"BLESSINGS FROM JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR"

Ephesians 1:7-12

A proper theme for the Book of Ephesians would be "Blessings".

God has…Chosen us (vs 4)…Adopted us (vs 5)…And Accepted us (vs 6).

·         God served us with a blessed salvation! God the Father, before the foundations of this world, envisioned a people who were not born to serve, nor forced to serve, yet willingly served Him! Sin was no surprise to God, and at Calvary, God showed that He could do away with sin and make His purpose that much more glorious!

·         Now, we must not perceive that salvation's plan was accomplished by the Father, the Son, or the Spirit, but rather was accomplished by a combination of the three, all working together to provide our salvation.

1.      JESUS HAS REDEEMED US! VERSE 7A ---This word "redeem" means to "purchase or buy back".

Illustrate---There were in this day slaves in the Roman Empire, and often they were sold like pieces of furniture. But every so often, a man would step forward in this time and buy a man or woman and then set them free!

This is what Jesus did for us on the cross, shedding His Blood for the payment for our sins.

1 Peter 1:18-19 - "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"

There was no amount of gold (pavement in Heaven) that could seal my salvation! No works of my hands, only the precious Blood of Christ!

·         We are now free from the Law and it's condemnation!

Galatians 5:1 - "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

·         We are free from slavery to sin!

Romans 6:6-10 - "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."

·         We are free from the power of Satan and the world!

Colossians 1:12-14 - "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

God has given us the victory over sin, by the power of God and the salvation of Christ!

2.      HE HAS GIVEN US FORGIVENESS. VERSE 7B The word "forgive" actually means "to carry away".

Illustrate---There is a beautiful picture in the Laws concerning the scapegoat. The OT priest would take two goats, and kill the first one, and then offer its blood before God upon the mercy seat. Then the priest would confess the sins of the people over the live goat, and then the goat would be taken into the wilderness and driven away. Many times we rejoice over the fact that we have been redeemed and purchased by the Blood, and that is tremendous!

·         But we can also shout because our sins are forgiven, or carried away!

Psalm 103:12 - "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." Our sins are gone!

Micah 7:18-19 - "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

3.      HE HAS REVEALED THE WILL OF GOD TO US! VERSE 8-10

The fortune tellers want us to believe they can read into the future, but God does let us know some things that are in the future, and He has given us wisdom and knowledge in the Word of God. Look at what God said He would do in verse 10. He will one day bring all things together in Christ. Since the Fall of man, this world has been falling apart. Man fell from God, then man separated at the death of Abel. The attempt at unity at the Tower of Babel failed and God drove man apart, never to be reunited as a whole. Man now because of sin grows farther from God and farther from each other. But there is coming a day when we will be brought together eternally in Christ!

4-      WE HAVE OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE IN HIM. VS11-12

Romans 8:15-17 - "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

Whatever Jesus bears, we are partakers of that! Whatever glory Jesus has, we will share with Him! The cross of Christ is our cross to carry, and the eternity in Heaven that He lives, we one day will live with Him! A joint heir cannot obtain his inheritance without the presence and consent of the other joint heir.

John 14:1-3 - "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."