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Good morning my friends… we’ve just begun the very exciting letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians all across the Roman Empire, but especially those in the big city of Ephesus. Today we’ll pick it up in chapter 1 verse 5.
Ephesus was a great city! A port city of major trade from every corner of the empire. It boasted the “Temple of Artemis” deemed one of the “seven wonders of the world” completed in 550BC. It also had an amphitheater which could seat 25,000 people! While that may not impress you considering the stadiums of today…think about constructing those more than 2000+ years ago, all with hand labor!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ made a powerful impact in this city as we see in Acts 19. Years later the Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, wrote a painful word of warning from God to the Christians in Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7). In the year 263 Ephesus was destroyed by invading Goth armies, and though rebuilt, was again destroyed by an earthquake in 614, never to be rebuilt again.
But in the year 60ad, when Paul was writing to these dear people, Ephesus was a major city in the world, like New York or Tokyo or Beijing or Deli or Mexico City in our day…and Christianity was becoming a spiritual force in Ephesus. I wonder which major city of the world you would say has been most significantly impacted by the Christians who live there? Perhaps Seoul, South Korea, with a population of 9.7 million people? More than 30% of Koreans are Christian and the largest Christian church in the world is based in Seoul.
Let’s begin today in verse 5 of chapter 1. “In love He (God) predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given us in the One (Jesus) He (God the Father) loves.” There are so many things which set authentic Christianity apart from every other religion or faith in the world. God’s LOVE is one! John 3:16, the most famous verse in the Bible, perhaps explains it better than any other statement. “For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son. . .” If you are a parent or grandparent, that concept of giving up your child for a criminal is beyond comprehension, but that’s what God did!
My friends, we must understand that everything about Christianity begins with God. It’s all His idea. His passion for a restored relationship with sinful humanity, and His great love for the human race He created in His image, but who had turned their backs on God! Paul starts there… “In His great love for us, God predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ…”
Now, we understand adoption and we celebrate it, right? Normally, if a family passes all the inspections and pays enough money, an adoption can happen. But here…it’s GOD who adopts us, and the payment made is not money, it’s the LIFE of His Son Jesus! Now that takes adoption to a whole different level doesn’t it? And God’s adoption is not only for a few people, the only way into God’s family is through God’s adoption!
When you think about God, what comes to your mind when you consider “…His pleasure and will….”? What do you suppose gives God pleasure, joy, delight, enjoyment? Well, we know from Genesis 1 that at the end of each full, busy day of Creation, God looked over His work and said “It is good”! And I imagine God smiling, and nodding His head with approval. Then I hear all angels breaking out in applause and celebration! I don’t mind admitting my wife Dawn and I enjoy College sports. We were both athletes, long ago, and she was a coach, so we really enjoy stadiums or arenas filled with cheering fans and the marching band. So it’s not hard for me to imagine what it might have been like at the end of every day of Creation!
Then in Luke 15:10 Jesus gives us another glimpse into what makes God happy: “…I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.” So in my mind, I can only imagine what it’s like when a follower of Jesus ‘departs’ from here, and arrives in heaven in the experience we call death. That tells me there is celebration, excitement, rejoicing going on in heaven 24/7/365!! Amen, do you agree? Because about 100,000 people everyday are trusting Jesus to be their Savior, around the world. And about 15,000 Christians per day are dying here and arriving in heaven! Whoa…God must be delighted!
That’s why Paul wrote “…to the praise of His (God’s) glorious grace which He has freely given us in the One He loves (Jesus).” (Eph. 1:6) Everything I’ve described is possible and is happening, ONLY because of God’s grace, His kindness to us sinful humans, which He continually, everyday, extends to us FREELY, through Jesus. Oh, but you and I have learned long ago, nothing is really free, is it? Same is true for all God’s grace. . .it’s free to us! We can’t pay for it, we don’t earn it. But, it’s NOT free to God or Jesus His Son, is it?
In truth, God’s grace is very, very expensive to God and it cost Jesus His life on earth! There is no greater price to be paid, than to pay with your life! So when Paul writes that God FREELY has given us His grace in Jesus, let’s be careful and focus on that little phrase “…through the One He loves.” It was excruciatingly painful, both to God the Father and God the Son for them to reach to us, sinful, rebellious, wicked humanity, with their Grace, in their Love!
So, I have a question. . . how do we say thank you to God, for this almost indescribable love expression of grace from God to you and me?
If that isn’t enough, can we absorb two more incredible truths from God? Paul writes in vs 7 & 8: “In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He (God the Father) lavished on us, with all wisdom and understanding.” Oh my! “Lavished“?? Now there’s a word we don’t use often.
But Paul is so overwhelmed with God’s love and grace applied to him, a murderer, a passionate persecutor of Christians, in his younger years, that Paul chooses the word LAVISHED to describe what He has experienced. It’s like a waterfall of God’s love, God’s forgiveness, God’s grace, cascading down from heaven upon us, without end! Have you ever stood under a waterfall?
Do you see the very clear statement: “In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood…” Several times Jesus spoke of this ultimate sacrifice He was willing to pay, to purchase our forgiveness. You see God didn’t just decide one day…”Ok, I choose to be really nice today and just overlook all your sin.” Oh no friends. Justice calls for punishment, in fact death, for rebellion against Holy God…that’s why Jesus had to die. Justice had to be served. But now that Justice has been served, Holy God is able to declare us ransomed, purchased, our debt fully paid!! And therefore, He can extend forgiveness! But it cost the blood of Jesus!
And then I see one more important phrase in vs. 8 “…with all wisdom and understanding…” When you combine that with the phrase “His pleasure and will” in vs 5, do you see something very important about God and His dealings with us humans? It’s INTENTIONAL, Purposeful, all according to His will!
It’s not flippant or thoughtless or reactionary. Everything God does He does on purpose, and with lots of wisdom and complete understanding of the situation. The word “Omniscient” means God is All Knowing. That means God knows everything about everything…past, present and future. It means God understands all the options, all the possibilities, and all the realities.
This means God is NEVER surprised, never confused, never perplexed, never in a situation where He doesn’t know what to do. That my friends is why Romans 8:28 is so powerful “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Tomorrow, we’ll pursue this concept of God’s Omniscience even further in Ephesians 1:11 “In Him (Jesus) we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the PLAN of Him (God the Father) who works out everything in conformity with the PURPOSE of His WILL…” Now that, my friends, is some wonderful truth to ponder throughout this day, no matter what situation you find yourself facing!
Oh Almighty God, how do we thank you for your outrageous grace, your Sovereign Omniscience and your unlimited love for us?
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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