The Trinitarian Blessing

In the original Greek these twelve verses constitute a single complex sentence. As Paul dictates, his speech pours out of his mouth in a continuous cascade. He neither pauses for breath, nor punctuates his words with full stops. Commentators have searched for metaphors vivid enough to convey the impact of this opening outburst of adoration. ‘We enter this epistle through a magnificent gateway’, writes Findlay. It is ‘a golden chain’ of many links,2 or ‘a kaleidoscope of dazzling lights and shifting colours’. William Hendriksen likens it to ‘a snowball tumbling down a hill, picking up volume as it descends’,4 and E. K. Simpson—less felicitously perhaps—to ‘some long-winded racehorse … careering onward at full speed.’ More romantic is John Mackay’s musical simile: ‘This rhapsodic adoration is comparable to the overture of an opera which contains the successive melodies that are to follow’.6 And Armitage Robinson suggests that it is ‘like the preliminary flight of the eagle, rising and wheeling round, as though for a while uncertain what direction in his boundless freedom he shall take’.

John Stott

A gateway, a golden chain, a kaleidoscope, a snowball, a racehorse, an operatic overture and the flight of an eagle: all these metaphors in their different ways describe the impression of colour, movement and grandeur which the sentence makes on the reader’s mind.

PRAYER

Message

Chapell, Bryan. Ephesians. Edited by Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani. Reformed Expository Commentary. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2009. [Ch 3, The Son’s Mission]

National Public Radio - interview

New York Subway

Reasonably dressed … seemingly disturbed man

walking though crowd… pointing finger… words of choosing

“You’re in, you’re out”… no rhyme / reason

rich / poor / black / white / male / female

Anxiety grew as he approached… but for what!?

you’re in… euphoria… chosen… for what?… silly pride

The Past Blessing of Election.

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Two: How Rich You Are! (Ephesians 1:4–14))

Does the sinner respond to God’s grace against his own will? No, he responds because God’s grace makes him willing to respond. The mystery 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.

Warren Wiersbe

Eph 1.3-6 “3 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, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

He has chosen us

in Him

before the world

we should be holy and blameless

before Him

IN LOVE

He has adopted us

without any human merit or cause

He has loved us

Dan Fogelberg = 1979 = Album: Phoenix = Song: Longer

Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean,

Higher than any bird ever flew,

Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens,

I’ve been in love with you.…

Divine Revelation not Human Speculation

you may struggle but you may not deny

Incentive to Holiness not Excuse to Sin

you may rest in Him but you may not presume on Him

Stimulate Humility not Ground for Boasting

you may rejoice in this without finding rights in it

The Father Elected You!

The Present Blessing of Reclamation.

Ephesians (Christ’s Sonship (1:5))

The study of adoption has clarified the confusion I once felt. Adoption is a legal procedure which secures a child’s identity in a new family.… God didn’t choose to be our foster parent. We don’t get kicked out of the family because of our behavior. We don’t have to worry day to day whether or not we are good enough to be part of the family. In his infinite kindness, God made us a permanent part of his family.… Nothing can undo the legal procedure that binds me to Christ. He died to redeem me. He signed the adoption papers, so to speak, with his blood. Nothing can cancel the work he did for me. I am free from the fear of falling away. Hallelujah!

Robert A. Peterson

Eph 1.7-12 “7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”

He has redeemed us

He has given remission to us

He has revealed God’s will to us

He has made us an inheritance

Sonship imputes privileges

you may claim your rights as a co heir with christ

Sonship implies responsibility

you may not claim your rights without also accepting responsibilities

The Son Redeems You!

The Future Blessing of Unification.

Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians & Philemon (Commentary)

This seal of the Holy Spirit also serves as a deposit or down payment, providing a guarantee of more to come. It is the initial installment of the believers’ future inheritance. As ones adopted into God’s family with all the accompanying privileges, we have an inheritance from God that qualifies us to live eternally in his presence in heaven. The initial installment of the Holy Spirit is a little bit of heaven in the believers’ lives—with a guarantee of much more yet to come. This initial deposit continues literally “until the redemption of the purchased possession.” God is going to set free what he had already purchased.

Harold Hoehner

Eph 1.13-14 “13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

He has enlightened you

He has sealed us

He has given us a guarantee

God’s people are Gods’ possession

How are we made God’s people?

God’s people depend on God’s will

Why are we made to be God’s people?

God’s people live for God’s glory

The Message of Ephesians c. God’s People Live for God’s Glory

Here then are the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of God’s people, who are also his ‘heritage’ and his ‘possession’. How did we become his people? Answer: ‘According to the good pleasure of his will.’ Why did he make us his people? Answer: ‘For the praise of the glory of his grace.’ Thus everything we have and are in Christ both comes from God and returns to God. It begins in his will and ends in his glory. For this is where everything begins and ends.

The Spirit Guarantees You!

The Scope of this Trinitarian Blessing.

It is active

It is powerful

It is eternal

The Message of Ephesians 3. The Future Blessing of Unification (Verses 9–10)

At this point it may be wise to pause a moment and consider how much all of us need to develop Paul’s broad perspective. Let me remind you that he was a prisoner in Rome. Not indeed in a cell or dungeon, but still under house arrest and handcuffed to a Roman soldier. Yet, though his wrist was chained and his body was confined, his heart and mind inhabited eternity. He peered back ‘before the foundation of the world’ (verse 4) and on to ‘the fullness of time’ (verse 10), and grasped hold of what ‘we have’ now (verse 7) and ought to ‘be’ now (verse 4) in the light of those two eternities. As for us, how blinkered is our vision in comparison with his, how small is our mind, how narrow are our horizons! Easily and naturally we slip into a preoccupation with our own petty little affairs. But we need to see time in the light of eternity, and our present privileges and obligations in the light of our past election and future perfection. Then, if we shared the apostle’s perspective, we would also share his praise. For doctrine leads to doxology as well as to duty. Life would become worship, and we would bless God constantly for having blessed us so richly in Christ.

John Stott

Therefore let us praise HIM!!

PRAYER

Blessed be you oh God Most High may your name be glorified not only by our mouths but by our lives. For You in your good pleasure had looked out into all eternity where at the time only you did dwell in all your perfections and so did choose us to be your own possession.

You then also in your perfect will sent the Son our Lord Jesus the Christ to redeem us from our sin and though Him we have been forgiven and are now set apart as a people unto yourself as we eagerly wait for all things to also be reconciled to you.

You oh great God by the power of the Holy Spirit did quicken our hearts to make effective the call on our lives before the foundation. That through the Spirit we would respond to and receive this adoption and also be blessed by the ongoing indwelling of that self same Spirit as a permanent guarantee of this salvation.

Mere words fail us Father, so may you listen to our hearts now as we praise and rejoice and spiritually strain to bring you some semblance of thanksgiving in response to these awesome truths.

In your blessed name we pray! AMEN!!

Group Questions

If you had to be turned into an animal what animal would you choose and why?

What is one thing that stood out to you most from this passage and why?

What does this passage say about worship? How does it move you to praise God?

How does this passage contribute to your understanding of the Trinity?

How might some people describe the doctrine of election in negative terms? Why should the doctrine of election lead us to praise God?

Why should we reflect deeply on the doctrine of adoption? What practical benefit might a deep understanding of this doctrine have?

How would you explain to a non-Christian what Christ did to accomplish your redemption?

How does knowing that God works all things according to the counsel of His will affect you? Why do we need to reflect on this truth?

Explain the importance of “when you believed” in verse 13, in light of the context of verses 3–14.

Using concepts from this text, explain who the Holy Spirit is and summarize His role in salvation.