New Testament Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:1–10, ESV)

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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

The scene is a very familier one in drama. Someone is in distress, even to the point of death, hopeless and unable to help themselves, when all of a sudden a hero appears to rescue them — to pull them from the flames, or something like this. A few days or weeks pass before the one who was saved awakes in a hospital bed being largely unaware of all that transpired. And then a witness appears — a friend who saw the ordeal unfold — to testify to the one who was saved concerning the reality of their helpless and hopeless situation, and the brave and self sacrificing actions of the hero who saved them. And how does the story go? The one who was delivered is moved to say concerning the hero, he saved my life! I’m eternally grateful. I owe him everything.

This is that scene in the book of Ephesians. It is here that Paul testifies to the Christian concerning the hopelessness and helplessness of our natural condition, and the fact that we are spiritually alive today only because God took the initiative to rescue us through the shed blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

This, in my opinion (and in the opinion of many others), is the most powerful section of Paul epistle as it pertains to opening the eyes of the Christian to the marvelous grace and superabundant love of God that has been poured out upon them. For it is here in this text that Paul presents the Christian with the rather unpleasant and very humbling news that we were in fact spiritually dead, and by nature children of wrath, prior to our adoption as sons. Truly we were hopeless and unable to help ourselves. All of these wonderful blessings that we have in Christ Jesus — these blessings which Paul has made mention of in the previous passage — are ours only by the grace of God. 

I know that I have been very redundant in previous sermons mentioning time and again Paul’s stated purpose for writing, but it is important to keep this in mind. Paul’s stated objective is to open the eyes of the Christian to the marvelous grace and overflowing love of God shown to us in Christ Jesus. This is what he reported to pray for in 1:15ff and 3:14ff.  His prayer was that Christians — both Jews and Gentiles — would have their eyes opened to the greatness of God’s love for them so that they would then walk worthy of this calling to which they have been called.

And I am saying that this passage that is before us today is the most powerful in this epistle as it pertains to opening the eyes of the Christians to the marvelousness of the grace of God, and to the fact that every blessing that we have in Christ is ours only because God has determined to set his love upon us, to rescue us out of our state of sin and misery, and to raise us to a new life in and through Jesus the Christ. 

To go back to the illustration of the man who had been rescued, who awoke in a hospital bed being largely unaware of the severity of his condition, and the heroic actions of another — I do believe that many Christians spend some time in a state like this; in a state where, though they are truly alive in Christ, and sincerely happy and thankful in him, they have yet to fully comprehend just how gracious, merciful and kind God has been to them. They know that they were once in a bad place, and now they are blessed in Christ, but perhaps they have not yet realized just how bad of a place they were in, nor have they fully appreciated the greatness of the grace of God that has been shown to them.

Truth be told, we, in our pride, tend to minimize the severity of our sin and the helplessness of our condition when thinking of our life before Christ. We also tend to overestimate our contribution to our conversion and our new life in Christ — some even erroneously believe that while God did his part, they had to do theirs. And as a result we fail to see just how marvelous the grace of God bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus truly is. 

Here, Paul is that witness who comes to us as we recover in the hospital bed. He comes to say, brother, you have to know this — you were dead. You were lying there lifeless and hopeless as the flames drew near. And this man put his own life on the line to save you. In fact, he himself was touched by the flames as he drug you to safety. And once there, he breathed life into your lungs until you were revived. It was not luck or chance that saved you. You didn’t crawl out of that situation, friend. Indeed, you couldn’t even call out, being dead as you were. But this man took the initiate. By his grace you were save, it was not your own doing…” You owe him everything. 

This is the wonderful and very humbling news that Paul delivers to the Christian here in Ephesians 2:1-10. Concerning our salvation and the new life that is ours in Christ — it is all by the grace of God alone.  

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You Were Dead In Your Sins (vs. 1-3)

Here in verses 1-3 Paul magnifies the marvelous grace of God by first revealing to us the severity of the situation that we were in, the helplessness of our natural condition, from which Christ has rescued us, to the praise of his glorious grace.   

In verse 1 we read, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…” This is sobering. 

Paul was speaking to Christians who were members of the church in Ephesus. And we should not forget that these were real people — individuals with life stories, not all that different from you and me. And he is here speaking of their lives prior to faith in Christ. “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…”, he said. Walking is often used in the scriptures as a metaphor for one’s way of life. And here Paul says that these Christians, who were certainly no different from all Christians, once walked in “trespasses and sins.” They were in their sins, and living in constant rebellion against God as violators of his most holy law. 

And concerning their condition, Paul says that they were “dead”. This is a strange way to talk about people who only a few words later are also said to have been “walking”, but the meaning is clear. Though alive according to the flesh, and though walking in this world, they were in fact dead, spiritually speaking, in their trespasses and sins. Prior to faith in Christ they were the walking dead. And this is the natural condition of all who are born into this world now that the human race is fallen into sin. In our natural state, though alive according to the flesh, we are dead according to the spirit. 

This idea should not surprise anyone who is familiar with the scriptures. In fact, the notion of spiritual death as the consequence of sin is established very early in the pages of scripture. To Adam God said, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17, ESV). Some have wondered what we are to make of the fact that Adam went on living for many, many years after eating of that forbidden tree. Was God mistaken when he said, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”? No, God was not wrong. The scriptures are very clear that Adam, though he continued to walk in the world which God had made, passed from a state of spiritual life, to a state of spiritual death when he sinned against God — and physical death would eventually come.  

Paul, in seeking to awaken the Ephesians to the marvelous grace of God shown to them in Christ Jesus, informs them of the hopeless and helpless situation that they were rescued from — they were dead in their sins. Notice that he does not say that they were sick, wounded or weak, as if they merely needed a little assistance to climb out of the predicament they were in. Nor does he say that they were or ignorant, as if what they needed was an education. Nor does Paul say that they were immoral, as if they only needed to learn to do what is right. No, Paul says that they were dead in their trespasses and sins. This means that they were spiritually lifeless, dead to God, and to the things of God, unable to help themselves in any way. What they needed, therefore, was to be revived, born again, regenerated. Clearly, they could not do this for themselves, but needed someone to do this for them, for dead men cannot make themselves alive. 

The rest of verses 2 and 3 helps to clarify what this spiritual deadness involves. Notice four things:

One, those dead in sin follow “the course of this world.” Being dead to God and to the heavenly things of God, they live for this world only, and according to its values and ways. 

Two, those dead in sin follow “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…” This is a reference to the Satan, the Evil One, who Paul refers to elsewhere as “the god of this world”. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 he says, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4, ESV). 

We know that Satan is not God, nor is he a god — for there is only one. Instead, Satan is a created being, an angel who is fallen. But Paul refers to him as “the god of this world”, because if people do not honor God as God, they have Satan as god. 

This is might seem like a very radical way of speaking. When we think of those who honor Satan as god, we tend to think only of those who do it intentionally and knowingly. And certainly there are those who openly admit to worshipping Satan as god. But the scriptures reveal that all who are alienated from God and in their sin do in fact have Satan as god, even if they know it not.

To illustrate, we should remember that Christ himself spoke to some of the most highly respected, prim and proper, religious leaders of his day and said, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires” (John 8:44, ESV). Friends, having the “prince of the power of the air” as your lord, god, and father, does not always look dark are spooky on the surface. In fact, very rarely does it look dark and spooky. More often then not, it looks prim and proper. The wealthy businessman who wears a nice suit and tie every day follows “the prince of the power of the air” if he is not in Christ. He is living for the things of this world and not for the glory God. He is following the way of the “prince of the power of the air”, therefore. Even the religious man who busies himself with good deeds follows “the prince of the power of the air”, if he is not in Christ. He is living for the things of this world and not for God, and is in his sins, even if he is “a good man”, relative speaking. 

Though it might sound radical to you, the scriptures teach that either we have God as Lord, or the Evil One as lord. And following the Evil One takes many forms. Some look dark and spooky, but must look very civilized, sophisticated, and even good on the surface. 

Three, Paul tells us that those dead in sin live “in the passions of [their] flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind…” To be alive to God is to live for his glory and for that which pleases him. To be dead to God is to live for ourselves, to please the flesh, to carry out the desires of the body and mind. Those who are in  Christ do not perfectly live for the glory of God. We do sometimes still live to please the flesh. Indeed,  corruptions remain within us. But those not in Christ — those dead in their sins — live only “in the passions of [their] flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind…” 

Four, Paul says that those dead in sin are “by nature children of wrath”. Please think about this phrase. Paul says that all who are not in Christ are “by nature children of wrath”. The word nature here refers to the natural, innate or inborn characteristic of a thing. So, by nature and according to natural brith, men and women are “children of wrath” — that is, children who are objects of God’s wrath, or children who are deserving of God’s wrath. This, Paul says, is our natural and inborn condition now that we are fallen into sin. So there is a sense in which all are God’s children. He is the Creator of all. All come from him, and will return to him. But given our sin, we are not by nature beloved children of God, but “children of wrath”, Paul says. 

Notice the repeated emphasis peppered throughout this text that this is true for all of mankind. This is the condition of all who are born into this world, Jew and Gentile alike, who are not yet in Christ. Again, Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, saying, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience [a reference to those who do not yet believe]— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1–3, ESV).  This is the natural condition of all mankind, according to the scriptures — men and women are dead in the their sins, worldly, obedient to the Evil One, fleshly, and are children deserving of the wrath of God by nature. Brothers and sisters, this was our condition when God, in his mercy and grace, rescued us, redeemed us, and adopted us as sons through faith in Jesus Christ. 

Aren’t you glad to know the truth? I will admit, this truth can be hard to swallow. This truth is humbling. This truth is a bit troubling. But it is the truth! And it is this truth concerning the terribly helpless and hopeless situation that we were in that enables is to most fully appreciate the marvelous grace that has been shown to us and the lavish love that has been bestowed upon us by God. 

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But God Made You Alive (vs. 4-7)

The bad news turns to good news in verse 4 with the words “but God”.  Verse 4: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV). 

Here Paul magnifies the marvelous grace of God by revealing that it was God who took the initiative to save us in Christ, we being without hope and unable to help ourselves. God was gracious, merciful and kind to us, and Jesus Christ is our heroic Savior. 

There are some who think of God the Father as being angry and stern, and as Jesus Christ as the one who is merciful and kind, who somehow managed to convince the Father to have mercy on us, to forgive us and to receive us as his own. And while it is indeed true that God is able to justly forgive our sins because the punishment due to us was paid by Christ, it is not true to imagine a disunity between the Father and Son as it pertains to our redemption. To the contrary, the mercy, grace and love of the Father was the cause of our redemption in Christ. It was the Father who sent the Son. In other words, it was the Father who took the initiated. And this he did, being moved by nothing more than his mercy, grace and love.

The scriptures everywhere testify to this. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).  Here in Ephesians we read, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us… made us alive together with Christ…” And 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1, ESV). It is true that Christ bore the wrath of God in our place. This was so that God might both be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ (Romans 3:26). But that does not change the fact that the love of the Father was the fundamental cause of our redemption in Christ, and our adoption as sons. By nature we were all children of wrath, but in love the Father determined to adopt us as sons through faith in his Beloved Son, the obedient and risen Christ.   

Again, Paul says that the Father, “being rich in mercy and because of his great love…” I will  pause here to draw your attention to the superlatives that are found throughout this passage. “The Father, being rich in mercy and because of his great love…” — you can almost feel Paul straining to communicate to us how magnificent God’s love is! His love is great! His mercy is rich! 

Verse 5 says, “even when we were dead in our trespasses” — here we have yet another reminder of our pitiful and helpless condition — we were dead! We could not help ourselves. But this is when God “made us alive together with Christ…” So what did the Father who is rich in mercy and great in love do for those who were dead? He made them alive. Just as God breathed life into Adam’s body at the time of creation, so too God breathes spiritual life into the souls of of those who are dead in their sins at the time of regeneration. 

We do not reginarte ourselves, friends. We cannot cause ourselves to be born again, but must be born again from above if we are to live in Christ. Is this not what Jesus said to that man Nicodemus when he came to him at night? Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…” (John 3:3, ESV) And a little later Jesus explained that to be born again is to be “born of the Spirit” (John 3:8, ESV). To be born again is not something that a person choses to do, but rather it is something that is done by God to a person who is spiritually dead. It is God who makes a dead soul to live. And this he does through the Son and by the Spirit, being moved only by his magnificent mercy, his superabundant love, and his marvelous grace.

That men and women do not cause themselves to be born again or made alive spiritually is the clear teaching of scripture, and it is also common sense. Dead things cannot choose to live, but must be made alive. Things that are not cannot choose to be — things that are not must be called into existence by Another. Truly, as Romans 4:17 says, our God is the one “who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist”. And this he has done in regard to our spiritual life. 

Notice how Paul again emphasizes that this new life that is ours, is ours in Christ, or through our union with him. In other words, God does not simply make a person spiritually alive. Instead, he makes them alive in Christ, through union with him, and by faith. In other words, it is because Christ lives, that we live. It is because Christ was raised, that we are raised. It is because Christ was glorified, that we are glorified. In all of these things Jesus the Christ is the vehicle, if you will. God makes us to live, but only in him. God makes us alive, raises us, and glorifies us, but it is Jesus the Christ, the true, obedient and victorious son of God who carries us there.  

 Paul mentions three things that we have by virtue of our union with Christ. In verse 5 we read that God “made us alive together with Christ…” In verse 6 we learn that God “raised us up with [Christ]…” And after that Paul tells us that God “seated us with [Christ] in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:6, ESV). So, it is in Christ and by our union with him that we are made alive, raised up, and seated in heaven. 

The Greek is actually very strong and clear, though it is a bit difficult to bring over into English. I appreciate very much how Dr. Baugh translates this section. He renders verses 5 and 6 this way: “even though we were dead in our transgressions — it was us he co-made alive with the Messiah — by grace you have been saved — and he most certainly co-raised us and co-seated us in the high-heavenlies in Christ Jesus.” Again, the idea is that these things are ours only because we are in Christ, being united to him by faith. Because Christ was made alive, raised, and seated in heaven, so too are we. 

Brothers and sisters, if you are in Christ, it is because God has given you new life in him. God has raised you to a newness of life now, and will raise you from the grave at the end of time, for Christ is risen. And because Christ is glorified at the right hand of the Father now in the high-heavenly places, you also are glorified with him. And in him you will be glorified for all eternity.  

Someone asked me just this last week why in Romans 8:30 Paul speaks of the Christian as if they are already glorified, for isn’t our glorification something that will take place in the future when Christ returns to raise the dead and make all things new? That is a good question. And yes, there is sense in which our glorification is future. But there is also a sense in which the Christian is glorified now by virtue of our Spirit wrought union with Christ. You are on earth, and Christ is in heaven — but because Christ is glorified in heaven, then you too are glorified with him even now, for you are in him by faith. And this is why Paul has said “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29–30, ESV) — “glorified” is in the aorist tense in  the Greek, which indicates that this “glorification” is in fact a present reality for the believer, and not a future hope only. 

And all of this, friends — our new life in Christ, our being co-raised and co-seated with him — is by the grace of God alone. You probably noticed that little phrase in the middle of verse 5 which almost seems out of place — “by grace you have been saved”, Paul exclaims. It almost feels like Paul couldn’t help himself. He is rolling along talking about what is ours in Christ, but he seems to interrupt himself, saying, ”by grace you have been saved”. This is deliberate, of course. He introduces this important truth here because he will return to it in moment to develop it further.

And why did God make these who were dead in their sins alive in Christ, co-raise them and co-seat them in the heavenly places? What was God’s reason for doing this? Verse 7 answers this question beginning with the words, “so that” — all of this was “so that” or “in order that” in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7, ESV). 

The meaning is this: after Christ returns, and for all eternity, the immeasurable riches of God’s grace and kindness will be put on display for all to see in those whom God has redeemed. The redeemed ones — the ones who have been forgiven and adopted as sons through faith in the Messiah and by virtue of their union with him —  will be like trophies that testify to God’s superabundant love and marvelous grace which will forever adorn his new creation (see Baugh, 157).

Brothers and sisters, you were dead in your sins, but God made you alive.

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So That You Might Live For Him (vs. 8-10)

Thirdly and lastly, Paul magnifies the marvelous grace of God by revealing that all that we do in Christ — our believing and our good works — are themselves gifts from God. In verses 8 through 10 we learn that God has saved us graciously so that we might live for him. 

In verse 8 we find these famous words: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8–10, ESV)

“Saved” is a rather generic term which encompasses the many benefits that are ours in Christ. In him we are justified, redeemed, sanctified, forgiven, cleansed and adopted, to mention a few things. And if we wish to speak generally of all of this (and  more) we can used the word “saved”, which means to be delivered or made safe. 

Paul is insistent that we have been saved “by grace.” In verse 8 he says, “For by grace you have been saved…” The word “for” is important. The Greek word translated as “for” indicates that Paul is about to present the reason for what has been stated above. Why will it be “that in the coming ages [God will] show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7, ESV). Answer: “the immeasurable riches of his grace” will be displayed in the redeemed, “for by grace [they] have been saved…” It is all by God grace! The redeemed will enjoyed eternity with God in the news heavens and earth only because God has been gracious to them. He did not give them what they deserved as children of wrath. Instead, he lavished his love upon them and adopted them as sons. And this he did for no other reason than because he is merciful and kind.  

We are saved by the grace of God alone. But notice that this salvation is received “by faith”. When a gift is exchanged the gift is presented by one, and then it is received by another. And how do we receive God’s gift of salvation? How do we come to have it as our own? We receive it by faith. We lay ahold of our salvation and all that it entails by believing upon Christ, and trusting in him. 

If one is to have true and saving faith, one must know certain things. We must know the truth about who God is, who we are, what our need is, and how Christ has meet that need. To have true and saving faith we must truly believe these things. And to have true and saving faith we must trust. We must say from heart, I am a sinner deserving of God’s righteous judgment, but I know that Christ has payed for my sins so that I might be forgiven, and I trust in him.  

“For by grace you have been saved through faith.” And then Paul adds,  “And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God”. We must ask, what does the “this” and the “it” of verse 8 refer to?  In other words we might ask Paul, what is not our doing? And what is the gift of God? Is Paul here saying that the grace mentioned in verse 8 is not our doing? Is he saying the salvation is not our doing? Or his he saying that the faith is not our doing? The grammar of the Greek text, and also the context make it clear that all of these things are in view. None of it is our doing. More precisely, none of it originates in us. All of it — God’s grace, the salvation, and even the ability to believe — is a gift from God. All of it is by his grace.

I have said that the grammer of the Greek leads us to take this interpretation. The Greek pronoun translated as “this” in verse 8 is in the neuter gender. The nouns, “grace” and “faith” are feminine. The verb “saved” is masculine. If Paul were refering to any one of these things with the word “this”, then we would expect the pronoun to agree in gender with the word that it is referencing. But in Greek it is common for a pronoun to appear in the neuter when it is referencing an event with many components. When Paul says, “And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God”, he is refering not to one of these things — grace, salvation or faith — but to all of them together considered as an event. Christians are saved by grace and through faith, and none of this from them. A more literal translation of the Greek text would be “This is not of you” or “from you”. That is to say, neither the salvation, nor the grace nor the faith originates in the believer, but all of this, including the ability to believe upon Christ, is a gift that has been bestowed upon them by God.

I have also said that the context favors the interpretation that all of these things, including the ability to believe, are a gift from God. I would draw your attention back to the text which we have already considered. Remember that men and women are naturally dead in their sins. Dead men cannot believe, but must be enlivened so that they will belief. And notice also what Paul says next in verse 9: this is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Friends, if faith were something that arose from within us, as opposed to a grace or gift imparted to us from God, then there most certainly be some room for boasting. If this were the case, then when I ask you why are you in Christ, friend? Why are you saved? Why have you been adopted as a son? Then you would be rightly to say, because I believed! But there is not room for boasting, friends. And the reason is that all of this — the salvation, the grace and the faith — are gifts from above. So why are you in Christ, friend? Why are you saved? Why have you been adopted as a son? The only answer that will do is: by the grace of God alone. 

Lastly, in verse 10 Paul further explains why there is no room for boasting in the Christian. Here we learn that even our good works come about because God has prepared them before hand. And we do them because God has recreated us to walk in them. 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV). I have said before that the theme of this epistle is unity in God’s inaugurated new creation. And here we begin to learn about this new creation. It is present now in those who have been created anew in Christ Jesus. Christians are said to be God’s workmanship. As Paul says elsewhere, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17–18, ESV). But here in Ephesians we learn that God has created us in Christ Jesus “for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).

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Conclusion

So here in Ephesians 2:1-10 we have the whole book of Ephesians in miniture. Paul has here informed us of the hopeless and helpless condition that we were in — we were deaden our sins. He has reveled to us how marvelous God’s grace truly is — though we were dead, God made us alive! And he has shown what the end result will be — having been saved by the grace of God alone, and being now eternally grateful, with hearts filled with love, we are to go on living for him. We are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” (Ephesians 4:1–2, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

“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. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself 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 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. 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, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 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.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV)

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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, we have come now to the third and final section of this opening of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Here in verses 11 through 14 special emphasis is given to the role in which the Holy Spirit plays in the accomplishment of God’s plan of redemption. In short, the Spirit seals the believer. He is, therefore, “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.”

But before we get to that portion of the passage I want for you to see that Paul never really moves on from his insistance that all of these spiritual blessings that are ours — the forgivness of our sins, our adoption as God’s sons, our redemption from sin and death — are ours because God the Father determined to give them to us in eternity past, being moved by nothing external to himself, but only according to the council of his will, and through Jesus Christ the Beloved Son of God. 

In other words, though it is true that this text is divided into three sections with emphasis given, first of all, to what the Father has done (he chose us in  Christ), and secondly, to what the Son has done (he has redeemed us by his blood), and thirdly, to what the Spirit has done (he has sealed us as a guarantee of our inheritance), never does Paul leave the originating act of the predestinating of the Father, nor the mediating act of the Son behind. Instead, carries those truths along throughout  this text and makes constant reference to them, so that we might continue to marvel at the glory of the grace of the Triune God as manifest in his plan of redemption. 

At first glance verse 11 might seem like a plain repetition of what was said earlier in verse 5. In verse 5 we read, “he [the Father] predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:5, ESV). Here in verse 11 we read, “In him [in Christ] 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…” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV).

These two verse sound very similar. They both make reference to the predestinating (or predetermining) act of the Father. And they both insist that God predestined being moved (if you will allow me to use that term) only by his own will, and not by things external to himself. 

But verses 5 and 11 differ in two ways: One, verse 5 has our being predestined to adoption as sons in view, whereas verse 11 has predestination to, what the ESV translates as, an “inheritance” in view. Two, and even more significantly, verses 5 and 11 differ in that while the “us” in verse 5 refers to all who will believe upon Christ and thus be adopted as sons of God, the “us” in verse 11 refers more specifically to those who, and I quote, “were the first to hope in Christ.” 

Look at verse 12. There we read, “so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” And now look at verse 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…”

I draw your attention to these things in the introduction to this sermon because we will miss one of the main points of this passage entirely if we fail to recognize that this is not a straightforward repetition of what has been said earlier regarding our predestination to adoption as sons through Christ and according to the will of the Father. Something more nuanced is going on here. Paul is here distinguishing between those “who were the first to hope in Christ” and his audience — the Ephesian Christians — signified by the phrase “In him you also” at the start of verse 13. 

Why this distinction? Well, as we will see, it is not to emphasize differences between the two groups, but rather their unity in Christ Jesus. 

With that said, let us now take this passage one phrase at a time. 

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“In him we have obtained an inheritance…”

The first line of verse 11 says, “In him we have obtained an inheritance…”

The “in him” is yet again a reference to Christ Jesus. It is one of the 13 references to him found in this passage. I think that you probably get the point by now. Any spiritual blessing that is ours, is ours only in or through Christ Jesus. The Father determined to give us the spiritual blessing — he is the source of all blessing, therefore. But he also determined to give it, in him, in the Beloved, and through his mediation. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV).

 As I have said, the “we” here in verse  11 — “In him we have obtained an inheritance…” — refers not to all Christians generally, but specifically to those “who were the first to hope in Christ.” Clearly, Paul considered himself to be a part of that group. 

And here Paul teaches that those first Christians — those “who were the first to hope in Christ” — “obtained an inheritance.” What does he mean by this?

Well, it is clear that there is some difficulty in translating the Greek word that is here in the ESV rendered as “obtained an inheritance”. 

The NET Bible translates the word like this: “In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will…” (Ephesians 1:11, NET). Instead of “obtained an inheritance”, the NET says, “we too have been claimed as God’s own possession”.

And the NIV translates the Greek word this way, saying, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…” (Ephesians 1:11, NIV84). Instead of “obtained an inheritance” the NIV has, “In him we were also chosen”.

These two translations bring out the sense that, instead of simply receiving something, namely, “an inheritance”, these first disciples of Christ were in fact appointed to something — they received an appointment or calling.And I think this is probably the right translation of this Greek verb, which is in the passive voice. These “who were the first to hope in Christ” received a particular and special “calling” or “appointment”. They were “predestined” by God  to play a special and unique role in the accomplishment of God’s plan of redemption. And this is where Paul takes us. 

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“Having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…”

In 11b Paul continues, “having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…”

Though this phrase has specific reference to the appointment or calling of the first disciples of Christ, notice that it reveals general truths about God’s predestinating too. 

Here it is stated clearly that God “works all things according to the counsel of his will.” This is the same truth that we teach our children when we ask them in Baptist Catechism 10, “What are the decrees of God?”, and teach them to answer, “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.” Ephesians 1:11 is listed as a support text (alongside Romans 11:36 and Daniel 4:35). All things that come to pass are the outworking of God’s singular decree. 

And here in Ephesians 1:11 Paul does again identify what motivated or moved God to decree or predestine as he did. Twice in this short passage we read the words “according to”. These who were the first to hope in Christ were predestined to their appointment “according to the purpose of [God]”. And this is the God who “works all things according to the counsel of his will…” 

The are many Christians who will admit that God has predestined or foreordained whatsoever will comes to pass. This they must do if they claim to believe the scriptures, for the scriptures are so clear and frequent in their use of these terms. But some, because they are far more concerned with teaching human freedom (or at least their version of it) than they are with acknowledging the freedom of God to do as he wishes with his creation, will say, well, sure God predestinated — but he predestinated according to what he foresaw would happen. In other words, they assert that predestination is not God determining, in and of himself, what will happen, but rather God observing what will happen (because he is omniscient and knows the beginning and the end), and then decreeing what he decrees based upon what he observes. 

This is a very popular view today. It takes different forms. But in all its forms, this view is thoroughly unbiblical. I will give you only three reasons for the sake of time. 

One, nowhere do the scriptures teach this. Yes, the scriptures teach that God is omniscient. He sees the future with perfect clarity. The future is as clear to him as the past and the present. But this does not mean that God is a passive observer of human history. Rather, the scriptures teach that God knows the future because he has decreed it. Consider Isaiah 46:9-10, which says, “remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose…’” (Isaiah 46:9–10, ESV). And no, Romans 8:29 most certainly does not teach that God predestines based upon what he foreknows or foresees, as some erroneously teach. Romans 8:29 says, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29, ESV). Pay careful attention. This text most certainly does not say that God predestined some based upon what he saw them do ahead of time. To the contrary, it teaches that God foreknew, not facts, but individuals. And all “those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Tell me, friends. What does God foreknow? He foreknows everything! He sees with perfect clarity everything that everyone will do. Then are all predestined being foreknown by God? The answer is clearly no! So then, this does show that something is terribly wrong with your interpretation of what “foreknew” means in Romans 8:29. Brothers and sisters, in Romans 8:29 it is not facts about people that are foreknown — in other words, no where does this text say that God foresees who will believe and then predestines them — instead, it is people who are foreknown by God. The meaning is this — God chose in eternity past to set his love upon certain people. And these he predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. And this interpretation of the word “foreknew” is perfectly consistent with the way the word is used elsewhere, particularly by Peter in 1 Peter 1:18. Speaking to Christians he says, “knowing that 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 [Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (1 Peter 1:18–20, ESV). What does Peter mean by this? Does he mean that God, because he is omniscient, saw that this man named Jesus the Christ happened to come into the world and to die for others to ransom them by his blood, and so God determined to send him? That would be absurd! No, instead the word  “foreknown” is used here in the same way that it is used in Romans 8:29 — as a close synonym for election. “He [Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world.” God chose him and set his love upon him and appointed him to be the redeemer of his elect. And so too, when Romans 8:29 says, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son”, it does not speak of God omniscience, but of his unconditional election of some in eternity past. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29–30, ESV).  There is that unbreakable chain of redemption — all who are at first foreknown will also be called, justified and glorified in the end. Nowhere do the scriptures teach that God predestinated according to what he foresaw. 

Two, this view that God predestinated according to what he in his omniscience foresaw is incompatible with the word “predestined”. The word means to determine ahead of time. But according to this foreknowledge view, as it is called, God doesn’t determine anything — he only foresees and then responds to the choices of his creatures. I ask you, according to this scheme, who is it that “determines” what will happen? Not God, but the creature! If this is true then why does Paul say again and again in this passage that it is God who predetermines and chooses. This foreknowledge view, in all of it forms (Molinism included) makes man the determiner, and not God. 

Three, Paul not only teaches that God predestinated, he also addresses the question, according to what? In other words, he addresses the question, what moved God to predetermine as he did? And the answer is consistent throughout this passage and in others: God predestined according to his purpose; according to the council of his will. In other words, he did not predestinate being moved by things external to himself. No one whispered in God’s ear, saying, I think you should do this. Nor did he look down the corridors of time to see what man would do, so that he might predestinate according to what he foresaw. God predetermined what he predetermined according to his will. 

Again, Ephesians 1:5: “he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…” (Ephesians 1:5, ESV). 

Ephesians 1:7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace…” (Ephesians 1:7, ESV).

Ephesians 1:9: God has made “known to us to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9, ESV).

And Ephesians 1:11: “In [Christ] 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…” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV)

Paul deals with this doctrine of predestination in Romans 8 through 11.  And near to the end of Romans 11 he bursts out in praise, saying, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33–36, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, I am convinced that Christians have real trouble with the doctrine of predestination not because the scriptures are unclear on this point. Neither is it simply that their doctrine of salvation is out of sorts. More fundamentally, they have distorted view of God. They fail to recognize that God is not like us in some very important ways. He is above us. His judgements are unsearchable. His ways, inscrutable. You and I are wise to seek counsel when making decisions. Not so with God. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”, Paul  asks. The answer is, no one! “‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” Again, no one! To the contrary, “from him and through him and to him are all things.”

Stated yet again, Paul does not leave the question “according to what”  unanswered. What moved God to predestinate as he did? Answer: nothing external to him. Not the counsel of another. Not what he foresaw. Certainly not the choices of his creatures considered ahead of time. Instead, God predestinated according to his “own purpose”, for he is the one who “works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Notice that the text says “all things”. This means “all things”. Somehow — and I do not claim to understand it fully or to have the capacity to explain it — God will use all things, even the bad things which he has permitted, for his glory and for the good of his beloved. 

Paul address this in  Romans 8 and 9. In Romans 8:28 we find those famous and much loved words,  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). In Romans 9 we find less famous and often despised words: Verse 14: “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?’ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:14–24, ESV).

As I have said, somehow — and I do not claim to understand it fully or to have capacity to explain it — God will use all things, even the bad things which he has permitted, for his glory and for the good of his beloved. 

This touches upon the so called problem of evil. And perhaps you have noticed that Christians who are opposed to the doctrines that I have here presented sometimes like to press those of us who are of a Calvinistic or Reformed persuasion with this so called problem of evil saying, if it is true that God works all things according to the counsel of his will, then what about evil? What about the fall of man into sin? What about all of the evils that we see in the world? 

Now, I don’t deny that this is a difficult question. In general I will say what I have said before. We must acknowledge that God works all things to the counsel of his will and that somehow God will use all things, even the bad things which he has permitted, for his glory and for the good of his beloved. 

But if you are a Christian who scoffs at the doctrine of predestination, let me put two questions to you. One, what do you do with all of these passages that teach predestination? And two, what do you do with the so called problem of evil? If you believe in the God of scripture — a God who is good, all knowing, and all powerful — then the problem of evil is a problem for you too! Do you have a better answer than the one that is set forth by the Reformed? Do you have a better answer than the one summarized within chapters 3 and 5 of our Confession of Faith? And no, blaming evil entirely on the free will of the creature will not get you very far — not if you wish to maintain that God is omniscient. At some point you must say what we say if you are to be biblical. That “God the good Creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, to the end for the which they were created, according unto his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will; to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy. 

(Hebrews 1:3; Job 38:11; Isaiah 46:10, 11; Psalms 135:6; Matthew 10:29-31; Ephesians 1:11)” (Second London Confession, 5.1). And that “The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in his providence, that his determinate counsel extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions both of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, which also he most wisely and powerfully boundeth, and otherwise ordereth and governeth, in a manifold dispensation to his most holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness of their acts proceedeth only from the creatures, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.

(Romans 11:32-34; 2 Samuel 24:1, 1 Chronicles 21:1; 2 Kings 19:28; Psalm 76:10; Genesis 50:20; Isaiah 10:6, 7, 12; Psalms 50:21; 1 John 2:16)” (Second London Confession, 5.4). Christian, if this is not your answer, I wonder, do you have a better one? One that is more biblical than this? 

Now, having discussed the general principle that is set forth in Ephesians 1:11, that God works all things according to the counsel of his will”, let us now return to the text and remember that Paul is here giving special consideration to the appointment that those “who were the first to hope in Christ” were predestined to received. 

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

Again, verse 11: “In him we have obtained an inheritance [appointment], having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:11–12, ESV)

Here Paul is drawing special attention to the role played by those first disciples of Christ in the outworking of God’s plan of redemption. 

We are to remember that these first disciples of Jesus, of whom Paul was one, were all Jews. They were of the Hebrew people. They were children of Abraham according to the flesh. And Paul is here saying that they —  those who were the first to hope in Christ — were predestined in Christ to play a special role in God’s plan of redemption. They are were to be “to the praise of [God’s] glory.”

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“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…”

And what was their special appointment all about? Well, we find a clue in verse 13 when Paul says, “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” (Ephesians 1:13, ESV).

Here Paul is making a distinction between those Jewish converts “who were the first to hope in Christ” and those Gentile converts who had “heard the word of truth, the gospel of [their] salvation” from them. This distinction between Jew and Gentile is made, not to create division, but to promote unity within Christ’s church. And you should know that this was in fact a problem within the early church. Jews and Gentiles were not unified. But here when Paul writes to the Ephesians, and by way of extension, the rest of the churches of Asia Minor who were largely made up of Gentile Christians, he set out to show that in Christ they are one. 

The Jews who were the first to hope in Christ had a special role to play in God’s plan of redemption. They were God’s chosen people under the Old Covenant. To them the promises that were made to their forefathers were entrusted. The prophets came from them. And so did the Christ! They were a special and privileged people therefore. But what was their mission? What was the purpose of God for them? His purpose was that through them the gospel of Jesus the Christ would go to the nations. 

You haven’t forgotten what was said to father Abraham when God first called him, have you. “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV). And what appointment did Christ give to his Jewish Apostles as he prepared to ascend to the Father? He “said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV).

How did the Apostles of Christ, and especially Paul, who was known as the Apostles to the Gentiles, view themselves? They viewed themselves of having a special obligation — a special calling — to testify to the world concerning the good news of Jesus the Christ. That is what Paul is alluding to here. He is distinguishing between the first Jewish converts and the later Gentile converts, not to bring division — not to claim that one is superior over the other — but to bring unity.   

And where is this unity found? 

Pay close attention to this: Their unity is found, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. 

Listen again to Paul’s words in verse 13. “In him you also  [you predominantly Gentile Christians living in Ephesus], when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…” (Ephesians 1:13, ESV). 

Why are Jew and Gentile Christians one in Christ Jesus? Paul establishes the reason early in his epistle. They are one because both were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

This is huge. The implications of this are far reaching. Our union in Christ is not in any way fleshly or earthly. Our union is based, not upon race or ethnicity, natural birth or genealogy, wealth, education, or social status. Our union in Christ is wrought instead by the sealing of the Holy Spirit, which all who are in Christ receive, the moment they believe. 

This is a bit of a side note, and so I will not develop this thought at this time. But I do wish that those who believe in infant baptism, or those who are now considering the paedobaptist position, as it is called, would think carefully about what Paul says here in Ephesians regarding our union with one another being rooted in our union with Christ as wrought by the sealing of the Holy Spirit. Under the Old Covenant the Jewish people enjoyed covenantal union with one another even apart from the work of the Spirit by virtue of their natural descent from Abraham. All who were born from Abraham were born into the covenant that was transacted with him. It was right and natural, therefore, for the sign of that covenant to be applied to the infants. They were in Abraham no matter if they believed in the promises that were given to him. But under the New Covenant that ethnic and generational principle melts away. Once the Christ descended from Abraham, and once he did institute the New Covenant by his shed blood, ethnicity and natural descent does not matter at all. Jew and Gentile are united as one in this New Covenant, not by natural birth, but by new birth! When they believe they are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, united to Christ by faith, and have equal share in the inheritance. And here is why it is only appropriate to give the sign of the New Covenant to those who believe. It only those who believe who are sealed with the Spirit, united to Christ, and partakers of all of the benefits which he has secured. Stated differently, who your parents or grandparents are matters not a lick under the New Covenant. Those who are born to a believing parent or parents are in a privileged position given that that they are in close proximity to the gospel — in that sense they are sanctified! But being born to Jewish parents, or Hungarian parents or Chinese parents, matters not at all in terms of the question, are you in or out of the Covenant of Grace. Truth be told, no one has ever been born into the Covenant of Grace. All are born into that Covenant of Works which Adam broke. For a time, some people — particularly the Hebrew people — were born under the Abrahamic Covenant, which gave birth also to the Mosaic Covenant. The promises of the Covenant of Grace were beautifully contained and proclaimed in those Covenants, and some of the Jews believed the promises. But men and women become partakers of the Covenant of Grace only by faith. This is  how it has always been. 

So why does Paul refer to the Holy Spirit as the “promised Holy Spirit”at the end of verse 13? The Spirit is called the “promised Holy Spirit” because the Old Testament Prophets prophesied concerning the day when the Holy Spirit would be poured out in abundance and upon all flesh, that is to say, not only on the Jews, but also the Gentiles. 

For example, the prophet Joel said, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit” (Joel 2:28–30, ESV).

The people of God living under the Old Covenant lived with this expectation that in the future the Spirit of God would be poured out like never before in abundance and upon all flesh, for this was promised to them by God. Read Ezekiel 36 and 37 for yourself. Read Isaiah 32. 

In fact, read the book of Acts and see for yourself how significant this theme regarding the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is. You will note that the Spirit was poured out first upon the the Jewish Christians — that is to say, upon those who were the “first to hope in Christ”. And when it was poured out upon the Jewish disciples they spoke in tongues. And no, this was not a heavenly prayer language, but known languages — the languages of the nations! And why would that be? Because under the New Covenant, the gospel was to be proclaimed amongst the nations! And then keep reading in Acts and see the theme of the outpouring of the Spirit develop. Watch how “those who were the first to hope in Christ” marveled over the fact that the Spirit was poured out also upon the Gentiles. 

When Paul calls the Spirit, “the promised Holy Spirit” he is highlighting this progression in the history of redemption. He is saying to his Gentile brethren, the day has come, and you are proof of it! The promises of God concerning the coming of the Christ, the New Covenant, the expansion of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth, and the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh have come! And you, Ephesians, are proof of it. For you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.  

What does it mean to be sealed? A seal is a guarantee. It is a certification of the reality or authenticity of a thing. When Paul says that we are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” he is saying that God has put his mark on us by the Spirit. God has certified the authenticity of our salvation by sealing us with his Spirit. Water baptism, by the way, is the visible and sacramental sign of this invisible work. The Spirit is a downpayment or guarantee of our inheritance, therefore. This is what Paul says in verse 14. Speaking of the Spirit he says, “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it…” (Ephesians 1:14, ESV). We will have the fulness of our inheritance in the new heavens and new earth. There all will be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit has been poured out now. We have a foretaste, therefore, of the future, full, and final inheritance that is ours through faith in Christ Jesus. God has given to his people a downpayment of the Spirit, so as to say, there is more of this to come. 

Notice that this sealing of the Spirit was received by the Ephesians when they believed the “word of truth, the gospel of their salvation”, which is also to say, when they “believed in [Christ]…”

Some of you might be thinking to yourselves, well, I though that the work of the Spirit comes before faith. I though that faith is a gift and that the Spirit of God is the one who enables us to believe. Doesn’t he call us to faith? Doesn’t he open our eyes to see, and our ears to hear the gospel with belief? Doen’t he make those who are dead to live so that they might lay ahold of Christ by faith and walk with him? And the answer is, yes. But those things just mentioned are called effectual calling and regeneration. Those are also works of the Holy Spirit. And those works do preceded faith. But here we are talking about sealing. The Spirit does many things for the believer, friends. Some thing precede faith, some things accompany faith, and some things follow faith. The Spirit does also help the believer and sanctify the believer.

When we believe upon Christ as he is presented to us in the “word of truth, the gospel of [our] salvation” we too are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”. 

By the way, with all of this predestination and election talk, I want for you to notice that Paul, in the same passage, makes mention of the preaching of the gospel and of faith. The simple point that I am making is this: the doctrine of predestination does not obliterate or contradict the doctrine of human responsibility or choice, but rather sweetly complies with it. God has predestined some to adoption as sons, but those who are predestined only come to have the adoption of sons (along with every other spiritual blessing in Christ) through the means of the preaching of the gospel and received by faith. 

And that brings us back to the beginning of verse 13 and the words, “In him you also…”. Again,  the reason Paul makes a distinction between “those who were the first to hope in Christ” and the Ephesians who believed later and through their word — the reason he makes a distinction, therefore, between Jew and Gentile — is not to divide, but to unite. “In him you also…”, he says. And then he proceeds to show that the Ephesians have been sealed with the same Spirit and have the downpayment, therefore, of the same inheritance, because they are united to the same Savior, Christ Jesus our Lord.  

This theme that is introduced very briefly here will be developed later in Paul’s epistle. And I would like to quickly read that passage to you where Paul develops this theme. Turn to Ephesians 2:11 and follow along. I’ll read quickly, so you will need to pay careful attention.

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:11–22, ESV)

“Unity in the inaugurated new creation” is the theme. And this is the doctrinal basis for Paul application, when he’s says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV)

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“…to the praise of his glory.”

Notice lastly that all of this is said to be to the praise of the glory of God. 

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Conclusion

Friends let us not forget Paul’s purpose for writing. It was “for this reason [that he bowed his] knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” May Paul’s enthusiasm for the love and grace of God be contagious. May we be moved to marvel over it as he did. Many we, along with him, give glory to God for his marvelous and underserved grace. 

Old Testament Reading: Pslam 110

“A PSALM OF DAVID. The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.” (Psalm 110, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

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. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself 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 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. 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, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 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” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV).

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[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

We have again read all of Ephesians 1:3-14 because in the Greek, these verses are locked together. They are locked together grammatically, being one long sentence. And they are locked together thematically, giving all glory to the Triune God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — for our redemption in Jesus the Christ.  

As you know, verses 3 — 6a give glory to God the Father, for he “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…”

As we will see, verses 11 — 14 give glory to the Holy Spirit, for through him and by his agency we have come to partake of the eternal inheritance that is ours in Christ Jesus. When we “believed in Christ, [we] 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” (Ephesians 1:13-14, ESV).

But here in verses 6b — 10 glory is given to God the Son, for he, in the incarnation, has redeemed us by his shed blood.  “In him [the Christ, who was and is the Son of God incarnate] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…” (Ephesians 1:7, ESV).

This entire passage (Ephesians 1:3-14) is critically important for it sets the tone for this letter to the Ephesians. 

Paul will explicitly state his purpose for writing later in the epistle. His desire is that God would be glorified as Christians  “comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:18–19, ESV). Stated differently, Pauls purpose in writing is to fix our eyes upon the love of God that has been showered upon us in and through Christ Jesus. His prayer is that God would strengthen us to comprehend how great that love is, so that we might be moved to marvel at it, to give all glory to God, and to walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling to which we have been called. 

As I have said before, the theme of this is epistle is “unity in the inaugurated new creation.” In Christ there is a new creation, for in him and through him the glory of the new heavens and earth will be ushered in, for he has earned it by his obedience. And in Christ there is a new humanity, for he has redeemed for himself a people from every tongue, tribe and nation. This new creation is here now by the power of the Holy Spirit, as Paul has said elsewhere: “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). But of course, we await its consummation when Christ returns. 

Again, the theme of this epistle is “unity in this inaugurated new creation.” Christians —no matter if they be Jew or Gentile, slave or free, rich or poor, male or female — are unified in Christ. They are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [they] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV). That, as you know, is the application that Paul presents in 4:1, which is the beginning of the second half of his epistle. But what is the theological rationale for this application? In other words, what is the doctrinal basis for Paul’s exhortation to pursue unity and peace with one another as Christians? The answer is, our shared union with Christ.  We are to work hard to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” because in Christ, by virtue of our union with him through faith, we are one. The truth is this, we have been adopted into one family. We have be reconciled to the same Father. We share the same inheritance. And all of this is through our union with Jesus the Christ. In Christ Jesus, we are one. And for this reason we are to work hard to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 

This theme — our union with one another by virtue of our shared union with Christ — will be greatly expanded later in the book of Ephesians, but it is introduced here in this opening passage, and particularly in the text that is before us today. 

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Blessed In The Beloved

Notice the phrase, “in the Beloved” found at the end of verses 6. This phrase is of utmost importance. It links the previous passage with the one we are considering today. 

The word “Beloved” is here used by Paul as a name for Christ. It is a rare name for Christ, used nowhere else in this form. And no doubt it is meant to highlight Christ as the eternal Son of God come in the flesh. 

The name “Beloved” harkens back to that episode recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke wherein at the baptism of Jesus a voice was heard from heaven, saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11, ESV). There at Jesus’ baptism God the Father publicly identified Jesus as the Christ and his “beloved son.” This corresponds to the good news proclaimed so beautifully in John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). Jesus the Christ is the beloved Son of God. He is the eternal Son of God, come in the flesh. 

As I have said, this phrase, “in the Beloved”, links the previous passage with the one that we are considering today. It helps us to pivot from a focus upon God the Father and what he has done — he chose us to be holy and blameless before him; he predestinated us to be adopted as sons — to a focus upon the one though whom these spiritual blessings have been secured and provided, namely, Jesus the Christ, the Beloved Son of God.

God the Father chose us to be holy and blameless before him. This he did being moved only by his love. And this he did before the foundation of the earth. But this blessing would be secured and provided only through the work of his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Similarly, God the Father predestined us to adoption as sons. This he did according to the purpose of his will. This he did in eternity past. But this adoption would be secured and provided only through the work of his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we talk about the doctrine of predestination there are many things that we can say. We can talk about being predestined for adoption, to the forgivness of sins, and to good works, ect. But we should not forget to say what this passage says so beautifully. That God predestined us to have all of these blessings (and many more) through union with Jesus the Christ.

I think it is helpful to note that the teaching we find here in Ephesians corresponds to that prayer that Jesus prayed in the presence of his disciples not long before his crucifixion as recorded in John chapter 17. I would like for you to turn there so that you might see that what Paul teaches here in Ephesians was certainly believed by Jesus, for he could not pray what he prayed unless the things taught by Paul were true. 

In John 17:1 we read, “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them” (John 17:1–10, ESV). And a little bit further on in that same passage Jesus continued to pray, saying in verse 20. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:20–26, ESV).

I hope that you are able to see the connection between the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John 17, and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. It is as if Paul in the first half of his letter teases out and develops the theological truths which undergirded Jesus’ prayer — namely, the Father’s election of some in eternity past to be in the Son, united to him by faith. And after developing these theological truths, Paul, in the second half of his epistle, urges us to strive for that which Jesus prayed — namely, unity and peace with one another given our unity and peace with God the Father through faith in the Son. Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one. And Paul exhorts us to be, saying “I… urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV). This exhortation to be unified is rooted in the fact that we — each one of us individually —  have been joined to Christ, if we have faith in him, having been given to Christ by the Father before the creation of the world.  

[APPLICATION: I wonder if you will allow me to pause for just a moment to make a rather obvious but often overlooked observation. Do you notice that when Paul set out to help Christians   “comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:18–19) so that they might then “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [they] have been called…” (Ephesians 4:1), he did not hide that so-called “controversial” doctrine of election or predestination, but rather he began with it.  

Think of that for a moment. 

Paul, when writing the Christians in Ephesus, led with the doctrine of predestination, teaching that God “chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him”, and “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.” 

It has been almost 9 years since we walked away from that watered down and  doctrine-less form of Evangelicalism, and into the Reformed tradition. It has been some time, therefore, since I have lived in that world where Pastor’s and church say, well, we don’t talk about doctrines like the doctrine of predestination, because they are controversial. We focus on the essentials. We just talk about Jesus and his love for us. Doctrine divides, Jesus unites. It has been some time since I have interacted in a substantial way with people who are of this opinion. But as we have begun to study Ephesians, and we have we have considered Paul’s purpose for writing — to help us comprehend the love of God for us in Christ Jesus — and as we have considered how Paul begins his epistle — with an emphasis upon the doctrine of predestination —  all of those memories have come flooding back to me. 

How can a Pastor, who has been appointed by God to be a Minister of  the Gospel, neglect to preach and teach this doctrine to his people. What right does he have to say, it would be better if we not talk about this doctrine. Its too much for the church to handle. Its too divisive. Etc? Friends, that is not our call to make! As Ministres of the Gospel we called to preach and teach the Word that has been entrusted to us by Christ and his Apostles! And when Paul set out to strengthen the Ephesians in the knowledge of the love of God in Christ Jesus, and to walk in manner worthy of the calling to which they had been called, he did not bury this doctrine — he did not skirt this issue — instead, he opened with it! 

He opened with this doctrine, not to be controversial, but because it is true. If you are united to Christ by faith, adopted as son, and blessed in him with every spiritual blessing in the heavenliness, it is because God chose you in eternity past. He predetermined that you would be in Christ by faith. Not only is it true, but knowing this is essential if you are to “comprehend” the “breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…” God’s love for you is truly great! He loved you, not because you were lovely. He loved you because he determined to set his love upon you out of his goodness and by his grace.

This doctrine of predestination is not an unessential doctrine, friends. To the contrary, it is the root and source of all that is ours in Christ Jesus. We are blessed in the Beloved because God determined in eternity past to bless us in the Beloved. 

This doctrine of predestination is not an obscure or rare doctrine. To the contrary, Paul speaks of it in all of his letters. Have you read Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, particularly chapters 8-9? Have you read Pauls letter to the church in Colosse? To them he said, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…” (Colossians 3:12, ESV). To Timothy, Paul said, “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10, ESV). ToTitus he wrote, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness” (Titus 1:1, ESV). To the churches in Galatia Paul said, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…” (Galatians 1:3–4, ESV). On and on I could go. This truth — that God predestined those who would be saved in Christ — is not a fringe doctrine in Paul’s writings. Instead it is central and foundational. 

And lest we think that this doctrine was unique to Paul, we should remember that it was Jesus himself who prayed for those given to him by the Father before the creation of the world (John 17). It was Jesus who said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14, ESV). Christ himself said to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide” (John 15:16, ESV).

It is no surprise, then,  that the other Apostles also lead with this theme in their writings. 1 Peter 1:1: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion…” (1 Peter 1:1, ESV). 2 Peter 1:10:  “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10, ESV). 

This piling up of verseS will do for now. The point is that this doctrine of election or predestination is not obscure. Instead it is pervasive in both the Old Testament and the New. And neither is it unclear. What can be more clear than this, friends? “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. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself 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” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV).

This doctrine of predestination is vital to our comprehension of the love of God for us in Christ Jesus. He loved us not because we were lovely. Instead, though we were vile and rebellious, dead in our sins, and by nature children of wrath, God determined to set his love upon us, because he is gracious and kind. How humbling this is. 

If you are a Minister of the Gospel listening to this message today, I ask you, why would you withhold this vital doctrine from your people?  What gives you the right, as a servant of the King, to decide what is good for them? Is that not God’s prerogative? Are we not to simply be faithful to “preach the word” that has been entrusted to us, “to be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2, ESV). Stop being driven by fear — the fear that some might walk away. They walked away from Christ when he taught these doctrines in John 6. And many goats may walk away from you, but the sheep will be strengthened.

And to the Christian I say, do not ignore the doctrine of  predestination. Instead, contemplate it. Cease from standing as judge over the scriptures. Instead, “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21, ESV)]

Let us now return to the text.

Stated simply, here in verse 6 of Ephesians 1 we learn that every blessing that God the Father determined to give to his elect in eternity past is only ours “in the Beloved” as we are united  to him by faith.

I would encourage you to read Ephesians 1:3-14 again later today and take special notice the phrases, “in Christ”, “through Jesus Christ”, “in the Beloved”, “In him”, and “through his blood” that are peppered throughout this text. In the ESV there are 12 such phrases. In the Greek text there are actually 13. There is another “in him” at the very end of verse 10 which is left untranslated by the ESV because it is so repetitions. Literally verse 10 reads “as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth [in him].  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…” (Ephesians 1:10–11, ESV). The ESV leaves the “in him” at the end of verse 10 untranslated because it is extremely repetitious, which I think is unfortunate. The extreme repetition was deliberate. Paul’s intention was that as this passage was read aloud in the congregation, this section — the section that runs from verse 6b through 10 — would end with one big and final “in him” to drive home the point.  

But even with the omission of the final “in him”, the passage is very clear. God the Father predestined some to be reconciled to himself, and that this would be accomplished through the mediation of his Beloved Son, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Verses 6 — 10 gives special emphasis to what the Son has done to accomplish our redemption. 

So what did the Beloved do? What has Christ, who is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, accomplished?

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Through His Shed Blood, We Have Redemption

Well, first of all, in verse 7 Paul says that “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…”

What did the Beloved accomplish? Christ accomplished the redemption of all who were “chosen in him before the foundation of the world”. 

This word translated as “redemption” means “to release or set free, with the implied analogy to the process of freeing a slave” (LouwNida, 487). This process of freeing a slave would undoubtably require that some price be paid — a sum of money. But notice that Christ did not offer up a sum of money, but instead procured our freedom, “through his blood.” His blood was the purchase price. His life was the payment. 

The question that must be asked is, to whom or to what were we enslaved? And the answer is, “sin”. Notice that that is what Paul emphasizes. Again, verse 7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…” or sins. 

Paul will pick up this theme again later in his epistle to elaborate upon what it means to be in bondage to sin. In Ephesians 2:1-3 teach us that in sin we are spiritually dead. In sin we are in bondage to the ways of this world. In sin we are in bondage to the Evil One. In sin we are in bondage to the desires of the flesh. In sin we are deserving only of God’s wrath. 

Read with me in Ephesians 2:1-3 and notice how terrible the bondage of sin is. Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus and reminds them of their bondage prior to coming to faith in Christ, saying, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1–3, ESV). 

This, friends, is the bondage that Christ redeemed us from. He redeemed us from the bondage of sin, which is bondage to death, to the world, to the Evil One, to the passions of the flesh, and to the sure outpouring wrath of God.

Christ, by his shed blood, through his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, has set us free from this bondage. He tasted death for us. He took our place. For the wages of our sin is death. He lived in the world, but never was he of this world. He defeated the Evil One. He lived in the flesh, but never was he ruled by the flesh, only the Spirit of God — never did he sin. And he took upon himself the wrath of God, which was the just punishment that was owed to us. By this work  — by his obedient life and sacrificial, substitutionary death — he has redeemed us from the curse of sin.

[APPLICATION: Friends, according to the scriptures, this is man’s greatest need — he must be freed from his bondage to sin and death. And this is the need that Christ came to meet. He came to redeem us from our bondage to sin and all its consequences. Are you in him? Have you been redeemed by him — set free from your natural bondage?]

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Through His Obedience, We See The Accomplishment Of God’s Plan Of Redemption

Secondly, in verses 7c through 10a we see that Christ, through his obedience, has accomplished and revealed God’s plan of redemption — a plan that, though revealed in the past, was largely hidden and mysterious. 

Pay careful attention as we read beginning in verse 7. I will replace some of the personal pronouns with the proper nouns that they refer to for the sake of clarity. “In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of [God’s] grace, which [the Father] 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…” (Ephesians 1:7–10, ESV).

Notice three things:

One, our redemption in Christ and the forgivness of our sins in him are said to be “according to the riches of [God’s] grace.” If you have it in your mind that God the Father is angry with you, but that Jesus loves you, it is time to put that thought away. If Jesus loves you, it is because God the Father determined to set his love upon you. Remember, in love he predestined you. And if you are redeemed and forgiven in Christ it is “according to the riches of [the Father’s] grace.”  

Two, notice that this grace has been lavished upon us by the Father. God has not given his elect a little grace, but he has poured it out in abundance. His grace is abundant and overflowing. If you are his in Christ Jesus, it is because he has lavished his grace upon you. Think on that. 

Three, this grace, which was reveled in ages past, but dimly and mysteriously, was, at just the right time, revealed fully and clearly in Christ Jesus, in all wisdom and insight. 

This is actually a common theme in Paul’s writings. More than that, it is a common theme throughout the New Testament. The teaching is this: the gospel, or good news, that God would provide a Savior, was revealed to the people of God prior to the birth of Christ. This truth was revealed under the Old Covenant in promises, prophesies, types and shadows. The gospel of Christ was preached prior to the arrival of the Christ, therefore. Those who were saved from their sins prior to the death of Christ were justified by faith, just as we are. But they looked forward to the arrival of the Christ, who is also called the Messiah. They understood some things about him. But much remained mysterious and hidden to them. They knew he would be a Son of Abraham and David. They knew he would be a King, but also a Suffering Servant. They knew that somehow he would atone for sins, and earn that which Adam forfeited — glory in the new heavens and earth. Some had a better grasp on these truths than others. But what exactly the Messiah would be was mysterious even to the most godly and perceptive of the saints of old. That is what Paul means when he speaks of the “mystery of [God’s] will”. He is refering to the will of God as it pertains to our redemption in the Christ. That will of God, or plan of God, was mysterious in ages past. The specifics of it were hidden and veiled. That God would provide a Savior was clear! But what he be like  was largely unknown. But when the Christ arrived in the fulness of time (or at just the right time), and as he accomplished God’s will or plan in the his life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension — that which was mysterious in ages past, became clear. Jesus the Christ made God’s will know as he accomplished it. Paul is here saying that the entire process wherein God revealed his plan of redemption, from the first utterance of the gospel to Adam, to the ascension of Christ to the Father in glory, was “in all wisdom and insight.”

To fully appreciate the radicle transition that took place from mystery to full revelation concerning God’s plan of redemption, one only has to put themselves in the place of the original disciples of Christ. These men and women lived trough this transitional period. They were raised under the Old Covenant. They knew the Old Testament scriptures. They worshipped at the temple. They were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Messiah, the Son of Abraham and the Son of David. And they wondered what he would be like. They knew he would come, but what he would be was mysterious to them. And then Jesus of Nazareth arrived on the scene. John the Baptist claimed that he was the one. He himself claimed to be the one. And his words were confirmed by miraculous works. I won’t tell you the who story. They story is told beautifully in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But here I am asking you to put yourself in the shoes of John, for example. Imagine waking up every day as a disciple of Jesus and watching God’s plan of redemption, which was revealed but mysterious in ages past, play out before your very eyes. Now imagine watching Jesus the Christ go to the cross. Imaging him being put into the grave. Those must have been very perplexing days for John and for the others. Now imagine hearing that the tomb was empty, and seeing him risen. Imagine listen to Jesus’ teaching concerning how all the law, the prophets and the Psalms spoke of him, and then imagine seeing him ascend to the Father. In a very short time these early disciples of Jesus watched that which was mysterious to them, become clear. If you would have asked John “what do you think the Messiah will be like” prior to the day that he met him, he would have said, “well, he will be a Son of Abraham, the Son of David, etc., but really, I am not sure.” But if you were to ask the same man, John, what the Messiah was like after Christ’s ascension, he would tell you all about him in no uncertain terms. 

This is the phenomenon that Paul is refering to when he says that in Christ, God has, “in all wisdom and insight” [made] 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…”

Peter was referring to this transition from mystery to knowledge when he wrote, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:10–12, ESV).

The Apostles of Christ viewed themselves as stewards of the mysteries of God. This is what Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians: “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1, ESV). This is another way of saying that they were minsters of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For what is the gospel, except the God news that God has provided a Redeemer, just as he had promised from Adam’s day onward — and that Redeemer has come, Christ Jesus our Lord? God’s plan of redemption which was revealed dimly and mysteriously in ages past, has now been be made known, for it is finished. Jesus the Christ has accomplished the work of redemption. 

[APPLIACTION: Friends, I do hope that you enjoyed our study of the book of Genesis.  But one reason it was so enjoyable is that we were able to see with clarity and certainty the ways in which that book, written so long ago, pointed forward to Christ in promises, prophesies, types and shadows. I want for you to recognize that we were able to see Christ with clarity and certainty in that book of beginnings, only because the Christ has come. The elect of God who lived prior to Christ’s coming also benefitted from Genesis — they too learned something about the Messiah who would descend from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — but the light was less bright for them. They sojourned in the light of the break of dawn. We sojourn in the light of the noon day sun. We live in a privileged time. To us the mysteries of God’s plan of redemption have been reveled, for the Christ has come, he has accomplished our redemption, and the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace, has been instituted in his blood. Of this we are partakers. Let us be all the more diligent to study his word, so that we might ever grow in our knowledge of him.]

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Through His Resurrection, All Things In Heaven And Earth Are United In Him

Lastly, and very briefly, in response to the question what did the Beloved do? Or what has Christ, who is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, accomplished? We must say that through his resurrection, all things in heaven and earth are united in him. 

It is a little strange to be devoting such little time to this last phrase in verse 10, for truly it is the pinnacle statement regarding the work that Christ has accomplished. Christ has accomplished the will of God — he carried out his plan — which has as it end goal or telos — the union of “all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth.”

Lord willing, we will pick up here in the sermon on the next Lord’s Day, and so I will only briefly explain what Paul means. He means that God’s plan of redemption in Christ involves, not only your salvation and mine, and not only the salvation of all of God’s elect in all the world and in every age, but the redemption even of the created earthly realm, and the eventual union of these realms — the heavenly and earthly — in the new heavens and new earth. That is the end goal or telos of God’s plan of redemption. In Christ all of God’s redeemed will be brought safely home into the new heavens and earth.  

 For now let me just say I am thankful that we have carefully studied the book of Revelation and the book of Genesis before coming to this study of Ephesians. 

In Revelation, especially in chapters 21 and 22 we are presented with a vision of the new heavens and earth. At the end of time, heaven and earth will become one. The glory of God will fill all. Only the redeemed will be there. And there will be no more sin, sickness, suffering or death. Paul is here teaching that that was the end goal of God’s plan of redemption — “to unite all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth.”

In Genesis we considered God’s design for Adam. That he would live under God’s authority, that he would fill the earth, expand the garden temple, living in perfect and perpetual obedience  to him. In the end, Adam was to eat of the tree of life and enter into glory. Heaven and earth would have become one. This the first Adam failed to do. But this the second Adam has accomplished. 

Paul states things a little different in Colossians, but the concepts are the same. Speaking of Christ he Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:15–20, ESV)

*****

Conclusion

Friends, are you in Christ? Are you united to him by faith? There is no greater question than this. For only in Christ do “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of [God’s] grace…” 

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 6:22–27 

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. ‘So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.’” (Numbers 6:22–27, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Ephesians 1:1-14

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself 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 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. 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, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 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” (Ephesians 1:1–14, ESV).

*****

[Please excuse any and all typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.] 

Introduction

If I were really pressed to answer the question, in general, what is your favorite book in the New Testament? I think I would have to say, the book of Ephesians. And as I say that, I’m hoping that I havn’t said the same thing about some other New Testament book in the past. Perhaps I have! It is possible that I have said something like that about 1 and 2 Timothy, for those letters do have a special place in my heart as well, but more so as a pastor and churchmen. Ephesians, for some time now, has been my favorite New Testament book, in general — that is to say, to me as a Christian man. 

Until recently, I don’t know that I ever stopped to think about why I love this book so much — I just knew that I loved it! On the surface, I find it to be rich in doctrine, uplifting in its prayers and praise, and deeply practical. But as I have been studying Ephesians in preparation for this sermon series, I think I have a better understanding of why this book is my favorite. And as it turns out, many others agree that this book is special. F.F. Bruce notes in his commentary on Ephesians that this letter “has been described, not unjustly, as ‘the quintessence [or epitome] of Paulinism’” given that “it sums up in large measure the leading themes of the Pauline writings, together with the central motif of Paul’s ministry as apostle to the Gentiles. But it does more than that: it carries the thought of the earlier letters forward to a new stage. An even better designation for it than ‘the quintessence of Paulinism’ would be, in C.H. Dodd’s words, ‘the crown of Paulinism’” (Bruce, NICONT, 229). I’ll have more to say on why Ephesians is the favorite of mine and many others later in this sermon.

Today we will be considering only verses 1 and 2 of chapter 1. These two verses are important in and of themselves, but they also provide an opportunity to make some introductory remarks concerning this letter.

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A Letter From Paul, An Apostle Of Christ Jesus By The Will Of God

And perhaps the best place for us to start would be to recognize that what we have before us is a letter. We are accustom to refering to Ephesians as a book (and that is fine), but more precisely it is a letter, or an epistle. 

And who was the author of this letter? The opening line tells us that it was written by “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…”

Paul was the one who wrote this letter. This is the Paul, who is also called Saul — the highly educated Jew who once devoted himself to persecuting Christians, before becoming one.

The story of his conversion is found in Acts chapter 9. There we read, “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do’” (Acts 9:1–6, ESV). In this encounter, and in subsequent events, Saul was brought to the conclusion that Jesus was in fact the Christ. He went from being a menace to the Way [which is what the early Christian movement was called — an  allusion, no doubt, to Isaiah 40 verse 3], to a member of it. The Christians did not trust Saul at first (understandably so), but in due time, and in large part due to the testimony of Barnabas, who was a leading figure within the church, he was received by the apostles  and other disciples of Christ. And more than being received, he became a leading missionary and leader within the church, with a special focus on gospel proclamation amongst the Gentiles. 

In fact, more than a missionary and leader within the early church, Paul was an apostle. He says  so in verse 1 of this epistle: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…” Paul often emphasized his apostles hip. The word apostle may be used in various ways. Most basically, it refers to one who is sent by another — a delegate, envoy or messenger. In a generic sense, all Christians are apostles. Together as the church we are all called to be a part of that process of going and making disciples of all nations. But when Paul calls himself an “apostle”, he has something else in mind. He was appointed to the office of apostle by Christ himself. He, like the other apostles  of Christ saw the risen Lord and received this appointment and commission directly from him. And the other apostles , along with the broader church community, came to recognize Paul’s apostleship. Paul wrote and spoke with a special kind of authority, therefore. As we will see in a moment, his  Apostolic authority was confirmed through miracles. 

Friends, it is important to recognize that there are no apostles in the church today. In fact, Paul was the last to be appointed as such. After him there were only evangelists, shepherd and teachers. Paul appointed elders in the churches that he planted. Never did he pass along his apostleship. This must be stated clearly, for all around us there are Pentecostal and Apostolic churches which make this fundamental error: they fail to recognize that the church was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20, ESV). But when a building is constructed, friends, the foundation is laid once, and not over and over again. Upon the foundation the building is constructed. And so it is  with the church. First there were apostles and prophets. Christ himself was the cornerstone. They revealed the word of God to us. But just as we do not expect there to be a continual succession of Christs’, neither do we expect a continual succession of apostles and prophets — all three are said to be foundational in Ephesians 2:20. Again, the church was “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20, ESV). 

In the church today there are officers and members. The officers are called elders and deacons. And the elders (being also called bishops, pastors, shepherds and teachers) are to preach and teach the word that has been entrusted to them by the apostles. They are not given new revelations, nor do they produce new scriptures, for the Christ has come. He himself has spoken. And he spoke through his apostles and prophets. This transition from apostles to pastors took place in the days of Paul and Timothy. When the last apostle, who was commissioned by Christ himself and an eyewitness to his resurrection, died, the age of the apostles came to a conclusion. The foundation of the church was laid by them. And It was upon this foundation — the word delivered by the apostles and prophets — that the church was built. 

Paul was an apostle of Christ Jesus. He spoke and wrote on Christ’s behalf, as an official emissary or representative, and this by the will (or appointment) of God. More specifically, Paul was appointed to serve as the apostle to the Gentiles. 

This is something that we must remember as we study Ephesians. The church in Ephesus came into existence through Paul’s missionary efforts in that region. The church in Ephesus was made up primarily of Gentiles, this is to say, non Jewish Christians. A major emphasis of this epistle is that the Gentiles have been grafted into the kingdom of God. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentiles in Christ Jesus. Paul teaches that the middle wall of hostility which separated Jew and Gentile under the Old Mosaic Covenant, has been broken down in Christ Jesus, for in him the two are made one. In this epistle Paul refers to the inclusion of the Gentiles into God’s kingdom as a “mystery”, meaning that this was revealed in ages past, but much more clearly in Christ and under the New Covenant.   

You should know that in the past 100 years or so it has become popular for scholars in some circles to question if Paul really wrote this epistle. Before that time, very few questioned Pauline authorship. Sometimes it feels as if the trend in our day is simply to question anything and everything that is traditional. The reasons for questioning Pauline authorship seem to me to be very weak. The manuscript tradition — that is to say, the ancient copies of the text of Ephesians — consistently testify to Pauline authorship. There early church fathers also testify to it. It is has been the traditional view throughout church history, until very recently, as I have said. 

Those who question Pauline authorship do so primarily for two reasons. One, they notice that the tone and content of Ephesians is very general or generic. The letter lacks the personal tone that we find in Paul’s other letters. And this is strange given that Paul was so familiar with the church in Ephesus. He founded the church and spend a lot of time there  (more on that later). And two, the critics note that there are a large number of words and phrases that are unique to this letter when compared to Paul’s other writings. For these reasons some commentators have come to the conclusion that someone other than Paul must have written Ephesians, but in his name.

I will quickly make a few remarks about this. Stated simply, I think there are other and better explanations for these things than to take the extreme position of denying Pauline authorship. 

One, as we will see in just a moment, it is likely that Ephesians was written to function, not only as a letter to the Ephesians, but also as a letter to be distributed to churches throughout the region. This might explain the general and non-personal tone. 

Two, we should not make too much of the unique words and phrases found within Ephesians when compared to his other writings. Paul was an intelligent man and a gifted writer. Why is it so difficult to believe that one letter of Paul might use different vocabulary given the unique situation or purpose? 

Three, we should not ignore the fact that Paul’s custom was to write his letters through secretaries. This was common in Paul’s day. He did not have a computer, friends. These letters were hand written on very expensive parchments. He used secretaries or scribes. And these secretaries may have had some impact upon the final flavor of the letters of Paul. For an example of this, see Romans 16:22 which says, “I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord” (Romans 16:22, ESV). Tertius identified himself as the secretary who wrote for Paul as he dictated. S.M. Baugh deals with this subject well in his commentary on the book of Ephesians.  

So my view is the rational view, that Paul wrote Ephesians, just as verse 1 says. 

When was Ephesians written? It was written in a.d. 62 during Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. Paul wrote Colossians and Philemon at roughly the same time.  

Again, Ephesians 1:1: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God…”

*****

To The Saints Who Were In Ephesus, And Were Faithful in Christ Jesus

Now we ask, to whom was this letter written? We read in the second half of verse 2 that this was a letter written “to the saints who [were] in Ephesus, and… faithful in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesus was the most important city in Asia Minor. If you are wondering where that is, think modern day Turkey. In the time that this letter was written there were probably 250,000 people living there — a large city especially by ancient standards. 

Ephesus was famous for its temple which was a shrine to the Roman goddess Diana (also called Artemis by the Greeks). The temple of Diana was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Originally, it was 425 feet long and 220 feet wide. It was constructed of 127 white marble columns, each of them being 62 feet high. Construction on the temple began in 550 BC. The marble temple took 120 years to complete. It was destroyed by fire in 356 BC, and rebuilt afterwards on a lesser scale. The temple was so popular among pagans that Ephesus emerged as the religious centre of all Asia. 

It is important to remember that Paul, years before he wrote this letter, spent a good amount of time ministering the gospel in Ephesus. He had much to do, therefore, with the founding of this important church. The account of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus is recorded for us in Acts 19. And I think it would be good for us to read a portion of that text so that we might, one, have a better understating of the culture in Ephesus; two, remember the trouble that Paul experienced there, along with the rest of the Christians in that place; and three, better appreciate the impact that the Christians had upon that pagan culture. And while you are turning to Acts 19 I should also point out that Timothy — The Timothy that Paul addressed in his letters now called 1 and 2 Timothy, was a Pastor in Ephesus. Paul wrote to him, saying, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3–4, ESV). I hope that you are beginning to see that this church was a very important church in those days.

Look now at Acts 19 verse 8. Here we find an account of Paul’s initial ministry in Ephesus. We read, “And he [Paul] entered the synagogue [a house of worship for the Jews] and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way  before the congregation [“the Way” being what the early Christian movement was called], he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver [More than $500,000 in todays currency!]. So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’ And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis [or Diana], brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, ‘Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel. But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, ‘Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky? Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly. For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion’”. (Acts 19:8–40, ESV)

I have read this passage to you because it helps us to understand the culture in Ephesus, religious and otherwise, in the days of Paul. 

As we return now to Ephesians 1, I ask, do you see how bold Paul was in his proclamation of the gospel in that place? Do you see how bold the companions of Paul were? Indeed, all of the Christians who lived in Ephesus were bold! They worshiped God through faith in Christ in the face of much opposition. Many from amongst the Jew’s opposed the Way. And the Greeks also took issue with the Christians, mainly because they threatened their livelihood. The Christians promoted the worship of the one true God, and thus discouraged the idolatry which was rampant in that place. This impacted their main industry. And notice how successful Paul’s ministry was in that region. Many believed, not only in Ephesus, but, through his ministry there, in all of Asia.   

[Application: Brothers and sisters, as we consider stories like these concerning the experiences of Paul and the other Apostles, along with the rest of the  early Christian church, it should help us to fight against the urge of thinking that things are worse now than they have ever been, or that our culture is somehow darker than those cultures that have preceded ours. Clearly, this is not the case. Paul ministered in a very difficult and hostile environment. So did the other Apostles. We should remember that most of them were martyred for their faith and unrelenting testimony concerning Jesus the Christ. The church in Ephesus was founded in a pagan environment, rampant with idolatry and hostility towards the gospel. And the church in Ephesus flourished in this environment. The pressures that we experience in our day as followers of the Way are not new, friends. They have been experienced by the faithful from the days of Able on to the present. In fact, one could argue that the pressures we face are very, very light when compared to the sufferings endured by our brethren in generations past, and even around the world today. The Christian faith is able to flourish in environments such as these because it is true, and because it provides a certain and unshakable hope that goes beyond the  grave. Indeed, in Christ we have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding…” This peace “[guards our] hearts and… minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, ESV)]

So, this letter was written by Paul to the church in Ephesus. Acts 19 helps us to better understand what life was like for the Christians living in Ephesus in the days when this letter was written. 

Was this letter really written to the Ephesians? 

Before I move on from the question, to whom was this letter written?, you should probably know that there is some debate amongst scholars over the question, was this letter in fact written to the church is Ephesus? Unlike the question concerning Pauline authorship, I can understand why some question the Ephesian audience. 

While most ancient manuscripts — that is to say, the manuscripts that are copies of the original written by Paul — contain the words, “in Ephesus”; and while the testimony of the early church Fathers — that is to say, those leaders within the church who ministered after the age of the Apostles — confirm that this letter was written to the Ephesians; there are a few very important and reliable manuscripts that lack the phrase, “in Ephesus”. In those few manuscripts verse 1 reads , “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints… faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1, ESV), the words “in Ephesus” being omitted. This has led some to wonder if this epistle was originally addressed to them. 

Many of those who deny that this epistle was written to the Ephesians are of the opinion that it was either written to some other church — perhaps a church that Paul was less familiar with — or that it was written as a general letter, meant to be distributed amongst many church.

Personally, I do not think that we need to choose between the view that this epistle was written to the church in Ephesus, and the view that the letter was written as a general letter, meant to be distributed widely amongst many churches. It seems to me that these two view can be held together if we consider the important and strategic role that Ephesus — both the city and the church therein — played within Asia Minor. Is it not possible that the letter was written, first to the Ephesians, with the understanding being that from there copies would be made to be distributed to the other churches in that region? 

This would help to explain three things:

One, it would explain the lack of the phrase, “in Ephesus” in some manuscripts. Perhaps that phrase was removed as the document was copied and distributed to others churches?

Two, it would explain the general or generic style of the letter. Remember that the generic style has led some to question if Paul was the author. Again, their reasoning is, if Paul was the author then this letter would be very, very personal given Paul’s history and personal connection with the Ephesian church — after all, he spent so much time there! But not if Paul’s intention was to write to the Ephesians, and then for the Ephesians to pass this letter on to the other churches in the region for their edification also. 

Three, it might also help to explain a mysterious little remark made by Paul in his letter to the Colossians in chapter 4 verse 16. There Paul says to the Colossians,  “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea” (Colossians 4:16, ESV). Many have asked, what is this “letter from Laodicea” that Paul refers to here? As you know, there is no book of the Bible called “To The Laodiceans”. Many have assumed that Paul was refering to a letter that has been lost. But I wonder if this “letter from Laodicea” was not simply the letter written to the Ephesians  after it was distributed to the other churches in Asia Minor, ending in Laodicea. 

Brothers and sisters, do you remember our study of the book of Revelation? I hope that you do! And do you remember to whom the book of Revelation was addressed? It was addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor. And do you remember the order in which those churches were listed? Perhaps this map will help.   

 John wrote from the island of Patmos and his letter was to be sent first to Ephesus. From there is was to be sent  to Smyrna then to Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and finally Laodicea. The order in which the seven churches were listed followed a familiar trade rout. And so I wonder if this letter, which was originally address to the Ephesians, was not distributed along the same trade rout, coming to rest in Laodicea, and then perhaps going to Colossae, which is located about 15 miles to the east, just as Paul suggested.

I cannot prove it, but I think this is a possible explanation for the generic tone of Ephesians, the lack of the phrase “in Ephesus” in some manuscripts, and also Paul’s mention of this mysterious “letter from Laodicea” in Colossians 4:16 — perhaps that was the letter to the Ephesians at the end of its intended route through the churches in Asia Minor?

Concerning the general or generic tone of the letter to the Ephesians — I think this might be one reason why I would call this my favorite, generally speaking. Many of Paul’s other letters were written with particular people or situations in mind. Even Colossians, which is very similar to Ephesians in some parts, seems to address particular theological troubles that existed in that congregation. Ephesians is more universal. It presents a wonderful summary of Paul’s teaching concerning God’s plan of salvation  from eternity past. It emphasizes the Christian’s unity in Christ Jesus. In Christ, Jew and Gentile are one. The practical application delivered in chapters 5 and 6 is universal, useful to Christians living in all times and places. 

All of that to say, though it be true that Paul wrote this letter originally to the church in Ephesus, it was written to also be distributed to other churches in the region, and perhaps it is because of its general tone that the letter is beloved by so many Christians to this present day. 

It should not be overlooked that Paul referred to the Christians in Ephesus as “Saints” and “faithful in Christ Jesus.”

No, fiends. Paul was not writing to some small faction within the church of Ephesus, namely, those supper Christians who were deserving of the designation “saints”. All Christians are called “saints” by Paul. This is true not only of the Christinas in Ephesus, but in other places also.  To the Romans he wrote, “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints…” (Romans 1:7, ESV). And to the Corinthians he wrote, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2, ESV). 

Why did Paul habitually address Christians as “saints” in his letters? 

Certainly, it  was not because all of them were mature, super-spiritual, and without blemish. We know for certain that this was not the case in Corinth!

Instead, Paul called them saints from the outset so as to remind them of who they were in Christ Jesus. They had been set  apart in Christ Jesus. They had been cleansed by his blood. They were pure in the eyes of God, therefore — not guilty of their sins. Paul was eager to remind them of this from the outset so that they might become what they already were and live according to they new condition in Christ Jesus. 

The Christians in Ephesus were  called “saints… and faithful in Christ Jesus.” These Christians were “saints” because they were believing.  Calvin has famously said concerning this phrase that “No man, therefore, is a believer who is not also a saint; and, on the other hand, no man is a saint who is not a believer.”

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Who Had Received Grace And Peace From God Our Father And The Lord Jesus Christ

Lastly, let us consider Paul’s greeting to the Ephesians. To them he wrote, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2, ESV).

As you might know, this was a Paul’s customary greeting to the churches. In this greeting Paul prays that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ would grant grace and peace to his people.

Grace is unmerited or underserved favor. It is a gift.  And God’s grace is the source of all that is good. To have God’s grace bestowed upon you is to have the greatest of all blessings. To have God’s grace bestowed upon you is to have all that you need. Those who are partakers of God’s grace have been brought into a right relationship with the Father through faith in the Son. When Paul says to the Christian, “grace to you” it is an acknowledgement that God’s grace has already been given to them, and it is a prayer of blessing that God would give even more of  his grace to his people, to the nourishment and growth of their souls. “Grace to you, Paul says.”

Not only does Paul bless the church with grace, but also with peace. “Grace to you and peace”, he says. And of course these two things go together. To have God’s grace is to have peace also. 

By God’s grace we are made to be at peace with God through faith in Jesus the Christ. Paul will soon speak to this in his epistle. He will note that we were all “by nature children of wrath… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:3–5, ESV). By grace we who were once enemies of God we made to be at peace with him. As Romans 5:1 says, “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1–2, ESV)

By God’s grace we also enjoy peace with one another. Paul will soon speak to this in his epistle  with his emphasis that in Christ Jew and Gentile are one. The world is terribly divided, friends. It always has been. Men and women are divided over race, class, gender and culture. But Christ brings peace. In Christ we are one. This is a major theme in Paul’s teachings. In Galatians 3:26 he puts it this way: “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26–28, ESV).

And by God’s grace we are also made to be at peace within ourselves. 

This subjective inner peace of which I now speak — this peace that the faithful experience in the heart and soul — is of course rooted in the objective reality that we are now at peace with God through the faith in the Christ who has kept the law for us and has atoned for our sins. Without this objective peace with God, there can be no true and lasting peace within the heart, for those who are in their sin will ever live with “a fearful expectation of judgment…” (Hebrews 10:27, ESV). If there is no actual peace with God, there can be no deep and lasting experience of peace within the heart of man.

Christ came, in part, to give us peace. The end of the Gospel of John testifies beautifully to this. In John 14:25 Jesus speaks to his disciples as he prepared them door his death, saying, “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:25–27, ESV). And then in 16:33 we hear our Lord again, saying, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV). And after Christ’s death and resurrection he appeared to his disciples. Remember, they were afraid. And when he appeared to them he said to them again and again, “Peace be with you… peace be with you… peace be with you” (John 20:19, 20, 26).

Dear friends, God the Father, out his great love for us, has sent the Son and Spirit to give us peace. By his grace has reconciled us to himself through the blood of Christ. This peace — the peace that has been secured between God and man through the mediatorial work of Christ — is the root of all subjective experiences of peace within the heart of man. But in Christ and by the Spirit we have that too. As we believe upon God and rely upon his grace, we have peace in this world. 

[Application: Brothers and sisters, how important it is that we show this peace to the world. We must proclaim the message that peace with God is available through faith in Christ alone and by the grace of God alone. And we must also show the world that this peace with God has made us to be at peace with one  another, and even within our souls. 

Fear, brothers and sisters, is actually a natural and very good thing. God created us in such a way that we are able to experience the emotion of fear when we encounter certain things and perceive them to be a threat. Friends, the Christian is not called to suppress this natural gift from God. If a Christian is hiking in the woods and comes upon a mother bear with her cubs, he does not sin when he feels the emotion of fear. That emotion of fear helps us to act according to wisdom. But you and I know that our emotions can run out of control. Our thoughts can go astray. Those affactions that might be good and holy and well pleasing to the Lord when kept within their proper bounds can easily overflow their bounds, leading us to sin. Love can become lust. Righteous anger can turn to rage. And reasonable fear can easily turn to irrational and faithless fear. And this is the kind of fear that Christ forbids us from entertaining. He himself has said, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:4–7, ESV).]

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Conclusion

The point is this. By grace God the Father through the Son and by the Holy Spirit has given us peace. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always [therefore]; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV).