Ephesians

Intro:

The apostle paul, is writing to Christians. This book deals with a lot of theology, it gets really deep in some areas. I have listened to some teachers go through this book and explain it one word at a time. One of my favorites - John Piper, spoke for no less than 45 minutes on the first ten words. We aren’t going to go that slowly.. we will be painting with a much broader brush. This week as we

Paul spent a lot of time in Ephesus - he taught in the streets, and then in a lecture hall. This ministry can be found in acts 19. His letter, some years

As we look at this book together, I recommend that you also take a look at Colossians. A lot of what Paul said in Ephesians, he repeats in Colossians. Having an understanding of both will be incredibly beneficial to us.

Today - we are going to be discussing the relationship that we are able to have with the creator of the universe, and a few of the reasons that is a good and wonderful thing.

Lets pray, and then dig into the word together.

Pray.

Ephesians 1:1–14 CSB

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will: To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Today as we look at Ephesians 1 - we see a beautiful description of our relationship with Jesus. In fact, the first half of Ephesians is basically that - a description of who we are in Jesus - and the second half is how we respond to that. As we study today, there isn’t much of a call to action, apart from this: At the very end of Ephesians - as Paul is closing his letter, he says this:

Ephesians 6:24 ESV

Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

In Revelation, when writing to the church in Ephesus, God reminds them of this, his one complaint about them, was that they didn’t love him any more.

Revelation 2:4 CSB

But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.

Revelation 2:5 CSB

Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

We have a reminder there, in Ephesians 6:24 - to come back to our first love. As we look at ephesians 1 - we are going to see some reasons, very clear, beautiful reasons to do that.

We see these reasons just laid out, We wont be able to get to all of them, so lets focus on just a couple. The first is That we are chosen.

The bible says that we are predestined. That God picked us.

This is one of those deep - doctrinal issues that I mentioned is dealt with in the book of Ephesians, and it is something that we shouldn’t be uneducated about. This is an issue that divides the church.

The most important thing to know about predestination is this: This is not a salvation issue. We can have fellowship with Christians based on a love for the Lord, and not agree on every doctrine.

According to my understanding of the word, as we attempt to use the bible to interpret the bible is this: before the beginning of time, God knew everything. He knew your name, and mine. And out of all the people that would ever exist, he chose a number of them that only he knows, that it would be his will that they would spend eternity in heaven and be saved.

We also understand that it is his will that all would be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4

We also understand that he hardened the pharaohs heart.

We understand that Judas is condemned for betraying the Lord.

Psalm 115:3 CSB

Our God is in heaven and does whatever he pleases.

Some explain all of this by saying that the phrase “God’s will” is used two different ways. The first way is God’s Soverieng will. He says it - it must happen. The other way is God’s permissible will - he says it, and then it is up to us to make it happen.

When it comes to our salvation - we should understand that the bible clearly says that we are chosen by God. But also that it clearly says that there are things that we must do to be saved. Whether we do those things because we choose to, or because we are chosen, is a question for the creator.

My focus today, is that Paul tells us this as a reason for celebration, a reason for giving praise to the father. We are chosen. Because we are chosen, we should love God.

The second thing that I would point out from this passage, is what we were chosen for - in

Ephesians 1:4 CSB

For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.

it tells us that we were chosen to be set apart, but then in

Ephesians 1:5 CSB

He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

its says that we are chosen to be adopted as sons. Adoption is this process where you take something, and you assume responsibility and ownership of it. You can adopt all sorts of things. Ross is in the process right now of adopting a cat, right?

The word of God says that WE are adopted, as sons. In our little church, we understand adoption. Many of the little ones here have been adopted.. taken out of one unfortunate situation or another, and chosen to be loved. For these little ones, their future is forever changed. The trajectory of their lives is forever altered. Their ability to succeed has been amplified.

I have seen this happen. Little ones who the doctors say would be nonverbal, through prayer and love find a voice.

As we look at the world around us, you aught to realize that it really isn’t that great of a place to be in. But in our house, as sons - we are loved, we are provided for, we can have peace and hope that the world doesn’t understand.

Because we are adopted. We have sonship.

And in that sonship, we have an inheritance. Because we were chosen, because we were adopted as sons, we have inheritance. Do you see how one thought builds on the next here. Paul is sharing, almost like a psalm - this layered, deep theological reality of our existence, and we aren’t even a whole chapter into this letter. Because we are adopted, and have sonship, we have an inheritance.

Inheritance - our needs are provided for.

Inheritance - our sins are paid for.

Inheritance - we get to be in the presence of God for eternity.

Romans 8:17 CSB

and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

We have received forgiveness, redemption, everlasting life. We have received peace and hope. The proof that we have all of those things is the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:14 CSB

The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

The holy spirit is described here as a down payment, as ernest money. When you buy something so expensive that you cant carry all the money to the original transaction - like a house, or when you buy something you weren’t necesssarily expecting to purchase - you make whats called a down payment. This tells the person that you are buying that item from that YOU ARE SERIOUS.

The down payment is enough to be proof that the transaction is happening.

Christ - Blesses us with every spiritual blessing.

Some things about Christians.

We are chosen.

We are adopted - as sons.