Value of Ephesians

• Presents the purpose and plan of God for the Church

• Relation between positional truth and experiencing it in one’s life – Position and Practice

• Supremacy of Christ in God’s eternal plan

• Emphasizes God’s sovereign grace in the lives of believers

Introduction

• Author – Paul

• Recipients – the church at Ephesus and other churches in the surrounding area

• City of Ephesus• Chief city of the Roman province of Asia Minor

• Religion – a center of the emperor cult and the temple of Diana (Roman goddess Artemis)

• City of large commerce

• Pluralistic culture

Introduction

• Purpose – Ephesians shows how our position of status in Christ relates to our daily walk.

• Theme – Ephesians deals with our legal position before God in Christ and the daily life that corresponds to that position.

Doctrine

• Ephesians argues that the believer’s position before God is the same as Jesus’ status before God (chapters 1-3). The second dimension is that the believer is to apply positional truth to experience (chapters 4-6).

• The doctrine of the “mystery” is that God changed His economy from working with Israel to the church. God did not reveal the idea of the church in the Old Testament. That it is why Paul called it the “mystery” (Eph. 3:1-6).

Ephesians 1:1-2

• Double source of authority – “Paul, an apostle”• “of Jesus Christ”

• “by the will of God”

• Double designation of believers• Saints

• Faithful

Ephesians 1:1-2

• Double blessing• Grace

• Peace

• Double source• God the Father

• Lord Jesus Christ

Ephesians 1:3-14 (KJV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual

blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the

foundation of the world, that we should be holy and

without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of

children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the

good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he

hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Ephesians 1:3-14 (KJV) cont.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of

his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all

wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his

will, according to his good pleasure which he hath

purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times

he might gather together in one all things in Christ,

both which are in heaven, and which are on earth;

even in him:

Ephesians 1:3-14 (KJV) cont.

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,

being predestinated according to the purpose of

him who worketh all things after the counsel of his

own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who

first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the

word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom

also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that

holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the

redemption of the purchased possession, unto the

praise of his glory.

Concept of the Church

• Bride

• Family

• Household

• Kingdom

• Flock

• Building

• Vine and Branches

• In Ephesians – Body

Church – the body of Christ

• Best communicates the unity, diversity and mutuality within the church

• Body functions totally dependent on each part

• Body receives direction from the head

• Body manifests the person in the world

• So does the Church

Six Aspects of Blessing

• The Blessed One is God

• God is the Blesser - Our blessing is our words to Him; His blessing is His deeds to us.

• Who are the blessed – “us”

• The blessings themselves – spiritual blessings

• Location of the blessings – heavenly places

• Basis for the blessings – “in Christ”

Forming of the Body of Christ

• Past aspect – Election

• Present aspect – Redemption

• Future aspect – Inheritance

Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms – verse 3

• God has blessed us

• In Christ

• With every spiritual blessing

Chosen in Christ before the creation of the world – verse 4

• A choice God made

• God decided to save us “in Christ” – not in our own name or on the basis of our own performance

Chosen in Christ ... to be holy and blameless in God's sight – verse 4

• The purpose and result of God choosing us “in Christ

• God sees us always, only and ever in Christ – as holy and blameless in his sight as Christ himself

God predestined us to be adopted as his sons – verse 5

• God did it “in love”

• It is “through Jesus Christ”

• Another Purpose and Result of salvation: God adopted us as His “sons”

• Adoption – “in accordance with his pleasure and will”

• Salvation – grounded in the will and the pleasure of God

Christian Commonality

• Common source of life• We all came in through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

• Common kind of life• We all possess the divine nature

• Common destiny• The Kingdom of God and glory in heaven forever with

Christ

Seven Elements of Election

• The Method – Sovereign Selection• “According” and “His will”

• The Object – The Elect, “us”

• The Time – Eternity, “before the foundation of the world”

• The Purpose – Holiness, “Be holy and without blame”

• The Motive – Love

• The Result – Sonship

• The Why – Glory