2013-02-10
Ephesians – The praise of His glorious grace
Steve Lane

A. Introduction/The spiritual blessings of those who are in Christ
Addressed to the church at the city of Ephesus although probably to all the churches in Asia Written from prison in Rome (Acts 28: 16 – 31) 60 – 62 AD After 3rd Missionary Journey
Priscilla and Aquila were with Paul he visited Ephesus Acts 18:19 - 21
Church firmly established on the 3rd Journey – School of Tyrannas Acts 19:1, 8 - 10
Met briefly with the elders on return trip Acts 20:17 – 23, 31 – 38
Timothy spent 11/2 years there (1 Tim 1:3, 20)
1st half great and deep truths and the 2nd half more practical even the struggle of living it out
Flows not out of correction but exuberance over the glory of God, particularly the grace of God.

Introductions Ephesians 1:1 - 2
Saints – devoted to and set apart (sanctified)
Grace (charis) This grace made peace with God possible without violating His justice

B. Praise to God for the glorious grace He has lavished on us
Verses 3 – 14 were one long sentence in the Greek regarding deep and rich truths
“People don’t go to the Grand Canyon for their self esteem”

Praise, blessed, pleasure, glorious and lavished.
Ephesians 1: 3 – 8 “the praise of His glorious grace”
Grace (charis) Possibly no word that so utterly reveals the heart of God more distinctly
Charis “that property in a thing which causes it to give joy to the beholders or hearers of it.”
The writers of the NT took the word even further to its highest and exalted use
The very nature of any work to earn your salvation completely distorts the heart of God and the beauty of what He has done – (Titus 2:11 - 12)
Romans 5:20 'Grace in superabundance and more grace was added to this super abundance'
Remember Romans 12:1? There is a proper response to Grace
Grace itself empowers and enables us to live and serve [Verse here] His favor on our service...
There is an empowered response [Ephesians 1:19 - 20] in our life focus (Ephesians 2:10) the body, (Ephesians 4:11, 16) in our daily life [Ephesians 4:23 – 24] In marriage and family (chapter 5 an 6) and even your battle against Satan.
Grace, God's unmerrited favor out of the very heart of God
A legalistic and joyless labor is not a response in line with or empowered by grace. Overwhelming joy as our practical response is the only appropriate response

God is absolutely sovereign and He elects and man is responsible

C. Your destiny and purpose
This is our goal and destiny, to reflect and to praise the glory of God’s grace forever and ever even in our specific works of service

Ephesians 1:6 - 8
As David says “to God, my joy and my delight I will praise You”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “whether you eat drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.