Series Title: The Heavenly Reserve Bank of God(Ephesians)
Message Title: On Deposit (Ephesians, Chapter 1)
Scripture: Ephesians 1:13-14
(Ephesians 1:13) And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession--to the praise of his glory.
Introduction:
Have you ever been excluded from anything and you knew you shouldn’t have been? You know what I mean. Something was going on and a group got together and you were not invited or asked to participate. And, then when the people that did go talk about it later people look at you because you are clueless and are wondering what is going on. Oh, you might see a few sad faces about your exclusion, or you might even hear some snickers or laughs in the back or behind your back. You might even hear a murmur or a statement or two about your character.
What about this?
Have you ever been in the store ready to buy something and find out that you are just a few pennies short, or your credit card is expired? You reach into your pocket, and the money that you thought you put there is actually in that pair of pants that you just changed out of!
Well, as you’re standing in line there, you might see a few sad empathizing faces about the predicament that you’re in. More than likely you’ll hear some snickers or laughs in the back, maybe even a statement or two about your character.
Or, maybe this happened to you.
What about when you were in elementary school or middle school and they were picking teams for basketball, volleyball or even some type of academic game and you were always the last one picked? Again, you might see a few sad faces about not being picked, and you’ll more than likely hear some snickers or laughs in the back, maybe even a statement or two about your character and your talent.
The world, which can sometimes include Christians, can be extremely cruel and cold, especially when it comes to talking about your character and your talent. The world demands that participants or potential members in any area first have the capabilities or the funds ON DEPOSIT to participate.
In most so-called ‘country clubs’ they demand money, and lot’s of it! In addition to the admission fee and annual fees, you must first have money and position to even be considered for admission to their prestigious gatherings.
The world would laugh in your face if you told them that you have been accepted into a society or group where the director freely gives you the entrance fee to get in! They would argue and say, “Well, that’s no club at all, if anyone could get in.”
As a matter of fact, that simplicity is the very reason that many never get in. As a matter of fact, it is probably this un-exclusivity, or commonness, that may be what keeps many from the kingdom of God... It is probably this commonness of Christianity that keeps many from wanting to mix with people of low position and small bank accounts. Remember, Jesus said it was rough for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
But, our bank accounts are not small, are they! The book of Ephesians tells us just how rich our DEPOSITS are. It tells us of the abundance of the DEPOSITS that we have in Christ. It tells us of the richness beyond measure in Jesus Christ, which is more than any bank could ever hope to have ON DEPOSIT.
The first three chapters of Ephesians tell us of the infinite SPIRITUAL WEALTH we have in our Lord, but the book does not stop there. It then proceeds with the last three chapters in telling us how we can have a spiritual life, or walk, that is rooted in this spiritual wealth provided by our Father in Heaven. It tells us how we can spend the wealth of Jesus.
Our verses today, verses 13 and 14 of Ephesians chapter 1, give us an initial glimpse at what we have ON DEPOSIT. Our points are for
The Claimants’
Their Underwriter
Their Indemnity
Their Compensation
The Claimants’
Their Underwriter.
Verse 13 tells us,
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him…
Here in this verse, I can lay claim as a Christian to my Christianity! Here I can see the precious underwriter of my faith. Here I see:
My Position, Assurance and Selection
My Truth
My Salvation
My Position, Assurance and Selection
Paul is speaking directly to me, the reader of this verse. He’s talking directly to you, when you read that verse. And, he’s telling you that you were included in Christ. INCLUDED, that’s past tense. Christian, you don’t have to go any further for your assurance, you don’t have to go to the altar anymore, the assurance is right there in front of you, “you also were included in Christ…”
But, maybe you still have doubt about where you are? Maybe you still have doubt about your position in Christ. Maybe you are wondering whether you have been included in Christ? Are you?
My Truth
You heard the word of truth, didn’t you?
The truth being that Jesus came to this earth, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, went to the cross and sacrificed Himself for the redemption of your and my sins, and now sits at the right hand of the Father on High.
Jesus said that was the truth. As a matter of fact, He is the word of truth. John 14:6,
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Have you gone through Him? That is your truth that you can claim. Did you claim it? If you did, then it’s your Gospel of salvation.
My Salvation
You can claim it as yours! It belongs to you. Freely given, that’s grace! But, you must believe it!
Many things in the Bible stand on one thing, your belief. Take prayer for example, it depends on belief.
(Matthew 21:22) If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Do you believe? If you do, it is your
Position, Assurance and Selection
Truth
Salvation
But, there’s more…The Most High God, the Creator of the Universe becomes your underwriter. He becomes your backer, your sponsor, your protector, your provider, your ….everything.
The Claimants’
Their Indemnity
13 … you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit…
You can’t go to the bank and expect them to loan you money to buy a house unless you have collateral. The bank needs collateral or a guarantee, that you are going to do what you say you are going to do, which is pay back the money that you borrow. In other words, they want something that will give them confidence in you.
God’s good and perfect confidence can never be faulted, nor do we have to worry about Him not coming through for us. However, when we are young Christians, we are not that confident, therefore God provides the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a passive and an active purpose.
First, He is a witness (active):
(John 15:26) "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
(John 16:13-) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
Second, He is a deposit
God has given the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing us what is to come. And, He is there within us, bearing truth to that deposit.
The Claimants’
Their Compensation
And, just what is our compensation?
The redemption of those who are God’s possessions. And just what is our redemption? What is our deliverance? What is our liberation?
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17,
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
That is our compensation! We will be with the Lord forever, even eternal life!
Conclusion:
Are you a claimant as told by these verses? Notice in verse 14 it says,
“who are God’s possession”
Only by laying claim to what appears before these verses can you assuredly know that God will lay claim to you! If you have yet to do so, that’s your first step.
He’s given you the faith to give back to Him. He provides you the power to believe in Him. He grants you the potential to be a child of Him. And, He imparts to you the trust in Him do what He promises.
He is the truth, He is the strength, He is the authority and He is a bunch of other things, as well. All we have to do is give them back with our sincere belief that He will do what He promises. Do you believe that?
