EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1:3-14 (2)

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1:3-14 (Use)

EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1:3-14

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

Thank you president loper for the opportunity.

Let us pray

A number of years ago, a madman, called Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait, bringing death and destruction. Knowing it would be next on Saddam’s hit list, Saudi Arabia called Washington and asked for help. On that occasion, President Bush was at his best. He picked up the phone and called England, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, and many other countries and built the famed coalition.

Men and women from different backgrounds, races, classes, cultures, and personalities all gathered in the Gulf with one focused agenda – to serve notice on this madman, demanding that he not take more territory and that he relinquish the territory already taken. The coalition was to inform him his days of rule in the Gulf were over.

Another mad person in history is called the Devil, against whom God, too, has built a coalition to wage war – it’s called the church. If we’re going to be a vibrant, successful force for God in the world, and if we’re going to have victory over the prince of the power of the air, then the church is going to have to function as an allied coalition.

When there is a common goal based on a common authority to set forth a common agenda, then we can have a common success. God has created one body made up of different persons, all of whom have received a common call from God in Christ.

This is what the epistle to the Ephesians is all about - the unity of the church, a coalition of people with different religious, racial, and social backgrounds into one body to live as a powerful force for God in the world.

That was one of the the things on Paul’s mind when he write the book of Ephesians while in prison in Rome around 61-63AD

Paul was writing to the saints in Ephesus. In Acts 19. Ephesus was a great city for its time. A major port for Asian minor. It was a great commercial hub. There was a lot of pilgrims who visited to trade and conduct other businesses. Because of Pegan practices going on in Ephesus, Paul writes to the saints to remain true to the faith and not mix their believes with Pegan believes (Syncretism), secondly, he was reminding the gentile Christians not to exclude Jewish Christians or anyone else from inclusion in the church.

Paul did not want to see 2 churches – one Jewish and one Gentile, he wanted both of these to be accommodated in one single body.

Let’s read for chapter 1:3-14

We could see from this passage that Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was writing to the saints to tell them of the Spiritual Blessings they have in Christ.

God wants you to know that you have spiritual blessings in Christ.

Well, you may be here today and wondering ‘how can I have these spiritually blessings? I can tell you the answers are all graciously given to us in the passage of scripture we have read.

The passage tells us about our blessings in Christ. The theme here us”In Christ or in Him”. The phrase in Christ/in Him appears 164 times in all the epistles that Paul wrote 9 of which are repeated in the passage and 3 times it repeated the phrase To the praise of His glory.

V3 – God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessings. What are these blessings

They are

Our predestination

Our Redemption

Our Inheritance

Our Seal of the Holy spirit

Vv 4-6 - Paul is talking about. Listen to what Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is saying between Vv4-6

He choice us in Him before the foundation of the world

He predestined us for adoption as sons

This is clearly telling me that God in eternity past and based on His own sovereign choice chose to pour out His grace on us who will become His people by drawing us neigh to him thereby enabling us to believe in the finished work of Christ. God has chosen from past to save us to Himself. Glory to God. We believe that this passage teaches that God's election of individuals for salvation is based on His foreknowledge of their faith in Jesus, and not on His arbitrary decision. That God's predestination of individuals for adoption as His children is not a passive decision, but rather an active demonstration of His love for humanity.

Therefore, predestination is not a rigid and deterministic doctrine, but rather a dynamic and relational understanding of God's plan for humanity. The emphasis is on God's grace and love, which are freely given to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Our redemption is the Second blessing spoken of in Vv7-10. Our redemption through the blood of Christ. The forgiveness of our sins. In Him, In Christ. We have redemption and forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of His grace which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and making known to us the mystery of his will according to His purpose which he set forth in Christ. Romans 3:23 say we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and in that same chapter in verse 14 quoting from the book of Psalms Paul reminds us none is righteous before God. The wages of our sin demand judgement and that judgement is death. So, because he is a just God, something has to be done. God’s wrath has to be appeased. Someone has to bear that wrath on our behalf so that we could be made right with God. God chose His only son according to the riches of His grace to go to the cross and die a sacrificial death which served as substitute for our sins and as a result in Him we have redemption through His blood and the forgiveness of our sins. What an incredible blessing. Lavish here, can be seen as a reflection of God's abundant generosity, love, and grace towards humanity.

Blessing number 3 is outlined in verses 11-12 – Our inheritance - He has blessed us with our inheritance. Not only has he predestined and redeemed us but we have obtained an inheritance. God did not only see it fit to make us right with Him and adopt us as sons and daughters but he has also ordained that we would also receive an inheritance with Christ. To fully comprehend what this inheritance is let look at 1 Peter 1:3-4 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”

This inheritance is imperishable. undefiled and unfading. It is not corruptible; it is unstained and its beauty will never fade. As followers of Jesus, we await this inheritance. Amen

And finally, we have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance. The Holy Spirit is given to every believer at the moment of salvation. That same spirit spoken of in Romans 8 that bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and this same holy spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until such a time that we acquire procession of this inheritance spoken about in verse 11. We have it but haven’t really experienced it yet maybe this analogy will make it clearer.

Think about that nine-month period known as pregnancy. Right from the time a mother finds out she has this baby that God has given life inside of her and when its six weeks older, you hear the heartbeat and you know that baby is there, you know it because the doctors give you proof but nothing seems different. As time goes on and you begin to show it becomes a little more real that this baby is yours and then you feel that baby move for the first time and then the realness really sets in and then that baby begins to grow and starts doing gymnastics and somersaults inside your belly and there's no question now that this baby is yours and then from our side as men we get to experience that because as time goes on we can put our hand on that belly and we can feel that baby move and doing all of his or her gymnastics in there. The baby is yours in a very real sense but in another sense, you're waiting for the fulfillment, you’re waiting for the birth when you can hold that child when you can look at him when you can touch him when you can kiss his cheeks when you can cuddle him in your arms Paul even uses this analogy of pregnancy in Romans 8 to speak of us as humanity and even creation as we await the fulfillment of what God is going to do. Just as creation is awaiting renewal so we as sons and daughters of God are doing the same and the Holy Spirit is given to us by God the Father as a spiritual blessing in Christ to be that guaranteed to be that down payment that proof of purchase for this inheritance that we await inheritance.

We believe entire sanctification, which is that a Christian can attain a state of sinless perfection through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. In this belief, the seal of the Holy Spirit refers to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life, serving as a mark of God's ownership and protection, and a guarantee of ultimate salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14 and 4:30

So brethren, as we think about this passage in all of Scripture Ephesians 1 verse 3 through 14, It is my prayer that this passage would serve to comfort us and encourage us and strengthen us and spur us on this morning as we reflect on the spiritual blessings that God has blessed us with in Christ. May we as with Paul bless the Lord our God the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ as we think on these things as Charles Spurgeon says on these verses and I'll

close with this there is no end to the blessing which God gives to his chosen He is always bussing us with blessings upon blessings grace upon grace and then there would be glory to crown it all.

Blessed be his holy name forever.