Let's continue on with our study of the prayer of Paul in the first chapter of Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:19b-20 - …according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
What do you picture when you read this? Do you picture God on a magnificent throne with Jesus sitting on another throne at his right side? What if I told you that mental picture may not be entirely accurate?
Here on earth, in bygone days, it was the highest honor to be seated at the right hand of the king or the right hand of a prince. Hence, our mental picture of two side-by-side thrones. However, what the phrase truly signifies is someone who is in a position of supreme honor. It is entirely possible (and many scholars say probable) that the right hand of God is not a particular place and Jesus is not sitting there as we think in the natural realm. Rather, the phrase is used to give earthly men an understandable picture of the honor, respect, dignity and authority that has been bestowed on Jesus.
Let's examine some of the finer points involved in the exaltation of Jesus. We know that Satan did not take Jesus' life from him; Jesus willingly laid it down for us of his own accord.
John 10:17 & 18 – For this reason
the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up
again. No one takes is from me, but I
lay it down o my own accord. I have
authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This is the charge I have received from my
Father.
Once his sacrifice was complete, Jesus was raised from the dead by the immeasurable greatness of God's power, mentioned in verse 19. His resurrection took him from the deepest humiliation of hell to the highest honor of heaven. The scripture tells us that the announcement of Jesus' earthly birth was accompanied by "a multitude of the heavenly host praising God" (Luke 2:13-14). If heaven was so excited at the prospect of Jesus' sacrifice and temporary humiliation, can you imagine how it rocked with his praise when God's immeasurable power raised him from the dead and brought him home to heaven?
Jesus' resurrection is a miracle. It is incontestable evidence of the truth of Christianity. It is the basis of our assurance that his blood cleanses us from sin. The power of God not only converts us from Satan's slaves to co-heirs with Christ, it carries on the work of grace until we are called home to heaven. His power is supreme; therefore, his power is greater than any force that might try to stop the work of grace in our lives. His power is greater than Satan, the world, sin, death and our own failures. His power never runs out; it extends through all eternity. His power works in us by the mighty Holy Spirit. Oh, that we would willingly give the Spirit control in our lives!
We have already mentioned that Jesus now occupies the position of supreme honor, respect and dignity in heaven. Paul also tells us that ultimate authority has been bestowed upon him.
Ephesians 1:21 - …far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.
The phrase 'rule and authority and power and dominion' is intended to include all possible forms of power, including things in heaven, things in earth and things under the earth (Philippians 2:10-11). This would cover all the governments of the earth, the authority of Satan and all angelic beings whether good or evil. Not even the collective authority of all these could come anywhere near the authority of the Son of God; his authority is FAR above them. This state of ultimate authority will never end. It is true in this age and will be true in eternity. The name of Jesus is above every other name that will ever be named.
Ephesians 1:22-23 - And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body; the fullness of him who fills all in all.
What does it mean to have all things under his feet? Our first thought would be a victorious king who actually put his foot on the necks of his defeated enemies. But the apostle's language goes deeper than just that. It includes the whole of creation and all that is found in it; not just earth but all of the universe. This means that all of creation is at his disposal to use as he sees fit, regardless of whether it/they submit willingly or unwillingly.
God has also honored Jesus by making him the head of the church, which is his body. This is a common theme throughout the New Testament scriptures.
And so Paul enumerates for us four of the glories of Christ:
His resurrection.
His exaltation to God's right hand.
His supreme dominion.
His headship of the church, his body, which is filled with his fullness.
These glories were all obtained by his death on the cross. Clearly, he abased himself that he might be exalted.
Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
In conclusion, we find that Paul prays that each individual believer might have his/her spiritual eyes opened so that we can begin to perceive the incredible hope we have in Christ, the eternal unmatched riches of our inheritance in him, and the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe.
If our eyes were truly opened to these truths, it would affect the way we think, talk and live. It would influence the way we treat our fellow man, how we spend our time and what we do with our money.
Are you willing to take a step towards spiritual maturity? Do you desire to know Christ in a deeper more intimate way? Can you pray this prayer for yourself, until you notice a change?
What are your thoughts on this prayer? How does the hope of a future with Christ give you strength in this life? Have you seen a demonstration of God's incredible power in your life? Please write in and share your thoughts and experiences with us, so that others may be encouraged!
So… did you have a chance to meditate on prayer for a while? Before we begin today's lesson, stop and consider your own prayer life.
How often do you pray?
Do your prayers focus mainly on you and the things you are asking God to give you?
Has there been any kind of change/maturity in your prayer life over the last year, or are your prayers still basically the same?
Ephesians chapter one gives us some wonderful insight into prayer. Please consider these verses carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your own personal prayer life.
Ephesians 1:17- that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…
Previously, under the Old Testament covenant, God was commonly known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But notice the way Paul refers to God in this verse – as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This title reflects the change of covenants that took place when Jesus rose from the dead. In this instance, the focus is on Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant and the one who intercedes for us with the Father.
Now, let's start by looking at what Paul did NOT ask God to give them. He did not ask God to keep them from persecution and trouble. He did not ask God to give them fame or wealth. He did not ask God to grant them happiness or an easy life.
What he DID ask God to give them was the Holy Spirit who bestows to the believer wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. In other words, Paul prays for these believers that their spiritual eyes would be opened and focused so that spiritual realities will be clearer, more easily seen and more understandable by their minds. Likewise, he prays for the Holy Spirit to quicken our spirits making them more sensitive to spiritual things.
The Holy Spirit can open your spiritual eyes!
Why would Paul pray that for believers?
Well for one thing, if we are honest, we will admit that we can be easily distracted. Our every waking moment is a constant barrage of things from the physical world that compete for our time and attention. Personally, I think the situation is worse now that it has ever been. Modern electronics like the cell phone, hand held video games, electronic readers and computer tablets spew entertainment and information like an active volcano. It literally never ceases. If we are not careful, our spiritual eyes and ears will become dull and useless. We will lose our sensitivity to the voice of God. We should regularly be praying that the Holy Spirit quickens our spiritual man.
For another thing, no matter how mature we have grown in Christ, we have still not arrived at perfection. No matter how much we know of God, no matter how much we have experienced of him, there are still unfathomable depths of wisdom and knowledge to be found in him.
Ephesians 1:18-19a – having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe,
The 'eyes of your heart' refers to your mind or your understanding. Our understanding of God and spiritual principles have been blinded or distorted by sin. Unless it is touched by the Spirit, the mind cannot comprehend spiritual truths. If you are a Christian, you have already had your mind/understanding enlightened by the Spirit to some degree; it was a revelation of sin that prompted you to accept Christ as Savior. However, the entire Christian life is one of gradual maturing. The revelation of truth that we experienced during salvation is not the full revelation of God. Our understanding needs to be further enlightened because there are more and deeper spiritual truths to be understood.
1 Corinthians 2:14 - 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.
Paul prays for the Spirit to enlighten our minds, that we might discover three great truths.
One, that we may know what is the hope to which he has called us: Christianity is the hope to which we are called. Hope is a powerful thing; in fact, it's a game changer. It spurs us on during difficult times, it calms our sorrows, it lessens the effects of persecution and temptation, it renews our focus on the prize and it sustains us during the long haul of life. Hope makes our work and sacrifice worthwhile. Paul wants the Spirit to give us a greater understanding of the hope to which he has called us, so that it can work powerfully in us during our time on earth.
Food for thought – if we lived in constant hope of the great eternal future awaiting us as Christians, wouldn't it change the whole aspect of our life? Wouldn't it make forgiving others easier? Wouldn't it make our problems a little less significant? Wouldn't it make the petty differences between believers melt into insignificance?
Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Two, that we might know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints: In other words, the glorious abundance of spiritual things to which you are entitled as a consequence of being children of God. As discussed earlier in this chapter, we are not completely sinless, painless, perfect, righteous, etc, right now, but someday we will be. At this time, we can enter into God's presence through praise and worship, but one day we will behold his face as we sing praises around his throne. One day we will rule and reign with Christ. The more we understand the riches of our inheritance, the more motivated we will be to serve our King and the more joy we will have during our service here.
Was there ever a time in life when you longed to have something and you wanted it so much that you constantly daydreamed about it? When you finally got it, was it all that you expected or were your daydreams better than the real thing?
Sometimes we disappoint ourselves because the thing we long for winds up being less than we imagined it would be. In the case of our inheritance in Christ, the opposite will be true. No matter how wonderful we imagine heaven to be, it will be infinitely better!
1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
Food for thought – true riches are not silver and gold. The only true riches are the ones bestowed upon us by our perfect heavenly Father. These are the only riches that last eternally. In light of this, examine your own prayer life. Are most of your requests earthly or heavenly?
Three, that we might understand the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us: God's immeasurable power is at work in every stage of the Christian life. Once we were dead in sin, but his great power converted us. His power is still at work in us right now; he has branded us as his own and he watches over us as we mature in Christ. One day that same great power will raise up our dead bodies in newness of eternal life, when we will find the fulfillment of our hope, our glorious inheritance in Christ!
Are you excited about the prayer that the apostle Paul prayed for you? The things he asks God to grant you are far, far greater than anything earthly that we could ask for.
I encourage
you to begin to earnestly pray this same prayer for yourself over the next few
weeks. See how the Holy Spirit changes
your life!
Let's examine some background information about the gospel of Matthew:
Who- The author of this book is Matthew, the son of Alphaeus. His surname (last name) was Levi. He was a tax collector.
What – Matthew wrote one of the four gospels – a narrative of the 'good news' of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When - We know that Matthew wrote his book before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but there is disagreement as to the exact date. The most probable timeline was 50-60 AD, but some favor a later date between 65-70 AD.
Where – Scholars are split as to the location where he wrote his book. The opinion of the majority is that he wrote his gospel in Antioch of Syria, in the Greek language. Others believe he wrote his gospel in Palestine, in Aramaic.
Why - Matthew recorded selected events from the life and ministry of Jesus in order to confirm/prove to a Jewish audience that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. He also shows how God's plan includes the Gentiles as well. He emphasizes that the life of Jesus was not just another historical event, but the supreme, ultimate event of history, planned and prophesied by God centuries before it occurred. Matthew shows how the life of Jesus fulfilled the words of ancient prophesy.
Matthew 1:1-2 – The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…
Matthew begins his book with a genealogy. A really loooong genealogy that lasts for 16 verses and has more than 30 names in it. Most of the names are people we do not know anything about. If you were writing a book, would you start it with a long list of unknown dead people's names?
Probably not. We would start a book with some amazing action scene or some astounding event that forever changes the characters of the book.
We would want our opening to be attention grabbing and important. We would want it to foreshadow significant events that are yet to come in the book, wouldn't we? Does that sound right to you? Does that sound like something you might want to read?
Oddly enough, that is exactly what Matthew did! Consider this:
Was the birth of Jesus an astounding event that forever changed all of us? Did his birth foreshadow significant events yet to come in the book? Of course!
Was Matthew's genealogy attention grabbing? In all fairness, it does seem unimportant and boring on first glance, but it isn't. It establishes several important facts.
First of all, the genealogy places Jesus in a specific historical context. Think about it this way – what is the first line in every fairytale? Isn't it 'once upon a time there lived…'? If the gospels did not include the genealogy, it would be just like saying 'once upon a time there lived a man named Jesus…'. He would have no historical credibility. People would write him off as a fairytale. Matthew's genealogy places Jesus in time and space, proving that he was a real person who really lived.
Matthew clearly divides the genealogy into three separate sections.
Matthew 1:17 – So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon 14 generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ 14 generations.
The first section represents the rise of the Jewish nation to the monarchy, the second represents the failure of the monarchy and the third refers to the restoration of the kingdom under the Messiah.
Therefore, Jesus (the culmination of the genealogy) is the long awaited Messiah! What began with Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus. While this may not be an earth shattering fact to us, it was to the Jews. If Matthew is correct, the Jews just rejected, tortured and murdered the Messiah they had been waiting thousands of years for! Trust me, that conclusion would have grabbed the attention of every Jewish person back in that day!
Thirdly, the genealogy shows that God is no respecter of persons. It includes Jewish men, Jewish women and even Gentiles.
The genealogy also airs a whole load of dirty laundry. If you take a few minutes to read the names, you will find several you never heard of, but you will also find that the Old Testament gives us a glimpse into the lives of quite a few of them.
It doesn't take long to discover that they are real people with very real spiritual failures.
David committed both adultery and murder.
Tamar and Bathsheba both had out of wedlock pregnancies.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Manasseh desecrated the temple, filled Jerusalem with the blood of the innocent and worshiped false gods.
Judah had twin boys by his daughter-in-law.
Solomon allowed his wives to draw him into idol worship.
Matthew shows us that God was willing to identify his Son with sinful humanity through the incarnation.
Finally, the genealogy proves that Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of David. Even though Joseph was not Jesus' biological father, he was his legal father here on earth. Therefore, since Joseph was a descendant of David, Jesus had a legal right to the throne.
Starting with the genealogy, Matthew records selected events from Jesus' life and ministry in order to prove to the Jews that Jesus was indeed the long awaited Messiah. He is going to show them God's plans for mankind in light of the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Let's take a look at what Matthew has to say!
Matthew 1:18-19 – Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
In order to understand what Matthew is telling us, we first need to understand some of the culture and customs of the Jews. When a woman or maiden was 'betrothed' to a man there was a formal ceremony and the man typically gave the maiden a ring and/or other jewels.
The betrothal period usually lasted a whole year. During that year, the maiden would remain in her own home with her parents and family. She did not see her future groom until he came to get her and take her to his own house! Can you imagine that? Also, all communication between the two happened through a third-party, the 'friend of the bridegroom'.
However, once a woman was betrothed, she was considered to be the man's legal wife, even though she still lived at home and the relationship was not consummated.
So, sometime during that year of betrothal, Joseph finds out that Mary is pregnant. Because of the legality of the situation, he couldn't simply break off the engagement as we would do in our society. He basically had three options. He could go ahead and marry her, he could divorce her, or he could bring charges against her. [Since Mary was legally bound to Joseph, any breach of that contract was considered adultery and could be punished according to law. Specifically, she could be stoned to death. See Deuteronomy 22:22-23].
Matthew's account focuses on Joseph's point of view. (Mary's point of view is recorded in Luke). Imagine for a moment the heartache and humiliation he experienced when this devastating news reaches him. All the trust he placed in Mary, all the dreams he had of their life together have been dashed in an instant.
This beautiful girl, who captured his heart and seemed like such a perfect match, has betrayed him!
In the midst of his anguish and sadness, Joseph must make a decision - what will he legally do with Mary? I imagine that the decision was not an easy one. I imagine that he spent a few sleepless nights considering the options.
The scripture gives us an insightful glance into the character of Joseph. It says he was "a just man". This tells us that he hated wickedness and loved justice. That being the case, he would never choose to marry Mary; he believed she was a liar and an adulterer and he couldn't marry a person of that character. At the same time, it seems that he was moved by kindness and compassion, because he decided against publicly humiliating her and seeking the death penalty. Thus, he decides to quietly divorce her.
As a side note, Joseph is a good example of the principles of forgiveness that we discussed on our last few posts. Notice that he did not allow his emotions to lead the way, but he looked to the truth/God's laws first. He felt that he could not marry her because she was unrighteous, but neither did he seek death. He chose to forgive her, and move on.
Matthew 1:20-21 - But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
As Joseph was considering the best way to carry out his plans, God spoke to him in a dream, changing his decision. Dreams are a method of communication that God had employed extensively in the Old Testament, and he uses it many times during the critical infant years of Jesus. God still uses dreams to speak to his people today; see Joel 2:28.
I believe that God wants to speak to all of us. As we struggle with the different decisions we need to make in life, God wants to offer us council through his word, through the leading of the Holy Spirit and yes, through dreams. If we seek God, we can be confident in the decisions we make, knowing that He guides our footsteps as we walk in this life.
In the dream, God reveals that Mary is innocent of sin, and he endorses the marriage. What great news for Joseph! He could now marry his bride and their relationship would never be tainted by mistrust or doubt.
Notice that the angel addresses Joseph as the son of David. This greeting reminds Joseph that he is in the direct line of David, through whom the Messiah would come. Joseph may have felt like he was just another Jewish man and a poor carpenter at that, but the truth is that his life was significant. He was a child of David and his heritage made him important.
The same is true for YOU. You may not consider yourself important or noteworthy, but you would be wrong! Joseph was a child of David, but you are a child of the Most High God! Your life is significant in every way. God created you to live in a specific time period. He gave you specific gifts and talents. He designed a specific plan for your life. You are significant and important in the kingdom of Heaven! While pride has no place in the life of a Christian, you should be confident of who you are in Christ. God has given you authority to be his representative here on earth.
The angel reveals to Joseph that the child of Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit. This means that he was divine, yet human. He was born in the flesh, but did not have a sinful or fleshly nature. He is God, yet he can identify with humanity. He is sinless, and therefore the ONLY BEING who can atone for sin.
The angel further reveals that the child's name will be Jesus (or in the Hebrew, Joshua), which means 'to save' or 'savior'. This reveals the true purpose behind his birth – he is the long awaited Messiah, who will save mankind from sin and death!
Acts 4:11-12 – This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Jesus is also the ultimate fulfillment of a promise made to the Jewish nation. Back in Genesis, God declared that through the Jews, all nations of the earth would be blessed. This shows God's ultimate plan – salvation was not limited to only the Jews, but it would include the Gentiles as well. Jesus would be the savior of all.
The virgin birth was an amazing event that had been predicted long, long ago by the ancient prophets:
Matthew 1:22-23 - all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means God with us).
Here, Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 7:14. When Jesus was born, it could truly be said that he was Immanuel - God incarnate was among mankind!
Matthew 1:24-25 - When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
And so, being fully convinced of the path he was to take, Joseph takes Mary as his wife without delay. The marriage is legally finalized, though not yet consummated. When the child is born, he is named Jesus. He is the legal heir of Joseph; his true Father, God, will soon make him heir of all things.
Here in Matthew we find the perfect will of God occurring at the perfect timing of God for the prefect purposes of God. This kind of perfection can happen in our lives as well, if we will allow God to direct our paths. God cares about your life and its struggles just as much as he cared for Mary and Joseph.
So, let me give you some encouragement: You are not a 'nobody'. You are an important part of God's kingdom and his purposes. Don't let the world convince you otherwise.
Let me give you some relief: You don't have to make all of life's decisions alone. The Holy Spirit is present to assist you and guide you. Seek him and he will be found by you!
Let me give you some strength: Joseph (and Mary) went through some tough times, but God encouraged and strengthened them through those difficulties. God will do the same for you! Whatever you are walking through today, you will come out victorious in Christ!
Ephesians 1:11-12 – In him we have
obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of
him who works all things according to the council of his will, so that we who
were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
I hate to
beat a dead horse (where do some of these expressions come from?), but since
Paul did it first, I am going to follow suit.
These verses say that we have obtained an eternal inheritance in Christ,
which was planned in advance, before the world was created. As adopted children we are the praise of his
glory in two ways.
One, in a passive manner. This involves us being the undeserving recipients of grace. We are a testimony to God's grace, because we did nothing to deserve it. Praise and worship should be our natural reaction to this gift.
Two, in an active manner. This involves personal holiness, obedience to God's commands and the bearing of fruit for the kingdom God.
Paul speaks of those who were the first to hope in Christ. We would assume that the apostles were among the first to believe, having heard the gospel from Jesus himself. They spread the good news first to their own countrymen (the Jews) and then the gospel went out to the Gentiles as well. The scripture describes the gospel as radiating out from Jerusalem until it reaches the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and
you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
While the apostles may have been the first fruits of faith in Jesus, they were certainly not the last!
Ephesians 1:13-14 – 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, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
These verses start by saying that the Ephesians (and later you and I) have also believed in Jesus, after we heard the word of truth/gospel of salvation. Note that the same gospel produces salvation in all men, whether Jew or Gentile, whether born in 1 AD or 2019 AD. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His word is a firm foundation that will stand for all time. It does not change. Just as all men believe and are saved through the same gospel, so all believers have a share in the heavenly inheritance, and all believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which was promised long ago.
Let's examine the idea of being sealed. Webster defines a seal as "something that confirms, ratifies or makes secure: A guarantee, an assurance".
In our culture, we seal documents to prove or confirm they are authentic. Have you ever taken a legal document to a notary? Normally, you sign the document in the presence of the notary, who then signs and places a seal on your document. The notary is confirming, guaranteeing or assuring others that the signature on the document is authentic.
Another example of sealing would be a brand. Have you ever seen a cow that has been branded by its owner? The brand creates a permanent mark that distinguishes that particular animal as belonging to a single, specific owner. Even if the animal is mixed with other cows, a simple glance can identify who it belongs to; the mark is a guarantee or an assurance of ownership.
We are sealed or branded for Christ!
The scripture tells us that when we accept Christ as savior, we are sealed or branded by the Holy Spirit, which confirms that we belong to Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
We can see
from these scriptures that the Holy Spirit seals or marks us as belonging to
God. However, according to verse 14, he
does so much more!!
We are using the English Standard Version of the Bible in this study, but in this case, I think the King James Version is clearer. It says:
Ephesians 1:14 - Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Pop Quiz: Do you know what earnest money is?
Earnest money, also called good faith deposit, is a sum of money that a buyer pays to the seller at the time of entering a contract. Its primary purpose is to make sure that the buyer is serious about following through on the contract. Typically used in real estate transactions, earnest money may be used to give the home buyer more time before closing. It provides the seller with incentive to continue with the transaction.
The analogy of earnest money can help you and I better understand what the Holy Spirit is doing for us when he seals/brands us as belonging to Christ.
When God redeems us, he buys us back from sin. When we accept his offer of salvation, he gives us the Holy Spirit as an earnest, which is a piece of our spiritual inheritance. It shows that he is serious about following through with our redemption contract. The earnest of the Holy Spirit is upon us until God 'closes the deal' of our redemption, which will occur when he returns for us at the second coming. At that time, we will receive our entire inheritance. The Holy Spirit gives us incentive to stand firm until our redemption is complete.
We all recognize that our redemption is not complete at this time. But rest assured, a day will come when God will deliver us from all sin, evil, temptation, sorrow, pain and frustration.
A day will come when we hear 'well done, good and faithful servant'.
A day will come when we inherit eternal life.
A day will come when the church will be presented to Jesus as a bride, without spot or wrinkle.
A day will come when we sit with him at the marriage supper of the lamb.
A day will come when we see our redeemer face to face.
A day will come when we stand around his throne singing his glorious praise.
A day will come when we receive a new body and home (and a job) in heaven.
A day will come when the old will pass away and all things will become new!!
I Corinthians 2:9 – …no eye has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.
Notice that verse 14 also tells us that these things are "to the praise of his glory". We did not earn any of these things; God freely gave them to us because of his great love and grace. Therefore, redemption is an eternal testimony of God's great love to mankind. All created beings (including us) should forever be praising and glorifying him for this indescribable gift!
I encourage you to dwell on these thoughts for a while. You may find that you are encouraged. You may find that life's momentary difficulties pale in comparison to what God has in store for you! You may find yourself bursting with praise for his mighty name! Allow that praise to well up inside you and come forth audibly. Pray and ask the Father to fill you to overflowing with the promised Holy Spirit!
Ephesians 1:15-16 – For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
Paul gives
thanks to God for the Ephesian church.
He also prays for them. Next time
we will examine this prayer, which is found in verses 17-23.
Ephesians 1:5-6 – In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
In times past, God had chosen one man, Abraham, as the father of the Jewish race [Genesis 12]. God made three distinct promises to Abraham regarding the Jewish nation. Do you know what they were?
Wait! I know this one....
The Jews would be a great nation; that is, in terms of numbers. Genesis 12:2, Genesis 15:4-5.
They would inherit a promised land. Genesis 12:5-7, Genesis 15:7.
They would be a blessing to ALL the families on earth. Genesis 12:3, Genesis 28:14.
Did you answer correctly? If so, award yourself a piece of candy!
Now, it is this third promise that we want to consider. How were the Jews to be a blessing to all the families on earth? They were to be an example of God's love to mankind. They were to exemplify or display God's provision, his grace, his forgiveness, his great power, his love, etc. Their relationship with God was to be a living example to all the nations of the earth of the love of God.
The culmination of that love and promised blessing was a savior or messiah, who would be a member of the Jewish race, and who would die for the sins of man. Through this messiah, ALL men could be freed from the bondage of sin and be restored to a right relationship with God. Through the savior Jesus Christ, ALL men (not just the Jews) could be adopted as sons and daughters of God. God had predestined or predetermined to do this in ages past. (Predestine means 'to set bounds beforehand', or 'to predetermine'). God gave us glimpses of this great plan numerous times through the prophets. For instance:
Isaiah 49:6 - And he [God] said, It is too small a thingthat you [the Messiah] should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.
So, we know that from the very beginning, God planned, or intended, or predestined to redeem mankind; to adopt ALL men, Jews and Gentiles alike, as sons and daughters. This is what Paul refers to when he says "he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ".
This was done 'according to the purpose of his will'. In other words, it had nothing to do with any merit on our part. In times past, God chose the Jews, not because they had any outstanding merit in themselves, but because of the purposes of his will. In the same way, Gentiles are now called to salvation/adoption as sons of God, not because of any outstanding merits on the part of the Gentiles, but according to God's will and purpose.
This was a very radical and somewhat controversial idea in the early days of Christianity. The Jews were convinced that they had exclusive rights to being the sons of God. Even after Jesus died and was resurrected, they felt it was only for them. It was extremely difficult for them to embrace the idea that the Gentiles could be admitted into the kingdom of God. As you recall, God made his intentions crystal clear in Acts 10 when he calls Peter to preach in the house of the Gentile Cornelius. All the Gentiles in that house were saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized in water. Peter proclaims:
Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him.
Thus, there can be no stepchildren in the kingdom of God. All who accept him are equal sons and daughters; all are coheirs with Christ.
Further, Paul tells us that this adoption of all men as sons was done not only according to the purpose of his will, but 'to the praise of his glorious grace'. In other words, God is drawing attention to his Divine Grace. He wants the world to see how rich, how deep, how boundless/abundant his grace is towards all men. God's grace knows no limits! All sin can be forgiven! All can be restored into relationship with Him! All can experience the depth and love of Christ! All can be filled with the Holy Spirit!
Maybe you are reading this and thinking that you are excluded from that grace for some reason. I assure you, there are NO exceptions!! The Bible says:
John 6:37 - …he that comes to me I will in
no wise cast out.
Romans 8:32 - He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
My guess is that as you meditate on the vast love God has shown to you personally, by forgiving your sin and adopting you as a son/daughter, you are feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside, aren't you? You are feeling special, aren't you? Being one of God's children along with all its privileges is delightful, isn't it? Kind of like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, after you've been outside shoveling snow. [If you live someplace warm, maybe it's like a cold shot of air conditioning after mowing the grass, but I live in Ohio, so for me it's more like the hot cocoa!] I want you to hold on to that warm, fuzzy feeling as we take a closer look at how that manifests in our everyday lives.
When we consider that God has chosen to adopt us as sons and daughters, solely by his infinite grace and love (not based on any good within ourselves), what should our reaction be? PRAISE!
As we mentioned in an earlier lesson, praise is not limited to our mouths or our music. We also praise God with our actions or conduct. We should be living lives that reflect and display our thanksgiving of God's glorious grace.
So, since God freely forgave us without strings attached, we need to be forgiving others in the same way. We are praising him when our conduct reflects his love and mercy!
Uh oh…do I detect a cold silence in the air? Have you lost the warm fuzzies already? Do you instantly have the word "but" on your lips? Please don't close your browser in my face. Just hear me out.
I understand that forgiveness is probably the MOST challenging thing that we are called to do. Some of you reading this have suffered abuse that would make the rest of us vomit. Some of you have experienced unspeakable loss or a betrayal that reaches to your innermost being. As far as I can tell, the violence of man knows no limits. I can never understand what you have endured, but I assure you there is One who knows; our God, the same God who gave his only son for you, knows and understands. He has healing for you.
Forgiveness does not happen instantaneously or easily, for any of us. However, I believe that when we are willing and when we seek to praise God with our conduct, we can take steps towards forgiveness.
The first step would be to acknowledge that God asks us to forgive others. This is well documented throughout scripture.
Matthew 18:21-22 - Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.
I would encourage you to talk to God in prayer. Tell him that you know you need to forgive, but you just cannot at this point. He will lead you as you walk down the path of forgiveness with him. You may benefit from help from a Christian counselor. Eventually, you will be able to do what seems impossible right now. Be assured that the Bible also tells us "nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37.
For some of you, the problem presents differently. Some of you, for your part, have forgiven and want to restore a relationship with someone else, but they refuse to do so. Again, your best action is to go to God in prayer. Ask him how to give you wisdom. Pray that you can reflect God's love and grace to this other person. God can make restoration of the relationship possible, although patience may be required.
James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.
Going back to our text, we have seen that God has planned ahead (predestined) for ALL people (Jews and Gentiles) to be adopted into his eternal family as the direct result of his will and loving grace (not according to anything good in us), so that we can reflect his praise (with our mouths and with our conduct). Paul goes on to say that we have been "blessed in the beloved". What does that mean? It refers to Jesus, the beloved Son of God. The meaning is that through Jesus the mercies and blessings we have been discussing have been conferred on us.
Ephesians 1:7-10 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
The mystery of God's will is salvation by faith through Jesus, apart from the law. It was hidden in the law; not clearly seen or understood by those who came before Christ. But now God has revealed his plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth under the authority of Christ. Aren't you glad to be a part of that? The prophets of old desired to know these mysteries, but they were prevented from doing so. From our perspective, we can see all the types, shadows, prophesies and promises have culminated in the person of Jesus, the Messiah! Let us be thankful for what God has done in the age of grace!
Are you especially thankful for God's forgiveness? Was there a time when you felt you could never forgive an offence but through the help of Jesus you did it? Please subscribe to our blog and share your comments with us!
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And now back to our study…
Ephesians 1:3-4 – 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, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Verses 3-14 contain only five sentences. Personally, I find that Paul's exceedingly long and drawn out sentences sometimes make it difficult to focus on the point he is making, but if we break it down into phrases, the meaning becomes clear.
BREAK IT DOWN!!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" – In other words, 'Praise and worship be to God, the father of Jesus'. The rest of the verses in this passage tell us why God deserves our praise.
"who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing" – Who does 'us' refer to? It hearkens back to the Saints of verse one, and includes all those who belong to Christ. It includes old and young, male and female, Jew and Gentile, believers in Paul's day, as well as you and I.
What spiritual blessings do we enjoy as a result of being a child of God? These would include forgiveness/redemption/justification through the blood of Christ, grace, our adoption as children of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They are not material or temporal things related to this physical world, but they are spiritual gifts which prepare us for our eternal home in heaven.
Do you give praise to God for blessings related to your earthly life, such as clothes, food, housing, etc? You are right to do so, for all blessings come from God; but do you also give regular thanksgiving and praise to God for your spiritual blessings which make you fit for an eternal heavenly home? Or do we sometimes begin to take those things for granted? The Christian would do well spend some time ruminating on our upcoming transition from life on earth to life in Heaven. A renewed focus on the heavenly should affect the way we live on earth. It also helps put a lot of things into proper perspective!
"in the heavenly places" – The word 'places' is not the best choice, when translating from Greek to English. Maybe the word 'matters' or 'things' would be better. The meaning of the phrase is that God blesses us in Christ with regard to things pertaining to heaven or things that prepare us for heaven.
"even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world" – Perhaps in the past, as you quickly read this passage, you missed the awesome significance of this phrase. The blessings of salvation, grace, adoption by God and the illumination of the Holy Spirit were bestowed upon us before the foundations of the world!
Have you ever given someone a last minute gift? Maybe you forgot to buy them something for Christmas or their retirement and so you rush out and get the first thing you see, just to have something to give them? Is it possible that you have received a gift that you felt was given without much thought on the part of the giver? Has someone ever given you a gift that had no value or meaning? This is NOT the case with God.
That's not what I wanted!
Salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit were never an afterthought. They were not given to us by chance. They were not given to us in a haphazard manner because God was caught off guard by the fall of man. They are not crumbs from the table of God. God is not 'going with the flow' and making things up as we race toward the end of this age.
Rather, these spiritual gifts are the direct result of intention and design on the part of God Almighty! This means that God had planned to give them to us before he even created planet earth. He planned to give them to us long before the fall of man. He planned to give them to YOU before you were even born. These gifts are priceless and they flow from God to us as a part of his eternal purpose and plan that was in place from ages past!
God chose to do this, which clearly implies that he had a choice. He could easily have refused to grant these blessings, but because of his great love for us, he did not.
"that we should be holy and blameless before him" – The purpose or the end result of these blessings is that we become holy and blameless before God. God did not choose us because we were holy; we are holy because God has chosen and redeemed us through Christ. Only through the blood of Jesus can we stand blameless before God.
1 Peter 1:18-20 - …you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God…
So… given the astounding spiritual blessings that God has poured out upon us, and considering that we did absolutely nothing to deserve them, we should forever be in a state of praise and worship towards him (which is where Paul started in verse 3).
We tend to
think of praise and worship as something we do with our mouths, or with musical
instruments. This is correct, but it
actually only scratches the surface of praise.
Webster's dictionary defines praise as this: To extol in words or song, to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works, to do honor to; to display the excellence of.
How do we do honor to God? How do we display his excellence?
I Peter 2:9-11 says this: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul…
Peter explains that we honor God and display his excellence to the lost world by living a holy life; a life that reflects the holiness and love of Christ himself. According to Colossians 3, we are to put off the deeds of the old man and, as in verse 12-14, we are to "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you. And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection".
So, how are you honoring God and displaying his excellence to a lost world? Please write in and share with us. Tell us about a time when you were 'God's hand extended' to another individual. What was the circumstance? What was their reaction? How was God glorified?
We would also like to hear from those of you who were going through a rough time and a Christian showed forth God's praise by ministering to you. What were the circumstances? How did you feel before the person came along to help? How did you feel afterward? Did it make a difference in your walk with God?
Exciting News!!! Our Wednesday Night Adult Bible Study is transitioning through time and space and is landing in "The Future" by becoming an interactive online BLOG! This is being rolled out on January 1st and we look forward to interacting with all of you (our family) "ONLINE"! It is going to be fun to watch what the Lord does as we grow into our new online presence and beyond the walls of our Church Building! Think of it like this: One small step for Kipton, one Giant Leap for His Kingdom!
Stay tuned for updates as we prepare to launch our BLOG in full!
