Background to passage: one of the most spectacular, all-encompassing letters in the NT regarding the church and our place in it. It puts on display God’s ultimate purpose for creation, the church, and your life. It was written to the Ephesians and possibly other churches in the region.
One of the concepts that Paul deals with right up front in this run-on sentence of his introduction is who we are in Christ. Last week for Easter, we dealt with the overarching things related to the salvation provided to God by to believers. We covered redemption, forgiveness, our inheritance, our hope, sealing of the Holy Spirit as a down payment for our ultimate restoration. However, there is so much more.
We live in a world where we are confused about how we identify. People in general, our culture, and we in particular identify ourselves by our job, or our place of birth, or our heritage, our lineage, our race, our religion, our education, our sexuality, our family, our politics, our hobbies, or other things important to us that set us apart from others. However, there is one aspect that claims preeminence for believers, who we are in Christ. It is life-transforming to rest in what God says you are, and live with its applications.
Ephesians 1:7–10 ESV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Opening illustration: Tell a little about the conference this weekend dealing with racism, social justice, LGBTQ+ issues, creation/science/evolution, the problem of evil, abortion. We learned over and over that the main way to combat who the culture says you are or should be is to let the bible tell you who you are. Two main ways, who you are as a human being, personhood, dignity, sexuality, family; and who you are in Christ. Today we will deal with the latter.
Main thought: Today, we will look at three powerful things Christ does that help define you as a believer
1) Lavishing Riches of His Grace (v. 7-8)
Ephesians 1:7–8 ESV
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 1) Lavishing Riches of His Grace (v. 7-8)
Explanation: Paul says that we have redemption and forgiveness through the blood of Christ, but it is in accordance with the riches of grace; “these riches of divine grace are the ultimate cause of our redemption, for the preposition which speaks of the norm that governs something (= ‘in accordance with’) at the same time provides the reason (= ‘because’) for that deliverance”. It is the decisive rule/foundation/cause of the former.
Paul also uses the word lavish which means poured out with superabundance, wealth and extravagance welling up from a deep unending source and poured out on believers. This is all done according to the endless, perfect wisdom and insight of an incomprehensible, unfathomable God. Even this verse alone is deep enough to drown us in the love of God and the inability to understand why he has done so much.
Ephesians 2:7–8 ESV
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Colossians 1:27 ESV
27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Illustration: “Perhaps the closest comparison today would be the immense amounts of money offered in the major lotteries and sweepstakes giveaways. Here, though, it is not merely “something for nothing,” but an infinity of blessing freely offered. The basic difference, of course, between this gift and all others is that it is secured only through a relationship with the Giver and that its essence is the priceless intangible of divine forgiveness.” -IVP NT Commentary, 250 years ago this year, John Newton wrote the words for “Amazing Grace” in 1772. It was not until 1788, 34 years after leaving it that he renounced his former slaving profession by publishing a blazing pamphlet called
“Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade.” The tract described the horrific conditions on the ships and Newton apologized for making a public statement so many years after participating in the trade: “It will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.” The pamphlet was so popular it was reprinted several times and sent to every member of Parliament. Under the leadership of MP William Wilberforce, the English civil government outlawed slavery in Great Britain in 1807 and Newton lived to see it, dying in December of that year.
Application: Grace is giving us something that we don’t deserve, cannot earn, can only stand in bewilderment and receive. To understand the wealth of this grace and its primacy, we have to understand the depth of our need. If we think that we are pretty good people, grace doesn’t seem so amazing. Everything you have and you are of spiritual value comes by grace. This eliminates pride and self-righteousness. So, we cannot look down upon those who are trapped in various forms of sinful behavior, nor speak to others as those we are something special because of our own doing.
Your identity: I AM a person upon which Christ has poured out the superabundance of his extravagant grace.
Think about the depth of the endless reservoir of God’s grace toward you. Ask God to expand your mind to comprehend more of love which drove God to turn loose the tidal wave upon you. We can never understand all of his ways, but we can ask for more. “How much more will the Father give to his children...” Knowledge, experiential, personal, relational knowledge will cause your affections to rise and your passion to seek him and your satisfaction in him. Think deeply on the person of God, and it WILL change you.
2) Making Known His Will (v. 9)
Ephesians 1:9 ESV
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 2) Making Known His Will (v. 9)
Explanation: To understand the reference to the “mystery,” you must know that the word carries with it the connotation of something that was previously hidden, but now
revealed. You also have to put it in the context of God’s revelation of his will in creation and the OT. God reveals himself to all men in what we call general revelation, but God revealed himself to certain individuals, and eventually to the nation of Israel through spoken and written special revelation. General is enough to know and condemn, but only special is the way of salvation.
So, what Paul is saying is that God reveal his will in the OT to the Jews, the covenants and the prophecy, but the mystery revealed is the coming of Christ to bring salvation to the entire world. All of it is according to (like the last verse, governed by) God’s purposes set forth in Christ.
Ephesians 3:8–10 ESV
8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Romans 16:25–27 ESV
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Illustration: Tom (a new convert in North Africa in an unreached people group) said, “Why did it take you so long to get here and bring it to us?”...“No, I mean, how long has America had the Bible?” Tom said. “Our parents and grandparents – they never, ever got to hear.” Gideon Pastor’s Appreciation Banquet this week reminded me again why I support their ministry. “The recipients of this disclosure are the Christian community, who are thus able to praise God for his great kindness lavished on them.94 They are not some group of initiates but those who have received the word of God, for it is in the effective preaching and teaching of the gospel that the revelation of the mystery takes place.”
Application: Just think, thousands of years of people since creation, billions in number have come and gone, never knowing about the mystery that you have had revealed to you. They have never had a bible, a missionary, a preacher, or a church to reveal the mystery that God sent his only son, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Think, you had no control over where you were born, who your parents were, or what people might have been put into your life to point you in the direction that got you here today. Some of you may say that you are not sure where here is, but no one is here by accident or coincidence.
Your identity: I AM a person to whom Christ has revealed his will and purpose in Christ!
If you are a believer, the plan according to his purpose was revealed to you. You can’t be smart enough, wise enough, insightful enough to understand God’s miraculous plan. God opened your eyes to see it. The Holy Spirit spoke to you one day with the revelation that Jesus was God, you needed a Savior, you couldn’t save yourself, Jesus paid for your sins, and you needed to repent and believe. You didn’t come up with that on your own. Even if someone told you, the bible teaches that your human mind couldn’t understand spiritual things, so if you understand your need, and repented and believed, it means that God revealed it to you. I pray that God opens some eyes right now.
3) Uniting All Things (v. 10)
Ephesians 1:10 ESV
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 3) Uniting All Things (v. 10)
Explanation: With the elements of the fullness of time, and all things in heaven and on earth, the end times are in view. It’s clear that Paul is truly giving a culminating view of the plan of God for the salvation of men. We must also remember that not only was man broken during the fall, but the consequences of the fall affected the earth as well. If fact Paul tells us in Rom 8:19-22. “The important word employed here, which in the Greek world was regularly used of God’s ordering and administration of the universe, has an active sense of his ‘ordering, arranging or implementing’ the mystery, his secret purpose.” The heavens, the earth, Christ the Groom, the church his bride, all with the complete absence of sin and brokenness forever!
Colossians 2:2 ESV
