Ephesians 1:1-2

I took a quick look at what I've posted about in the past and I noticed that I don't always finish books.  I've only gotten through the first 2 chapters of Colossians this time and I'm already jumping to another book.  I don't think I'll leave Colossians entirely, but for today I am moving to Ephesians.  I guess they're quite similar, so it's not really that fair... In any case, this is where we're at and we'll see what happens...

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

-Ephesians 1:1-2

So this is pretty simple for the most part.  This is written by Paul to "the saints who are in Ephesus.  Paul also gives a typical greeting as well, "Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ".  I guess it should also be mentioned that these saints who Paul is writing to are also ones who "are faithful in Christ Jesus".  I guess Paul thought it was important to specify that his readers are not only saints but are faithful in Christ.  Can you be a saint and not be faithful in Christ?  I would think that both go together and can't really be separated.  Perhaps certain people would consider themselves saints but don't have a proper understanding that they should also be faithful in Christ.

There is another interesting thing that I noticed in this introduction.  Paul describes himself as being "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God".  First of all, he is an apostle, which is pretty special.  I remember learning about how they had to see and be appointed by Jesus himself, meaning that there aren't anymore apostles nowadays (though some would argue against that).  In any case, what's interesting is that Paul says "by the will of God".  If you don't know Paul's story, he certainly wasn't anyone's first pick to be a forerunner of the gospel.  He was persecuting Christians until he was miraculously saved.  It wasn't Paul's decision or path he was on, but God had another plan.  It was God's will to choose Paul to be an apostle.  This makes me think about God and his will.  By his grace he picks his Pauls in their opposition to him.  Some may argue their "okay" current standing or standing before being saved ("I was a good person, didn't lie, cuss or steal"), but that's ridiculous.  Though perhaps not out to kill Christians, we were all in direct opposition to God in one way or another.  As we read through Ephesians we'll see the truth.  It is by him and his grace, not me, that I am saved.  It is by the will of God that we are where we are and that Paul was an apostle.