Joys of Being in Christ
7 Reasons to Celebrate our Life in Christ
Ephesians 1:1-14
Intro: We are planning to take a tour through the book of Ephesians over the next few weeks. Ephesians was written by Paul while he was in prison and offers a wonderful picture of what Christ has done for His Bride, the Church. Many scholars believe that Paul wrote Ephesians with the idea that it would be shared with several other churches around the region. It does appear to be the type of letter that would serve that purpose since it lacks personal references and greetings to specific people.
-In chapter 1 we will be looking at the 1st 14 verses today, focusing especially on vv. 3-14. Paul was famous for stringing lots of sentences together the way your English teacher told you never to do. In fact, verses 3-14 are all one sentence in the Greek language, but have been broken up into sentences so we can understand them in English.
-Paul appeared to be enjoying himself when he wrote this letter. In fact as Paul writes about all that God has done for us in Christ in these first 14 verses, one scholar states that they were written in a state of controlled ecstasy. There are 3 main sections in this passage covering God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each section ends in an expression of praise to God (6, 12, 14) for what He has done for us in Christ.
-A young boy happened upon an old man who was fishing in the mighty Mississippi River. Immediately the lad began to ply the aged fisherman with a myriad of questions as only young boys can do. With the patience of the ages, the old man answered each query. Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by the shrill whistle of the majestic River Queen paddling relentlessly down river. The sight of the ship gleaming and splashing spray in the sunlight caused the surprised spectators to stare in awe and appreciation. Then above the noise of the paddle wheel was heard a small boy’s voice calling across the water; "Let me ride! Let me ride!" The old man turned to the boy and tried to calm him down explaining that the River Queen was too important a ship to stop and give rides to little boys. The young child cried all the more, "Let me ride!" Old eyes bulged in disbelief as that great ship pulled for shore and a gangplank was lowered. In a flash two young feet scampered up and onto the deck. The ship with its new cargo safely on board began to pull back into the main stream. The old man continued to stare after the ship. Then a shock of yellow hair appeared above the rail. It was quickly followed by two blue eyes, button nose, and cherub lips. "Mister, I knew this ship would stop for me. The captain is my father!" (Sermoncentral.com)
-Well, the Lord of the universe is our Father, and He has taken notice of us and blessed us by placing us in Christ. The phrase “in Christ” or “in Him” appears at least 10 times in these verses. Sometimes I fear that we take our position in Christ for granted. My hope is that after today’s message we will be encouraged to the point of expressing praise to God for all He has done for us by placing us “in Christ.”
-Paul introduces this letter by celebrating this relationship we have in Christ. Let’s look at his introduction in vv.1-3:
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
-Let’s go ahead and take a look at 7 Reasons to celebrate our life in Christ.
1. In Christ we have been chosen
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
-The only way we can be holy and blameless in the Father’s eyes is to be in Christ. This phrase “in Christ” is used numerous times in Paul’s writings to express the relationship a believer has with God. If we are in Christ, then we are also in the Father and in the Holy Spirit. It speaks of our standing with God. When God sees us He sees His Son Jesus because we are in Christ Jesus.
-And the reason we are in Christ is because we have been chosen by God.
-Many of us have some childhood memory of teams being picked on the playground or in P.E. Those who were more gifted with such things as speed and coordination were chosen first. Others whose gifts and talents were not athletic in nature often found themselves added to a team that was not very happy to have them.
-However, God’s team doesn’t work that way. God doesn’t call those who are fit; He fits those who are called. He calls out our name, letting us know that He wants us on His team, and if we respond and come to Him, then He places us in Christ and makes us fit to be a valuable part of His team.
-So nobody can brag about being chosen. Nor can we brag about how gifted we are. All that we have and all that we are is from the One who called us and has chosen us. It is all about Him, not us.
-So God the Father chose us in Christ before the world was ever created to be holy and blameless in His eyes. And that is how He sees us! When we are in Christ, God looks upon us with the same kind of love and favor that He looks on His own Son Jesus. We are chosen to be in Christ and chosen to be holy and blameless in God’s eyes. That is something to celebrate! That is cause for praise!
2. In Christ we have a destiny
In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
-Our destiny is to be a full-fledged family member in God’s family. If we are in Christ, we are in God’s family. When a person comes to Jesus in faith, he or she is adopted into God’s family. Now I don’t know how you view adoption, but it is a wonderful thing. Someone who was not part of the family is welcomed into the family and is given all the same rights and privileges as the other family members. There are no stepsons or stepdaughters in God’s family. If you are in Christ you are in all the way!
-It pleased God to set things up this way, giving us a future and a destiny as one of His own. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
-Our destiny is certain as long as we are in Christ- in right relationship with Him. The best is yet to come!
3. In Christ we have forgiveness
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
-You can’t say enough about what Jesus did to provide for our forgiveness. We all had a sin problem that just wouldn’t go away. You couldn’t fix it. I couldn’t fix it. This world did not contain the solution to our problem. But Jesus paid the price for us with His own life. He laid down His life for us. And just like the Passover lambs bled out until there was no more life in them, so Jesus bled out. His life drained out of Him but became available for you and me. Jesus is our Passover Lamb who takes away our sins.
-V.7 says that Jesus redeemed us. He traded His life for ours. He bought us with His own lifeblood. If we are in Christ, we are forgiven – not guilty before God – because of what Jesus did on the cross.
-And this all flows out of the riches of God’s grace. He lavished His grace on us through the best and only possible way – through Jesus. His plan wasn’t hastily thrown together, but was the result of His infinite wisdom and understanding.
-In Christ we have forgiveness of sins! That is worth celebrating!
4. In Christ we know Who is really in control
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
-Assumptions can be quite dangerous. For example, the photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene hampered him and he asked his home office to hire a plane. Arrangements were made and he was told to go at once to a nearby airport, where the plane would be waiting. When he arrived at the airport, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let’s go! Let’s go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and they soon were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," yelled the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes." "Why?" asked the pilot. "Because I’m going to take pictures," cried the photographer. "I’m a photographer and photographers take pictures!" After a pause the pilot said, "You mean you’re not the instructor?"
-No matter how things look around us, we must always remember that God is in control. Again, God has a plan and it has not failed, regardless of how bleak things look in our government and around the world.
-Everyone and everything in heaven and on earth will bow before Jesus, the anointed One, our Messiah. He is Lord of all! There is nothing that threatens His ability to rule this world with absolute love and absolute authority!
-Yes, people may exercise their free will for a few years on this earth, but man’s will cannot thwart the plans of God!
-Everything is under His control, and one of these days He will show up in person to implement His government, as Isaiah spoke of. Isaiah 9:6-7 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
-Jesus will one day take control of all that He has made. It is not a matter of IF, just a matter of WHEN!
5. In Christ we are all included in God’s family
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
-This is a reference to Jews and Gentiles. God’s plan was always to save the world, not only Jews. “God so loved the world….” So Paul points out that the Jews were chosen, but the Gentiles were also included in Christ after hearing and receiving the truth – the good news about Jesus. Paul has quite a bit more to say about the inclusiveness of God’s grace. God’s love is available to Jews, Gentiles, male, female, young, old, those who are respected by others, and those who are outcasts.
-God is inclusive and so should we be. Church should never become an exclusive gathering reserved only for those who meet our standards of respectability. What kind of person needs Jesus the most? Those who already seem to have things together, or those whose lives are a mess? The truth is that we all need Him! So let’s keep that in mind as we interact with people in our community.
6. In Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
-What is a seal? It was something that was affixed to a document to guarantee that it was genuine. Something like the stamp of a notary public. Sometimes a seal was attached to goods that were being shipped to show who they belonged to and to ensure protection.
-Everyone who is in Christ has the Holy Spirit living in them. The fact that the HS is in a person’s life guarantees that they have truly encountered God. Paul tells us in Galatians how we know that the HS is present: Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
-The presence of the HS shows who we belong to and ensures our protection from the enemy of our soul. This seal is visible in the way we live. It should find expression in our lives, in our eyes, in the way we relate with others.
-If you are in Christ, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit who now lives in you. What a reason to praise! But there is more concerning the Holy Spirit.
7. In Christ we have a guaranteed inheritance
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession-- to the praise of his glory.
-The idea here is that the HS is a down payment. A down payment is the first payment or first installment of money or goods which serves as a guarantee or pledge for the completion of the transaction. With all of these spiritual blessings God has lavished on us, here is what this means – WE AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET! Our inheritance is coming. Life in the immediate presence of God is what awaits us.
-The HS is the down payment which guarantees that the rest of God’s blessings will come to those who are in Christ! God has never broken a promise. It is impossible for Him to lie. We have the bulk of our inheritance to look forward to – all to the praise of God’s glory.
Conclusion: So, the joys of being in Christ are many! We have every reason to praise God because of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ.
1. In Christ we have been chosen to be holy and blameless
2. In Christ we have a destiny to be God’s children
3. In Christ we have forgiveness through His blood
4. In Christ we know Who is really in control
5. In Christ we are all included in God’s family
6. In Christ we are sealed by the Holy Spirit
7. In Christ we have a guaranteed inheritance
-So the first question a person should ask is, “Am I in Christ?” Paul tells what that should look like in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
-How does this happen? Where do we start? We start by calling on the Lord and asking Him to forgive us. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
-We ask Him to change us and to make us right with Him based on what He did for us on the cross – taking our place, paying our price. Repentance is what positions us in Christ. We should have a true sorrow for sins and turn away from them. As we turn from the sin, we find ourselves in the embrace of Jesus – in Christ.
-If you need to do that, I hope you will take care of it today and not spend another wasted day being away from Christ. He has room in His heart for you. Is there room in your heart for Him?
-If you’ve already taken care of this and are “in Christ”, just let me encourage you to express your praise to the One who gave His life for you. Express your praise to the One whose grace has provided every spiritual blessing we’ve talked about today and more. Let your life be a celebration of the goodness of God!
