Series: Ephesians: How To Walk God’s Trail
Text: Ephesians 1:1-6
Title: “Our Spiritual Position”
Introduction
• There are many terms used to describe our Christian lives and how we are to carry it out: it is called our walk, our purpose, being in God’s will; however they all have the idea of doing what is pleasing to God.
• Jim Elliot led a group of 5 missionaries into the jungle of Ecuador in 1955 and they were all killed by the tribe they were trying to reach, the Waodani.
o Years later the wives of some of the men went back to the same tribe that killed their husbands to continue the work that their husbands had started.
o After years of living with them the tribe turned to faith in Christ.
o Even the son of one of the 5 men killed, Steve Saint, was later adopted into the family of the man who had killed his father.
• The reason I tell this is because the Waodani use the phrase “Walking God’s Trail” meaning following the will of God in your life. We either find ourselves walking God’s trail or walking our own.
• So the first step as we take this journey is realizing our spiritual position in Christ.
I. Example Of Paul (1)
• “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ”
o This may seem like Paul is just merely writing his title, but it goes much deeper than that.
o He is also claiming the responsibility that goes along with it.
o Apostle means “sent one,” apostles were sent out to establish, build up and guard the church of Jesus Christ.
o So while titles are nice and all we also have to recognize that they come with an inherent responsibility.
• “by the will of God”
o While we can go out and lay claim to various titles it doesn’t mean we will be successful, our success is directly related to whether or not it is God’s will for us. (Paul recognized this)
o This is true for every aspect of our lives, we will only find meaningful success when we are in the will of God, but we can only find His will once we have submitted our will to Him.
o So often we want to have it both ways, but that is an insult to God.
• So how do we go about finding God’s will?
Romans 12:1-2 -- 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
• “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.”
o Paul’s letter is addressed not only to those believers in Ephesus, but to all the faithful in Christ.
II. Encouragement From God (2)
• Grace and Peace
• Grace is the unmerited favor of God.
o It is quite different from mercy mercy is not getting what we deserve.
o Grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
o When we deserved to be eternally separated from God because of our sin, He gave us His Son Jesus Christ.
John 1:14 -- 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
• It is out of this fountain of grace from which the blessing of peace flows.
o 2 kinds of peace: 1. Freedom from conflict or war (outer peace). 2. State of tranquility or quiet (inner peace).
o Because we have received grace we also now have peace with God and peace of God.
• Peace with God
o This is that outer peace.
o Whether you realize it or not we are all at war with God apart from Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:10-18 -- 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 6:23 -- 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Peace of God
o That is the inner peace believers have because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, that Spirit that testifies with our spirit we are the children of God.
Philippians 4:4-7 -- 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
III. Entitlement In Christ (3-6)
• Entitlement means something that we can rightfully lay claim to.
• However everything we are entitled to comes with a condition.
1. Blessing (3)
o We are blessed not only here on Earth with physical things that we can see, but also blessings that are unseen; namely the blessing of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
o The condition being in Christ.
o It is only because of who we are in Christ that we are able to lay claim to the blessings of God.
2. We should be holy (set apart) and blameless (without blemish) (4)
o When you hear that you might be thinking like me; who us? Holy and blameless.
o We do not have to dig deep to realize that this one is also conditional.
o The condition that God chose us, even before the foundation of the world.
o But the choosing has nothing to do with us; God didn’t choose me because I was a swell guy.
• “He chose us in Him.”
o God being all knowing has the foreknowledge of those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and based on their faith God has chosen us to stand before Him as holy and blameless.
Colossians 1:22 -- 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
3. Adopted into God’s Family (5)
o This is a continuation of the previous verse; those who God knew would be in Christ He predetermined that they would also be adopted into the family of God.
John 1:12 -- 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
o The condition according to the good pleasure of His will. (God wanted to)
4. Give God Praise (6)
o Praise – simply means to tell; when we praise God we are telling Him that we understand who He is, His character and His nature.
Psalm 63:2-4 -- 2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You. 4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
o Praise is us reflecting back to God His glory that He has revealed to us.
o The condition We are accepted in our beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
• Do we have the grace and peace of God?
• Have we been called to a place of service?
• Do we find ourselves as blessed, holy and blameless, sons and daughters of God, giving praise to the glory of His name with all that we are and all that we have?
