The Blessed Father of Election

Revelation 2:1–4 — 1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 " 'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. [Good Theology] 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. [Patience in perseverance] 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. [WHAT?]

Verses 3-6 = God the Father's work of election

Verses 7-10 = God the Son [Jesus Christ] work of Redemption

Verses 11-14 = God the Holy Spirit's work of Sealing the believers until the day of Redemption.

Ephesians 1:3–6 — 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 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.

Proposition Statement

EPHESIANS 1:3-6 PRESENTS YOU WITH 4 TRUTHS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER THAT WILL CULTIVATE WITHIN YOU AFFECTION FOR YOUR FIRST LOVE.

The Father is the Blessed Blesser [vv:3]

The Father Chose You To Be Holy And Blameless. [vv:4]

The Father Predetermined You to Be A Son Or Daughter [vv:5]

The Father Deserves Praise [vv:6]

J.I Packer: If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayer and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all. For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. "Father" is the Christian name for God."

The Father Deserves Praise [vv:6]