John writes that “God is Love” — and it is such love that defines not only the character and nature of God, but is the undercurrent of all He does.
In lesson 10 of the Deeper Christian Bible Study Series in Ephesians, we examine Paul’s statement that God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him and He has predestined us for adoption … “in love.”
This in-depth study focuses on the “love” aspect of God’s character and nature and examines what it means in light of Ephesians 1:4-5 and how His love is to also define our lives as Christians.
Lesson 010:
A Life of Love
Watch the Video
Listen to and Download the Lesson
Subscribe to the Podcast
If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe on your favorite app by searching for “Deeper Christian Ephesians” or clicking the button below.
A Simple Study Reference
Passage: Ephesians 1:4-5
A Life of Love
Ephesians 1:4-5 – … just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love; He predestined us to adoption as sons to Himself through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will …
- Love: agapē
- 1 John 4:8, 16: … God is love (agape)
- Must see God in light of the life of Jesus
- Hebrews 1:3 – “[Jesus is] the brightness of [God’s] glory, the express image of Himself, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”
- Colossians 2:9 – “For in Him lives all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
- Love must define our lives
- Mark 12:30 – “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.”
- John 13:35 – “Jesus told His disciples ‘By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.'”
- 1 Corinthians 13 –
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profits me nothing.Love suffers long (or is patient) and is kind; love envies not; love flaunts not itself and is not puffed up, does not behave itself improperly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. … So now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
NRJohnson Commentary on “A Life of Love” in Ephesians 1:4-5
» sorry for the delay on the commentaries, I am working on it and will have it available on here shortly. Thanks for your patience.
In Our Next Study Together …
I invite you to join me on this journey from the book of Ephesians to discover God’s eternal purpose, His plan for your
If you desire to join me in preparing for next week’s study, I encourage you to do the following three things:
- Read the book of Ephesians (preferably every day)
- Saturate in Ephesians 1:3-14 (the blessing section)
- Do a study in verse 5 and specifically examine the concept of adoption
Help Others Out –
Leave a Rating & Review on Apple Podcasts (formerly called iTunes)
If you enjoyed the show, please take 30 seconds and rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. This would be a tremendous blessing to help us get the word out to others who might also enjoy it—as Apple uses the rating and reviews in their searches to help other people find the show.
The Deeper Christian Bible Study Series
The Deeper Christian Bible Study Series in Ephesians is an in-depth verse-by-verse study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. These studies will guide you through this life-changing book of the Bible and give you practical application to help you grow in your faith, gain greater intimacy with Jesus, experience the victorious Christian life, and help you build your life around Jesus Christ.
About NRJohnson
NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the
Read more about him here.
Related Posts
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, deeperChristian will receive an affiliate commission (with no additional cost to you). It is a great way to support the work and ministry of deeperChristian. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”