Exploring the Depths of God's Abounding Grace
Summary
In exploring Ephesians 1:8-9, we delve into the profound depths of God's grace, which extends far beyond the forgiveness of sins. This grace, as Paul describes, is not merely a starting point but a continuous, abounding force that enriches our lives with wisdom and prudence. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that God's grace is not exhausted at the point of forgiveness; rather, it is the beginning of a journey into the mysteries of God's will and purpose. This grace is described as abounding toward us, not just in forgiveness but in wisdom and prudence, enabling us to comprehend the mystery of God's will.
The term "mystery" in the New Testament context does not imply something incomprehensible but rather something undiscoverable by the unaided human mind. It is a truth that God has chosen to reveal to us through His Spirit. This revelation is not accessible through human wisdom or intellect alone but requires divine intervention. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the wisdom of this world is insufficient to grasp the mysteries of God. Instead, it is through the Spirit that we receive the understanding necessary to comprehend these divine truths.
Furthermore, the concept of prudence, as used here, goes beyond mere intellectual understanding. It encompasses a state of mind that includes our affections and desires, aligning our whole being with the will of God. This spiritual discernment allows us to appreciate and respond to the excellence of God's ways with our entire being.
In conclusion, the riches of God's grace are not limited to forgiveness but extend to a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of His will. This grace is available to all, regardless of intellect or social standing, as it is God who grants the wisdom and prudence necessary to understand His mysteries.
Key Takeaways:
- God's grace is not limited to the forgiveness of sins but is an ongoing, abounding force that enriches our lives with wisdom and prudence, enabling us to understand His will. [02:18]
- The term "mystery" in the New Testament refers to truths that are undiscoverable by the unaided human mind but are revealed by God through His Spirit. [19:16]
- Human wisdom and intellect are insufficient to grasp the mysteries of God; it is through the Spirit that we receive the understanding necessary to comprehend divine truths. [26:45]
- Prudence, as used in this context, includes our affections and desires, aligning our whole being with the will of God and allowing us to appreciate and respond to His ways. [35:01]
- The riches of God's grace are available to all, regardless of intellect or social standing, as it is God who grants the wisdom and prudence necessary to understand His mysteries. [41:05]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:08] - Introduction to Ephesians 1:8-9
[01:05] - The Riches of God's Grace
[02:18] - Beyond Forgiveness
[03:31] - Abounding Grace
[05:01] - Wisdom and Prudence
[07:00] - Understanding the Mystery
[09:30] - The Sequence of God's Actions
[11:09] - God's Eternal Purpose
[12:37] - Revelation and Reason
[15:02] - The Concept of Mystery
[19:16] - Misunderstandings of Mystery
[22:51] - True Meaning of Mystery
[26:45] - The Role of the Spirit
[30:49] - Wisdom and Prudence Explained
[35:01] - Spiritual Discernment
[41:05] - Hope for All
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 1:8-9
- 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
- Matthew 11:25-26
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Ephesians 1:8-9, what are the two qualities that God's grace enriches our lives with, beyond forgiveness? How are these qualities described in the sermon? [02:18]
2. In the sermon, how does Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones describe the term "mystery" as used in the New Testament? What is the significance of this term in understanding God's will? [19:16]
3. What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us understand the mysteries of God, according to the sermon? [26:45]
4. How does the sermon explain the concept of "prudence" in relation to God's grace? What does it encompass beyond intellectual understanding? [35:01]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon suggest that God's grace is an ongoing force in our lives, rather than just a one-time event? What implications does this have for our spiritual journey? [02:18]
2. The sermon mentions that human wisdom is insufficient to grasp the mysteries of God. How does this challenge the way we approach understanding spiritual truths? [26:45]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's grace is available to all, regardless of intellect or social standing? How does this reflect the nature of God's kingdom? [41:05]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between wisdom, prudence, and understanding God's will? What does this mean for how we live out our faith? [35:01]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's grace beyond forgiveness. How did it enrich your life with wisdom or prudence? How can you seek more of this grace in your daily life? [02:18]
2. The sermon emphasizes the need for divine intervention to understand God's mysteries. How can you cultivate a greater reliance on the Holy Spirit in your spiritual journey? [26:45]
3. Consider the concept of "prudence" as aligning your whole being with God's will. What practical steps can you take to align your desires and affections with God's purposes? [35:01]
4. How can you embrace the idea that God's grace and understanding are available to all, regardless of intellect? How might this change the way you interact with others in your community? [41:05]
5. The sermon challenges the sufficiency of human wisdom in understanding divine truths. How can you balance the use of your intellect with a humble reliance on God's revelation? [26:45]
6. Think of a specific area in your life where you need more spiritual discernment. What actions can you take to seek God's wisdom and prudence in that area? [35:01]
7. How can you actively share the message of God's grace being available to all with someone who might feel unworthy or excluded? What specific steps can you take this week to reach out to them? [41:05]
Devotional
Day 1: Grace Beyond Forgiveness
God's grace is a dynamic force that extends far beyond the initial act of forgiveness. It is a continuous, abounding presence in our lives that enriches us with wisdom and prudence. This grace is not a one-time event but the beginning of a journey into understanding the mysteries of God's will and purpose. As Paul describes, this grace abounds toward us, not just in forgiveness but in wisdom and prudence, enabling us to comprehend the mystery of God's will. This ongoing grace is available to all, regardless of intellect or social standing, as it is God who grants the wisdom and prudence necessary to understand His mysteries. [02:18]
Ephesians 3:16-19 (ESV): "that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to invite God's ongoing grace to enrich you with wisdom and prudence today?
Day 2: Divine Revelation of Mysteries
In the New Testament, the term "mystery" refers to truths that are undiscoverable by the unaided human mind but are revealed by God through His Spirit. These mysteries are not incomprehensible but require divine intervention for understanding. Human wisdom and intellect are insufficient to grasp the mysteries of God; it is through the Spirit that we receive the understanding necessary to comprehend these divine truths. This revelation is a gift from God, allowing us to see beyond the limitations of human reasoning and into the depths of His divine will. [19:16]
1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (ESV): "these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."
Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to listen for the Spirit's revelation of God's mysteries?
Day 3: The Insufficiency of Human Wisdom
Human wisdom and intellect alone are insufficient to grasp the mysteries of God. It is through the Spirit that we receive the understanding necessary to comprehend divine truths. The wisdom of this world cannot compare to the divine wisdom that God imparts to those who seek Him. This understanding is not something we can achieve on our own but is a gift from God, allowing us to see beyond the limitations of human reasoning and into the depths of His divine will. [26:45]
James 1:5-6 (ESV): "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."
Reflection: In what ways can you rely more on God's wisdom rather than your own understanding in your current circumstances?
Day 4: Aligning with God's Will
Prudence, as used in this context, goes beyond mere intellectual understanding. It encompasses a state of mind that includes our affections and desires, aligning our whole being with the will of God. This spiritual discernment allows us to appreciate and respond to the excellence of God's ways with our entire being. It is through this alignment that we can truly understand and live out God's will in our lives, responding to His guidance with our hearts and minds fully engaged. [35:01]
Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV): "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Reflection: What desires or affections in your life need to be realigned with God's will today?
Day 5: The Universality of God's Grace
The riches of God's grace are available to all, regardless of intellect or social standing. It is God who grants the wisdom and prudence necessary to understand His mysteries. This grace is not limited to a select few but is a gift offered to everyone who seeks it. God's grace is a powerful force that transcends human limitations and invites all to partake in the understanding and appreciation of His divine will. [41:05]
Romans 11:33-36 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: How can you share the message of God's universal grace with someone in your life who may feel unworthy or excluded?
Quotes
The Apostle that you remember has been extolling the glory and the riches of the grace of God by which the things which he has already mentioned have come to us. It is because of this wonderful grace of God that God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world and has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ and all that that involves. [00:00:49]
The tragedy is that so many think that that is the end of grace, that the one and only message of Christianity is the forgiveness of sin. But it isn't. That's the mere beginning or puts that first as we saw because it is the first thing. But the riches of grace don't end at that point. [00:02:35]
The riches of God's grace toward us have not stopped in the matter of forgiveness, but that God's grace toward us that's so abounded that it is brought to us as something further, and that is that something fell well it is this very wisdom and prudence, we're very we may know and which are absolutely necessary to and knowledge of the mystery of God's will. [00:09:36]
The Apostle God has not only purposed and planned all that he has a revealed it. It was a mystery but he's made it known. Yes, and still more wonderful, and this is the particular message of these two verses, God has also done this something which makes it possible for given for me to know that and to apprehend it and to receive it. [00:12:04]
The problem is how does men enter into all this? What is the place of men's mind and reason and understanding in connection with faith? You see how contemporary and up-to-date a problem it is. There are so many today will reject the Christian faith because they don't understand it. They say it is unreasonable. [00:13:50]
The term mystery is as you know a very important one in the whole teaching of the epistles of the Apostle Paul. But it isn't confined to him by any means. It is, I would suggest, a very vital term of the entire teaching of the whole of the New Testament. Our Lord Himself, you remember, used this term. [00:15:08]
Mystery means this: not something inherently and essentially incomprehensible to the human mind, but always something which is a secret to the natural human mind which God nevertheless has revealed and unfolded. The whole case of the New Testament turns upon this, that the believers in Christ, the Christians, have entered into the secret. [00:28:35]
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Not many wise, not many noble are called. Yes, there was the truth staring them in the face as it were, standing in front of them. They couldn't see it. Men come to the New Testament with all their ability and understanding and training. They don't see the truth. [00:30:05]
Wisdom is necessary, and wisdom means of course knowledge and understanding. The best exposition of these two verses, in other words, is to be found in the first two chapters of that first epistle of Paul to the Corinthian. The great quest of the Greeks was for wisdom. The great quest of all philosophers is for knowledge and for understanding. [00:30:49]
The riches of God's grace have abounded toward us not only in this wisdom that gives me understanding, not only that it takes up the whole of my soul, the whole men, it includes my affections, my interest, my love, my whole being is poured out into it and I want it and with my whole being I take it up and take it in all wisdom and prudence. [00:35:01]
The understanding which is given by God through the Holy Spirit is open to all. Again, I remind you what Paul says to the Corinthians: not many wise, not many noble or called. God has taken the foolish things, the ignorant, the hopeless of all the things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. [00:41:05]
The gospel is preached to the poor. Throughout the centuries it's been the same. Thank God for this. If it were otherwise, men of intellect would have a greater advantage of others. But here we are all one. There is none righteous, no not one. No men can arrive at if the world by wisdom knew not God. [00:42:34]
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