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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.
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