God’s love for His people

November 6, 2023

Preacher: Andrew Love

Series: Communion Services

Passage: Ephesians 1:1-14

Service Type: Sunday Evening

Introduction

As a communion service - no better theme thank to think of God’s love for His people
- Example of Mark's Testimony - God loves us
God has loved us in Christ - even when we were an enemy and in sin and rebellion
- Eph 5:25 - Jesus gave Himself for love of the Church
- Amazing, sacrificial love
- Acts 20:28 - purchased with the precious blood of Jesus
Looking at v3-7
- Paul is full of praise and worship to God
- He begins to give reasons to praise God
  - Chose in Christ before the foundation of the world
  - Predestined in love to become adopted into God's family
    - Fully accepted in the Beloved
- Some many truths in these verses
  - One long sentence in the Greek
  - v3-6 – the role of the Father
  - v7-12 – the blessings in Christ
  - v13 – the role of the Holy Spirit
Overview:
- God's Electing Love
- God's Adopting Love
- God's Redeeming Love

We must not be frightened of the word elect
- Matt 24:22, 24, 31
  - Jesus had no speaking about those whom the Father had given Him - the elect
  - They were precious to Him
- Rom 8:33, Col 3:12, 2 Tim 2:10
  - Paul speaks of the elect
- Many other verses
Paul contemplates this in light of his own experience
- Gal 1:15, 2 Tim 1:8-9
  - God's grace was given before time began
- Rom 11
  - Can we fathom the word of God, we are called to accept the word of God
- Rom 9:14-16
  - Salvation is ultimately of God and of His mercy
- Deut 7:7-8
  - God chose to love them
The doctrine of election should lead to tremendous thankfulness and humility
- It takes away of ourselves
- We fall at God's feet amazed at His love
v3-4
- Every blessing is mediated through Jesus Christ
- Chosen to be holy and without blame - to become like Jesus Christ
  - To no longer be slaves to sin
God's electing love is the first thing that comes to Paul's mind

Difference between NIV and NKJV
- "In love" having predestined us
  - We have been given a destiny
- That we should be adopted to become children of God
- By Jesus Christ
- According to the good pleasure of God
This doctrine should bring us tremendous comfort
- We can cry out "Abba, Father"
- We are to pray, "Our Father ..."
We have become members of God's family
- We have all the rights of inheritance through Christ our elder brother
This is not a cold/calculated doctrine but the blazing love of God
- 1 John 3:1
- Do we reflect upon this - that we have been made the children of God
Once we were not part of God's family
- Once children of the devil
- Plucked out and adopted - children of the living God
- Some adopted children never feel equal to the blood family
- Some adopted children feel the opposite - that they are completely equal
  - This is how we should feel as members of the Church of Christ
  - We all have the same rights and priviledges
  - We are fully accepted in the beloved
v5-6
- Fully accepted in Christ, all to the praise of God
  - Our purpose is to bring praise to God
  - We are the gift from the Father to the Son - John 17:6, 9, 12, 24
In love, predestined to be adopted as children of God

v7
Redemption is a wonderful word
- Not often used to day
- Example of the meanings
We were once slaves of sin, to the law and to satan (Eph 2:2), the fear of death (Heb 2:15)
Jesus gave His love as a ransom for many - Mark 10:45
- Tremendous grace lavished upon us
- Christ died for us whilst we were still sinners
- We have redemption through Christ's blood
Communion time allows us to reflect on this
- What cost!
- Redeemed - fully by God
- All through God's grace
- Full forgiveness of sins