Lesson 3

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Ephesians

September 21, 2015

Lesson 1

January 18, 2010

Lesson 2

January 18, 2010

RETURN TO THE SYLLABUS

EPHESIANS 1:7-12
Lesson #03
WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US

• Memory verse: Eph 1:9

• In our previous lesson we learned what God, the father, has done for us through Jesus Christ in the past, the present, and the future. Now we will consider the second member of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ.

• Read Eph 1:7-12
  • Our standing in Christ is based on blessings from Jesus Christ, the Son. (1:7-12)
    • What has Jesus done for us in the past?
      • He purchased our redemption through his blood on the cross and has forgiven us from our sins.
        • There are three Greek words for “redemption”, all of which apply to our Christian experience.
        • =1= Agorazo means = to buy in the market place. (1Cor 6:20)
          • Jesus went into the market place where slaves were sold.
          • He purchased us who were slaves to sin.
        • =2= Exagorazo means = to buy out of the market for one’s own use.
          • In other words, if you went to the market place and bought a slave to take home so he would serve you, you would use this word.
          • If you were going to re-sell the slave you would not use this word.
          • Jesus purchased us for his own use. However, we are taken out of the market never to be sold again. (Gal 3:13)
        • =3= Apolutrosis means = to liberate by the paying of a ransom in order to set a person free. (Eph 1:7 Luk 21:28)
          • If you bought a slave in the market place, then took him home to serve you, he would still be a slave. You would not use this word to describe the situation. You would use word #2.
          • Jesus went into the market place to purchase us so that we would serve only him.
          • However, that was not enough. He also liberated us forever from being slaves. (Joh 8:36) We can never be sold into slavery again.
          • He not only freed us from being salves, but he made us sons, sons of God.

 

• “Forgiveness of sins”

 

• The word, forgive, means = to carry away.
  • Jesus Christ has carried away our sins of the past. They are never to be remembered again.
  • He also carries our current sins away.
• There is a difference between what we usually think of as forgiveness and what the Bible means by forgiveness.
  • Human forgiveness:
    • It is based on the fact that a wrong was committed, and a penalty is deserved.
    • But the penalty is not carried out.
  • Divine forgiveness:
    • It is based on the fact that a wrong was committed, a penalty was deserved.
    • A penalty was carried out.
    • Jesus Christ paid the penalty for us on the cross.

 

• “According to the riches of his grace”

 

Redemption by grace means we are not in his debt for having paid the price for us.
• We do not have to do anything to pay him back. His grace is free with no strings attached and no expectations.
  • But don’t we serve Him because we owe Him? No. That is the wrong motive.
  • We serve Him because we love Him. Our service is a love response.

• What does Jesus do for us in the present?
  • He enlightens us. He works out his wisdom and his will. (8-9)
    • God has a specific plan for each life entrusted to Him. Paul calls that a “mystery”.
    • There are 11 New Testament “mysteries” revealed.
    • These mysteries can be divided according to topic.

• The Kingdom of God
• =1=

Mystery of the kingdom of heaven (Mat 13:3-50 Mat 13:11 Mar 4:11 Luk 8:10)
• The kingdom of God exists in the New Testament Believer.
• The kingdom of God will come to this earth when Christ returns to reign.
• The kingdom of God currently exists in heaven.

• The Kingdom of the Enemy
• =2=

Mystery of Israel’s blindness in this age (Rom 11:25)
• Because of their rejection of Christ, God permits Satan to blind the Jews to the reality of Jesus Christ as Messiah.
• This blindness is temporary only during the church age. In the tribulation period of 7 years the blindness will be removed from them and they will accept Christ at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

 

• =3=

 

Mystery of iniquity (2The 2:7 Mat 13:33)
• The pervasive nature of sin that corrupts this world and all that is in it.
• The corrupt nature of sin.

 

• =4=

 

Mystery of Babylon (Rev 17:5,7)
• The world false religion which began at the tower of Babel in Babylon in Gen 11.
• This system of the antichrist that has been in the world for all this time will be revealed in the tribulation period of 7 years.

• The Church as the Body of Christ
• =5=

Mystery of the rapture of the church (1Cor 15:51-52 1The 4:13-18)
• The rapture is the catching up of the church, the body of New Testament believers.
• The rapture takes both those believers who have died in Christ and those believers who are living on earth at that point in time.
• =6= Mystery of the church as one body in Christ of Jews and Gentiles (Eph 3:1-12 Rom 16:25 Eph 6:19 Col 4:3 Gal 4:3)
  • In the Old Testament, God separated Jews from Gentiles and maintained that separation until the crucifixion.
  • After the crucifixion, anyone who receives Christ in his heart is one body whether he is a Jew or a Gentile.

 

• =7=

 

Mystery of the church as the bride of Christ (Eph 5:23-32)
• The church becomes the bride of Christ when Christ comes back at the second coming.
• This is the point in time when the church is complete and no longer exists on the earth.

 

• =8=

 

Mystery of the seven stars (churches) (Rev 1:20)
• The 7 stars in Rev 1:20 refer to 7 church models.
• These 7 church models represent 7 ages of New Testament church history between the crucifixion and the second coming.

• Christ and His Work
• =9=

Mystery of the indwelling Christ (Gal 2:20 Col 1:26-27)
• The marvelous miracle of how Jesus Christ, the second member of the Holy Trinity can live inside of our hearts when we receive him as our personal savior.
• When Jesus comes into our hearts, so also does God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.

 

• =10=

 

Mystery of the fullness of the Godhead indwelling Christ (1Cor 2:7 Col 2:2,9)
• The marvelous aspect of the nature of Jesus Christ who was fully human and fully God.
• All the aspects of the nature of the Holy Trinity were in Him as He walked this earth.

 

• =11=

 

Mystery of the process by which the likeness of God restored to man (1Ttim 3:16)
• The marvelous miracle of new birth that occurs when a person receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
• Adam lost the likeness of God when he sinned. That original sin was passed to all humans.
• The Holy Spirit restores that potential to be like Christ when He gives man a new nature at new birth.
• We will discuss these mysteries further as they come up again in our study of Ephesians.
• What will Jesus do for us in the future?

• He enables us to know the “mystery” of his will.
  • Some Christians find God’s will a great mystery and they never figure it out. They think God is trying to hide His will from them and only drops clues now and then like a “mystery story”.
  • The Bible definition of “mystery”:
    • It is something that was previously hidden that is now being revealed.
    • It cannot be discovered by human reasoning.
    • It is revealed at the proper time.
    • Enough is revealed to establish the reality of the facts without all the details being disclosed.
  • How is God’s will revealed to us?
    • He gives us His wisdom in practical matters through His Word.
    • It comes gradually as we live the Christian life, learning and changing, seeing God guide, making mistakes and learning more.
• He enables us to inherit all of Christ’s riches in His perfect time and according to His perfect will and in the fullness of time. (10-12)

 

• “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance”

 

• It can also be translated “in whom we are also made an inheritance”.
• Both translations are valid.
  • We not only have an inheritance in Jesus Christ,
  • But we are also the inheritance that God, the Father, gave to His Son, Jesus Christ. (1Pet 1:1-4 Joh 17)

 

• “In the dispensation of the fullness of time” (

 

10)
• The fullness of time is when all things will be brought under the reign of Christ in the millennium and the reality of our walk will match perfectly with our heavenly position.
• We will be the perfect bride without spot or wrinkle as God sees us and not as the reality of our daily struggle with sin.

• Discussion question:
  • In verse 12 God reveals to us why we exist.
    • God does not exist to satisfy our every desire.
    • Instead, we exist to glorify God.
  • What difference does it make to know this truth?

HOMEWORK
EPHESIANS 1:13-14
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Eph 1:7-12
  • What new wealth have you learned about that Christ did for you?
  • How will knowing these things change your:
    • Attitudes toward God?

• Actions in life?

• Preparation for Eph 1:13-14
  • Read Eph 1:13-14
    • What has the Holy Spirit done for the believer:
      • In the past?

• In the present?

• In the future?

• Read all of Ephesians 1.

• Memory verse: Rom 8:9