Ephesians 1.12c-The Reason for the Church Age Believer's Certainty in Possessing a Confident Expectation of Blessing
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday April 20, 2023
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 1:12c-The Reason for the Church Age Believer’s Certainty in Possessing a Confident Expectation of Blessing
Lesson # 38
Ephesians 1:3 The God, namely the Father of the Lord ruling over us, who is Jesus Christ, is worthy of praise. Namely, because He is the one who has blessed each and every one of us by means of each and every kind of Spirit appropriated blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. 4 For He chose each and every one of us for His own purpose because of Him alone before creation in order that each and every one of us would be holy as well as uncensurable in His judgment. 5 He did this by predestinating each and every one of us for the purpose of adoption as sons because of His love through Jesus Christ for Himself according to the pleasure of His will. 6 This was for the purpose of praising His glorious grace, which He freely bestowed on each and every one of us because of the one who is divinely loved. 7 Because of whom, each one of us are experiencing that which is the redemption through His blood, namely the forgiveness of our transgressions according to His infinite grace. 8 This He provided in abundance for the benefit of each and every one of us because of the exercise of a wisdom, which is absolute and divine in nature resulting in the manifestation of an insight, which is absolute and divine in nature. 9 He did this by revealing the mystery of His will for the benefit of each and every one of us according to His pleasure, which He planned beforehand because of our faith in and resultant union and identification with Himself. 10 This was for the dispensation which brings to completion the various periods of history. Namely, to unite for the benefit of Himself each and every animate and inanimate object in the sphere of the sovereign authority of the person of the one and only Christ. Specifically, to unite for the benefit of Himself those things in the heavens as well as those things on the earth in the sphere of the sovereign authority of Himself. 11 Because of whom, each and every one of us has been claimed as a possession because of having been predestinated according to the predetermined plan. Namely, the one who is causing each and every animate and inanimate object to function according to His purpose, that is, His sovereign will 12 in order that each and every one of us would belong to a particular group of people. Namely, those who are certain of possessing a confident expectation of blessing because of their faith in and union and identification with the one and only Christ for the purpose of praising His glory. (Lecturer’s translation)
Now, as we noted here in Ephesians 1:12, the second prepositional phrase en tō Christō (ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ), “because of their faith in and union and identification with the one and only Christ” is modifying the participial clause tous proēlpikotas en tō Christō (τοὺς προηλπικότας), “Namely, those who are certain of possessing a confident expectation of blessing.”
It presents the reason why the church age believer is the first to possess this confident expectation of blessing.
It is because of their faith in and union and identification with Jesus Christ that they are the first to possess this confident expectation of blessing.
This prepositional phrase emphasizes that both Jewish and Gentile church age believers can be certain of possessing a confident expectation of receiving a resurrection body at the rapture and rewards for faithful service at the Bema Seat because they will not receive these blessings because of their own merits.
But rather, this prepositional phrase emphasizes that they will receive these blessings based upon the merits of the object of their faith at justification, Jesus Christ, as well as based upon the merits of their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
Though, the church age believer does merit rewards for faithful service at the Bema Seat, the basis of these rewards is Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
In other words, the only reason why the church age believer can merit rewards at the Bema Seat for faithful service is that their relationship to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is based upon the merits of the object of their faith at justification as well as their merits of their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
The proper name Christos (Χριστός), “the one and only Christ” refers of course to the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.
This word in classical Greek identifies that which has been thus smeared or anointed. In the Greek New Testament, it is used only as a noun, either as an appellative (“the Anointed One, the Christ”) or a personal name (“Jesus Christ” or “Christ”).
It corresponds to the Hebrew mashiach and denotes someone who has been ceremonially anointed for an office.
In the Old Testament, three office bearers are expressly described as mashiach i.e. as anointed with oil: (1) Prophet (2) High priest (3) King.
Therefore, the noun Christos (Χριστός) signifies the three-fold offices held by our Lord: (1) Prophet (2) Priest (3) King.
The anointing of oil on the individual assigned by God to one of these offices signified that he was empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, oil signified the presence and power of God the Holy Spirit, thus the Messiah or Christ was One who was totally and completely guided and empowered by God the Holy Spirit.
The Messiah is characterized by permanent possession of the Spirit, which enables or empowers Him as the Messianic Ruler to reign with integrity and wisdom.
Therefore, the word Christos (Χριστός) denotes the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth, thus He is the Deliverer of the human race in three areas through His death, resurrection, ascension and session: (1) Satan (2) Cosmic System (3) Old Sin Nature.
The Lord’s Messiahship has a four-fold significance: (1) Separation unto God. (2) Authorization from God. (3) Divine enablement. (4) The coming Deliverer.
It also signifies the uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth who is the God-Man.
Christos (Χριστός) signifies that Jesus of Nazareth served God the Father exclusively and this was manifested by His execution of the Father’s salvation plan which was accomplished by His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross.
The word signifies that Jesus of Nazareth has been given authority by God the Father to forgive sins, give eternal life, and authority over all creation and every creature as a result of His execution of the Father’s salvation plan.
It denotes that Jesus of Nazareth was perpetually guided and empowered by God the Holy Spirit during His First Advent.
Lastly, Christos (Χριστός) signifies that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised deliverer of the human race from the bondage of Satan, his cosmic system and the old Adamic sin nature.
The noun Christos (Χριστός), “Christ” emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate Son of God delivered all of sinful humanity from the sin nature, personal sins, the devil and his cosmic system, spiritual and physical death and eternal condemnation through His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the Father’s right hand.
These events in the life of Christ not only provided the offer of salvation to all of sinful humanity by they also redeemed the entire human out from the slave market of sin, reconciled them to a holy God and propitiated the Father’s holiness.
This deliverance, redemption, reconciliation and propitiation are appropriated the moment the sinner trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Here in Ephesians 1:12, the noun Christos (Χριστός) contains the figure of metonymy which means that the one and only Christ is put for the church age believer’s faith in and union and identification with Him.
The articular construction of this word indicates that the referent of this word is in a class by himself and the only one deserving of the name since there were many individuals in the first century A.D. who claimed to be the Christ or were proclaimed to be the Christ.
Thus, the articular construction of this word means that He is “the one and only Christ.”