Ephesians 1:1-22

Ephesians 1:1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is a sort of crossing of the Jordan to go into the land and get grace and peace. Grace changes us, peace quiets us, and then we are over Jordan.

Ephesians 1:3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

They are all yours. He has not blessed you with a part of the blessings, but with all of them, they are all yours. Have you the courage and the faith to take possession of them? That is the point. If you have grace and peace you are in the land. Now let your foot rest first on one blessing and then on another and appropriate them all to yourself.

Ephesians 1:4. 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:

What an inheritance! To be made holy. Oh, that we might be perfected as our Father which is in heaven is perfect, sanctified through and through. We are elected to this end: it is the very object of the divine choice that we may be without blame before him in love.

Ephesians 1:5. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

See how Paul goes on taking one city after another of this heavenly Canaan. It was election, now it is adoption, now it is acceptance in the Beloved. He is a good Joshua for us if we will but really and truly follow him, and take possession of the promised land.

Ephesians 1:7. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness 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:

Oh, what a wonderful gathering that will be when all the things in Christ shall be gathered together, no division among the people of God, when the whole redeemed inheritance shall be one, and we shall as one body possess it for ever. «In whom also we have obtained an inheritance.» Got it. God has given it to us, we have a right to it, we are the heirs of it in Christ.

Ephesians 1:11. 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:

He not only wills it, but he works it. When he wills to give his people a broad inheritance, of that large inheritance they shall certainly have, for he «worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.»

Ephesians 1:12. That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 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, which is the earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

You have got the Holy Spirit. He is God's seal upon you that you are indeed saved men and women. In getting that you have already received the earnest, that is, a part of the inheritance never to be taken back. A pledge has to be restored, but an earnest is kept for ever: the Spirit of God is ours, and in having him we have all things.

Ephesians 1:15. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Having got so much, you might get a great deal more.

Ephesians 1:17. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

That is a wonderful passage; we are not only to know our inheritance in God, but God's inheritance in us. Wonderful thing, and yet it is so. The Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Joshua gave each one of the people his own portion, but all the people were God's portion. And today God delights in his people, he finds a solace in those whom he chose, in those whom he redeemed by blood, in those whom he brought near into daily fellowship with himself.

Ephesians 1:19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly palace, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 136:1, and Ephesians 1:1