Ephesians 1:3-14 // Blessed to Praise

WELCOME

INTRO: MADE FOR PRAISE

We were made for praise

but the question that should confront us regularly is this: are we praising the right things? In other words; what is the object of our worship?

Look around and you will find expressions of praise:

fans screaming at concerts

sports fans exalting the virtues of their team, paying big money for tickets, and adjusting their schedules for the games

dads getting fired up about going to The Home Depot to work on a new project

consumers praising their favorite stores

television viewers praising their favorite new series

coffee drinkers commending their favorite coffee shop.

Humanity has never had a problem expressing praise.

Our problem is praising the right things, not taking things that are created as good and turning them into functional gods that we submit ourselves to.

In our passage today, Paul is setting an example of praising, not only the right things, but sourcing those right things in the the one who alone is worthy of all of our praise.

His worth of our praise is an exclusive claim for our praise as his followers. Let’s read a bit more about why…

READ

Ephesians 1:3–14 (ESV)

Spiritual Blessings in 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. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 

11 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, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 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, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

BLESSINGS: trinity for infinity

We should take care to note the 3 members of the trinity referenced here. God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit: Three in Person, One in Essence.

ILLUS: many think of a triangle when we speak of the trinity - possibly another perspective would be that of the symbol for infinity (not aiming here to add to years of misunderstanding of the trinity, misuse of these truths…)

Paul here is not only expressing praise for God, he’s praising God for his blessings amid being in chains in prison.

These blessings are heaped on us by the three distinct persons within the trinity:

God the Father chooses us for adoption into his family

Jesus Christ redeems us to unity

The Holy Spirit seals our inheritance

let’s take a look at each one of these ‘blessings in heavenly realms’ as well as some additional detail that Paul provides

CHOSEN FOR ADOPTION: by God the Father (v.3-6)

PREDESTINED

This is one of those glorious truths of the Gospel that can be infuriatingly difficult to wrap our finite minds around. Put simply, this should humble us.

let’s recall that Paul’s desire for this epic run-on sentence is worship, praise before a God who is worthy, not theological frustration.

While acknowledging the humility with which we approach such a subject, we can still clearly see what scripture says.

Jesus spoke plainly about predestination, or election, when he said:

John 6:37 (ESV)

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Paul says here in Ephesians 1:

God is perfectly loving (v.4-5)

God is eternally sovereign (v.5)

God is gloriously gracious (v.6-8)

God is infinitely wise (v.8)

Psalm 115:3 reminds us He can do whatever he pleases

Psalm 115:3 (ESV)

3  Our God is in the heavens; 

he does all that he pleases.

2. This means whatever He does is always consistent with who he is!

Ephesians for You Chosen by God

It’s helpful to realize that

Belief in predestination does not mean that we don’t engage in sharing the good news of the gospel - it simply means that he chose us before we responded to his free gift of grace extended to us.

Affirming Election doesn’t mean we’re allowed to walk around as if we’re elite because “we’ve been chosen.”

NO! it has nothing to do with us because it was a decision before we were even born.

Humble Calvinism Corridor of Time, Crystal Ball, or Choice?

Election doesn’t erase our choosing of Christ. You really did choose him.

CHOSEN FOR HOLINESS

Paul tells us in

Romans 8:28–30 (ESV)

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Because we’ve been chosen, as Ephesians 1:4 says, to be ‘holy and blameless in his sight’ we understand that the purpose of God choosing us is holiness.

Election/Predestination doesn’t undermine the pursuit of holiness, it undergirds it!

Let’s realize that God invites, says that all are welcome to come to Jesus. His invitation is that all would come to him.

As we share this good news with others, our invitation should be “Come to Jesus! When you come, thank him for drawing you to himself!”

This all happens as we’re in the family of God, adopted to be holy, adopted to experience being a part of the family of God

Our adoption happened before the foundation of the word (v.4)

Our adoption happens through Jesus Christ (v.6b)

Our adoption happens according to his favor and will (v.5)

This all means that we’re in the family and are to be about the family business: that is, carrying out God’s mission. Making Christ known in word and deed.

There is need for a personal belief in the Gospel. This is where Paul turns our eyes to Jesus Christ!

REDEEMED FOR UNITY: in Christ (v.7-10)

Ephesians for You Redeemed

In the Bible,

THROUGH HIS BLOOD

OUR freedom cost Jesus HIS blood.

GRACE - God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

The blessings through God’s unmerited riches poured out on us at Christ’s expense mean we enjoy phenomenal implications in our lives:

We can enjoy freedom from fear.

no accuser can bring up our faults or failures before God demanding that we be punished—in this life, or the life to come

We enjoy freedom from guilt.

we’re not a constant disappointment to god—we don’t have to impress him or others.

all our sins are pardoned. God is completely satisfied and pleased with his because of Christ’s perfect life.

We’re redeemed from punishment for something wonderful: UNITY!

this means we need others to be unified with - on this earth, and the world to come.

God has revealed his eternal plan to us, and that plan centers on the redeemer. What is this plan?

To unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and on earth.

This is what v.9 is telling us when it says: “he has made known to us the mystery of his will…”

SEALED FOR INHERITANCE: through the Holy Spirit (v.11-14)

INHERITANCE

v.13 tells us we are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”

a seal was a mark of possession and protection.

God’s seal of possession and protection of his people is the Holy Spirit.

ILLUS:

Ephesians for You Sealed

It is as though we have all been marked with a spiritual UV marker pen, visible in the heavenly realms, marking us out as those belonging to God, completely safe from all frightening powers.

ASSURANCE/GUARANTEE

The Holy Spirit is the assurance today of our final inheritance eternally

a ‘deposit’ pointing to the glories to come

God doesn’t just tell us about something in the future, dangling it out there in front of us

through the Holy Spirit God brings the future into the present so we have a taste of what the future is like.

CLOSE: to the praise of his glory!

There are two phrases repeated 4 times in the open of this letter:

we the first in v.1,5,9,11 - Paul emphasizes that these blessings have been granted “according to his will…”

Readers should rejoice that God is accomplishing his grand plan and we have a role in it!

This world, our history, is not random

we are not accidents, our lives are not pointless

when things go wrong from our perspective, there’s no need to be anxious, Everything is being executed by God according to his will and purpose

the second is found in v.14,3,6,12 - Paul emphasizes that God’s blessings in our lives are intended to be “to the praise of his glory…”

Those who read these passages should have hearts that are stirred and actions that are engaged in worship and service. Our whole lives dedicated before him, mouths open in praise, adoration and evangelism.

in those moments you’re going through difficult times, feeling low, being persecuted for our faith - these verses can remind us of how eternally extravagant our blessings are in Christ.

This passage is worth learning, committing to memory so that we don’t forget.

We’re called to more than just gritting our teeth as we walk through difficult times in life.

We’re to revel in God’s gracious blessings of election for adoption by the father, redemption for unity by the Son and sealing for inheritance by the Spirit.

We were made for praise by God the Father, been blessed through Christ the Son, and assured through God the Holy Spirit.

Let us worship the triune God!