Sermons From Ephesians - Blessings Involving The Father (1:4-6)

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                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

                 Blessings Involving The Father (1:4-6)

INTRODUCTION

1. As suggested in the previous lesson, the "theme" of Ephesians is "The
   Believer's Riches In Christ"

2. After his brief salutation (1:1-2), Paul immediately begins in 1:3
   by praising God for the blessings (or riches) we have in Christ...
   a. This "doxology" actually continues throughout verses 4-14
   b. The spiritual "possessions" that are mentioned in this passage can
      easily be outlined as:
      1) Blessings involving the Father (4-6)
      2) Blessings involving the Son (7-12)
      3) Blessings involving the Holy Spirit (13-14)

3. In an effort to appreciate how spiritually blessed we are in Christ,
   we will examine this section (4-14) in three separate lessons

[With verses 4-6, then, we focus in on "Blessings Involving The 
Father", beginning with the fact that in Christ we are...]

I. CHOSEN BY GOD (1:4)

   A. DEFINING THE TERM "CHOSEN"...
      1. Comes from the Greek eklegomai {ek-leg'-om-ahee}, and means "to
         pick out, choose, to pick or choose out for one's self"
      2. Related to the idea of "election" which comes from ekloge
         {ek-log-ay'}, meaning "the act of picking out, choosing"

   B. THE "TIME" OF THIS CHOICE...
      1. "before the foundation of the world"
      2. Before the world was ever created, God made His "choice" or
         "election"
      3. Just as with Christ Himself, who was foreordained "before the
         foundation of the world" - 1Pe 1:20

   C. THE "OBJECTS" OF THIS CHOICE...
      1. The Calvinist believes that this choice was...
         a. Individual (only certain select individuals have been
            chosen)
         b. Dependent solely upon God's gracious and mysterious will,
            without any foreknowledge of good or evil on the part of
            those selected
         c. Unconditional and final (there is no possibility of
            apostasy)
      2. The Arminian believes that this choice was...
         a. Individual (certain select individuals have been chosen)
         b. Based upon foreknowledge of those souls who would respond to
            the gospel and persevere in the faith
         c. Unconditional and final, in the sense that God already knows
            those who will persevere to the end
      3. Paul says simply "...chose us in Him (i.e., Christ)", and I
         understand this election by God to have been...
         a. General, not particular; corporate, not individual
         b. The body of Christ, the church as a whole, which God chose 
            for His divine and gracious purposes He planned to carry out
            in Christ
         c. And that while in the "corporate" sense this choice is 
            unconditional and final, as "individuals" we must be 
            "diligent to make your calling and election sure" - 2 Pe
            1:10
            1) Just as Israel (as a nation) had been chosen by God to 
               receive His blessings
            2) But individually, the Israelites also had to "make their 
               calling and election sure"

   D. THE "PURPOSE" OF THIS CHOICE...
      1. "that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love"
      2. The goal of God's choice in eternity was to produce a people in
         Christ Jesus who would be:
         a. "holy" - set apart for a special purpose
         b. "without blame" - free from condemnation
         c. "in love" - walking before God in a "sphere" of love - cf. 
            Ep 5:1-2

[In Christ Jesus, then, we are blessed to be God's "chosen" people (cf.
1Pe 2:9).  How God was able to carry out the "purpose" of His choice
when all He had to work with were sinners will be explained in verses
7-12.

But first we also learn that in Christ Jesus we have been...]

II. PREDESTINED BY GOD (1:5-6a)

   A. DEFINING THE TERM "PREDESTINED"...
      1. From the Greek word, proorizo {pro-or-id'-zo}, meaning "to 
         predetermine, decide beforehand"
      2. Thus this verse speaks of that which God "predetermined 
         beforehand"
      -- WHO was it that God "predetermined"?

   B. THE SUBJECTS OF GOD'S "PREDESTINATION"...
      1. Paul simply says "us"
      2. As with election, I understand Paul to speaking of the church 
         as a whole
      3. As B. W. Johnson says:  "The whole line of argument is general 
         instead of particular." (The People's New Testament)
      --WHAT was it that God "predetermined"?

   C. THE PURPOSE OF GOD'S "PREDESTINATION"...
      1. "adoption as sons"
      2. Quoting Johnson again:  God has "foreordained that we, the 
         church of Jesus Christ, should be adopted as his children."
      3. As Wiersbe points out, the word "predestination" refers 
         primarily to what God does for saved people:  "Election seems 
         to refer to people, while predestination refers to purposes" 
         (The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 11)
      3. So it is here, that Paul reveals that which had been 
         predetermined beforehand was the church (all those who are 
         saved) would be "adopted" into the family of God
      -- WHY did God "predetermine" this?

   D. THE BASIS OF GOD'S "PREDESTINATION"...
      1. "according to the good pleasure of His will"
      2. Putting it simply, the idea "pleased" God!
         a. It is something He wanted to do
         b. And by His Divine Will He has made it possible!

[What should our reaction be to all this?  To praise God for His 
glorious grace ("to the praise of the glory of His grace")!  For it is 
His "grace" by which we can now be...]

III. ACCEPTED BY GOD (1:6b)

   A. DEFINING THE TERM "ACCEPTED"...
      1. 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 honour with blessings
      2. It is used in Lk 1:28 in reference to the virgin Mary 
         ("highly favored one")
      3. Like Mary, those in Christ are "highly favored" in God's sight!

   B. THE BASIS UPON WHICH WE ARE "ACCEPTED"...
      1. "in the Beloved" (Jesus Christ)
      2. As emphasized in 1:3 and throughout verses 4-14, all these 
         blessings are "in" and "by" Jesus Christ:
         a. God chose us "in Him (Christ)" - 1:4
         b. God predestined us to adoption as sons "by Jesus Christ" 
            - 1:5
         c. God has made us accepted "in the Beloved (Christ) - 1:6
      3. Therefore it is by our being "in" Christ that we are privileged
         to be "highly favored" by God, and showered by these wonderful 
         blessings!

CONCLUSION

1. And what should our reaction be?
   a. To praise God for His glorious grace! - cf. Ep 1:6
   b. Offering such praise is a form of "spiritual sacrifice" by which 
      we can say "thank you!" - cf. He 13:15

2. How can God afford to be so gracious to those who are sinners?  Our 
   next lesson will examine how in detail, but notice Ep 1:7
   a. Have you experienced this redemption through His blood, the 
      forgiveness of sins?
   b. To learn how, carefully read Ac 2:36-41...
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