Grace and Peace

Good morning, welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bibles to Ephesians 1.

Next week- Ed

Learned so far.

Author- Paul, an apostle. Saved by Jesus, Sent by Jesus, Sent for Jesus.

Audience- Saints at Ephesus. Those who have been set apart, consecrated, made holy for God’s purposes.

Read Ephesians 1:2- Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pray.

This greeting a favorite of Paul’s, being used seven times in his NT letters.

Reminder, what Paul is saying to the church at Ephesus in this greeting is not meant only for that body of believers.

Three main components found in our text, all of which pertain to these gifts that are being given.

Let’s look through them one at a time.

1. The Givers of the gifts.

God our Father.

So much to unpack- think back to Lord’s prayer.

Couple things to note.

God is Father, but more specifically, God is our Father.

Written to saints.

Will spend much of this introduction speaking of how we are chosen and adopted into God’s family.

We are right to see God as our Father. Our text deals with what God has done and is doing.

In fact, our whole text is about the giving of these gifts of grace and peace. And that the Father and Son give these gifts.

What are the implications of God the Father being the giver of these gifts to His people?

First, God as Father loves to give.

We never read in Scripture of a god who gives begrudgingly, but instead about the God who gives generously.

Consider our own call to generosity- it’s possible only because we have experienced God’s generosity.

He is more willing to give then we are often willing to ask or receive.

James 4:2-3- You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

We don’t have because we don’t ask. God is ready to give what is needed. Do we ask?

Notice what Paul is saying, that God the Father, as Father, gives to His children both grace and peace.

He lavishes upon His children.

Don’t miss here that God is a giver who loves to give.

Second, God as Father gives what is necessary.

Gift giving is a toss up. In giving to my wife, sometimes I hit and sometimes I miss.

Great to give something that is desired. Even better to give something that is truly needed.

God never misses. He gives what is necessary to live this life as it is meant to be lived. Sometimes we desire what is given, often we don’t, but we always need what is given.

James 1:2-4- Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Count it all joy because your trials will make it so that you are complete and lacking nothing.

Third, God as Father gives as much as is needed.

God’s grace and peace given to His children never runs out. We never have the excuse that God hasn’t given me enough.

In our lives, perhaps we will be given something to start us off, and then we will run out and become responsible for it ourselves. Not so with God.

His mercies are new every morning. Like manna in the desert, we just keep on receiving what is needed.

Turn our attention to Jesus as Giver.

Jesus Christ the Lord.

Lord, superior, the One who is truly in charge.

If the God the Father gives gifts that are necessary, Jesus as Lord gives gifts with intention.

His gifts aim us in the right direction and equip us with what we need to go in that direction.

Jesus is Lord of life, the One to whom we give our entire lives. He is the one in control of all things.

Jesus commands to go and make disciples, to love one another, to wash each others feet, to serve one another.

With Jesus as the giver of the gifts, we find the purpose behind what is given. Grace and peace to do what Jesus has said.

The commands of Jesus are not impossible, only because we are being equipped by a loving Father and an almighty Lord.

2. The gifts that are given.

Grace.

charis- undeserved favor.

We possess nothing that contributes to our salvation, instead it is freely given.

Romans 4:4- “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.”

Both salvation and sustaining.

Harold Hoehner- Grace is the gospel in one word.

How do you define the gospel, what has been accomplished for you? Grace. Undeserved. Favor.

Grace is the fuel for obedience.

155 times in the NT, 100 times in Paul, 12 times in Ephesians. Topic of unparalleled importance for Paul.

Peace.

eirene- a sense of wholeness, completeness, lack of warfare. What we might find at the end of an epic movie. Rest.

Specifically throughout the NT, peace is what is experienced between us and God, and between believers.

43 times in Paul, 8 of which in Ephesians.

Both grace and peace are major terms in Paul’s life and theology, and are meant to be understood correctly.

These terms sum up Ephesians. Grace is the cause, given by God to bring about salvation. The effect of salvation is peace between God and man and within the church.

This is Ephesians. Three chapters on God’s grace given to sinners. Three chapters on the effect of such grace- lives experiencing peace.

Should come as no surprise that ch. 4 is about unity.

Gifts reveal the nature and character of the Givers.

Namely, the Givers are good, loving, caring, kind.

The Givers are wealthy. Not so much materially, but there is an unimaginable fullness to God.

One can only give what one can afford.

There is no end to what God can promise, and thus there is no end to what God can provide.

God delivers on the massive promises of grace and peace.

Givers reveal the nature and value of the gifts.

Because God is the Author and Giver of the gifts, we can trust in what is given.

On some level, doubting is the easiest route to take. We see it in children rejecting new foods.

Grace will truly save. Grace will truly sustain. Peace will truly reign.

3. The recipients of the gifts.

The gifts given also reveal the nature and need of the recipients.

Grace and peace, as already defined and described, are not naturally owned or possessed by any man or woman.

Notice how we find this laid out clearly in all that Paul says about the recipients of this letter.

Saints- set apart by God for His purposes. Not holy in and of themselves.

Then grace and peace, two most important and necessary realities in all of life, are given rather than self-produced.

Paul wants his readers to know their need and their provision.

V. 1-2 lay the foundation for the rest of the entire letter of Ephesians.

We are empty handed. Notice the language, not that we come empty handed. We have no ability to step toward Christ.

We are empty, God comes to us full.

God must give grace before we have the peace with God that is necessary for us to approach God in any way, shape or form.

Consider the imagery of a baby needing sustenance- no ability to approach or hunt down what is needed. Someone must care for a baby by coming to the baby.

Such an illustration falls short. Eph. 2 makes clear we are dead in our sins. The baby needing fed is alive, can cry out for what is needed. Not so with sinful man. We don’t come with empty hands because our hands lay dead at our side. We don’t come with empty hands because our legs are lifeless.

But God is rich in mercy. He gives grace where we didn’t know grace was necessary.

This is the good news of the gospel. When Paul calls the readers saints, he isn’t telling them to be more holy, to reach some bar in order that they might be saved. He is saying it was impossible to be made holy until God did what was necessary.

God gives grace and peace is our new reality. No better news that can be spoken.

Have you realized your need? Have you recognized your lack? Only God our Father and Jesus the Lord can give what is necessary. Will your eyes be opened to such a reality this morning?

Henry Francis Lyte- Abide with Me- I need Thy presence every passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who like Thyself my guide and strength can be? Through cloud and sunshine, abide with me.