gentiles' conditions before they came to Christ were (Eph 2:12 (ESV)):

• Separated from Christ. Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of Israel
  (Mat 15:24).
• Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.
  We aren't part of God's chosen nation.
• Strangers to the covenant of promise, the Abrahamic covenant,
  it's the coming of Christ (Gal 3:16, 29, Heb 6:13). 
• Having no hope, see Hope in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love.
• Without God in the world we were godless.

But we Gentiles have been brought near to God through the blood of Christ 
(Eph 2:13, 3:6), see The Depth of the Riches in The Book of Romans.
When we respond with faith in Jesus, we come to him and are saved, see
salvation. As Christians; Gentiles and Jews belong to the same family
(Eph 2:14, 19). We are all equal in Christ, whether we are Gentiles or Jews,
rich or poor, popular, or unpopular (Gal 3:28, Rom 3:20–24). We are one body 
(Eph 2:16–18, 3:5–6). As born again Christians (John 1:12–13) we have become
a holy temple for the Lord  (Eph 2:21–22), see born again in The Book of Peter.

We are now living in the church age which will end at the time of the Rapture. The meaning of a church in this case isn't a building. We born again Christians are the church, the Body of Christ. This doesn't mean that the promises to Israel have been taken over by the church, see The Depth of the Riches in The Book of Romans. The church age wasn't revealed by the Old Testament prophets. It wasn't known to them and is therefore called The Mountain Peaks of Prophecy. These prophets saw only the peaks of the prophetic timetable, but couldn't see what was in the valleys between the peaks.

See Psalm 139: The Lord knows me and 
The Parable about the Wise and Foolish Builders.

All Christians are called to reflect the very character of Jesus' heart 
(Rom 8:29a). We should live it out in our daily lives (Eph 4:1). This can
be done only by the power of the Holy Spirit and not in our own strength. 

We will then strive for the following (Eph 4:2–3 (ESV)):

• Humility (Mat 11:29). This is how we see ourselves in the light of God and his word. If we do, we can also see and treat others in a better way. See 3) Blessed are the meek in The Sermon on the Mount.
• Gentleness (Mat 11:29). Biblical gentleness is how we respond to people when we feel attacked. The ability to be hurt without getting angry, vengeful, or bitter, which we naturally do (Eph 4:26, Psalm 4:4 (5 in some translations)). See Love and not revenge in The Sermon on the Mount.
• Patience. This refers to how we react to failures, mistakes, and annoyances from other beings. To persevere with our temper intact. 
  See Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount.
• Eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 
  (Eph 4:3). The Holy Spirit has already done a work within all born again
  Christians to unite us with each other (Eph 4:15–16), see Unity.

Seven truths of the Christian faith that unify believers (Eph 4:4–5, 6 (ESV)):

1. One Body. The Body of Christ consists of all born again believers in Christ, see The Book of Peter. We belong to each other, see Unity.
2. One Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit. All who receive Jesus as their Savior receive the Holy Spirit in their lives (Eph 4:30). It means that there is only one truth.
   We as Christians can be divided in the area of truth. We may have been wrongly taught or misunderstood the word of God, it happens all the time
   (Eph 4:13–15).
3. One Hope. Our hope should be based on the return of our great God
   and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13, 1 Cor 15:19), see Hope in 
   Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. 
4. One Lord. This refers to Jesus Christ as the Creator of the world
   (1 Cor 8:5–6). See Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
5. One Faith. There is only one true faith in the Bible (Jude 1:3), 
   see Faith in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love. See also How to Build Your Faith.
6. One Baptism. Baptism means immersed. It means immersed in water and is done after receiving Jesus as my Savior (Mat 28:19, 1 Cor 12:13).
   It's a picture of my salvation. It doesn't save, but is an act of obedience.
   See Christian Water Baptism in The Book of Romans.
7. One God and Father of all, see The Trinity. There is only one God
   (Isaiah 43:10). God is over all our lives and works through all believers,
   and is in all believers through the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:6).
   God the Father is the Father of all born again believers in Christ.

There are differences between natural abilities and spiritual gifts. Both are given by God. Musical talent is an example of a natural ability. We are born with natural abilities. Spiritual gifts are abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit, see Spiritual Gifts. We aren't born with them. They are abilities to do what we would otherwise not be able to do. Natural abilities and spiritual gifts can be used together.

Jesus has distributed spiritual gifts (and natural abilities) in the following ways:

1. Jesus has given every member of his body power to do work by grace 
   from God (Eph 4:7a), see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas.
2. Jesus has chosen to distribute his power and ability to each member
   of the body as he sees fit (Eph 4:7b). He doesn't do it equally in
   the Body of Christ. 

Spiritual gifts can be discovered in the following ways:

• Continue to grow in the word, especially from the New Testament.
• Ask the Lord to reveal your gifts.
• Serve wherever there is a need.
• Notice your passions/burdens.
• Be patient with God's timing.

Jesus gave the following services to the Body of Christ (Eph 4:8b, 11):

• Apostle. One sent forth with authority.
• Prophet. Gives a message from God. God speaks through
  one of his children. See Prophecy in Spiritual Gifts.
• Evangelist. Reaches the lost with the message of Christ.
• Shepherd (=Pastor), see The Book of Timothy.
• Teacher. Explains God's word. 

The purpose of these leadership services is to equip the believers,
to build up the Body of Christ (Eph 4:12, 16).

Apostles and prophets have built the foundation of the early church
with Jesus as the cornerstone (Eph 2:19–20), see
The Parable about the Wise and Foolish Builders. 

But an apostle today must not write down things that are revelatory, words that would add to the revelation of God's word (Rev 22:18–19). If it was allowed,
it wouldn't be possible to test what is taught according to God's word, the Bible,
if new revelations happened all the time (Acts 17:10–12). 
An apostle today is more like a missionary, see the following explanations: 

• Are There Any "Apostles" Today or Has this Gift Ceased?
• Are There Still Apostles In The Church Today?

The word apostle in Greek means "one sent forth with authority". In Christianity, it's someone who has been sent out to spread the good news about Jesus Christ and to establish churches. The term apostle was coined by Jesus himself (Mark 3:14–15). Among other things, Jesus was also an apostle and a high priest (Heb 3:1). 

Paul called himself an apostle (Eph 1:1). An apostle needs to have an evangelical heart, but doesn't necessarily need to be an evangelist. 

One who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort (1 Cor 14:3, Acts 15:32), see Prophecy in Spiritual Gifts.

An evangelist isn't necessarily sent out. It's a person who is gifted to share the gospel. It's not a person to bring people along in their faith, unless you are a teacher, but to bring them to the place of decision to become a Christian and to encourage them. We are all called to be prepared for some aspect of evangelism
(1 Pet 3:15b–16).

A shepherd is usually also a teacher. If you aren't also a teacher, there must be a person who acts as a teacher, who is close to the shepherd. 

A teacher doesn't have to be a shepherd. A congregation needs a teacher who conveys the truth from God's word. That is, reading a text from the Bible and being able to explain what it means, and encourage the application of this message. However, not many of us should become teachers, because those who teach will be judged with greater severity (Jas 3:1). Whenever we speak for God, it's important that we know what we are saying, that it's truly from God (2 Pet 2:1-3). A teacher must not go beyond what is written (1 Cor 4:6). Our attitude when teaching should be that we do only what is our duty (Luk 17:10). 

When Jesus came into our lives, we received the Holy Spirit, and we received the benefits of what Jesus did on the cross for us. He broke the dominion of the sinful nature in our lives (Rom 6:6, 11). We have been set free from living a life of sin
(Rom 8:2). We have been given a new nature even though the old nature remains.
We should choose to live differently according to the new nature
(Eph 4:22–24, 5:15, Rom 6:15–16). When we struggle with something in our lives that stems from the old nature, we should look to the solution; on Jesus, instead of on the problem (2 Pet 1:3–4, 1 Cor 10:13), see Sanctification. 

We should be slow to anger and not let it cause us to sin (Eph 4:26–27,
James 1:19–20). When we are treated badly by other people, we should first
take it to the Lord before we act (Eph 4:29–32, James 3:8–10, Heb 12:15),
see Forgive and You will Be Forgiven.

We should walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us
(Eph 5:2a). We are commanded to love one another (1 John 3:14, 16, 18, 23), 
see the end part of The Ten Commandments. Love is the determination of the will,
not a feeling. We should love sacrificially (Eph 5:2b, Mat 5:43–46),
see Love and not revenge in The Sermon on the Mount.

As Christians, we should live a life that is consistent with our calling (Eph 4:1). 
We are called to live not only for ourselves, but for God. Sexual immorality and all impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among us (Eph 5:3, 5). We aren't to get drunk with alcohol (Eph 5:18), see What does God think about Christians drinking alcohol? in The Woman's Place in the Congregation. If we fall into any of these areas, we must repent, see Sanctification. 

The husband has a special authority in a family, see The order of leadership in a marriage in The Woman's Place in the Congregation.

Children should obey their parents, see the 5th commandment in
The Ten Commandments. It should be like obeying the Lord.

As Christians, we are members in the New Covenant which is a spiritual one, with a spiritual enemy (1 Pet 5:8, James 4:7–8a). We must therefore act as follows:

• Be strong in the Lord and in his strength (Eph 6:10). 
• Put on the (full) armor, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph 6:11–13).
• Take our stand (Eph 6:14–17 and live in:
• truth (John 8:32), see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
• righteousness which I received through Jesus Christ, 
  in him we have become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21), 
• readiness is given by the gospel of peace so that we can stand without falling,
• faith to discern lies and deceptions (Isaiah 7:9b, 1 Pet 5:8–9), 
• hope that salvation gives (1 Thess 5:8b, Rom 8:30–31), 
• use God's word.
• Be alert (Eph 6:18b, Rom 13:11–12),
  see The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.
• Continue to pray always (Eph 6:18a),
  see The Parable of the Persistent Widow.

Summary (James 4:7–8a):

• Life is a battlefield.
• A dangerous enemy is on the loose.
• Worldly temptations are many.
• Our flesh is weak.
• Jesus won the victory on the cross.
• In Christ we are more than conquerors!

See also The New Testament of the Bible.