The OBPC Podcast: For All the Saints

Introduction

The more I study Ephesians, the more I think that it is the crown jewel of Paul's writings. The majesty of God's predestinating love, the shear glory of his grace, our union with Christ, all of that displayed in his church is a glorious message. So far, we have seen that this book is a book about prayer, about evangelism, about our union with Christ, and supremely about the Church and her Lord.

This morning I would like us to see three things in the first two verses: the authority of the letter reflected in whom the sender is, the identity of the Christian revealed in the description of the receivers, and the message of grace in the greeting of the letter.

I. The Authority of the Letter in the Sender, 1a.

A. Paul writes to the Ephesian church and to all of us as an apostle of Jesus Christ who was commissioned to speak on behalf of God with the Holy Spirit's Authority.

1. The important thing is not that Paul wrote this letter, but that a divinely appointed apostle wrote it.

a. Paul did not declare himself to be an apostle.

b. He is an apostle by/through the will of God.

c. Therefore, when he speaks, he is not speaking as Paul the man, but Paul the mouthpiece of God.

2. At the most basic level, an apostle is a person who is sent out with a message.

a. The message is not his own, but the sender's

b. And he does not speak on his own authority, but on the authority of the sender.

c. In this way, the apostle is very similar to the ambassador.

3. The NT concept of being an apostle of Jesus Christ includes some requirements.

a. One had to be a witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:21-22– Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.

2 Pt. 1:16– For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

b. The office of the apostle was a gift to the New Covenant church as a foundational element in the building of the church, 2:19-22, 4:11.

c. The requirement of having been an eyewitness of the resurrection of Christ and the function as foundation material for the New Covenant Church tell us that there are no longer apostles among us.

d. Paul met both of these requirements.

1) A witness of Christ's resurrection.

Acts 9:1-16– Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It ishard for you to kick against the goads." So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord saidto him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought himinto Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." So the Lord saidto him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for onecalled Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting hishand on him, so that he might receive his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

1 Cor. 15:9-10– Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

2) His foundational role in writing 13 books of the New Testament.

B. Because Paul speaks as the mouthpiece of God, his very words are God-breathed.

1. That's what we mean when we say that the Bible is inspired.

a. God, through his chosen people, spoke.

b. When Paul finished writing Ephesians, not only did he have what he wanted to tell the Ephesians, but also the very words that God himself wanted his church to have.

c. All of if breathed out by God and each part, to the smallest letter.

2. This is true of this epistle to the Ephesians and of every other book in the Bible.

3. If you have questions about the Bible being the very words of God, please come see me.

C. Because Ephesians is the very words of God, it is free of any error since God only speaks what is perfect.

1. This is the doctrine of the inerrancy or infallibility of the Scriptures.

2. God didn't make a mistake in what he revealed to us in Ephesians.

a. He didn't make a mistake when he said that God predestined a people to salvation.

b. He didn't make a mistake when he said that he was going to save that people whom he had chosen by his shear grace.

c. He didn't make a mistake when he spoke of headship and submission in marriage.

d. He didn't make a mistake when he said that salvation is exclusively through faith in Christ.

e. He didn't make a mistake when he said that we are engaged in a warfare against spiritual enemies.

3. This doctrine not says that God's Word is free of mistake, but positively it says that what he revealed to us is the best possible thing – all those things I listed early are not only free of error, but also the best possible thing for us.

4. That is true not only of Ephesians, but of every book in the Bible.

D.Because Ephesians is the very words of God, it is authoritative.

1. That means it has authority over us.

a. That means we don't get to decide whether we should believe in what it says.

b. That means we don't get to decide whether we should do what it says.

c. Most Christians wouldn't say it out loud that they don't believe or want to do what it says.

d. But at moment we say, "I know Ephesians says…, but…," we have declared that we are rebelling against the authority that God has invested in his words.

2. This is true not only of Ephesians but also of the whole Bible.

E. We learn from the sender that this book is inspired, inerrant, and authoritative

II. The Identity of the Christian in the Receivers, 1b.

A. This inspired, inerrant, and authoritative book tells us that our identity is found in God.

B. Paul, first, identifies those who receive God's Word as saints.

1. The word saintrefers to every person who has ever believed in God through his Messiah, who believes in him, now, and who will ever believe in him.

a. It does not refer to an extra special group of Christians.

b. This is the every Christian – new convert, mature Christian, young and old, male and female.

2. A saint is a holy person – that is one who has been set apart from the rest.

a. A saint is a human who has been set apart from the rest of humanity because of the predestining love of God and through his/her faith in Jesus Christ.

b. It is interesting that we commonly use the word Christianto refer to ourselves when it is rarely used in the Bible and we rarely use the word saintto refer to us when that is the most common word used in the NT for the people of God.

3. God wants to think of ourselves, to identify ourselves, as saints, as set apart people.

a. God wants us to think of ourselves as different than those who don't believe in Jesus Christ.

1 Pt. 2:9-10– But you area chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once werenot a people but arenow the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

b. Notice that Peter tells us that we are set apart for a particular purpose: to proclaim the praises of him who set us apart.

1) The church of Jesus Christ is called to be as different from the world as light is different than darkness.

2) So our identity includes that separation from the world that will create tension with the world to be sure, but will also bring the only hope that the world needs: the light of Christ – the old being in the world but not of the world.

C. Paul also identifies those who receive God's Word as faithful.

1. This simply meanspeople who believe.

2. People who believe in Jesus Christ and in all that God says.

3. You and I are to find our identity in what we believe concerning Christ.

D.Ultimately, we are saints and faithful in Jesus Christ.

1. It is our faith in Jesus that sets us apart from the world and one cannot be faithful without faith.

2. It is in our union with Christ that we find who we are.

a. Our in-Christness (union with him) is not part of who we are – it is what we are.

b. There are several ways for us to think about ourselves – male/female, color of skin, social status, political affiliation, Instagram followers, body image.

c. But the only one that matters (because it will inform how we think of all the other ways of identifying ourselves) is that we are in Christ.

III. The Message of Grace in the Greeting, 2.

A. This inspired, inerrant, and authoritative book tells us that our identity is found in God because God is gracious toward us.

B. Paul's message, that is, God's message is filled with the grace of God.

1. He begins and ends this book with it.

Eph. 6:24– Grace bewith all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

2. He fills the book with the grace of God in Jesus Christ

Eph. 1:5-6– … having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace[glorious grace], by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Eph. 1:7-8– In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His gracewhich He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence….

Eph. 2:4-9– But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by graceyou have been saved), and raised usup together, and made ussit together in the heavenly placesin Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by graceyou have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it isthe gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Eph. 3:2– … if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you….

Eph. 3:8– To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ….

Eph. 4:7– But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.

C. The grace of God in Jesus Christ produces peace, 2:14-17, 6:15.

Eph. 2:14-17– For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is,the law of commandments containedin ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man fromthe two, thusmaking peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

Eph. 4:1, 3– I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called… endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Eph. 6:15– … and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace….

Eph. 6:23– Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

This inspired, inerrant, and authoritative book tells us that our identity is found in God because God is gracious toward us.

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