EPHESIANS 1:3-14
THE ETERNAL PLAN and prudence;
OF GOD FOR THE 9 Having made known unto 6 God has revealed the
CHRISTIAN BELIEVER, us the mystery of his will, ac- mystery of His will to us
1:3-23 cording to his good pleasure a. Source: His purpose
which he hath purposed in
A. The Blessings of God, himself:
1:3-14 10 That in the dispensation b. To climax the ages
of the fulness of times he c. To gather all things to-
1 God’s blessings are 3 Blessed be the God and might gather together in one gether in heaven &
heavenly blessings, not Father of our Lord Jesus Chr- all things in Christ, both earth
material ist, who hath blessed us with which are in heaven, and d. To put all under Christ
all spiritual blessings in hea- which are on earth; even in
venly places in Christ: him:
2 God has chosen us to be 4 According as he hath cho- 11 In whom also we have 7 God has given us an in-
holy & blameless sen us in him before the obtained an inheritance, be- heritance: He has made
a. How: In Christ foundation of the world, ing predestinated according us the heritage of God
b. Purpose: To live “be- that we should be holy and to the purpose of him who a. Predestinated—His will
fore Him in love”— without blame before him in worketh all things after the
forever & ever love: counsel of his own will:
3 God has adopted us as 5 Having predestinated us 12 That we should be to the b. The inheritance: “That
children unto the adoption of children praise of his glory, who first we should be,” that is,
a. Predestinated—Fore- by Jesus Christ to himself, trusted in Christ. exist eternally
ordained: Was His will according to the good plea- 13 In whom ye also trusted, c. Why: That we should
b. How: By Christ sure of his will, after that ye heard the word exist to His glory, v.12
c. Why: To praise His 6 To the praise of the glory of truth, the gospel of your d. How to receive the
grace of his grace, wherein he hath salvation: in whom also after inheritance
made us accepted in the be- that ye believed, ye were 1) By hearing the Word
loved. sealed with that holy Spirit of 2) By trusting in Christ
4 God has redeemed us— 7 In whom we have redemp- promise,
forgiven our sins
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tion through his blood, the 14 Which is the earnest of 8 God has sealed us with
a. How: By Christ’s blood forgiveness of sins, according our inheritance until the re- the Holy Spirit
b. Source: His grace to the riches of his grace; demption of the purchased a. He is the guarantee of
5 God has given us wisdom 8 Wherein he hath abound- possession, unto the praise of our inheritance
& understanding ed toward us in all wisdom his glory. b. Why: To praise His glory
GOD THE FATHER: HIS PROMISES AND BLESSINGS
A. The Blessings of God, 1:3-14
(1:3-14) Introduction: among all the great passages of Scripture, this is one of the greatest. Its importance can never be over-
stated. It deals with God’s plan for the world, His eternal plan; it deals with the great blessings of God which He pours out
upon those who trust His Son Jesus Christ as their Savior.
1. God’s blessings are heavenly blessings, not material (v.3).
2. God has chosen us to be holy and blameless (v.4).
3. God has adopted us as children (v.5-6).
4. God has redeemed us—forgiven our sins (v.7).
5. God has given us wisdom and understanding (v.8).
6. God has revealed the mystery of His will to us (v.9-10).
7. God has given us an inheritance, that is, made us the heritage of God (v.11-13).
8. God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit (v.14).
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(1:3) Blessings: God’s blessings are spiritual and heavenly, not material blessings. Throughout history God has used two
methods of blessings to deal with man. Before Christ, God dealt with man by blessing him with material blessings. He
promised Abraham and Israel land, wealth, and fame. (See note and DEEPER STUDY # 1—Jn.4:22; DEEPER STUDY # 1—
Ro.4:1-25. Cp. Gen.12:1f; 13:14-17; 15:1-7, 15-19; 22:16-18; 26:2-5, 24; 28:13-15; 31:13; 35:9-12.) But Israel misused and
hoarded the material blessings. Instead of sharing its blessings with other nations, Israel isolated itself and claimed superiori-
ty and God-given rights over other nations of the earth. However, since Christ, God deals with man spiritually, blessing him
with spiritual blessings.
Five things should be noted about this.
1. Spiritual blessings are of the Spirit. It is the Spirit that controls man and the circumstances that surround him. A man
may feel bad; he may be down, depressed and oppressed; but if his spirit is strong, he arises and conquers his feelings. He
controls and overcomes the oppressing circumstances, and he lives a victorious day. But if his spirit is weak, whether at work
or at play, he often wallows around in self-pity, grumbling and griping and living a defeated day. And too often the days
stretch into weeks and months until a person’s life is down more than it is up—all because the spirit is too weak to conquer.
Thus, the major blessings of God are bound to be blessings that are spiritual—that enable a person to control his life.
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