1 Eph. 1:7-8 The Lavishing of God Paul continues the great blessings of God, praising God for his abundant grace. In fact, he says that these blessings are according to the riches of his grace. Then, he gives us another descriptive word. My version says "lavished." God delights in blessing his children according to his grace. How does He bless us? He lavishes us. And, He lavishes us according to his grace. What does it mean to "lavish." This is a word that we don't use often. You version may say "abounded." The root meaning of the word is "something left over in abundance." I immediately think of the spaghetti sauce I made last week. I had about 5 pounds of meat and I cooked it up. We had spaghetti that night for supper. And, I put enough sauce in the freezer for about three families to come over to our house for leftovers. This is the root meaning of the word. But, in this context, its meaning becomes so much more beautiful. You see, the problem with my example is that when you come over to my house for leftovers, we still run out. It is not so with God. His blessings do not run out. A better example is a natural spring. The area we lived in Russia was well known for its natural springs flowing from underneath the ground. I remember one day Caleb and I went to a village to plant potatoes. And, it was an all day affair, more than an acre of potatoes planted by hand. It was hot that day. And, about every hour or so, we would take a quick break and go down the hill to the village well. There, the water flowed continuously out of the ground, forming a creek and a small lake, and eventually flowing into a larger river. Every time we went, the water was flowing abundantly. There was no shortage. It is the same with God, except even more. The blessings of God overflow out of his abundance. There is no end. And, out of the riches of his grace, He abundantly blesses us. As we prepare to take the Lord's Supper this morning, we have three ways God lavishes us from his abundance. 1. He lavishes us with redemption. God is a God who redeems. He is a redeeming God. And, this term is full of meaning. As adoption pictures the grace of God in giving his children a new status and a new relationship, redemption pictures the great grace and kindness of God in the purchase of our salvation. What exactly does redemption mean? Literally, the word means "release" or "deliverance" or even "acquittal," and it always included some kind of payment. In order to grasp its meaning further, we must know how Paul understood this term. We see this word in OT law. In Lev. 25:48 it is in reference to slavery. If an Israelite became poor and decided to sell himself in slavery to a foreigner, a rich relative would be urged to buy back his Israelite brother from this foreigner. In this way, he was a kinsman redeemer. In the same way God is Israel's redeemer from slavery. Deut. 7:8 says: "But it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." This week I read the most beautiful story about redemption in the book of Ruth. Let me tell you the story. Naomi was an Israelite woman. In times of great famine their family left Israel and went to live in Moab. While living there, her husband died. Her two sons marry Moabite women and they care for their mother. Ten years later, her sons die, leaving no children. Naomi is a true widow, having no family to care for her in a foreign land. So, she decides to return home to Israel, telling her daughters-in-law to stay behind and marry again. One of them stays behind.
2 But, Ruth clings to Naomi, saying, "Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you" (Ruth 1:17-18). As they return to her hometown, Bethlehem, Ruth goes to a field to glean from leftovers in order to survive. This field just happens to belong to one of Naomi's relatives. And during this time of gleaning, the owner Boaz, a much older man, shows Ruth favor by protecting her, telling his servants to treat her with respect and kindness, and even give her extra grain. Naomi knows Boaz is a relative and a possible kinsman-redeemer for her family. And one night, after a daring plan by Naomi, Boaz asks for Ruth's hand in marriage. After this, Boaz realizes there is a closer relative who has greater rights as a kinsman-redeemer. So, he goes to this man and asks if he is willing to purchase Naomi and her land. He says, "yes," but when Boaz said "if you redeem Naomi and her land, you must also redeem Ruth, her daughter-in-law," He reconsidered and said to Boaz in the presence of the all the elders, "You can redeem Naomi with her property, and marry Ruth." Then, we read that Boaz purchased Naomi's property and was married to Ruth. Here we see a man showing great kindness to a widow and her daughter-in-law. Most of society would have let her be. She would have been a burden and not worth the effort as a kinsman redeemer. But, Boaz became her redeemer. He purchased her lands and married her daughter-inlaw. In the same way Paul saw himself as Naomi and Ruth. Apart from Christ he had no one to protect him. He had no one to provide for him. He was lost and alone without a kinsmanredeemer. And, that's not all. Remember the original context of redemption. Israel was redeemed by God out of slavery from Egypt. They were slaves for many years crying out to God for deliverance. In the same, we are like Naomi and Ruth. We are slaves like Israel was in Egypt. To this you might say, "Jon, I'm not a slave. I'm free." To which I would say, "You are a slave to sin." Outside of Christ, your master is sin. It is the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, and the desires of your eyes (1 John 2:16). And your slavery in sin is much worse than the physical slavery. Paul says, we were all "dead in our trespasses and sins," "walking according to the course of this world," "following the prince of the power of the air," "carrying out the passions of our flesh and the desires of the body and mind," and "are by nature children of wrath." Today, you do not need a doctor for your physical symptoms or a psychologist for your mental state. You need a redeemer who can deliver you from your slavery to sin. When we think about Naomi and Ruth, let me ask, "How were they delivered from their situation?" Boaz purchased Naomi's land and her possessions, including his bride Ruth. What about Israel in Egypt? How were they delivered? What was the price? Their deliverance was a little different. The price of their deliverance was the nation of Egypt itself. The mighty hand of God performed great wonders that practically destroyed the nation. When the Israelites left the land, the Egyptians gave them their goods and their wealth, leaving them almost nothing. Later, their armies and their horses and their chariots perished in the sea. Do you remember a couple weeks ago from Is. 43 when God said to Israel in v. 3: "For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you." Later he says in v. 14 we read: "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice." Now, notice the price of our redemption from our slavery of sin in v. 7. Paul says we have redemption "through his blood."
3 Christian, the price of your redemption is the blood of Christ. It's not money, for all the money in the world and all the universe and all its value is not sufficient for your redemption. It is not Egypt. It is not the nations and all their power. It is the blood of Christ. You see, money will run out. The nations will perish. But, the infinite power of the blood of Christ will stand forever as the price of your redemption. In the OT physical deliverance came through a kinsman redeemer through possessions and money. In the OT physical deliverance came through the slaying of nations. But, these do not compare to the matchless blood of Christ. "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Gal. 4:4-5). "Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pet. 1:18-20). So, when we hear these words this morning, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this in remembrance of me," consider the great, matchless, infinite, price that was paid by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to satisfy the wrath of the God the Father against your sins. Jesus bled and died on the cross and paid your ransom. Is there anything more glorious, more precious, than the blood of Christ for a sinner redeemed from slavery? Oh, how beautiful is the blood of Christ! 2. He lavishes us with the forgiveness of our sins. Look down at v. 7 again. Paul praises God for redemption. Then, he gives the outcome of redemption. It is the forgiveness of sins. This simply follows redemption. If we are redeemed, we can say with Paul in Rom.6:6: "We are no longer slaves to sin." I know there is great meaning to the fact that we are no longer slaves to sin. But, I want to emphasize forgiveness. Especially as we consider the Lord's Supper Matt. says in 26:28 "for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." The blood of Christ (his death) that purchased your redemption also ensures your forgiveness. Listen to some of these verses. In Col. 2:13 Paul said: "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses..." Today, if you are in Christ, your sins are forgiven. And we know that God doesn't simply forgive those who have transgressed against his law, those who have fallen short of the glory of God (which is all of Adam's children). His justice and his righteous position toward sin has been appeased. "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" (Rom. 3:21-25). This means that the price for your sins against a holy God has been paid in full. The anger and wrath of God that should fall upon you, has fallen upon his Son. And now your sins are forgiven. They are thrown as far as the east is from the west. He remembers them no more! Today, if you are in Christ, your sins are forgiven. Today, the best therapy in the world is this: YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN! Knowing that the sins that separated you from your creator have been forgiven is the most practical truth for you and me. Why? Because there is no peace for the sinner. There is no hope for the sinner. There is no rest for the sinner. If you are outside of Christ, the weight of your sins will be heavy upon you
4 and your life will be like the victims of hurricane Sandy every day, every week, every year, for all eternity. There is no relief for your problem outside the blood of Christ. There is no medicine you can take that will alleviate this sickness. But if you are in Christ, God has made peace in your heart through the cross of Christ. He has given you hope. To you God chose to make known how great are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:27). If you are in Christ, you have rest. For he said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The God of the universe is no longer angry with you. Your sins are forgiven. The righteous "God who is out there" is now your Father. And your sins are forgiven. With this in mind, let's consider our message as Christians. We proclaim forgiveness of sins. In the first Christian sermon Peter, the one who had denied the Lord Jesus, his friend, and later been renewed through God's forgiveness, said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Throughout history men and women have given their lives for this message. After being imprisoned, Peter and the disciples proclaimed to the authorities: "We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:29-31). In another sermon in Acts 10, Peter said again: "To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." There is no forgiveness outside of Christ. And, this is our experience. And this is our message. And, as we hear these words: "This is my body broken for you," we know we have been forgiven in Christ. 3. He lavishes us with wisdom and insight. I would like to simply mention one more blessing that God has lavished upon us. (We will deal with this more fully in v. 9.) It is wisdom and insight. Look at v. 8. Some may think that "wisdom and insight" belong to the mind of God in his decision to bless us. And, this is correct. Everything God does is from his perfect wisdom and insight. But, in this verse, this is one of the BLESSINGS God gives to his people. God's lavishing grace not only provides redemption and the forgiveness of sins, but also supplies, along with this, all necessary wisdom and insight to understand and live in the light of what he has done in Christ. In 1 Cor. 2:12-14 we read: "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." To the Christian, God gives true spiritual understanding. All the wisdom of God and the insights of this world and the world to come are given to us. In fact, they are lavished upon us through the grace of God. And, as we come to the Lord's Supper this morning, God has given us Jesus and all the gifts that we need, not simply election and adoption and redemption and forgiveness, but also wisdom and understanding. And, all of this is through Christ! In Him. In Him. In Him. In Him. Bless the Lord Oh my soul! Today, we have the greatest picture of the lavishing of God to his people according to his grace.
5 If God is for us, who can be against us? " He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom 8:31-32). Then, we read these words: "This is my body which is broken for you." Where else can we find redemption? Where else can we find the forgiveness of sins? Where else can we find wisdom and insight? It is in Him. All the treasures and gifts of God to his people are found in Christ. Oh, how the Father has lavished us with good gifts!