The Weekend Word: Ephesians 1
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3–6 ESV)
I’m a Calvinist and for me, the first two chapters of Ephesians are where we get the fuel to fly to Geneva.
Every tenet of Calvinistic soteriology is taught in these opening chapters.
They assert that we were chosen…chosen before we existed anywhere but in the mind of God.
We were predestined…to be family members of the Father.
We were given to Jesus by the Father, (John 6:37-40) and His death and resurrection acquired for us all the benefits of salvation.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Ephesians 1:7 ESV)
Finally, in time, we heard the Gospel, believed it and were sealed by the Holy Spirit…and that seal means you belong to Him.
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV)
That seal is also your guarantee that the one who began this work before the foundations of the earth will complete it. (Phil 1:6, John 6:40)
Guaranteed.
That’s good news…really good news.
You object…you’re not a Calvinist.
It’s still good news…really good news.
At the very least you must see that God is the one who initiates your salvation and is committed to you keeping your place in the family.
At the very least you must see His attitude toward sinners and thus, toward you.
God is for you.
Why you ask, did He choose me?
“In love”(Ephesians 1:4 ESV)
He loves you… and He has loved you from before time.
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29 ESV)
The word “foreknew” means that He “set His love upon you”.
“according to the purpose of his will,” (Ephesians 1:5 ESV)
He chose to save you…and thought it a wise and good choice.
He wanted you before you ever wanted Him.
He thinks He made a good choice…no matter what some of your brothers and sisters think.
Next week we’ll look at Pauls prayer for us and why we should be praying it as well.
John 6:68&69
“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” was this evidence that Peter was sealed? – just pondering
For anyone…the fact that you believe carries with it the promise that you are sealed.
Oh, what an encouragement, Michael… I needed that today as I survey my life and contrast it with the game being played in my circles of evangelical Christianity.
Linnea,
I hear you, my friend…there’s never been a time in our lifetimes when it has been so important to have a sure foundation in the Word and in Him.
I do hope these little studies encourage us to do that so we can survive and thrive despite the state of the church.
Michael…again, thank you 🙂
#4 – AMEN … “there’s never been a time in our lifetimes when it has been so important to have a sure foundation in the Word and in Him”
and, perhaps, that is the reason for you, Michael 🙂
you may be partial to your cat, but there’s a bit of pit bull in you …
God give us more Michaels and, i think – dunno – that He is doing just that – there seem to be more pastors and the teachers who fear God, who can parse His goodness, grace and mercy within the absolute of His holiness – men and women whose teaching have us thinking about God, not how clever or cool the guy praising him was
For your Lord’s Day consideration…
A Word To The Calvinists
You may rejoice to think yourselves secure,
You may be grateful for the gift divine,
That grace unsought which made your black hearts pure
And fits your earthborn souls in Heaven to shine.
But is it sweet to look around and view
Thousands excluded from that happiness,
Which they deserve at least as much as you,
Their faults not greater nor their virtues less?
And wherefore should you love your God the more
Because to you alone his smiles are given,
Because He chose to pass the many o’er
And only bring the favoured few to Heaven?
And wherefore should your hearts more grateful prove
Because for all the Saviour did not die?
Is yours the God of justice and of love
And are your bosoms warm with charity?
Say does your heart expand to all mankind
And would you ever to your neighbour do,
— The weak, the strong, the enlightened and the blind -
As you would have your neighbour do to you?
And, when you, looking on your fellow men
Behold them doomed to endless misery,
How can you talk of joy and rapture then?
May God withhold such cruel joy from me!
That none deserve eternal bliss I know:
Unmerited the grace in mercy given,
But none shall sink to everlasting woe
That have not well deserved the wrath of Heaven.
And, O! there lives within my heart
A hope long nursed by me,
(And should its cheering ray depart
How dark my soul would be)
That as in Adam all have died
In Christ shall all men live
And ever round his throne abide
Eternal praise to give;
That even the wicked shall at last
Be fitted for the skies
And when their dreadful doom is past
To life and light arise.
I ask not how remote the day
Nor what the sinner’s woe
Before their dross is purged away,
Enough for me to know
That when the cup of wrath is drained,
The metal purified,
They’ll cling to what they once disdained,
And live by Him that died.
– Anne Bronte
Good news for those He chose.
Catastrophic news for those He didn’t choose.
That’s exceedingly funny.
I’ve never seen all the anti-Calvinist misrepresentations put into poetry.
I guess endorsing universalism is seen as the only remedy…
So…should we try to erase that passage?
There’s a bunch of them that say He chose.
It’s not catastrophic news in this life at all…they don’t care and they have no use for God.
No one is not chosen who desires to be…
I wonder at the thought that we are surprised that there are those that are chosen in Christ. Before Christ, God chose one people group, essentially one family, in all the world to carry his banner. From practically the beginning we hear about those that are chosen, and those who are not. That seems to be how God works.
“No one is not chosen who desires to be…” AMEN
beware the jabberwock, my son….
just cuz it rhymes doesn’t make it true
Em, I was leafing through an anthology of children’s stories and poems last night and came across the poem the jabberwockey, not that I hadn’t read it before, but it was one of the most fun things I had read out loud in a long time.
“A Word To The Calvinists
“…..
But is it sweet to look around and view
Thousands excluded from that happiness,
Which they deserve at least as much as you,
Their faults not greater nor their virtues less?”
it is not my virtue, nor theirs, it is Christ’s
“…..
Because He chose to pass the many o’er
And only bring the favoured few to Heaven?”
God looks for the blood of the Lamb – it is there for all to claim
“…..
And wherefore should your hearts more grateful prove
Because for all the Saviour did not die?”
ditto
“Say does your heart expand to all mankind
And would you ever to your neighbour do,
— The weak, the strong, the enlightened and the blind –
As you would have your neighbour do to you?”
some of those Calvinists did more to spread the gospel and to relieve the suffering of the race that all the unlimited atoners put together …IMHO, of course
“And, when you, looking on your fellow men
Behold them doomed to endless misery,
How can you talk of joy and rapture then?
May God withhold such cruel joy from me!”
it is sad that the poet needs to pray for such – it should be a fruit of grace to grieve
“…..
But none shall sink to everlasting woe
That have not well deserved the wrath of Heaven.”
the poet’s own self righteous declaration?
“And, O! there lives within my heart”
A hope long nursed by me,
…..
That as in Adam all have died
In Christ shall all men live
And ever round his throne abide
Eternal praise to give;”
yes, in Christ shall all men live… choose Christ as it is appointed unto man once to die and after that happens? judgement
…..
“Before their dross is purged away,
Enough for me to know
That when the cup of wrath is drained,
The metal purified,
They’ll cling to what they once disdained,
And live by Him that died.”
it is the Believer’s works that will be tried by fire – the dross “purged away” – the Believer lives by Him that died … choose Christ as it is appointed unto man once to die and after that happens? judgement
– Anne Bronte
just sayin … again … and avoiding doing my taxes
Em,
That…was awesome.
Thank you.
regarding unlimited atonement – correction… i do believe that Christ’s death broke down the barrier of sin that stood from Adam until the crucifixion – it is not now the sin that is between us and God, rather it is our pride and sense of self justification – we want to think that we can be nice enough for God – we can’t… IMHO, of course
thank you so much Michael, i was sitting here feeling that i was being a bit presumptuous – which i was, of course 🙂
Deep Word Michael.
Thanks for all you do to minister to God’s people on this blog including me.
God bless you.
Good post