In Ephesians 1:3-6, we found three reasons to bless God. Their focus was on thing that God the Father has done for us – He blessed us, chose us in Christ, and predestinated us to adoption.

In verses 7-14, we find three more reasons to bless God. The first two focus on things Christ has done for us and the third focuses on things the Holy Spirit has done for us.

Transition

As we study the things Christ and the Holy Spirit have done for us, ask God to convict your heart of the need to bless God daily.

Bless God: Because Christ Graciously Saves (7-10)

Christ redeemed and forgave us (7)

  1. To redeem is to set one free by paying the ransom.
    1. The wages earned by our sin was eternal death in hell. The ransom for our deliverance was the blood sacrifice of a perfect substitute.
      Hebrews 9:22 … without shedding of blood is no remission.
    2. Jesus paid our ransom with his blood.
      Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
  2. Christ forgave our sins or trespasses (i.e., coming short of righteousness). To forgive is to release from bondage and penalty.
  3. Christ paid this terrible price because of the riches or wealth of His grace. His loving unmerited help is rich enough to redeem and forgive the worst sinner.

Christ’s grace abounds toward us (8)

  1. His grace abounded. To abound means to overflow. God has so much grace that it overflows for every need we have.
  2. His grace abounded in two qualities.
    1. In all wisdom
    2. In all prudence
      Kenneth Wuest: To compare the two words, we would say that sophia refers to wisdom as such, and phronēsis, to the right and effective use of that wisdom in order to attain desired ends.
    3. God’s grace overflowed with wisdom to know how to redeem and forgive us. His grace overflowed with prudence to provide the free unmerited enabling to rescue and set us free through the blood of Christ.

Christ revealed His mystery to us (9-10)

  1. In the Bible, a mystery is a fact that God has kept secret in the ages past. It was a secret of his will or wishes.
  2. It was God’s good pleasure or delight to reveal that secret in the New Testament.
  3. A dispensation is a period of time in which God deals with man in a particular way. The fullness of times refers to the end times, the church age in which we now live, the gospel dispensation. At the end of the church age, Christ will bring all things together again as they were before sin cursed the world.
    1. Jew and Gentile alike can be saved.
    2. Nature will again be in harmony.
    3. Christ will reign as King of kings.

Bless God: Because Christ Shares Inheritance (11-12)

In Christ Christians have an inheritance (11)

  1. The phrase obtain an inheritance means that God has assigned us a lot. He has given us a portion in heaven. We are joint heirs with Christ.
    Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
  2. We have this inheritance in Christ. In other words, when a person by faith repents and trusts Christ for salvation, he receives Christ’s righteousness. He is now said to be “in Christ.” This “in Christ” relationship provides us with an inheritance in heaven.
    1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
  3. Our inheritance was predestined or predetermined just like our adoption. In eternity past, God planned to give all who place their faith in Christ, an inheritance in heaven. That is amazing!
    1. This was according to his purpose or plan.
    2. Christ works out all things relating to salvation after the counsel of His will.
      Wuest points out that the word “will” is “a desire that springs from one’s emotions.” Here the emotional nature is governed by reason and deliberation.

The end goal is that we praise God (12)

  1. This is the second time in this chapter that God tells us that His ultimate goal is that we praise His glory (cf. v.6).
  2. Those who first trusted or literally first hoped in Christ were probably the Jewish believers. We find a change of pronoun in the next verse, evidently referring to the Gentiles, which leads us to this conclusion.

Bless God: Because the Holy Spirit Secures Us (13-14)

We just saw how Christ graciously saves and shares His inheritance with all believers. Now we will see how the Holy Spirit securely seals believers.

Salvation always comes before sealing

  1. We see that Paul changes the pronoun “we” to “ye”. Some Bible teachers think the “we” refers to Paul and his companions and the “ye” to the Ephesian believers. Others think the “we” refers to Jewish Christians and “ye” to Gentile Christians. This is probably correct.
  2. Note the order of events that lead to salvation.
    1. Ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
    2. Ye believed in the Christ of the Gospel.
      Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
    3. Ye were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise.
      John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
      Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

B. It is the Holy Spirit secures true believers

  1. 1. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells every true believer.
    Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
  2. The Holy Spirit is a seal on the new believer’s life.
    1. He is the proof-of-purchase seal.
    2. He is the seal of genuineness.
    3. He is a seal that cannot be broken.
  3. He is called the earnest of our inheritance. In other words, the indwelling Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance.
  4. He seals every true believer and is God’s down payment until the redemption of the purchased possession. In other words, He secures the believer until Christ comes to take the believer He purchased to heaven.
  5. Once again, God’s goal is that these wonderful truths will cause every believer to praise His glory.

Conclusion

If last week’s message did not motivate you to bless God, may this stir your heart to begin tonight. God has done so much for us. Psalm 13:6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me. That is so true! Let’s praise Him!

Song: Praise Him! Praise Him! 442

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Reasons to Bless God (2)

9 February 2014 PM – Ephesians 1:7-14 – Eph 14 – Scott Childs