Grace International Baptist (12 Jan 2025).
This is one of the most profound documents in history. It has been called the Switzerland of the New Testament because though it is not a big epistle, in only 6 chapters, it delivers the crown of Pauline thinking. There’s so much on the really important issues of our journey: praise and doxology, grace, power, relationships, church, and spiritual warfare. I want to repeat John Stott’s story about a former president of Princeton Theological Seminary in the early 20th Century. John Mackay writes that he owes his life to this epistle. He read it as a teenager and experienced great joy. He said: “I saw a new world. Everything was new. I had a new outlook, new experiences, new attitudes to other people. I loved God, Jesus Christ became the center of everything…. I had been “quickened.” “Quickening” means make alive; resuscitated from death. He was raised from a passive, slumbering state to new life. McKay experienced new direction and energy. He would speak of this letter as “the most authoritative and most consummate compendium of our holy Christian faith.” John Stott: it “promises community in a world of disunity, reconciliation in place of alienation and peace instead of war.”
2.1. Priscilla and Aquila: Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth and he works with them as tent makers (Acts 18:1-3). Paul also stays with them while he teaches at the local synagogue and encounters opposition. But Jesus appears to him in a vision to encourage him: “I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you for I have many people in this city who are my people” (Acts 18:10). He stays at Corinth for 18 months and eventually leaves with Priscilla and Aquila, and passes through Ephesus where Paul moves on but the couple remain (in Ephesus) and this is the beginning of the Christian church there.
2.2. Discipleship: Paul returns and stays for 3 years teaching them night and day. He writes: “admonishing everyone with tears” (Acts 19:31). Many heard the Gospel and demons were exorcised as the people were dabbling in the magic arts; and even believers were doing this. They were moved to confess and burn their books. There was a big spiritual principality in the area, a goddess named Artemis who was worshipped by the people and the silversmiths were angry because when people turned to Jesus they didn’t buy the statues. Their business was affected so there was a riot. That’s what happens: as a church grows, so does the opposition.
2.3. Paul in Chains: We don’t know which prison Paul was in but if you read the whole letter, you wouldn’t think it is from someone who’s in chains (Eph 6:19). There is no “poor innocent me” sighs from Paul. Q: What makes someone rise above his discomfort and pain? Q: Why do you get the impression that the writer’s spirit is soaring? When you read the words, allow the Holy Spirit to raise your spirit and feel the glory. Chap 1 is an outstanding example of 23 verses containing great uplifting ideas.
2.4. A Framework: About a century ago, Watchman Nee wrote about the epistle and gave great advice: he uses Sit, Walk, and Stand as 3 metaphorical postures. “Sit” (Eph 1:20, 2:6) is about receiving. The Lord wants us to be at rest and receive. “Walk” (Eph 4:17, 5:2) is about doing, activity. If we sit properly and receive, we will do better in our journey through life. The last is “Stand” (Eph 6:10, 13, and 14) and this means stand against opposition. A defensive posture. Without receiving and sitting, we will not be able to stand. When we walk, we will be opposed. Only those who pose no threat to the dark forces will not get opposition because they have been effectively silenced.
3.1. Overarching Theme: we didn’t come here today for a theological lecture. You came for a sermon to be encouraged, uplifted, and exhorted. So, I won’t go into the issues that scholars argue over but simply to point out a key phrase in these 6 chapters. Let’s ask: What is the heart of Paul? The words “in Christ” appears 164 times in his writings; 31 times in Ephesians. What does that mean?
3.2. In Christ Means Jesus is Alive: If Paul had used “in Peter” or “in Apollos” the audience would have understood because Peter or Paul or Apollos were still alive. Teachers and rabbis had followers. It is like us saying I’m a fan of this soccer team or that hockey team. People identify with this team because they are still around but, what if the team had shut down for several years and I’m still supporting it? I will be laughed at and accused of living in the past. So, what does it mean to refer to being “in Christ” especially as Jesus died on a cross, years and years ago? Because Christ is very much alive and that’s why we emphasize the resurrection of Jesus and that gives us hope for our resurrection. We are not tied down by our mortality! For this immediate life, being in Christ means our hope is different and we see things as Christ sees them. What does that mean? We humans have very limited vision. We can’t see beyond immediate gratification. Our worldview is confined to the immediate surroundings. Now, Paul comes along and writes: “In him, we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who has him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (1:11). We are inheritors or beneficiaries of a great blessing! Our horizon has been expanded.
3.3. In Christ Means We Become Like Him: Worship means we give praise, glorify, to the one who we worship. The truth is we become progressively more like what or who we worship. You see fans of movie stars or rock singers imitating their gestures, their behaviors, their clothes, what they say, what they like doing. That is something advertisers realize and they get a movie star to promote some product and it will sell. We follow who we worship and become more like them. Jesus says “abide in me.” He goes on to say that we cannot produce fruit unless we abide in him just like a branch has to attach itself to a vine. We are the branches and we need to abide in the vine and to draw from the vine. Jesus is the true vine and as we attach and abide in him, our horizons begin to grow. They get bigger, far greater than before as we see things as Christ sees them.
We all know friends or even family who used to attend church and who had all the signs of a life of faith. But, gradually or even suddenly, that belief begins to ebb and they stop attending altogether. Very soon, they are just like the rest of the world. Its heart-breaking. I’ve baptized them, did class with them and then gradually they ebb in their spiritual walk. I have no good answers here except to say, that Jesus is faithful and their journey isn’t over yet. But, I do ask if they were really attached to the vine? Were they actually and really in Christ? Going to church just means they were attending. Ask any serious gym person or someone who is really into health and fitness. Going to the gym is just exercise but without proper nutrition or change in lifestyle, there’s no real change.
There are so many things I can say from these 14 verses about what it means to be in Christ but I’ll just stick to 2: 1. Blessing (1:3); and 2. Predestination (1:4).
4.1. The Spiritual World: There is a world that our physical eye cannot see. It is the spiritual world. Jesus tells us that what we bind on earth will be bound in heaven. These are blessings, both earthly and spiritual. We tend to think about the material blessings and associate them with wealth and health. The difference between material and spiritual blessings is that the material blessings lose their meaning when our heart stops beating. However, these spiritual blessings will continue throughout eternity.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal” (Mt 6:19-21).
4.2. The Spiritual Impacts the Present: The principle I’m trying to establish is a godly person just doesn’t think of his earthly existence but becomes aware of heavenly blessings that affect our life here on earth.