1. Lesson 1 Ephesians Chosen to be holy Chapter 1 verses 1 to 6

Church of Christ Dapto The letter to the Church in Ephesus Lesson 1—Chosen to be holy Ephesians 1:1-6      The Message Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: To the Saints Dedicated to God Faithful in Christ Jesus The faithful are those who have persevered in their faith in Christ despite pressure to give up from within and from the world. They have chosen to obey Him despite all the opportunities to obey the world. They do not allow the world to dominate their lives so that they do not: live as if God isn’t present in their lives and meander through a Monday - Saturday existence; think that there is no Godly plan driving the world but all things are just luck or karma; take life for granted instead of seeing everything as a gift; become fragmented, with their thoughts, emotions, and desires pulling them in opposite directions; 1 like everyone else in the world. The Blessing Ephesians 1:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise to God Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. We are to give God all the credit, and call others to do the same, because of what He has done for us and what He has given us. God has brought about all that is good for us with eternal value and eternal goodness. These are blessings brought by the Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit brings the blessing from God and they are blessings of spiritual value because they cause us to praise God for their goodness. We are blessed in the heavenly realms because all the blessings come from the place where God dwells. They are brought from Him to us, and as such are a sample of the blessings we are to receive when we enter the New Heaven and New Earth and live eternally in God’s presence. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing because we are in Christ! 2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 1 - Colson Centre for Christian Worldview – Four signs of a practising secularist - colsoncenter@colsoncenter.org September 20 2019 He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 1 Chosen to be holy September 22, 2019 Page 2 He chose us Ephesians 1:4a For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. This is the reason that we are to praise God and this is the greatest blessing God has given. He has chosen us in Christ. God Himself chose us before the world was created showing He knew about us before time began. He knew about our births, our lives, even our sins, yet still chose us to be His. It means that we are part of His plan for this entire universe laid down before anything physical existed. He chose us out of the world. John 15:19 … you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Why did He choose us? It was not because we were better than others, or more deserving. 2 Timothy 1:9 not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. He chose us for His glory. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. He chose us to be holy 2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life He chose us to be blameless Colossians 1:22-23 ... by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith We were chosen to be holy and blameless in the sight of God! We can only be holy and blameless because of Christ Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. “Holy” means that we were chosen to be dedicated to God, only for His use, and only for His glory. “Blameless” means that He sees no fault in us. There is no sin we can be accused of. We were chosen to believe in Him, as Christ’s people. Since we were chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight, we must fulfil His plan for us. God chose us to be holy and blameless, so why would we doubt His plan and His promise? Why do we doubt His provision if He has known us before we were born and before this world existed? 1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 1 Chosen to be holy September 22, 2019 Page 3 A chosen life How is it that you are here, in this Church, today? If you believe that there was a process whereby you were talked into believing by another member; that you thought about it and decided that it was a good idea so you joined the Church; that your mind looked at the verses you were shown and you realised that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He died for you; that you now live believing in Jesus Christ to live as good a life as you can to please Him; that God will be pleased with all your effort and all your mental assent that God exists. You are wrong. The world is not how you think it is. God chose you and God created you. God, in Christ, saved you—for God. God chose you, so God made possible the opportunity you had to hear. He made possible the realisation that you had that what you heard was true. He convicted you to believe and seek salvation in Christ. He has kept you alive to fulfil His purpose for you to play your part in His plan; the plan laid down since before anything was created. You and I are here because God wanted us to be, and willed us to be. We deserve no credit at all, except that we listened to what God had told us and responded as He wanted. We are to make the choice to repent and continue to faithfully obey Him. This world is here for God, through God, and to complete God’s plan to the finest detail, even your life and death. We cannot tell who God has chosen. We must not try to judge that one person is chosen and another not. All we can do is proclaim the Gospel as God chose us to do, and do that to everyone God brings us into contact with, for that is His plan. It will become apparent if God has chosen them, by the response they eventually make. The fact that they do not respond in the time you expect, or in the way you expect does not give you the right to judge their choosing or lack of it. God is using you as part of the plan. Their final salvation may be the result of your work and the work of many others. You may be just a step in the plan for their lives. Those the world thinks are the worst sinners can still be chosen by God because Jesus’ blood is able to bring forgiveness to the worst sinner: He did for you and me! You were chosen by God. What difference does that make to your life right now? Everything that happens to you, even today, is part of the plan, if you are living faithfully, holy and blameless in His sight. What does it mean if we believe that God has chosen us and we are not living a holy and blameless life? Has He chosen us, or are we deluding ourselves? 2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 1 Chosen to be holy September 22, 2019 Page 4 He predestined us for adoption Ephesians 1:4b-5 In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will In accord with His Will for His Praise through His Grace Given Freely Through Jesus Christ! Predestined Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 1 Peter 1:1-2 To God’s elect, strangers in the world…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. For adoption Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.      Grace freely given Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. The Consequences for us Our realisation We are Saints Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Chosen to be holy and blameless Predestined to be adopted as a child of God God’s Grace was freely given to us in Christ Our response? Colossians 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.      He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4 Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 1 Chosen to be holy September 22, 2019 Page 5 What are you to learn? There is a plan for everything in this world which God laid down before He created anything. You are part of that plan, and you were part of that plan from the first. Your part in the plan began when you repented of your sin, and your commitment to a sinful world, and believed that Christ shed His blood to save you when you were baptised into Him. The Spirit God has put within those who are baptised into Christ, tells you all Truth and makes it possible for you to know and believe that God has chosen you. Now that you know that God has chosen you, you know it was not because of your worth, but because of the part you are to play in His plan. You were chosen to be holy and blameless—your whole life dedicated to God and without any penalty for sin or judgement from God. You were not chosen to satisfy yourself or for your own glory. This view of the world is contrary to the popular view. We must not live by their beliefs or standards. Now that you are holy and blameless, God’s Spirit can, and does, live within you. Be faithful in fulfilling all your part in God’s plan as one of His chosen children. Look forward to the day you receive the full effect of your adoption as a child of God. Colossians 1:12-13 (Give) thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  Next Lesson: Chosen in Christ     Ephesians 1:7-14 Focus Verse: Ephesians 1:7      He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4