1. Ephesians – A Book of Great Significance! Written to saints who lived in this age. A Treatise about the church Jesus built, Matthew 16:18. Exceedingly doctrinal in Nature, Ephesians 1:1-4:16. Exceedingly Practical in Nature, Ephesians 4:17-6:24.

2. Ephesians 1:3-14. V. 3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. V. 4. 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. V. 5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. V. 6. “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

3. V. 7. “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. V. 8. “Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. V 9. “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself. V. 10. “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in Him.

4. V. 11. “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. V. 12. “That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ. V. 13. “In Whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy spirit of promise. V. 14. “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”

5. Two Views of Salvation, 1:3-14 KJV – a period after vs. 6,12,14. In Greek text vs. 1-14 constitute one long sentence, perhaps the longest sentence in the Bible. 202 words! These verses ascribe praise to God; “to the praise of His glory,” vs. 6,12,14. In this study, we will take (1) A forward look, and (2) A backward look.

6. The Divine View – A Forward Look The Originating Cause. –Begins with a doxology, utterance of praise. –Tells what God has done because of: His love, v. 4. “The riches of His grace,” v. 7 The Time – “before the foundation of the world,” v. 4. –The blessing of v. 3 and the choosing of verse 4 go hand in hand!

7. “A Forward Look” (continued) The Agent – Jesus Christ (v. 3-5). –“In Him,” v. 3-4. –“By” v. 5. –“By Jesus Christ to Himself,” v. 5. Jno.14:6 The Conditions (v. 4). –“In Him,” v. 4. cf. Gal. 3:27. –We should be “holy,” v. 4. –We should be “without blame,” v. 4

8. “A Forward Look” (continued) The Process – Predestination, v. 5. –Did God predestinate us as individuals or as a class? –Did God predestinate us conditionally, or unconditionally? The Cost – His blood, v. 7. –God foreordained the deliverance of 1 st born among the Israelites, Exodus 12. –God predestined the deliverance of sinners through the blood of Christ!

9. “A Forward Look” (continued) The Plan – God’s will, vs. 5,9,11. –Expressed in the gospel, Ephesians 1:13. The Objective, vs. 13-14. –Our Salvation, v. 13. –His glory, v. 14.

10. The Human View – A Backward Look You “heard,” v. 13). You “believed,” v. 13. cf. Rom. 10:17 You were “Redeemed,” v. 7. –He “gave himself for us,” v. 7; Titus 2:14. –“Redeemed,” “to released on receipt of a ransom.” Rom. 6:16; Matthew 20:28. You were Forgiven, v. 7. –Aphiemi, “to send forth; send away.”

11. The Human View – A Backward Look You Were “accepted,” v. 6. –Because you were forgiven. –Accepted because you are “in the beloved.” –“In the beloved” because you were baptized “into Christ,” Galatians 3:27. You were Adopted, v. 5. You are “blessed,” v. 3. You are “in Christ,” v. 3.

12. Conclusion: All spiritual blessings are “in Christ,” v. 3. The blessings which follow spell out those blessings. All three Persons of the Godhead are involved in our salvation! “Sealed” – God’s stamp of approval. Yet this is simply “the earnest of our inheritance!”