The Fountainhead of God's Grace
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Read Ephesians 1:4-6
Introduction
Introduction
Explanation of The Section
Explanation of The Section
We began this section last time with verse 3. Paul’s Hymn of Praise for God’s exhaustive provision of Blessings in Christ. This main idea continues all the way through the most of this Chapter. I was reminded this week again why we need Expository preaching. Verses that are hard stretch our minds and increase our dependence. I also learned again that verses come alive in fresh and new ways. It’s not a catalogue of blessings.
Paul is explaining how did we come to possess all the spiritual blessings? What God has done to give us these Spiritual Blessings.
Brief Word about in Christ
Brief Word about in Christ
The main phrase is “in Christ”
It refers to Christ as our representative and head. All spiritual blessings and favors are bestowed on us through Him. He's the channel through which the spring of God's grace runs. God saw in eternity past you and I in connection with His son, and he in time bestows all spiritual blessings to us through him.
Brief Statement of the Doctrine and it's Controversy
Brief Statement of the Doctrine and it's Controversy
Election is God’s eternal choice of some persons unto everlasting
life—not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy
life—not because of foreseen merit in them, but of His mere mercy
in Christ—in consequence of which choice they are called, justified
and glorified. Abstract of Principle
This doctrine has produced major controversy in Christianity throughout the ages. Many good Christians disagree with us on this issue. Let’s not be guilty of assuming someone isn’t a Christians simply because they don’t believe this doctrine. It is a difficult teaching!
Salvation is a multifaceted diamond. It may show different features depending on which angle you are looking at it, but it's still one and the same jewel. Election is like this. Many who believe in Justification by Faith have a hard time with the doctrine of Election, they see it as opposite of what the Bible teaches about the responsibility of men to respond to the Gospel. But Election is the other side of the diamond. It's looking at salvation from God's perspective instead of ours. God is the initiator in salvation. Paul emphasizes God's initiative in redeeming his people and that is only accomplished in union with Christ.
When we speak of Election, we are not equating it with salvation. Election is not being saved. Election is unto salvation. It’s God’s plan to save. (Wife planning to cook, and actually cooking.)
These truths are for everyone, but they are to Christians... This is only true of believers in Christ. “Family secret.” These glorious truths might not be true of you, but they can be. Through the gospel you can have them!
Explanation
Explanation
God's Eternal Choice
God's Eternal Choice
1) Of A Certain Number of People
1) Of A Certain Number of People
Read vs. 4
who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.
1 Peter 1:1-2
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
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John 6:39
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:28-31
Romans 8:28
since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
2) Before foundation of world
2) Before foundation of world
Before foundation of world
It was an eternal choice. God doesn’t do anything haphazardly or on a whim. Your salvation wasn’t on accident or on a whim, it was on purpose.
Isaiah
“Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
God's Intended Aim
God's Intended Aim
To Bring Us Near
To Bring Us Near
Read verse
To make us Holy vs. 4
To make us Holy vs. 4
God’s electing grace is for the purpose of holiness. God determines to make us Holy. He has set all the resources of heaven and utilizes the efforts of the entire Godhead to make you Holy and Blameless.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Not because we were already
God doesn’t choose someone based upon their goodness. He doesn’t choose someone based upon foreseen goodness. (God looked down)
This is pictured by God’s relationship with Israel
“The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Deut7:
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
God does not foresee people believing in Him, he ordains people to believe in him.
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 13:48
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Acts 13:
2 Thessalonians 2:13
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me.
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This whole text is aiming to show that God’s choice of you is not because of you. It’s not based on your merit, or your goodness. Election was In Christ before you were born, before you did anything good or bad.
When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Pictured by Israel
“The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:
By Jacob and Esau
for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Why It’s Necessary?
Read
A Bad Record
Spiritually Dead
Without Understanding
Blind
Defiled in Conscience
Trapped in darkness
Enslaved in sin
Hostile toward God
A hater of the light ,
Without desire for God
Without fear of God Romans 3:18
Election is not based upon you because you would have never been saved. Do you really want God basing his actions towards you on a perfect understanding of what you’d do or be? NO, you don’ want God to treat you according to your actions!
I believe in the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I would never would have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chose me afterward. C. H. SPURGEON
Not without holiness, but to it
To Bring Us Near vs. 5
To Bring Us Near vs. 5
“before Him” “adoption as sons” “to himself”
God's Reason for Doing So
God's Reason for Doing So
If it wasn’t based on you, what was it based on?
HIS LOVE! Expression of his infinite goodness
There was nothing that motivated love outside of Himself. We tend to naturally love things based on their loveliness, God moving toward the most un-lovely being and says that I’m going to love that. Simply because he wanted to.
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
It's His will.
To the praise of His grace. vs. 5b
Practical Applications
Practical Applications
This helps us to see how bad off we really are. If it takes the sovereign determination of God to save me, if I can’t contribute positively in any way to my being saved, then I am really bad.
You cannot force God to save you! You cannot make Him give you faith or mercy, it’s his to give to who he wants. But you can ask for it!
This should increase our gratitude and praise for God’s amazing grace.
This gives us security about the future.