Bless the Blesser

Daniel Darling

Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

Ephesians 1:3–6

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Proposition: Consistently praise God because He choose us and blessed us in Christ.

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Introduction

Illustration: In life, if you get invited to someone’s home and they cook a wonderful meal, on usually would give thanks to the person who cooked.

January 15, 2009, US Airways flight 1549 took off of La Guardia to Charlotte, NC. They flew into a flock of geese and had to land. Captain Chelsey Sullenberger III safely landed the plane on the Hudson! Would it not be natural to express thanks to Sully?

Historical context: We are with a really long praise that goes all the way to verse 14. More than 200 words, praising God for who He is.

Paul is addressing saints, those who have believed in Christ (Eph. 1:1).

Proposition: Consistently praise God because He choose us and blessed us in Christ.

I. Bless God for Blessing Us in Christ v. 3.

Eph. 1:3 Paul begins with a verbal adjective “bless” (εθλογητος) that has the force of a command. Paul is basically commanding them to praise God. Paul then goes to define who the God is:

The “Father” – God is described as “father.” Which is important to think about in which sense is God “Father?”

While “father” can mean the “immediate biological ancestor” (BDAG, 786)

But is can mean “6. the supreme deity, who is responsible for the origin and care of all that exists, Father, Parent” (BDAG, s.v. “πατήρ,” 787).

Here God is mentioned as “Father” of “our Lord” (κυριου ημων).

The use of the genitive limits the Fatherhood who ever is the Paul’s and the Ephesian’s Lord – Since Paul does not have another author with this letter, the “our” has to mean the church in Ephesus.

The “Lord” is identified as Jesus Christ

If Jesus is Lord over Paul and the church in Ephesus,

Then what would be the Father of their Lord be?

God the Father would be our authority, Jesus said that He always does the will of the Father (John 8:29). God the Father said that Jesus was His Son in whom He was well please (Matt. 3:17).

There is no difference between what Jesus says and what God says

So if Jesus is Lord of your life, God is your Lord too!

Paul’s verbal adjective “Bless!” or “Praise!” is because God “bestowing special favors” (ο ευλογησας Aor. Act. Part. N. M. Sg.). The participle is adjectival modifying God “The participle may function just like an adjective and either modify a substantive (attributive)” (Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: an Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 617).

God the Father is the bestower or the one has bestowed special grace to Paul and the Ephesians.

Paul is going to give a series of prepositional phrases that will explain how God has bestowed grace:

“in every spiritual blessing” – Dative: Instrumental – How? it answers the questions how is God bestowing special grace the answer is He is giving “Spiritual blessings.” What is Spiritual blessings?

That sounds like magic beans!

1. Spiritual can mean a person’s inner life, i.e. spirit.

2. Pertaining or corresponding to the divine Spirit.

The word is used in Eph. 5:19 to refer “spiritual songs” which comes from being filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).

Eph. 6:12 here the word “spiritual” refers to the evil powers we fight against. Paul says what the Spiritual blessings are:

“in the heavenly (places)” – Dative: Locative – Where? It answers the question where, God has blessed in heaven, in contrast to the earth. Jesus told His disciples to store their treasures in heaven because they will rust or get stolen (Matt. 6:19-21). Your blessing from God is a spiritual blessing in heaven.

“in Christ” – Dative: “To/for whom?” The special grace that is being bestowed to us is being bestowed to us “in Christ” (εν Χριστω).

Paul is developing the centrality of Christ in receiving the spiritual blessing that God is giving out.

That have been “bestowed special favor” because they are “in Christ.”

I. Bless God for Blessing Us in Christ v. 3.

How can we apply this to our life. I believe it gives two areas that we need to force our minds to consider:

A. God gives us our identity

God is the Father of our “Lord.” Jesus’ Lordship gives us our identity:

Jesus as Lord means I am not able to create my own reality. I am not Lord. My reality is Jesus’ reality.

Jesus as Lord means my Jesus gives me my value system. I value what God values, and I despise what my Lord despises.

The Christians life is about living a life that uses wisdom, where you have to make a decision, will this action be in-line with my Lord, will it exalt my Lord? Or will tear Him down or be contrary to His desire?

B. God secures our blessing

There are many uncertainties in our life. There are many things what we think that we should be able to accept as axiomatic, only to find out that they are not always as fundamental as we think they are:

Parents should love their children – and yet some parents will choose their own pleasure over the best interest of their children.

Marriages should be like forever – but life happens, and spouse dies, or leaves, or stays and you wish he would leave.

Nothing seems very secure – for many this causes a certain amount of fear and dread.

But those who are in Christ, who have Jesus as Lord, their identity and their blessings is secure. Storms can come, but as long as God is God, who you are in Christ is secure.

That is a huge blessing in world where nothing is secure!

I. Bless God for Blessing Us in Christ v. 3.

II. Bless God for Choosing Us in Christ vs. 4-5

Eph. 1:4 The verse begins with a conjunction “since” (καθως) which is being used as “cause.” Paul explains the “cause” of the blessing:

“He Himself choose” (εξελεξατο Aor. Mid. Indc. 3rd Sg.) “1. to pick out someone or someth., choose (for oneself)” or “3. gather in a crop, gather” (BDAG, s.v. “ἐκλέγομαι,” 305). The middle aspect puts an emphasis on the Subject doing the action, as in He Himself. How has this word used?

Luke 10:42 NASB95

42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Martha and Mary had the opportunity to chose between cooking an amazing meal or pulling out crackers and sitting at Jesus’s feet. Mary choose, she made a decision.

John 15:16 NASB95

16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

The context is Jesus saying that He is the vine, and we are the branches. Jesus goes on to say that the choice for them to be branches was Jesus!

1 Corinthians 1:27 NASB95

27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

Here is a decision God deciding foolish things over the wise worldly things. Nobody gets bent out of shape when God decided SOVEREIGNLY to use the foolish things of this world to shame the wise.

Paul wrote them to say that they and him were chosen, they did not chose themselves, were chosen “in Him” (εν αυτω) referring to Jesus. They were chosen in Christ:

before the foundations of the world!

In 2004 Magnus Carlsen (13 yrs old) played Garry Kasparov in chess and drew. Garry was the leading champion of the world and 28 years Magnus’ senior. The kid is super smart. But he wasn’t “before the foundations of the world” smart. Magnus has a birthdate but God does not. God is eternal and before He created and established the world, He chose them in Christ!

To be holy and blameless before Him (Christ)

“in love” Dative Instrumental How? God’s choosing was done in love and the the establishing the person to be holy and blameless is also an act of love.

Love is not a feeling that God had for basically “holy” and “blameless” people.

Love was a decision and an action on God’s part for those who were not holy or blameless to do something radical.

Eph. 1:5 The “in love” (εν αγαπη) points to the action in verse 4 but also to verse 5. In love God :

“Predestinating” (προορισας Aor. Act. Part. N. M. S.) “decide upon before hand.” The word only occurs 5 other times in the NT.

Acts 4:27–28 NASB95

27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

Jesus death was predestined by God to occur.

Romans 8:29–30 NASB95

29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

1 Corinthians 2:7 NASB95

7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;

The “ordained” is what was predestined. The Gospel was predestined.

When we look at the doctrine of predestination, many have no problem that God predestined Christ to die for sinners, nor that the Gospel was predestined being that salvation was going to be by grace through faith through all dispensations.

But people get bent out of shape about predestination in regards to salvation. And that is because people start to come to conclusions their fallen minds come to. How does a perfect God predestine? I have no idea. I only know how fallen people choose. You cannot put fallen man’s ways on God’s perfect ways.

Paul says they were predestined to be adopted! This word appears 5 times and only Paul uses the term. It is a legal transaction where someone who was not related to another person becomes they child.

The adoption is “through Jesus Christ”

and “into Himself”

“According the goodwill of His desire” Two things to note:

The adoption is according to God’s desire. Becoming a child of God is not man’s idea, or plan. We are lost, but God decided to do something about the lostness.

His desire to adopt is out of His Goodwill. God did not owe us adoption. We did not deserve it. God’s adoption through Christ is an act of His Goodwill.

II. Bless God for Choosing Us in Christ vs. 4-5

I would like to apply two points here, there are many more that could be applied!

A. God Choose Us!

God chose us “in Christ” Instrumental dative that “that God chose believers in connection with or through Christ’s work of redemption” (Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002), 177).

God choose to save us through Christ’s redemptive work.

Hurricane Harvey: The hurricane was coming and people were talking about it being bad. Lots of water. Outside, in my yard, there were different ant mounds. Not once did I think, “oh no, the poor little ants are going to drown!”

Our backyard was under three inches of water. And I did nothing for them.

The distance between me and God is much greater than me an an ant. I know that I am created in the image of God, but I am rebelled against God and ants have never done anything to me except try to still my fried chicken at the park!

Yet God saw that I was in a very bad place and He chose me! He chose you IN CHRIST!

B. God predestined our adoption

God decided before to adopt us. A couple of things happen:

God becomes our Father, we have a new family name. We BELONG, we have a HOME. Our fallen minds cannot even imagine the idea of being in a familiar relationship with God. God has adopted us!

Jesus becomes our Brother, If God is His Father, and God adopts us as His children, then Jesus, our Lord, is our brother!

I. Bless God for Blessing Us in Christ v. 3.

II. Bless God for Choosing Us in Christ vs. 4-5

III. Bless God for Blessing Us in His Beloved v. 6

Eph. 1:6 God’s blessing is for the praise of His glory. The word that God did exalts Him, it shows off His mercy and grace! His blessing shows off His love!

God “bestowed favor on” (εχαριτωσεν Aor. Act. Indc. 3rd Sg.) us. God did this:

In the Beloved (ηγαπημενω Perf. Mid. Part. D. M. Sg.) “1. to have a warm regard for and interest in another, cherish, have affection for, love” or “2. to have high esteem for or satisfaction with someth., take pleasure in” (BDAG, s.v. “ἀγαπάω,” 5).

The exact declension of this word only occurs here. And it is pretty unique and that only occurs 3 other times. One of those times happens in John 5:10

John 5:10 NASB95

10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”

“was cured” is the translation of the declined participle. It carries the idea that the man was cured in the past, and continues to be cured at that point.

Jesus is identified as the “Beloved” the One who God has loved, and the One that God loves.

How are has God bestowed favor on us? In the One Whom He loves.

Many times we give things that we do not want, we donate them, and we feel special

God blessed us with the Jesus Who He loves!

We should praise God more and more! What kind of love is that, that God would bless us with Christ?

The Gospel: Maybe you cannot praise God for the glory of His grace because you have not accept Christ as your Savior! Today you can believe and be saved!

Conclusion

Proposition: Consistently praise God because He choose us and blessed us in Christ.

I. Bless God for Blessing Us in Christ v. 3

II. Bless God for Choosing Us in Christ vs. 4-5

III. Bless God for Blessing Us in His Beloved v. 6

Action Steps: How do you bless God

Bless Him by being thankful for what He has done

Bless Him by choosing God over your desires

Bless Hims by delighting in God’s Beloved

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