Studies in Ephesians

1. Studies in Ephesians Presentation 02

2. The Structure of the Book Be what you are in Christ See what you are in Christ Chap 4-6 Chap 1-3 Practice Application Usage Doctrine Truth Provision

3. Paul’s Outburst of Praise [b] Verses 7-14

4. The Involvement of the Trinity Father Plan - ChosePast Son Work- Purchase Present SpiritApplication- SealingFuture Salvation

5. Redemption 2. The Son’s Work. “we have redemption through his blood”

6. Old Testament Background to Redemption Redemption= to set free by the payment of a price. ‘padah’-stresses God’s grace in redemption it was not our merit but our misery that drew out God’s compassion. ‘goel’ - the duty of the kinsman redeemer to redeem. A family obligation to repay a debt. Cf. Boaz in the story of Ruth. ‘kopher’- means a ransom price, the sum required to redeem a life that had become forfeit. If you were to take someone’s life by accident then the blood money was known as ‘kopher’. Redemption is something secured by a Kinsman Redeemer by the payment of a price, a payment that is made graciously and freely and not because it is deserved.

7. New Testament Background to Redemption 1.Man in Bondage and in need of liberty The N.T. Provides us with a picture of a slave market. Slaves can be bought out of slavery by another master. Now we are ‘slaves to sin’’. Jn.8.34. Sin is the oppressive taskmaster to which we are shackled. Paul asks, “who will rescue us?” Rom.7.14 Answer: Jesus who strikes off the chains and delivers us by the payment of a price. We are no longer sin’s slave but Jesus’ ‘bondslave’ Romans 1.1. and in 1 Cor 6.19 ‘you are not your own for you are bought with a price

8. New Testament Background to Redemption • Man in Bondage and in need of liberty Man is in the prison of God’s enemy Satan. Jesus enters the enemy stronghold in order to tear open the prison bars and lead captives to safety. ‘for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption’. Col 1.14 And again, ‘And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross’. Col. 2.15

9. New Testament Background to Redemption 2. Man is guilty and in need of pardon If sin’s power locates man’s problem in the present then sin’s guilt locates his problem in his past. Man carries a load of guilt whether he feels it or not. He has broken God’s law and is guilty as a result. What he needs is pardon. Jesus’ redemption involves the removal of that guilt by bearing its punishment . Our sin has been credited to another who bears its burden on our behalf. ‘he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.’ Isaiah 53.5

10. How is Redemption accomplished? 1. Could God not redeem by speaking a creative word? Redemption is more complicated than creation. God’s justice needed to be satisfied. God could not sweep sin under the carpet and say, ‘I will forget about it’. Is there nothing he can do to escape from the captivity of sin’s power and guilt by himself? No! Man needed help from outside. Illustration: There are two bottle dungeons in Scotland. No prisoner has escaped from them without help from outside. 2. Is man not able to redeem himself?

11. How is Redemption accomplished? “We have redemption through his blood”. v7 God’s great act of redemption in the Old Testament was the deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt. The blood of the Passover lamb protected all who sheltered under it when God’s judgment passed over the land. This picture helps us understand what Jesus did for us. “For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us.” 1 Cor 5.7

12. How is Redemption accomplished? “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10.45 Jesus secured a new relationship with God for his people by his death. “The cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”. Lk. 22.20 The thrust of N.T. Teaching is that redemption comes only as a result of Jesus’ death. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”. 1 Pet. 1.18 Also “Jesus Christ…who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood”. Rev.1.5

13. Response to Christ’s Redemption. • It should affect our Worship • Our freedom from sin’s power, penalty and guilt are as a result of the most amazing sacrifice in history. It was God’s sinless Son who laid down his life for us. It was not taken from his against his will he gave it up freely while we were still rebels and enemies of God! • 2. It should affect our Service • It produces a staggering awareness of the fact that we belong to another. We now serve a new master and are to live as willing bond-slaves of Jesus

14. Sealing 3. The Spirit’s Application. “you were marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit”.

15. The Sealing Work of the Spirit The particular work of the Holy Spirit that Paul singles out in his outburst of praise is his sealing work. Also known as the doctrine of Assurance. The term ‘sealing’ was a familiar one in the ancient world where it had two principal purposes. 1. A Mark of Ownership Today we write our names on things to let people know they belong to us. In the ancient world you would put your seal on your belongings. When the bible talks of God sealing his people it is so that they and the world around may recognise that they are God's property, God's own people. cf 2 Cor.1.22 .Rev. 22.3-4

16. The Sealing Work of the Spirit 2. A Mark of Genuineness A seal was used to authenticate documents. Where there was a possibility of a forgery the presence of a seal proved it genuine. Similarly today we put a signature on a will today. The genuineness of Paul's apostleship was being questioned by some in Corinth and he says to his readers ‘you are my seal’ [1Cor.9.2]. Your conversion to Christ authenticates my apostleship.

17. The Sealing Work of the Spirit The Sealing of Jesus In John 6.27 Jesus speaks of his sealing by referring to his baptism. cf Matt.3.16-17. Two things happened. First, the testimony of the Father, claiming that Jesus was his Son. Secondly, the bestowal of the Holy Spirit [symbolised by the dove] given to Jesus without measure. Through the Spirit's work, the ministry of Jesus was to be authenticated. Now the sealing of Jesus forms a pattern for the sealing of the believer to whom the Father comes by the Spirit and says ‘you are mine’, not audibly but as we are made aware of the work/fruit of the Spirit in our lives

18. How is the Sealing recognised? This happens at a number of levels 1. As the Christian sees evidences of the Spirit at work in his life. cf Rom 8.5... What happens when a business gets a new owner? He puts a notice in the widow indicating change is on its way. When the Holy Spirit enters our hearts we come under new management. Changes take place. There is a growing distaste for sin, our consciences become more sensitive, we develop a love for God's word and people, we want to be more like Jesus. Recognising these things strengthens our assurance. UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

19. How is the Sealing recognised? 2. We experience what Paul describes as ‘the witness of the Holy Spirit’ Rom 8.16.This is the direct and immediate testimony of the Holy Spirit in our hearts telling us we belong to God. When you receive a letter, sometimes the postmark though real is faint and more difficult to read. In the same way, the witness of the Spirit can be experienced in differing degrees of intensity. It is fainter in some lives than in others. We need to ask God to make the Spirit’s witness as clear as possible for reasons we will soon discover.

20. How is the Sealing recognised? • 3. This sealing work of the Holy Spirit must not be confused with his striving with men’s hearts to bring them to a place of salvation. It is possible to experience the convicting work and have in this sense ‘tasted the power of the world to come’. Heb. 6v4-6. But they have not yielded their lives to God. The Spirit of God may have visited their lives but not as an abiding guest [Jn 15v3-4]. Only his abiding, presence can persuade a heart that it belongs to Christ. • There are two different Greek words translated • as ‘staying/abiding’. • The first describes a brief visitor • The second, ‘Meno’, a permanent guest.

21. How does the Sealing occur? Some people want to see or feel something of God before they believe but you might as well look in the garden for an apple before you plant an apple tree. The sealing of God's Spirit and assurance of salvation grows out of faith, just as apples grow out of apple trees. This is precisely the point Paul makes in v13 "Having believed you were sealed.." A person has to believe into Christ before God seals him as belonging. Indeed the sealing can come a considerable period of time after believing or almost immediately, we have no control over that.

22. What is the value of Sealing? 1. The sealing of the Spirit is like a guarantee of things to come. It is a promise or pledge. Paul a Greek word, ‘arrabon’, which means a ‘first instalment’. If a Greek or Roman trader wanted to secure a cargo and make it his own, he would pay an ‘arrabon’, a first instalment. The seller had a sample payment of what was yet to come. Similarly, the sealing of the Spirit provides the Christian with a taste of things to come. It reminds us that we have not yet experienced the fullness of our redemption. We await the day when we will have a resurrection body and face to face fellowship with God.

23. What is the value of Sealing? 2. The sealing of the Spirit will affect our service. Archbishop Temple wrote, "Until a man is converted and knows it, he is not the slightest use to God." What did he mean? The Christian with no assurance is often in a state of spiritual turmoil. He parades the corridors of his heart, candle in hand, looking for evidence that he belongs to God. Now when we are turned in upon ourselves in this way, we are so self-absorbed that we can show little concern or the spiritual wellbeing of others. Why? We are uncertain about our own spiritual wellbeing.

24. What is the value of Sealing? 3. Sealing will affect our worship. Our worship will be empty, lifeless or frothy if we have no real assurance of belonging to God. During the English Reformation a man named Glover was miserable because he had no assurance of salvation. He found himself condemned to be burned at the stake for his faith. As he made his way to his death he suddenly shouted out in ecstasy, "He is come, He is come". He had experienced the sealing of God’s Spirit. To the amazement of his captors he made his way to the stake with a triumphant and joyful spirit praising God.