"GOD CHOOSES US.

UNIFYING PRINCIPLE In a competitive climate, we strive to be selected and we desire the benefits of being chosen. How do we thrive in a culture where not everyone is chosen? In Christ, God has already chosen and gifted us to be holy, blameless and forgiven.

LESSON AIM Believers are blessed and adopted as God’s children. Some have a somewhat negative viewpoint on the process and concept of adoption in our society. However, in the realm of heaven and the process of our inclusion, adoption serves as a necessary gift that ensures our salvation. We are to trust the process and trust in the faithfulness of the Lord.

LIFE AIM Believers under-appreciate the impact and meaning of the fundamental shift of identity God has performed on their behalf. That God has adopted us as His children places our lives in a direct line of our obtaining a place in heaven. Too often, believers take for granted the cost of Jesus’ gift as a ransom and do not zealously pursue a lifestyle based on spirit and truth. Believers must not conform to worldly apathy in our goal to live forever with Him.

Paul is imprisoned in Rome, where he writes this letter to the church at Ephesus. The letter is one of appreciation to a church that he founded (recorded in Acts 18:19-24) and he views to be a model church (which incidentally, underscores the maturity of Paul’s latter days). Paul glories in the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ and the One tIIhat God gave as our Savior and Redeemer. The fact that Paul considers the church at Ephesus a “model church” is evident. It seems to have truly been blessed by the Lord – and it is the only church listed among the seven churches of Revelation that has a letter included in the New Testament (Revelation 1:7 ff.). This letter is an encouragement to the believers to continue to love and remain faithful to Jesus Christ.

I. The Blessings of Redemption (Ephesians 1:1–8)

A.THE GREETING. 1-2

Selected For Service.

He attributed nothing to the vigour of his faith, to the passion of his gratitude for the Divine goodness, to the completeness of his self-consecration to Christ’s service; he was living and acting under the control of forces which had their origin above and beyond himself; his apostolic work was the effect and expression of a Divine volition.

Will: inclination (attitude) n. — an attitude of mind especially one that favors one alternative over others.

Message is For The Stewards of Service.

Paul brings a message that was intended to help and to hone the spirituality of the saints of God. Paul understood that in order for this church to be empowered it required that they constantly undergo spiritual development. The blessing of redemption is that the people of God are always given messages of help and hope for spiritual maturation.

B. THE GRATITUDE. 3-8

The Response Of The Redeemed.

Paul encourages us to bless Him who hath blessed us, this should be the response of every person who has been a recipient of the divine favor of God. Salvation blessings come from God and therefore God is the One to be praised. We do not earn salvation by our own merits. There is no praise in our efforts for salvation, but all must go to God for His efforts.

Reasons For Our Joyous Response.

1. (vs. 3). This verse says “Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”  After the Apostle Paul introduced himself to the believers at Ephesus he referred back to the time of the believer’s conversion, when we who received Christ received the title or deed to our “spiritual blessings.”  Paul began by describing God as “the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings.”  The verb translated “hath blessed” is in the past tense indicating that “all spiritual blessings” bestowed on the believer is already a completed fact.  Although we don’t enjoy all of God’s “spiritual blessings” right now, in God’s sight we do have them even now.  These “blessings” are “spiritual” and not temporal or earthly.  They are in the realm of the spirit, the part of us related to eternity.  These “spiritual blessings” provide everything we need to enrich and sustain “spiritual” life.  Paul goes on to say that these “spiritual blessings” that we have are “in heavenly places in Christ.”  Since they are “in Christ” we received the “blessings” when we received “Jesus Christ.”  Our “spiritual blessings”originate “in heavenly places” which refers to the celestial or heavenly realms that are separate from the temporal, mortal and corruptible earthly realm.  Therefore, the “spiritual blessings”that God gives believers are not subject to change or decay.  Their value goes beyond our earthly existence.

2. (vs. 4).  In this verse, Paul continued to explain that those spiritual blessings are bestowed on believers “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.”  The basis for God’s bestowal of spiritual blessings is His sovereign choice, for He has “chosen us in him before the foundation of the world.”  The words “in him” refer to Jesus Christ in the previous verse.  God chose us to be in His Son and to enjoy His blessings.  He laid out a perfect plan (see I Peter 1:18-20) for human redemption “before the foundation of the world,” or “before the world”and man were created.  God didn’t do this just to save us from hell, but to make us like Himself, “holy and without blame before him in love.”  In other words, God chose us “in love”to be His “holy” people who could stand before Him without any faults.  When we receive Christ as LORD and Saviour, we also receive His righteousness immediately; and God sees us in the perfections of His Son (see Romans 3:21-22; I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 5:21).  As far as experiencing perfect holiness, we won’t achieve that until we are in God’s presence, but we should still pursue holiness now.

(vs. 5).  In addition to God choosing believers, Paul also said “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.”  The words “in love” in the previous verse probably should go with this verse to read “in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself.”  The word “predestined” means “to mark out” or “to determine beforehand.”  For it was “in love”that God marked out beforehand our destiny as sons and daughters in His family.  “Adoption” in the New Testament is the act by which God places the believing sinner into His family with all the privileges and responsibilities of an adult son (see Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-7).  Note: We should see the idea of “adoption” in view of the Roman world in which Paul lived.  The adopted person suddenly had all the rights and privileges of a physical son or daughter even if they had been slaves.  The adopted child was no longer connected with his or her previous family.  Life was now new and old debts and obligations were cancelled as if they never existed.  Even though the adopted child enjoyed the same privileges as the rest of the family, they also had new family responsibilities.  So it is with the Christian.  When God adopts us into His family, we have no more connections with the world; we have a new life, and all our debts or sins have been cancelled as if they never existed.  We also have new responsibilities that include being completely obedient to the will of our new Father.  God adopts every person who receives Jesus Christ as personal Saviour into His family and gives them all the privileges of being His children.  We don’t have to earn those privileges; they are ours from the moment we are saved.  We become heirs and joint heirs with Christ when we receive Him by faith (see Romans 8:16-17).

(vs. 6).  Here Paul tells us that the ultimate purpose of God’s choice and bestowal of spiritual blessings on believers is “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”  God has chosen and accepted us so that “his grace” will be praised throughout eternity (see Ephesians 2:7).  God’s “grace” is His favor shown to unworthy sinful people.  God’s plan of salvation allows no place whatsoever for human effort (see Ephesians 2:8-9; I Corinthians 1:26-29).  He has done everything necessary so that He, not we, is glorified.

(vs. 7).  Still referring to the beloved One, Jesus Christ, here Paul says “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”  Jesus Christ provides “forgiveness of sins” and “redemption through his blood.”  The word “redemption” refers to a ransom or buying something back for the purpose of setting it free.  If an Old Testament Hebrew was sold into slavery and could not pay the price of his freedom, a relative could redeem him (see Leviticus 25:47-48).  Note: For the believer “redemption” is illustrated in the fact that we all are slaves to sin before we were saved.  Since God created us, we belong to Him, even though we walked away from Him into sinful living.  But in His love and mercy He paid the price to buy us back in order to set us free from the slavery of sin.  That means we are free from the eternal penalty for sin (the lake of fire and brimstone; see Revelation 21:7-8) and from the enslaving power of sin.  And since we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we don’t have to live in sin.  If we do, we show no fruits of redemption.  Christ became a man, or relative, so that He could free us from sin’s bondage.  The ransom price was “his blood.”  Since the ransom has been paid, there is also “forgiveness of sins.”  The word for “sins”is more accurately translated “trespasses” which speaks of any deviation from God’s standards.  “Forgiveness” goes hand in hand with “redemption.”  We can’t have one without the other.  To forgive means to give up the right to punish someone for a transgression.  Making “forgiveness” possible was a major accomplishment in God’s eyes because it required the sacrifice of blood and the death of His Son, Jesus.  Paul went on to say that God provided “redemption” and the “forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.”   In other words, the “grace” that God loves to display is more than sufficient for the “redemption” and “forgiveness” of the worst sinner.  However, it is only available to those who trust Christ’s saving work.

2. (vs. 8).  This verse says “Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”  God’s grace is spiritual wealth and Paul says here that along with His grace (see verse 7), God gave us “all wisdom and prudence.”  Of course, God has “wisdom” and “prudence” or “discernment” and He has given both to believers.

II. THE MYSTERY OF INHERITANCE. 9-14.

A. IT REVEALS HIS PURPOSE.

The ‘mystery’ is the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s new society on equal terms with Jews. But this present ethnic unity is a symbol or foretaste of a future unity that will be greater and more wonderful still.

B. IT REVEALS HIS PROVIDENCE.

Already Christ is head of his body, the church, but one day ‘all things’ will acknowledge his headship. At present there is still discord in the universe, but in the fullness of time the discord will cease, and that unity for which we long will come into being under the headship of Jesus Christ. When Paul speaks of a view into the administration suitable to the fullness of the times, he describes the time when all the spiritual elements will be in place and will have reached total fulfillment and completion of God’s purposes. Paul uses the idea of God as an administrator, i.e., the One who is in charge, and God’s administering His justice and grace through Jesus Christ. Therefore, at the appropriate time, when history has reached its epoch and zenith, all of the former mysteries in heaven and earth will coalesce because of Jesus’ relationship to humanity.

C. IT REVEALS HIS PROMISE.

In this final part of the benediction, Paul addresses his readers directly to emphasize that all the blessings that come to those who are in Christ, and that he has described in verses 3–12, also belong to them. This happened when they heard the gospel, believed the gospel, and entered the sphere of existence defined by Christ. In that place, the Holy Spirit began his work in their lives. The Holy Spirit sealed Paul’s readers, keeping them safe from God’s eschatological wrath, and provided them with a guarantee of the inheritance that God has promised to his people. God did all this in order that Paul’s readers, as members of God’s people, might praise him. Paul has provided a model for this sort of praise in his benedictory prayer