Ephesians 1D. For the last two weeks I addressed Paul s comments on God choosing us. And I knew it was (pre)destined to be controversial

Transcription

1 Ephesians 1D Fr the last tw weeks I addressed Paul s cmments n Gd chsing us And I knew it was (pre)destined t be cntrversial But the fcus n that wrd als caused us t step away frm the big picture f Paul s teaching in chapter 1 S tday, we re ging t set that subject matter aside fr a time Because we need t cnsider ther, equally imprtant cncepts that Paul raises next S let s remember where we ve been ging in this chapter Paul is explaining hw Gd has prepared a glrius future fr believers He has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places These blessings are far greater than thse t be fund here in this life, Furthermre, the Lrd has btained them fr us We dn t earn them, we dn t secure them, we simply receive them Then I said Paul ges frward t explain hw each member f the Gdhead wrks t assures us f these blessings Over the past tw weeks, we ve been studying the rle f the Father specifically And in summary, Paul taught that the Father s rle in assuring us a place in the Sn s inheritance was chsing us The Father chse t adpt us, predestining us t ur place in the family f Gd Obviusly, the Father s rle was pretty significant Because withut His decisin in ur favr, nthing else in the plan culd wrk fr us 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

2 Ephesians 1D 2 f 12 S ur assurance f heavenly glry, heavenly blessings, heavenly inheritance began with the Father s chice But it didn t end there... Eph. 1:7 In Him we have redemptin thrugh His bld, the frgiveness f ur trespasses, accrding t the riches f His grace Eph. 1:8 which He lavished n us. In all wisdm and insight Eph. 1:9 He made knwn t us the mystery f His will, accrding t His kind intentin which He purpsed in Him Eph. 1:10 with a view t an administratin suitable t the fullness f the times, that is, the summing up f all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things n the earth. In Him Eph. 1:11 als we have btained an inheritance, having been predestined accrding t His purpse wh wrks all things after the cunsel f His will, Eph. 1:12 t the end that we wh were the first t hpe in Christ wuld be t the praise f His glry. Paul begins v.7 with in Him Since we re drpping int the middle f this passage, we have t glance back up the page t determine wh the Him is in this case Ntice the final wrd at the end f v.6 is the Belved, which clearly refers t the Sn The Sn is the One belved by the Father, therefre, in Him is a reference t in Christ That tells us that Paul is nw mving n t explain Jesus rle in securing ur eternal future Of curse, any discussin f Christ s wrk n ur behalf must begin with His wrk in dying in ur place n the crss t cleanse us frm ur sins And that s exactly where Paul starts Paul says in Christ we have redemptin thrugh His bld The Greek wrd Paul uses translated redemptin is (aplytrsis), which means t buy back a slave and set him free We were slaves, but Jesus paid the ransm t set us free Redemptin r t be ransmed is a cmmn way the New Testament describes ur salvatin 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

3 Ephesians 1D 3 f 12 Because in truth, we each began ur life as slaves, in bndage t a master Heb. 2:14 Therefre, since the children share in flesh and bld, He Himself likewise als partk f the same, that thrugh death He might render pwerless him wh had the pwer f death, that is, the devil, Heb. 2:15 and might free thse wh thrugh fear f death were subject t slavery all their lives. Hebrews tells us every human being enters life a slave t sin and t sin s penalty, eternal death We live with that sentence hanging ver ur head because Adam chse t sin Adam was humanity s representative, and when he fell he cast humanity s lt in with Satan s Spiritually-speaking, he traded inncence fr slavery Hebrews says the devil became ur master, cntrlling us thrugh a fear f death Imagine yu were in a gang f thieves and murderers Yu were guilty f many crimes and yu knew that if yu sught mercy frm the plice, yu wuld be cndemned fr yur crimes The nly friend yu have is the gang leader But he s n friend at all He seeks nly t cause mre death, destructin and chas S he cntrls yu thrugh fear, knwing yu can t escape yur circumstances since yu re a criminal just like him Yu re stuck...yu re a slave t the gang leader, living in fear f the law and withut hpe f a rescue Int thse circumstances, Christ stepped in and paid yur ransm and set yu free frm the fear f death that allwed the enemy t enslave yu Paul says in v.7 that the price Christ paid fr yu was His bld Since yur crimes (i.e., yur sin) deserved death, the nly payment that Christ culd make was a death 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

4 Ephesians 1D 4 f 12 He culdn t bargain the price lwer, fr the Father set the price in the Garden He had t spill His lifebld, t d int death t pay the price fr yur sin That payment bught yu ut f slavery permitting the Father t be just as He frgave yur sins n the crss We knw the Father chse us t be adpted as a child, but that decisin by itself wuld have been unjust withut a payment fr sin If yu and yur gang were arrested and taken t curt fr judgment f yur crimes, a righteus judge culdn t let yu g free withut just cause The judge wuld need just cause fr acquitting yu Similarly, the Father needs just cause t acquit yu and bring yu int the family f Gd Paul says that in Christ was the One Wh gave the Father just cause t frgive us f ur crimes, ur transgressins Jesus s ransm payment was an acceptable substitute fr yur debt Rm. 5:15 But the free gift is nt like the transgressin. Fr if by the transgressin f the ne the many died, much mre did the grace f Gd and the gift by the grace f the ne Man, Jesus Christ, abund t the many. Rm. 5:16 The gift is nt like that which came thrugh the ne wh sinned; fr n the ne hand the judgment arse frm ne transgressin resulting in cndemnatin, but n the ther hand the free gift arse frm many transgressins resulting in justificatin. Paul cmpares Christ s act n the crss t Adam s act in the Garden Adam s decisin that plunged many int sin and judgment But Christ s pured ut His life as a gift, s that by that gift f grace many can be ransmed 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

5 Ephesians 1D 5 f 12 S nw we extend ur understanding f the wrd grace in scripture Last week we said that grace is nt an ffer f salvatin but is the decisin f the Father t include us in His plan f adptin Grace is the finished wrk f Gd t save us while we were yet sinners and enemies f Gd Befre we knew we needed a Savir He had already chsen us fr salvatin But nw Paul says Gd s grace (i.e., His unmerited favr tward us) ges even farther Gd s favr is evident in that He wuld put His wn Sn n the crss It s ne thing t say Gd s grace chse t grant us mercy and rescue us frm ur predicament But s anther thing t say that Gd s chsing us required His Sn die fr us Gd s grace is the Father chsing us, and Gd s grace is the Sn dying fr us But the grace f Gd in the Sn desn t end there even Paul says the grace f Gd in the Sn is lavished upn us in yet anther way Remember, vs.3-14 is a single sentence in the Greek language, s we have t cut it int digestible pieces Let s cut the next piece frm the middle f v.8 thrugh t the middle f v.10 That sectin reads... Eph. 1:8...In all wisdm and insight Eph. 1:9 He made knwn t us the mystery f His will, accrding t His kind intentin which He purpsed in Him Eph. 1:10 with a view t an administratin suitable t the fullness f the times... Here we have the secnd way in which we receive grace in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is ur all surce fr all wisdm and insight 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

6 Ephesians 1D 6 f 12 As yu can prbably tell, Paul is referring t Jesus Christ as the revealed wrd f Gd Gd s grace ges a step further in prviding all spiritual wisdm t the believer thrugh the Wrd And the Lrd s grace brings us all spiritual insight, which is different than wisdm The wisdm Gd grants us thrugh His wrd is spiritual truth, spiritual realities f wh Gd is, Wh we are and what the future hlds It s knwledge we can knw nly if Gd chses t reveal it t us We re talking abut spiritual truth that lies utside the ability f human beings t discver n their wn N amunt f searching, philsphizing, study r bservatin culd every discver Gd truly much less understand all that He has planned fr Creatin Ntice in v.9 Paul says Christ makes knwn t us the mystery f His will Truly, Gd s will is a mystery t fallen mankind As Paul says in 1Cr 1Cr. 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater f this age? Has nt Gd made flish the wisdm f the wrld? 1Cr. 1:21 Fr since in the wisdm f Gd the wrld thrugh its wisdm did nt cme t knw Gd, Gd was well-pleased thrugh the flishness f the message preached t save thse wh believe. Since mankind can t find spiritual wisdm, Gd must reveal Himself t us Only by the kind intentin, which the Father purpsed t achieve in Christ, can we understand Gd By His grace extended t believers, He gives us His wrd in His Sn Jesus Christ taught the disciples wh then taught us But even befre that, Christ was speaking t men thrugh the prphets He is the Wrd, Wh gives us an understanding f the Father 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

7 Ephesians 1D 7 f 12 Ntice als this understanding is nly fr the believer, as a matter f Gd s grace Thse wh aren t chsen t receive grace d nt receive the the wisdm f Gd either In fact, the ability t understand and appreciate the wrd f Gd is a sign f a persn s salvatin 1Cr. 1:18 Fr the wrd f the crss is flishness t thse wh are perishing, but t us wh are being saved it is the pwer f Gd. 1Cr. 1:19 Fr it is written, I will destry the wisdm f the wise, And the cleverness f the clever I will set aside. Paul says the wrd f Gd is utter flishness t the unbeliever It s literally impssible fr the unbeliever t grasp what the Bible says in spiritual terms Certainly, an unbeliever can read the wrds and pick up a degree f understanding They can understand the stry f Nah r Abraham r even Jesus t a degree, in a human sense In the same way they can read Mby Dick r Tm Sawyer But the spiritual meaning f the text lies beynd their grasp They can t see it fr themselves n matter hw lng they search And even if smene were t explain it t them, they will still reject it This is exactly what happened when the Wrd Himself spke scripture t the Pharisees wh were nt believing Jhn 5:38 Yu d nt have His wrd abiding in yu, fr yu d nt believe Him whm He sent. Jhn 5:39 Yu search the Scriptures because yu think that in them yu have eternal life; it is these that testify abut Me; Jhn 5:40 and yu are unwilling t cme t Me s that yu may have life. Jhn 5:41 I d nt receive glry frm men; Jhn 5:42 but I knw yu, that yu d nt have the lve f Gd in yurselves Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

8 Ephesians 1D 8 f 12 Only thse wh are being saved by Gd can recgnize the wrd f Gd as the pwer f Gd in ur lives And we hear it because the Sn has given us the grace t d s In the Bible, believers are ften called the sheep f Gd And Christ is ur Gd Shepherd Using this analgy, Jesus explained why the Pharisees culdn t grasp the meaning f His wrds Jhn 10:24 The Jews then gathered arund Him, and were saying t Him, Hw lng will Yu keep us in suspense? If Yu are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jhn 10:25 Jesus answered them, I tld yu, and yu d nt believe; the wrks that I d in My Father s name, these testify f Me. Jhn 10:26 But yu d nt believe because yu are nt f My sheep. S understanding the wrd f Gd is smething uniquely available fr Gd s sheep, thse chsen f the Father fr salvatin Which makes it all the mre surprising hw few believers take advantage f this grace made available in Christ S many believers tday and ver the centuries have turned a blind eye t the scriptures Cnsider that these wrds we hld in ur hands are the manifestatin f the unmerited favr f a Hly Gd t His children Hw much attentin d these wrds deserve in ur daily life? Peter says 2Pet. 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied t yu in the knwledge f Gd and f Jesus ur Lrd; 2Pet. 1:3 seeing that His divine pwer has granted t us everything pertaining t life and gdliness, thrugh the true knwledge f Him wh called us by His wn glry and excellence. Peter says that everything that pertains t ur life n earth and t ur gdliness is fund in the true knwledge f Him Wh called us Certainly, there are ther surces f human knwledge, that is knwledge f the wrld we ve cnstructed, f ur histry, science and the like 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

9 Ephesians 1D 9 f 12 Peter isn t denying thse surces He s speaking f spiritual truths abut life and pleasing Gd Fr the believer, the wrd f Gd is sufficient t bring us t where Gd wants us t be And yet s few Christians are placing the prper pririty n the pursuit f that wisdm Even thse wh give sme time t Bible study d s spradically And nly when that pursuit is cnvenient I m a firm believer yu can t spend t much time in the wrd f Gd S I challenge yu t up yur game in this area f yur life Gd has extended His grace t yu in the frm f His wrd Drink it in, take as much f it as yu can get As much as yu value His grace in chsing yu and in dying fr yu, then appreciate His grace in teaching yu Knwing that learning the wrd f Gd brings its wn rewards Secndly, Paul says we have the grace f all insight frm Christ Insight refers t ur appreciatin f Gd s will fr ur life It refers t knwing what Christ is calling us t d, hw He wants us t live t please Him Insight builds n wisdm, f curse As we cme t understand spiritual truth we will be in a better psitin t understand Christ s will fr us When He asks us t sacrifice sme pleasure in ur life, the wrd f Gd explains why When He calls us t endure persecutin r trial, the wrd f Gd explain why it s imprtant t persevere If yu dn t study scripture, yu can still hear frm the Lrd fr that is grace by itself 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

10 Ephesians 1D 10 f 12 But withut the cunsel f His wrd, yu may nt understand why yu shuld listen and bey And just like spiritual wisdm, spiritual insight is a freign ntin t an unbeliever Have yu ever tld a persn yu knew was an unbeliever that Jesus tld yu smething r is leading yu t d smething? Desn t that persn give yu the RCA Victr dg lk? They wnder if yu re making it up, r maybe yu re a little t zealus abut yur religin That s anther example f hw the Lrd distinguishes His children by His grace He speaks t us by Christ and we hear Him His vice wn t be audible ncessarily, and we wn t always bey what we hear But we d knw what He says, as Jesus says Jhn 10:27 My sheep hear My vice, and I knw them, and they fllw Me; That s insight, and it s anther utpuring f Gd s grace In vs.8-9 Paul adds that having wisdm and insight are evidence that the Lrd has lavished even mre grace upn us These things didn t have t be a part f Gd s plan in saving us It s easy t take them fr granted, as if they were inevitable But Paul says ur pprtunity t understand spiritual truth and t knw Gd s will in ur life is grace upn grace He culd have just sent His Sn and paid ur ransm and left it at that Eventually, we wuld have gne hme t be with Christ And in that mment we wuld have been given full spiritual wisdm and insight in a mment 1Cr. 13:12 Fr nw we see in a mirrr dimly, but then face t face; nw I knw in part, but then I will knw fully just as I als have been fully knwn Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

11 Ephesians 1D 11 f 12 But Gd s grace t us is greater than that, it verflws, it abunds, it is lavished upn us He wants t teach us abut Himself by His wrd t help us understand His ways Because the Lrd knws the mre we knw Him, the mre will want t be like Him S that as we live accrding t His wrd, he will lead us int gdliness And gdliness will yield the peaceful fruit f righteusness Finally, Paul say in v.10 that this grace is intended t be an administratin suitable until the fullness f the times The Greek wrd translated administratin means under management That is t say the grace f Gd in His wrd and in the revelatin f His will are His appinted tls t manage us fr a time Fr as lng as live in these earthly bdies and await the riches f ur inheritance, we live under management f Gd s wrd This administratin will cntinue until the fullness r fulfillment f these times r until this age is clsed S Gd s extended grace upn grace t His adpted children Even after He chse us and after His Sn died fr us, He gave us His wrd and the cunsel f His will t manage ur lives fr this time We re managed until we receive new bdies and ur heavenly inheritance And Paul says the wisdm and insight f Christ are suitable until the age cncludes The wrd suitable desn t appear in the riginal Greek A better way t phrase Paul s meaning wuld be fr the purpse f managing until the age s fulfillment Tday we studied tw ways in which Jesus extends His grace t the believer 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

12 Ephesians 1D 12 f 12 His death paid a ransm t free yu frm yur slavery t sin and granted yu frgiveness fr yur sins And His wrd gives yu a knwledge f the Gd Wh saved yu His grace allws yu t knw Gd s will fr yur life s that yu may walk in a manner that pleases Him There are yet tw mre ways in which Gd has pured ur His grace t us in His Sn We ll study thse next week Fllwed by the grace f Gd give in the wrd f the Third Persn f the Gdhead, the Spirit f Gd As we said, it s grace upn grace frm Gd One Bible schlar tk time t cunt the many ways in which the Lrd bestws His grace upn His children He stpped cunting at 33 ways Certainly, 33 ways is a lt, but I dn t knw if his cunt was accurate r cmplete It wuldn t surprise me if that cunt is actually infinite And we ve nly begun t scratch the surface in knwing what Gd has dne fr us Are yu taking advantage f all the grace Gd has extended t yu? Have yu received Christ as Savir? If s, have yu taken His wrd t heart? D read it daily, study it intently, meditate n it earnestly and bey faithfully? And d yu cnsult His will prayerfully? D yu seek His cunsel? D yu slw dwn enugh t give Him time t direct yur steps? Are yu sensitive t His leading? Let s make ur gal saking in all the grace Gd has ffered t His children, nt wishing t miss any f it 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.