Ephesians 1 Part 4 (4-10-05)

Ephesians 1 Part 4

(Bible Study Time 4-10-05)

Last week we looked at Ephesians, Chapter 1 and verse 5 where the Apostle Paul said that believers today were predestined to be sons of God. We saw that Hosea first gave the prophesy that the nation of Israel would someday be called "Sons of God." He said that in spite of the fact that Israel was facing destruction by the Assyrians. The prophecy of Hosea relates to the future kingdom in which the unbelieving nations of the world will call Israel the "Sons of God."

In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul spoke to the Jews and said:

Galatians 3:24-25 (NKJ)

24 . . . the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Then he spoke to Jews and Gentiles alike and said:

Galatians 3:26-29 (NKJ)

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Obviously, Paul was writing to a group of believers who were anticipating the earthly kingdom which was promised to Abraham and his descendants. But in Ephesians, Chapter 1, Paul says that the members of the Church which is the Body of Christ were also predestined to adoption as sons of God. However, he never said that we are Abraham's seed or that we share in the promise that was given to Abraham.

In Ephesians 1, Paul says that this calling of the Body of Christ to be sons of God is according to the good pleasure of God's will. The word for good pleasure is the same word that is used in Luke, Chapter 2, where the angel announced the Savior's birth and the hosts of heaven shouted, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

The word for goodwill is the same as that for good pleasure, and this indicates that the will of God is truly favorable toward man. The goodwill that God has in his heart toward man was expressed in the person of Jesus Christ. In like manner, God predestined us to be adopted as sons because of His favorable purpose and will for mankind. He wants only the best for man. God is not sitting in heaven waiting for man to fail so that He can pour out His judgment. No. God wants all men to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth, but sin has separated man from God's good pleasure.

When Adam sinned in the garden, he ran to hide because he could no longer sense the good pleasure of God. Sin had broken the beautiful fellowship they had enjoyed, and sadly enough, today, there are people who think that God does not love them, that God is angry with them and that there is no hope for them to be reconciled to God.

Jesus Christ came to earth bringing God's peace and God's goodwill toward men, and it is through simple faith in Christ that people can begin to experience a sweet and beautiful fellowship with God that confirms His genuine love. Those who get to know Jesus Christ, get to know the good pleasure of God and that it was according to His good pleasure that He predestined us to adoption as sons.

In the Garden of Eden, God promised that the Savior would come through the seed of the woman. Therefore, even then, God was revealing the good pleasure of His will. God said that the serpent would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, but the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Satan bruised the heel of Jesus Christ, so to speak, when the Jews crucified Christ upon the cross. But Jesus Christ bruised the head of Satan when Christ rose from the dead, triumphing over the principalities and powers of darkness.

This whole plan is a glorious plan which brings glory to God. When the angels in heaven see sinful, fallen men accepting Jesus Christ by faith and becoming the sons of God, the hosts of heaven sing anew, "Glory to God in the highest."

When Jesus Christ left the glory of heaven to be born in a stable and into a relatively poor family, he did not come just to provide a partial salvation for those of us who believe. No, He came to provide total salvation for everyone who believes. When we are saved, we become new creations in Christ. God gives us a new heart. But we can praise the Lord that there is more to our salvation than that.

Someday God is going to redeem our bodies. We will be caught up to be with the Lord, and we will receive a glorious body which will never die. Which will never see disease. Which will never feel pain or shed a tear. There will be no more sorrow. It seems apparent when we look at the context of Hosea, that this term, "Sons of God", refers particularly to believers of the future who have already experienced total redemption, meaning the redemption of the body as well as that of the soul and spirit.

The total redemption that Jesus Christ provided for us is not just limited to human beings either. The total salvation that Jesus Christ provided will flow from the hearts of men and out into the created universe. In fact, Paul said:

Rom 8:19-23 (NKJ)

19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Ephesians 1 says that this total redemption comes through the blood of Christ according to the riches of God's grace. The word for riches is ploutos in the Greek, and it is repeatedly used by the Apostle Paul to describe the character and blessings of God. Here he speaks of the riches of God's grace. Later in Ephesians 1, Paul will speak of the riches of the glory of God's inheritance in the saints. In Romans 2, Paul spoke of the riches of God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering. In Romans 9, Paul referred to the riches of God's glory. In Romans 11, again he referred to the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

Paul spoke of the riches that are found in Christ 4 times in Romans, 5 times in Ephesians, once in Philippians, and twice in Colossians. This Apostle was obviously impressed with the spiritual riches that are to be found in Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus said that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will often choke out the effect of the word of God in a person's life, but this was not the case with the Apostle Paul, for he had a crystal clear vision of the riches that are ours in Christ.

For those who are interested in hidden treasures, Paul says in Colossians 2 that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. It is sad that people will spend their lives seeking to find the hidden treasures of this world, when all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in the One who says:

Rev 3:20 (NKJ)

20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

If you do not know Christ today and your life is meaningless and empty. If you want to experience the riches of God's grace and delve into the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are found in Christ. Simply open the door. Christ is standing at the door, knocking. Open the door by praying a prayer of faith. Say, "God, I want to experience all of the riches and all of the treasures of Christ in my life."

If you open the door, Christ will come into your life, and He will dine with you, and you will dine with Him. In other words, you will experience a fellowship with God that flows in both directions. You will experience the riches of God's grace, and God will find great pleasure in filling your life with the riches of His grace. You will dine with Him, and He will dine with you.

One of the many treasures that we discover as we fellowship with the Lord Jesus in His word is the rich glory of the mystery of the Church to which believers belong today. In Colossians 1:27, Paul was speaking about the believers of our present age and said:

Col 1:27 (NKJ)

27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What mystery was he talking about. Let's look back a couple of verses to Colossians 1:24, where Paul said:

Col 1:24-26 (NKJ)

24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

Paul was saying that he was called by God to reveal this great mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ and that the revelation of this mystery was a stewardship which was given only to Him. The mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ was hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to the saints through the Apostle Paul.

Paul certainly had first hand knowledge of the hidden treasures that can be found in Christ. He knew first hand about all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are in Christ, but he also knew that these treasures are often hidden in Christ.

When Paul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus came knocking at the door of Paul's heart, and Paul said, "Lord, what would you have me to do?" That is a great example of a prayer of faith. No one can tell you what to say to God. The words have to come straight from your heart. Paul's prayer was "Lord, what would you have me to do?"

When Paul prayed this prayer, the Lord Jesus came into his life and began to teach him and direct him, and little did Paul know that God was going to reveal to him treasures of knowledge which had been hidden in Christ throughout all of the centuries, namely the mystery concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ.

Paul said that today, God is revealing the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, and he goes on to say that the end result of this mystery, on a practical level, is Christ in you, the hope of glory. As members of the Body of Christ, we are spiritually united with the One who holds the key to the future glories of heaven and earth. The hope of glory is in you in the person of Jesus Christ.

That's why Paul emphatically states in the next verse, "Him we preach!" In other words, Paul says, "We preach Christ." You have to get to know Christ and accept Him by faith before you can explore all of the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are found in Christ. But then in Colossians 2, Paul says that his desire was for these believers to acquire all of the riches of the full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of the mystery of God. God wants us to enjoy all of the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are ours in Christ.

Well, I see our time is gone. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning, and be sure to tune in again next week at this same time.

Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/