The Book of Ephesians (2)-God’s Spiritual Blessings

Ephesians 1:3-14

(READ PASSAGE)

(PRAY)

I. (v.3-14) The spiritual blessings of God

What spiritual blessings mean—these blessings are truths about God’s amazing love, grace, and mercy towards those who by faith, entrust their lives to His Son (note each blessing is reserved for thsoe who are IN CHRIST)

Spiritual blessings are divinely given blessings—meaning they are God owned and only He can bestow them

Spiritual blessings do not pass away as earthly blessings

Earthly blessings pass away and have no eternal value/weight

Spiritual blessings are from the throne of God, who is in Heaven—they carry eternal value/weight

Spiritual blessings are not just reserved for the believers’ future, but are given for the present as well

Who spiritual blessings are guaranteed for and what they should cause:

They are guaranteed and given to those who are born again: the foundation is salvation; apart from being born again, these spiritual blessings cannot apply—they remain a promise

Being born again is

An act of God and God alone, which produces a

Dynamic transformation

They should cause

Praise and worship of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3)—to bless the Lord

God has caused believers to prosper—to have inner joy & happiness (not as the world defines happiness, but as God defines it). God has bestowed upon us (His children) blessings—divine benefits which should illicit our our praise and worship of Him

“Blessed” as used here in verse 3, is a word exclusively reserved for God and means the He alone is entitled to receive blessing from man

“Blessed” as used here, highlights God’s divine nature, a sense of honor, devotion, acknowledging the goodness & majesty of God

“Blessed” used here in context, specifically refers to those blessings found in 4-14

The should Influence life:

The more we understand the spiritual blessings God bestows upon believers the more we will grow in the knowledge and understanding of God’s grace—and the grace of God—this “Charis,” should influence our lives to the point, that how we live our lives is a reflection of God’s grace.

———-

I. Spiritual Blessing #1—Holy and Blameless

“Holy”—this is the same word used for “saint”—meaning separated & set apart; specifically it means separated from sin and consecrated to God

Those, “in Christ,” have been set apart from this world and to God, separated from sin and shame, for a sacred purpose:

God separates a person from sin and this world to Himself, through His Son Jesus Christ and gives them a divine purpose and individual and corporate purpose

Individually we are set apart to a life where each believer is to be conformed more and more into the image of Christ Himself—this is our ultimate purpose

2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Corporately however, we are set apart to become a spiritual house:

Ephesians 2:21–22 “in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

1 Peter 2:4–6 “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.””

“Blameless”—this is to be free from sin, dirt, filth; to be above reproach, or, without blemish, fault, or defilement

In Christ a person is set apart from sin and free from sin and sin’s wages

In Christ a person is counted as righteous, made approachable to God, and the blood of Jesus Christ has washed our sins away (we are made white as snow)

(EXAMPLE) I love the first heavy snow of the season, b/c it covers everything and b/c when you walk outside there’s a unique peace that is felt

“…before the foundation of the world…” God determined, before one word of creation was spoken, that He would have a people

Who would be, “in Him,” that is, in His Son, Jesus Christ

Who would be holy and blameless

Who would live “before Him in love,” for eternity

(WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IT SHOULD SHAPE OUR LIVES)

Three Pictures

Picture #1—God separates us from the world

Picture #2—God separates us from sin and its wages (Romans 8:1)

Picture #3—God grafts us into the True Vine—into Christ (John 15)

The Shape of Our Lives

Philippians 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”

1 Peter 1:15–16 “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

1 Timothy 6:11–14 “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

***If God, through His Son, has positioned believers separate and set apart from both the world and sin, then the pattern of our lives should be holiness—we should pursue holiness, we should desire holiness***

II. Spiritual Blessing #2—Adopted as sons and daughters

“Predestined” (this is an easily debated topic and subject, that has caused much division in the church, so the following points are NOT opinions, they are strictly truths from God’s

“Try to explain election and you may lose your mind. But try to explain it away and you may lose your soul.” (anonymous seminary professor)

“Christians can agree that salvation begins with God and not with man,” (John 15:16).

Why?

“Becuase the lose sinner, left to his own ways, does not seek after God” (Romans 3:10-11)

(ASK) Does the sinner respond to God’s grace against his own will?

No—the sinner responds b/c God’s grace makes him willing to respond. “The mystery”, says Warren Wiersbe, “of divine sovereignty and human responsibility will never be solved in this life. Both are taught in the Bible (John 6:37). Both are true and both are essential.”

“Predestined” in the Greek is to “predetermine or mark out beforehand; to mark off the boundaries of something

The boundary is being adopted as a child of God—that we will be made just as Christ; conformed into His image/likeness

The boundary is God’s purpose for the believer, and nothing can stop God’s purpose

Believers may suffer/struggle through sin/shame, he/she may even stumble and fall, he/she may become discouraged and downhearted, BUT

The true & genuine believer will not be defeated—He/she is predestined to be a brother/sister of Christ

“Predestination” refers primarily to what God does for saved people.

Determine or decide beforehand; the New Testament usage refers to God’s sovereign decision and plan, particularly to salvation and a believer’s destiny

Emphasizes God’s foreknowledge and purpose in the unfolding of His divine will

No where in the Bible are we taught people are predestined to hell, b/c this word refers only to God’s people (remember who Ephesians was written to)

Election refers to people—predestination refers to purposes

Note something about this, which Scripture backs up— “foreordained or predestined” does not mean God chooses some for salvation and everyone for eternal condemnation

The message of the Gospel is for the “whoever, everyone, all men, and any”

John 3:16–17 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Romans 10:13 “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

1 Timothy 2:3–4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

We are predestined,“…to adoption as sons…”

This refers to the spiritual adoption of believers into the family of God

Signifies a a change in status—in being outside of God’s family, to becoming His children with full rights and privileges

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

Galatians 3:26 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

Galatians 4:4–5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Romans 9:8 “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”

“…by Jesus Christ…”

We are accepted by God by and through Jesus Christ alone—there is no other Gospel

We are accepted because we surrender to the grace and love found at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ

We are accepted by faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone—not through rules/works/religion:

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Romans 10:9–10 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

“Our son JP’s story

JP came to live with us in June of 2015 and he was officially, “adopted,” on April 17th, 2018

JP, though he is adopted, is introduced to others as “my son,” or “our son.”—He’s not put into a separate category like, “This is my adopted son, JP”

JP has “a past,” a past both my wife were aware of prior to adopting him, yet still adopted him

My wife and I didn’t make a “pro-con” list with JP; we chose to adopt him regardless of and despite his past

God led us, stirred us, moved in us, and turned our hearts to JP in order that we might adopt him and bring him into our family

JP is simply MY SON, and because of this

JP bears the family name of Price—he’s a part of and a member of our family; he will carry this name with him always

“As sons” then, in Christ, is to say that God marked out believers beforehand to be His children

Are we adopted? Yes! We weren’t of the family of God before we were adopted (just like JP). But in adopting us, we are given the right to be called God’s children

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

Do we have a past? Yes! And its not a great past. The Bible teaches us there is no one good—not a one of us; the Bible also teaches us that we were also born that way

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

Are we will good, left to ourselves? No! But thanks be to God on high that His grace which saved us—also sustains us

2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

God didn’t make a pro-con list, He didn’t think twice, He didn’t hold back, hesitate, or attach a divine guilt trip in rescuing us; instead

Romans 5:6–8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

God, through Jesus Christ, by faith through grace—adopted those who have who would believe on the name of His Son as His children

Our hearts bear the name of Christ over them, b/c the Bible says believers are hidden in Him

We are blood-bought members of God’s family; co-heirs with Christ; precious in His sight

Lastly—God cares for you—He has compassion for you and He has kindness towards you—kindness which leads us to repent of our sins (Romans 2:4)

It was “according to the good pleasure of His will…” to provide a way of adoption through His Son

III. Spiritual Blessing #3—Redemption and Forgiveness of Sins (Eph 1:7-8)

IV. Spiritual Blessing #4—Revealing the mystery of His will (Eph 1:10)

(ASK) What comes to mind when you hear the word, “mystery?”

The word “mystery,” has a much different context and meaning when Paul uses it here in Eph 1:9. In Scripture (specifically here) mystery does not refer to something mysterious & difficult to understand—it is a truth that has been locked up in God’s plan for ages, until He was ready to reveal it to us (you and I). A mystery then is a truth by God that had never been known before.

(W. Wiersbe) “It (mystery) means a “sacred secret,” once hidden but now revealed to God’s people. We believers are part of God’s inner circle. We are able to share in the secret that God will one day unite everything in Christ.”

(Bible Knowledge Commentary—this also ties back to Eph 1:8, wisdom and prudence) “God’s grace is given to believers to enable them to understand His will. God gives believers wisdom and objective insight to grasp areas of God’s divine purpose.”

So, what’s the mystery Paul is referring to? (Eph 1:10

“In the dispensation of the fullness of the times...”

“Dispensation” refers to, “arrangement of administration”—the idea is that the universe is a house under the management of God

“…of the fullness of the times…” in God’s sovereign timing (the end us not for us to know)

Acts 1:6–7 “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

Matthew 24:36 ““But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

“…He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.”

“Dispensation” here, refers to the Millennial Kingdom, where everything will be harmonized under Jesus Christ and Satan will be bound for 1,000 years

(READ Revelation 20:1-7 together) The discussion of the Millennial Kingdom, often times, brings us to a discussion on “pre-tribulation, mid-tribulations, and post-tribulation,” and while there are varying views and ideas, here’s what we can know:

Satan will be bound for 1,000 years (Rev 20:1-3)

As Christ rules and reigns, so will the tribulations saints rule and reign with him as seen (Rev 20:4)

What about the rest of the believers (including us, if we die before this period)?

Read Revelation 2:26-28, 3:12, 21; 5:10 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Timothy 2:12

These verses indicate that believers themselves will join these tribulation saints in the millennial kingdom (“elders” can refer to believers)

This is referred to us as the “first resurrection” (Rev 20:5b-6)

Unbelievers will remain dead, “unresurrected” for 1,000 years (Rev 20:5)

(DISCUSSION QUESTION)—Will there be unbelievers during the Millennial Kingdom?

(John MacArthur) “Children will be born within the Millennial Kingdom, live long and grow up, (some) rejecting God. How?

The Millennial Kingdom is not the new heavens and new earth—that comes later

Sin is not dependent on Satan (see James 1:14)

Sin will be dealt with (some scholars say) much swifter than it was prior to the MK

Spiritual Blessing #5—An inheritance (v.11-12)

“Obtained” means to allot or to assign

“Inheritance” this a verb that occurs only once (here) in the N/T

The phrase means we’ve been assigned, or allotted (a privilege) one to another as a possession—to make a private possession

In, through, and because of Christ we are God’s private possession—He’s our inheritance

“Predestined”—to decide beforehand—to predetermine that for those, “in Christ” they would be given a divine inheritance

2 Peter 1:4 “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

“partaker” (koynonos) means, a partner/sharer (in anything), brought into fellowship with (“the divine nature”)

(ASK) What is the difference b/t a worldly inheritance and a divine inheritance?

1 Peter 1:3–4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

“…according to the purpose of Him…”

This could be said, “Based on God’s express purpose of He wishes (wished) determined to have done…”

“…who works all things according to the counsel of His will…”

God is sovereignly at work, working ALL things for the good of the believer and to His glory (Romans 8:28)—working non-stop, at all times to complete what was started at salvation (Philippians 1:6)

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

(W. Wiersbe) “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, but “in whom also we were made an inheritance,” is another possible translation. Both are true and include the other…we (believers) are Christ’s future inheritance—He cannot claim His inheritance apart from us!

(ASK) How does provide us hope living in this fallen world—living—no longer under the power of sin—yet still in the presence of sin?

(David Jeremiah)

“The believer’s inheritance consists of the promise of eternal life with God and all the spiritual blessings the heavenly Father supplies until then (1 Cor 15:50)”

This quote tells/teaches us that the spiritual blessings listed and discussed (Eph 1:3-14) see us through until the day of redemption—capped by the blessing Paul closes with)

Spiritual Blessing #6—Assurance of Salvation (v.13-14)

(v.13) Note Paul’s of three words here:

Trusted:

Heard: to attend to, to consider what has been said, to understand, to perceive the sense of what is being said (from the mouth of the teacher)

Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Believed: to have placed faith in/upon—to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ); it speaks of committing; it also means it is more than just believing, it is being persuaded, in order to place confidence in, place one’s reliance upon

Biblical belief goes beyond mere head knowledge—it signifies a person’s whole hearted surrender to the truth, grace, mercy, and love of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ—it signifies the comprehension and confidence of the soul, that while dead in trespasses and sins, Christ stepped out of heaven, lived a perfectly obedient life, fulled all the law, and paid our sin debt on the cross-that our sins would be remitted and forgiven through His shed blood

(v.13) Note the tense of the words Paul uses here—they in the past tense

Paul, before he even gets to the blessing is reminding the Ephesian church—the body of believers/the body of Christ, to draw back and remember the time they believed “in Him,” after hearing the “word of truth, the gospel of your salvation…” to

Remember the time when their lives changed forever

Remember the time when hopelessness gave way to hopefulness

Remember the time when death gave way to life

Remember the time when darkness gave way to life

Remember the time when the power of the cross overcame the power of sin

(ASK) Why does it matter that we draw back and remember this time in our lives?

(v.13) The result of belief: “…sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…” (Again, Paul reminds us to see that this is something “already accomplished,” for, it is not something we are waiting for (“were sealed”))

“Sealed” (verb) to set a seal—to mark with a seal

Believers are sealed for security from Satan

A believer’s sealing represents something hidden (Colossians 3:1-4); we are hidden and kept secret from death

Believers’ sealing confirms authentication—proving that beyond a shadow of a doubt that we belong to God (that we are His and He is ours)

Being sealed confirms our eternal destination—that we are destined for eternal salvation (the hope of the Gospel—APOKATHISTEMI (restoration)

Believers are marked with the Holy Spirit—

We are no longer marked by the world and it’s labels,

We are no longer marked by worldly identities and values

We are no longer marked by a worldly image—

We are marked by our Maker, stamped & sealed by the Holy Spirit—NEVER to be unsealed, removed, or cast aside

We are marked by the divine Spirit, the Spirit who seals us, comforts us, guides us, convicts us, conforms us, helps us, and sees to it that we make it to the finish line—the words of the Philippians 1:6 (“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” ) are accomplished by and because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives

Luke 24:49 ““Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.””

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”

John 15:26 ““But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”

John 16:13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

(v.14) The “sealing” of the Holy Spirit is our guarantee

“Guarantee”: the “deposit” of the Holy Spirit into our lives is more than a pledge. Why? Because a pledge can be returned, a person can go back on a pledge

“Guarantee” in the Greek (arrabon) means, “a deposit guaranteeing.”—

The deposit of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in our lives, with a guarantee of much more to come

“our inheritance”—God—through His Holy Spirit, being deposited in our lives is guaranteeing us of the inheritance promised in verses 11-12

“…until the redemption of the purchased possession

This “redemption” is different from the “redemption” Paul spoke about in 1:7—here Paul uses the Greek word “apolytrosin”—this is NOT a release from the guilt of sin (that’s been accomplished), it is the believer’s ultimate and final redemption (release) from the presence of sin

“…of the purchased possession.”

In God’s perfect and sovereign timing—believers will be “completely purchased”

Positionally, we are fully purchased—we are no longer part of sin’s slave market (Eph 1:7)—no longer bound by sin, nor condemned by sin’s wages, we are seen as “glorified” by God (Romans 8:30 “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”)

Progressively (this side of heaven) we still reside in a fallen/sinful world, where we battle and contend with temptation and sin

Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

BUT THERE WILL COME A DAY, WHEN THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND AND THE LORD WILL DESCEND AS HE ASCENDED (ACTS 1:11), AND HE WILL MAKE ALL THINGS KNEW; THERE WILL BE NO PAIN, NO TEMPTATION, NO SIN, NO SHAME, NO GUILT, NO CONTENTION, NO STRIFE—THERE WILL ONLY BE JOY AND REJOICING, PEACE AND TRANQUILITY, FULFILLED HOPE AND RESTORATION

These spiritual blessings have been promised to the believer today—that they might live in light of them. They are the hope we place our lives upon as we live in a fallen/fickle/and finite world

(ASK) Looking back on these spiritual blessings, which have the most impact to you and why?