We will observe this text two times. On your first observation underline every occurrence of the words … you, us, we and our. On your second observation mark with a wavy underline every occurrence of the phrases: in Him, in Christ, in the Beloved . Mark with an *asterisk every occurrence of the phrase: *according to. This is a lesson in observation.
Ephesians 1.2-8a
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, *according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 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 on us.
A couple Important words we need to look at here are:
V5 Predestined = comes from 2 words in the Greek combined meaning “to limit in advance”. The figurative meaning denotes “to predetermine”. We need to know who has been predestined… to what, by who.
V7 redemption = refers to “releasing upon payment of a ransom”. The ransom that released Christians from their sin was the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Let’s see what we can learn from marking we and us and our Lets’ do this verse by verse. Ephesians 1.2-8a
V2: grace and peace are from God to you.
We observe that God our Father is the source of both grace and peace.
V3: As the source of grace and peace, God is the blesser and is to be blessed or praised. Us refers to believers or saints are the blessed ones. Do not miss the three-fold work of the Trinity in this verse. Father, Son and Spirit.
In V3 we see “God has” referring to the fact of an action past tense, blessed us with “every spiritual blessing” informing us Christians have received from God every spiritual blessing and these blessings are ours in Christ.
Alford and Vincent concur in the teaching that the word “spiritual” describes the blessings, not as spiritual as contrasted to physical, but to blessings produced and given us by the Holy Spirit. K Wuest
Question: Here’s something humbling. What are we, you and I doing or going to do with every spiritual blessing God has blessed you with?
V3= In heavenly places is location of blessings the entire supernatural realm of God.
The meaning is that spiritual blessings are found in heaven and brought thence to us.” K Wuest
Ephesians 2.6 “Paul speaks of God having already “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.
Christians have a two-tier level existence, dual citizenship might be another way to say this. While we remain on earth, we are citizens of earth. However, in Christ we are citizens of heaven. Christ is our King, our Lord, we are citizens of His realm, the heavenly places. We are members of God’s domain.
(Thoughts from Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Paul says in Philippines 3.20: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
Question: These blessings are from God and ours how? In Christ, meaning in our union with Him as our Lord and Savior. They are ours by God’s Grace through faith in Christ.
V4: just as God chose us, in Him, in Christ. In Christ, answers, who did what in whom. It also answers the question. How did you come to “be” a Christian?
Chosen by God in Christ informs us that the chosen are objects of election. Us being those who have identified with Christ by faith. Eph 1.1 saints who are the faithful in Christ.
The word chose here implies and denotes God’s totally independent choice and signifies that God not only chose by Himself but for Himself. John MacArthur
John 6.37: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. This verse implies God’s choosing and man’s receiving, because God made the choice possible.
John 6:44a No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
John 6.64-65 64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew From the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 5 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
In each of these scriptures what we need to see salvation is of God.
NOTE: God chose… In this text the word chose is the same usage as God choosing out Israel from among all nations to be the channel through which He will bring salvation to all those in other nations who will receive it. This choosing out of Israel from among the nations does not imply that those nations not chosen are rejected or refused salvation. Indeed, the salvation of Israel was for the purpose of making salvation possible to the other nations. The same usage applies in the case of individual sinners selected out from among mankind. These are selected for the purpose of being channels through which the knowledge of salvation might be brought to the rest of mankind, so that those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus as Savior might be saved. This precludes the idea that those not selected are rejected or refused salvation; -K Wuest
Before the foundation of the world = answers when… this is of course a reference to time, eternity past, before creation, before mankind existed.
That we would “be” this is one of the big little words meaning “be becoming”. Often it implies God’s purpose and intention becoming reality.
be = be becoming / sanctification, this would be you fulfilling the purpose for which you were by God created and by God called.
Holy and blameless= our position before God in Christ. This is how God sees us before Himself in Christ. If you’ve ever wondered how God sees you, here you have it.
Holy meaning separated to God, set apart by God for God. What we are from God’s perspective. Blameless, without blame.
In God’s plan Christ was crucified for us/ the chosen/elect before the foundation of the world.
This is our position before God separated unto God by God for worship and service to God and others, not the world, not evil, not sin. This is God seeing us as His Children as He sees Christ.
And This… is the walk we are to walk. This is the life we have by God been called and chosen to live. This is the people we have been called to “be”. And, we have by God been equipped perfectly to live it.
But… *if you do not know, you cannot do, you cannot be. *John MacArthur
Here in these verses of scripture we see our possessions and position before God, W. Wiersbe and God’s purpose for our lives in Christ. Some call this our identity in Christ.
Concerning whether “in love” is the end of verse 4 referring to holy and blameless or it is the beginning of v 5 and refers to being predestined to adoption as sons. We land on a great TRUTH. God ‘s motivation is love! And should be ours as well. I see both sides of the argument. My perspective is the end of verse 4 is really the beginning of 5. This is a transliteration issue. Moving on.
In love, here we see the motive for WHY God did what He did. Just as He chose Israel. Love here is agape’ the disposition of the heart that seeks the welfare and meets the needs of others. John 15.13 this is the love of God… the Love that God “is”.
V5: In love God predestined us meaning He foreordained to determine or decree beforehand. We see here How and WHAT God did… for WHO? Deut. 7.8 God chose Israel in love. From our verses we looked at from John 6 and likewise again here we see those who are of faith in Christ are His chosen. Yes, salvation begins with God, not man. Chosen by God for God. Set apart by God for God.
“To” adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself resulting is sonship having the rights and privileges of a full son are… ours In Christ. We become children of God… KIDS of the very nature of our Father God and of our Lord Jesus Christ.
*According to the kind intention of His will. This is a very revealing thought concerning the heart and mind of God. Once again, we see God’s motive. This is a look back moment. Look back at v 2 “grace to you”, v3 “Who has blessed us”, V 5, In love. These denote and imply the kind intention of God’s will.
V6: to the praise of the glory of God’s grace. Which God freely bestowed on us, in the Beloved. Here we see the ultimate reason and purpose of why God did what He did. Therefore we can say, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10.31, The goal is God’s Glory! That God be glorified.
V7: In Him, in the Beloved, in Christ we have redemption, this is, What we have in whom.
We have, which is present tense, continuing redemption.
The Beloved” is described as the One “in whom we “have” redemption.” The verb is present in tense, and durative in action, thus, “in whom we are having redemption.” The redemption is an abiding fact from the past, through the present, and into the future. K. Wuest
Through His blood, the means of Christ atoning sacrifice. Christ through His death and shed blood on the cross paid the price to set us free from our sins and slavery to sin and death.
The forgiveness of our trespasses, that would be our transgressions meaning the times we step over the boundary established.
What we have just looked at is the accomplished results of the shed blood of the Beloved, that being the forgiveness of our sins and we see this is “According to the riches of His grace”.
V 8 which God lavished or made to abound toward us. Here we see the purpose and intention of God’s love towards us realized in and through the Person and Work of Christ on the cross.
What we have in His Blood meaning His death on the Cross, we have redemption.
Resulting in forgiveness. Reason is found in John 3.16-21
What do you think about what you have just observed?
It is imperative that believers know, understand and comprehend their position, and possessions W. Wiersbe and their purpose as a child of God. This is the foundational focus of the book of Ephesians. This is the WHO, WHAT and HOW of WHAT God has called us to and to do and to be.
If you do not know, you cannot do, you cannot be. John MacArthur
You might want to write that down.
Knowing with certainty that the things we just observed are true of us is foundational in our discipleship journey. Dale Brand
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