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God’s Purpose in Christ

  1. PAUL'S OPENING REMARKS (Ephesians 1:1-2)
    1. Pauls Apostleship (Ephesians 1:1)
      1. An apostle of Jesus Christ
      2. By the will of God
    2. The Addressees (Ephesians 1:1)
      1. Twofold address
        1. To the saints
          1. Etymology and Definition of the word
            1. Circa 1125, from Old French seinte, altering Old English sanct, both from Latin sanctus "holy, consecrated"  (http://www.etymonline.com)
            2. A person sanctified; a holy or godly person; one eminent for piety and virtue. It is particularly applied to the apostles and other holy persons mentioned in Scripture.    (Websters 1828 Dictionary)
          2. Biblical usage of the word
            1. All that be in Rome (Romans 1:7)
            2. Sanctified in Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:2)
            3. Churches of the Saints (1 Corinthians 14:33)
            4. Need perfecting (Ephesians 4:12)
            5. Woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (Revelation 17:6)
        2. To the faithful brethren
      2. Twofold position
        1. At Ephesus
        2. In Christ Jesus
    3. The Twofold Blessing (Ephesians 1:2)
      1. The two parts
        1. Grace
        2. Peace
      2. The two persons
        1. God our Father
        2. The Lord Jesus Christ
  2. OUR BLESSINGS IN CHRIST (Ephesians 1:3-14)
    1. The Nature of the Blessings (Ephesians 1:3)
      1. The type spiritual (Ephesians 1:3)
      2. The place heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3)
      3. The means in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
    2. The Origination of the Blessings
      1. Humanly speaking
        1. Takes effect at salvation
          1. These blessings are limited to those who are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:13)
          2. After ye heard the word of truth (Ephesians 1:13)
          3. You trusted in Christ (Ephesians 1:12-13)
          4. You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13-14)
          5. The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance.  The earnest is the very first part which means that none of the blessings could have preceded this, yet it is also a promise of Gods obligation to finish the transaction.  When you get Christ you get it all (Romans 8:17).
        2. The blessings are in Christ
          1. Our circumstances before salvation
            1. Dying in Adam (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-49)
            2. Dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13)
            3. Enemies of God (Romans 5:10)
          2. Our circumstances at salvation
            1. We are adopted (Ephesians 1:5)
            2. We are accepted (Ephesians 1:6)
            3. We have redemption (Ephesians 1:7)
        3. The emphasis of the blessings
          1. In him (Ephesians 1:4)
          2. By Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5)
          3. In the beloved (Ephesians 1:6)
          4. In whom (Ephesians 1:7)
          5. Through his blood (Ephesians 1:7)
          6. In himself (Ephesians 1:9)
          7. In Christ (Ephesians 1:10)
          8. In whom (Ephesians 1:11)
          9. In whom (Ephesians 1:13)
      2. Heavenly speaking
        1. Already known because of the foreknowledge of God (Romans 8:29)
        2. God can declare the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10; Acts 15:18)
        3. God can have the knowledge of something without being forced to carry it through (Acts 2:23)
    3. The Details of the Blessings (Ephesians 1:4-14)
      1. Chosen before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Ephesians 1:4)
        1. We stand in the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
        2. We have the righteousness of God (Romans 3:21-22)
        3. We will be found in the righteousness of God (Philippians 3:9)
      2. Predestinated unto the adoption of children (Ephesians 1:5)
        1. We have received the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15-18)
        2. The adoption is not yet complete (Romans 8:19-23)
      3. Accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6)
        1. The identity of the beloved (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 12:15-18; Matthew 17:1-6)
        2. The love of the Father for the Beloved (John 3:35-36; John 5:20-23; John 10:17-18; John 17:24)
      4. Redemption (Ephesians 1:7)
        1. MacArthur on the blood
          1. In a letter to Tim Weidlich, Paul Clark, Kevin Jolliff of Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, April 4, 1986, MacArthur made the following statement of his position:
          2. "Obviously, it was not the blood of Jesus that saves or He could have bled for us without dying. It was His death for sin that saves. When Romans 3:25 speaks of 'faith in His blood' everyone understands that to be a reference to His death -- not the blood running through His body. In Romans 5:9, being 'justified by His blood' also refers to His death, as verse 10 makes clear in saying 'we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.' In fact, the careful explanation of salvation in Romans 6 omits any reference to His blood at all. The point is that the shedding of blood was just the visible indication of His death, His life being poured out. ... I admit that because of some traditional hymns there is an emotional attachment to the blood -- but that should not pose a problem when one is dealing with theological or textual specificity. I can sing hymns about the blood and rejoice with them -- but I understand that reference to be a metonym for His death."
        2. The need for redemption
          1. Man is in bondage to sin (John 8:34)
          2. We were subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:15-16)
        3. The preciousness of blood
          1. Blood cries out to God from the ground (Genesis 4:10)
          2. Man has always been instructed not to eat the blood (Genesis 9:4; Acts 21:25)
          3. A man who sheds another mans blood is to have his blood shed by man (Genesis 9:5-6)
          4. Blood delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 12:5-7, 12-13)
          5. The life of the flesh is blood (Leviticus 17:11-14)
          6. Blood can defile a land (Numbers 35:33-34)
          7. The Lord keeps a record of all righteous blood that is shed (Matthew 23:35)
          8. Pilate was worried about the blood of Christ being on his hands (Matthew 27:24)
          9. The High Priest was not to enter the Holiest of All without the blood (Hebrews 9:7)
        4. The price of redemption
          1. We are not redeemed by corruptible things (1 Peter 1:18-19)
          2. We are bought with a price (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
        5. The work of redemption
          1. The Lords contradictory actions
            1. Touch me not (John 20:16-17)
            2. Touch me (Matthew 28:9)
          2. The blood of Christ was part of His offering (Hebrews 9:11-14)
        6. What we have because of the blood
          1. Eternal Redemption (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12)
          2. Forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14)
          3. Peace (Colossians 1:20)
          4. Justification (Romans 5:9)
          5. Sanctification (Hebrews 13:12)
          6. Boldness (Hebrews 10:19)
          7. A clean conscience (Hebrews 9:14)
        7. The place for blood in Christianity
          1. Our Bibles (Hebrews 4:12)
            1. The Bible is said to be quick
            2. That means it is alive
            3. When the bibles are missing the blood they cease to live
          2. Our Songs
            1. Songs of praise concerning the blood will be sung in heaven (Revelation 5:6-10)
        8. According to His grace
          1. The extent of His grace
            1. Riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7)
            2. Abounds more than the offence (Romans 5:15-21)
            3. Abounds more than future sin (Romans 6:1)
            4. Abundant grace (2 Corinthians 4:15)
            5. Sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)
            6. Exceeding abundant (1 Timothy 1:14)
            7. It is available at the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)
            8. Manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10)
            9. Exceeding riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7)
          2. The effects of His grace
            1. Forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7)
            2. Justification (Romans 3:24)
            3. Salvation (Ephesians 2:8)
            4. Acceptance in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6)
            5. A changed life (1 Corinthians 15:10)
            6. Christian service (1 Corinthians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 1:12)
            7. Riches (2 Corinthians 8:9)
      5. Knowledge of the mystery of His will (Ephesians 1:9-10)
      6. An inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
        1. We were begotten to an inheritance (1 Peter 1:3)
        2. Our inheritance is incorruptible (1 Peter 1:4)
        3. Our inheritance cannot be defiled (1 Peter 1:4)
        4. Our inheritance fadeth not away (1 Peter 1:4)
        5. Our inheritance is reserved in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4)
      7. Sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
        1. God has sealed us with the Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
        2. We are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30)
      8. The redemption of the purchased possession (Ephesians 1:14)
Andrew Ray

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