Ephesians 1:3-14 Praise for Redemption in Christ

Review

Introduction

Last week we began this letter to the Ephesians by covering verses 1 & 2 and an overview of the entire letter.

This morning we will begin to look more closely at the content of this letter. And last week I mentioned that Ephesians, like Paul’s other letters, begins with Doctrine which Leads to practical application.

Ask

What does it mean to you that Paul begins with Doctrine in his letters? What does this make you think about?

Paul’s understanding of doctrine first and foremost led him to doxology, to praise and thanksgiving for what God has done!

I hope that you will sense the heart of Paul as he wrote this letter; a heart that was “aflame”, as Hendriksen states, “bent on setting others hearts aflame also, with sincere, humble, and overflowing praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” May the truth that we study today set each of our hearts aflame as we contemplate the Grace of God that was freely bestowed on us in the beloved.

***Make this point above clear. Paul speaking on election, predestination, etc is not meant to be a doctrinal argument over the way in which someone is saved. It is not meant to portray God in a cold and calculating light.

God is portrayed here as both the sovereign, transcendent and all powerful God and also as a kind, loving , and caring Father. The truths that we find here should not lead to debate and argument but rather to Doxology!****

We will see that throughout our text as Paul recounts the blessings of God in Ephesians 1:3-14. We will see blessings Past, Present and Future as Paul recounts the Work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We will see the Eternal Plan (Choosing) in verses 3-6, the Present Grace (Redeeming) in Verses 7-10 and the Future Hope (Blessing & Sealing)in verses 11-14.

Dual Blessing - Verse 3

Ephesians 1:3 NASB95

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Ask

What does the word “bless” mean?

Bless God - Praise Him

Paul blesses, that is, praises God because of the great blessings that came from Him.

God has Blessed Us - speaking generally of the spiritual blessings which come through faith in Christ.

The “us” in this verse and the following verses referring to Paul and those to whom he was writing, the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus.

Those blessings will proclaimed in the coming verses. But here in verse 3 Paul speaks of them in general. They are Spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. The blessings that Paul was thinking of were not physical, but Spiritual, blessings associated with the Spiritual realm. They were heavenly blessings, blessings that relate to the eternal.

And they were blessings that were “in Christ”. The blessings are intimately related to Christ, they are the blessings of salvation.

Verses that follow begin to specify the actual blessings that Paul is speaking of.

And the specific blessings that Paul had in mind relate to salvation past present and future. As Paul begins to explain the Spiritual Blessings that have caused him to bless God, He begins where Salvation began, in Eternity Past. Paul says in verse 4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”.

Choosing: The Plan of the Father Ephesians 1:4-6

Eternal Plan

Ephesians 1:4–6 NASB95

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Paul recounts the fact that in eternity, before the world was founded, before there was time, before there was mankind, even before their was sin, God chose us. The word that is translated “chose”, means to “pick out of” or decide between”. God chose some and not others.

Verse 4

Who: God

What: Choosing

How: Through Christ, the conduit

When: Before the foundation of the world - before the world was created

Why: Standing before God - Holiness / Sanctification

Motive: In Love*****

Verse 5

What: Adoption as sons

When: Eternity Past - Predestined

The word “predestined” means to “mark out limits beforehand”, “to set parameters”, “to determine one’s destiny”.

How: Throught Jesus Christ

Motive: Kind intention of His will******

Verse 6

Why: Praise

What: Grace

How: Freely through Christ*****

Throughout verses 3-6 the focus is on the Eternal Plan of God to save sinners. The choice that was made to adopt sinners into His family was an act of Love that God determined to do merely because it pleased Him.

It was a plan that had Jesus Christ at the very center.

The Spiritual blessings are “in Christ”,

God chose us in Him, that is “in Christ”,

He predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ,

the Grace was freely bestowed on us in the Beloved, “in Christ”.

And as we move on to verse 7 there is a transition from the plan of the Father to the work of the Son in salvation.

There is a transition from eternity to history. Paul moves from the eternal foundation of their salvation to the Grace of the Present Time: Redemption

Redeeming: The Work of the Son Ephesians 1:7-10

Present Grace

Ephesians 1:7–10 NASB95

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

What God determined to do in eternity He brought about in history, in time. And again, Christ is central.

How can we be holy and blamless before Him?

Verse 7

What: Redemption

How: Blood of Christ

The blood of Christ represents His life. When Christ gave His life on the Cross he made redemption for the elect. That is, His life paid the ransom, it paid the debt for sin.

Just as in the Old Testament Sacrifices, the animals died in place of those who offered them, in the case of Christ, his life was substituted for ours. Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of all that the animal sacrifices pointed to.

What: Forgiveness of our Sin

They had violated God’s laws, they had sinned and needed to be forgiven. But since God is Holy and Just and must punish sin, forgiveness of sin could not come without the redemption through His blood.

But in Christ, there was forgiveness because of the redemption. The Payment, the redemption, secured the pardon, the forgiveness of sin.

The meaning behind the word forgiveness is “to release” or “send away”. The sins were released, sent away, just as was symbolized in Old Testament Israel on the Day of Atonement. They would sacrifice one goat and then release another, the “scapegoat”. The idea behind the forgiveness that Paul speaks of is that there was complete removal of sin. Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Verse 7b-8

How: Riches of his Grace - Lavished Abundantly

And that this is the case is made clear as Paul explains the greatness of the redemption and forgiveness of sins. It came “according to the riches of His Grace which He lavished on us.” The Grace that was freely bestowed was given in great measure. God did not bestow His grace simply out of His riches but according or in proportion to them.

That is why Paul says that the grace was lavished on us. It was poured out abundantly. Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:14 “and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” The Grace that was freely bestowed was far more than enough.

Verse 9-10

What: Revelation of the Mystery of God’s Will

Motive: Kind intention

Paul continues and explains that he and those to whom he was writing were also made aware of the mystery of God’s will.

Ask

What is a mystery?

A mystery in the Scriptures is something that was once hidden but has been made known.

Again was see the sovereignty of God in all of this. He made this mystery known.

Ask

How was it made known?

According to His kind intention which He purposed in Him. The mystery of Salvation was foreshadowed in the Old Testament but had been made know in Jesus Christ.

The mystery included not only the way of salvation in general but also that fact that the Gentiles would be included, a point that Paul will make later in the letter. And as we see the mystery that was revealed also included the greater purpose of salvation that would come in the fulness of time. History is headed to a purposeful end. At God’s appointed time the rule and reign of Christ will be made complete. All things in heaven and earth will be subjected to Him.

Blessing: Ephesians 1:11-12

Future Hope

Ephesians 1:11–12 NASB95

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

Verse 11

What: Inheritence

When: Eternity Past - Predestination

How: His Purpose

Paul says they had obtained the inheritance because they had been predestined according to God’s purpose. This is likely a reference back to the predestination to adoption as sons. There was a future hope because by being adopted into the family of God they were also made heirs and therefore there was an inheritance that lied ahead. And inheritance that was so certain that Paul speaks of it as if they already obtained it. One commentator states, “We have not only been made partakers of the knowledge of redemption, but are actually heirs of its blessings.”

And Paul explains how this could be. Again it was because of the sovereign plan of God. Paul said, “having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,” What God had determined in eternity, the predestination, was according to His purpose and no other. And what God determined in eternity He brings about in time. Paul makes it clear that not only does God bring about the salvation of the elect, but that He brings about all things that He has determined to do.

Paul says that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will.” The Greek Word for “works” comes from the word that we get our English word “energy”. It is the very Power of God, the Divine Energy that brings about what He has determined to do.

Verse 12

Purpose: Praise of His Glory

Who: ?

Throughout the letter, Paul has been referring to himself and those to whom he was writing. But as we look at verses 12-13 we see that Paul makes a distinction between two groups of people.

In verse 12 there is a shift, the “we” who would be to the praise of His glory are described as the “first to hope in Christ”.

It could be that Paul is referring to himself and others who came to saving faith before the Ephesian believers did.

Ask

Who were the first to hope in Christ?

But it may be more defined than that, Paul might be making a distinction between Jew and Gentile here. The first to hope in Christ were Jews and it seems that Paul is writing primarily to Gentiles. I say that because in chapters 2 and 3 Paul shows that there is unity in Christ between Jew and Gentile.

By saying that they were first to “hope in Christ”, Paul was not speaking in uncertain terms. To hope in Christ is to put confidence in Him to trust Him. Paul is speaking not simply of Jews in general looking for the promised Messiah, but those who actually have put their faith in Him.

Those who first came to Hope in Jesus, Paul says, were to be to the praise of His glory. They would be the cause of God’s glory to be praised. That is exactly what Paul has caused to happen by writing this very letter. As he related the great truths, the doctrines of Christianity, his purpose was to cause others to praise the Glory of God.

Sealing: Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:13–14 NASB95

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Verse 13

Who: Believers in Ephesus

What: Sealed with the Holy Spirit

How: Hearing the Truth, Gospel and Believing it

The future inheritance was not only for those who had first hoped in Christ, but also for the saints in Ephesus and for all believers.

Those to whom Paul wrote had heard the Gospel, the message that Paul describes here as “Truth”. But they not only heard it, they believed it.

Seal: And having believed it, they received the Holy Spirt of promise as a seal.

A seal was used in three ways in that day.

As seal was placed on something to authenticate or confirm that it was true.

A seal was also used to mark someone’s property.

And the third way that seals were used were to make something secure. That is what we saw with the Jesus’ tomb at the end of the Gospel of Matthew.

The believers to whom Paul wrote had received the Holy Spirit as a seal. Having received the Holy Spirit they were assured that they had been redeemed and forgiven. They were marked as God’s people, made holy, set apart and they were secure. We see that in verse 14.

Verse 14

Why: Pledge of our inheritence

The Holy Spirit was as a pledge of their inheritance. The Holy Spirit was a downpayment, a We see that in verse 14. of what was to come. The Holy Spirit was a promise that the believers would receive the full inheritance in the future. The Holy Spirt was given, as Paul says, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession.

How: Redemption

Redemption in this case does not mean that another payment would need to be made. What Paul means is that in the fulness of time, they would be redeemed, delivered from this present, evil world, not only at death but most fully at the end of time when Christ would return and all things would be summed up in Him.

All of this again has Christ at the center. Verse 13 began with “In Him”, “in Christ”.

Their faith, their belief was “in Christ” and

they were sealed “in Christ” by the Holy Spirt.

Salvation, from beginning to end, from eternity past through history and into eternity future is all centered around Jesus Christ. There is no salvation outside of faith in Him.

Purpose: To the praise of His glory

And as we look back at the end of verse 14 we are reminded once again that the purpose of this great salvation in Christ is “to the praise of His glory”. And how could they not praise His glory, how can we not praise His glory as we contemplate the Great hope that we have in Christ, as we contemplate all that God has done to secure our salvation.

Conclusion

Choosing in Eternity Past

Redeeming in History

Blessing in the Present

Sealing for Eternity Future

God the Father: There is great hope because Salvation is not a matter of chance, it was not even God’s reaction to man’s sin. Salvation is the eternal plan of God. It is a plan that is filled with love and brought about because it pleased God to do so. It is a plan that is not contingent on any goodness on our part.

God the Son: It is a plan that from eternity centered on the person and work of God the Son, Jesus Christ. It is a plan that did not ignore sin but dealt with it perfectly through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who gave His life as a ransom for many!

God the Holy Spirit: It is a plan that is confirmed in the heart of every believer, certified by the indwelling Holy Spirit who is a pledge of the inheritance to come when all things are finally and completely subjected to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ, our great Lord and Savior.

God’s Goal our Response: Praise

As we recount the great blessings that God has blessed us with our only proper response is to bless God. The blessings of God are to flow in a circular pattern for From Him and Through Him and To Him are all things, to Him be the Glory forever, Amen!