Ephesians Series: Ephesians 2:7-The Father Displaying His Incomparable Wealth During the Ages to Come is for the Praise of His Glorious Grace

Ephesians 2:1 Now, correspondingly, even though, each and every one of you as a corporate unit were spiritually dead ones because of your transgressions, in other words, because of your sins. 2 Each and every one of you formerly lived by means of these in agreement with the standard of the unregenerate people of this age, which is the production of the cosmic world system, in agreement with the standard of the sovereign ruler, namely the sovereign governmental authority ruling over the evil spirits residing in the earth’s atmosphere. Specifically the spirit who is presently working in the lives of those members of the human race who are characterized by disobedience. 3 Among whom, each and every one of us also formerly for our own selfish benefit conducted our lives by means of those lusts, which are produced by our flesh. Specifically, by indulging those inclinations which are produced by our flesh, in other words, those impulses, which are the product of our flesh. Consequently, each and every one of us caused ourselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of our natural condition from physical birth. Just as the rest correspondingly caused themselves to be children who are objects of wrath because of their natural condition from physical birth. 4 But because God is rich with regards to mercy, because of the exercise of His great love with which He loved each and every one of us, 5 even though each and every one of us as a corporate unit were spiritually dead ones because of our transgressions, He caused each and every one of us to be made alive together with the one and only Christ. Each and every one of you as a corporate unit are saved because of grace! 6 Specifically, He caused each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be raised with Him. Correspondingly, He caused each and every one of us as a corporate unit to be seated in the heavenlies because of our faith in and union and identification with Christ Jesus. 7 He did this so that He could display for His own glory during the ages, which are certain to come, the incomparable wealth, which is the product of His grace because of kindness for the benefit of each and every one of us because of our faith in and union and identification with Christ Jesus. (Lecturer’s translation)

The purpose of the Father displaying for His own glory the incomparable wealth, which is the product of His grace policy because of His kindness on behalf of each and every church age believer and because of their faith in Christ at justification and union and identification with Him is ultimately to praise His glorious grace policy which flows from His attribute of love.

This corresponds to Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 1:3-6, which asserts that the Father’s work in eternity past on behalf of the church age believer in electing them by predestinating them to adoption as sons is to praise His glorious grace policy.

It also corresponds to his teaching in Ephesians 1:7-12, which asserts that the Son’s work in redeeming the church age believer at the cross of Calvary was to praise the Father’s glory.

Lastly, it corresponds to his teaching in Ephesians 1:13-14, which asserts that the Holy Spirit’s work at the church age believer’s justification when they were sealed by means of the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit as a down payment of their inheritance was for the praise of the Father’s glory.

As we noted in our study of Ephesians 1:6, 12 and 14, the noun epainos(ἔπαινος), “praise” pertains to an expression of approval and commendation and speaks of the excellence of a person.

In Ephesians 1:6, the word was used in relation to the Father predestinating the church age believer for the purpose of adoption as His sons because of His love through Jesus Christ Himself (cf. Eph. 1:5) and this action of the Father in eternity past was so that the church age believer would praise the Father’s glorious grace.

In Ephesians 1:12, the noun epainos is used in relation to the Father claiming the church age believer as His possession because of the Father predestinating them according to His predetermined plan.

It is also used in relation to the church age believer belonging to a group of people who are characterized as being the first to possess a confident expectation of blessing because of their faith in and union and identification with Jesus Christ.

Therefore, this word indicates that the church age believer belongs to a group of people who are the Father’s possession and are the first to possess a confident expectation of blessing in order to “praise” the Father’s glory.

In Ephesians 1:14, the noun epainos is used in relation to the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling the body of the church age believer as the down payment of their inheritance, which we noted is until the Father redeems this possession, i.e. the church age believer, at the rapture or resurrection of the church.

Therefore, this word epainos indicates that the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling the body of the church age believer as the down payment of their inheritance until the Father redeems this possession, i.e. the church age believer, at the rapture or resurrection of the church was for “the praise” the Father’s glory.

We also noted in our study of Ephesians 1:6, 12 and 14 that the noun doxa(δόξα), “glory” pertains to the honor, which is accorded to, or the splendor which characterizes, a person or thing.

As we noted in our study of Ephesians 1:6, the word in this verse serves as a description of the work of the Father in eternity past which is described in Ephesians 1:3-5.

Thus, it was used in relation to the work of the Father in eternity past when He elected the church age believer by predestinating them for the purpose of adopting them as His Sons.

Then, in Ephesians 1:12, it serves as a description of the work of the Son during His First Advent.

However, in Ephesians 1:14, it serves as a description of the work of the Holy Spirit in time at the church age believer’s justification.

In Ephesians 1:6, it speaks of the manifestation of the character and nature of God through the work of the Father in eternity past on behalf of the church age believer.

The Father glorified His character and nature by electing them by predestinating them for the purpose of adoption as sons because of His love through the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ and their faith in and union and identification with His Son.

Therefore, in Ephesians 1:6, it is related to the manifestation of the Father’s character and nature, which exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.

It was manifested by the Father electing the church age believer by predestinating them.

Thus, it refers to the honor, which is accorded to that which characterizes the Father and the splendor which characterizes Him and it speaks of the fact that the Father is a transcendent being in that He exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.

In Ephesians 1:12, the word doxa serves as a description of the Son’s work during His First Advent and is therefore, used in relation to the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session of the Lord Jesus Christ during His First Advent.

The Son glorified His character and nature by redeeming them out of the slave market of sin through His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross (cf. Eph. 1:7).

Therefore, the noun doxa in this verse is related to the manifestation of the Father’s character and nature, which exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience, however it was perfectly manifested through His Son’s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.

This sacrifice manifested the justice and righteousness of God in that it propitiated the Father’s holiness, which demanded that sin and sinners be judged and also manifested God’s attribute of love, which was for the benefit of His enemies, namely, sinful humanity who are enslaved to sin, Satan and his cosmic system.

The Father’s glory is related to His omnipotence because the Son’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at His right hand delivered all of sinful humanity from His wrath, condemnation from the Law, personal sins, spiritual and physical death and enslavement to sin, Satan and his cosmic system.

Thus, doxa refers to the honor, which is accorded to that which characterizes the Son and the splendor which characterizes Him and it speaks of the fact that the Son is a transcendent being in that He exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.

In Ephesians 1:14, the noun doxa serves as a description of the work of the Holy Spirit in time at the church age believer’s justification.

Thus, this word here refers to the honor, which is accorded to that which characterizes the Father and the splendor which characterizes Him.

It speaks of the fact that the Father is a transcendent being in that He exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.

Therefore, the noun doxa in this verse is related to the manifestation of the Father’s character and nature, which exceeds the limits of human and angelic understanding and experience.

However, it was perfectly manifested through the Holy Spirit permanently indwelling every church age believer as the down payment of their inheritance until the Father redeems this possession, i.e. the church age believer, at the rapture or resurrection of the church.

So therefore, in Ephesians 2:7, when Paul speaks of the Father displaying for His own glory during the ages to come the incomparable wealth, which is the product of His grace policy on behalf of the church age believer, he is referring to the Father glorifying Himself in the sense of revealing His transcendent character and nature.

This glorification of Himself He accomplished through the work of His Son and the Holy Spirit.

He will also reveal His transcendent character during the millennial reign of Christ and throughout the eternal state.

Specifically, He will reveal during the millennial reign of Christ and throughout the eternal state the incomparable wealth, which is the product of His grace policy because of His kindness on behalf of the church age believer and because of their faith in Christ at justification and union and identification with His Son.

Each and every church age believer when they are in a resurrection body and decorated with rewards for faithful service and reigning with His Son during the millennium and the eternal state will not only cause the church age believer to praise the Father for His glory and His glorious grace policy but also Old Testament saints and tribulational martyrs and elect angels will praise the Father for His glory and glorious grace policy, which again manifests His attribute of love.