The Blessings of the Redeemed

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I. Paul Greets the Ephesians (vv.1-2)A. The Author is Paul (v.1a)

“Paul, an apostle of Christ by the will of God”

*apostle (Gk. apostolos) means “One sent to execute a mission”

B. The Recipients are the Ephesian Christians (v.1b)

“To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus”

*saints (hagios) – holy, sanctified, set apart

C. The Greetings bring Grace and Peace (v.2)“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”

Can You Still Call Yourself “Blessed” and Praise God…• When your daily routine is too boring?• When you have so many busy schedules ahead of you?• When you got a P1M debt?• When you’ve been fired from work? • When you have a failing grade at school?• When you got an irritable illness for years?• When you’re not in a relationship for so many years?• When your parents don’t seem to understand you?• When you’ve been gang raped?• When your house got burned down with your whole family?

Paul says you can… and you must.

So why would you praise God?

“Kung lahat ng kayamanan ay naglaho ng ganap

Masasabi mo kayang ‘Diyos, salamat’?”

(Kahit Anong Kalagayan)

We can mention many reasons to praise God like He gave us life, family, food, etc. But what if all of these were removed, would you still praise Him?

II. Reasons to Give God Praise (vv.3-14)

We will look at the reasons…A. In View of Who Gave the Blessings

(The Trinity)B. In View of What the Blessings Mean

Reasons to Give God Praise (vv.3-14)A.The Works of the

Trinity1. God the Father

blessed you (vv.3-6)

2. God the Son blessed you (vv.7-12)

3. God the Holy Spirit blessed you (vv.13-14)

The Trinity is a long-held belief of the Church that God is one Being with three distinct persons. To be blessed by the Trinity means we are greatly blessed and fully loved by God, since He bothered to mind us and bestowed salvation on us in His three ‘consciousness-es’ although He didn’t need us.

Mt. 12:32; 28:19; Lk. 12:10; Acts 2:33; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14

The Works of the Trinity in UnityA. The Trinity in Creation

1. The Godhead (Gen. 1:1,26)

2. The Father (1 Cor. 8:6)

3. The Son (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16-17)

4. The Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:3; Ps. 104:30)

B. The Trinity in Justification1. The Father (Rom. 8:33)

2. The Son (Acts 13:39)

3. The Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:2)

C. The Trinity in Resurrection1. The Father (1 Cor. 6:14)

2. The Son (John 10:18)

3. The Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11)

The Works of the Trinity in Emphasis1. God the Father (vv.3-6)

He Initiates the plan of salvation2. God the Son (vv.7-12)

He implements the plan of salvation3. God the Holy Spirit (vv.13-14)

He empowers the plan of salvation

“God plays the symphony of our salvation in three movements,” (Philip Graham Ryken

and Michael LeFabvre)

Reasons to Give God Praise (vv.3-14)B. The Blessings of Salvation“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” (v.3)

1. He chose us2. He predestined us to adoption 3. He redeemed us4. He made known the mystery of His will 5. He provided us an eternal inheritance6. He sealed us with the Holy Spirit

(vv.8-10)

(vv.4b-5)(vv.6-7)

(v.4a)

(vv.11-12)(vv.13-

14)

1. He Chose Us (v.4a)“even as [the Father] chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him…”

The Choosing (Election) has a…a)Means: in him [Jesus]b)Beginning: before the Foundation of the

Worldc) Purpose: we should be holy and blameless

before himDid God choose us because knew we would believe Him or did he choose us without any condition?

Conditional Election vs. Unconditional Election

• Conditional Election – the belief that God chose to save us on the basis of our foreseen faith in Him. He knew before (calling it foreknowledge) the foundation of the world that we would believe, therefore, he chose us to be saved. • Unconditional Election – the belief that God sovereignly chose us out of His own prerogative without any view of any good that we have done. He didn’t choose us because we were good in the future, he chose us so that we would be good in the future.

Deut. 7:7-8; Rom 8:29; 9:10-13; Acts 11:18; Acts 13:48

2. He Predestined Us to Adoption (v.5)• Predestination – is the belief that because God is all-powerful and all-knowing, he has already determined everything that is going to happen, especially every person’s eternal destination (salvation or hell) even before the world began [Rom. 8:29-33; 9:1-24; 11:4-10; 1 Cor. 1:27-29; Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 2:10; Titus 1:1; Acts 4:28]. • Adoption – “is that privilege, bestowed upon those who are united with Christ, and justified by faith, by which they are admitted into the family of God, adopted as his children, and made joint heirs with his own Son.” (Theopedia) [John 1:11-13; Gal. 4:4-7; Rom. 8:14-23; Heb. 12:5-11]

2. He Predestined Us to Adoption (v.5)

3 Things about Predestination in this verse:1. Predestination is done in

love, not out of bossiness or cruelty.

2. Predestination ends for our good: adoption as sons.

3. Predestination is done with a purpose: so that his sovereign grace would be greatly praised.

“You are perplexed by the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and election. I wonder that any man believing in a God should be perplexed by these. For if there be a God, a King, eternal, immortal, and invisible, He cannot but be sovereign – and He cannot but do according to His own will and choose according to His own purpose. You may dislike these doctrines, but you can only get quit of them by denying altogether the existence of an infinitely wise, glorious, and powerful Being. God would not be God were He not thus absolutely sovereign in His present doings and His eternal pre-arrangements.”

~ Horatius Bonar

3. He Redeemed Us (v.7)• Redemption means to free someone from bondage. It often involves the paying of a ransom, a price that ensures redemption. The Israelites were redeemed from Egypt. We were redeemed from the power of sin and the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13) through Jesus (Rom. 3:24; Col. 1:14). We were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23). (Theopedia)

In the text, redemption involves:

1. A Cause: “Riches of His grace”

2. A Means: “Through Jesus’ blood”

3. A Result: “Forgiveness of sins”

4. He Made Known the Mystery of His Will (vv.8-10)

“Mystery” (Gk. musterion) in the New Testament means something that was previously hidden but is now revealed. In the context of Ephesians, it refers to the Church, being God’s people, composed of both Jews and Gentiles) [cf. 3:6].

In the text, this mystery involves the church as part of God’s program in reclaiming all of creation. (v.10)

We should be thankful because although we are not Israelites, God planned to include us in His glorious salvation.

5. He Provided Us Eternal Inheritance (11-12)1. What does inheritance means?

Inheritance – This reminds us of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants, which actually refers to the eternal dwelling, comfort and glory which we’re going to have in the new heaven and new earth.

2. How did we get our inheritance?“…having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will”

3. What is the purpose of our inheritance?

“so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory”

6. He sealed us with the Holy Spirit (vv.13-14)According to John Piper, the “sealing” may mean:

1. Locking up (see Mt. 27:66) - the point must be that he seals in faith and seals out unbelief and apostasy.

2. Sign of authenticity (see Rom. 4:11), then he is that sign and it is the Spirit's work in our life which is God's trademark. Our eternal sonship is real and authentic if we have the Spirit. He is the sign of divine reality in our lives.

3. Seal of God (see Rev 7:3), he protects us from evil forces which won't dare to enter a person bearing the mark of God's own possession.

“However you come at this message contained in this word "sealed," it is a message of safety and security in God's love and power. God sends the Holy Spirit as a preserving seal to

lock in our faith, as an authenticating seal to validate our sonship, and as a protecting seal to keep out destructive

forces. The point is that God wants us to feel secure and safe in his love and power.” (John Piper)

III. Paul Prays for Enlightenment (vv.15-23)A. The Cause of His Prayers (vv.15-16)

1. Their faith in the Lord Jesus

2. Their love for the saints

B. The Content of His Prayers: Spiritual Wisdom (vv.17-18)

1. To know the Hope to which we are called (v.17-18a)

2. To know the Riches of our inheritance (v.18b)

3. To know His Power toward Us (vv.19-23)

Notice that all of Paul’s prayer has something to do with knowledge and mindset because he recognizes that. whatever fills our head drives our lives.

The Power of God in Christ (vv.20-23)This is actually a subtopic in the contents of Paul’s prayer. He wants us to know that the power that works in us is the same power that worked when…

•He Raised Christ from the Dead •He Seated Christ at His right hand•He Put all things in subjection under His feet•He gave Christ as Head over all things to the church

This mighty power is still working toward us yet how little do we have confidence in Him to use us!

The Same Power so think about it…• If God’s power can raise the dead, can’t he not make raise those who are spiritually dead (unbelievers) to life? Why not evangelize?• If God’s power made Christ victorious over all creation, can’t he not make us victorious over our personal struggles?• If God’s power made Christ the head of the Church, can’t he not reform/revive the body (church) through us even though we are not Luther or Calvin?

Summary of Ephesians 11. God has provided us so many Blessings of Salvation so we have so many reasons to praise Him:• The Trinity Himself worked for our salvation• The Blessings of election, predestination, adoption, redemption, inheritance, and sealing of the Spirit.

2. God wants us to be enlightened by these blessings so we could have a victorious Christian life.

For further reading:On the Trinity:• Biblical proofs: http://www.equip.org/articles/the-biblical-basis-of-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity/•Works: http://www.crossway.org/blog/2011/05/the-work-of-the-trinity-in-salvation/

On Election and Predestination: