Eph 1:3–14 — Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ, Part 3

Verse 3 is the thesis - it speaks of our rich spiritual blessings in Christ. These blessings …

1. Have their eternal origin in the Father’s electing love (vv. 4-6)
2. Have been purchased in history by Christ’s blood (vv. 7-8)
3. Are now applied to believers by the Spirit’s work (vv. 9-14)

Thus, Verses 3-6 dealt with redemption conceived Verses 7-8 deal with redemption accomplished Verses 9-14 deal with redemption applied It was conceived in God’s eternal election. It was accomplished in the historical mission of the Messiah who suffered on the cross for our sins. It is applied through the preaching of the gospel and the Spirit’s work of granting faith in Christ in our effectual calling through the gospel By effectual calling I mean the Spirit’s sovereign and gracious work of drawing us to Christ and causing us to be born again.

(3) Are now applied to believers by the Spirit’s work (vv. 9-14)

This third section is the longest section of the whole paragraph, and it may seem at first to be somewhat disorganized.

But it is actually quite focused on the issue of the application of redemption to the elect through the preaching of the gospel and effectual calling which occurs by sovereign grace using the preaching of the gospel as the instrument to draw us to Christ Let’s break it down:

Verse 9 is the topic sentence:

God has made known to us the mystery of his eternal plan. The context indicates that the mystery has been made known to us by means of the proclamation of the apostolic gospel Verse 10 defines what the mystery of his eternal plan is - to sum up all things in Christ things in the heavens and things on the earth Then in verse 11, Paul reminds us that OUR participation in that eternal plan was foreordained by God, and then worked out in time Verses 12-14 explains how we are made participants in this plan:

By means of the Spirit who caused us to believe when we heard thus making known the mystery of God’s will to our minds which have been savingly illuminated by the Spirit. In other words, it is by the preaching of the gospel and effectual calling that God makes known to us the mystery of his will thus making us participants in his great cosmic, eternal plan of redemption.

Verse 9

“He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him”

“the mystery of His will” Mystery is an OT term - refers to eschatological events of the future that are revealed only to God’s prophets. It connotes God’s purpose, which is a unified plan with eschatological and cosmic dimensions NT usage Focus on fact that it was previously hidden but is now disclosed in Christ and through the apostolic preaching. It can be known to man only by a gift of God Hence, Paul says it is ….

“Made known” Refers to divine revelation Specifically the inspired, authoritative teaching of the Apostle Paul himself. The mystery of God’s will is something that man could have never figured out on his own using all the powers of his intellect and reason Knowledge of this divine plan is a gift of sovereign grace given not to the wise and the intelligent but revealed to the despised of this world by God’s Spirit.

Verse 10

Paul now defines the mystery.

“with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times”

“Administration” In the Greek world, this term was used to speak of the ordering and administration of a household, business, or estate. It refers to the historical implementation of God’s eternal plan. Thus, it can be translated, “to be put into effect in the fullness of the times” “the fullness of the times” This phrase refers to the appointed time for the weak and beggarly elements of the Old Covenant which kept Israel in a state of spiritual childhood, to come to an end. This happened when God sent forth his Son to fulfill the Law by his active and passive obedience.

“that is, the summing up of all things in Christ”

“Summing up” The same word is used in Rom. 13:9 where Paul says that the decalogue is summed up in one word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” It can be used to refer to the thesis of a term paper “In Christ” Not as if Christ is merely the instrument He is the sphere in whom all things find their cosmic ordering and administration.

“things in the heavens and things on the earth”

The created cosmos is composed of two parts: heaven and earth (Gen. 1:1) Heaven = the invisible realm where God and the angels dwell Earth = the visible realm - the dwelling place of man. The unity and harmony of the cosmos have suffered a major dislocation as a result of Satan’s rebellion From that point on, spiritual forces of wickedness have been at work in the invisible realm. But the work of Christ, his suffering divine wrath to the uttermost on the cursed tree for the sins of the elect, had cosmic effects. The spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places were decisively judged at that moment when Jesus cried out, “It is finished” Satan was bound Hell was vanquished. The curse was lifted. The demons are now subject to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ who defeated them through the blood of his cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities by his death. And he triumphed over them by his resurrection Putting it all together, the NIV provides an excellent translation:

“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”

Verse 11

Having stated that God has made known to us the mystery of his will and having defined that mystery as the summing up of all things in Christ, Paul now explains that we have been made participants of this great mystery in its historical fulfillment in Christ.

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance”

A better translation would be:

“In Him also we have been claimed as an inheritance” Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”

We who are in Christ have been claimed by God to be his inheritance.

“having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will”

General affirmation of God’s absolute sovereignty over all things Text does not say that God works out the larger matters after the counsel of his will, but everything Notice also that God uses means. He works/energizes all things. All things are given their direction and impulse according to his sovereign, purposeful working in order to fulfill the eternal counsel of his will From the general we descend to the specific His sovereignty over all things extends especially to our salvation.

Verse 12

“to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory”

This is a reference to Jewish Christians Paul says they “were the first to hope in Christ” because the gospel is for the Jew first and then for the Gentiles. But this creates no fundamental division within the body of Christ, for he then goes on immediately in v. 13 to affirm that us Gentiles have also believed and received the Spirit.

Verse 13

“In Him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation”

“You also” You Gentiles also “After listening to the message of truth” Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

“having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise”

By faith in Christ we are sealed with the Spirit. Not a second work of grace but simultaneous with the initial response of faith to the gospel “Sealed” In Paul’s day, cattle and slaves were branded with a seal by their masters to indicate to whom they belonged. Thus, sealing was a deterrent to theft. It protected and guaranteed that the property would remain in the owner’s possession In context, we are the possession of God. He has branded us with his Spirit to mark us as his own treasure so that no one can snatch us out of his hand By stamping us as his own by the Spirit he protects us in the present age against all enemies in the midst of all trials and testings guaranteeing that when Jesus returns he will finally take full possession of us in glory. But that is not all …

Verse 14

“who is given as a pledge of our inheritance”

It is not merely that we are marked, sealed by the Spirit. We also receive the Spirit as a foretaste, a pledge or downpayment of our inheritance. The Spirit who dwells within us is a foretaste of heaven a little taste of heaven on earth the first installment of our eternal reward.

“with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession to the praise of His glory”

The resurrection of our bodies God is going to redeem his purchased possession when he raises our bodies from the dust of death and gives us immortal life in Christ.

Conclusion

To be in Christ is to be part of a program which is as vast as the universe itself, a movement which was conceived in the eternal councils of the Father’s electing grace, which was accomplished in the fullness of time by the Son’s redeeming work, and which, finally, is moving on to eternity when we are raised from the dead and granted the heavenly inheritance.

When you and I were saved by the Spirit’s working faith in our hearts in response to the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, we were at that moment caught up into the vast sweep of this cosmic and eschatological plan of God, this mystery of God’s will At that moment the mystery of God’s will was made known to us. And though we are only beginning to grasp its full implications and though our minds can barely comprehend the awesome dimensions of what God has willed and planned and executed Yet we have the Spirit dwelling with us, as a pledge of our participation in the final closing act of this cosmic drama centered on Christ. The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are sons of God that we are heirs of this great plan - sealed by the Spirit unto the day of redemption.