Eph. 1:4-14 (6, 12, 14)
Subject: Redemption
Theme: God’s
motivation for saving us is His glory; therefore, as genuine servants we praise
Him, proclaim Him, and glorify Him!
Introduction:
What
is God’s glory? When used of
God in Scripture, glory refers to His
opinion (what He thinks of himself) and reputation
(what others think about him), all pointing to His fame or honor or praise. At
times glory has a deeper meaning indicating God’s very Person—His essential
Being.
So, Why did God
Save Us?
Beloved, ultimately our salvation
is “to the praise of His
glory.” God’s marvelous plan for His people involves a magnificent finale—He
will be the focal point of our continual praise. The intended goal and
inevitable result of all God’s gracious actions toward us is that He should be
magnified and glorified forever. In appreciation for your salvation, do you
glorify God? Do you live to praise Him?
I personally find this topic a great place of meditation
during this COVID-19 crisis! So much has changed because of it! But, in this
text we are reminded the very God of Heaven has magnanimous plans for us and
these plans will not change. Likewise, in this text we are reminded of our
unflappable purpose to glorify our gracious God! So, then our God has not
changed, our redemption future has not changed; therefore, our purpose to
glorify God must not change.
Message:
Take your Bible and meditate through each of these
observations. Allow them to fill you with hope, strength, and purpose instead
of the fears and anxieties associated with COVID-19.
I.
Our Blessings due to
our Father’s Decisions are to Praise His Glorious Grace Vs. 4-6
A.
We are Blessed because
He Chose Us (vs. 4)
B.
We are Blessed because
He Adopted Us (vs. 5)
C.
We are Blessed because
He Accepted Us (vs. 6)
D.
We Bless Him for His
Glorious Grace (vs. 3, 6)
II.
Our Participation in Redemption’s
Purpose in Christ are to Praise God’s Glory Vs. 7-12
A.
Our Participation in
Redemption (vs. 7)
B.
Our Participation in
Forgiveness (vs. 7)
C.
Our Participation in
the Mystery (vs. 8-9)
D.
Our Participation in
the Consummation (10-11)
E.
We Accept our Purpose
to Praise God’s Glory (vs. 12)
III.
Our Full Redemption through
the Spirit is to Praise God’s Glory Vs. 13-14
A.
We Heard and Believed
the Gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 13)
B.
We were Sealed by the
holy Spirit of Promise (vs. 13)
C.
We have Received the
Earnest of our Inheritance (vs. 14)
D.
We will Receive the
Fullness of our Redemption (vs. 14)
E.
We Accept our Responsibility
to Praise God’s Glory (vs. 14)
Conclusions:
Glory then refers to the deep-down essential worth of God, His
overwhelming majesty, His moral beauty, His marvelous excellencies, His perfect
nature—righteousness, holiness, mercy, truth, goodness, love, and grace!
When Moses made the request of
God, “Show me thy glory” (Ex 33:18), he was not speaking of the light-glory cloud,
which he had already seen, but he was seeking a special manifestation of God
which would leave nothing to be desired (John 14:8). Moses yearned…yea even
craved to come to grips with all of God as he is in himself. To peer wide-eyed into
the undiluted radiant essential majestic nature of the Almighty God was his
plea! In reply, God emphasized his goodness (Ex 33:19). We too must understand
that God’s glory is not limited to some outward sign that only appeals to our
senses, but instead glory expresses His inherent awe-inspiring jaw dropping majesty—his
characteristic breathtaking innate splendor, whether invisible or through visible
symbols. He desires that we know Him in His glory (Jn. 17) and be moved to
praise Him accordingly—in a manner appropriate to the magnitude of such weighty
revelation. I should think it will take all eternity to at least get started!
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