EPH1 FINAL

Introduction

Good evening, everyone.

I want to start off by saying thank you for choosing to be here tonight.

As mentioned last week, tonight will be the night that we begin our new study on Ephesians.

This study should last us for a few weeks,

and I look forward to spending that time together in God’s Word,

learning more about all of the things He has done for us.

Most people in today’s world use the term “blessed” on a regular basis.

Whether they are enjoying their job,

their family is healthy, or their bills are paid…

people like to look at these things

and think that God has blessed them with these material gifts.

Now while in some instances this may be true, all of these things have the ability to fade.

If we believed that these things were our true blessings, then when they fade, we might assume that God had stopped blessing us.

But thankfully, the gifts we will be going over tonight are eternal gifts and can never be lost.

Tonight we will accompany Paul, as we walk through all of the spiritual blessings

that have been given to us by our loving, heavenly Father.

Now, over the last few months, as a group, we have navigated our way through Romans.

Where we saw how wretched and sinful man truly is.

Romans 3 told us that there is none who are righteous.

Romans 5 showed us that while we were still sinners, or enemies to Christ, He still chose to die for us.

And in Romans 8, we celebrated that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Romans laid it all out for us, showing that God declared us justified by faith alone.

After this, in our study of the Five Solas,

we revisited most of the major points that we had seen in Romans.

Sola Scriptura told us that God has revealed Himself,

His blessings, and His truth—in His Word—and that it can be trusted.

Sola Gratia taught us that every blessing from God is by His grace alone.

Sola Fide pointed out that you receive these blessings through faith alone.

Solus Christus points to all of these blessings being found in Christ alone.

And Soli Deo Gloria says that all of this is to the praise of God’s glory, alone.

As we open Ephesians, Paul is still going to be covering these same points.

Romans carefully defines and explains a majority of our theology.

However, the emphasis here will be on praising God for what He has done for us.

In Romans, Paul has already argued and defended the gospel,

and here—you see him giving thanks for it.

Ephesians chapter one is unlike anything else Paul writes.

In verse three, all the way through fourteen, Paul composes one of the longest sentences in the Greek language.

Nearly two hundred words without stopping.

You can almost imagine Paul reaching for words, limited by language,

but piling one on top of the other, trying to capture the glory of what God has done in Christ.

So let us begin.

Verse three: “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.”

Notice here that he doesn’t begin with the Ephesians, or us as believers.

He begins with God—praising Him and worshiping Him.

“Blessed be the God and Father”—that alone is where all of our theology should begin and end: praising the one true God.

So what does Paul have to say? He says that God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”

He says “every blessing”—not some, not most, not in portions—

but that every spiritual blessing has been given to us in Christ.

There isn’t anything missing or withheld.

In our world, as mentioned earlier, many of our blessings are tied to our physical plane.

Our money, our jobs, our health…

Many of these things you may even lack at times.

Whether it is losing a job, our savings, or our health…

you may lack some of the things that the world views as a blessing,

but in Christ—you lack nothing!

We are BLESSED! Beyond measure.

Truly—every blessing has been given to us, in Christ, eternally.

Paul goes on to say that these blessings are “in the heavenly places.”

This is important.

These blessings are not tied to our material plane where we can lose them.

They cannot expire or be stolen away from us. They are stored in heaven.

Paul goes on to list these blessings one by one.

The first one he tells to the Ephesians is that God chose you.

Verse four: “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.”

So let’s think about this.

Paul says before the foundation of the world…

God chose us so that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

So what is the purpose?

“that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”

You are called to holiness.

God chose us not so that we could live for ourselves,

but so that we could live for Him, and be conformed to the image of His Son.

Paul goes on to add:

“In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.”

So not only did God choose us, but He predestined us for adoption!

He didn’t just rescue us from judgment, but He welcomed us into His family!

When we went through Romans, we learned that adoption was a very serious concept.

When a child was adopted, he was granted full legal status in the family.

All debts were canceled, and all ties to the old life were severed.

The child received a new name, new identity, and a new inheritance.

So what is Paul saying here?

If you are in Christ, you are not just an orphan child…

You are not the servant in His house. You are His child.

You can call Him Father.

You can approach Him with love and confidence.

He loves and delights in you.

He will never disown you.

He will never forsake you.

You are His, forever.

And the absolute wild thing to me is that the One who chose to adopt us…

The One who chose to love us unconditionally…

The One who knows how many hairs are on our heads…

is the Creator of this universe.

The greatest and holiest entity to ever exist.

Our God! Our Father! We should praise Him for what He has done for us.

Who are we to deserve that kind of reward?

None of us could be loved more by anyone else.

And what for?

Paul says all of this is “according to the purpose of His will.”

In other words, it is not random. It is on purpose.

It was all according to the purpose of His will…

And the result, Paul says in verse six, is this:

“to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.”

So the ultimate reason for our election… our adoption…

for every blessing you have in Christ, is to the glory of God’s grace!

So why did He do these things?

Why did He bless us with every blessing in Christ?

The ultimate reason is in verse six.

So that His grace might be praised.

And that His glory may be displayed.

So this is where Paul decided to begin.

Pointing out God’s grace.

God’s choice.

His Glory.

Paul moves forward from election and adoption into another blessing…

Verse seven: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

What words stick out to us there?

Redemption… Forgiveness… and Grace.

What is redemption?

Redemption is the action of gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.

It is the action of saving, or being saved…

The action of buying one’s freedom.

We have been bought back from slavery!

We were in bondage to sin, and the price was paid with the blood of Christ.

We were not bought back with money, gold, silver, or anything of the sort…

no… we were purchased by the blood of the Lamb.

The Son of God Himself.

That is how much you are worth to Him.

Your value was measured by the price God was willing to pay for you.

The blood of His Son.

Paul also mentions the forgiveness of our trespasses.

Redemption is not only the freedom from slavery, but also a pardon of our guilt.

Every trespass, sin, act of rebellion, every failure to love God and our neighbor—has all been forgiven.

All of it was nailed to the cross.

Paul goes on to describe it, saying “according to the riches of His grace”

As it says, He lavishes His grace upon us.

Verse eight: “which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.”

Lavished… meaning overflowing, abundant, poured out, running over.

That is the generosity of God’s grace in Christ.

And all of this was done “in all wisdom and insight.”

God’s grace is not careless.

It is wise, and purposeful.

All of this is according to His plan.

Verse nine: “making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ.”

Now here Paul introduces another blessing: revelation.

God has made known to us the mystery of His will.

What was once hidden is now revealed.

What was once concealed is now unveiled.

And what is that mystery?

Verse ten: “as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

This means that history is not meaningless, or just some random sequence of events,

but that it is a plan.

Now I do want to point out where it says “to unite all things in Him”…

The Greek word Paul uses is anakephalaiōsasthai…

which means to “sum up” or “bring under one head.”

So, “uniting all things in Christ” refers to bringing the entire created order under His lordship—some in salvation, others in judgment.

The emphasis is on Christ’s supremacy, not on the universal salvation of all people.

For believers, that means salvation, blessing, inheritance.

For unbelievers and rebellious powers, it means judgment and subjugation.

Paul makes this clear in Philippians 2:10–11: when he says “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Every creature will acknowledge Christ as Lord, but that is not the same as every creature enjoying salvation.

All creation will be reconciled and renewed in Him.

This, to me, is pointing out that God has a plan.

Our lives are not a random sequence of events, or meaningless.

The plan is that in time, all things will be united in Christ.

Past, present, and future… all things are held together in Him.

Continuing on in verse eleven:

“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, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.”

Here is another blessing: inheritance.

I think we all know what inheritance means.

It is something in reserve, waiting to be received.

It is like the family treasure or legacy, being passed down from the father to the child.

Paul says, “In Him we have obtained an inheritance.”

This is our eternal life. Our resurrection. Glory with Christ.

Reigning with Him in His kingdom forever.

As mentioned earlier, our worldly inheritances can be lost.

They can be divided, and cause strife in our families…

We can be disappointed in them.

But this inheritance is secure.

Incorruptible. Unable to be destroyed.

Paul says that we who were the first to hope in Christ are “to the praise of His glory.”

He then points out in verse thirteen:

“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.”

Here is yet another blessing: sealing.

When you heard the gospel and believed, Paul says, you were sealed.

A seal is a mark of ownership, or an impression stamped on wax or clay to signify authenticity, security, and belonging.

And God’s seal upon His people is the Holy Spirit Himself.

Verse fourteen continues:

“who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”

The Spirit is the guarantee… the down payment, the pledge, the first installment, assuring us that the full inheritance is coming.

His presence in your life is proof that God will finish what He began.

As verse six said… “to the praise of His glorious grace.”

or verse twelve… or verse fourteen: “to the praise of His glory.”

Why has God done all of this?

Why election? Why adoption?

Why redemption, forgiveness, revelation, inheritance, sealing?

Why any of this?

Even though we are the beneficiaries, this is not just for us…

But ultimately it is for Him.

For the glory of His grace.

For the praise of His name.

As Paul says in Romans 11:36:

“Salvation is from God, through God, and to God.

It begins in His will, is accomplished by His Son,

is sealed by His Spirit, and ends in His glory.”

So yes, brothers… we are blessed!

Beyond measure.

To the fullest extent!

Praise God!

As Paul is writing this, he shifts from praise to prayer.

Verse fifteen:

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Notice what he just said…

The blessings of verses three through fourteen are the reason for his prayer in verse fifteen.

Because God has chosen you, adopted you, redeemed you, forgiven you, given you an inheritance, sealed you with His Spirit…

because of all this, Paul says, I give thanks for you.

But notice also what he thanks God for.

“Because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints.”

Faith in Christ and love for the saints. That is the essence of Christian life.

Trust in Jesus and love for His people. That is the evidence of new birth.

That is the fruit of grace at work in the heart.

Paul says, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

That is a model for us.

How often do we give thanks to God for the faith of others?

How often do we pray not just for their needs, but in gratitude for the evidence of grace in their lives?

I cannot place into words how thankful I am for my church family, and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now listen to his prayer in verse seventeen:

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”

Paul prays that God would give them wisdom and revelation in knowing Him.

Why would he say that?

These believers already know Christ.

They have faith.

They have love.

They have been sealed with the Spirit.

And yet Paul prays for more knowledge.

Not knowledge just about God, but knowledge of God Himself.

Deeper, fuller, experiencing the knowledge of His character, and His grace.

Our greatest need as Christians is not more tips for living.

It is not more advice for success.

Our greatest need is to know God more deeply.

To see Him more clearly. To love Him more fully.

That is what Paul is praying for…

Verse eighteen:

“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you.”

Paul prays for enlightened eyes… or spiritual sight.

He knows it is possible to possess blessings without perceiving them.

To have blessings in Christ and yet live as though we are without.

To have hope and yet live in despair.

So he prays, “Lord, open their eyes.”

And what does he want them to see?

Three things.

First, “that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you.”

This is hope grounded in God’s calling.

If God has called you, then your future is secure.

Your hope is not based on your circumstances or performance.

It is based on His call.

And what is that hope?

It is the hope of glory. The hope of resurrection.

The hope of eternal life with Christ.

The hope that one day all suffering will end, all tears will be wiped away, and all things will be made new.

Second, Paul prays that you may know “what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints.”

This is different, because he isn’t pointing out OUR inheritance, but that you are actually an inheritance to God.

God treasures us as His possession.

You are His beloved.

And third, Paul prays that you may know “what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

Immeasurable greatness, His power, directed toward us who believe.

Paul explains in verse nineteen, continuing,

“according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.”

The power at work in you is the power of God.

The Holy Spirit.

The very power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your life.

Think about it.

The greatest display of power the universe has ever seen was not the creation of galaxies, or the parting of the Red Sea.

It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And that power is at work in you.

The same power that broke the chains of death, that triumphed over sin,

that exalted Christ to the right hand of God…

that power is now directed toward believers.

Paul goes on in verse twenty-one,

“far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Christ is exalted above all.

Above every ruler.

Above every authority.

Above every power, visible and invisible.

His name is supreme, forever.

Verse twenty-two:

“And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

The exalted Christ, seated at God’s right hand, reigning over the universe, has been given to the church.

He is head over all things—for the church.

That means all His authority, all His power, all His reign is exercised for the good of His people.

So what do we see in this chapter?

We see blessings upon blessings.

We see election before the foundation of the world.

Adoption as sons and daughters.

Redemption through His blood.

Forgiveness of sins.

The revelation of His will.

An eternal inheritance.

The sealing of the Spirit.

And we see Paul’s prayer that we would grasp the hope of His call, the riches of His inheritance, the greatness of His power.

We see Christ exalted, raised from the dead, seated at God’s right hand, reigning over all things, given to the church as its head.

This is who you are in Christ.

This is what you have in Him.

You are chosen.

You are adopted.

You are redeemed.

You are forgiven.

You know God’s plan.

You have an inheritance.

You are sealed with the Spirit.

You are empowered by the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

And you are united to the exalted Christ, who reigns for you.

And remember why..

All of it—every blessing, every gift, every promise—is “to the praise of His glory.”

That is the purpose of your salvation.

So what do we do with all of this?

How do we live in light of Ephesians chapter one?

First, we remember that theology leads to worship and praise.

Second, we learn to pray differently.

Paul didn’t pray that the Ephesians would be spared from hard times.

He didn’t ask for success in their business.

He doesn’t even ask that they would be kept safe.

He prays that their eyes would be opened to see what is already theirs in Christ.

That is a prayer you can pray every day for ourselves and other believers…

“Lord, open our eyes. Help us to see the hope of Your calling. Help us to grasp the riches of Your inheritance. Help us to know the power that is at work in us.”

Imagine how different our lives would be if that prayer was answered among us.

Finally, all of this calls us to worship.

Three times Paul says it: to the praise of His glory, to the praise of His glory, to the praise of His glory.

That is why God saved you.

That is why He poured out blessing after blessing.

That is why He sent His Son.

That is why He gave you His Spirit.

So that your life, your words, your worship, your obedience, your joy…

would resound with praise to His glorious grace.

So as we close, let us do what Paul does.

Let us bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us lift our hearts in praise for every blessing that is ours in Christ.

And let us leave here with our eyes fixed not on what we lack, but on what we have in Him, to the praise of His glory.

I’d like to close with an open prayer tonight.

I’ll begin, and anyone who would like to join may do so.

Let us pray:

Father God, I do not cease to give thanks for my brothers here tonight,

remembering them in my prayers: that You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of glory, would give us the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of You,

having the eyes of our hearts enlightened, that we may know what is the hope to which You have called us,

what are the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward us who believe,

according to the working of Your great might that You worked in Christ

when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your right hand in the heavenly places,

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named,

not only in this age but also in the one to come.

You have put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Tonight our hearts cry out to You, Lord, in love and praise for what You have done.

I lay all of our prayer requests at Your feet and ask for Your will to be done.

Please be with my brother Cody as he navigates a hard season in his marriage and in his faith.

I ask that You would call him to You, Lord, and bless him as You have blessed us.

Please be with my sister and her husband as they search for their new home.

Lord, guide them to a place where they will be fed by Your Word and nurtured into faithful, bold believers.

Please be with the rest of my friends and family as they each face their own struggles.

For those who are Yours, comfort them; for those who are lost, bring them into the fold, Lord.

Hear our prayers as a group—spoken and unspoken—whether voiced aloud or lifted in silence.

Lord, You tell us to bear one another’s burdens and to pray without ceasing.

So now, Father, I leave this time open for my brothers to bring their praises, their requests, and their hearts before You.

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Father, we entrust to You every prayer—spoken and unspoken.

Keep our hearts set on the hope of Your calling, strengthen us by Your Spirit,

and lead us to live to the praise of Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.