Ephesians Series: Theological Foundation

Theological Foundation: Ephesians 1:5-14




We saw last week that the thesis statement of the letter was that God is to be praised for who He is, for what He has done, for how He has done it and for why He has done it. This week we will see Paul lay out the theological foundation of the letter. In it is an explanation of divine side of God's redemptive work and a theological description of the spiritual blessings that we receive as a result.




First blessing, Adoption Grace (5-6); In love, God predetermined to adopt us (through Jesus, or in Christ). Blessed us, just as He chose us, before the foundation of the world. He determined to adopt us, according to the purpose of His will. What is His will? He chose us in order to make us holy and blameless before Him. Now, what is the purpose of His will? The praise of His glorious grace. That is why Paul starts with praise, remember in verse 3, because the praise of His grace (vs. 2) is the purpose of His will to bless, just as He chose, in Christ, before the foundations of the world.

Here, Paul explains how He chose us, He predestined us for adoption. Adoption is the heart of the gospel! The first spiritual blessing is adoption, and adoption is always by grace. Our adoption is through Christ, just as we were chosen in Christ. So, every spiritual blessing is found in Him. So, on top of our adoption, or in our adoption, or as part of our adoption, we receive, at conversion, at least 3 main spiritual blessings:




Redemption (7-10); Redeemed; to purchase back, to pay the debt owed to buy a person out of slavery. Our redemption comes through His blood – blood is the payment of our sin debt, that is owed to God to purchase us out of bondage to sin. In Jesus we have redemption. It is not a possession, but a standing which we have been given once and for all as part of our adoption by grace. With redemption comes the forgiveness of sins – the debt of sin we owed is now forgiven, forgotten by God and we are set free. This is of course all according to the riches of grace that God has lavished on us in Christ. Why does Paul continually remind us of this point? Because t is the purpose of the will of God, our praise of His grace! In order that we are better able to praise His glorious grace, God makes known to us the means of our receiving grace: in wisdom and insight, God made the mystery of His will known to us – Why is it a mystery? - it is a mystery because we would not know it if God did not reveal it to us. He revealed the mystery of His will to us, according to His purpose – which is what? the praise of the glory of His grace – which He set forth in Christ. So, He set His plan into motion, at the right time, in Christ, to accomplish His will – to make us holy and blameless before Him, according to His purpose – to the praise of the glory of His grace. What is that plan? To unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. (remember that for next week) How is he going to accomplish His plan to unite things in Christ? Redemption!




Inheritance (11-12); Predestined for what? Adoption. Adoption implies inclusion in a family. Here, the family of God. As part of the family of God, we have obtained an inheritance from God the Father. Inheritance is a lot or portion that we have obtained as a possession, as part of our having been redeemed by adopting grace into the family of God. Paul then repeats the process by which an inheritance has been obtained for us; having been predestined (to what? Adoption) according to the purpose of God (what? Praise of the glory of His grace) according to the counsel of His will (what is His will here) to chose us to make us holy and blameless before Him. Then Paul give a new summary; what is the purpose of this will? (just in case we forgot) that we who are the first to hope in Christ – the first to be adopted by grace, in Christ – might be to the praise of His glory (we know, the glory of Hs grace in particular).

Spirit of Promise (13-14); In Christ, you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Now, this is different. Redemption came as part of the finished work of Christ, when the mystery of Gods will was revealed, and forgiveness of sins flows from it according to God's grace in Christ. Inheritance was obtained for us as part of our being predestined to adoption into the family of God, in accordance with the purpose His will that we would be to the praise of the glory of His grace. But the Spirit comes as a result of responding to means; when you heard the preaching of the gospel (the word of truth) and believed in Jesus (in whom alone all of this is found) then, you also were sealed, certified as an authentic child of God, bearing the mark of your Father, covered and protected by the royal seal of God, as a promise or guarantee (assurance) of the inheritance you have obtained in Christ, through the redemption of is blood, by being predestined to adoption for the praise of the glory of His grace. It is a seal, a promise, a guarantee of the inheritance you have received until you acquire it, or take possession of it – at the end – why? To the praise of His glory (the glory of His grace in particular).




Now, what does this mean for us?

1.We ought to love the idea of being adopted. A predetermined choosing of God.

2. We ought to praise God, who chose us before the foundation of the world, so that He could bless us - pre-determine to adopt us, redeem us from sin to Himself in Christ, give us an eternal inheritance, and the Holy Spirit as a seal of promise.

3. We should live for the will of God – that we should be holy and blameless before Him. We should labor and strive to be godly, because we have put out hope int he living God.

4. We should live for the purpose of God – the praise of the glory of His grace.

5. We should live for the plan of God – to unite all things together, in unity and submission, in Christ.

6. We should be encouraged to persevere - to press on to acquire, or take hold of that - our inheritance, that for which Christ took hold of us - that we would be holy and blameless before Him, the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

7. Most of all, for those of us who have not done so, having heard the word of truth, the good news of our salvation, by grace, through faith in Jesus as the Christ, we ought to believe in Him – not believe about Him, but in Him – and continue to believe in Him. Those of us who have believed in Him should keep believing in Him, trust Him, place your faith in Him, that by God's grace you may be saved, redeemed, to the raise of His glory.