Ephesians 1:3-14

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

May 21, 2020

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message I shared some thoughts from Ephesians 1:3 about the precious gifts which accrue to those Christian believers whose heart is turned toward the Lord. In this message I want to continue looking at Ephesians 1, Verses 3-14. We will read those verses first and then go back and look at each verse. If you have your Bible, pease turn to Ephesians 1:3.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;

8 Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, acording to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:

11 In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ:

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

Many have noted that these twelve verses constitute only one sentence in the English language. This is perhaps the longest and certainly one of the very most important sentences in the Bible. If every believer could grasp the depth of these verses and allow the essence of this sentence to become flesh within us, perhaps every "problem" in the visible church would be solved. That would also hasten the second coming of the Lord. Why are those verses so important? because they emphasize the Headship of Abba, Father, the centrality, supremacy, preeminence, and sovereignty of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the on-going work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of us Christian believers. That is in sharp contrast with the "popular theology" which has its roots in humanism ... the emphasis on man ... my faith, salvation for me, deliverance for me, the baptism in the Holy Spirit for me, gifts of the Spirit for me, blessings for me, prosperity for me, and heaven for me when my days on earth are over. These verses are often called a "doxology" or an expression of praise to God because they recite what God has done and are an example of worship to honor Him.

Verses 3-6 of Ephesians 1 speak of the work of God the Father; Verses 7-8 speak of the work of God the Son; Verses 9-12 speak of the mystery of His will; and Verses 13-14 speak of the work of the Holy Spirit. We also should note that the words He, Him, His, and Himself occur 20 times in those 12 verses. This does not count the words who and whom, which refer to the Lord; neither does it count the words Christ, Beloved, God, Jesus, and Lord. It might be good to read those 12 verses every day, emphasizing, as I just did, the words He, Him, His, and Himself.

Verses 3-6: the work of God the Father

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

What are the "heavenly places" that Paul mentions in Verse 3? any place where the presence of the Lord is. The word "heavenly" means what pertains to, or is in heaven.

We are seated in heavenly places in Christ just as truly when we are oppressed with the trials of life as we are when we are prospering and have everything that our heart desires. Our Head is not separated from the body. This is a mystery but it must be accepted by faith. The reason it is still a mystery to many is because most of us think only in terms of the natural realm ... what we can see, hear, and understand with our natural minds. We must think in terms of eternity.

Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) 

That does NOT say that where two or three gather together, there Jesus will be also. Just because some number of professing Christians routinely gather together every Sunday in some kind of structure, does not guarantee that the presence of the Lord will be there. What is initiated by man does not get the Lord's attention. Now let us stretch our minds a little. Is it possible that two or three different believers could be gathered together in His name at two or more different locations on earth at the identical time? Well, I certainly hope so! So how is it possible that Jesus could be in two places at the same time? A similar question is ... How is it possible that the Spirit of God could be in a multitude of different Christians at the same time? That is a mystery. But let us consider an analogy.

Everyone that God created is surrounded by an "aura" or an emanation which corresponds with the nature of the substance from which it comes. Every personality has an emanation and extension of themselves into their surroundings. It is a radiation which can be sensed when someone walks into a room where we may be seated. Our personality is affected by their personality.

Likewise the glory of God is the radiation of His nature into the universe. God can be everywhere and fill the universe with Himself because of the radiation of His glory into the whole world. The aura is the extension of our natures and personalities into our surroundings, and God is able to extend Himself to fill the whole universe.

The sun is about 93 million miles from earth. It radiates light, heat, energy, and life to everything on earth. Without the sun no life can exist on this earth. What the sun is to this earth, God is to the universe. He is the life, the light, the energy that pervades and radiates throughout the universe and supports and sustains the universe and all creation. God radiates Himself into the entire universe to support and uphold everything He has created.

The words, "in Christ," in Verse 3 have a far greater meaning and depth than just being born from above. We have previously shared the significance of being "in Christ." The major task of any believer after being born from above is to abide in the Vine ... abide in Christ.

The "us" in Ephesians 1:3 includes both Jews and Gentiles in the church at Ephesus and the Church over all of time. These blessings are for both Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. First century Jews had a strong sense of being blessed, called, and predestined. These things are given to Christians, whether they are Jew or Gentile. In the natural realm, a man can attain to certain skills, position, and/or wealth. But by himself he can never attain to peace of mind or goodness. God chose us to give us that which only He can give. Siritual blessings are far better than material blessings. These blessings are ours in the heavenly places in Christ they are higher, better, and more real and secure than earthly blessings.

If we do not appreciate and appropriate spiritual blessings, then we live at the level of animals, that live only to eat, sleep, reproduce, and entertain themselves. We are made in the image of God and He has something much higher for us. God wants us to know experientially every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. This means that every blessing we receive, we receive in Christ. There are no blessings of any everlasting value outside of abiding in Christ.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. John 15:48

We are to bless the Father in the sense of recognizing His glory and honor and goodness, because the Father has already blessed the believer with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Fifteen verses in the Old Testament speak of us blessing the Lord. The following verses from Psalm 103:1-5 also tell us WHY we should bless the LORD.

"A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Another good verse which declares why we should bless the Lord is

Ephesians 1:4, "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."

Divine election is a constant theme in Paul's letters. Believers are called and chosen by God before we have said anything or done anything or have been anything for God.

John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you."

We were chosen before the foundation of the world, not simply to bless us but to fulfill His purpose ... that we might be blameless and holy before Him in love. The Greek word translated as "holy" always carries the idea of a difference and a separation. We are separated or set apart for His purpose. Like Paul, in Romans 1:1, we have been chosen or "separated unto the gospel of God." Anything or anyone that is holy is different from the ordinary. A priest after the order of Melchizedek is different because he is different from ordinary men. God is supremely holy because He is different from ordinary men.

From 1964 until early 1968, I was in the Air Force, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency. My work place was in a very old, former World War 1 Army barracks in Arlington, Virginia. During lunch time, a number of young men, about my age at the time, gathered together in a small conference room to play the card game of pinochle. I played with them a few times. One day, the pinochle game had already started when I entered the room. As I walked into the room, one of the young men looked at me and said, "Here comes the preacher." At that point in time I had never talked with anyone about the Lord, about Church, or anything related to religion. Even more amazing is that the Lord had not apprehended me yet! That must have been prophetic! But there is a great truth here. Any place that we as Christians go, whether to work, to school or a grocery store ... even non-Christians should be able to see that we are different than they are. If enough Christians became different and submitted completely to Christ, we would turn the world upside down. That happened shortly after the day of Pentecost and God is no respecter of persons.

We have shared in the past how the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man fit together. The purpose of light is not to cast shadows but to guide our steps. The light of God's election assures us of the permanence of His calling. It would not be so wonderful if man should choose God; the wonder is that God should choose us.

Psalm 8:4, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

The reasons for God's choosing us are neither arbitrary nor random. Although they are past our finding out, we know that they are altogether wise, good, and perfect. His choosing is according to the good pleasure of His will. If we are chosen in Christ, it is not because we deserve anything, but because our heavenly Father has engrafted us, through the blessing of adoption, into the Body of Christ. We are chosen not only for salvation, but also for holiness. Any understanding of God's sovereign choosing that diminishes our responsibility for personal holiness and sanctification falls far short of the whole counsel of God.  

17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him. 

Genesis 18:17-19

1 John 3:1-2, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."

1 Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The correct tense would be, "Even as also I have been known." We would know very little without the revelation that God has given, but there are still many things concerning which He has not yet given understanding. We will know all mysteries in that coming day, even as God knows us now and has known us all down through the years.

Revelation 10:7, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to his servants the prophets." 

When we stand face to face with our blessed Lord, love will abide throughout all the ages to come, and we shall understand then what we cannot understand now, the love that moved the heart of God and led Him to send His only begotten Son into this world that we might live through Him. What a wonderful thing it is to know Christ!

The words "holy and without blame" in Ephesians 1:4 are a metaphor taken from the perfect sacrifices which the law required the people to bring to the altar of God. But holiness and blamelessness are nothing without love. Love is the fulfilling of the law, therefore love must fill our hearts towards God and each other.

Ephesians 1:5-6 

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. 

The word translated as "predestinated" means "determined before" or "ordained." I am sure that many Christians have argued about the meaning or significance of us having been predestinated. For many years I had assumed that meant that all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior were predestinated to do so. And that could easily get us into a false understanding that many folks are predestinated to go to hell, no matter what they do. That brings up an important principle. We should never just "assume" something is true based on our natural mind or logical reasoning. However, that is NOT what Verse 5 means. The word, "predestinated" occurs four times in the New Testament, in Ephesians 1, Verses 5 and 11, and in Romans 8:29-30, "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified."

Explanations of predestination often seek to address the "paradox of free will," whereby God's omniscience seems incompatible with human free will. However we see no conflict whatsoever. God lives in eternity; we live in time. God is omniscient. He knows everything about each one of us, including the number of hairs on our head. He knows who will accept and receive His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.

The word, "foreknow," means to "know before." Although God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son ... God, who lives in eternity, has foreknowledge of who will receive His Son and be born again. Therefore, Ephesians 1:5 means that AFTER we are born again, we have been predestinated to be conformed into His image or to be like Christ. 

In 1 John 3:1-3, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

So the question for all professing Christians who have truly been born from above is "Do we have this hope within us?" "Christ in you, the hope of glory." If we have this hope, then we purify our self, which means that we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in all things. How do we receive and walk in this hope? The answer is found in

Romans 5:1-5, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

The starting point to have the reality of hope made flesh within us is to glory in tribulations, as Verse 3 says. How can we glory in tribulations? only by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Ghost. That also requires knowing and trusting the Lord ... by agreeing with His will. Now how can I know that I am born again? How can I know that I am one of His? First, by loving God and hating sin, by doing whatsoever He says to us. Next, by an in-wrought longing to know God completely. Paul, after 30 years of ministry, said, "That I might know Him." And finally by a heart of compassion not only for the lost but also that all born-again believers might become perfect in His sight.

The Father's destiny (or predestination) for His chosen people is that we would enjoy adoption as sons. God's purpose for us not only includes salvation and personal translation into the kingdom of His dear Son, but also a confident relationship with the Father. In Roman law, when an adoption was complete the person who had been adopted had all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family and completely lost all rights in his old family. In the eyes of the law he was a new person. Even all debts and obligations connected with his previous family were abolished as if they had never existed. Christians are adopted or placed into the position of sons by grace.

This high position in the family of God gives us something in Christ that Adam never had. Christ Jesus, however, is God's Son from eternity past ... in the beginning.

"To the praise of His glory" means that our election is for God's glory, not simply for our benefit. He has made us accepted in the Beloved. The relational aspect is emphasized again as Paul describes the status of being accepted ("highly favored') that is granted to every believer because of God's grace.

Jesus was completely accepted by the Father. All His character, all His words, all His work was acceptable to God the Father. And now we are accepted in the Beloved. The fulfillment of His plan gives glory to God. By the giving of the Law, God's justice and holiness were rendered most glorious; by the giving of the Gospel, his grace and mercy are made equally glorious. God's plan in His gospel is often rejected because it gorifies God and His grace, not the effort or achievement of man. The Lord desires that He may receive from His chosen people the "praise" due unto His Name or to His glory ... His own manifested character, His "grace."

Ephesians 1, Verses 7-8: The work of God the Son.

7 In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;

8 Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Slaves were freed by the payment of a ransom. Similarly, the ransom necessary to free sinners from the bondage of sin and the resulting curse imposed by the law was the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary. We have redemption in Christ and nowhere else. There is no possible redemption outside of Christ's redeeming blood. Redemption always implies a price being paid for the freedom that is purchased. For us, the price is His blood. The blessing from the Father and the Son comes not only from a divine decree, but also according to His righteousness and holiness.

Jesus does not redeem us by His sinless life or His moral example, but only by His death in our place - by His blood. It is not redemption through His power or His love, it is through His blood. It was not the physical blood of Jesus that saved anyone, but His real and total payment for the sins of man in His whole person on the cross. This is what the New Testament means when it talks about "the blood."

Ephesians 1, Verses 9-12: The mystery of His will. 

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:

11 In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of His glory, Who first trusted in Christ:

In the New Testament sense a mystery is somehing which is hidden to the heathen but clear to the Christian. Part of what belongs to us under the riches of His grace is the knowledge of the mystery of His will, God's great plan and purpose which was once hidden but is now revealed to us in Christ. What is that mystery? It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is the making of many sons .... it is the bringing forth of many sons unto glory. God calls us to consider the greatness of God's plan for the ages and our place in that plan.

The word "dispensation" reflects a plan or a strategy. It speaks of God's administration of His household. God's ultimate plan is to bring together all things in Christ through Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In a world of confusion we look forward to the fullness of times when everything will be brought into meaningful relationship under the headship of Christ. The word for "gather together" means "to unite." God will make all things meaningful at the end, and right now He is in the process of coming to that final fulfillment. God wants to unify all things in our lives under Him. This is the great deliverance that all of creation groans for (Romans 8:19-22), the day when every matter will be resolved according to God's holy love and justice. The consummation of His purpose will be realized when His time is fulfilled.

From Verse 11 of Ephesians 1, In Him also we have obtained an inheritance: For believers, Christ is the One in whom we have an inheritance.

"Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will": God's plan begins with His purpose, then the counsel of His will, and finally results in His work. God has designed His plan according to His eternal purpose and then He works with all wisdom.

Isaiah 14:24, 27, "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:

For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?"

Our God not only wills; He works according to His will. The word counsel speaks of deliberate planning in which the ways and means of carrying out His will are completely provided for.

From Verse 12, "That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory": The goal of God's ultimate plan is to glorify Him.

"We who first trusted in Christ": Who first trusted in Christ? the Father. Who next trusted in Christ? the original Jewish believers.

Ephesians 1, Verses 13-14: The work of the Holy Spirit. 

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

The words you also in Ephesians 1:13 speak of Gentile believers. God's great plan has a place for both Jew and Gentile, and brings them both together as one body in Christ Jesus. God's sovereign choice does not exclude human cooperation. Those who have been sovereignly chosen are also the ones who trust, hear the word of truth, believe, and act on that belief. Also essential in God's work is the sealing work of the Holy Spirit. His presence in our lives acts as a seal which indicates ownership, and which is an earnest or guarantee of our inheritance. The seal is the Holy Spirit Himself, and His presence in the believer denotes ownership and security. The sealing with the Spirit is not an emotional feeling or some mysterious inward experience.

The word "earnest" (or down payment) is used only in the New Testament. He is our only down payment of coming glory; nothing else is provided or needed. The sealing comes after we believe. The purchased possession is you and me and every born from above Christian.

Although we believers have not yet experienced redemption in full, God will bring about final redemption life in His immediate presence for all who have received the Holy Spirit and remained faithful to Him. We have this guarantee until we are "completely redeemed" by God through resurrection and glorification ... again, all to the praise of His glory. Praise be to His holy Name! Amen.