STUDIES IN EPHESIANS & COLOSSIANS STUART GREAVES FALL 2012, COURSE NOTES #04: EPHESIANS 2:1-10 THE RICHES

ES OF THE GLORY OF HIS INHERITANCE

I.
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GODS DESIRE TO HAVE A PEOPLE 1:3-4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Ephesians 1:4 A. In chapter one Paul unfolds the mystery of Godthat in the eternal counsel of the Godhead, God, in eternity past, desired to have a people as His inheritance. One of the mysteries of God is the fact that the One who is self-sufficient has desires; the God who has everything has something that He wants. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. John 17:24-26 In the fellowship of the Father and the Son, as the Son was in the embrace of the Father and the Father was delighting in the Son, it was determined that God wanted a counterpart who would become a recipient and a reciprocator of Gods love for God. The plan of God is that God and the people of God would mutually inherit one another. God determined that He would have sonsa position of privilege related to obtaining an inheritance.

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B.

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And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. Revelation 21:3 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. Revelation 21:7

II.
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GODS DESIRE FOR VOLUNTARY LOVERS 1:5-8

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:5-7 A. God wants voluntary lovers, and the thing that dignifies love is the ability to make choices. God wants a people but will not force anyone to be His people. The Father is looking for more than mandatory obedience because even the spirits of darkness will obey His decree to go to the Lake of Fire and acknowledge that He is Lord. The Father is looking for voluntary love which necessitates choices that are real. To say yes is real but to say no is real also.

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B. God in His perfect wisdom creates a realm, knowing that sin will reign in that realm. It is the realm where the curse of God will come upon creation because of the sin of humanity. Humans will become rebellious against God, they will be wise in their own eyes, they will follow the dictates of their own hearts, they will follow and agree with the leadership of darkness, they will be broken, demonized dead in their trespasses. The above-mentioned point is a surprising point in the mystery, but we know this because it was determined in the eternal counselsthat humans who respond to the leadership of Gods grace could obtain redemption through the blood of His Son, so that the fullness of Gods glory might be revealed forever. It was established before the foundations of the world that God would become a man and be crushed by the wrath of God in order to fulfill the contents of the mystery. It would cost God everything to carry out the plan of God. For God so loved the world, with all His heart, all his mind, soul and strength that He gave His only begotten Son. It is for this reason that the rejecting of the free gift of salvation is met with such heavy sanction like the Lake of Fire.

C.

D.

In Him we have redemption through His blood (the 2nd Person becomes and man and sheds His blood), the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence (carefully thought through plan) Ephesians 1:7-8

III.

HE MADE US ALIVE 2:1-5

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2:1-5 A. The 1st component of the mystery of God is the hope of His calling which is the eternal calling and destiny that God has for His people. It is my opinion that chapter 2 expounds on the 2nd component of the mystery, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. God wanting us as His inheritance speaks of His desire for us. God has had eternal longings in His heart for a people. The longings of God do not flow from lack but rather come from Him who is self-sufficient and infinitely complete in Himself. God loves us with an everlasting love.

B.

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3

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C. 2:1-7 really connects the readers with the beauty of the love and desire of God by putting before them the truth of our condition before Christ. In essence Paul is expounding on Jn 3:16 and what it means for God to love the world. 2:1-7 describes the world that the Father loved and longs to have as His inheritance that they might experience His kindness forever. The contrast between 1:23 and 2:1-4 is staggering in that the same people who would become the fullness of God in the earth because of Christ were the expression of their own lust, the expression of temporal thinking (worldly) and the expression of the devils desire. Paul is showing forth the greatness of the salvation that we have in Christ. Another startling reality is that those who are now recipients of Gods affections were once by nature children of wrath. This is in contrast to 1:5 which indicates that we are now accepted in the Beloved and children of adoption sons and daughters of God.

D.

E.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1-3 Paul is continuing the thought of the exceeding greatness of the power of the resurrection by which we were brought to newness of life. Before Christ we were dead in sin which means that we were not able to respond to God outside the grace of God touching us. Due to rebellion, the broken fellowship of the garden, we were cut off from the life source and our spirit was dead. We needed the mystery of the born-again experience to again live the life of God.

F.

Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? John 3:3-10 This chapter is about to build up to a surprising context in which we see that the glory of the inheritance that God is looking for is in Jew and Gentile being brought together. In 2:4 Paul uses the language of us (Jew and Gentile). He declares that Gods mercy and love was towards Jews and Gentiles.

G.

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6

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us Ephesians 2:4

4 But 6

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth Exodus 34:6
8 The

LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. Psalm 103:8

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Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. 19 He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19 2:5 We were dead in trespasses and sin but by the power of the resurrection we were brought to newness of life and connected again with the place of encounter and fellowship with God, experiencing His kindness and favor forever (the garden).

H.

IV.
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SEATED IN HEAVENLY PLACES, BY GRACE WE ARE SAVED 2:6-9 (REV 4:4)

and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:6-9 Around the Throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones I saw 24 elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. Rev. 4:4 A. John saw 24 elders ruling with God. The elders are faithful believers from redemptive history. The elders are enthroned as vessels of Gods authority (Rev. 3:21), robed with white robes referring to their priestly role, and crowned with golden crowns which speaks of God rewarding their deeds from this life. The elders are described in the same terms as the rewards that were just promised to overcomers in Rev. 3, white garments (3:5), crowns (3:11), and thrones (3:21). Here we see our eternal inheritance and spiritual identity.

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B. After the Spirit revealed His jasper and sardius like glory to John (Rev. 4:3), He showed him the glory of the redeemed (Rev. 4:4) in intimate partnership with God. The very fact that God desires to share His authority in partnership with us is an expression of His beautiful mind and heart. No other king would ever allow another throne to be near his. Yet, God insists on this for our glory. Gods Court is beautified by those who were once His enemies but are now highly exalted. What happens with the 24 elders reveals Gods ideal for each redeemed person. The honor, dignity and function of the 24 elders gives us insight into Gods beauty. We see how far God is committed to go in expressing His sardius-like passion toward us. Rev. 4:4 describes the high points in Gods plan for the faithful. This plan has been burning in the heart of our beautiful God from before the world was created. This reveals what kind of God we serve. There are significant emotional implications to knowing that we are to be enthroned, robed and crowned in our destiny before God. We feel great security, dignity and beauty. When we feel these truths then we view God and ourselves differently and worship with all of our heart. The Lord raises the poor beggar from the ash heap to cause them to inherit the Throne of glory.
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E.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the Throne of glory. 1 Sam. 2:8 F. The beauty God possesses is the very beauty that He imparts to His elders and all His people.
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To give them beauty for ashes Isa. 61:3

G.

Gods beauty is seen in His great kindness in exalting His former enemies to such heights so as to reign as His Bride. We stand in amazement at how important our life is to God.
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When we were enemies we were reconciled to God throughHis Son Rom. 5:10

H.

As we consider God's passion and wisdom in planning such a great salvation for us, we wonder, Who else would have even thought of enthroning, robing and crowning a people like us? Why has God done such extravagant things for us? He is a God of infinite kindness.
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God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love6 He raised us up together, and made us sit (enthroned) together in the heavenly places7 that in the ages to come He might show (openly manifest) the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us. Eph. 2:4-7 I. Jesus longs that we would be with Him to share the glory of His inheritance as King over all creation.
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The glory which You gave Me I have given them24 Father, I desire that theymay be with Me where I am, that they may behold (experience) My glory. Jn. 17:22-24

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J. God has planned so great a salvation for us that includes crowning us with glory and honor. There are two different uses of Gods glory. God will not give His glory to another, in the sense that He will not share the credit for His power nor allow any to be worshipped for being anointed with it. However, God will share His glory, in the sense of exalting His people in His goodness.
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How shall we escape (judgment) if we neglect so great a salvation 7 You have crowned him (the redeemed) with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands10 For it was fitting (made sense/was reasonable) for Him (the Father)in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (Jesus) perfect through sufferings. Heb. 2:3, 7-10 V. GOD SHARES HIS GOVERNMENT WITH HIS PEOPLE A. The Lord desires that we be enthroned at the highest authority in the created order (Rev. 3:21). Jesus has planned an indescribable exaltation of His people. He will thoroughly cleanse and empower humans who once lived in sin so that they will be able to participate in His eternal government. Gods great kindness toward us is seen in qualifying us to reign with Him.
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To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne Rev. 3:21

B.

To sit speaks of governmental rule. To sit in Gods presence signifies unspeakable honor and dignity. The 24 elders play a significant role in the administration of Gods government and therefore, are prototypes of other saints on thrones who have a judicial function (Rev. 20:4). The saints with resurrected bodies who are counted worthy (considered faithful) during their life on earth will be made kings in the age-to-come (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4-6; 22:5; Mt. 19:28; 20:21-23; 25:23; Lk. 19:17-19; 22:29-30; 1 Cor. 6:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rom 8:17).

VI.

WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP REDEEMED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH 2:8-10 A. Again this is a sharp contrast from where we came from before we said yes to the grace of God (2:1-4). As we have entered into the born again experience, we are now the workmanship of God, which means that we are now those who do His bidding and carry out His will from the heart as voluntary lovers. The will of God in a nutshell is nothing but the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle and principles being manifest in the people of God.

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart Ephesians 6:5-6
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Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48

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B. The works are prepared beforehand (2:10) in that God had determined before the foundations of the earth that He would have a people who would be filled with the fullness of Godwhich means that the fullness of Gods character, personality, vision and values would be expressed through them. The people through whom the fullness would be expressed are a mystical body of believers called the New man which is comprised of Jew and Gentile.

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What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Romans 9:22-24

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