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I Follow the Way of Jesus.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

A Believer’s Position in Grace

A Believer’s Position in Grace
Ephesians 1:1-14

I. Paul’s Letter (Epistle) to Ephesians was written around 62-64 AD, while he was under house arrest in Rome.  It was carried by Tychicus w/ the letter for Colossians and Philemon.  We are going to look at Ephesians Chapter 1 and the Theme of “A Believer’s Position in Grace”.
A letter of general instruction.  One of the churches Paul helped start.  It was his base of operation for 2 years while spreading the gospel to the area of Asia Minor.  Was a wealthy port city.  The are referenced in Revelations 2:1-7 as abandoning their first love (Jesus) and not continuing to do what they should.  They needed to remember what they were like when they first believed and what they did then and to do it again.  They fulfilled John’s prophecy in that there isn’t a single Christian living there now.

II. v. 3 All or Every Spiritual Blessing in Jesus - What do you think that phrase means?  Do you believe they are yours to claim?  The are all still available to the Believe today.  Pure doctrines of the Gospel.  Full graces and gifts of the Spirit.  Transferred and conveyed by the Holy Spirit.  Necessary in the work of God among men.
Blessings of God are the Teachings of Jesus and the unmerited. Love, freely give to us from God and the wonderful gifts of the Spirit, also freely given to us by God.
Based on our knowing Jesus as our Lord
Nothing we do improves that.  Unearned.  No work justifies it.
We show our works now because we love God and what He did for us and want to return a small portion back.

III. v. 4 Holy and Blameless in His sight - Who wants to be Holy and Blameless in God’s sight?  How can we be Holy and Blameless in God’s sight?  Before time God chose that those found in Jesus would be Holy and Blameless before Him in Love.  It’s because God sees us through a Jesus filter.  If it wasn’t for Jesus sacrifice, where he stood in our place on the cross, between heaven and earth as our ultimate sacrifice, God would not be able to look upon us due to our daily sin.
Being holy and blameless is a goal set by God, it’s not optional.  We are Holy, in other words, morally pure.  We are blameless, as in guilt free from sin.  These are only available because of Jesus and what He did for us.

IV. v. 5 Predestined us to be adopted by God’s will - Who is predestined?  Adoption into the family of God as Christians.  This is God’s will to make us His children in Jesus.  By Jesus sacrifice and shedding of blood we are now blood relatives.  Blood relatives to each other as part of the family of God and blood relatives to God.  Officially children of God.

V. v. 6 Made acceptable in Jesus - Why do we need to be made acceptable?  Blessed us and favored us in the Beloved, that is Jesus.  Again if it wasn’t for Jesus we would not be made acceptable to God.  And because we are made acceptable for God’s glorious praise.  Another way of putting it, is that coming to Jesus in salvation benefits God, because it brings glory, honor and praise to Him.

VI. v. 7 Redeemed by Jesus Blood - What does this mean to you?  Bought back from our sinful death by Jesus loving sacrifice.  If it wasn’t for Jesus we would die once and be done, but have eternal damnation since we can’t ever earn our way to Heaven or to God’s good graces.  This redemption entails / promises / guarantees our forgiveness of sins by God’s perfect grace.  It is God’s riches in grace that has freed us from slavery to sin and guilt and death.

VII. v. 8 Lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight (understanding) - What did He lavish upon us? His Grace.  We have peace in grace.  We can’t know peace without his grace.  It’s lavished and abounded or slavished or slathered upon us by God and w/ all His wisdom and insight.
By His Grace - Just Because . . . . He Loved us
By His Grace - Just Because . . . . He Knew us
By His Grace - Just Because . . . . Cared for us
That’s how much He Loves us.

VIII. v. 9-10 God’s mystery will is to unite all under Jesus - What is our Job?  God’s great mystery is to unite all under one umbrella, that is Jesus.  So since the beginning of time God wanted all to be united to Him.  To that end we sent Jesus who was obedient unto death to be the ultimate sacrifice and free us for the uniting of all.  It’s our job to assist in bringing all to Jesus.  We are called to be His instruments, either in word, action or visual representation.  Sometimes we are the only view of Jesus other people will ever have.

IX. v. 11-12 Inheritance in God - What did God give us here?  Gave us the ability to be heirs in eternal life.  God gave us Jesus and His obedience.  Jesus who agreed with God’s will made the inheritance possible.  Therefore we are called Son’s and Daughter’s of God.  Children of the living God.  Predestined people to be His to further reach out to others and bring them into the Body of Christ.

X. v. 13-14 Sealed with the Holy Spirit - What is our Guarantee?  The Holy spirit is our guarantee on our inheritance w/ Jesus.  It’s God’s seal upon us before all creation that we are His heirs.  Brothers and Sisters in Jesus.  Covered with a Royal Seal, that means we are protected and preserved.

XI. Summary - I want you to look at verses 6, 12 and 14 again and see if you see any similarities.  God’s blessings upon us as Christians bring praise, glory and honor to God.  So the little things we do each day for others and for God bring praise to His glory.