Ephesians 1:3-14

Our Identity Begins

The Theme of Ephesians is a blueprint for the church: to establish our identity and the function within the church.

Key Verse Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Paul opens his letter with a greeting, that there are important understanding for us

Ephesians 1:1–2 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.

About Ephesians

Author: Paul

An apostle “sent one” - only 14 men in all of history can be called and apostle of Jesus Christ (Judas 12, Matthias 13th, Paul 14th)

Audience: To the Faithful Saints at Ephesus.

Saints- “holy ones” referring to the believers,

Describes them as faithful…those who withstood trials

Ephesus- Paul has a special place in his heart for this costal city located in what is now southwest Turkey. At the time it was the third most populated city in the Roman Empire (akin to Chicago NY1 LA2) We can look back to Acts 19, to the time that Paul spent two years there. A Church started under Priscilla and Aquila tent-making couple, who often partnered with Paul (Corinth, Ephesus, Rome). Paul faces riots, resistance from Jewish leaders, but finds a great ministry there. Later we will see as one of the 7 churches that receive a letter in Revelation 2:1-7. “you have abandoned your first love”

Purpose: To help mature Christians with faithful insight and deepened understanding about Christian life in the church.

When: Approx. AD 64

Ephesians 1:3–14 CSB

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.

Blessed

We are blessed because it was God’s good will and desire to do so. First we see that the source of the blessing is God the Father. This passage we will see clear work of the trinity, although that word is never used in the Bible, we see it quite clearly here.

Praise of God the Father

He is blessed

Reason for Praise

He Blesses us

Chosen

Redeem

Sealed

Cause for worship

Chosen by God

Here we are going to touch on a challenging topic. The Doctrine of Predestination. This doctrine is clearly articulated in this passage. Paul does not reason it out as he does in Romans 9 where he argues for the election of Israel, and the just of God’s election. This is that we must understand that this doctrine is so, whether we fully understand it or not. Often there is a question of where does man’s agency (or ability to choose, thereby exercising personal choice), we will see that shortly in a few verses. I do not want to go down this path this evening, especially becasue Paul does not discuss it at length, but simply explains that it is so.

“On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?”

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ro 9:20.

What we need to look at is what we were chosen for.

First we were chosen in Christ

In Christ - “Relationally”

Secondly we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be

Blameless

Holy

Lastly we were chosen to be adopted as sons

Through Christ

For himself

We were chosen because

Pleasure of his will

Praise to his glorious grace

He lavished on us in Christ

Redeemed by Christ

We are Redeemed

Through the blood of Jesus

We have forgiveness of our trespasses (Greek word describes estrangement from God)

according to his grace

all wisdom and understanding

We are made known the mystery of his will

That in Christ he planned to bring everything in heaven and on earth together at the right time

This we see as already begun and not yet (We have seen this begun already, but not yet finished, we are awaiting the final coming of Christ to bring all things together on heaven and earth)

Sealed with Holy Spirit

In Christ we have and inheritance

In Christ we are seal with the Holy Spirit

Here comes the agency of man

When you heard the word (hear with intention, not just a commercial on a radio)

When you believed (to put trust in)

The Holy Spirit is an down payment

guarantee of inheritance(the word here is to be chosen by lot, that is we cannot not effect our reception of this inheritance)

until we take possession of our eternal inheritance

for the glory of God.

Jeremy’s Final Word

We are blessed because we are chosen by God

This is who we are, we are chosen by God, we are redeemed by Christ, we are Sealed with the Holy Spirit. This is because God chose us to be sealed, but also because we heard the truth and believed.

This needs to affect the way we see and understand

God

Ourselves

Our Worship

Idea: We are blessed

Chosen

Redeemed

Sealed

Questions:

1. How are we spiritually blessed? Where are our blessings? Where are heavenly places?

2. What are some of the blessings that were revealed in verses 3-14?

3. Does this passage move you to worship God?

4. What does it mean to be “in Christ”?

5. When you “believed” is when you placed your “trust in”, how does this help you understand your salvation

6. Does this passage correct the way that you view yourself and others who are “in Christ”?