Dashboard (2)

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:1-10

A. Orientation-book summary:

B. Exegetical Outline:

vv 1-4 We are to be holy and blameless before God, because before the foundation of the world, the Father chose and blessed believers in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

vv 4-6 In love God adopted believers to himself as children in Jesus Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace.

vv 7-10 In Christ the believer has redemption and forgiveness of their trespasses, because of God’s plan in Christ to unite all things to himself in heaven and earth.

C. Exegetical Summary: The blessed Father has blessed believers in Christ to be united to himself.

D. FCF(redemptive occasion): A broken relationship with God and man.

E. Big Idea: In Christ the Father has blessed believers to be united to Himself, therefore we must give Him the praise and glory.

F. Homiletical Outline:

Main Points:

1. God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him, therefore believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

2. In love God predestined believers for adoption to Himself through Jesus Christ, therefore believers are his children according to the purpose of his will.

3. In Christ, believers have redemption through his blood, therefore the mystery of his will has been made known to unite all things to Him in heaven and on earth.

Composition Outline:

1. Introduction:

2. Explanation:

3. Illustrations:

4. Applications:

a) Because the Father has chosen believers in Christ to be holy and blameless before him, they must turn from sin.

b) Because the Father has adopted believers in Christ as His children, we must give Him glory.

c) Because the Father has granted redemption and forgiveness in Christs, it is in Christ alone, through His blood that believers are forgiven. We must turn to God with faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sins.

5. Christ-centered exposition and application:

6. Conclusion:

Introduction

Today I want to talk about all believers have in Christ. God is so gracious! Have you ever thought about what it means to be in Christ and what that entails? There is much God has done and is doing for the believer. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:1-10 and this is where we will focus today.

Ephesians 1:1–10 ESV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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, 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, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Main Point: 1

First, I’d like you to see God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him, therefore believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Or rather, before the world was made, God chose believers in Christ to be set apart and innocent before Him and in Christ believers are blessed with the work of God from above. Doesn’t it make sense? If God has chosen the believer from the foundation of the world, the believer is blessed not only from the work that God has done, but the work that He is doing in the life of the believer. Romans 8:28 says “and we know that for those who love God all things work together for the good to those who are called according to his purpose”.

Look with me in Ephesians chapter 1 at verses 1-4 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the lord Jesus Christ. 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, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him”. Here we see, Paul addressing the saints in Ephesus in regards to the spiritual blessings in Christ and he starts blessing the Father as He is graciously blessed believers with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Mind you, Paul is writing from prison in Rome, encouraging the saints that they have all these blessings in Christ.

You may be wondering how are believers blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places? It’s interesting to note that Jesus was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places. This is where Jesus governs all things as the head for the sake of the church. So it makes since that God is working all things out for the good of the saints. We know from Romans 8:34 that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for believers. But not only is Jesus at the right hand of the Father, in Christ believers are also seated in the heavenly places at the right hand of the Father with Jesus. That’s mentioned in chapter 2:6. In Christ, the believer has not only died with Christ to sin and been made alive to righteousness through Him. The believer also has inherited a share of Christ’s glory. So God is working all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. This is the work of God in Christ that apart from Him we could never obtain.

We see in verse 4 that God chose believers from before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and blameless before Him. God in His grace chose to rescue those He predestined from spiritual death through Christ and conform them to the image of Christ. It wasn’t that they chose God or that God saw something in them. It was all for His purpose He chose them. This demonstrates God’s great mercy in that we could never merit our way to salvation and had He not sent His Son, there would be no hope for salvation. Because the Father has chosen believers in Christ to be holy and blameless before him, they must turn from sin.

Main Point: 2

The second thing I want you to see is that in love, God predestined believers for adoption to Himself, therefore believers are his children according to the purpose of His will. Or to put it another way God in His love, chose to be the believers to be His children and they are part of His family as He planned. When someone decides to be an adoptive parent, there is planning and counselling to ensure that person is up to the task, but you see with God He was up to the task and it was His plan before the foundation of the world.

Look with me in verses 5-6 “He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved”. Just before verse 5 it mentions that it was in love. In love God sovereignly chose to adopt believers into His family through Christ. We see that this was all according to the purpose of His will. God has always been the one who chooses. In Deuteronomy 7:6 God tells the people, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession..” Psalm 135:4 reads, “for the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His own possession”.

But what is the purpose of God choosing? Verse 6 in Ephesians read “to the praise of His glorious grace”. The reason God chooses to adopt believers is that He may be glorified. God is the one who will get the glory and He is the only one worthy of that. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul says to do all things to the glory of God. This is what He deserves. Because the Father has adopted believers in Christ as His children, we must give Him glory.

Main Point: 3

The third thing I want you to see is that in Christ, believers have redemption through His blood, therefore the mystery of His will has been made known to unite all things to Him in heaven and on earth. Or rather, now that we know that there is redemption through the blood of Christ, the mystery has been revealed in how God will unite all things to Himself. Doesn’t it make sense? The Messiah of the O.T. prophecies the prophets longed to know more about came and fulfilled all that was written of Him for the sake of His people. This revelation of salvation was fully revealed in Christ.

Look with me at verses 7-10 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.

We see that redemption, the forgiveness of trespasses is through the blood of Jesus. Someone had to die. Abraham trusted God to provide a sacrificial Lamb when he was tested and told to sacrifice his only son, whom he love. This was a foreshadow of what God would do. In John 1:29 John the baptist says of Christ “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. As Ephesian verse 7 continues, it is according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon believers. Those who God has chosen is lavished with God’s love in Christ Jesus.

It is a blessing when a child is selected to be adopted by foster parents who have been intentional about providing a home with love and care. How much more is it a blessing when God chooses those to be His children and lavish His grace upon them. He who was intentional before the foundation of the world to choose believer to be united to Himself. Because the Father has granted redemption and forgiveness in Christ, it is in Christ alone, through His blood that believers are forgiven. We must turn to God with faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sins.

Conclusion

So in conclusion, God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him, therefore believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. And Because the Father has adopted believers in Christ as His children, we must give Him glory.

In love, God predestined believers for adoption to Himself, therefore believers are his children according to the purpose of His will. And because the Father has adopted believers in Christ as His children, we must give Him glory.

In Christ, believers have redemption through His blood, therefore the mystery of His will has been made known to unite all things to Him in heaven and on earth. Because the Father has granted redemption and forgiveness in Christ, it is in Christ alone, through His blood that believers are forgiven. We must turn to God with faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sins.

This is all we have in Christ. Are you in Christ? Have you repented of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ to save you? If you haven’t, now is the time. Tomorrow is never promised. God has provided the sacrificial lamb. Trust in Him alone for salvation. He is our only hope.