A Glorious Inheritance and an Immeasurable Power (Ephesians 1:15-20)

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…” – Ephesians 1:15-20

Before the month long hiatus, (my apologies for that) we went through the first part of Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus. We looked at how consistently he prayed for believers and we began to unpack the content of his prayer. As we’ve already noted, Paul does not pray for their comfort or riches or health, but he prays for God to give them knowledge. This is incredible, given how common it is in the church for believers to denigrate the importance of knowledge. Too many Christians use the threat of heartless head-knowledge as an excuse for headless heart-fuzziness. Yes, head knowledge alone is not enough, but the only legitimate way to the heart is through the head. Paul’s desire is that the church would know certain things, and he desired this so much for them that it drove him to his knees. In particular, Paul prayed that the saints would know God and the hope to which we have been called. How badly do we desire to know these things? How much time do we spend learning about God through His word and through the teachers that He has provided for us? How much time do we spend meditating on the future graces that await us? How committed are we to pray for a deeper knowledge of God and His promises for us? Friends, the fact is that the knowledge of these things, in the head and in the heart, are more valuable than all the health, wealth, and career success in the world. Should we stop praying for those things? Not necessarily. Should we pray for those things more than we pray for the knowledge of God, for us and for the church? Absolutely not. 

So, Paul prays that we would know God and the hope to which He has called us. But Paul doesn’t stop here. There are two more things he desires for the church to know. First, he desires that they know the the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints, and second, he desires that they know the greatness of God’s power toward those who believe.

Whose Inheritance Is It Anyway?

“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,”

Paul’s second petition is that we would know “the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints.” There is some discussion as to what this means. Some take this passage to refer to the saints as being the inheritance that God has prepared for Himself. If one were to follow this line of thinking, Paul would be telling us that his desire is for us to know how great a work God is going to perform in the saints, how precious we are in His sight, and how glorious we will be at the consummation of all things. I think this is a possible interpretation of this passage, however, I lean toward interpreting it as referring to the inheritance that God has reserved for the saints. I tend toward this interpretation for a couple reasons.

First of all, Paul has talked about an inheritance twice already, and both times the inheritance was clearly something from God for the saints (Ephesians 1:11-14). It would be odd if Paul changed the way he was using “inheritance” without making that shift explicit. Secondly, I do not know of any time Paul speaks of the heavenly inheritance as something that God inherits. That does not necessarily mean that he could not be using the word differently in this instance, though again, one would think that Paul would make it extremely clear if that were the case. Thirdly, in Acts 20:32, Paul speaks to the elders at Ephesus and uses almost exactly the same phrase to refer explicitly to the inheritance that the believers are given by God. And lastly, everything else that Paul has prayed for has referred to the knowledge of something from God and for the saints. For all these reasons, I think we should understand the “riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints” to refer to the heavenly rewards that God has in store for His saints. In fact, the preposition “in” might better translated “among”, as most translators translate it in Acts 20:32, and as the Holman Christian Standard Bible does in both Acts 20:32 and in Ephesians 1:18. 

The Value of Perspective

All that to say, I believe Paul’s desire is that we would know just how immensely valuable our future inheritance is. We need to know how richly rewarded we are going to be in Christ. Can you imagine? We who deserve nothing from God are going to inherit the earth! (Matthew 5:5, Romans 4:13) We who ought to receive infinite punishment are instead going to receive everlasting glory! (Romans 8:18-21, 2 Timothy 2:10, 2 Corinthians 4:17) We who deserve to be cast out of Christ’s presence are instead going to reign with Him over all things! (Revelation 3:21, 2 Timothy 2:12). And we who naturally have never had a holy impulse in our lives will be made to conform perfectly to the image of Christ! (1 John 3:2)

This is important for me to remember because we are given to complaining, impatience, and self-pity. Honestly, these things should be unthinkable for Christians. What have we to complain about? If we’re breathing, we are receiving infinitely more than we deserve! What do we have to feel sorry about? We have Christ! And one day we will have every good thing the universe has to offer! Whenever we complain or feel sorry for ourselves, we show that we’ve lost perspective. These two attitudes show that things eternal have begun to lose their weight in our estimation, while all things temporal have begun to grab a hold of our heart. None of this is to say that there is no room for grief in the Christian life. We go through things in this earthly life that are truly terrible and that are truly sorrowful. Jesus felt immense grief in His life, and Paul at times felt so overwhelmed by affliction that he didn’t think he would make it (2 Corinthians 1:8). There is a place for tears in the Christian life. But they are tears shed by those who know that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. They are tears shed by those who are “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but nor forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” They are tears shed by those who know that even if they lost all things in this life, the inheritance they have in the next would more than make up for it. This is the heavenly perspective that Paul prays we would have. And friends, a loss of this perspective is dangerous. First of all, it makes it hard to suffer well. When trials come (and they will come), those who know the hope of future glory will be able to bear it better than those who believe in their heart that this life is all there is. That’s just a fact. Losing this heavenly perspective also makes it remarkably difficult to love others selflessly. If we believe that this life is all that we’ve got, than it only makes sense that we would do whatever is necessary to get our piece of the pie now. But if we believe we have an inheritance that cannot be taken from us, than that allows us to let go of our comfort, money, time, health, and even our lives, for the sake of others. And most importantly, the loss of this perspective makes it impossible to honor God rightly. It makes it impossible to let go of the treasures of this world so that we might be used for the advancement of His kingdom.  It makes our gospel proclamation seem like an invitation to a life of drudgery. And it keeps us from treasuring the God who is our ultimate prize above all the trinkets of this world. Lets pray that God would grant us grace to remember the riches of the glorious inheritance that we have in Christ! Let us pray that a heavenly perspective would help us persevere through truly grievous situations. And let us pray that the joys of heaven would give us the ability to sacrificially love others today.

Immeasurable Power

“that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places…”

There is one more thing Paul prays that we would know. Yes, we need to know that we are called to a great hope, and yes, we need to know that we have a glorious inheritance awaiting us. But Paul knows that in order to deal with the troubles of daily life, we must know that God is working in us NOW, and we must know that He is at work in us with a power that will not fail. The reason this is so important is because every Christian faces formidable opposition and knows the weight of it. If you are a Christian, you already know the power of the flesh in you. You feel your flesh pull you in a dozen sinful directions everyday, and you know how great a force it can exert upon you. If you are Christian, you’ve also felt the alluring power of the world around you. You know how the world can play with your heart strings, and get you longing after things that lead you away from Christ and His Kingdom. And if you are a Christian, regardless of whether you are aware of it or not, you have a very powerful enemy that knows uses all these things and more to try to destroy you. Every Christian feels the effects of these three things working together, and on our own, we do not have the strength to stand up before such great enemies. The sad thing however is that many Christians simply leave it at that. We become aware of the power of our enemies and… that’s it. No wonder we can fall into defeatism and despair so often! We feel the strength of our flesh, we feel the pull of the world, we feel the attacks of the devil, and we forget that we have an infinitely powerful God that is fully committed to saving us! Christian, read that verse again! Paul wants you to know “what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe.”Let that sink in for a moment! IMMEASURABLE GREATNESS HIS POWER. That is what you have on your side! The God who created all things by the power of His Word has given His Word that you who are in Christ would be saved! The God who defeated death itself in raising His Son from the grave is at work in you with that same death-defeating power! The God who seated Christ at His right hand far above all rule and authority and power and dominion has committed Himself to your salvation! You have no reason to despair! Your sin will not ultimately win! The world will not ultimately win! The devil will not ultimately win! Why? Because God is working in us with infinite power to put our sin to death! God is working in us with infinite power that we might overcome the world! And God is working with infinite power to protect us from the evil one! Let that be your encouragement. All the powers of the universe collaborating together to destroy you are no match for the power of our Heavenly Father to save. And if you are in Christ, you can know that He has working in you with immeasurably great power for your salvation. You will see victory, over sin, over the world, and over the devil. Not because you are strong, but because God is infinitely strong and is for you. 

The Hope To Which He Has Called Us (Ephesians 1:15-18)

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you…” – Ephesians 1:15-18

Two weeks ago, we began looking at Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus. We saw that Paul’s love for other believers expressed itself in earnest, consistent prayer for them. Our love for our brothers and sisters should likewise lead us to pray. The only saints who don’t need prayer are those who have departed to be with the Lord, and if we truly love each other as we should, we will pray for each other, even as Paul did and as Christ still does. We also noted what it was that Paul prayed for. While he could have prayed for a number of things, Paul’s prayer for the church was that they might know God. This is the one thing we need more than anything else. To have all else without the growing knowledge of God is to have nothing. And one of the reasons this is true is because without the knowledge of God, we cannot know the hope to which He has called us.

We Were Called to Hope

“…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you…”

Hope is a peculiar thing. For starters, hope is something that we cannot live without. There is nothing as devastating as being in a dark situation and having no reason to believe things will ever be better. And yet, with hope, men and women are able to endure the most difficult of circumstances. Hope makes all the difference in the way we respond to everything life throws our way. However, hope is also peculiar because it does not always seem like a reasonable thing to have. For many people, it is far from obvious that things will just turn out better than they currently are. When all we have known has been family dysfunction, or poverty, or illness, or mistreatment, or sexual abuse, or ridicule, or bondage to sin, or loneliness, what reason is there for hope? Paul, together with the whole bible tells us, that the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ is the one reason for hope we have that will never fail us.

Ephesians 1:18 tells us that everyone who has heard the Word of truth and believed in Christ (see v.13) has been called by God to hope. Regardless of what our past may have been like or what our present is currently like, there is a hope that we have been called to in Christ. And this hope is entirely reasonable because of who this God is. That is why the knowledge of God which Paul prayed for runs parallel to “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened so that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you.” I think the phrase “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened” is another way of describing what it looks like to have a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.” So, even though all you may have known throughout life has been hardship, poverty, sickness, abuse, and sin, you have reason to hope because of the God who has called you to this hope. He is a faithful God who is always true to His Word (Heb 6:13-18, Deut 32:4, Psalm 100:5). He is an Almighty God, able to change our circumstance and accomplish all that He has promised (Heb 11:17-19, Rom 4:18-21, Jer. 32:17). He is a gracious God, willing to forgive our many sins and work all things for our good (Mic. 7:18, Ps. 130:4, Rom 8:28) And He is a loving God, desiring our ultimate good even at the cost of His own Son (Rom 5:8, Rom 8:28-32, 1 John 4:10). So, we who know God have good reason for hope, because the faithful, all-powerful, gracious, and loving God of the universe has called us to this hope. However, not everyone should be as hopeful as we are.

Unreasonable Hopes

The reason we who believe in Christ can have hope is because God Himself has called us to it. But there are many people in the world who have hope for all the wrong reasons. In fact, many have hope for no reason at all. Some of us are very hopeful because we believe ourselves to be men and women of great ability. We think that our talents, strengths, skills, resources, connections, and intellects are reason enough to believe that the future holds wonderful things in store. Others of us believe that we have reason to be hopeful because the world owes it to us. We believe we’ve been good people (by our own definition of ”good”) and that we’ve never done anything too sinful (except that time… and that time… and that time… but those were just anomalous exceptions), and so it’s only natural for the world to conspire for our gladness. Still others of us have bought into the idea that positivity itself will bring us good things. If we think hard enough about having money, or success, or a house, or health, we are sure to have it and soon! (Caveat: does not work for getting dead pets back, for growing taller after puberty, or for acquiring a Mohler-esque brain)

Can I be blunt for a moment? These are all stupid reasons for hope. If your reason for hope is founded on your abilities, your morality, or your optimism, you have no foundation for hope at all.

Your abilities are no guarantee of future success, and they certainly will not save you from loss, from sickness, from sin, and from death. You are not a good person, and the only thing you deserve is the eternal wrath of God, which by the way, is most certainly coming for all who do not repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ. And apart from faith in Christ, the only think positive thinking will bring you in the future is major disappointment when you either don’t receive all that you hoped for, or receive them and realize they weren’t all that you hoped for. The only sure foundation for hope is God, and the only real hope that exists is the hope to which He calls those who believe in the gospel.

So, before I even describe what this hope is, I need to ask, have you believed in the gospel? Do you believe that God exists and that He is Holy? Do you believe that all men, including ourselves, have sinned against Him, disobeyed His Word, trampled upon His honor, and incurred His righteous anger? Do you believe that in love, God the Father sent God the Son to become a man through the miracle of a virgin birth? Do you believe that this God-man, Jesus Christ, lived a perfectly righteous life so that He might justly bear the punishment of our sins through His substitutionary death on the cross? Do you believe that Christ took your place on the cross and bore your sin on the cross and endured God’s wrath toward you on the cross so that through faith in Him, you might be perfectly reconciled to the Father? Do you believe that this Jesus has been raised from the dead so that you too might walk in repentance and newness of life?

If your answer to these questions has been yes, than praise God! He has called you to hope! If however, your answer to these questions is no, then I truly pray that you would consider these things earnestly. I pray you might pick up the bible and begin to read it yourself, or that you might look for a gospel-preaching church nearby, listen to the word, and talk to the pastor. I pray you might ask a Christian friend to sit down with you and explain these things to you. My desire is that you might have the only firm hope there is, and that is the hope to which God calls us through the gospel. Apart from belief in this gospel, I promise you, on the basis of God’s word, every so-called hope we have will ultimately prove false.

Know Your Hope

“…having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what isthe hope to which He has called you…”

Paul’s desire for the church is not just that they would have a vague sense of some future hope in store for them. He prays that God would give them the grace to know Him so that they might know the hope to which He has called them. There are some well-intentioned Christians who try not to focus on the future hope we have because it might detract from the present work that needs to get done. They worry that by focusing on the hope we have in Christ, we might become “too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly good.” But that is not our problem. Our problem is that we are too earthly minded to be of any good period!

We need to know the hope to which God has called us so that we do not set our hopes on worldly things and live as though this life were all that was worth living for! We need to know this hope so that we do not fall prey to the prosperity gospel, which mistakes the hope we have in the future life for realities we can claim for ourselves now! We also must know the hope to which God has called us because despairing Christians are of no good to anyone, and without the hope of the future life, there would be much reason to despair. And we must know the hope to which God has called us because God deserves to be trusted, and He deserves to be glorified now for the promises we will receive in full then.

And so, what is this hope to which God has called us? The bible reveals to us many glorious aspects of this hope. Allow me to quickly enumerate a few.

It is the hope of perfect bodies. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phil 3:20-21) Every ailment, pain, sickness, disease, and even death itself will be no more! When our hope comes to pass, we will never again suffer the fragility of this fallen body, but will instead live in the strength and vigor of glorified, resurrected bodies!

It is the hope of perfect provision. “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water.” (Rev. 7:16-17) There will be no poverty, no lack, no scarcity anywhere in God’s redeemed world! When our hope comes, all of God’s people will be wealthy beyond measure!

It is the hope of perfect harmony. “He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Is. 2:4) Our hope includes the hope of perfectly restored relationships between all peoples! There will be no strife, violence, malice or hatred! Neither shall there be loneliness, misunderstanding, ridicule, or insecurity! We will experience the joy of full, sinless, loving human relationships!

It is the hope of perfect authority. “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.” (Rev. 2:26-27) We were made by God to exercise dominion over creation as His representatives, and by the grace of God, we will be restored to our places of authority! We will rule with Christ over creation for His glory! (If you find this hard to believe, see Rev. 3:21, it will blow your mind!)

It is the hope of perfect satisfaction. “And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.” (Rev. 21:6) No thirst of yours will not be quenched in the life that is to come! That longing in your heart that no earthly thing can fill, will be finally and fully fulfilled when Christ comes to bring our hope to fruition!

It is the hope of a perfect creation. “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” As beautiful as creation might be today, it is only a shadow of what it will be like when the our hope fully comes to pass! There will be no hurricanes or tornadoes or earthquakes or flash floods! All creation will perfectly serve to increase our unending joy in the glory of God!

It is the hope of perfect Christlikeness. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2) Oh how great our joy will be when the battle with the flesh is finally over and we will be able to walk in complete conformity to the character of Christ!

These are but some aspects of the great hope to which God has called us! These are not realities for us yet, and they will not be realities for us until Christ comes. But they are sure realities nonetheless. We will experience them all in full at the time of Christ’s coming. So know this hope! God’s desire is not for you to remain ignorant of the hope to which He has called you! Let this great hope be a source of strength during times of trouble! Let this hope provide you with the perspective you need to say no to the temptations of the devil, the lies of this world, and the passions of the flesh! Let this hope enable you to love sacrificially! And let this hope fill your heart with amazement at the goodness of God, that your lips might be filled constantly with His praise!

Knowing God is Our Hope

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you…”

And yet, as wonderful as those things I enumerated are, they are not the center of our hope. The center of our hope is the hope of the perfect knowledge of God. Notice how Paul equates the giving of a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” with “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened.” Those are not two different things, but rather, to ways of describing the same thing. When God gives you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, He opens the eyes of your hearts. And when God does this, when He reveals Himself to you, when He opens your eyes to see Him, you get a taste of the hope to which He has called you. Why? Because He Himself is that hope.

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God… To the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be His God and he will be my son.” (Rev. 21:3, 7) The greatest joy of heaven will be the joy of seeing God face to face, dwelling with Him as sons before their loving Father, and growing in perfect knowledge of His infinite excellencies. We will never know Him comprehensively, for He is infinite. But our knowledge of Him will be perfect creaturely knowledge. We will know God that way that we as creatures were meant to know Him. That is the heart of our great hope. And it is a hope that will not fail. 

There is No Bubble! (Ephesians 1:15-17 pt.2)

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him…” – Ephesians 1:15-17

I am currently a student at Southern Seminary, or as many call it, “the bubble.” This designation, usually used by fellow students, is a semi-derogatory reference to the “seclusion” of seminarians from the “real world.” According to this thinking, we (seminarians, aka the bubbled ones) live in a comfortable, sanitized, make-believe world, surrounded only by Christians, far away from the troubles of the real world, where real ministry and real love and real service takes place. And so, we conclude that to be like Christ, we have to escape the “bubble,” get away from other Christians, and go down to reality in order to meet others’ needs.

Now, this perspective captures much that is true. It is true that pleasant surroundings can fool us into thinking that comfort is normal. It is true that we easily forget that Christ’s call to follow Him is a call to suffer for His sake (1 Peter 2:21). It is true that there is world outside our classrooms and churches that desperately needs the gospel. It is true that every Christian must purposefully, consistently, and lovingly put himself or herself in situations where he or she can minister to those in the world with deep physical and spiritual needs. All of this is true, and every Christian who lives in relative comfort or who finds himself surrounded by other believers, needs to be reminded of these truths.

However, there is also much about the “bubble” perspective that is unhelpful… foremost among these is that fact that it is just plain false.

Fact is, there is no such thing as a “bubble”. There is no square inch on this fallen planet that is untouched by the horrors of sin and the suffering it has brought with it. Whether the “bubble” is your seminary, your church, your youth group, your small group, your campus ministry, or whatever, I guarantee you, that every believer in the so-called “bubble” has been touched by the real world problems of sin, disease, debt, loneliness, insecurity, lust, guilt, loss, fear, family issues, injustice, despair, and so on, and so forth. And the problem with the “bubble” mentality is that it makes it easy to overlook, downplay, or completely neglect the real world needs of those brothers and sisters right in front of us.

Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood. Every Christian is called to take the gospel to the unbelieving world and to serve those hurting outside the confines of our churches, our youth groups, or our seminaries. We are called to be salt and light in the world, and to love our enemies, and to be ambassadors for Christ, all of which assume our being in the world but not of the world. However, this is not all that we are commanded. Jesus also said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) The “one another” in that verse is a reference to other believers. In fact, just two chapters earlier, He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The world we are hoping to witness to will only believe our witness if we love those in the so-called “bubble.” Furthermore, Paul tells us that we are to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) The reference once again is to other believers. It’s impossible to do this if we think that the only legitimate needs are those found outside the so-called “bubble.” Fact is, we are called to love those in the world AND those saved from the world. And one way that Paul consistently modeled this is by praying for the saints.

Saints, pray for the Saints

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,”

Paul’s letters reveal an amazing consistency in his prayers for believers. Almost every one of his letters contains a prayer for the church, and he often characterizes his prayer life for the believers as ceaseless or constant (Romans 1:9-10, Philippians 1:3-4, Ephesians 1:16, Colossians 1:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:11). Here, Paul the under-shepherd demonstrates that he shares the Great Shepherd’s heart, for Christ also constantly intercedes for the saints (Hebrews 7:25). This should serve both as a great source of encouragement for us, and as a clear example for us. Friend, if you are in Christ, you need to know that regardless of your situation, Jesus Christ Himself is constantly pleading for your good! And the Father will surely hear His prayers for He always prays exactly according to the will of the Father! Let this be a sure rock under your feet and an impenetrable shelter over your head!

However, we are meant to find comfort not only in the prayers of our Brother in heaven, but also in the prayers of our siblings on earth! Paul says that we should be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…” (Ephesians 6:18) Paul’s desire and command is that all the saints be prayed for all the time. This can only come to pass as all God’s saints consistently pray for all God’s saints!

So the first question I want to ask us is: how consistently are we praying for the saints? Do we spend time pleading with God to bless our brothers and sisters? Do we make it a point to know how we can be praying for our brothers and sisters? Friend, there isn’t a single believer out there that is not in need of prayer. Whether it be for physical provision, or strength in suffering, or bodily healing, or emotional stability, or familial reconciliation, or the salvation of loved ones, or one’s war with sin, every believer is constantly faced with situations that only God can deliver them from. And we show our love for them by falling on our knees on their behalf. After all, Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us, and one of the ways He continues to show His love for us is by interceding for us. Lets emulate Christ’s prayerful love for us by loving the saints through our prayers.

The second question I want to ask is: are you making your needs known to the saints? Are you in real fellowship with other believers? Are you willing to humble yourself to another, confessing your sin and making your needs known, so that they might pray for you? As amazing as it is that Paul constantly prayed for the saints, it is equally amazing that he openly asked for prayer and made known his needs and his struggles (2 Corinthians 1:8-11, Ephesians 6:19-20). Friend, don’t let pride or insecurity or fear keep you from experiencing the comfort that comes from being prayed for by other believers.

Our Great Need

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him”

Ephesians 1:15-17 doesn’t only reveal the consistency of Paul’s prayers for the church, but also the content. At the top of Paul’s list of things to pray for is a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God. This is incredibly important, especially when we take the context of the letter into account.

Paul is writing this letter from prison (Ephesians 3:1, Ephesians 6:20). In fact, by this time, Paul had faced beatings, imprisonments, stoning, and other kinds of persecution. From Paul’s earlier letters to the Corinthians, we learn that Paul had suffered ill-treatment and poverty and hunger and many other forms of suffering. And Paul knows firsthand the antagonism the citizens of Ephesus had towards the exclusivity of the gospel (Acts 19:23-41). So Paul is well aware of the suffering that faithful Christians in Ephesus are exposed to. And yet, when he prays for the church at Ephesus, while in chains, the first thing he prays for is the knowledge of God. I think this means that in Paul’s mind, our great need before all other needs is to know God.

Now, believers have many legitimate needs that must be prayed for. We should pray for one another’s health, safety, and provision. We should pray for each other’s careers, relationships, and families. But above all, we must pray for each others’ knowledge of God. To have all other things without the knowledge of God is to have nothing at all. And our need for the knowledge of God is not completely met upon our conversion. Paul’s prayer makes clear that every believer needs to continue to grow in their knowledge of God. First of all, we all carry around false notions of God that still need to be corrected. Secondly, even what we know truly about God often does not enter our hearts, so that the affection and the worship that should be produced by the truth about God is suppressed by the hardness of our hearts. We must pray for God to overcome both these things in ourselves and in our brothers and sisters in Christ. Furthermore, we ought to pray for the knowledge of God because a growing intimacy with God is what makes it possible to bear the loss of other good things, which every believer is bound to face. This is why Paul, while imprisoned and facing death, can say things like, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,” (Philippians 3:18) and,“But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” (2 Timothy 1:12)

Friends, lets pray for one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and making supplication for all our various needs. But lets not forget to pray for the greatest need that every saint has, that is, our growth in the knowledge of God. None of us know God as truly as we ought, and none of us are affected by the truth of God as fully as we ought to be. So let us love one another by consistently asking God to make Himself known to each of us more clearly, more profoundly, and more sweetly.

Only God Makes Known God

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him”

One more thing needs to be pointed out. The fact that Paul prays this way reveals that the knowledge of God is a gift that God gives. We cannot come to know God on our own efforts alone. Apart from the blessing of God, we cannot grow in the true knowledge of God. We are absolutely dependent upon Him to reveal Himself to us. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t study God’s Word or listen to preachers or read helpful books. We must be constantly in God’s word, and we should listen to faithful teachers of the Word, and it’s a good idea to read theologically rich books. But at the end of the day, these things will only bear fruit if God blesses our efforts. This is why Paul can tell Timothy to “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:7) Timothy should think hard over Paul’s words, but at the end of the day, it is God who gives understanding.

And so, for all of us who desire to know God, we must do all our reading and studying on our knees. What we need more than anything else is to know God more deeply, and only God can grant us that gift. Let us plead with Him for it. And let us plead with Him on behalf of our brothers and sisters as well. All of us who are members of God’s family need to know Him more than we need our next breath, and we demonstrate our love for one another by asking God to meet this great need.

May we, for whom Christ ceaselessly intercedes, also intercede for one another without ceasing, that we might all grow in our knowledge of the Father and experience more fully the joy and the peace that can only come through the true knowledge of God!

Thank God for Saints! (Ephesians 1:15-17)

“For this reason, because I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him,” – Ephesians 1:15-17

After speaking of all the glorious blessings that God sovereignly gives to His chosen people through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, Paul then turns to pray for the church in Ephesus. As we will see in our journey through Ephesians 1:15-23, the line between theological praise and powerful prayer is very thin with Paul. Paul’s deeply informed, theologically rich, praise for God quickly turns into a powerful prayer to God for the church, and his prayer to God is full of glorious declarations of truth about the Father and the Son. Perhaps we have something to learn here about the relationship between our theology and our prayer life. Many people labor under the idea that a rich theology and a rich prayer life cannot coincide in the same person. Paul proves that notion wrong. The fastest way to kill your prayer life is to combine small thoughts about God with big thoughts about self. And the only way to keep that from happening is to take your thought life captive to the word of God, which is precisely what good theology is all about. The only theology that matters is theology that is rooted in and faithful to the word of God. If you have that kind of theology flowing from your mind into your heart, you will pray.

But before we move through the entire section, there are certain truths found in verses 15-17 that are worth attending to.

Gospel-Centered Optimism

Now, in verse 14, Paul assures believers in Ephesus that the heavenly inheritance is theirs and will not be lost. He tells them that when they heard the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation, and believed in Jesus Christ as a result of hearing it, they were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Paul clearly believes that those who have come to faith in Christ will be kept by God Himself so that they will receive the inheritance He has in store for them. And Paul believes all this about the church because he has heard a report concerning their continued faithfulness to Christ and their love toward the saints.

To be absolutely honest, if I were in Paul’s shoes, I would have probably responded differently. I imagine I would’ve responded with some measure of cynicism. Sadly, I am much quicker to believe a negative report about people than I am to believe a positive one. In fact, when someone is commended to me, it isn’t too long before I start speculating about what flaws he must have. “His preaching is engaging? He’s probably theologically shallow though.” “He volunteers a lot at church? I wonder if he’s taking care of his marriage.” “She serves the poor? She must be another one of those social-gospel folk.” This kind of skepticism is something I need to repent of, and I don’t think I’m alone on this. In fact, many of us are not only quick to believe the reports we hear of other people’s failures and sins, we seem to enjoy talking about these things as well. After all, how many of our conversations revolve around the failures, sins, or character flaws of others? How many of those conversations are based on some form of hearsay? How quick are we to gossip and complain about people we don’t know very well or don’t know at all? Compare that to how many conversations we have that revolve around the grace of God that’s become evident in the lives of saints around us? The truth is that many of us need the same kind of gospel-centered optimism that Paul had when he heard news about the Ephesians.

At this point, some of us may think that we’re simply being realistic. After all, we’ve seen people look squeaky-clean on the outside, only to discover some horrible sins hidden behind the veneer. Many of us may have been hurt by people who fooled us with their pretend-godliness. I know I have been hurt by the hypocrisy of others. This however does not give us the right to cynicism. Cynicism, though celebrated in our culture, is an attitude that is insulting to the grace of God. Cynicism basically denies the power of God to truly change people. This is especially true when directed to people who have professed belief in Christ, but is also true towards non-believers. After all, when was the last time our gossiping led to heartfelt prayer for a person’s conversion? If cynicism is our default mode, then we show a lack of faith in the power of God to save and to sanctify.

Now, hear me, this does not mean that throw away all discernment in every situation with those who have been called believers! If you’re thinking about marrying someone, it’s not enough that he or she calls himself or herself a Christian! If a preacher mentions Jesus on TV, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should gobble up his sermons! If a politician says a prayer during his campaign, that doesn’t mean we should necessarily vote for them! But I do believe that Paul demonstrates what our default mode should look like. Like Paul, we should be quick to see and believe in evidences of grace in people’s lives, not because we are confident in people’s abilities, but because we are confident in the power of God to change lives.

You Display the Fruit, God gets the Thanks

Furthermore, Paul’s response to the news about the Ephesians reveals two things that are worth noting. First of all, his response shows who is ultimately responsible for the fruit produced in the lives of Christians.

“For this reason, because I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,”

Paul did not thank the Ephesians for their continued faith in Christ and love for the saints. He acknowledged that it was their faith and their love, and yet, they weren’t ultimately responsible for it. Instead of thanking them, Paul thanked God for them. This is actually incredible when you really think about it. This just shows us that in Paul’s mind, continued faith and growth in love are ultimately the work of God in the lives of believers! Otherwise, why would Paul thank God for those things? You don’t thank people for things they are not responsible for! For instance, if my dad were to take me out for dinner, and instead of thanking him, I thanked the old lady sitting in the table next to us, that would be dumb! As nice as she might be, she had nothing to do with me getting my meal! Paul is not being dumb when he thanks God for these believers who are displaying genuine faith and love! Instead, he is agreeing with Jesus, who instructed us to, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) God deserves the glory for our good works because ultimately, He is the one who produces them in us!

This in turn should lead us to pray! First of all, we should pray for more faith and love to be produced in our own lives! If you are struggling with your faith in Christ, or if you’re struggling to love your Christian brothers and sisters, the answer lies not in gritting your teeth and producing the fruit of the Spirit the same way you produce beads of sweat! The answer lies in humbling yourself, getting down on your knees, and pleading with God to work in you that which is pleasing to Him! If you have any measure of faith in Christ and any love for the saints, it is only because God worked these in you! And to increase in them, you will need God to continue the work that He began! And be encouraged, for God has promised to do just that. (Philippians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) And secondly, we should pray for our friends and loved ones who don’t believe in Christ or love His church! No matter how hard their hearts might be at this moment, there is always hope for them, because God is able to work faith and love in the hardest of hearts! He is able to bring anyone to faith in Christ through the gospel! Don’t let the unbelief of others lead you to despair. Instead, ask your heavenly Father, the omnipotent Savior, to bring these loved ones to saving faith.

Thanking God for His Grace in Others

Lastly, Paul’s response reveals the joy that he has in seeing the fruit of God produced in the lives of others. Notice, he says, ““For this reason, because I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…” Now it’s important to know that Paul is not writing to a group of people he’s never heard of before. He spent two years in Ephesus and discipled many people in that city. It is very probable that many of the recipients of this letter would’ve been people that Paul saw come to faith in Christ. So I don’t think he’s thanking God for their conversion alone. It seems more likely to me that Paul is thanking God for sustaining these believers in their faith and continuing to produce the fruit of love in their lives. This is deeply convicting to me! It’s easy to initially thank God for the conversions of sinners to Christ, but then I find that my gratitude for these quickly turns into annoyance at certain quirks or impatience with certain sins. Paul on the other hand overflowed with thanks for the signs of grace that he heard about in the lives of other believers. Friends, are we quicker to recognize the faults of other believers than we are to see evidences of grace? Are we quicker to criticize the saints than we are to give thanks for them? When we overlook God’s work in the lives of our brothers and sisters, we cultivate a lack of love in our hearts and we rob God of the praise that He deserves.

On a very practical level, are there believers that you are in contact with that just seem to get on your nerves for one reason or another? Would you pray that God would open your eyes to see evidences of grace in their lives? Would you put to death your critical thoughts about them and try to focus on God’s work in their lives? And would you thank God for the graces He shows you? Or, if you truly don’t see signs of grace, would you lovingly share the gospel with them and pray that they would either come to true faith for the first time or that they would begin to live consistent with the gospel they’ve received?

May God give us eyes to see the beauty of His work in the saints around us, that our lips may be filled with thanks and praise for the God who does amazing things in the lives of undeserving sinners like ourselves!

In the Midst of Tornadoes and Tsunamis (Ephesians 1:11-14)

“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. 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 1:11-14

Just two days ago, a series of tornadoes swept through the Midwest, killing 36 people across five states, and leaving piles of debris where towns stood just minutes before. A massive thunderstorm resulted in more than 90 reported tornadoes, the worst of which ravaged the towns of Henryville and Marysville in Indiana, and Morgan County in Eastern Kentucky. In a matter of minutes, thousands lost everything they owned, and thirty six people lost their lives. This almost exactly a year after Japan was struck by an earthquake and a tsunami that left over 15,000 dead, and 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. To this day, there are thousands of Japanese people who cannot return to their homes because of the threat of radiation coming from the nuclear plant that was damaged by the earthquake.

The world we live in is filled with the tragic, and we all must wrestle with what to make of events like these. Without a doubt, the very first things these tragedies should move us to do are to pray and to help. But they should also move us to think. Ecclesiastes 7:4 tells us, “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” Lets not be too quick to turn our attention to more entertaining things. There is wisdom to be gained underneath the rubble for those who aren’t afraid to look hard at the painful. But that wisdom will only be found by those who look through the right lenses. And in Ephesians 1:11-14, Paul provides us with the lenses we’ll need to gain wisdom in a world of tornadoes and tsunamis.

A Sure Inheritance

“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…”

If we look through the right lenses, tragedies will remind us of the fragility of all earthly treasures. We so often forget how quickly lost those very things are that we spend our lives trying to gain. Whether it be our possessions, our reputations, our health, or our families, there are no guarantees when it comes to the things of this life. Even as James says, our lives here are but a vapor and we know not what tomorrow holds for us (James 4:13-15). And yet, all who are in Christ can live with great hope and unshakeable confidence. This is not because we are guaranteed a free pass from all that is tragic in this life. We have no such guarantee, and don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. But we are guaranteed an inheritance that is in fact better than all the treasures that this present life has to offer.

Peter describes this inheritance for us in his first letter, and he says that it is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.” (1 Peter 1:4) Immediately we ought to see the superiority of our future inheritance to all our present possessions. First of all, our inheritance is imperishable. All earthly treasures will eventually perish. Our brand new cars will one day be age-old jalopies. Our “chiseled” bodies (this is me being generous) will one day be stiff corpses. Not so with the inheritance God has for us. It will never rot, or rust, decay or die. Furthermore, our inheritance cannot be defiled. There are so many good things in this world that we corrupt with our own iniquity. We use our money to feed our lusts. We use our talents to exploit other people. We use our time to indulge in foolishness. Not so with the inheritance God has for us. It is a holy gift that God has reserved for a holy people. And lastly, our inheritance is unfading. The law of diminishing returns applies to all the goods of this world. We quickly grow bored with the things that once brought us great delight. Not so with the inheritance God has for us. Our enjoyment of it will increase with the passing of eternal ages. The fullness of our joy will grow ever more full as we live in the inheritance God has for us.

The reason this is so is ultimately because God Himself is our inheritance. Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” John tells us that the essence of eternal life is to “know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) At the heart of the new covenant purchased by Christ for us is knowing God and living as His chosen people (Jeremiah 31:33-34). While it is true that the bible promises us all the earth (1 Corinthians 3:22), our true imperishable, undefiled, and unfading treasure is God Himself. He is a treasure that no tornado or tsunami can ever take from you.

A Sovereign God

“In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…”

Not only can the tragic life our eyes to our heavenly inheritance, but they can also lead us to look to our sovereign God. We so often deceive ourselves into thinking we’re in control. Nothing shakes us from our delusions of grandeur quicker than unexpected suffering. We are not in control, God is. And the amazing thing is that God is not shy about His sovereign hand in all things, including the tragic. From the greatest of joys to the deepest of hurts, God claims to work all of it according to the counsel of His will. God’s word in fact testifies to this truth over and over again.

“Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?” – Lamentations 3:37-38

“Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?” – Amos 3:6

“I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.” – Isaiah 45:7

While it can be difficult to understand, the bible tells us that God is ultimately in control of all that occurs in this beautiful and yet terrible world. Not a single particle of dust twirling about in the greatest tornado moves apart from His eternal decree. Not a single drop of water in the most devastating tsunami travels apart from His command. As odd as it may seem, this difficult truth is the source of unbelievable comfort for all who embrace it. This is because the God who works all things according to the counsel of His will is also the God who wills that which is ultimately good.

God is able to work all things for good, and He has promised to do just that. He has demonstrated His goodness in the midst of suffering time and time again. Be reminded of the life of Joseph, who was abused by his brothers and unjustly imprisoned for years, only to be led through that suffering to become Pharaoh’s second-hand man and the source of salvation for his entire family. Be reminded by the story of Ruth, who lost her husband and was forced into poverty, only to be redeemed by righteous Boaz and included in the genealogy of the Christ. Be reminded by David who was unjustly hated by the most powerful man in Israel only to be spared from his anger and made King of all Israel. Ultimately, be reminded of Jesus Christ, who suffered mistreatment all His life and unjustly died the most brutal of deaths, only to be raised from the dead and made the Savior of all of us who believe. God is able to work evil for good, and for those who embrace this truth, there can be unshakeable peace in the midst of the tornadoes and tsunamis of life.

A Saving Gospel

“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.”

While we look to the tragic in this life and weep, we ought to also look and shudder. As terrible as the tornadoes and tsunamis of this life are, they are merely shadows of the great wrath of God that is yet to come. The Scriptures testify over and over again that there is a day of judgment coming, and that day will be more dreadful than any that has ever occurred in human history. On that day, God will vindicate His most holy name, and will repay all sinners for all their God-belittling, man-exalting ways. And when that day comes, there will be nowhere to hide. There will be no storm shelter strong enough, no basement deep enough, no cave remote enough to save from the wrath of God (Revelation 6:15-17, Revelation 19:11-21) . And yet today, there is a great hope for you. There is good news. God has provided a great salvation for us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

We have all sinned against God in innumerable ways, and we all deserve hell for our sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). But God, in His great love and mercy, sent His only Son to become a man and live a perfectly righteous life, in order to be bear the wrath of God against the sins of all who would believe in Him. (Romans 3:23-26, John 3:16) When Jesus Christ was nailed to that cross two thousand years ago, he was dying the death that each of us deserved to die. He took the place of sinners so that anyone who put their trust in Him would be freed from the penalty of their sin and reconciled to God. And God raised Him from the dead so that all might know that the Father was satisfied with His sacrifice and so that all who are united to Him by faith might have newness of life (Romans 6:4).

For those who have yet to trust in Christ, I pray that you would come to place your faith in Him. There is no sure joy apart from Christ. All the treasures that you think you have can be taken from you in a moment, and ultimately will be taken from you in death. And there will be a day of judgment, when every man, woman, and child, will have to stand before a holy God and give an account for their lives. And on that day, only those who took refuge in Christ will be saved. Will you take refuge in Him?

And so, for all who have trusted in Christ, let us find great encouragement in the gospel. We may experience tragedies in our lives, but we have ultimately been spared the greatest tragedy of all, that of eternal life apart from our great God. We may have different earthly treasures taken from us, but we have an eternal inheritance that can never be taken. And our lives may be laced with tears, but ultimately, we have a sovereign God who is at work for our unending and immeasurable joy. With these truths in our hearts, we can live joyfully and lovingly, even in a world of tornadoes and tsunamis. 

The Indispensable Mystery (Ephesians 1:7-10, Pt.2)

Ephesians 1:7-10

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

As was said last week, true freedom consists in being set free from sin and its penalty. In short, our freedom is found in God’s forgiveness through the atoning work of Christ. And the forgiveness we have in Christ is not based on the works we’ve done or the severity of our sin or even the regularity of our sinning. The basis of our forgiveness is the riches of the grace of God, which has been lavished upon us in Christ. This is amazing news. But the text doesn’t end there. Paul also describes the way, the means, and the aim, of this amazing display of grace.

The Way, the Means, and the Aim

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to His purpose…”

There are three things about God’s lavish outpouring of grace that Paul highlights that I want to quickly point out before pulling them all together. The first thing Paul highlights is that the way in which God pours out His grace displays His infinite wisdom and understanding. God did not pour out His grace upon us in a foolhardy manner. This was not a decision made capriciously or unduly, but rather, the decision to save sinful human beings through the death and resurrection of His Son was made in accordance with His infinite wisdom. Furthermore, the manner in which God chose to save us is also an expression of His unspeakable wisdom. In fact, upon reflecting on God’s work of salvation, Paul cried out,

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. – Romans 11:33-36

The second thing that Paul highlights is the means by which God lavishes His grace. Paul tells us that the means by which God lavishes His grace is by “making known to us the mystery of His will.” What does this mean? Paul uses the term “mystery” to describe a truth about God and His ways that was once concealed but is now revealed. There are a number of truths this term is used for in Ephesians, including the in-grafting of the Gentiles into God’s people through the gospel (Ephesians 3:6), the nature of marriage as a picture of Christ’s love for the Church (Ephesians 5:32), and the gospel itself (Ephesians 6:19). So Paul is telling us that the grace of God is lavished upon us only through the revelation of a certain truth. Some knowledge has to be made known in order for any to receive the gift of gracious forgiveness. What is this mystery that needs to be made known? The context, as well as Paul’s other writings, seem to indicate that this mystery is the gospel. Paul is saying that the manner in which God extends this grace to people is through the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul in fact makes this explicit just four verses down, when he says, “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…” Paul makes it clear that no one is sealed by the Holy Spirit for salvation apart from hearing the gospel and believing in Christ. Much of Paul’s writing testifies to the this as well. (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Romans 1:16-17, Romans 10:14-17, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Colossians 1:21-23)

The third thing that Paul highlights is that the outpouring of this grace accords with God’s ultimate aim, which is the glory of God. Paul says that God lavished his grace upon us by making known to us the mystery of His will, and this was “according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ.” What is this purpose? The glory of God is the clear answer. The glory of God as the purpose of God is a dominant theme in the first chapter of Ephesians. Paul explicitly tells us three times in fourteen verses that our salvation has God’s glory as it’s ultimate end. He tells us that the purpose behind our adoption into God’s family is the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:5-6). Paul goes on to tell us that the heavenly inheritance reserved for us is ultimately for the sake of the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:11-12), as is our actual acquisition of it in the future (Ephesians 1:13-14). And this aim has cosmic ramifications, as God’s purpose extends not only to individual human beings, but to all heaven and earth being united in Christ.

The Offensive Implication

What this means is that God has designed for salvation to come to men and women only through the gospel. The grace of forgiveness comes only through the mystery of the gospel being made known. And the reason that God has designed it this way is because God desires to be glorified in salvation. God’s purpose is to be glorified in and through Christ, “who is the radiance of His glory, and the exact imprint of His nature,” (Hebrews 1:3) and is the “image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Now, to some, this is nothing short of offensive. The idea that people need to hear the gospel and believe the gospel in order to be saved is infuriating to many. In fact, few things are as abrasive to our modern ears as the exclusive claims of the gospel. I know, because I used to feel that way. I used to think it was unfair for God to punish good Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, atheists, etc. just because they hadn’t heard the gospel.

But here’s the problem: there are no good Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, agnostics, atheists, or Christians.

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one…“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Romans 3:10-12, 18

See, there may be some people in the world who don’t believe in the gospel and are good to us, but there isn’t a single human being who is good towards God. And at the end of the day, that is what truly matters. No one will be punished for not hearing the gospel, but apart from the gospel, no one will receive the forgiveness they need for the innumerable ways in which they have dishonored God. This is why God needed to send His Son in order to save. All men have sinned against God and are an offense in his sight. This is why it is only through the substitutionary death of Christ and the life-giving resurrection of Christ that men might be reconciled to God through faith.

Furthermore, the real reason the exclusivity of the gospel offends us so much is because we do not share God’s ultimate aim. The ways of God only seem wise to those who delight in the aims of God. If we too shared a passion for the glory of God, than we would not desire for God to save people apart from the proclamation of the gospel. Instead, we would devote our lives to reaching people with the gospel in order for them to be saved, to the praise of the glory of God’s grace! We would pray and give and go and preach! We would gladly sacrifice our comfort, our money, our time, and even our lives in order for men to be saved through the gospel! We would celebrate the truth that God, in His infinite wisdom and understanding, has designed for salvation to give us maximal joy in the maximal display of the glory of God’s grace! This is a display of God’s breathtaking wisdom, but only to those who treasure the display of God’s glory in the first place!

Gripped by Glory

The question that we need to ask ourselves is: how gripped am I by God’s passion for His glory? Do I share that passion myself? Do I delight in the fact that God’s aim in salvation is ultimately to be glorified? Or are there things more glorious to me than God? Is money more glorious to me than God? Is leisure more glorious to me than God? Is my reputation more glorious to me than God? Are people more glorious to me than God?

The truth is, there are people daily who perish apart from the knowledge of the gospel. There is a world in dire need of the truth of Christ’s saving work. And even more importantly, there are billions of individuals who daily do not give God the glory that He deserves. They all need the gospel. And only a zeal for the gloryof God is sufficient fuel for reaching them with it.

The thrill of adventure will not sustain a missional lifestyle. A moment of inspiration will not sustain a missional lifestyle. Not even compassion will sustain a missional lifestyle. Only a zeal for the glory of God will truly sustain a missional lifestyle. Are you gripped by this zeal? Will you seek the glory of God through the proclamation of the gospel? Will you give your time, effort, and money, so that this gospel of salvation might reach every tribe, tongue, people, and nation? Will you share this gospel with your family, friends, and co-workers? There is a world that is perishing, and there is no hope for them apart from the gospel. And even more importantly, there is a glorious God who saved us and deserves to be worshipped for His lavish grace.

May God give us a passion for His glory in the salvation of sinners through the gospel of Christ.

Truly Free (Ephesians 1:7-10)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:7-10)

There are few things as precious to our generation as freedom. We’ve grown up under the impression that freedom is our inherent right and we’ve been taught that freedom consists in the ability to do whatever it is that we want to do. And so whenever we are kept from doing that which we want to do, we immediately cry foul! This is why for instance, when I was in high school, I complained incessantly about the hair-cut rule that our school enforced. “What is it to them if I grow my hair out? It’s my hair, I can do with it what I want!”

This conception of freedom is behind more than just petty dress code complaints. This same belief explains the now prevailing views in modern society towards almost all moral issues. To take just one example, this conception of freedom explains the main justification for abortion. Merle Hoffman, a major voice in the abortion movement, is quoted as saying,

“my patients who made the choice to have an abortion also knew they were making the right one, a decision so vital it was worth stopping that heart. Sometimes they felt a great sense of loss of possibility. In the majority of cases, they felt a great sense of relief and the power that comes from taking responsibility for one’s own life.”

So, according to Hoffman’s patients, taking responsibility for one’s life means having the freedom to terminate the life of another. Freedom is the ability to do what we want, and for a pregnant woman, this means the freedom to kill if she so pleases.

These are scary times. Freedom has been detached from love, righteousness, and God. But is a freedom detached from love, righteousness, and God, really freedom in any meaningful sense of the word? Is freedom really just a matter of being able to do whatever we feel like? What does it mean to really be free? Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:7-10 answer these questions for us quite clearly.

Slaves Unaware

“In him we have redemption through his blood,”

Paul says that one of the blessings that God has reserved for His church is the gift of redemption. What is that? Redemption refers to the buying back of that which belonged to another. It often refers to purchasing the freedom of those who were enslaved. For instance, Leviticus 25:47-48 says, “If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger’s clan, then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him…” The book of Exodus tells us that Israel was redeemed when God set them free from slavery to Egypt. (Exodus 6:6)

In the letter of Ephesians, Paul tells us that Christians have been redeemed as well. But from what? Most of us probably have not experienced human slavery. Most of us have lived as “free men” for all our lives. So what is it that we have been redeemed from? What is it we were enslaved to?

The Nature of Freedom

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,”

Paul equates the redemption that we have with the forgiveness of our trespasses. I believe this reveals the nature of our slavery, as well as the nature of true freedom. If our redemption consists in the forgiveness of our sins, then our bondage consisted in the impending penalty for sins. Furthermore, this means that true freedom consists in being released from the guilt and the penalty that is due us because of our sins.

Culture’s definition of freedom is absolutely wrongheaded and dreadfully shortsighted. We are told that we are free when we do what we want, regardless of what anyone else might say or think. This is insane. Even considered on purely secular terms, all that this leads to is survival of the strongest (which is why the unborn lose out). But the fact of the matter is that we have an infinitely holy Judge before whom we will all one day give an account. You may choose to live in rebellion against Him now, but you will not be able to choose the punishment that you will receive then, when all will stand before His judgment seat. As the author of Hebrews says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13 ESV) The wrath of God is a time bomb chained to our backs that we are unable to remove on our own. And it is not freedom to simply ignore our impending doom, eat, drink and be merry, only to feel the full weight of the explosion at a time we do not expect.

Freedom is to have the penalty for sin lifted from us, the guilt of sin wiped from us, and the power of sin cancelled for us.

And this is the freedom that Christ has purchased for His people with His own blood.

The Price of Redemption

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us”

Our freedom came at a price. The penalty for all of our sinning had to be paid. For us to bear the cost of our sin would mean eternal conscious punishment in hell. But God, in His great love, sent His own Son to shed His blood and bear the full weight of God’s wrath, on behalf of all who would believe. As Peter says, “you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 ESV) God sent His Son to become a man, die in our place, so that our penalty might be justly dealt with and so that we might be set free. This is the nature of true freedom.

Know this: if you believe in Christ, your penalty has been paid, and you no longer have to live in fear of judgment, for your judgment has been passed in Christ. You can live in the freedom of knowing that God has forgiven you and that He no longer holds your transgressions against you. Oh what freedom we have in Christ! Freedom from condemnation! Freedom from fear! Freedom from eternal death! This is the freedom that Christ has purchased for you if you will believe!

Furthermore, note the foundation of this forgiveness we have in Christ. It is “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.” This is amazing! The forgiveness we have is not according to the gravity of our sin, the persistency of our sin, or the merit of our penance! No! Our forgiveness is according to the riches of His grace! And how rich is our God in grace? He is infinitely rich! This means that no sin is too great for the blood of Christ! This means that God does not have a limit to the number of times that He is willing to forgive! And this means that there is no penance that He requires at our hands for our forgiveness! The forgiveness we have in Christ is free and it is lavish!

Now, some may object and say, “If this is the freedom that Christ has purchased for us, then doesn’t that mean we are free to keep sinning?” Good question. Paul deals specifically with this issue in Romans 6, when he says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 ESV) To explain it in terms of Christian freedom, this means that no one has been set free from the penalty of sin who hasn’t also been set free from slavery to sin. Or, to state it positively, all who have been redeemed from the penalty of sin have also been redeemed to live in obedience to their Redeemer. Paul makes this very clear when he says,

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)

Living in Freedom

This leads to three quick points of application.

First, guard against the so-called freedom that the world calls us to. The world is constantly enticing you to embrace its conception of freedom. The almost constant message we receive from the world around us is that we have the right to do what we want. We can say what we want, watch what we want, wear what we want, sleep with who we want, kill who we want (in the case of abortion), and finally, define morality the way that we want. This is freedom to the world. It is folly to God. For you can freely choose rebellion now, but that will mean eternal bondage to wrath in the life to come. Friends, it is not worth it. I pray that you will choose the freedom of Christ over the so-called freedom of this world.

Second, Christian, rest in the freedom of lavish forgiveness that Christ has purchased for you. God really has forgiven you in Christ Jesus. There is nothing that He holds against you, for Christ died in your place. That sin that is still plaguing your conscience has been paid for in full. Whether for sins committed a year ago or five mins ago, there is completely forgiveness in Christ. There is really no condemnation left for you, for Christ really was condemned as your substitute. We do not honor God when we live in our guilt, as though our guilty consciences did anything to pay for our sins. No, we honor God by resting in His provision for us and trusting in His great grace towards us in Christ.

Lastly, there is no redemption apart from Jesus Christ. Paul makes it crystal clear that our redemption is “In Him.” There is no redemption outside of Christ because there is no other sacrifice that can free us from the penalty of our sin. Sin can only be dealt with in two ways. Either, it is paid for by Christ on the cross, or it will be paid for by us in hell. And Christ has paid that penalty for those who would believe in Him. This is extremely important. This means that no matter how nice our family members, or friends, or office mates might be to us, if they are not resting in Christ, they are still slaves to the wrath to come. They need someone to tell them about the freedom that can be found only in Christ. Will you be the one to tell them? Will you be the one to plead with them for their freedom? Will you bring them the good news of redemption in Christ?

May God give us the grace to renounce the so-called freedom of this world, to rest in our blood-bought forgiveness, and to lead other to receive the redemption that can only be found in Jesus.

Kids of the Most High

In my last post, I wrote about what Paul has to say about adoption in Ephesians 1:5-6. The text tells us that we are children of God by adoption, not by birth. This means that no one is naturally a child of God, and that inclusion in God’s family is an act of pure grace on His part. The text also tells us that we become children of God in Christ, rather than in ourselves. This means that no one is adopted on the basis of his own merit, but rather, Christ’s perfect life, substitutionary death, and historical resurrection are always the grounds of adoption. Furthermore, this means that no one is adopted apart from personal faith in Christ. Lastly, the text makes it clear that all who are adopted are made children of God for His glory. God’s ultimate purpose in our adoption is not our exaltation, but His.

But what does any of this mean for us? How are we to live as children of God in a fallen world? Is the Fatherhood of God just another concept? Or should it actually impact the way we live? Does the Fatherhood of God make any difference for us today?

Without a doubt, the Fatherhood of God has immeasurable significance for us. In fact, I think it is impossible to exhaust the relevance of being called a son or daughter of the Most High God. This Father-son relationship that we have with God (!!!) can and should affect every aspect of our lives at every moment of our lives. The following are just a few brief thoughts on how we should be impacted by the Fatherhood of God.

Find Rest in the Father’s Rule

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:25-26 ESV)

Believer, the sovereign God of the universe who works all things according to the counsel of His will is also your loving Father! He who is King over heaven and earth is also He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for you! God, All-Knowing and Almighty, has chosen to treat you as His beloved child and has promised to use His infinite knowledge and unlimited power for your ultimate good! There is no greater source of security in all the world! Christian, you are safe in the arms of your Heavenly Father! What security we should have in the midst of every circumstance in life! Whether in prosperity or poverty, triumph or tribulation, comfort or calamity, we can know that our Father has us in His loving hands. He will never let us go, and He will lead us in the way everlasting!

Embrace the Father’s Discipline

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV)

Because God loves us, He will discipline us. This means that in love He will do everything necessary to conform us to the image of His Son. And at times, this includes leading us through suffering. To teach Paul humility, God afflicted him with a thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), and to teach Paul dependence, God brought Paul through such ordeals that he despaired of life itself (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). James tells believers that we can count it all joy when we face trials because of the steadfastness produced in us through those sufferings (James 1:2-3). Peter says something very similar, when he tells us that the purpose of our trials is the testing of our faith that results in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7). The whole Scripture testifies to God’s goodness in using trials to discipline His children. If we truly live in light of the Fatherhood of God, our response to suffering changes. We may still appeal to our loving God to relieve us, but we do so trusting that there is a good purpose behind the pain. And in the midst of our tears, His rod and staff still comfort us (Psalm 23:4).

Imitate the Father’s Ways

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV)

Our Father is infinitely admirable and He is worthy of our emulation. As He hates sin, so we should hate sins. As He extends love to His enemies, so we ought to love our enemies. As He has freely forgiven us, so we ought to forgive those who sin against us. In all the ways appropriate to us as creatures, we ought to seek to be like our heavenly Father. This means first of all, learning not to live for the praise of men. If our goal is acceptance with men, we will not be conformed to the character of God. Instead, we ought to seek to imitate God, though all the world scoff. This also means learning to be quick to repent. In our thoughts, feelings, and deeds, we will often see how different we are from our Father. Our Father’s call to us in those moments is to turn from our sin and once again strive to be perfect even as He is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

Treasure the Father’s Words

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. (Proverbs 4:1-2 ESV)

If an earthly father can appeal to his children to be attentive to his instruction, how much more should we attend to our Heavenly Father’s instructions? If an earthly father’s teachings can give us insight, how much more so the teachings of our Heavenly Father? God’s words are precious! They revive the soul! They make wise the simple! They rejoice the heart! They enlighten the eyes! They endure forever! They are sweeter to the soul than the sweetest honey! Will you treasure your Father’s word to you? Will you make time to carefully read what He has said? Will you seek intimacy with Him by meditating on all He has spoken? May we learn to value our Father’s words more than all worlds treasures!

Speak in the Father’s Ear

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. (Matthew 6:9 ESV)

The fact that God listens to us when we speak to Him is almost too amazing to believe. The God spoke all the universe into existence draws near to you when you speak. More than that, He listens to you the way a loving Father listens to His beloved child. Let this truth wash over you. No matter where you are or what you’ve done, you have a Father who is quick to listen and who is ready to act on your behalf. Let the Fatherhood of God lead you to pray. Cast all your cares to Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Draw near to your Father in prayer and allow the peace of God that surpasses all understanding to guard your heart in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).

Trust the Father’s Provision

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10 ESV)

God has acted so as to make it impossible for our sins to separate us from His great love. In Christ, He has dealt with all our failures to love and honor Him rightly, so that our current stumbles are no longer held against us. He has forgiven us in Christ. We can trust in our Father’s provision. There is nothing lacking in His plan of redemption. There is nothing lacking in the sacrifice that He put forward in order to reconcile us with Him. There truly is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Do not let guilt keep you from running into the arms of your Heavenly Father. He has opened a door for you that can never be shut. Run to Him and find rest in His arms.

Seek the Father’s Face

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV)

The greatest joy of God’s children is knowing their heavenly Father. He makes known to us the paths of life. In His presence is fullness of joy. At His right hand our pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). No pleasure, no joy, no treasure, will satisfy our hearts the way that knowing our Father will. Lets not seek to drink from broken cisterns that hold no water. Instead, let us draw near to our Father and drink from the river of His delights (Psalm 36:8).

A Most Shocking Gift (Ephesians 1:5-6 Pt. 2)

“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 1:5-6

“In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons…”

These words should floor us. That the God of the universe would be willing to take us in as His children is shocking. Or at least it should be shocking. The sad truth however is that for many of us, the Fatherhood of God is simply a given. Don’t get me wrong. Most of us know it’s really nice that God’s our Father. Thinking about it long enough may even bring a tear to our eye. But it’s nice in the same way that the warmth of the sun is nice – it’s really pleasant but totally unsurprising.

As a child, I remember being taught a song called “Children of the Lord.” The song was definitely one of my favorites. Every time I heard the intro strummed, I knew it would only be a matter of time before my heart started feeling warm and fuzzy. It was simple, seemingly profound, solemn, and catchy; the perfect combination for stirring up emotions, especially when sung with the right lighting and the right timing. The first verse went, “We are all children of the Lord, everyone. Big and small, short and tall, and He loves us all.” We’d sing that over and over again, with the emphasis on one word: Everyone.

We thought that we were magnifying the Fatherhood of God. In truth, we were trivializing it. We were turning the shocking truth of God’s adoption into another nice “given.” And while the song may have done a good job of stirring up emotions, it did a horrible job of proclaiming truth. The truth about the Fatherhood of God is far more shocking and far more glorious than most of us have been taught.

We Are Children By Adoption, Not by Birth

“In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons…”

No one but Christ is naturally a child of God (Rom 9:8, John 8:42-44). Yes, God created all of us, but that does not mean that He considers everyone His child. God created Satan, but in no sense does He consider Satan a son. In the same way, God created all human beings but He does not give the privilege of sonship to all human beings. This may shock us, but God’s Fatherly favor is a blessing that He freely gives, not a privilege to which we are naturally entitled. No one is born into the family of God until they are born again. In fact, the Scriptures are clear that to receive what is ours by nature is to receive the unmitigated wrath of God. As Paul goes on to say, “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3) Ever since the fall, human nature called forth not the love of a Heavenly Father, but the fury of our Just Judge.

This truth may be jarring to us, but it is explicit in the Scriptures. Doesn’t the very term “adoption” itself reveal this to be true? To adopt is to “legally take another’s child and bring it up as one’s own.” How could God adopt us as His children if we already were His children? By definition, we must have been “another’s child” in order to have been adopted as God’s sons and daughters. And the bible isn’t shy about whose children we are by nature: “By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)

This is one reason the truth of adoption should floor us. It should never cease to amaze us that God would adopt anyone from among those who by nature hate Him (John 3:20), disobey Him (Isaiah 53:6), and dishonor Him (Romans 3:18), even as Satan their father hates Him, disobeys Him, and dishonors Him.

We are Children in Christ, Not in Ourselves

“In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ,”

Adoption is costly. I did not realize this until I moved to Louisville and began coming to a church that really encouraged adoption. Often, tens of thousands of dollars are needed in order to take a child and legally call him or her your own. The application process can also cost one much time, as it can take months or even years before one is approved to adopt. Furthermore, adoption is emotionally costly, as there are often many deep disappointments and frustrations along the way. Witnessing so many different couples in the church joyfully bear these costs in order to take in “another’s child” and treat them as their own sons and daughters has been deeply moving. But infinitely more moving is the cost that God Himself bore in order to take us into His family. We too were adopted at a price, and that price was the blood of His own Son.

In order to treat us with Fatherly favor, God first needed to satisfy His perfect justice which cried out for our condemnation. Our countless sins called forth God’s righteous wrath, and in unspeakable love, God sent His own Son to pay the cost of sins for all those who would believe in Christ and repent. God sent His Son to die the death that all men deserved, and raised Him from the dead so that whosoever would believe in Him would be received as children of God (John 1:12). Christian, marvel at the great cost of your adoption! Be amazed that the God of Heaven would pay such a great price to call you His child! Stand in awe of Him who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for all who would believe! Our adoption is no trite fact! It is a wonder of grace that will call forth the praise of heaven and earth forever and ever!

And for any who read this and have not come to Christ, do not take the Fatherhood of God for granted! The Scriptures are clear! “But to all who did receive him (Christ!), who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) Will you receive Christ today and be counted among God’s children? Will you repent of your sin and trust in His sacrifice our your behalf? Will you acknowledge the Lordship of the risen Savior? I pray that you would, so that I, together with millions of others, might be able to call you a brother or a sister in Christ, to the praise of the Father’s glory.

We are Children for the Father’s Glory, not Our Own

“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.”

The ultimate purpose behind our adoption is the praise of God’s glory. This is good news, and this is love. The fact that this so often does not strike us as good news or as loving is owing to how distorted our thinking is. In order to see God’s love in His self-glorification, we must recognize first of all that God does not need us. God gains nothing by adopting us. He is infinitely satisfied within Himself, and there is nothing we have that God needs. God is glorious whether He adopts us or not, and adopting us does not increase God’s glory in the smallest measure.

Furthermore, we must realize that our greatest need is the glory of God. God is most loving towards us when He provides us with that which we need for our fullest and most lasting enjoyment. And what we need for our fullest and most lasting enjoyment is the glory of God. By glorifying Himself, God not only celebrates that which is truly most worthy of celebration, but He also loves on us who desperately need the glory of God for our satisfaction. If you do not see the love of God in His self-glorification, than might I advice you to ask yourself if you are trying to find satisfaction in something other than the glory of God? Perhaps, like Israel during Jeremiah’s time, you have turned away from the fountain of living waters and hewed for yourself broken cisterns that hold no water? (Jeremiah 2:13) The glory of God is what you need to satisfy your thirst. And God has saved us in a manner that fully displays that glory. This is good news. This is love.

None of these insights are original to me. If you’d like to dig deeper into this, I recommend John Piper’s books, “God is the Gospel” and “The Pleasures of God.” Furthermore, we still need to think about what it means to live as children of God in this fallen world. What does it mean to live for the glory of our Father? How do we enjoy the Fatherhood of God? I plan on writing some thoughts about that on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). In the meantime, may we feel the weight of our Father’s great love in adoption and be driven to worship Him for this unspeakably shocking gift.

The “P-Word” (Ephesians 1:5-6, Part 1)

“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 1:5-6)

Most of us learn early that there are certain words that we just shouldn’t say. My brother learned that lesson as a young boy, when he told a lady who thought he was cute what he thought about her (Apparently, “ugly face” is not an appropriate response in this scenario). I too learned that there were a whole host of words that shouldn’t be used in most situations. This list consisted primarily of cuss words I heard on movies and tv, but also included the names of certain individuals (mostly politicians, but on occasion, particular athletes that bested my dad’s favorite players). Eventually, I learned that there were entire topics that weren’t to be brought up in polite conversation. And for the most part, these are lessons that I think are useful and proper. But what happens when you get a good word on that list? Or worse still, what happens when a God-honoring word gets included in that list?

Most Christians seem to believe that “Predestination” is a word that just should not be said. Predestination refers to the act of God whereby He sets the destinies of all individuals even before the creation of the world. This includes electing certain individuals to be saved, not on account of any foreseen works or faith, but purely according to God’s gracious purposes. While there are some in the church who celebrate predestination, most do not.

Many in the church think that the “P-Word” represents a view of God that is plain wrong and inherently offensive. Many see it as a danger to the unity of the church, and see those who use it as divisive. Others think it’s stupid and altogether incompatible with reason.

There is also a group of Christians that actually believes in “predestination”, yet refuses to talk about it. They think of it as an unwanted but unavoidable embarrassment. They’ve been convinced through their reading of the Scripture that the “P-word” is real, but it’s real in the same way that having a drunken uncle is real. We know it’s true, but we wish it weren’t, and we definitely never talk about it.

Still others see the “P-word” in a better light, but just don’t think it’s appropriate to bring up in polite society. They see it as a good thing, and yet, believe it would be insensitive to talk about it openly. They worry that others might be offended by the idea, or might be turned off from more important things. Moreover, many of those in this group have been annoyed by Christians on the opposite spectrum; that is, those who don’t seem to talk about anything else but the “P-word.” (A much smaller camp in my opinion, but perhaps an overly loud one.)

Most Christians have consigned “predestination” to the list of words that should never be spoken. But is this the attitude that the bible takes towards it? Does the bible refuse to say the “P-word?” Does the bible speak about it in tones of embarrassment? Does the bible only use the word in front of those who would never be offended by it? Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, seems to take a radically different attitude towards the word. And in Ephesians 1:5-6, there are three things in particular that he says about the “P-word” that we would do well to take note of.

Predestination is a Loving Act

“In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ…”

First of all, according to the Scriptures, predestination was an act of love. It was “in love” that God predestined certain individuals to be adopted into His family. If you are a believer, it is because God set His love upon you before you were born and decided, apart from any merit within you, that you would be adopted into His family through faith in his Son.

Hear me. God didn’t simply open up some slots in His family to be filled by whoever. He didn’t simply put a sign up sheet out and sit back to see who would respond. He didn’t simply send out unnamed invitations indiscriminately. He called you by name. Not just anyone. You. All who hear the gospel are invited to come, but if you believe, it’s because He called you by name and set His love on you personally. That’s right. You. Not just anyone. You. Before creation, God considered all the sinful, wicked, and utterly undeserving men and women that would populate His world, and said, “Richard Blaylock, I choose to love YOU and I choose to take YOU as my own son.” If you believe in Christ, the same is true of you.

This is why David is able to say, “the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children.” (Psalm 103:17) David was not exaggerating. Everyone who comes to a true reverence for God has been loved by God from everlasting (eternity past) and will be loved by God to everlasting (eternity future). There was never a point in time that God did not, and there never will be a point in time that God will not, personally love those whom He has chosen. This is what the “P-word” means. The “P-word” that we are so embarrassed about is actually a beautiful expression of God’s infinite, specific, personal, love for His people. Believer, to reject predestination is to rob yourself of the experience of unconditional love, and to spurn the glorious love of God.

Predestination is a Purposeful Act

“In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will…”

The second thing we must note is that predestination is according to the purpose of God’s will. Paul wants to be absolutely clear about this, for He expresses a very similar idea twice in the same sentence. Paul risks redundancy for the sake of emphasis. Predestination isn’t just according to God’s will. It’s not just according to God’s purpose. It’s according to the purpose of His will!

Now, what is the difference between God’s will and God’s purpose? I am no philosopher or theologian, but it seems to me like God’s will refers to the attribute of God by which He decides what is to be, and God’s purpose refers to the end goal of all that He decides will be. To use a surely inadequate analogy, the will of God is the engine driving the train of all history (including our individual histories) forward, while God’s purpose is the ultimate destination to which the train is headed. And predestination is the track that ensures that the train reaches that destination.

Now the question is, “where is this train headed?” What is God’s ultimate purpose that is preserved or ensured by predestination? “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…” The Scriptures are absolutely clear. God’s ultimate purpose in all things is the praise of His glorious grace. God created all those who would be saved for the praise of His grace. As Isaiah says, “bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:6b-7) And God created even the wicked for the eventual praise of His glory. As Paul asks thoughtfully, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:22-24)

God’s ultimate purpose is that He would be seen as infinitely glorious, to the infinite delight of those called to be His children. Predestination accords with that purpose by revealing more fully the glory of God’s sovereign grace to us now, and by ensuring that history will culminate in the praise of the glory of God’s grace. If predestination accords with God’s purpose, then to deny predestination is to call into question the wisdom and goodness of God’s purpose.

Predestination is a Praiseworthy Act

“In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace…”

Paul does not see predestination as primarily an intellectual problem. He doesn’t see it even as primarily an emotional difficulty. He sees it as a praiseworthy act of God. How different our attitude is towards predestination! It is a shame that so many Christians deride that act of God that should elicit our joyous praise!

Predestination should elicit our praise because it clearly displays the absolute grace of God towards those who believe. We all gravitate towards the idea that we somehow earned our salvation. We all naturally tend to think that we somehow contributed to our salvation. Every other religion in the world embraces this wholesale by believing that salvation is the result of works. Most Christians may not embrace salvation by works, but they sure do like to flirt with it.

“I may not have been saved by my works, but I was saved by my faith. Meaning, the reason why I am saved is ultimately because I chose God. Yes, God was gracious in sending Christ to die for my sins. Yes, God was gracious in giving me the gospel. Yes, God was gracious in helping me process the facts of the gospel rightly. But ultimately, the reason I am saved and others are not is because of me. I believed. Others didn’t. My belief made the difference.”

The bible will have none of that. As Paul says,

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:16-31)

God chose to inform us of His predestining work so that we would know that we have nothing to boast in except the Lord God, our Savior. God chose to reveal to us His work of election so that we would be relieved of all illusions of merit, and so that we might see that our salvation is wholly from God. God saved us. Period. The ultimate reason we are saved is God, and He deserves all the praise.

There is so much more to be said. There are legitimate questions that the doctrine of predestination raises. Questions are not a bad thing. We all have questions, and we should come to God with them. We should all go to the Scriptures in prayer, believing that God will continue to lead us in all truth. And we should all come to God with our questions, trusting that He knows best what we ought to know and what ought to remain a mystery to us. But having honest questions is different from being ashamed of what God has clearly revealed.

Please, do not let your unanswered questions lead you to despise the word of God. Do not let your unanswered questions keep you from basking in the unconditional love of God. Do not let your unanswered questions prevent you from glorying in the amazing wisdom of God’s purpose. Do not let your unanswered questions restrain you from giving God the praise that is His due. May the “P-word” not only be spoken of in our churches, but may it be spoken of warmly by those amazed by the love, wisdom, and grace, of our predestining God.