“Focusing on Truth – a study in Ephesians”
Lesson Four: “Too Good Not to Be True – part 3”
Subtitle – “Say it anyway!”
Ephesians 1:4-8
First - Read Ephesians 1:4-8 - PRAY
There are few affirmations that are more important to the overall well-being of a child than the loving affirmation of parents. As parents, we sometimes forget the importance of our words and the affect that they can have on the self-worth of our children.
My son recently read and told me about the book A Child Called It that was written by David J. Pelzer. David tells of his life’s story being raised by his mother who was a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and somewhat nurturing to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to as "an It." This book is David’s horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him. As a young boy he was starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling’s diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by his maniacal, sadistic, alcoholic mom. It is hard to imagine, but even his father didn’t protect him; he was saved only an alert schoolteacher.
You don’t need to read this book though to know as a parent the importance of our words and actions. Our words can and often do determine the direction our children will take. In the same manner, God’s words for us are important and will determine and change our direction if we will allow. As we begin, I would ask you – how do you view yourself this morning? Do you ever feel like an “it” rather than who God says you are? If you are a Christian, what direction are you going in? If you are not a Christian, would you like to know what God would do for you this morning if you would let Him?
In just the few verses that we’ve covered, our study in Ephesians has already revealed several blessings and titles that God has given to us as Christians.
1. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
2. We are blessed in the heavenly realms.
3. We are God’s chosen and loved ones.
4. We are HOLY and without fault.
Notice the last phrase in verse 4 that rounds off these descriptions – “in His eyes.” Some of your versions say “before Him” or “in His sight.” Ephesians 1 is all about how God views us – us being in His eyes, before Him. Have you ever wondered what someone REALLY thought of you? I’ve talked about the blessings and will continue to do so today, but as I do, I want to give you some instructions for enjoying the blessings of God.
1) TRUST GOD’S PERSPECTIVE. As I have talked about these blessings the last few weeks, some of you look at me as if I have my head in the sand, like I am a spiritual ostrich! “Pastor, I don’t feel blessed! I don’t feel holy! I don’t feel chosen!” Look at the banner on the back wall – Prov. 3:5-6 – there is one phrase missing – “don’t lean on your own understanding…” (or anyone else’s).
(Part of the next several paragraphs are taken practically verbatim from a message by Bishop Joseph Garlington entitled, "Becoming a Person after God’s Own Heart-message 1"). Ephesians 1 is about us living “in His eyes,” “before Him” – and this passage here shows you that God already sees you in certain ways. And there are ways that God can see us right now that we cannot yet see ourselves. Ephesians gives us a glimpse of ourselves through the eyes of God. And we have the choice to say, “Yes, that is who I am,” or we can say “Well, I just can’t see me the way God sees me.” Now to say, “I can’t see what God sees” – that’s a no-brainer because you can’t. Thank you for stating the obvious!
But let’s say one of you stood on a 100 ft. tower above this building and yelled down “a tornado is a mile away and coming right in this direction,” we down here below would quickly prepare and act on what was said as if it were reality. You would not say, “I’m not worried about a thing. I can’t see the tornado, so I don’t really believe one’s coming.” That would be foolish, right? You have to rely on the perspective of the person above, right?
So when God says to you, “This is who you are,” you actually have the option of saying, “This is who I am” even though you can’t see it. But you say it anyway. And even if you see inconsistencies or incongruities or seeming contradictions to what God has said, you say it anyway. Look at someone and say, “Say it anyway.”
Ephesians will have a great impact on us when we decide to say what God says about us. The problem with saying it anyway is that when you say it and you don’t see it, you don’t feel like you’re being truthful. But when the truthful God who cannot lie tells you something about yourself, then you can say what God says. Someone might ask ”Why are you saying that about yourself?” You can tell them, “I’m not saying that about myself. I’m just saying what God has said about me.” God says I am blessed with every blessing in the heavenly realms. God said that, so I can say anything that God says and rely upon that and no one can accuse me of lying. God says that He chose me before the foundation of the world. God said that.
And this applies to anywhere you read in the Bible where God is speaking about you. God said in Romans 8, “Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ” – God said that. Now you might not feel like victory is yours, but don’t focus on how you feel – God didn’t say that you are going to feel like you an overwhelming victor, the fact is that you are. Look at someone and say “You are” – aren’t you? (end of section by Bishop Garlington)
If you and I want to advance in our Christian walk, we have to learn to believe and repeat what God says about us. Be assured, Satan will have plenty to say about you, and you need to know and TRUST GOD’S PERSPECTIVE. You know what that’s called - “faith.” Faith is always rooted in what God says.
We’ve been talking about the blessings of God that are “Too Good Not to Be True.” The first blessing Paul writes about we discussed last week - God pursued us in the past – Election. What is election? God chose us (3 words). But He didn’t just choose us – look at verse 5 – “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure.” God with great excitement chose us in the past with the purpose of making us His children. This is the second blessing from Paul – God makes us family in the present. He chose us, and now He adopts us, and that was God’s plan all along.
Spiritual adoption is a process that began back at the cross of Jesus Christ. In verse 5, Paul explains that we are adopted and verses 6 & 7 elaborate on this adoption. Let’s read them again (on screen).
As I read these two verses, there is a second way to enjoy the blessings of God:
2) LIVE AS A SON, NOT AS A SLAVE.
I want to explain what I mean by this, but I want to take you back to the Garden of Eden. God created all of the world, including mankind, and the first two humans were placed in the Garden – Adam and Eve. Shortly after they were placed in the Garden, what happened to Adam and Eve? They fell into sin. I’ve often wondered why would God, knowing that Adam and Eve would fall into sin – why would God proceed to make mankind if that was going to be the result? Why create a world that would ultimately fall into sin?
This second blessing of adoption answers this question, and brings our relationship with God to a brand new level. We realize that God in eternity past chose us, and we were chosen so that He could adopt us into His family. In our existence, THERE IS NO GREATER HONOR THAN TO BE A CHILD OF GOD. And that’s the reason God went ahead with creation anyway. You see, being a creation of God is honorable – “Wow! I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” but being a child of God is the highest honor God could give anyone – if it weren’t for adoption, maybe God does scrap His plan of creation. But He went ahead with creation because He wanted us to experience the BLESSING OF ADOPTION! That’s why James wrote in James 1:18 (on screen) “In his goodness He chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.“ And even David said in Psalm 8 says, “You made man a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.” Being a created being is fine, but being a son of God is infinitely better.
So as you read these verses (6 & 7), you begin to realize that being an adopted son or daughter of God was the reason God created you. And Paul explains that it was very pleasing to God to adopt us, and that He went to great lengths to bring about our adoption.
Notice the phrase – “He purchased our freedom (redeemed us) through the blood of His Son.” Why would we have to be purchased/redeemed? We were living in some sort of slavery. Slavery to what?
Turn to Romans 6:20-21 (read it-on screen). Before we became Christians, we were slaves to sin. We did anything and everything that we could get away with – drugs, alcohol, sex, partying, rebelling – and Paul says “you are ashamed of the things you used to do.” We WERE slaves to sin. And Ephesians tells us that God purchased our freedom from that sin through Jesus Christ blood on the cross. Before I became a Christian, I used to be a slave, but now I am a son (say that with me).
I go back to what I said in the beginning – some of you don’t feel like sons, you feel like slaves. And in order to enjoy the blessing, you have to start trusting God’s perspective. I USED TO BE A SLAVE – “well how come you are still sinning?” – because I am learning every day more and more what it means to live like a son. You aren’t a slave any longer if you are a Christian.
- And do you know why you are no longer a slave?
- Do you know why He adopted you and purchased your freedom? GRACE.
The word for kindness in the NLT in verses 6 & 7 is the word “charis” which in other versions is the word “grace.” Because of God’s grace, He adopted us and purchased our freedom. Grace is kindness that we don’t deserve. As sons and daughters, we walk in the grace of God, and “our sins are forgiven.” Paul realizes the wonder of God’s grace and starts praising God in verse 6. There’s an old hymn that I love says it best – if you know it, sing it - GRACE, GRACE, GOD’S GRACE – GRACE THAT WILL PARDON AND CLEANSE WITHIN – MAYBE INTO AMAZING GRACE.
Christian, the whole reason you are a son is because God chose you and adopted you because of His grace. Now your sins are forgiven. Be a son, not a slave. If you sin, confess it (I John 1:9 on screen). And there is one last way for us to enjoy the blessings of God, and particularly enjoy this blessing of adoption – and that is this:
3) CLAIM YOUR INHERITANCE.
Exactly 3 years ago today, on January 29, 2003, Athina Roussel became the richest teenager on the planet, inheriting a fortune estimated at that time to be between $800 million to $1 billion, and it all came from her grandfather, Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis through her mother. In 1988, when Athina was 3, her mother, Christina Onassis died at age 37 of a heart attack from diet medication. All of Christina’s assets were left in trust to her only child, Athina, who turned 18 in 2003 and was legally able to receive her inheritance. But she had to wait for the money until she was 18!
But our spiritual inheritance is different than this. When Paul wrote this, he was undoubtedly aware that Roman law allowed for adopted children to enjoy the same rights as natural children (The Message of Ephesians, Stott, p. 39). And because we are sons of God, we have an inheritance and blessing and riches that are ours in Christ.
But unlike Athina Onassis, we are not required to wait in order to receive our inheritance. “Adoption is the act of God by which He gives his (children – THAT’S US!) an ADULT STANDING in the family. Why does He do this?” Turn to Galatians 4:1-7 (read). God has adopted us and given us the right of sonship so that we might immediately begin to claim our inheritance and enjoy our spiritual wealth! Just like Athina Onassis, a baby cannot legally use this inheritance, but an adult son can – and should! You know what this means? This means that you do not have to wait until you are an old saint before you can claim your (inheritance) in Christ.”
(Be Rich, Warren Weirsbe, p. 19).
Christian, if you want to enjoy God’s blessing in your life, start claiming your inheritance, start claiming the blessings, start walking in the truth that God has already declared! What are my blessings? I am chosen, I am adopted, I am holy, I am blameless!
Today is a day of declaration – your declaration to live “in His eyes.” Put feet to your faith today, come down to the altar, and declare before God – come on, do this with me – say,
1) God, I will trust Your perspective. You see me for who I am, and I accept what You say about me.
2) God, I refuse to live as a slave to sin – I am Your son. Christian, you aren’t meant to be slaves to sin or anything else. You are meant to be servants of God, sons of God – that is our blessing of adoption.
3) God, I will claim the inheritance and blessings You have given to me now. I’ll stop waiting for something and start walking in these blessings. If you are a Christian, you have been granted all the blessings of being His child and you can start claiming your inheritance today.
SPEAK TO NON-CHRISTIANS ABOUT GOD’S GRACE AND BECOMING GOD’S CHILD – YOU CAN HAVE FORGIVENESS OF SONS AND BE BLESSED BY GOD.
