Ephesians Study: Made Worthy. Walk Worthy

Ephesians 1:1-6

The Los Angeles Times reported, years ago, that an elderly couple were found dead in their home and it was revealed that they died from severe malnutrition… even though $40,000 was found in their closet, in paper bags.

Hetty Green was called America’s greatest miser… for years. She died in 1916 leaving a value of $100 million. But she ate cold oatmeal every day, in order to save money. When her son had a leg injury… she took so long trying to find him a free clinic, that his leg had to be amputated...

People with so much in store. People possessing so many treasures living this way… as if they were in poverty.

That may be how the Ephesian Christians were living. That may be how many Christians are living today. They have a spiritual storehouse full… But they are living in spiritual poverty and suffering from spiritual malnutrition.

The book of Ephesians has been called: “ The Believer’s Bank, The Christians’ Checkbook, and the Treasure House of the Bible.”

And in this wonderful book, Christians are told of their worth in Christ, they are told of their great riches, their inheritances, and fullness in Jesus Christ.

If we were to break the book down into 2 Sections… The First Section would be called “Made Worthy,” And the Second Section would be called, “Walk Worthy.”

Let’s get into the First Section today.

*Read Verses 1-6

Several words we need to know, as they relate to our new identity: I Am... Blessed, Chosen, Adopted and Accepted.

Lets Back up:

No question about the author: Paul, who used to be Saul, is being used by God to pen these words for the church then and now. He is sent by Christ to witness, testify, spread the Gospel, and to plant churches in Jesus’ Name.

Who is he writing to: To the Saints, in a place called Ephesus.

The Ephesian saints are real Christians, including Jew and Gentiles. “Saints,” are the ones that are saved, called out by God and are set apart for God. Every true Christian is a “saint.”

The Ephesians were well known to the apostle Paul (Acts 19). For two years, the disciples in Ephesus learned from Paul’s daily reasoning about the kingdom of God and teaching the Scriptures (Acts 19:8–10).

What did this lead to? This ministry resulted in a gospel witness spreading throughout the Roman province of Asia. The message of Christ set people free and reached those practicing dark arts and worshiping Artemis in this great ancient city, where demonic influence was very strong.

That is what the Gospel did and does. It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.

Out of that darkness… people were saved, born again, blessed, forgiven, and they were adopted into the family of God… Both Jew and Gentiles.

Verse 1 - They are all, Jew and Gentile, simply known as “the saints.” They are all of one assembly, One Church, One People… Who are called out by God and for God… to be His unique, set apart, and holy people.

Now answer these questions:

Now was this plan an afterthought for God? Did this come by surprise to God?

Did He change His mind along the way? Was this always His plan? Was this always known and determined by God?

These verses shows us that you, “the church,” that the individual “saints,” has always been the plan of God from all eternity, before the foundation of the world.

God’s story, or His Story, or History was already planned and pre-written before the earth was formed.

Nothing is a surprise to God. The Church is not an afterthought. Church… you are not an afterthought.

You and your salvation is not an afterthought.

It was planned. You were planned.

Now: All throughout the Old Testament, we see God promising that all the nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham, and that the Gentiles would come to the Light.

And in the fullness of time...

The Lord calls His people together to be One People.

And now… we are all “Blessed” through the Person and Work of Christ.

If you are making notes: There is the Blessed One and the Blesser - Who is this? God.

Then: There are the Blessed Ones: Who are these? Believers.

Believer… You are… (Slide #5)

Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… in Christ.

a. We have spiritual blessings… in Christ. James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above, and come down from the Father of Lights… 2 Peter 1:3 - God’s divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness...

God Has granted… God Has given… They are yours dear saints! They are yours today.

Those who believe in Christ, trust in Christ, hope in Christ… You are united to Christ and you have His promises, blessings, and eternal life… right here and right now.

The Heavenly Father has blessed us through His Son and each believer receives these blessings that flow from God’s love and through His grace to us...

What are these blessings? And what do they do? These are blessings from God that save us, help us; they help our spirit, our minds, our bodies… help us in every day living… and in other ways that I don’t even know yet...

The more you read, the more you find: The blessings include our union with Christ, being seated with Him in the heavenlies, being chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven and sealed. Spiritual gifts, abilities, and other blessings such as love, peace, hope, strength and joy can be seen...

The more you read, the more you find… but let’s stay where we are today and look at these in front of us.

The next 12 verses, starting in verse 3 through 14, form one long sentence in the original language… telling us that all of this is connected together.

Let’s look at these blessings from God:

2. I am Chosen. (Verse 4) (Slide 6)

As Bible believing Baptists… we do not shy away from biblical words like “chosen,” “election, or predestination.” Why? Because they are in the Bible...

But many people do shy away from these words, and put horns on them…

Why? Because we don’t fully understand them.

And we tend to reject that which we don’t understand.

So Listen: I don’t fully understand how this works. I just know that it works.

I don’t know how remote controls work. I don’t know how nuclear power plants work… There is a lot that I don’t understand… But I do enjoy them. I can enjoy things I don’t understand...

Listen: It is OK that we do not fully understand these Biblical words and truths. We are finite and God is infinite. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours...

We may not fully understand how God’s sovereignty and man’s freedom work together… but it is something that is taught in Scripture… And God makes it work...

I don’t have to make it work. God makes it work.

All of Scripture is God-Breathed, and it will all Glorify God, convert the unbeliever, and build up the believer.

If you are using Scripture for any other purpose… We are using it the wrong way...

Let’s move on:

What does God want us to know and understand?

This is what God wants each and every believer to know: God has chosen you... believer.

God did not choose you because we are so wonderful, or because you earned it… No, He chose you, to love you and to glorify Himself through Christ.

God took the initiative and chose to love us first. Left alone, we would never go to Him… So He comes to us and calls us to Himself.

We love Him because He first loved us.

You were chosen to be loved.

So Very simply:

God knew what He was going to do… Before He did it.

The predetermined plan of God was to make you and save you for Himself.

You are not an afterthought. This plan was not an afterthought.

You are created by Him and for Him. God has come to you, foreknown you, and has for-loved you… Because He just wanted to.

And this changes your life. This is something you can draw from. This is truth for life and living.

You are not an accident. Your life and salvation is not an accident. You are planned, and God is working out that plan. God is the Author, Perfecter and Finisher of Life and Salvation.

God has this! God is in control!

Repeat after me: I AM Chosen to Be Loved!

What motivates God to do this? Verse 4 - His motivation is His love… Not your love. Not your works. He was motivated by His love… To love you.

It pleases God to love you and to give you these spiritual blessings, and to make you holy.

God has done it in such a way that God alone gets all the praise, honor and glory.

This truth will lead us to praise Him more and more.

(Picture) Now, I have been blessed when I was chosen to play with the girls and boys on the playground. I was blessed to have been chosen to participate on certain teams, to work for certain organizations, to be called to pastor churches...

All of this lead us to be joyful and to praise...

But to be called by God… To have a seat with Him in heaven… To have a home with Him...

What a blessing! What a wonderful reality. God has called me by Name, to come to Him. Jesus said, that “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.. and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them from My hand.

John 3:5-16 - These will be born again, these will look to Jesus and believe in Him… these will be the “who-so-evers” that will come to Him...

I love the picture that a professor explained long ago. “Who are the chosen ones? Who are the elect?” The who-so-evers that will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved...

They will come to the door and on this side… It shall read… “Whosoever shall believe shall enter...” And on the other side of the door it shall read “Chosen before the Foundation of the World...”

We see in part and know in part. God knows it all.

Respond to what has revealed to you.

You are Blessed. You are Chosen.

What else do we see?

3. I am Adopted

By God’s grace and through His love for us… He chooses to adopt us. In Christ… grounded in love… He chooses to take us in as His very own… Gives us His Name to use as His Family members.

Think about this: The Judge and Creator of the universe forgives you for your crimes through Christ… Forgives you for nailing His Son to a Roman Cross… And not only shows you mercy, by forgiving you...

But He shows us this grace… By sharing His life and Home with us.

Adoption is the legal declaration that we are God’s children… and with this… we have the rights, privileges, and duties belonging to us.

It does not matter how old or young you are. You have the same status and same blessings.

In some families and in some cultures… The adopted child might be treated unfairly. The adopted red-haired, little orphan Annie children… might get the back seat of the bus singing “Its a hard knock life...”

But Not God’s children… They are blessed, they are chosen, loved and adopted… according to the good pleasure of His will.

What does that mean for us?

4. Verse 6 - We are accepted. Some translations will say that God “bestowed grace or favor upon us.”

You are Chosen, Adopted, and Accepted.

Saints, we are Blessed!

There is that need that we all possess… The need to belong and to be accepted for who and what we are...

But how can we be accepted with no one to bring me in?

I am not worthy of God. I am not worthy of Christ. I am not worthy of Heaven. I am not worthy of grace and all these many blessings. I am not worthy or qualified to bear His Name and to be in the House of God...

But what has Colossians 1:12 said? “God qualifies us...” Jesus has brought us in and we are qualified; we are worthy, or we are placed in a “worthy/qualified standing” before God, because Jesus has brought us in.

Remember Paul, who was once Saul, had a difficult time being accepted by the believers because of his past...

But Barnabas brought him in.

It might had been hard for you to get involved with certain groups of people… Because of your past… Maybe even churches… But someone brought you in...

Listen:

You and I were cut off from God and were unable to come in because of our past… because of our sin… But Christ has brought us in.

And now in Christ, with Christ, We may enter into the Fathers House… and the Father will treat all that the Son brings with Him as His very own children.

You now belong. You are now accepted. You are now worthy/qualified to be with God… Because you are now with Christ.

I Am... Blessed, Chosen, Adopted, Accepted...

I AM Not an afterthought. God has Chosen, Adopted, and Accepted me for Himself...

And He was happy and pleased to do it.

These are spiritual blessings that never go away and never run dry. This is a Bank that will keep on giving as you keep abiding and trusting.

There is no reason that any Christian should be running to spiritual bankruptcy, and going through spiritual malnutrition.

This is divine wealth for you today, to benefit from today, and not just in heaven… But today… today… today...

Draw from His grace today. Believe in Him. Believe in His promises. And experience the blessing of being a child of God.

Are you running on empty… Go to the storehouse! Believe it today! Draw from truth today.

Confess the truth today: I Am blessed. I am chosen. I am adopted. I am accepted...

Now praise God for what you have received… and may the praises grow from your joy, hope an peace… In Jesus Name!

Pray. Close.