Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Body Formed in Eternity Past*

*/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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace./**

*(1:3–6a)

 

One morning R. C. Chapman, a devout Christian, was asked how he was feeling.

“I’m burdened this morning!” was his reply.

But his happy countenance contradicted his words.

So the questioner exclaimed in surprise, “Are you really burdened, Mr. Chapman?” “Yes, but it’s a wonderful burden—it’s an overabundance of blessings for which I cannot find enough time or words to express my gratitude!”

Seeing the puzzled look on the face of his friend, Chapman added with a smile, “I am referring to Psalm 68:19, which fully describes my condition.

In that verse the Father in heaven reminds us that He ‘daily loads us with benefits.’”

Here are some of those blessings which are ours:

•      An acceptance that can never be questioned.

(Eph.

1:6).

•      An inheritance that can never be lost (I Peter 1:3–5).

•      A deliverance that can never be excelled (2 Cor.

1:10).

•      A grace that can never be limited (2 Cor.

12:9).

•      A hope that can never be disappointed.

(Heb.

6:18, 19).

•      A bounty that can never be withdrawn.

(1 Col. 3:21–23).

•      A joy that need never be diminished (John 15:11).

•      A nearness to God that can never be reversed (Eph.

2:13).

•      A peace that can never be disturbed (John 14:27).

•      A righteousness that can never be tarnished (2 Cor.

5:21).

•      A salvation that can never be canceled (Heb.

5:9).

* *

*Intro.*

In the Greek, verses 3–14 comprise one sentence and encompass the past, present, and future of God’s eternal purpose for the church.

It is Paul’s outline of God’s master plan for salvation.

§       In 3–6a we are shown the *past aspect*, - election;

§       in 6b–11 we are shown the *present aspect*, - redemption;

§       and in 12–14 we are shown the *future aspect*, - inheritance.

§       Within God’s master plan of salvation is every believer who has or will ever trust in God and be saved.

As it is sometimes expressed, history is simply the outworking of “His story,” which has already been planned and prewritten in eternity.

This passage can also be divided into three sections, each of which focuses on a different Person of the Trinity.



§       Verses 3–6a center on the Father, 

§       verses 6b–12 center on the Son,

§       and verses 13–14 center on the Holy Spirit.

§       Paul takes us to the very throne room of the godhead to show the greatness and the vastness of the blessings and treasures that belong to those who are in Jesus Christ.

People today are greatly concerned about identity, life purpose, self–worth, and self–acceptance.

Consequently there is a plethora of books, articles, seminars, and schemes that attempt to fulfill those longings.

But because God and His Word are not considered in most such attempts, the only source for finding the truth is eliminated, and men inevitably are led back to themselves for the answers.

In spite of many variations and sometimes complex formulas, the end result is to tell men they are really all right after all and that what identity, worth, and meaning they find in life they must find in and for themselves.

§       We are told to think of ourselves first and are shown how to get on top by using and manipulating others, by intimidating before being intimidated.

§       We are told how to be successful and how to be number one.

§       We are counseled to find meaning in the heritage of our family and ethnic roots, with the expectation that finding out where we came from will help explain where we are and perhaps where we are headed.

§       But such approaches give only a psychological gloss that helps cover, but does not help remove, the underlying problem of meaning in life.

§       Others set about trying to establish their worth by works righteousness, some even becoming heavily involved in church work and other Christian activities.

They look for praise and commendation, and before long they are entrapped in the same kind of hypocritical religious games that characterized the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

As their self–satisfaction grows their spiritual lives shrivel, because such effort feeds the flesh and cripples the soul.

§       But every human effort at self–improvement or self–satisfaction—no matter what its religious covering may be—is subject to the law of diminishing returns.

§       Genuine and lasting satisfaction is never achieved, and increased achievement only brings increased desire.

§       More importantly, the guilt and fear that cause the dissatisfaction are suppressed but not alleviated.

The longer such superficial games are played, the deeper become the depression, anxiety, and feelings of guilt.

§       */The only way a person can achieve a true sense of self–worth, meaning, and significance is to have a right relationship to his Creator/*.

§       A person without Christ has no spiritual value, no standing before God, no purpose or meaning in the world.

He is like “/chaff which the wind drives away////” /(Ps.

1:4).

§       A Christian, however, is a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.

§       If he has no comprehension of those blessings he needs to understand the position he already has in his Savior.

§       To give such Christians the right understanding of their position and possessions is the foundational thrust of Paul’s Ephesian letter.

§       If we belong to Christ, Paul says, we can be sure that God put our name down as part of His church even before the world began.

§       Out of grace and in divine sovereignty, He chose each one of us to belong to Him.

It was not because we were more worthy than anyone else or more deserving or meritorious—but simply because God willed to choose us.

§       Though this is an incomprehensible truth to finite thinking, it is one of the most repeated in Scripture.

§       The record of God’s redemptive history is that of His reaching down and drawing to Himself those whom He has chosen to save.

§       In these opening verses of Ephesians Paul gives us a glimpse of eternity past.

He lets us eavesdrop as God planned to save us—not only long before we were born but long before the earth was born.

*1.

**The Aspects of Blessing*

*/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, /*/(////1:3////)/

*Paul here presents six aspects of the divine blessing he is about to unfold: *

§       *the blessed One, God; *

§       *the Blesser, also God; *

§       *the blessed ones, believers; *

§       *the blessings, all things spiritual; *

§       *the blessing location, the heavenly places; and *

§       *the blessing Agent, Jesus Christ.*

*a.       **The Blessed One—God*

                                                   i.

Such gracious truth is introduced appropriately by praise to the One who has made such provision: *Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ*.

ii.