IN WHOM

Turn back to Ephesians chapter 1. Lord willing, we'll look at these first 14 verses together this morning. Paul starts with an introduction here. He says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God to the saints, which are Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. No question who's speaking here, right? This is Paul, the apostle Paul. He says, I'm an apostle, not by my own choosing, but by the will of God. God made him an apostle. God saved him. God made him what he was. And who's he speaking to? That's important, isn't it? When we read something, who's speaking and who are they speaking to? And he says here, to the saints. This letter is to the saints.

If you look back, you don't have to do this now, but Romans chapter one and first Corinthians chapter one, we read something particular about the saints of God. They're called, called to be saints. Saints by God's choice. Saints by God's grace. Separated, how? By the grace of God. Set apart by the grace of God, the Father in eternal election. Whose sins are put away. The sins of God's people have been put away. They've been cleansed. by the Lord Jesus Christ, by his blood and by his sacrifice. We're sanctified in Christ Jesus. We're set apart, sanctified by the Spirit of Almighty God.

But he's not just talking to the saints at emphasis here. Read on here, Paul adds, and to the faithful, to the faithful in Christ Jesus Christ. wherever they're found throughout this world, throughout the ages, this message is for them. This message is for the poor. It's for the broken hearted. It's for the captives. It's to the blind. It's to the bruised.

How do we know that? Well, if we look back in scripture, our Lord, he spoke there in the temple. Remember that? He picked up that scripture and he read it and he said, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to who?

To the poor, to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives. the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. We're given this command to go into the world and preach the gospel, to preach this gospel to all men. I have no idea who God's saints are. I have no idea who God has set apart to himself, but he does. And the command is to preach the word.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints which at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Verse two, grace and peace to you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul's prayer to the Ephesians, Paul's prayer to the faithful in Christ is this, grace and peace. Grace and peace from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh, that the Lord would make that. He would make that our prayer. Grace and peace. Grace and peace. Make that our prayer one for another. For this congregation, for our families, for our community. Grace and peace to you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, none of these mercies could be known by us. None of these mercies could be enjoyed by us apart from God's choosing. Apart from His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ making peace through the blood of His cross. apart from the Spirit of God regenerating us and giving us life. Let's read on, Ephesians 3, verse one. I'm sorry, chapter one, verse three. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

All spiritual blessings. All the fullness of the grace of God in Christ. All the blessings and mercy of his everlasting covenant. All things pertaining to life and to godliness. Justification. peace, pardon, adoption, sanctification, eternal life, all these things he has given his people. And with all these things, his people are blessed, blessed in heavenly places. Listen, all that we are, all that we have, all that we ever hope to be is found in one person, is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, look at these next few verses here, beginning with verse four.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will.

He chose us. He chose a people in Christ. He predestinated us. He made us accepted in the beloved. God the Father, he chose a people in Christ before the foundation of the world. Not because we were holy, but that we should be holy. God in eternity past determined to have a people, a holy people, to populate a new heaven and a new earth. And He chose them in His Son. He chose them in Christ out of Adam's fallen race. The Lord spoke to his disciples in John 15. Turn there with me. John 15. Hold your place in Ephesians. Turn to John 15. Look at verse 16 of John 15. He said, you've not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And I've ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain. And whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, he'll give it to you.

He chose a people. God did that. God did that. He saved us. Scripture says He saved us and He called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, but according to His purpose and grace which was given us in Christ before the world began. He chose us. We see that throughout Scripture.

He says you're a chosen generation. A royal priesthood, a holy people, a peculiar nation. that you should show forth the praises of him who hath," done what? Called you. Called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. He predestinated us. Men say, I don't believe in predestination.

Well, maybe you don't, but God's word declares it. God the Father, He predestinated us to be adopted as children through Jesus Christ. We read this, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Now, folks get hung up on some of these words like, am I ordained? Am I this? Well, here's the question, do you believe? Because you could not believe apart from God the Father giving you to believe. We can't just pick verses that we want to say, I agree with this and I agree with that, right? Turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, beginning with verse 29.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, Them He also called, and whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified."

God predestinated, He predetermined in His eternal purpose, whenever that was. God who is eternal. He determined that everyone he saved was gonna be made just like his son. That's his glory, for all to be made like him, for all that he's chosen to be in him. He foreordained, God did this, he foreordained the persons, the means, the end. Listen, the goal of redemption. according to what? The good pleasure of His will. He chose us. He predestinated us. And then we read this. He made us accepted. Accepted in the beloved. The Father has accepted His people in Christ.

There's one thing you have to be to be accepted in Christ, just one thing. You have to be perfect. It shall be perfect to be accepted. No blemish, no blemish therein. To be accepted, I must be righteous, I must be redeemed, I must be sanctified. Again, that can only be found in one person. That can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

And God looks upon His elect. He looks upon His chosen. He looks upon His saints. And He looks upon us in Christ. He looks upon us in His Son. and he's well-pleased, well-pleased. Scripture says that we're seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Just listen to this passage of Scripture. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, hath quickened us together in Christ. By grace are you saved, and hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Well, back to our text here, back to Ephesians 1. Look at verse 6. To the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. All of this, the God, Almighty God, God the Father has done for us, for the eternal praise of Him. through His glorious grace.

Verse 7, in whom, in whom, this is kind of what drew me to the text, these two words here, in whom. Verse 7, it says, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in him. In whom?

In him we have redemption. God's elect by nature, we're in bondage. We're in bondage to sin. We're in bondage to Satan. We're in bondage to the law. But through the grace of God, we're redeemed. Redeemed from all iniquity. We've been ransomed. We've been freed from the law. Freed from its bondage. Freed from its curse. Freed from its condemnation. Freed from the law, oh, happy condition.

Jesus had died and there is remission. Redeemed from every enemy. Redemption is found throughout God's Word. It's promised, it's prophesied, it's portrayed in the Old Testament. It's proclaimed throughout God's Word. Every Old Testament picture pointed to it. Everything in the New Testament declares it.

Back there during the Passover, that Paschal Lamb, there was redemption by price. There was at the Red Sea. Redemption, there was deliverance, how? By God's power. What a display of God's almighty power when he parted that sea and he delivered the children of Israel. We read of redemption by a kinsman. Remember that? When Boaz redeemed Ruth. Redemption by substitute.

Isaiah 53, he bore our punishment, our guilt, our transgression. Scripture says this, he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we're healed. The Lord laid on him, the Lord laid on Christ the iniquity of us all.

With no redemption, we'll perish. Someone must suffer for our sins. Someone must pay for our crimes. It's either me, or it's the substitute. But either way, somebody has to pay. That debt has to be paid. And scripture says here, in whom we have redemption. In Christ we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins. Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through his infinite mercy, his child and forever him. With his, listen, with his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained what? Eternal redemption for us.

Look back again at our text, verse 11. It says, in whom, again, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. in whom we have obtained an inheritance. Our inheritance, where is that found?

Only in Christ. Only in Him. In Christ, we've obtained it. In Christ, we have received it freely. He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The word of God declares that in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we are what? Complete in him. Being predestinated to his purpose which he purposed in himself.

Listen, salvation is no accident. What God does, he does on purpose. He says that. He said, I've purposed it. I will also do it. I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Let me read a familiar scripture to you. For we know all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. By his will. By his will. Not my will. He'll make it my will. He makes his people willing in the day of his power. It's not of him that runneth, it's not of him that willeth. It's of God who showeth mercy. Scripture says, to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but the will, the will of God.

In whom? In whom? In Christ. We have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Look at verse 13 quickly. In whom? In whom ye also trusted. Who's that? It's the Lord Jesus Christ.

I remember, I think it was Luke Coffey brought a message many years ago. He said, I'm gonna do something that you should never do. I'm gonna give you the answer before I ask you the question. Whatever the question is, the answer is Christ. in whom he also trusts. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.

In whom you trusted. Now listen, our trust is not the cause of our safety. It's not the cause of our blessedness. It's the effect. Christ is the great object of trust and belief. It's Christ who by himself purged our sins. Scripture says it's better to trust the Lord than to put your confidence in men in whom he also trusted.

After you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation after you heard it. Faith, we gotta hear the word, don't we? Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. What do we need to hear? Well, we need to hear the truth, the truth from God's word, the truth about God. about who He is. He is the eternal God. He's the God of creation. He's the God of sovereign mercy. He's the God of righteousness. He's the God of unchanging grace. Have we heard the truth about Him? After you heard the word of truth, the truth about man, what does the Bible say about man? What does the Bible say about me and you?

It says there's none righteous. No, not one. It says there's none that understand it. There's none that seeketh after God. By nature, we will not seek Him. We'll seek our own pleasure. We'll seek our own desire. We'll seek our own comfort. We'll seek our own glory. We'll seek our own will. We'll seek our own satisfaction. We have no problem seeking our way. Man by nature will not seek after God.

They're all going out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. Isaiah said this, listen, Isaiah has seen this. He said, he said, when I saw the Lord, he said, I cried, woe is me. I am nothing. I am a man of unclean lips. I dwell among a people of unclean lips. When I saw the Lord, when I saw him, I saw my guilt. I saw my shame. I saw my sin. And then we also must see the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's the Messiah. He is God in human flesh. He's the covenant Savior of a covenant people, a victorious, conquering, successful Savior. He's the Lord, Lord of heaven and earth. Scripture says this, if any man shall confess him with his mouth, if he'll confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in the heart that God raised him from the dead, he'll be saved. The truth, the truth from God's word. Paul writes, you heard that truth and you believed it. There are many who hear it, They won't believe it apart from Christ. In whom you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

In whom? In whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. In whom? In whom do we have redemption? Christ. In whom do we trust? Christ. In whom also have we obtained an eternal inheritance? What's the answer? It's Christ. In whom also after you believed. Do you believe? I think of that publican, I believe, oh, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief, in whom also after you believe you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.

A seal, we don't use seals much anymore, but a seal is used to prove something, to confirm something, to attest a thing. When a seal is placed on something, it authenticates it. Sometimes it removes any doubt. You might go and sell a car, and you have to have it notarized.

And they put a seal on that, right? And that confirms that the person who put their name down on that paper, that's truly who they are. Our salvation. Our salvation in Christ is secured by a divine seal. Proof positive. It's the pledge, it's the earnest, it's the guarantee. What do we read here? Sealed with the spirit of promise.

Verse 14, which is the earnest. We'll finish here. which is the earnest, it's the pledge, it's the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession and to the praise of His glory. In whom? In whom or all? In Christ. Who gets the glory? Who gets the glory in that? He does. He does. All to the praise of his glory. All right. Isaac, come lead us in a closing song.

IN WHOM

Sermon Transcript

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

IN WHOM

Sermon Transcript

Comments

More from Eric Floyd

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book