Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV Scripture

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,  Scripture

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,  Scripture

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Scripture

The Trinity and I

What is my relationship with the Trinity? What is my relationship with the Wans? What is your relationship with God ?

Eph 1:4-5, even as he (God) chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

What is predestined? What is adoption?

The word predestined is like the adopting parents who pre-loved and pre-accepted an orphan before they met and adopted her.

Ez 16:4, And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 

5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.

8 “When I passed by you again and saw you … I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. 

9 Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil … I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 12 And I put a beautiful crown on your head. 

The adoption ceremony for the Jews was circumcision (Gen 17:11). The adoption ceremony for the Christians is water baptism (Col 2:11-12).

Who are we? We’re adopted children of God. Who is God? He is our adopting father who pre-loved us before we even knew him. What is our response? We love and kiss God back.

There are three kinds of people: A business associate you don’t really like; A friend you like and enjoy talking to; Someone you are in love with and who is in love with you.

If God is your business associate, you will go to him with petitions. If God is your friend, you will go to him with confessions. If God is someone you love, you will praise and adore Him in prayer and worship.

What is my relationship with Jesus? Jesus is my rescuer. He died rescuing me from the fire. It is something like the 1998 movie “Saving Private Ryan”

Rom 5:8, God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Are we sinners? Are we bad? The 3 boys. Rom 3:10, 12, “None is righteous, no, not one … 12 no one does good, not even one.”

Tim Keller wrote, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

Who are we? We are sinners and we need help. Who is Jesus? He is our Rescuer & Redeemer.

When God rescued the Jews from Egypt, the ceremonial meal was the Passover meal. When Jesus died to rescue us from hell, the memorial meal is the Communion.

What should be our response to Christ? Since Christ sacrificed his life for us, we should offer our lives to God as a living sacrifice, a spiritual worship holy and acceptable to Him (Rom 12:1).

Heb 13:16, Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

There are two kinds of thinking: The scarcity mentality. The abundance mentality. When you know in your heart that God has been very generous to you, you will be generous with others.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is sent to be our Helper. What does the Holy Spirit do? The Spirit helps people see that they are sinners. What is my relationship with the Holy Spirit?

John 16:8, when he comes, he (the Helper) will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

What else does the Spirit do? The Spirit helps people lose their inhibition. Eph 5:18, do not get drunk with wine … but be filled with Spirit.

Acts 4:31, And when they had prayed, … they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God in boldness. When the Christians are “drunk” with the Spirit they speak with boldness.

Who is the Spirit? The Spirit is the Helper who helps us see our sins & flaws. The Spirit helps us become bold as his witness (Acts 1:8). The Spirit helps true believers to be fruitful in their lives.

Mt 13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word & understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundred-fold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Some believe in Christ and become fruitful because they have an abundance mentality, they know they are blessed so they become blessings to others (Gen 12:2).

Conclusion: God is your adopting Father. Christ is your Rescuer. The Spirit is your Helper.