Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:1-14 (Part 2) — Murray McCandless

Now, before I ask the audience if they have any questions for us, Brother Al, I may have to cut him off with that. Him, did you have something more you wanted to say, Brother?

Well, I was just thinking that, in the earthly sense, we would perhaps maybe do a great deal to do something on our part to be accepted by fellow men. So we would do this, we would do that, and do the other thing to try and accept his favor with them.

But in spite of what we were and the waywardness we did, he still chose us and accepted us in the below. Very good.

Thank you. Now, anybody from the audience that we have not given an opportunity to express something or a question that they had?

Grace, Mercy, and Adoption into God's Family

I was thinking that you said something about grace bringing us into what we've been talking about here. If a governor commuted a sentence of somebody showing mercy to a convicted criminal, mercy would keep him from getting what he deserved.

But as we have been born into the family of God, you said we've been given the nature of God, and we have been given, we've been brought in, that the warden would never, not the warden, the governor would never bring this criminal into his house, make him a son, give him all the benefits.

God has done that. We've made children, and we've been given all of these things. Grace has bestowed us, not mercy, but grace. Very good. Appreciate that, Brother Richard.

Redemption Through Christ's Blood

OK, we'll move into verse number seven, brethren, because that clock is speeding around there faster than we are. Verse number seven, and whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Brother Murray, wouldn't it help to mention that verses three through six are emphasizing the will of the Father? What is purpose in the past worked out in the present and will bring us into the future, whereas when verse seven comes along, we're in a section that deals with the work of the Son.

This is how this is all going to be taken, how it's all going to be accomplished. It depends upon this great work of redemption. It's the redemption through his blood, brought about the forgiveness of sins, and ultimately leading up to the Son himself being the head of all things, everything united under him, God's purpose of relation to him, going back to the past, what he's done, what he's doing presently, and what he will do in the future.

So it's turning to the Father's will, to the work of the Son that has brought us to these blessings. Right.

Sir, go ahead. Not to diminish that, but even the purposes made. Again, I don't want to seem like I'm over-emphasizing. The purposes made. Louder, your voice up. Purposes were made in him, in the Son.

Purposes are fulfilled in him, in the Son. Say it once more. Where are you today that are saved? In him. So purposes made for us, purposes fulfilled for us, that's where we are. These verses are intended to make us praised.

That's what these verses that Brother William emphasized earlier tell us.

So, Brother Murray, at verse 7, then, in whom we have redemption through his blood, why not, for instance, in whom we have atonement through his blood? Why redemption, brother?

Well, I think atonement, I'm thinking more of the Old Testament setting than I am the New. The thought of redemption is the price paid, the purchase price paid. The result of that, the Colossian, I was just going to mention, the Colossian letter bears a little difference.

It says, even the forgiveness of sins. So first of all, that price had to be paid before ever I could have the enjoyment of my sins forgiven. Get some more of that there.

Yeah, I think redemption, it's the widest possible effect of the work of Christ, isn't it? I mean, even our bodies have been redeemed. And we'll yet come into the benefit of it at a future time.

So I think it's good to emphasize, just it's very simple, in whom we have redemption. I'm not working toward it. It's not a progressive thing. The forgiveness of sins, and I think an awful lot of people don't quite get this, I will be no more accepted by God when I die and go to heaven than I am right now.

OK? My forgiveness, the forgiveness I enjoy, the redemption that I've been brought into is totally complete. And Brother Stu, I don't think you need to apologize for saying you're emphasizing in Him, in Him, in Him.

Because the Word of God does it. And that's where everything is flowing from, in Him.

Brother, would not the redemption signify a price that has been paid? Yes. And the forgiveness of sins is because that price has been paid, my sins are sent away. God no longer looks on them. Very good.

Appreciate that, Brother. That's absolutely true. The sister assembly, referring to Brother Paris' comment, the sister assembly in Colossians, chapter 1, about verse 14. Maybe even the forgiveness of sin.

I mentioned that a minute ago. Oh, you did? For how long? Sorry. I was just, yeah, for a minute. It's OK. It's Brother Alton. You had me there, Alton. I shouldn't have said that. I should be sitting back there.

That's all right, Donald. You're all right. Verse 7 tells us about the, it's actually a definite article, the redemption through his blood. That's the present enjoyment of the believer. That's what we have as a result of his work on our part.

Verse 14 tells us we're looking forward to the redemption of the purchased possession, which is, of course, linked with the coming of the Lord and the transformation of the believer, the fullness of salvation and redemption of that day.

So we presently have this by faith in Christ. We're only going to receive the full expression of it.

So a purchase price, may I ask to whom was this paid? Paid to God. Keep it up. Keep your voice up. It was paid to God. Do you have more on that? Yeah, just that, obviously, it wasn't, we think if someone were going to buy the release of something, we'd pay to the one of who it was in possession.

Unfortunately, we were part of a strong man's house. It wasn't paid to him. It was our sin. That's why the price paid for the forgiveness of sins, it was something, it was that paid, as Brother Scott has mentioned, to God to satisfy his claims against us because of our sin.

And the price paid by was paid by his son, through the blood of his dear son.

The whole creation was brought under bondage to sin. And there has to be a ransom paid to set it free. But here we're dealing with the believer specifically. And in relation to them, the price has been paid by redemption, that God's purposes might be carried through.

And God is satisfied with that price. So he's free to act, to bring it about.

In his concordance, Mr. Strong points out that redemption is liberation that is procured by the payment of a ransom. It's not only to buy back, it is also to set free.

Very good. And the setting free is dependent on the dismissal of accountability, forgiveness of sins. That's what held us in captivity, being a guilty sinner. And when that's cleared, we're free. That's right.

It's the lifting of a chain.

So redemption, there's two elements in redemption. There's the bloodshed. Remember in Egypt, Exodus 12, the blood was shed and applied. But there was something else needed, and that was the power of God to bring them out.

And so that is relevant here. Not only has the price been paid, God is satisfied, but the power of God is free to bring this about, his purpose, and bring us into all the blessings that he has for us in Christ.

God's Lavish Grace and Wisdom in Ephesians 1:8

So, verse number eight, brethren, we have to move to verse number eight. Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, and you'll notice that's just carrying on from what we have already considered.

Verse number seven is abounding toward us in all wisdom, infinite wisdom of God and the prudence of God.

In the verse seven, he uses that expression, according to the riches of his grace. I'm not going back. But six times over in this chapter, he used that expression, according to. It's not out of, because it could only be a portion of it.

According to means in a measure that is an expression of, the full expression of. I can't go into any more detail because of time. Anyway, but notice that it's the, according to the riches of his grace, in which he has abounded toward us.

So, out of that riches, out of the great vast riches of God's grace, he has super abounded. It's so lavishly given to us, it's immeasurable. It's an infinite expression of the kindness and the grace of God, that has brought us to what we enjoy together.

I would take it that there's a period in the end, in the middle of verse eight, because the latter part of it seems to join with the rest of it, the next verse. Now, that's important, brother,.

According to the riches of his grace. I mean, if you needed a new car, or needed your house being paid off, Mr. Warren Buffett decided you needed a new car, so he bought you a new, I want to be careful on the makes, I'll be in trouble if I say one, he bought you a little new Honda, that would not be according to the riches that he has.

That would just be out of it, okay? But, if he brought you a Mercedes, or a Lamborghini, or some of those better ones, that'd be more according to the riches of what he has. But, here is God, to the most undeserving, we were bankrupt, chapter two says we were dead, we were everything but desirable, but because of his great love toward us, the grace, the means by which he comes out to us, and according as our brethren have pointed out, that's very important, I appreciate it, brother Joe, according to the riches of his grace, we're to be abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

That word there in verse eight, abounded, is really to exceed a fixed point. So, when you and I give to somebody, whether we want to be honest here today or not, there's always a limit, but God has no limits, all the stops are out, and he couldn't bless us any more than how he has blessed us.

The Mystery of God's Will and the Fullness of the Times

We'll move to verse nine, heaven made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to the good pleasure which he had purposed in himself. The mystery of his will, as often pointed out, not something that was mysterious, but according to his good pleasure, and now we're coming into these, that which before, I mean, had not been known, and now the apostle is, in retrospect, is bringing them to further heights in the unveiling, if you like, or the opening up this mystery.

Can I, brother Portman, can I ask you a question? Did I pick you up right? Are you saying in all wisdom and prudence is linked with verse nine?

I'm suggesting that because it's the wisdom and prudence of the intelligence, the outworking of God's infinite wisdom, by which he is making known unto us the mystery of this will, God's purpose. Notice that the will of God is seen three times in chapter one, the pleasure of his will, in verse five, the places of sons.

Now it's the mystery of his will, ultimately to gather all things or head them up in Christ. And then in verse 11, it's the counsel of his will, so God is working out his will according to his infinite wisdom and his ability to practically and fully perform that which is according to his own mind.

So, okay, so just for clarity, is this wisdom and prudence given to us or is this God acting in wisdom and prudence?

It is God acting in wisdom and prudence. You maybe could take it and link it with verse nine. Personally, I think that he's describing what he has done in the verse, where he says, he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

In other words, there's absolute wisdom in this. Now we've seen people that have done certain things for and to certain individuals without wisdom. And if you went back and said, would you do that again?

Their answer is, no, sir, I couldn't do that. I made a mistake, but God hasn't. So I would link it forward, but if Brother Joel here wants to take it to verse number nine, that's, I mean.

But it's maybe a mute point because if the mystery of his will, verse nine, has been made known unto us, we are going to derive wisdom and prudence by virtue of the fact that it's been made known unto us and that confers to us something about the mind of God and how it operates, right?

Yes, you could consider it that way. Thank you.

Nice thought. We'll allow it. Moving right along. All right. Well, Brother Murray, just for those that are younger,.

What is the mystery of his will? Because you know in Ephesians, he's going to call it also the mystery of Christ, later at the end of the chapter, mystery of the gospel.

So very simple. What is it? The mystery of his will, of course, will not only be Jew and Gentile brought together, but the church, okay? The purposes of God in the bride, the building, as we considered earlier.

What is it? The mystery of his will, explain in verse 10. That's right. It's that in the dispensation of the administration of the fullness of the times. He's going to gather together or head up or unify everything in Christ.

That's right. For the things in heaven or on earth.

So then in verse 10, what is the fullness of the times? When is that period?

Well, that is in the, in his purpose, when the, I would take, would take us right on to the end when the church is complete, okay? I had taken it to be the millennial reign. It definitely includes the millennial reign.

I would maybe take it further than that, but maybe in the context, the millennial reign, you could say.

That's what I believe is. And beyond? And beyond, I would think beyond. First Corinthians 15, the summing up there, of what is the consequence of the resurrection of Christ, that God may be all in all.

All things gathered together. And it's done now in Christ.

That's right. It's accomplished through this person. So it was a mystery in a sense that God was unfolding this truth to believers. It's unknown to the world. They don't recognize. They're working at God's purpose.

He's moving toward a destiny or that which has been his purpose from the beginning. That is, he's going to unify and head up everything under the headship of Christ and give him that place of absolute preeminence.

So one day it's gonna be completely fulfilled. But it's hidden now.

It's not known to the world. It's not seen. The millennial age largely reverses the curse and what was lost in the creation when Adam sinned. Largely reverses that. But ultimately at the end, it will all be restored and brought back to God.

That's right.

Someone has defined the mysteries in the Bible as sacred secrets that God has unfolded to us.

Dispensation, Universal Dominion, and God's Administration

Very good. Brother Murray, can you tell us a little bit beyond what is a dispensation? Oftentimes we hear brethren say, oh, this happens in this dispensation. Does that happen in that dispensation? Better than the other, could you say what the dispensation is?

Well, dispensation, as you, I realize you know, Brother Stephen, is the thought of administration, the period of time in which God administers. And so here we're considering, of course, the dispensation of grace.

And he's likely doing it in contrast to even an Old Testament era where prophets, for Isaiah, for example, saw them and saw the millennial scene. He gives us lots of pictures of that which our brethren have been bringing up.

I thought maybe it takes it even beyond that until the complete fullness. So this is the day of his grace in which the manifold purposes in Christ Jesus are made known unto us through his word.

It's for the purpose of carrying out God's purpose. It's for the administration of the fullness of the times. It was not necessarily confined to a period, although it's normally seen in a different period as bounded by time, but primarily a matter of God's working.

That matter of God's working is to be completed in what he's looking forward to.

So it is the thought, too, in verse number 10 of a universal dominion, is it not? So there's a complete control in his hand over all things that he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him.

It indicates also the thought of unifying, doesn't it? Yes. You see things today in a fragmented state and disordered state, and all the conditions that seem contrary to the fulfillment of this purpose, but while that is presently what we see and experience, yet we recognize as God has unfolded his purpose to us that all the way he's going to bring everything together and give Christ the place over all things, and it's only in relation to him that things will be brought into a right relationship one with the other.

That includes mankind, it includes heaven and earth, every sphere brought into a unified subjection to his authority.

So the Lord Jesus, by inheritance, has obtained that. None of the angels have obtained that, but he has put in subjection the word to come, to him, and that's his by right, by inheritance. Now we come into share in that, and that brings us into verse 11 too.

That's right.

Election, Inheritance, and the Meaning of “We” and “Ye”

So there's a little, verse 11, 12, and 13, and we can touch 14. Now I'm not rushing ahead in all those verses, but just notice the pronoun, verse 11, we. Verse 12, we. The change in verse 13, ye, ye also trust it.

Which is the earnest, verse 14, of our inheritance.

Of course, if you go to verse 15, it is your faith in the Lord.

Now, for my good, learned brethren, they can maybe give us a little help on these pronouns. Who exactly are they referring to? Is there a distinction, is there a difference?

Well, Murray, you and I talked about this a great deal in the big semi, talk as you roll down the road, and I don't want to cause controversy. I don't see the distinction brought in until verse 10 of chapter two, or verse 11 of chapter two, where he goes ye, Gentiles, we, Jews.

I see the whole body of Christ here in these terms, we and ye. Now, I know others might differ, but.

I would agree with you, Scott, that it's the we that have redemption. Back in verse seven, I don't think we're getting to a place yet where there's any distinction being drawn between the Jews and their previous privilege and Gentiles outside of that.

I don't think we've arrived there yet, personally. But when you get to verse 13, he is emphasizing those believers in Ephesus, be trusted, just to remind them how personal all this is.

I don't know, are we at verse 13 yet? No, we're not there yet.

I said that, brother, when I said verse 11. I should give you the pronouns through. A whole fire there. We're at verse 11. So, our brethren are suggesting to us, I was going to say telling us, but they were suggesting to us that it is all.

There are those that see this as Jewish believers in verse 11 and 12. And then in relation to Gentile believers in verse number 13, whom also ye also trusted. Then combining both brought together in verse number 14, our inheritance.

So, I know that there's the two schools of thought and it is something that has, even the best of theologians have seen it differently. And of course, it would bring us to the great subject of election is to whether it's corporate or whether it's individual.

I mean, the proof that God elects corporately is not proof that he does elect individually. Any more proof than all are called sinners in Romans three and 23. And that is a denial that we are sinners individually, which we are, okay?

So, you say, well, you're sitting on the fence. You're saying that you believe that it is corporate and you believe that it is individual. Well, tell me I'm sitting on the fence, but I believe both.

I believe both. You can't have the corporate without the individuals. That's the fallacy of that one emphasis. That's right. You know, if you try to make it this inanimate corporation, I don't know a corporation today that independently operates without individuals in it.

So, let's just rest with what's tremendously a personal blessing as well.

Yes, yeah. And that's the way I appreciate your support. Now, having said that, I do know that Respectfully, I say that. Yeah, I do know that. Now, my good brother way to my extreme left here, I don't mean that in a sad sense, sees it strictly corporate.

That's positional. That's it. Okay. He's an extreme left. That's right.

I bet Scott told me that. I'm just a visitor to these parts. I'm not going to open fire too hard here. So, we just, amen y 'all and keep on going.

Individual Salvation and Sealing by the Holy Spirit

I would have to ask the question, does the Lord Jesus Christ always carry out the will of his father? Does he? Yes. Okay. Does the Holy Spirit always carry out the purpose and the will of God? Yes, he does.

Okay. The son of God loved me and gave himself for me. That was the purpose of God for me. William, speak straight. Speak up. Speak straight out this way. Okay. I can't hear you over here. Verse 13 tells, upon believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

I was individual when I believed. And the son of God loved me. That's individual. And the Holy Spirit of God and the Lord Jesus Christ are carrying out the purpose and the will of God. It's individual as it touches me.

Right. So, you guys, verse 13, you're accusing me of doing it. So, let's go. See, see, it'll already go on there. We'll go. It's all right. Very good. We are back at verse 11 in whom we have obtained the inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

So, obviously, he has in mind the truth of the inheritance, that which we are brought into, that which is assured to us. And, of course, it brings us into these other verses by which we are sealed. And, of course, we know that the earnest of the inheritance as well.

We'll touch on that later. And then again, we have this word predestinated second time that we have it now.

Lord, pardon? We say that verse five where he speaks about predestination under the adoption or son placing is definitely linked with verse 11. Yes. Because it's only because of son placing that we have an inheritance.

It's only because of that position that we are entered into the anticipation, presently anticipated, of receiving all that God desires to bestow upon us. So that son placing is linked with enjoying the inheritance.

Hebrews one, we find that because the Lord Jesus is marked out as son, he is also the heir of all things.

So, just a very simple question then, verse 11, what is the inheritance that we have obtained? What is it? That's not a loaded question.

I want to hear a couple of answers. Yeah, it is indeed. Maybe the question should be, who is it? Because it's in whom. So the in whom, of course, is Christ. So he is the inheritance. We're joined heirs to the inheritance.

And all, sorry. Linked with him. That's right, linked with him. It is primarily in all that's associated with him. And just, I would use that to explain why I would take the fullness of times to be the millennial reign.

Because of our position with Christ, helping him to administer the great kingdom. Age. There is an inheritance, I would feel. And you feel that it ends there? Oh, it'll never end. The glory just keeps.

We'll discuss that further in the truck on the way home. I'm sorry, I can't sit at home with us.

Just in relation to the thought of the inheritance, this jumps down the chapter, so you know I'm not rushing the Bible. Verse 18, is there a sense then, as verse 18 concludes, the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Do we have been made an inheritance to him? I mean, that's a precious thing. The thing that, you know, sinners are so affected. This is something that he looks forward to receiving to himself.

Very good. Going back now to the we and the ye, and why the change. We had the we in the previous part of the chapter, obviously dealing with all believers of this dispensation. But then in verse 12, he brings it back to the first century, doesn't he?

He says that we should be to the praise of his glory. And then he says, who first trusted in Christ. Is that not historical? And then verse 13, in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth.

That's the first century, when the gospel came their way. That's right.

I see that there's a little bit of difference there. Go ahead. You're on the extreme left. Well, listen, I think if you see it in the context of Ephesians, of what is happening here, as a result of the death of Christ and the price being paid, we, the bride, first trusted in Christ, we've come into the firstfruits, if you could look at it that way.

There is going to be another harvest during the tribulation. I mean, without number of people that will be saved. Then there's also going to be another harvest during the millennial reign, without number of people that will be saved.

And I think what he's doing here is he's linking himself with the church age is the end result of all of God's successive dealings in the Old Testament. And we have first trusted as a result of Christ dying.

And there's where I don't make a distinction between the we and the ye and all that until I get further. When the spirit of God in verse 11, he says, now in time past Gentiles, now he makes a distinction in chapter two.

But I'll just be there. Did not Paul preach to the Athenians? Paul did, yes. The gospel to them? Acts 15, you're referring to? So why couldn't it just be simply in verse 13, he blows at his mind, because he didn't get preached to by himself, in whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word through the gospel of salvation.

So he just thought that he preached to them, not to himself, but he includes himself before in the we and in our salvation. He's included in that, but he blows at his mind that he preached to them. Yeah.

Historically, historically, he's looking back to the past.

And reminding them that God has been consistent in those dealings, whether it was back then or now, or even to a future day, it will be the same means by which people are saved regardless of the age. Say the gospel preached by different messengers, but the same gospel, whether it is preached this the day of his grace by evangelists, by the church, being known by the church, or the 144 ,000 that will evangelize that kind of day, or the everlasting gospel to be preached or heralded by the angels, all take its message to the death of Christ, the provision made.

The Holy Spirit as Seal, Earnest, and Guarantee

Give a few thoughts, Murray, verse 13 on the sealed, sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. What does that mean? Well, I know in today's world, we're used to seeing a letter and there's a little blob of wax and then there's a seal pressed into it.

Listen, the moment I trusted Christ, the Spirit of God did not come up beside me and go, plunk, and then walk away. He actually came right inside of me. That is the seal. And that is why it's linked with the promise, the Spirit of promise.

I am guaranteed to be in heaven, regardless of what happens, because of our link with Christ.

Right. So in that measure, I'm assured of being kept for that inheritance. The earnest is that it will be kept for me.

We shouldn't let this pass without emphasizing this is not a work subsequent to salvation. No, no. The actual tense is that having heard the truth and having believed, you are sealed. So that he's emphasizing that the same, the same work of God that brought these in verse 12 and trusting Christ, they also, having heard the word of the truth, they also trusted Christ and they have also been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

That promise, I take it, is not only looking back to the promise of the Lord himself to send the Spirit of God and accomplish that work, but it's looking forward to the fulfillment of the promise, what it actually anticipates.

Right.

So the gospel of your salvation is a term that involves far more than the present realization that I'm saved. There's a promise of future things that are coming as well. And all that was obtained at the moment of trusting Christ.

So again, to recap the thought flow in the chapters gone before, you have the selection by God, chosen in him before the foundation of the world. Then you have the sacrifice by Christ, the redemption through his blood in order to bring that about.

And then you have the sealing of the Spirit of God, sealed by the Spirit that absolutely certifies that these believers are going to come into the good of what God has purposed for them.

And also that seal, we shouldn't let that slip from us unless somebody has mentioned it, is also the mark of ownership. Okay? Just in a natural way, a seal was a mark of ownership. I belong to him.

The earnest, this will belong to me. And the ownership also entails the idea of protection. That's right, security. Yeah.

The Earnest of the Inheritance and Future Glory

Very good. So verse number 14, which is the earnest of, I know we've considered these verses together and that's fine, brethren, I appreciate that, because they do go together, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession of the praise of his glory.

Just something I enjoyed on that purchased possession. I know I have two older girls at home and they go out shopping and they bring home whatever and they take it all out of the bag and they say, look, Dad, look what I bought.

They lay it all out, right? Listen, think of the day when the bride is together in heaven and God the Father comes out and says, look at it. Look at what I bought for my son. The joy will just continue.

It'll never come to an end,.

The glory that we've been writing to. So it is sown a natural body as it's raised a spiritual body, resplendent in spiritual power and energy. We as believers now have the down payment of that, the spirit of God within.

Within, correct.

Very good. The sealing of the spirit is what you've said already, secures these, emphasizes security to the believer and indicates his authority as well as of course the property. But then the earnestness seems to indicate that which presently enables a believer to enter into and appreciate some measure of what will be ours in the coming day.

That is the spiritual blessings are only made real to us by the spirit of God. And so that as a result of being in heavenlies and filled or indwelt by the spirit of God, we can presently enjoy and anticipate something of what God is going to give us in all of its fullness.

It's like the bride, you know, Rebecca on the way to meet Isaac, she had some tokens, she had some jewels of gold and silver and they were only the evidence of what was going to be hers when she once became the bride that was united to her husband, Isaac.

Right. Just on that note, it's nice to notice there. I know some may not all appreciate this, but it's interesting that the servant twice over says concerning Rebecca, let the same be she that thou hast appointed unto thy servant, Isaac.

Okay. She knew nothing about that. But what she did know about was that moment when she said, wilt thou go with this man? Okay. She said, I will go. So you definitely see the two sides of that, don't you?

Just an example there from the, there had to be the willingness of her part, but the servant was conscious of the fact that his master had plans.

So Murray, one final question on that last expression there, the praise of his glory. And as it has been indicated, it's the third time it has been mentioned. Who is doing the praising of his glory? Who is involved in that praising?