Rooted In Our Wealth #3

Blessings From The Father

Text: Ephesians 1:4-6

Introduction

For every project there was a time in the past when all the details where thought through and decided upon. With humanity, something always gets overlooked or a potential problem not anticipated.

The Apostle Paul is not talking about something man has worked out, but rather a great salvation and it’s riches worked out by a perfect Father in Heaven.

1) The Extent Of The Believer’s Blessings

A. God’s eternal nature

You and I express time as — I was, I am or I will be.

You and I simply deal with the “here and now.”

The future can be anticipated; the past can be remembered; we are quickly touched by the present moment.

The Godhead claims eternity of being.

John 8:58 “58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

All three tenses of time merge into present when it comes to God’s relationship with time.

a. “he hath chosen us IN HIM before the foundation of the world”

The emphasis and key to this is the phrase is IN HIM.

Since God lives in the present tense, there is to Him no time difference between the moment He chose me and the moment I chose Him. John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 1:4a.

From our vantage point it is in the past and from God’s, the eternal present.

The choir writer G. R. Harding wrote, Why did He love me? I never can tell; Why did He suffer to save me from Hell? Nothing but infinite grace from above Could have conceived such a story of love.

b. God has changed you

“That we should be holy and without blame before him in love”

Think for a moment about all the mistakes you’ve made since your conversion.....

Guess what… God sees no blemish in you!!!

HOW CAN THIS BE???

Every believer is promised the full realization of Christlikeness when God calls us home.

The only one God is pleased with is His Son.

If sin is not welcome in heaven, some kind of work must be going on down here.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy and without blame in the everyday aspects of life. John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 1:4b.

The Holy Spirit is constantly molding your imperfect state to match your perfect POSITION; PERFECTION.

1 John 4:17 “17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

c. The Father has made every believer a son/daughter

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”

“Adoption” speaks to being SONS more than it does being children.

Children = membership in God’s family

Sons = full maturity in the family; the position you occupy in the family

Illustration: Wilson & Sons Building Supply; the sons are partners in their Father’s business. They assume positions of authority and responsibility.

God desired to immediately allow you to claim your inheritance.

Not just for the present, but also FUTURE — Romans 8:22-23 “22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

“PREDESTINED us unto adoption of sons”

Not in connection to the lost!

Reserved for those in God’s family.

It has to do with what we were chosen for.

You are PREDESTINED to full maturity; partners in HIS eternal purposes.

“according to the good pleasure of his will”

Like the prodigal son… every spiritual prodigal son has a spiritual father who is waiting with ring, robe, royal sandals and a place at the royal table.

2) The Magnitude Of The Believer’s Blessings

A. “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

a. Let’s ponder on the thought of acceptance

How many times have you fought for the acceptance of others?

At what lengths have you went to gain the acceptance of others?

People go to extraordinary lengths to gain the acceptance of those they admire. Many teenagers will do almost anything to be accepted by their peers. They wear outlandish clothing, dye their hair, pose as scholars, or act like slobs—they do whatever is the “in” thing with the group they want to join. Adults do the same, but they are usually more subtle. John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 1:6.

You acceptance from God far outweighs your acceptance from others.

b. “…in the beloved”

This phrase speaks to God’s acceptance of you!

Not based on prayers, good works or self determination.

Mark 1:11 “11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

John 8:29 “29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

The transaction of acceptance in COMPLETE the moment you acceptance Jesus as your Savior.

1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

The Father looks at you and sees HIS SON!

Guess WHO’S idea all of this was??? GOD’S!!!

“To the praise of the glory of HIS GRACE”

He is the one who sought you, saved you, sanctified you and seats you with Him in glory.

Quote: The endless ages of eternity will prove to be all too short a time to sing His praise for such matchless love and grace. John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 1:6.