The Hymn of Redemption

Chosen in Christ
Ephesians 1:1-14

Introduction:
I am very eager this morning and a little bit daunted to begin our series in the book of Ephesians. I am eager because Paul says so much in this short letter that is profitable for Christian growth; but daunted, also for the same reasons. We will go through the entire book over the next few weeks and Romeo has also offered to preach a section in a couple of weeks.

Ephesians is one of Paul’s greatest works. It is a majestic letter and is described by one theologian as the Switzerland of the NT. Others have called it he Queen of the Epistles and the crown of St. Paul’s writings. Coleridge called it “the divinest composition of man” because of the eloquence and the depth and intensity of its composition.

Paul likely wrote Ephesians during the period of his house arrest in Rome around AD 62. The book of Acts closes with these words about Paul, “he stayed two years in Rome in his own rented house, and received all who came to him. Preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus…." Perhaps teaching some of the very things that are contained in Ephesians.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will: To the saints and believers in Christ Jesus at Ephesus. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1:1-2)

Paul starts all of his letters with this kind of greeting. But he is not just being conventional here. He chooses his words with intentionality, I think, to set the theme for what follows: First to underline Paul’s unique apostolic authority (he’s not one of the twelve, nor is he like any pastor or church eldor).

And second that his apostleship was not by his own decision, but it was according to God’s free will. Before Paul’s conversion from Judaism to Christianity, he was the original persecutor of the church. He actually held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen the first Christian Martyr, consenting to his death.

Paul once wrote of his former career in Judaism, how he “persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it” (Gal 1:13). But, Paul recalls, “When it pleased God… He revealed His Son in me that I might preach it to the Gentiles” (v. 15).

You see, when Paul became a Christian on the road to Damascus, he was not in search of a savior. The last thing that he wanted was to join the church, which he was bent on destroying. He wanted nothing to do with Jesus Christ.

But the irony is that, if Paul had any concept of the gospel when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, it was likely planted in his heart by Stephen and the other Christians whom he persecuted and murdered. God chooses the foolish things out of this world to confound the wise.

That is the power of faithfully preaching the Word of God. That’s why Paul asks, “How shall anyone be saved if nobody preaches the gospel?” No wonder Paul could say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God to save the lost.” The gospel had the power to take a zealous hater of Christ and turn him into a man who gave his life to take the good news of the cross to the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire.

He told the Corinthians that God did not send him to baptize, but to preach the gospel (1 Cor 1:17) and he later wrote to the Ephesian pastor Timothy instructing Timothy to study the Word in order to show himself approved being ready in season and out of season to preach the gospel.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ; 4 for He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him 10 for the administration of the days of fulfillment --to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him. 11 In Him we were also made His inheritance, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory. 13 In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation--in Him when you believed--were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 14 He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory. (vv. 3-14:)

We sometimes wrongly think of Paul as a stoic passionless theologian, but this section reveals an emotional side to Paul in the way that this profound hymn bursts forth from his lips.

This whole section from verse 3 to 14 is one unbroken sentence without punctuation. You can almost imagine Paul caught up in an ecstatic enthusiasm for these truths, pouring out these words without restraint as his scribe earnestly tries to capture them on paper. The Gospel should always produce such emotion. Doctrine that does not produce passion is likely doctrine that has not been understood.

Let’s break this section down: there are three natural divisions that are distinguishable by the persons of the Trinity:
• Verses 3-6 deals with the role of the Father in Election;
• verses 7-12 deals with the role of the Son in redemption and the forgiveness of sins;
• and verses 13-14 deals with the role of the Holy Spirit in Guaranteeing our salvation and uniting us to Christ.

first let’s look at the work of the Father (Read verses 3-6):

Among Christians there are two views about salvation. The one view, which is often called Arminianism, holds that salvation comes as a response to the gospel according to the Free Will of men and women. Arminians would quote passages such as John 3:16, which says that “God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life.” In other words: the gospel is available to anyone and that God does not limit it to those whom, he chooses.

John Wesley, whose preaching resulted in the 2nd Great Awakening, is a notable Arminian. Many of the most cherished and theologically rich hymns were written by his brother Charles.

Then there are those who are described as Calvinists. They believe that God is sovereign in choosing who will be saved and that, although man exercises free will, his will is tainted by original sin so that he is unable to choose the gospel with God’s election. What is ironic about many of the staunchest Calvinist, and a fact that they would happily admit, is that it was through an Arminian that they first heard the gospel.

Perhaps the solution is to err on the side of God's sovereignty in election and err on the side of man's free will in preaching the gospel.

nevertheless of their position on election, both Arminians and Calvinists agree that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus and that faith comes by hearing the gospel as it is faithfully preached and that the gospel is a free gift.

Now, I don’t want to go into some long philosophical discussion about election versus Free Will, which is the temptation here. I did research the various interpretations of this passage on my own to give an honest and sincere effort at coming to some kind of consensus as well as to give both positions a fair hearing.

But what I found humorous about certain view points was the interpretative acrobatics that were necessary in order to force this section to say the opposite of what it clearly says. Now, whether we hold one position, or the other, or something in between, we need to be careful that we do not abuse scripture in order to force it to conform to our opinions, but rather, we need to labour to understand what it was that the author was trying to communicate no matter how uncomfortable that makes us. So, rather than give you my opinion, or Augustine’s, or Calvins or Wesley’s opinions, I think I will let the text speak for itself.

So lets try to empty our minds of our own presuppositions and read the text as if for the first time. (read vv. 4-5).

What does that mean?

Jesus said something to his disciples once; John’s gospel records it, he said “no man can come to me unless the Father draws him…. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you….” (John 6:44; 15:16).

John wrote in the 1st chapter of his Gospel, “Jesus came for his own, but his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, to them who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor the will of man, but born of the will of God.” (John 1:11-13).


“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (Ex 33:19). “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)

That said, let’s continue, verse 7: “In Christ the Son we have redemption….” What is redemption? Simply, it is the forgiveness of sins; sins past, sins present and sins future.

We’ve already looked at the why in vv. 3-6, what about how? This is offensive to some, but our redemption is found in the blood of Jesus.

As Jesus said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot be my disciples. And many of his disciples left him that day.”

The blood of Jesus represents the lengths to which God would go to redeem his people. Even though he had the riches of heaven, “he took on the form of a servant and became a man. He humbled himself and became obedient to the death of the cross” (Phil 2:6 ff) so that we who believe in him might be saved through him by him and for him. Jesus, not man, is central to our salvation.

What can make me white as snow? Nothing… but the blood of Jesus. His death is the promise of life for us.

This redemption through the blood and forgiveness of sins is according to the riches of His grace. How rich is His grace? INFINTE. It begins before the foundation of the world (v.4) and extends through the ages to the time of our inheritance at Christ’s return (v. 14). It abounds to us according to verse 8.

Finally, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit who guarantees that we will receive the thing that we hope for (Read v. 13-14).

As I have said before, we do not hope the way that the world hopes. It is not a hope like one would hope New England will win the SuperBowl, because there is no way of knowing, there is a statistical chance that they may or may not win. But with God, our hope is certain and it is secure.

Everywhere the Bible teaches that Salvation is inseparable from faith. In him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth because faith comes by hearing the gospel preached. God’s Word never comes back empty because the Holy Spirit is at work in the world leading people into truth. The Holy Spirit also regenerates the new believer giving them second birth, he empowers us with Spiritual gifts so that we can serve the church and he is at work in us to make us holy and pure.

Application:
1. Like Paul, get excited about the gospel
2. Abide in Christ, remain in him… persevere through prayer, scripture, meditation. And he will preserve you for Holiness.
3. Walk in the Spirit- the power of God that resurrected Jesus from the grave is at work in you, be bold, be strong, be encouraged by his presence in you. You are an ambassador of Christ.
4. Preach the Gospel, whether Arminian or Calivinist, the Gospel is the hope of the world. Preach it always, be ready in season and out to share the hope that lies within.