Ephesians 1:1-6 | In Christ: Chosen and Adopted

Years ago, I heard a story that impacted me deeply. Thousands of years ago, there was a Rabi who loved to wrestle with the deep mysteries and challenges of life.

One day, the Rabbi was walking to his home. Since he was deep in thought, he walked in the wrong direction instead of taking the exit off the path toward his village. It wasn’t until he found himself at the gates of a Roman Military fortress that he realized what he had done. He then heard a soldier yelling at him from the top of the gates: “Who are you? And, what are you doing here?”

The Rabbi replied by asking, “How much do they pay you to ask questions like that?” The soldier replied, “Five drachmas a week.” Smiling, the Rabbi said, “I will pay you double for you to stand outside the door of my house and ask me those two questions every single day. ‘Who are you? And, what are you doing here?”

Ephesians 1 answers those questions. ."

Ephesians 1:1–6 “1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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.”

Pray

After hearing the Rabbi’s story and reading Paul's opening words in Ephesians 1, we see that these ancient questions are still relevant today (3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Kara Powell): Who am I? What am I doing here? But these can also be framed more universally as:

[Graphic]

Who am I? – This is the question of identity. It’s about our view of ourselves and where our worth and value come from.

Where do I fit? – This is the question of belonging. It’s about how we connect to others and find our place.

What difference can I make? – This is the question of purpose. It’s about how our lives contribute to the world and fulfill God’s calling.

[Graphic with ?] How do you know who you are? Is this something you should figure out on your own or have someone else determine it for you? Or is there a third option?

[Graphic Identity Formation] Grounded in Grace, Helping our Kids Build Their Identity in Christ, Jonathan D. Holmes.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians answers these questions with profound clarity. He tells us that, in Christ, we find our true identity, our belonging in God's family, and our purpose as participants in His plan.

What does it mean to be in Christ?

“In all his letters, the apostle Paul never once uses the word “Christian.” Instead he addresses those who follow Jesus as those who are “In Christ.”

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

In Ephesians 1 we see that being “In Christ” means being united in Jesus in a way that transforms every part of our identity, relationships and purpose.

Let’s look at the text. (*Note, these overlap)

IN CHRIST

I am a saint (holy) Ephesians 1:1

Every follower of Jesus is a saint by virtue of their union with Christ.

To be a saint is to be holy. To be holy is to be set apart and consecrated for a special purpose)

Dan’s special tools. Grandma’s special china dishes.

Exodus 19:5–6 “5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.””

1 Peter 2:9 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Because you are in Christ, God sees you as a saint. These are former pagan, witchcraft practicing Ephesians who are now set apart for God. We are called to be live differently from the world. We are in the world, but not of the world.

I am faithful (steadfast) Ephesians 1:1

A faithful follower of Jesus is one who is united to Christ. One who has trusted in Christ as his Lord and Savior and thus builds his house upon the rock so that when the storms of life hit and the attacks of the enemy come his way, he is able to stand.

Because you are in Christ, God sees you as someone who is steadfast.

I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places Ephesians 1:3

The “heavenly places” means the spiritual dimension:

(a) where we have already been blessed (1:3)

(b) where Jesus has been enthroned for ever over all evil powers (v 20)

(c) where we have already been raised to be seated with Christ (2:6)

(d) where the victory of Christ over evil powers at the cross is spiritually demonstrated in one church gathering under Christ, displayed in the unity of our earthly church gatherings under his word (3:10)

(e) where we need to stand firm against the spiritual assaults of the evil powers by praying for the fearless proclamation of the gospel to all nations (6:10–20).

How do you access these blessings? “Lord, open the eyes of my heart.”

I am chosen before the foundation of the wold Ephesians 1:4

Galatians 1:15 “ But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,”

Paul adds that we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, “that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

I am predestined for adoption Ephesians 1:5

The verb to predestine (Gk. proorizo) means “to determine ahead of time” (Louw-Nida). In his love for us, God has determine a destination for us. Do you what that is? To be adopted as his sons and daughters.

Child of God vs. orphan mentality.

The difference between a spirit of slavery and the spirit of sonship: (Tim Keller, Romans For You.)

A slave: Obeys under compulsion, because they have to

A son: Obeys out of love for and joy in “Abba,” our heavenly “Dad”

A slave: Works under threat of pain or loss; punishment “pays back”

A son: Discipline is not retribution, but loving instruction

A slave: Lives in Insecurity: If I slip, my master might beat me

A son: Lives in Security: If I slip, my father will forgive me (avoids the two ditches: License to sin & performance.

A slave: Concentration on external behavior and compliance with rules

A son: Concentration on relationships and attitudes

A slave: Has to work, but is given no honor

A son: Is honored, and invited to join the work

Invitation: We are all God’s creatures, but we are not born a child of God. The Bible speaks of humans in terms of spiritual orphans: lost and without hope.

John 1:11–13 “11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

I am blessed with God’s glorious grace Ephesians 1:6

Paul states that in the Beloved, ware are blessed with God’s glorious grace, so that… God is glorified.

Ephesians 1:2 “2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

God’s grace in my life is meant to bring praise to Him. I’m in Christ because of God’s grace.

Communion: Come to the table (buffet illustration)

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God’s Ultimate Purpose: An Exposition of Ephesians 1 Chapter 2: ‘Saints … and the Faithful in Christ Jesus’

Again, in the sixth chapter of Romans Paul works it out and says that when Christ was crucified we were crucified with Him; when He died, we died with Him; when He was buried we were buried with Him; when He rose again we rose with Him. He is seated in the heavenly places. Paul says in the second chapter of this Ephesian Epistle, ‘God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.’ We are seated in the heavenly places with Christ at this moment because we are ‘in Christ.’ What a tremendous, staggering, overwhelming truth—I am a part of Christ, I belong to Him, I am a member of the body of Christ! I am not my own, I have been ‘bought (purchased) with a price.’ I am in Christ. He is the Head, I am one of the members. There is a vital, organic, mystical union between us. All the blessings we enjoy as Christians come to us because we are ‘in Christ.’ It is ‘of his fulness we have received, and grace upon grace.’ ‘I am the true vine’, says our Lord Himself, ‘and ye are the branches.’

The phrase "In Christ" holds significant meaning in Christian theology, particularly in the writings of the Apostle Paul. According to one of the articles, Paul used this expression or its equivalent 169 times in his writings, emphasizing its importance[1]. The concept of being "in Christ" is described as central to Christianity, with one article stating it is "THE VERY EYE OF CHRISTIANITY"[1]. This phrase is associated with a new spiritual life for believers, cancellation of previous sins, and the endowment of the Holy Spirit[1]. The articles also mention that being "in Christ" involves a transformation of values and standards, and is linked to "all spiritual blessings"[1]. One article suggests that the way to be "in Christ" is through baptism, citing Romans 6:3[1]. Additionally, the phrase is connected to the idea of living a life shaped by Christ's presence and story, both externally and internally, with one article noting that "Christ lives in me"[2]. The concept is also expressed through related phrases using "with," "according to," and "for" in relation to Christ, indicating an intimate identification with Him[2].

[1] James B. Coffman, Commentary on 1 and 2 Corinthians, The James Burton Coffman Commentaries (A. C. U. Press, 1984), 2 Co 5:17. [2] Michael J. Gorman, Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, 20th Anniversary Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2021), 45.