Part 1 – Ephesians
By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett – Asbury Free Methodist
September 3rd, 2023 – Ephesians 1:1-14
I am starting a new series on the book of Ephesians this morning. Ephesians is my favourite book of the Bible. It has done more to stabilize my life and satisfy my soul than any other book. I expect this series to take us all the way to Advent. If you take what this book says seriously, it will broaden and deepen your spiritual life like few other things will.
There are two interconnected belief systems that define who you are. These beliefs are the most important thing about you. I am not talking about what you say you believe but what you really believe. These beliefs will affect the direction and quality of your life more than anything else. Those two belief systems are what you believe about God and what you believe about yourself.
A.W. Tozer once said, “The most important thing about a person is what comes to mind when they think about God.” What you believe about God shapes your life. If you believe he is absent, then you will live one way. If you believe he is present, you will live another way. If you believe that he is personally involved in your life, you can walk in faith. If you believe that he is looking at the world from a distance, you will live another way.
If you believe that money, relationships, power, career, or anything else we can turn into an idol is more important than God, those idols become your god and will determine how you live. If you determine that God is the most important person in your life, then you will live another way. What you believe about God defines so much about you.
The second belief system that profoundly affects your life is what you believe about yourself. If you view yourself as valuable, you will walk into a room one way. If you view yourself as worthless, you will walk into a room another way. If you think of yourself as talented or kind or smart, that will affect your actions. If you think of yourself as unlikeable, unworthy, less than – you will behave another way. What you think about yourself goes a long way in determining what kind of life you will have.
What you think about God and what you think about yourself, for the most part, defines who you are. Those two belief systems affect your life more than anything else. Those two belief systems define you.
****
I have had the privilege of working with Christians and non-Christians as they are trying to work through some of the difficult places in life. I will tell you this: it is much harder working with non-Christians when it comes to answering these basic questions about life.
What do you say to a non-Christian when their spouse has betrayed them and cheated on them, and they are feeling worthless and stupid? I will tell you what you say – well, that is only their opinion of you. You don’t have to believe that. But they say my parents gave me the same message of being worthless. What if I really am worthless?
If you are a skilled counselor, you can work with them through these difficulties, but it is hard.
What do you say to a Christian who is going through something similar? You say you can choose to believe that other person, you can choose to believe your feelings, or you can choose to believe what God has said about himself and you.
Let me tell you about what God has said about himself and you. Come with me to Ephesians 1. This is one of the great passages of scripture to see who God is and who you are.
Ephesians 1:1 (NIV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Paul starts off by telling us who this letter is written to. It is written to the people of God. It is written to Christians. Each of these verses has something to say about us or God. But the us in verses applies only to those who have received Jesus into their life by faith.
So, if that is you, what does this verse say about you? You are God’s holy people. Other versions translate this verse, “To the saints who are in Ephesus.” You are God’s holy people, you are saints.
Some of you are saying – wait a second – time out. Pastor if you saw me when I was angry last week, or if you saw what I watched last week, or if you heard what I said last week, you wouldn’t be calling me a saint. I’m no saint.
I get that. I also know that the church in Ephesus wasn’t perfect. Here is the thing that people often forget about holiness. It is not about what you have done. It is about what Christ has done in you.
Paul was writing to the people in Corinth and talking about their former way of living. But he says this,
1 Corinthians 6:11 (NIV)
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, (made holy) you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Because of what Jesus had done for you, because of what the Spirit of God has done in you – you are a saint. You are holy.
Does it matter what we do? Of course, it does. What do you do when you blow it in your anger, or you say stuff you shouldn’t say or do stuff you shouldn’t do. You 1 John 1:9 it.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
When you are purified from all unrighteousness, you are made holy. You are a saint.
What does this tell you about who you are? You are holy; you are a saint.
Let’s move on in our passage. If you could read Greek, you would find out that verses 3-14 are all one sentence. What I am going to do is walk through this passage and point out what it says about God and what it says about you. I am sorry that I have to fly through this so quickly, but you have Bibles at home, and you can see this for yourself if you take some time to meditate on it.
Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
What this says about God:
He is worthy of our praise.
What this says about us:
We have been blessed in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
He is going to go on and define what those blessings are. But I want you to note that he says you have every spiritual blessing. So, when we start to look at them, that means that you get all of them. You don’t just get some of them you get all of them. All these things are true for you who follow Jesus.
Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
What does this say about God?
It says that before all that is, everything that you can see was even started – there was God. He was before all. Not only was he before all – but he looked ahead in time, and he chose you. Before your grandparents were born, he knew you and chose you in Christ.
What does this say about you?
You are chosen. It is not an accident that you came to Christ. Now I get that there is a great mystery. The Bible is very clear that we must choose Christ. But before you could choose him and place your faith in him, he chose you. God is always the prime mover. He is the one who moves first, and you must respond to his move.
Some of you feel like second-class Christians, maybe because of where you came from or, what you have done, or what has happened. I want you to know that you are chosen by God. It is not a mistake.
Ephesians 1:4–5 (NIV)
In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
What does this say about God?
He did what he did out of love. God loves you. He did what he did for you out of love. Not only that, you give God pleasure. If you have ever had kids and you see them being cute and it brings a smile to your face – then you might get this. God looks at you, and you bring him pleasure.
We will talk about adoption in a moment, but he says you were adopted in accordance with his pleasure and will. God chose you. God wants you. God really values you. It was his will that you became his child.
What does this say about you?
You were adopted to sonship through Jesus Christ. This language is not meant to be sexist; it is meant to convey something very important.
In Roman law, the sons inherited the father’s possessions, not the daughters. That is sexist. But what Paul is saying is, men women, God has adopted you, and you have an inheritance that is coming.
What that means is now you are part of the family of God and there is more yet to come. In love, God made you part of his family with all the rights and benefits that come with that.
Ephesians 1:5–6 (NIV)
5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
What does this say about God?
He has adopted you into his family through grace that was freely given to us in Jesus.
Grace is God’s undeserved favour. We didn’t earn a place in God’s family. We didn’t deserve a place in God’s family. But God, in love, freely gave us a place in God’s family. Freely. He wasn’t coerced. Nobody twisted his arm. He gave you his favour freely, unreservedly through Jesus.
What does this say about you?
Because of what Jesus did on the cross, through him, we have God’s wonderful favour. God’s grace, God’s favour rest upon you. I have known people who believed they were cursed by God. I want you to know that that is not true. God’s favour rests upon you, child of God
Ephesians 1:7–8a (NIV)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us.
What does this say about God?
It says this undeserved favour, this grace was lavished on us. God didn’t just give you enough favour to get by. He lavished his grace on you. God is a generous God.
What does this say about us?
It says, “In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.
In Jesus, we have redemption. The idea of being redeemed is being bought back. The Roman Empire was full of slaves. If you redeemed a slave, you bought them back and set them free. In Jesus, you have been bought back from darkness and brought into the light. You were bought back from the taskmaster of sin and set free to live.
It says we have redemption through his blood. The price of your freedom was Jesus dying on the cross. It also says you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins – in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
How much forgiveness – it is all forgiven because God’s grace is vast and free.
I know so many people who struggle with their past. They have done things that they are not proud of. Here is what I want you to know. God’s word declares that on the basis of what Jesus has done, you are forgiven. The devil will remind you of your past. But you remind him of the work of Jesus and the power of the cross and grace of God to you.
Ephesians 1:8b–10 (NIV)
With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
What does this say about God?
He knows what he is doing. He has a plan. This isn’t just about your personal salvation. You are part of God’s bigger story. He is going to bring all things in heaven and on earth into unity under Christ.
Heaven and Earth are out of sync. They are not unified. We live in a world full of hatred and injustice. Our world is filled with grief and despair. That is not heaven. That is not what God wants. But God has a plan that starts in Christ to change all of that. That plan has not been fully put into effect yet, but it will be when the time is right.
What does this say about you?
You are part of God’s plan. You are part of God’s ongoing work in the world.
Ephesians 1:11–12 (NIV)
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
What does this say about God?
God works everything out to conform with his will and purposes. This does not mean that everything that happens is God’s will. But God is so big and so strong that he is able to all things and bring about his will and his purposes.
What does this say about us?
You, just by being you, a child of God, chosen, forgiven, redeemed, full of grace, are for the praise of his glory. You just by being a follower of Jesus, you are praising God. You are part of what he is doing. That brings God glory.
I know we emphasize worship – and that is right and good. But just by being you and being part of God’s plan, living your life, you bring God glory.
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
I had another full message that I thought about preaching from this passage. I would have entitled it “In Christ.” In this passage, “In Christ” or “In him” is used 10 times. You are in Christ, and Christ is in God.
What this says about you:
You are in Christ, and you became “in Christ” when you heard the good news about Jesus and his deliverance from sin, and you believed.
When that happened, you were marked in him with a seal. We don’t use wax seals to authenticate a letter anymore. However, in olden times, a letter sealed by wax marked with the stamp of a signet ring authenticated a letter.
When you believed, you were given the Holy Spirit. He is the one who changes the lives of believers. When you have the Holy Spirit in you. He authenticates that you are a child of God. He guarantees your inheritance.
Ephesians 1:13b–14 (NIV)
the promised Holy Spirit 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
You may remember a little earlier, we talked about the fact that you have been redeemed. Here he talks about redemption in the future tense. We have been bought out of evil, but we are not totally free of grief and pain and hurt. But there is a day coming when we will be fully redeemed and he shall wipe away every tear from our eyes.
What you believe about God and what you believe about yourself is the most important thing about you. If you believe what God says about you, it changes the way you live. Here is what God has said about you.
You are holy.
You are a saint.
You have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing.
You are chosen even before you were born.
You have been adopted into the family of God with all its rights and benefits.
You have God’s favour because of what Jesus did on the cross.
You have been lavished with grace.
You have been redeemed, bought back from the darkness, from slavery.
You have been forgiven for all that you have ever done wrong.
You are part of God’s plan.
You, just by being you, chosen and forgiven, you are bringing praise to God.
You have been given the Holy Spirit.
You have been guaranteed your inheritance in Christ.
When your feelings tell you that you are worthless – are your feelings consistent with the word of God? Which is true, your feelings or the word of God. If you will own what God has to say about you, it will change your life.
Hetty Green was known as “America’s greatest Miser” When she died in 1916 her estate was valued at over 100 million dollars. But by her lifestyle, you would think she was a pauper. She ate cold oatmeal because it cost too much to heat it. Her son had to suffer a leg amputation because she delayed so long in looking for a free clinic to go to. By the time she found one, his condition was irreversible. She was so miserly that she brought on a stroke, getting so worked up in an argument about the value of skimmed milk.
She was certainly eccentric and maybe a little crazy, but unfortunately, she is an illustration of what many Christian believers are like today. They have the limitless wealth of the grace of God, and yet they choose not to use it. They define who they are and who God is on the basis of feelings and circumstances, not on what God has to say about them. Despite being spiritually rich, they lead an impoverished life.
Know who you are in Christ. Own what he says about you, for it is true. It is far truer than your feelings. Don’t be like Hetty, trying to get by on oatmeal when you are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
If what I have said has touched you, then I would urge you to read this passage of scripture over and over again. Read it day after day until it seeps deep into your heart.
As always, the manuscript of this message will be on our website so you can study it if you want. Who God is and who you are, if you get those things right, a lot of other things will fall into place.