Book of Ephesians Summary: The Church in Christ. Ephesians is Paul’s grand vision of the church — not as an institution, but as the body of Christ, chosen before creation, redeemed by His blood, and empowered by the Spirit. Where Galatians thunders against false gospels, Ephesians soars in worshipful praise and cosmic perspective. It lifts believers’ eyes to God’s eternal plan in Christ, then brings that vision down into practical instructions for daily life.

The Fruit of the Spirit vs. the Sin of the Flesh: Evidence of Salvation. The Christian life is not defined merely by what we claim with our lips but by what is produced in our lives. Jesus said, “You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act… A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.” (Matt. 7:16, 18, NLT). Paul echoes this in Galatians 5, contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.