God's Will, Part 13
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Ephesians 1:3-4 .
3 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,
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
What is the idea behind the two uses of blessed in verse 3?
There is a difference between us blessing God and God blessing us. God is coming from a place of abundance and power. We come from a place of deficit. Therefore when we bless God, it is a form of praise and thanksgiving. When God blesses us, it is the very substance of life itself.
Where do the blessings of God reside?
They reside in Jesus, who is in the heavenly places.
Why does Paul add “in the heavenly places”?
He is doing two things:
First, he is reminding us that this fallen world is not our home.
Second, he is reminding us that Jesus has conquered on the cross all the spiritual forces of wickedness.
How is God’s will expressed in verse 4?
He chose us before time began to be holy and blameless. How does that make you feel?
Ephesians 1:5-6 .
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Robert Estienne, in 1555, when choosing verse sections, placed the prepositional “in love” modifying verse 4. The ESV translators do not think it is modifying verse 4, but verse 5. That is why we get a verse starting two words into a sentence.
How is God’s will expressed in these verses?
He predestined us for adoption as sons.
For what purpose were we predestined?
For the purpose of fulfilling his will.
For the praise of his glorious grace.
How do these realities of God’s will settle in your body?