Ephesians: His Glorious RichesSample

Paul has reminded us that the plan of salvation was initiated by the Father (vv. 4–6). We must avoid any idea that a merciful Son had to persuade a reluctant Father to forgive us. God the Father does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God the Father loved us (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10). God did this freely and without compulsion (v. 5). How does this affect the way you think of the Father? 

Paul describes the way in which the Son has won all these blessings for us (vv. 7–12). The Son is the focal point – half of the verses here describe His work. We may summarise His accomplishments by using three big Bible words. 

The first word is ‘redemption’ (vv. 7–8). Jesus died to redeem us. Redemption is setting free or rescuing by the payment of a price. Hosea redeemed his wife from slavery by paying a price (Hos. 3:1–3). We are slaves of sin – haunted by its presence, gripped by its power and threatened by its penalty. The cost of our freedom is the blood of Christ – His violent death on the cross (Mark 10:45; 1 Pet. 1:18–19). The result of redemption is forgiveness, which flows from God’s grace. Notice that this grace is lavish. Why does Paul describe it in this way? 

The second word is ‘revelation’ (vv. 8–10). God has spoken: ‘he made known to us the mystery of his will’ (v. 9). A ‘mystery’ is a secret that could not be discovered by reason but must be revealed. This mystery is nothing less than the total renovation of the cosmos. The world is fractured and broken (Rom. 8:22–23). In the future, God will restore unity, harmony and peace under the headship of Christ – the universe will be under new management. There is a definite, decisive, comprehensive and Christ-centred plan. This involves all things in Heaven and Earth (Rev. 21:1–4). We are not supposed to hide this mystery away. God has revealed it to us so that we can reveal it to others. 

The final word is ‘security’ (vv. 11–12). Can we be sure of the future? Yes! We were chosen by the Father (v. 11), redeemed by the Son (v. 7) and granted a sure hope for the future (v. 12). We will sing about this redemption in Heaven (Rev. 5:9–14). What do you learn about Christ in this section?

Reflection

Christ’s accomplishments make us completely secure for the future (John 10:25–30; Phil. 1:6; Jude 24–25).