Ephesians - 1

Ephesians - 1

Ephesians 1:3-14

Introduction

In the New Testament letter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul presents a glorious definition and description of what it means to be a Christian. Throughout Ephesians, Paul presents that the Christian can be defined and described by two simultaneous realities. The first is deeply theological, while the second is deeply practical. To be a Christian means that a follower of Jesus lives in Union with Christ and in Unity with Christians. God’s saving work means that God’s people are Together in Christ. Throughout the series we will explore eight passages in Ephesians that show these twin realities for us as Christians.

Before a construction worker can build a house, they must first possess a blueprint. The blueprints serve two primary purposes. First, it is a summary of everything that will be involved in building the house…location of walls, electrical and plumbing logistics, angle of roof lines. Second, the blueprints serve as the determiner of all things regarding the building of the actual house. They determine its size, the scope of the project, and what the house is supposed to look like according to its designer. Our text for today serves as the blueprint for salvation. They are a summation of what salvation is, how it is to be accomplished, and what it means to be saved. But these verses are also the determiner of salvation. They clearly outline the who, the what, the when, the why, and the how of salvation. As we will see, God’s work of saving His people is done in and through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-14 - 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,

5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace

8 which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight,

9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him

10 for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him.

11 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

12 to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

TS - let’s walk through this incredible blueprint to see the scope and design of salvation, straight from the One who is salvation’s Grand Architect. It all begins in verse 3, which serves as an introduction to the section, and as one scholar put it, a “subtitle for the whole letter.” Verse 3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Typically, when Paul opens a letter he has a ‘thanksgiving’ section where he will encourage the readers and compliment them for their faith and faithfulness. Not here. He jumps right out of the gate with praise to God. ‘Blessed’ be God.

‘Blessed’, which he uses three times in the verse, are all variations of the word eulogy. Eu - good, logos - words. At a funeral when someone gives a eulogy, they say ‘good words’ about the person who has passed away. Paul explodes with ‘good words’, praise to God. Why is God worthy of being ‘blessed’? Because He is the God who blesses. And God blesses in abundant generosity…with every spiritual blessing. 2 Peter 1 tells us that God has provided everything we need for life and godliness. God is not stingy and He does not hold out on His people.

Notice that all of this blessing from God is accomplished ‘in Christ.’ That phrase, from which we get the doctrine of Union with Christ, is the most important phrase of this text, and of the entire letter. Just in this section, ‘in Christ’ and its derivatives are used 11x in twelve verses. What is repeated is important. But the phrase also comes up over 40 times in the letter as a whole. This is the theme of Ephesians. God’s blessings come on those who have been placed in Union with Christ. This phrase is so integral to the letter that ‘in Christ’ is Paul’s shorthand for salvation itself. To be ‘in Christ’ is to be saved. Paul will now expound that further in the rest of this text and in the rest of the letter. Here is the primary blessing our Blessed God has poured out to His people…He has saved sinners, united them to Christ, and abundantly blessed them.

SALVATION PLANNED (V. 4-6)

From our vantage point, when someone becomes a Christian, it happens because of some logical steps the person has taken. They hear the gospel presented somehow, from a friend, in a book, listening to a sermon. They maybe do some more research, read some books, ask a bunch of questions. And then they become convinced of the truth and trustworthiness of Christ’s offer of salvation. It’s settled. They now believe in Jesus and trust in Him. So they repent of sin, get in the waters of baptism. All done.

That is understandable and, again, from our vantage point, that is exactly what happens. Ephesians 1 pulls back the curtain to show us what is happening behind the scenes. Here, we get a glimpse of the Grand Architect at work designing salvation. God is presented almost as a master chess player who is behind the scenes moving the pieces around, with His moves being the only ones that matter. Yes, you believed. Yes, you learned. Yes, you have come to these conclusions. Who is responsible for that? Well, not you. God is undeniably the sole initiator of salvation.

v. 4-6 - 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,

5 by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.

‘Just as’, meaning that these are the blessings God has poured out on His people. First, He chose us. You did not choose God. God chose you. How do we know that? That is exactly what the text says. Before the foundation of the world…before He created the universe, in eternity past, when only God was in existence, He chose you. This is the first of many ways that Paul will emphasize God’s grace in salvation. It is 100% by grace. You did not deserve it. You did not earn it. How do we know that? He chose you before you were even born, before the world even began. Before you could show any form of morality or righteousness, He chose you. And how did He choose you? ‘In Him.’ You are chosen in Christ. Meaning, Christ was there in eternity past, with God the Father, choosing those who would be His people. Solely by grace. Solely at His initiation.

God’s goal of salvation is that you ‘would be holy and blameless before Him.’ Again, this emphasizes God’s grace. If God’s plan is to make you holy and blameless by saving you, that implies that you were unholy and to be blamed for your sin. But God, in His mercy, by His grace, chose unholy, blame-filled you to become transformed by Him to be holy and blameless. Both of those words are used in the OT to refer to the kind of sacrifices God accepts. God demanded spotless animals without blemish. His holy character demanded that. He still does. There is certainly then an implication of ethical and moral standards. You are to be holy and blameless before Him…’in love.’ Your saved status before God is to manifest itself in your loving relationships. This is the theme that will dominate the back half of Ephesians as Paul details what it looks like to live in Unity with Christians. He merely hints at what is to come.

God’s grace is emphasized yet again as Paul continues to hammer on the fact of God’s initiative in saving you. Verse 5…’by predestining us to adoption.’ To ‘predestine’ means to decide beforehand. So before you were born, before you ever did anything, God decided to save you. All of it as an act of His mercy. All of it is grace.

And again, there is a clear purpose behind it all. He predestines for adoption. His choice of you is not some random choice or some fantasy-draft. God chose you to be His child. How incredible is that! Your sin separates you from God, making you His enemy. Yet…instead of condemning you, destroying you…He adopts you. God only has one natural Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The rest of us are adopted in. And here is the kicker…just like in adoption we understand today, the adopted child receives the same benefits, the same inheritance, receives the same love as the natural child. God loves you in the same way He loves Christ. God grants to you the same inheritance that belongs to Christ.

All of this was done ‘according to the good pleasure of His will.’ God has never felt obligated to save you. God was never manipulated or argued into saving you. God wasn’t compelled by some future belief you would have in Him. It is by the sheer pleasure of His plan to save you. He delights in welcoming you to Himself. And all of this ends with, verse 6 - to the praise of the glory of His grace. This is the first of three times that phrasing is used in the text. Though this one is a little different than the rest. The other two are about praising God’s glory, while this one is praising how glorious God’s grace is. God’s grace has initiated salvation in eternity past and He has saved you without any merit on your part. That…is glorious!

SALVATION ACCOMPLISHED (V. 7-12)

Verse 6 concluded by summarizing salvation is centered ‘in the Beloved,’ Paul now turns to the Beloved Son of God to show the actual accomplishment of our salvation in Christ. Verse 7 - In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace. In Christ, because of Christ, we have redemption. In the previous section all of the verbs were in the past tense, but here the present-day reality of salvation is highlighted. By the work of Christ we have, right now, redemption. In the historical context for Paul, redemption is a slave term. It comes from the slave blocks in the city markets where people bought and sold the slaves. But for Paul, the primary resource for his understanding of redemption is the OT. When God powerfully defeated Egypt and set His people free in the Exodus from their bondage, the primary term God used throughout the OT for what He did was ‘redemption.’ Set free.

Why do you need to be set free? Because your soul is enslaved to sin. You cannot defeat sin, its power and its consequences, on your own. But Christ set you free. Through His blood, at the cross, He accomplished forgiveness for the sin that enslaves you. All the chains of sin that bound you to death and destruction are removed in Christ. All the debt owed to God by your sin is eliminated by Christ.

Again, it is by the riches of His grace. Who is responsible for your salvation? God is. By His grace. Now Paul will go an interesting direction for a couple verses. In Christ we do not merely have redemption. In Christ we also have revelation. God, through Christ, has revealed His eternal plan.

v. 9-10 - 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him

10 for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him.

Before Christ came, God’s grand plan was a mystery. Biblically, a mystery is something that has been hidden but now revealed. God had hinted at His eternal plans in the OT, but now they are all disclosed in Christ. God’s plan has been ‘purposed’ in Christ, a word that means ‘pre-set-forth’ calling back to 1:4 and God’s sovereign election and predestining of His people. Before it all began, this is how God decided it would go. It would all be accomplished in and through Christ.

He is the ‘administration’ and the ‘summation’ of all things. Meaning, Jesus Christ is the centerpiece, the entire point, and the endpoint of all history. Everything before Christ came was pointing to and leading up to Him. Everything since Christ came has stemmed directly from who He is and what He has done. And all things will eventually culminate in Christ.

But it all goes even further than that. Paul just keeps climbing up glorious mountain peak after mountain peak. v. 11 - In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. God has done this saving work for you, in Christ, to make you an inheritance. Now, notice Paul does not say you are receiving an inheritance…that comes later in verse 14. Here, you are the inheritance. God did all of this saving work…so that He could have you. Again, God does not do His work in some cold, calculated way. That is how some of these doctrines are presented at times, things like predestination and counsel and will. They sound cold and distant. But they are not that at all. Because of His tender, merciful, compassionate affection for you, He has saved you, so that you could be with Him.

And at the same time, God’s absolute sovereignty in salvation is again put on full display. Again we are told all this was ‘predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.’ God sovereignly predestined all of salvation before the world began. And it is accomplished solely by Him in His purpose, His counsel, His will. Salvation comes only from Him and is accomplished fully by Him. For what purpose? Verse 12…for the praise of His glory. Salvation is from Him, by Him, and ultimately for Him.

SALVATION GUARANTEED (V. 13-14)

Even after all that has been presented, God is still not finished. v. 13-14 - 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Like a furniture maker, we have seen God masterfully assemble salvation, stain it with a beautiful finish, and now He will seal it with a clear coat. The seal serves to preserve, to protect all that has been done. When God saves you, He grants to you the indwelling presence and power of His Holy Spirit, sealing you for eternity. Preserving your salvation forever.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of promise, ‘given as a pledge of our inheritance.’ With His Spirit, God quite literally ‘seals the deal’ regarding your salvation. It is finished. Fully accomplished. Never to fade. Never to be undone. He is a ‘pledge.’ The best way to translate that word is ‘first payment’ like earnest money down on a mortgage. It is a guarantee of better things to come. What we experience now regarding our relationship with the Lord is merely a hint, a foretaste of the fullness of salvation coming in eternity. He is the pledge ‘of our inheritance.’ Earlier in verse 11 that we are an inheritance, in that God gets us, here we also get the inheritance. All that God has, all that God has promised, will be ours for all eternity.

He is a pledge of this, the first installment of the promise of full payment to come, ‘unto the redemption of God’s own possession.’ God’s Spirit seals you all the way until the end. He will never fail. He will never abandon you. You will never break out of that seal and become unsaved. His seal is permanent and He is capable of seeing you through anything and everything until the end. Philippians 1:6 - For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

And what is all this for? ‘To the praise of His glory.’ God the Father planned before creation began to save you. Jesus fully accomplished your salvation at the cross, securing forgiveness. The Spirit seals you, guaranteeing that what God has promised for eternity will indeed come to pass. What other response could we have other than praising God for who He is and what He has done? The text opened in v. 3 with praise to God because He is the God who blesses…and we have seen that is true beyond our imagination. And all throughout, we are reminded…He deserves all our praise for all He has done.

Conclusion

Woven throughout everything, imbedded within the entire blueprint, on every page, in every corner, in every detail…Jesus is the centerpiece of it all. v. 3 - in Christ; v. 4 - in Him, v. 4 - before Him; v. 5 - through Jesus Christ; v. 6 - in the Beloved; v. 7 - In Him;

v. 7 - through His blood; v. 9 - in Him; v. 10 - in Christ; v. 10 - in Him; v. 11 - in Him;

v. 12 - in Christ; v. 13 - in Him; v. 13 - in Him.

What is repeated is important! All things lead to Christ. All things flow from Christ. All things find their meaning in Christ. All things are for Christ. Including you.