Reasons to Bless God (1)
2 February 2014 PM – Ephesians 1:3-6 – Eph 14 – Scott Childs
Introduction: As Christians, one of the most frequent things we fail to do is to praise God. We ought to bless or speak well of God often. We ought to talk about His goodness and grace towards us. We ought to honour, reverence, and glorify Him. God has done so much for us, yet we struggle to think of more than one thing for which to bless Him.
Transition: Verses 3-14 give us several reasons we ought to bless God. This evening we will look at the first three reasons.
I. Bless God: Because God Has Blessed Us (3)
A. He blessed us with all spiritual blessings.
1. His greatest blessings are not physical. They are spiritual – produced by the Holy Spirit. They relate to the spirit rather than the flesh.
2. His blessings are unlimited. He gives us “all” spiritual blessings – provided abundantly for every situation in which they are needed.
B. His blessings are not just future.
1. They are in heavenly places. “Places” is supplied. Literally, in or above heaven, exiting in heaven. Wuest
Bob Utley thinks that from the context of all of its usages, it must mean the spiritual realm in which believers live here and now, not heaven.
Marvin Vincent says the meaning is that the spiritual blessings of God are found in heaven and are brought thence to us.
Kenneth Wuest adds, we saints while still in the body on earth, are enjoying some of the blessings which we will enjoy in heaven.
2. They are in Christ. Each of these blessings finds its origin in Christ. We can enjoy them only because of our relationship with Christ in salvation.
**If you are a Christian, you ought to bless God because He has blessed you with rich blessings.
II. Bless God: Because God Chose Us (4)
A. God chose us
1. “According as he hath chosen”, God’s choosing was a result of his blessing.
2. God selected us.
a) Many view this as unconditional election – to pick some among the masses of humanity to go to heaven and doom the rest to hell. If this is true, it is one of the mysteries beyond human understanding for the Bible clearly says that men have a choice in the matter. To support this popular Calvinistic view, you must change or overlook scores of verses that present God’s universal love and universal offer of salvation. For example:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
b) A more consistent rendering of this difficult subject may be to say that God chose the way of salvation to be “in Christ” and then gave all men the invitation to trust Christ and become part of the chosen or elect group. God chooses all who obey the gospel (2Th 1:8, 1Pe 4:17) that he ordained before the foundation of the world.
3. God chose us before the foundation of the world. He knew before creation that man would sin against him. Before the beginning, God planned man’s redemption through Christ’s death and resurrection. He chose all who would place their faith in Christ’s atonement. God knew before creation every person who would believe on Him.
B. God chose us for a dual purpose
1. That we should be holy … before him. This speaks of inner consecration to God. God made us holy when He justified us.
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
2. That we should be without blame before him. This shows the result of holiness, believers can live blameless lives with the Holy Spirit’s help.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
**If you are a Christian, you ought to bless God because he chose you in Christ before creation.
III. Bless God: Because God Predestinated us (5-6)
A. He predestinated our adoption
1. The words “in love” at the end of verse 4, probably describe God’s loving motive for predestination.
2. The word “predestinated” means to predetermine or to decide beforehand.
3. God predetermined that He would adopt all who would place their trust in Christ’s atonement.
a) This adoption was only possible through Jesus Christ.
b) God adopted us to Himself.
c) God adopted us in accord with the good pleasure of his will. He wilfully delighted to do so. It was not a duty but His desire.
4. Every true Christian is part of God’s family.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
B. He predestinated our praise
1. God predetermined our adoption but he also predetermined our praise.
a) God so planned salvation so we could be saved and adopted into His family. However, He also planned for us to praise Him. He placed within us both the ability and the motive to praise Him.
b) From a human perspective, seeking our praise sounds arrogant. However, God is the only Being who rightly deserves praise because He is the author and source of every blessing we will ever know.
2. God wants us to praise the glory (or excellence) of His grace (His undeserved divine enablement). God’s grace is excellent!
a) God’s grace planned a way of salvation before the foundation of the world.
b) God’s grace provided the way of salvation through Christ’s atonement.
c) God’s grace purified us, making us holy and blameless.
Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
d) God’s grace predetermined to adopt all who place their faith in Christ.
e) God’s grace privileged us in the beloved. The phrase “made us accepted” literally says “gave us special honour or favour”.
3. The “beloved” one here is Christ. Therefore, to be “in the beloved” is to be in Christ. God honours us because we are in union with Christ by faith in Him.
**If you are a Christian, you ought to bless God because He predetermined to adopt you and to enable you to praise Him.
Conclusion: This evening we learned that we should bless or praise God because He blessed us, He chose us, and He predestinated us. When is the last time you blessed God for these things? As we close the service, we are going to pause for a short time so you can silently bless God for the spiritual blessings He gives you, for choosing you when you placed your faith in Christ, and for predetermining to adopt you into His family.
Song: Thank You Lord – 221