Chosen, Redeemed, and Sealed
Notes
Transcript
The Unfathomable Riches of God's Grace
Text: Ephesians 1:1-14
We begin with Paul’s greetings to the Church at Ephesus.
Ephesians 1:1–2 (ESV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Over the past few weeks of Pentecost we have been looking at the second letter Paul wrote to Corinth and in our lectionary it abruptly ends and then dives into the letter to the Ephesians. Had we followed the lectionary clear through the next twelve weeks we would have hit several of the high points of Ephesians missing some very important passages, and then towards then end we would normally then go to some passage from James. This puzzles me as to why they only hit a few points here and there, then jump to another book. With that we are taking some liberties this season and instead of jumping around we are going to stick the twelve weeks out looking at the book of Ephesians, taking it as a whole to get an idea about what the holy Spirit led Paul to write to this church.
First things first on Ephesus, we first learn about the city in the book of Acts 19 Paul had some luck in converting some pagans there to the way, what Christianity was called at that time. Fast forward, as Christianity spread there in Ephesus the idol making business began to plummet. For the great temple of the goddess Artemis was locate there in Ephesus. This causes a riot to stir up, again you can read the whole story in Acts 19 and 20.
Needless to say this is the context of the church in Ephesus, a city which is converting, yet slowly and facing much opposition. Much as we are beginning to see in the world today opposition to Christianity is growing, yet at the same time there are many conversion happening as well so it should not worry us for God has set all things in motion, in time and place for His purpose. This is the point Paul first make here.
I. Chosen by the Father Ephesians 1:3-6
I. Chosen by the Father Ephesians 1:3-6
Ephesians 1:3–4 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
After Paul’s greeting he jumps right into a blessing, and how we are blessed by God through giving us the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Taking this back to what Jesus taught us about laying up treasures in heaven rather than treasure on earth. Then Paul takes it to something profound for us to ponder on as we read this, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.” In other words that even the gospel coming to us, us hearing it, receiving it with gladness, believing it, and confirming was all set in place before God even spoke a word in the darkness, forming the heavens and the Earth, it was all in His plan.
Then here is where the other shoe always wants to drop and some one will say yes, but what about free will. Don’t we have free will? Don’t we have to decide if we are going to follow Jesus, and to that we have to ask is it free will that Jesus died for you? Did you die for Jesus or did he die for you? To even ask the question begs whether you have free will of if the will is bound, and to dive deep into this thought you have to go and read what Martin Luther wrote in his book “The Bondage of the Will.” Need it to say that even in free will or the idea that one has a free will you will find that even God uses that to move a person to hear the gospel and setting them free, thus we rather need to say that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the words of Christ.” So we must all the more preach Christ, and him crucified and risen from the dead for the forgiveness of sins.
Thus when you hear the gospel, you will be made holy and blameless before God.
Ephesians 1:4b–6 (ESV)
In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
There again comes up that word in love, and there we must also get that correct love not like the world loves. That is a conditional love, where I will love you as long as you accept me and accept my sinful behavior. No this word love in the Greek is Agape, it means an unconditional love, to love as a parent loves there child or a child loves their parent, only because they are theirs, a part of the them.
Then because God loved us in this way, that is he sent his only son to live and die and rise again, because He that is God has done this, so that we can be adopted in. Are we not all created by God, to this yes this is certainly true, and thereby children of God? This also I would like to say is true as well, except one thing, the fall of mankind. When Adam and Eve our first parents ate from that tree from which they were forbidden to eat, to caused all of humanity to fall into sin and death, thus we were fallen into the hands of the enemy the fallen one, to god of this world. The false god that spread lies, accuses and bounds the will to sin, death and ultimately hell.
When then we are adopted, we are brought back, we are made a new creation, that old is falling away, so that now God once again call us his children, not in a human way but as through adoption, that is he chose us. That is the beauty of adoption, it is one thing to have a child, they are a blessing I know we had four and each and everyone of them has made me proud, and I love each and everyone of them. However to go to adoption, to take a child that was not yours, that was born to someone else but through unfortunate circumstances was unable to care for that child, yet to come along, to pick that child and to call them yours and to love them all the same as child born to you. It is a beautiful thing as well and speaks volumes to what this picture Paul is illustrating with such language.
II. Redeemed by the Son Ephesians 1:7-12
II. Redeemed by the Son Ephesians 1:7-12
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
Paul then builds upon this idea, of what it means to be saved by Christ to have redemption in his blood. Again this comes back to the garden, to Genesis 3 and how God even begins at this time to redeem mankind back. Now knowing they were naked they first sewed fig leaves together, but God after he confronts them says this will not do. It is like our attempt to cover our sins, we cannot do it they will quickly become exposed again. God instead covers them in animal skins, and you have to ponder where do you think God got the animal skins? Sure he could have made them but that alternative plays more into the reality of the harshness of sin, an animal had to die in order that their sin may be covered up. The writer of Hebrews 10:4 writes this
For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
We however have a better sacrifice now, one that does not just cover the sin but takes them away, forever.
making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
This is why the gospel must be preached for it gives us this knowledge of not only sin, but the forgiveness of sins, the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who paid the penalty of our sins, took away the sins and now has made known to us all wisdom and mysteries of his will. That he will now set forth in this plan that he predestined since the foundation of the world. That is where our faith now lays in the hands of Christ, knowing that he is saving us, even as we are saved and that we go forth until that day in which we are called home or in which he returns then all things will once again return to that paradise in which every tear will be wiped away.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
There he sums it up well that we have obtained this inheritance so that we find hope in Christ all for the glory of God alone. Just as going back to that covering of sin and now sin taken away not by just mere covering but fully removed all by Christ for the glory of God, leading up we will see in just a couple of weeks were Paul ties this to the fact that it is all God’s doing not our own so that no one can boast. They can only point to the glory of God. This also again speaks to the bound will, the want of free will and knowledge that all of this is taking place as God has planned.
III. Sealed by the Spirit Ephesians 1:13-14
III. Sealed by the Spirit Ephesians 1:13-14
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Finally in this last part here where we will leave off Paul points back to the gospel, reminding us that it is all about Jesus and what he did for us. That is the beauty of the gospel and why we must stay steadfast in his word, in his truth, in preaching this gospel of Jesus Christ, for the enemy is always looking for who he can deceive, who will buy the lie, who will turn away, but the truth, when you know the truth, the gospel of your salvation that Jesus Christ lived, died and resurrected for the forgiveness of all your sins, and has taken them away as far as the east is from the west. Do not harden you heart, but receive this truth, be sealed with this promise in the waters of baptism, confirming them in the Holy Spirit and being fed with this truth in the bread and the wine Christ very body and blood. Having partaken in this you are assured of your salvation and guaranteed eternity through Christ Jesus, so come, taste and see that he is good, receive the forgiveness of all your sins and go forth telling about all he has done. Amen