The Body of Christ wk 2

Praise of His Glory

This morning we are continuing our series on the Body of Christ as we look at verse 9-14 of Ephesians 1.

The title of the message this morning is Praise of His Glory.

We will see three things this morning - His Time, His Purpose, and His Seal.

Last week we looked at verse 1-8 and seen the Blessings of Redemption.

There we learned that Predestination literally means to mark off or choose before.

Predestination is that God chose those He know would participate in His plan of salvation.

We also seen that the letter of Ephesians is directed to the corporate church, that is the body of Christ.

As we continue this morning we will hear predestined once again and how it works for God’s glory.

If you have your Bible look with me at Ephesians 1:9-14.

Entire Text

Pray

I. His Time

Ephesians 1:9–10 NASB95

9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

God made know to believers as again Paul is writing this letter to the churches.

God made know to believers the mystery of His will.

Mystery here is a sacred secret, once hidden but now revealed to God’s people.

The mystery is God’s good pleasure to purpose in Christ to bring all things in heaven and on earth under His headship in the consummation of time.

God had prepared a time that He would center everything on Jesus Christ.

Verse ten tells us that with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times.

Some translations say, this dispensation of the fullness of time, Dispensation is an arrangement or administration.

This specific time is the millennial kingdom and that will take place in God’s perfect timing.

In the millennial kingdom all things will be under Christ and His rule.

In Galatians Paul speaks of the fullness of time but in reference to Jesus coming the first time.

Galatians 4:4–5 NASB95

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

We must know and understand that God’s timing is perfect, it does not mean that our timing matches God’s timing.

Things happen when God is ready for them to happen and His timing does not depend on us.

II. His Purpose

Ephesians 1:11–12 NASB95

11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

We have obtained an inheritance, Christ is the source of the believer’s divine inheritance, which is so certain that it is spoken of as if it has already been received.

Having been predestined that is before the earth was formed, God sovereignly determined that every elect sinner, no matter how vile, useless, and deserving of death, that by trusting in Jesus Christ would be made righteous.

Who works all things - As God works out His plan according to the counsel of His will, He energizes every believer with the power necessary for His spiritual completion.

That we who were the first to hope - Paul is speaking of the Jews here, specifically the Jewish believers.

But this is also for us today also.

Praise to His glory because God’s glory is the supreme purpose of redemption.

Because God has chosen us, and blessed us, we should glorify God.

III. His Seal

Ephesians 1:13–14 NASB95

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

After listening to the message of truth, that is the gospel message, which Paul calls the gospel of your salvation.

This message is the good news of Jesus Christ, that He died on the cross for the redemption of our sins, He did not remain dead, but God the Father raised Him from the dead so that we might have the forgiveness of our sins.

When we believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, we are sealed in Jesus with the Holy Spirit of Promise.

Seal is that God’s own spirit comes to indwell the believer and secure and preserves His eternal Salvation.

In Biblical times, a seal was an official mark of identification placed on a letter, contract, or other documents.

There are four truths that are signified by the seal:

Security

Authenticity

Ownership

Authority

That is because of the seal of the Holy Spirit we have eternal security, we are secure in our salvation, we cannot loose our salvation.

The seal or indwelling of the Holy Spirit shows that we are authentic children of God, we are not fake, our adoption is not illegitimate but is authentic.

The seal of the Holy Spirit show that we are bought and paid for by God through the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

The sealing of the Holy Spirit gives God authority in our lives, but it also give us the authority of the Almighty God in this life.

In verse fourteen we are told that the Holy Spirit is a pledge or down payment of our salvation.

We will not receive the full benefits of salvation until we are in the presence of Jesus Christ in heaven.

Therefore, God has given us the Holy Spirit as not only sealing our salvation, but also a down payment towards the future fulfillment of our salvation.

Verse fourteen continues, with a view to the redemption - that is until we are called or taken to heaven and are complete that is glorified.

When we realize that God’s timing and purpose is perfect, because of His seal we should be praising His glory.