Marveling at God's Grace: Chosen, Redeemed, Sealed

 

Summary

In Ephesians 1:3-14, we find a profound declaration of the spiritual blessings bestowed upon believers through their relationship with Jesus Christ. This passage, a single, continuous sentence in the original Greek, is a magnificent expression of praise to God, highlighting the roles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in our salvation. The Father chooses us, the Son redeems us, and the Holy Spirit seals us, each playing a distinct role in the divine plan of salvation.

The Father’s choice is rooted in eternity past, where He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This choice is not based on any merit of our own but is a divine initiative motivated by love. It is a call to holiness, setting us apart to be blameless before Him. This divine election is not contradictory to the open invitation of the gospel; rather, it is a mystery that finds harmony in the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.

The Son’s redemption is accomplished through His blood, a payment for our sins that we could never repay. This redemption is not just a release from the penalty of sin but also a promise of forgiveness, where God dismisses our trespasses and remembers them no more. The sacrifice of Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifices, offering eternal redemption and forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit’s seal is the guarantee of our inheritance, a mark of authenticity and ownership that assures us of our salvation. This sealing is a once-and-for-all act at conversion, providing security and protection, ensuring that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It is a promise of future redemption, where the presence of sin will be fully eradicated.

This passage calls us to marvel at the grace upon grace that God has lavished upon us. It is a reminder of the triune God’s involvement in our salvation, prompting us to live lives of holiness and gratitude, continually praising Him for His glorious grace.

Key Takeaways:

- Divine Election: God's choice of us is an act of grace, not based on our merit but on His sovereign will. This election calls us to holiness, setting us apart to be blameless before Him. It is a divine initiative that begins with God, not with us. [05:10]

- Redemption Through Christ: Our redemption is accomplished through the blood of Christ, a payment for our sins that we could never repay. This act of grace offers us forgiveness, where God dismisses our trespasses and remembers them no more. [26:57]

- The Seal of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit's seal is the guarantee of our inheritance, marking us as God's own and assuring us of our salvation. This sealing provides security and protection, ensuring that nothing can separate us from the love of God. [40:34]

- The Mystery of Sovereignty and Responsibility: The harmony between God's sovereignty and human responsibility is a mystery that finds its resolution in eternity. Both truths coexist, inviting us to trust in God's divine plan while responding to His call. [10:43]

- Grace Upon Grace: The triune God's involvement in our salvation is a testament to His grace upon grace. This lavish grace calls us to live lives of holiness and gratitude, continually praising Him for His glorious grace. [42:53]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:25] - Introduction to Ephesians 1:3-14
- [01:08] - Spiritual Blessings in Christ
- [02:39] - The Magnificent Sentence
- [03:25] - Chosen, Redeemed, Sealed
- [04:18] - The Father's Choice
- [05:10] - Doctrine of Election
- [06:50] - Divine Initiative
- [09:14] - Sovereignty and Responsibility
- [12:11] - Dead in Trespasses
- [14:34] - Called to Holiness
- [17:00] - Predestined in Love
- [21:05] - Adoption as Sons
- [26:57] - Redemption Through His Blood
- [31:48] - Forgiveness of Trespasses
- [40:34] - Sealed by the Holy Spirit
- [42:53] - Grace Upon Grace

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Ephesians 1:3-14

Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 1:3-14

Observation Questions:
1. What are the three roles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in our salvation as described in Ephesians 1:3-14? [03:25]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the phrase "before the foundation of the world" in relation to God's choice? [14:34]
3. How does the sermon describe the concept of redemption through Christ's blood? [26:57]
4. What does the sermon say about the Holy Spirit's role in sealing believers? [40:34]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the harmony between God's sovereignty and human responsibility? What implications does this have for understanding salvation? [10:43]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the Father's choice is motivated by love? How does this affect the believer's understanding of their relationship with God? [17:49]
3. What does the sermon imply about the significance of being adopted as sons and daughters of God? How does this adoption impact a believer's identity? [21:05]
4. How does the sermon describe the assurance provided by the Holy Spirit's seal? What does this mean for a believer's security in their faith? [40:34]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the idea of being chosen by God before the foundation of the world. How does this truth impact your daily life and sense of purpose? [14:34]
2. The sermon emphasizes living a life of holiness and gratitude. What specific steps can you take this week to pursue holiness in your personal life? [15:23]
3. Consider the concept of redemption through Christ's blood. How does understanding the cost of your redemption influence your view of sin and forgiveness? [26:57]
4. The sermon speaks of the Holy Spirit's seal as a guarantee of our inheritance. How can you remind yourself of this assurance when facing doubts or challenges in your faith? [40:34]
5. The sermon highlights the lavish grace of God. In what ways can you express gratitude for this grace in your interactions with others this week? [42:53]
6. How can the understanding of being adopted into God's family change the way you view your relationship with other believers? [21:05]
7. The sermon mentions the mystery of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. How can you trust in God's plan while actively responding to His call in your life? [10:43]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Election: A Call to Holiness
God's choice of us is an act of grace, not based on our merit but on His sovereign will. This election calls us to holiness, setting us apart to be blameless before Him. It is a divine initiative that begins with God, not with us. The Father’s choice is rooted in eternity past, where He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This choice is not based on any merit of our own but is a divine initiative motivated by love. It is a call to holiness, setting us apart to be blameless before Him. This divine election is not contradictory to the open invitation of the gospel; rather, it is a mystery that finds harmony in the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. [05:10]

Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV): "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will."

Reflection: In what ways can you pursue holiness today, knowing that God has chosen you to be set apart for His purposes?


Day 2: Redemption Through Christ: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Our redemption is accomplished through the blood of Christ, a payment for our sins that we could never repay. This act of grace offers us forgiveness, where God dismisses our trespasses and remembers them no more. The Son’s redemption is accomplished through His blood, a payment for our sins that we could never repay. This redemption is not just a release from the penalty of sin but also a promise of forgiveness, where God dismisses our trespasses and remembers them no more. The sacrifice of Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrifices, offering eternal redemption and forgiveness. [26:57]

Hebrews 9:12 (ESV): "He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption."

Reflection: Consider the weight of Christ's sacrifice for you. How does this understanding of redemption change the way you view your daily struggles with sin?


Day 3: The Seal of the Holy Spirit: Assurance of Salvation
The Holy Spirit's seal is the guarantee of our inheritance, marking us as God's own and assuring us of our salvation. This sealing provides security and protection, ensuring that nothing can separate us from the love of God. The Holy Spirit’s seal is the guarantee of our inheritance, a mark of authenticity and ownership that assures us of our salvation. This sealing is a once-and-for-all act at conversion, providing security and protection, ensuring that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. It is a promise of future redemption, where the presence of sin will be fully eradicated. [40:34]

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (ESV): "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

Reflection: How does knowing you are sealed by the Holy Spirit impact your confidence in God's promises today?


Day 4: The Mystery of Sovereignty and Responsibility
The harmony between God's sovereignty and human responsibility is a mystery that finds its resolution in eternity. Both truths coexist, inviting us to trust in God's divine plan while responding to His call. The Father’s choice is rooted in eternity past, where He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. This choice is not based on any merit of our own but is a divine initiative motivated by love. It is a call to holiness, setting us apart to be blameless before Him. This divine election is not contradictory to the open invitation of the gospel; rather, it is a mystery that finds harmony in the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. [10:43]

Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV): "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to trust more in God's sovereignty while taking responsibility for your actions?


Day 5: Grace Upon Grace: Living in Gratitude
The triune God's involvement in our salvation is a testament to His grace upon grace. This lavish grace calls us to live lives of holiness and gratitude, continually praising Him for His glorious grace. This passage calls us to marvel at the grace upon grace that God has lavished upon us. It is a reminder of the triune God’s involvement in our salvation, prompting us to live lives of holiness and gratitude, continually praising Him for His glorious grace. [42:53]

John 1:16 (ESV): "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

Reflection: How can you express gratitude today for the grace God has shown you, and how might this gratitude transform your interactions with others?

Quotes

"Well, let us look here first at 'chosen.' It says in verse 4, 'even as He chose us in Him.' It is very clear when you read this all the way through that God is the one who chose us. The Bible tells us that by eternal decree that He has called us into a relationship with Himself. God chose us in Him. It is also known as the doctrine of election. And, I think, the thing that we key on at the beginning here is that these spiritual blessings do not begin with our initiative; they begin with God's." [00:04:59]

"It is clear in the Word of God that He chose us. In fact, that word 'chose' points back in a point in time in the past, ekloge. It means to pick out for Himself those chosen, that would be us, who are saints, were saved and placed in that relationship with Christ before the foundation of the world. What that is, is an act of God based on no foreseen merit in man that God the Father chose you to be recipients of His special grace and salvation." [00:06:04]

"Now, how do you justify the question would come, the sovereign act of God's choosing with all the passages that speak of an open invitation of the gospel to come to God? How do you justify those? And, I think, the simple answer is you don't, okay. They are both true. There is an open gospel that is given and proclaimed to all. And yet, here in this passage there is sovereign election and sovereign choosing." [00:09:56]

"If you are here tonight and you are in Christ, then He chose you and He chose me to be holy and blameless, to be holy and set apart to be exclusively devoted to Him. I mean, this is the teaching of Scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 'God has called us not for impurity but to holiness.' And so, in the very calling is a purpose given to us that far from just cruising on the Father's choice in eternity past, you and I have been given a mandate to be holy as we walk by the Spirit." [00:15:29]

"In other words, both 'choosing' and 'predestination' are often used interchangeably. I suppose that His choosing is God's choice and His predestinating, if you didn't want to take a difference there, is Him marking His plan out. And the Canon of Dort, the two sides, it says, of these words are the same coin. But here the motive is in love He predestined you. I don't know if you have ever considered that. What moved Him from eternity past? What moved in His heart? And here it is His love." [00:17:16]

"Adoption by the Father places the child of God in the position that results in all the privileges of being in God's family. I mean, I don't know if we could see it exactly, but at the moment of salvation you entered into a relationship forever as part of the family of God. You say, 'Well, when did this happen?' Theologically, adoption takes place all at the same time as conversion, regeneration, justification, and you became part of God's family." [00:21:15]

"Here is a rich term: 'redemption.' A person is held captive. A person cannot break free. Often in Scripture and even extra biblical writing, it spoke of a prisoner. It spoke of a slave. And this type of redemption, I think, is familiar to you. It came by the payment of a price, but as it came by the payment of the price the person often was powerless to redeem himself from a penalty that he can't repay. And certainly, in the biblical language, man is dead in his trespasses and sin." [00:26:38]

"Here is redemption: Jesus died. Do you not marvel at that even tonight? He shed His blood for you. He made a payment for your sin that otherwise would have sent you to hell. We say, at least in theology, this is the means of redemption. Paul will say in Ephesians 2:13 that He brought you nearer by the blood of Christ. Leviticus 17:11 says, 'The life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your sin.'" [00:28:26]

"Do you remember when Peter put it this way? 'You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood as of a Lamb unblemished, the spotless blood of Jesus Christ.' He gave His life. He gave His blood, paid the ransom for you and redeemed you from your sin. You say, 'Well, what did His shed blood accomplish?' Look down in the text again. It says, 'through His blood the forgiveness of your trespasses,' the forgiveness, in essence, of your sins." [00:31:14]

"In Him you also, when you heard the word of the 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.' What a great statement by the Apostle Paul! I think many of you know that that statement that I just read in Ephesians 1:3 through 14 is actually one sentence in the original language." [00:01:58]

"The sealing is a once and for all act at conversion. You believe He converts your heart, He gives you faith and repentance as a gift, and then He seals you with the promised Holy Spirit, the promise that Jesus made in John that the Spirit would come. He authenticates your salvation as real. He gives you ownership in that seal. He protects you in that seal. In other words, nothing can mess with you. And so, when you come to Christ, He chooses you, He redeems you, and He seals you by the Holy Spirit." [00:40:24]

"The Father chooses; it is a past blessing. The Son redeems you; it is a present blessing. And the Holy Spirit has taken up in your heart residence and sealed you for His future blessing. You say, 'Well, how is all of this punctuated? In 6, 12, and 14, 'to the praise of His,' what? 'Glory.' Chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sealed by the Spirit. Do you ever ask, as I do, 'Why me?' I mean I was raised in a Christian home and all I can think is 'Grace upon grace upon grace, He lavished it upon us.'" [00:42:05]

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Transcript
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