God's Plan (Ephesians 1)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Our Redemption (Ephesians 1:1-10)

1)Intro Material

2)Greeting and Introduction (1:1-3)

Apostle Of Jesus Christ By God's Will

To the Faithful Ephesian Saints in Christ

Praise God For Blessings

When was the last time your thanked God for one or more of your spiritual blessings in Christ?

3)Chosen For Holiness, Predestined For Adoption (1:4-6)

How's your family likeness? How could it be improved?

4)Redemption: My Sin, Christ's Blood, God's Grace (1:7-8)

5)Mystery Revealed In Christ (1:9-10)

Are you part of the all things united in Christ?

6)Principle

The redeemed have always been part of God's plan.

7)Illustration

God's Glory (Ephesians 1:11-14)

1)God's Will: Chosen and Predestined (1:11-12)

2)Included In Christ: Heard, Believed, Sealed (1:13-14)

3)Principle

The redeemed are God's possession and heirs in Christ.

We are redeemed by God so that we might bring glory to God.

4)Applications

When was the last time you did something for no other reason than to glorify God?

Christ's Authority (Ephesians 1:15-23)

1)Paul's Continual Prayer (1:15-16)

What's your response when God brings someone to your mind? What would happen if you prayed for them?

2)Wisdom and Revelation: to Know God and His Power (1:17-19a)

What are you doing in order to get to know God better?

What are you doing that might be hindering your knowledge of God?

What are you doing with your knowledge of God?

3)Christ's Power and Authority (1:19b-23)

How well would you say you are at following your head (Christ)?

4)Principle

God's plan is to bring everything under Christ's authority.

Conclusion

Introduction

Planned something but it didn't turn out like you expected or it didn't turn out at all – it never happened.

Dreams, plans, goals, all of these things are part of our makeup as humans created in the image of God.

Sometimes there are things beyond our control keeping us from accomplishing our plans.

Thankfully, God doesn't have that problem. It's impossible for something God determines will happen to not come to pass.

Our Redemption (Ephesians 1:1-10)

1)Intro Material

Repeated words and phrases are all over this chapter:

all, every

purpose, will, predestined, chose (before creation)

in him, in Christ, in the One he loves

grace

glory and praise

Paul is writing from prison (perhaps from Rome or maybe en route to Rome)

2)Greeting and Introduction (1:1-3)

Apostle Of Jesus Christ By God's Will

This is Paul's signature to his letter and it is very similar to most of his inscriptions.

It points out his office, apostle. He was one sent out on behalf of Jesus Christ.

And this, by the will of God. This was God's plan and will for Paul (and as we will see, before time began).

To the Faithful Ephesian Saints in Christ

Paul packs a lot of information into just a few word. From this phrase we know that he is addressing the Ephesians (and probably some of the surrounding area).

In addition, he acknowledges their faithfulness and their position in Christ Jesus. There faithfulness was in fact a sign of their position, in Christ – it was not a means of maintaining or remaining in Christ.

Praise God For Blessings

When you think of blessings, what do you generally think of? I know I often think of things like: freedom, good job, loving wife, my children, my grand daughter, etc.

But Paul points out, beyond these things, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ.

This is an amazing fact. The fact of the matter is, apart from Christ, we have no spiritual blessings. We are dead spiritually apart from Him.

But we, once enemies of God and deserving condemnation by God, are blessed spiritually in every way. Our position is no longer an enemy, but one in which we have representation in the heavenly realm in Christ Jesus.

Paul calls us to praise God for all of this, and rightly so.

When was the last time your thanked God for one or more of your spiritual blessings in Christ?

3)Chosen For Holiness, Predestined For Adoption (1:4-6)

These spiritual blessings we have in Christ are not just a new and novel item on God's agenda for time. They were part of His plan before time.

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

As Paul points out, in eternity past we were chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless in his sight. God didn't wait until we reached some milestone of goodness (that would never happen).

He chose us for the purpose of making us holy and blameless in Christ. And this was before the foundation of the world.

Add to that the fact that he predestined us (or decree before hand) that we would be adopted as sons through Christ. This was an act of the love of God on the elect.

He makes us holy and blameless and then adds the title of adopted son to us.

Now are you starting to get a small glimpse of the spiritual blessings in Christ? I know I am.

This adoption means that rather than an enemy of everything God stands for, I am now a member of God's household. I have a family name now. I have a heritage and an inheritance. I have a purpose for my life – to live for the family.

And I should, over time, take on family likeness. Not only am I positionally holy in Christ, but my life should begin grow in holiness. I should love God's law and seek to live according to His law. That's a mark of the family.

All of these things Paul has been telling us were part of God's plan – it was His purpose and will that brought them about. It has always been His plan.

5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

This holy, blameless and adoptive state didn't come into view only after the fall of humanity in Adam and Eve. It wasn't even after man's inability to keep God's covenants prior to the New Covenant. As Paul puts this, it was God's choosing and predestination before creation.

Paul says that these things are to the praise of his glorious grace. They highlight the glory of God in His unmerited favor poured out on those who used to be objects of wrath. What a reason to praise God!

Once again, Paul states that these things were afforded us, for no other reason than God's purpose being fulfilled in Christ alone.

How's your family likeness? How could it be improved?

4)Redemption: My Sin, Christ's Blood, God's Grace (1:7-8)

Now Paul moves from pointing out the spiritual blessings of holiness, blamelessness, and adoption and into the means by which we become holy, blameless, and adopted.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Again, it is in Christ. And he uses a word, redemption, to highlight what took place.

Redemption carries with it the sense of buying something back. To repurchase something. There was a price that had to be paid for you and I to be brought from an unholy state to one of holy and blameless adoption.

Adam's race was created in perfection but sin put all descendents of Adam in slavery and captivity.

It is through Christ's blood that redemption comes. The sin we were held captive to has been forgiven. This is not a trivial matter. It is an extremely deep subject.

Christ's blood satisfied God's justice for the sins of His people. And all of this came to us as a lavish act on God's part – an act of grace lavishly poured out on the cross but planned in eternity past.

5)Mystery Revealed In Christ (1:9-10)

This act of God was one of wisdom and understanding – God's wisdom.

9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (NIV)

To past generations it was a mystery. Even the prophets, who wrote about the suffering servant, did not understand how it would come to pass and who the Spirit of God in them was pointing to. But God orchestrated everything necessary to bring it to pass in His time.

This mystery was made known in the fullness of time in the person of Jesus Christ. And as Paul says, it is God's plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth in him.

Are you part of the all things united in Christ?

6)Principle

The redeemed have always been part of God's plan.

7)Illustration

Sometimes we think of things happening in our lives as a coincidence. Some things may well be. But when it comes to hearing and understanding the gospel, that is never a coincidence.

I know a number of people who have told me they sat in church all through their growing up but never once heard the gospel. Not until some time later on in life.

Now that does not mean that the gospel was never presented (it may not have been) but it requires God to enable you and me to see and hear the gospel.

None of us are here tonight by chance. Perhaps you are here and have never acknowledged your own sin. The fact that your are a sinner before a holy God. And there is nothing you can do to change that.

But did you know, God's plan in eternity past was to take care of that sin in Christ? That He provided everything you need to be made right and holy before God? And that even your presence in BSF on 3/5/2012 is part of His means of calling you into a relationship with Him through His Son.

If you have any questions about where you stand in relation to God, please feel free to talk with me after class or find your group leader or talk with any of our leaders.

God's Glory (Ephesians 1:11-14)

1)God's Will: Chosen and Predestined (1:11-12)

(ESV) 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

(NIV) 11 In him we were also chosen (or made heirs), having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

One gets the idea that there is nothing that could stop what God has determined will happen.

This inheritance was predestined by him in accordance with his plan. In other word, He is going to carry it out in the way He has already determined it will happen.

Paul goes on to say that he works out everything in conformity to his will. Nothing can go against God's will.

And what is the end result of all this? God's glory is revealed in a doxological fashion. It is to the praise of God's glory.

His glory is revealed resulting in praise to God.

2)Included In Christ: Heard, Believed, Sealed (1:13-14)

Paul then moves to the way in which God realized this in the believers in Ephesus:

• The word of truth, the gospel of your salvation

• Believed in Christ of the gospel

• Sealed with the Holy Spirit

Paul tells us, in Romans 10:17:

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ

Our faith is not blind but in fact is grounded in the truth of the gospel. The spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms in Christ. His blood shed for our redemption and forgiveness of sins.

Just prior to verse 17, Paul says these words in 14-15:

14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

This is a work of God from first to last. He willed it, accomplished it, offers it, enables it, and guarantees it.

• He willed it, (Chosen and Predestined)

• accomplished it, (Redemption in Christ blood)

• offers it, (Grace lavished on us through the gospel)

• enables it, (Faith in the work of Christ)

• and guarantees it (Sealed by the Holy Spirit)

All of this to those who don't deserve it.

If that is not a reason to praise God, I don't know what is?

The ESV puts verses 13-14 like this:

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guaranteed of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Our guarantee of ultimate possession of our inheritance is held in the person of the Holy Spirit. He seals us with God's mark of ownership.

I think that is why the NIV puts the text this way:

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession – to the praise of his glory.

Either way, God is to be praise. We are His possession and His seal is on us. We will one day possess our inheritance and the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of that truth.

3)Principle

The redeemed are God's possession and heirs in Christ.

We are redeemed by God so that we might bring glory to God.

4)Applications

When was the last time you did something for no other reason than to glorify God?

Christ's Authority (Ephesians 1:15-23)

1)Paul's Continual Prayer (1:15-16)

Paul uses this prayer without ceasing theme in a number of places.

Romans 1

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

In 1 Thessalonians 5

16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

In 1 Thessalonians 1

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers,

[Read Ephesians 1:15-16]

I bet Paul spent many hours on his knees. And when he was not on his knees, he may have been walking or working or sitting in a prison – wherever he was, when God brought one of the churches to mind, Paul prayed for specific needs in those places.

Notice here that Paul takes the opportunity to point out the things he has seen of this church, their faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints and uses it as an opportunity to thank God.

As he's already mentioned, the work in this Ephesian group is a work of God and He is the one to be thanked for it. It was part of His eternal plan and it is being carried out in time.

What's your response when God brings someone to your mind? What would happen if you prayed for them?

2)Wisdom and Revelation: to Know God and His Power (1:17-19a)

Paul wants the Ephesians to have wisdom and revelation:

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Paul's primary concern is that God's revelation of himself may lead to a deeper knowledge of God in the Ephesians. This is something that all of us needs. When a clearer view of God and his character is known by God's people, then naturally we begin to put everything else in life in its proper perspective.

When we know God, we begin to better understand who we are and what our role is in God's purpose for this short life we are living. And with that knowledge, coupled with God's wisdom, we make the best use of our time, talents, and treasures. We are concerned about the effectiveness of our lives and we modify our lives in order to please Him.

The larger (and more true) our view of God, the less consumed we tend to be with self.

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

We were called by God into a hope. And often we lose sight of that hope, but it's always there for God's people. We just need our eyes adjusted sometimes so that we can see that hope and refocus.

Illustration: I caught myself this week getting excited about some future possibilities. I think I do that often, perhaps too often. And when I do, sometimes those possibilities (or the things I am looking forward to) overrule my mood or sense of happiness and purpose.

What if instead I started to put that same energy in looking forward to the hope I have in Christ. There would be no disappointments in that type of hope!

We have an inheritance in the saints. It's a glorious inheritance. As the writer of Hebrews puts it, the saints in the Old Testament were aliens and strangers on this earth. They were looking for a better home. And along with us (and us with them) we have an eternal inheritance together.

This will be brought to pass by God's great (incomparably great) power. Not only is God's power for us in this life, but when Christ returns, the power exerted to raise Jesus from the dead will also raise all those of us who are dead in Christ as well.

What are you doing in order to get to know God better?

What are you doing that might be hindering your knowledge of God?

What are you doing with your knowledge of God?

3)Christ's Power and Authority (1:19b-23)

19b That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Christ's position is the most exalted position of authority there is. Christ position of authority is in the heavenly realms – the very term Paul used to describe our spiritual blessings in verse 3. Those blessings are in Christ in heavenly realms – he is the source of all our spiritual blessings.

In Ephesians 2:6, Paul tells us that we too are seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. This is a present reality:

Ephesians 2:6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

This position of authority Jesus has, is a present reality. Look at verses 21-23 to see the extent of that authority:

21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

This is some extremely lofty language Paul is using here.

First of all, notice Paul's use of the word all and every.

He is above all rule, authority, power and dominion. If you are a history buff, and I am not, think of the greatest world leader who ever lived or the greatest conqueror (past or present). They are nothing in comparison to Jesus. Their authority, no matter how vast, is nothing in comparison to Christ's authority.

There is none, has never been, and never will be any power, dominion, rule, or authority that surpasses his.

Add to that the titles that one might hold. Maybe it's letters after a name or before the name. Multiplied titles even. All of the world's titles are nothing in comparison to those given to God's Son.

This concept of placing under his feet goes to illustrate the extent of his authority and dominion.

When he walked the earth, he came as a servant of all. He even stooped to wash his disciples' feet on the night in which he was betrayed. Even the one who would betray him by the power of Satan – his feet were washed by Jesus. Add to that the fact that everything that brought corruption to the created order was placed on the sinless Lamb of God.

He was made sin though not sinful – having no sin of his own. What a lowly and despised position. But the power of God elevated him from such low position to one of supreme exaltation.

The ESV puts verses 22-23 like this:

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Jesus is the head of his church. Not a denomination or any individual church. Paul is not talking here about the Ephesian church. But rather the Ecclesia, the called out ones.

This is the church built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Sacred Scripture) with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone.

All those who are in Christ are part of his church, also called here, his body. We have a function in this world and that is to follow our head – the exalted Christ.

How well would you say you are at following your head (Christ)?

4)Principle

God's plan is to bring everything under Christ's authority.

Conclusion

The best path to successful plans is to make plans the line up under God's plans. His plans cannot fail.