Wealth, Walk And Warfare
Of The Christian
Blessings Involving The Father
Ephesians 1:4-6
Review…
Ephesians 1:1-3 (ESV) 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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,
Last week we shared the background of why Ephesians was written and to who it was written to.
We also spent some time talking about the words “faithful” and the words “in v.3 – “in Christ” – (the word “in” is used 119x’s in this book alone.
We said last week that the “theme of Ephesians” is “THE BELIEVERS RICHES IN CHRIST.”
After a brief salutation in vv. 1-2, Paul immediately begins in 1:3 by praising God for the blessings, (or riches) we have in Christ.
This week we are going to look more into the BLESSING that come our way that involve our HEAVENLY FATHER.
Today, we will be in vv. 4-6. Actually – vv. 4-14 are one sentence in the Greek. It is the longest sentence in th Bible. It is doxology. There are THREE PARTS to this “doxology” – verses 4-14. A doxology is a hymn of praise to God.
This doxology describes our wealth that we have in Christ. There are 8 things that we will study over the next 3 weeks.
Blessings Involving The Father – vv. 4-6 (which we will study today)
Blessings involving the Son – vv. 7-12
Blessings Involving the Holy Spirit – vv. 13-14
Ephesians 1:4-6 (ESV) 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 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.
BLESSINGS INVOLVING THE FATHER – Ephesians 1:4-6
CHOSEN By God (1:4)
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) 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
Defining The Term “CHOSEN”... The Greek means to “pick out or choose for one’s self”
God CHOSE you.
How many remember playing sports and two captains would pick teams? How many remember not being picked?
Here’s the thing… God LOVED you so much that He gave us His Son. It is His desire that we all give our hearts to Jesus.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV) 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
I love the fact that God loves and chooses us – EVEN THOUGH WE ARE UNWORTHY/ UNDERSERVING.
God paid a big price to let us be a free moral agent – to be able to think and choose for ourselves. We’re not robots – forced to do something that we can’t control.
God controls the universe but gives man his freedom of choice.
Isaiah 55:8 (ESV) 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
Think about that: WE ARE HIS CHOSEN ONES.
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Matthew 22:14 (ESV) 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Revelation 17:14 (ESV) 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
John 15:16 (ESV) 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
The TIME Of This Choice – Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) 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
“before the foundation of the world” - Before the world was ever created, God made His “choice.” It is the Bible word “ELECTION.”
We were chosen “before the foundation of the world”
Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV) 13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:17-18 (ESV) 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
God made man to have fellowship with Him, but man focused on what is in it for himself and broke fellowship with God.
Think about what God has in mind before He created us and His world. Compare that with what we have in mind for the world and for ourselves.
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) 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
“In Him” - The “Him” here obviously refers to Jesus Christ. One of the 119x’s that this preposition is used in Ephesians.
The OBJECTS Of This Choice – Ephesians 1:4
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) 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
Think about that – GOD CHOSE US! That’s HIS responsibility.
Now… it is up to us to to confirm that choosing.
2 Peter 1:10 (ESV) 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
But to understand this – you have to read 2 Peter 1:5-9
This is how you confirm your calling and election.
2 Peter 1:5-9 (ESV) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Joshua 24:15 (ESV) 15 … choose this day whom you will serve, …. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Before God made the world means that He was thinking about us—planning for us – waiting for us to choose Him.
The PURPOSE Of This Choice – Ephesians 1:4-5
Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV) 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 as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
God’s goal for us is that we would walk in HOLINESS and LOVE
Walk In HOLINESS – set apart for a special purpose.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (ESV) 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Walk BLAMELESS - free from condemnation
What does that mean?
Genesis 17:1 (ESV) 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
The root Hebrew meaning of this word is to walk in “completeness.” It is to walk with God with nothing to hide. It is to be dedicated to God “fully” and “completely.”
Walk In LOVE – walking before God in “sphere” of love
Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Walk As His SONS/ DAUGHTERS
Ephesians 1:5 (ESV) 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
- Predestined – “Having marked out the boundaries beforehand.”
- Adoptions as sons – fully His with all rights and privileges
This was adopted from Roman law.
An adopted person became a full member of the family.
He had all the same rights and privileges – as if he/she were actually blood born – even if they were a slave before.
Think about this.. We are sons/ children of God – joint-heirs with Jesus Christ
Romans 8:28-29 (ESV) 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
The destiny of every person that God has chosen is that they will become a member of His family as we are confirmed into the image of Christ.
John 1:11-12 (NIV) 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Since we’re not naturally born into God’s family the only way we can become part of that family is through adoption.
Romans 8:15-17 (ESV) 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Ephesians 1:5 (ESV) 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
In other words – this whole idea “pleased” God. Think about that – God takes great pleasure in you. He wants more than you want for you to be in the center of God’s will.
ACCEPTED By God – Ephesians 1:6
Ephesians 1:6 (ESV) 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
DEFINING THE TERM “ACCEPTED”...It means to be “highly favored.”
Comes from the Greek word charitoo {khar-ee-to’-o}, and means...
a. To be highly favored
b. To peruse with grace, compass with favor
c. To honor with blessings
It is used in Lk 1:28 in reference to the virgin Mary (“highly favored one”). Like Mary, those in Christ are “highly favored” in God’s sight!
Salvation and all its benefits are the results of God’s grace (unmerited favor). BECAUSE OF THIS – HE DESERVES PRAISE!
Romans 3:24 (ESV) 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
The BASIS Upon Which Are Accepted.
Ephesians 1:6 (ESV) 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Vv. 1-4 tell us that being CHOSEN and ACCEPTED are because we are “in” Christ and it “by” Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:6 (NIV) 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Because we are “in Christ” that we are privileged to be “highly favored” by God and showered by His wonderful blessings.
How Does God Accept Us? By His GRACE
Say… I’m accepted.
Ephesians 1:6 (ESV) 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
It’s all about grace
We’ll be studying more about grace down the road – but for right now, here are two aspects about God’s grace.
I don’t deserve it. It’s all about what Christ has done.
He has CHOSEN us.
He has ACCEPTED us.
When Paul wrote that God has freely given us His grace, he actually used a verb form of the word that is translated “grace” throughout the New Testament.
Perhaps the NLT best captures the meaning of this word with its translation:
Ephesians 1:6 (NLT) 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
I like the translation “poured out”. It gives us the sense that God didn’t hold anything back when He gave us His grace.
It’s kind of like at the end of a football game when the winning team takes the Gatorade bucket and pours it over their coach. They don’t hold anything back. That’s the picture here of how God pours out His grace.
And why does he pour out His grace on us? So that He can get the glory. That is really the essence of every spiritual blessing that we have in Jesus in the heavenlies.
Yes, we get a blessing and a benefit out of all of them. But their ultimate purpose is to bring glory back to the Giver of those blessings.
That’s because every one of those blessings is totally and completely dependent on God and not on our own efforts. We certainly don’t earn them or deserve them, so when we get them the only thing we can do is give glory to God for them.
In a sense, this message this morning is primarily for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Forgiver and Master.
And when we understand just how blessed we are to have been chosen by God to be holy and blameless through Jesus Christ; when we realize that our destiny is to be part of God’s family and that God takes pleasure in that; when we comprehend that God has poured our all His grace into our lives; how can we help but humble ourselves before Him and give Him praise and glory!
But maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve never made that decision. And maybe you’re asking this morning – “Am I one of God’s chosen?”
I believe that the very fact that you’re asking that question is evidence that God is drawing you to Himself. If that’s the case, please don’t leave here to day before talking to me or one of the elders.
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