Church, Praise The Beloved Redeemer!

Well, I want to welcome you as well.

You heard it from Jeremiah and others,

So I encourage you to keep his word open in front of you.

It's through the word of God that he promises to feed us and to minister to us.

We have one of the most high and glorious passages.

Of course, we could say this about any portion of the Bible,

but here the radiance of God shines so brightly through Jesus Christ.

It's a joy to proclaim this to you.

I want to read a bigger passage, verses 3 through 14 first,

and then we'll zero in on our sermon passage for today,

which is only verses 6 through 10.

Hear the word of God.

It says,

Inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, sufficient, powerful word for you and me, his people.

Ephesians 1, starting at verse 3.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

In love, he 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,

by which he made us accepted in the beloved.

In him, we have redemption.

Through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

according to the riches of his grace,

which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

having made known to us the mystery of his will,

according to his good pleasure,

which he purposed in himself,

that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times,

he might gather together in one all things in Christ,

both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him.

In him also, we have obtained an inheritance,

being predestined according to the purpose of him

who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

that we who first trusted in Christ

should be to the praise of his glory.

In him, you also trusted.

After you heard the word of truth,

the gospel of your salvation,

in whom also, having believed,

you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

who is the guarantee of our inheritance

until the redemption of the purchased possession

to the praise of his glory.

the word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Please be seated.

Amen.

Lord, we rest on the promise, Lord,

that through his churches,

his word, his gospel goes forth,

and by the ministry of the Holy Spirit,

it works with power.

Lord, we pray along with Christ

that his word will work powerfully in his people today.

Lord, you know our many needs.

You know where we need healing.

Please heal us.

You know where we need light.

Please shine Christ on us.

You know where we need comfort, Lord.

We pray that your word will wash over us

and that we'll know a time of refreshing

having been in your presence.

Lord, we also pray that your Holy Spirit

will do exactly what you promise in this passage,

that your Holy Spirit will cause those who are blind to see Jesus,

those who are deaf to hear the good news for themselves,

those who are in slavery, Lord,

to send captive in bondage,

that the gospel of Jesus will work with power

and set them free,

those who are orphans,

hopeless in this world,

in darkness, Lord,

that your Holy Spirit will draw in Christ to yourself,

into your family.

Please do this, Lord, for his precious name's sake,

for your glory.

Amen.

There is a love that is so deep,

words can't explain it.

There is a love that you feel

that can only come from heaven.

Do you know this love I'm speaking of?

There are times where God's people are moved to tears

with a love from God,

a love from Christ.

And I know it's from heaven

because it would make no sense according to our flesh,

no sense according to the world.

There are times when the Lord will so stir the hearts of his people

for one another.

And it's because God so much loves his people that way.

Some of us have known this love

even thinking of our missionaries

or reading a report from one of them.

Some of you, you've told me,

you've been moved to tears this week

out of love for one another,

concern for one another within the body of Christ.

This is the love that is put on display

in the person of Jesus Christ in this passage.

Our focus is verses 6 through 10.

Notice how our focus now moves from God the Father

up to verse 6 to God the Son.

And look with me one more time at verse 6,

how God the Son is described.

Up to verse 6, we're told that God the Father

chose us in him, in Jesus Christ,

before the foundation of the world.

He predestined us to be adopted in Jesus Christ.

Verse 6, why did he do this?

It's to the praise of the glory of his grace

by which he made us accepted.

Notice how he calls God the Son.

In the Beloved.

Jesus Christ, the Beloved,

is our great focus for today.

And in these verses 6 through 10,

Paul gives us at least four reasons

why we can praise God through Jesus Christ.

I'd like to walk us through these one by one today,

starting right here on verse 6.

Praise the Beloved in whom God accepts you.

Praise the Beloved in whom God accepts you.

You may be wondering if you really are accepted by God today.

On the other hand, we may have a false sense

that we are accepted by God

when we have no right to claim that.

Satan has these two lies

that are really stemming from the same deception.

The first lie is this.

God can never accept me

because fill in the blank about me.

But here's the second lie.

You might think,

of course God accepts me

because blank about me.

Both of these lies are from hell

and both are deceiving us with the same trick.

They deceive because they begin with a faulty premise.

The premise is this,

that your life,

whether you're focused on what you think is good

or what you think is so bad,

is what determines your acceptance by God.

This way of thinking is robbing the Beloved of God,

Jesus Christ,

of the glory that He deserves

instead of you and me.

Look at verse 6 one more time.

God made us accepted

on what basis?

What are the next three words in yours?

He made us accepted

in the Beloved

to the praise

of the glory of His grace.

Well, let's focus on that for a moment.

How is this something

for which we are to praise God?

That we are to praise God

focused on the person of Jesus Christ

because we are accepted in Him

whom God calls the Beloved.

So God is the lover.

Christ is the recipient of God's love.

The one from whom love flows is God.

And that's because the Bible tells us

in 1 John 4, 16,

God is love.

God is so loving, so holy, so pure

that He cannot love that which is evil.

In a sweeping way,

the object of God's love is

and can only be the Holy God Himself.

But from this verse,

we can see in a particular way

the object of God the Father's love is

and can only be God the Son.

This is how God the Son

is described throughout all of Scripture.

It's prophesied in Isaiah 41, 1.

We know this speaks of Christ

because it's quoted in Matthew 12, 18.

God says,

Behold my servant whom I uphold,

my elect one in whom my soul delights.

The servant, God the Son,

is the one in whom God delights in His soul,

so to speak.

Because God is infinite and holy,

He can only rightly love

a recipient of His love

who is perfectly pure.

God can't love what is evil.

God can't love what is sinful.

So from all eternity,

the perfect object of the Father's delight

is God the Son,

His beloved.

Notice how when God the Son takes on flesh,

this is exactly how the voice from heaven,

the voice of God,

confirms Him in His ministry.

At His baptism,

God confirms that this man now,

Christ Jesus of Nazareth,

is the Son of God in the flesh,

the beloved of God.

Can you picture that scene there

in the brown waters of the Jordan River?

The beloved of God in the flesh

is prepared to serve as the great high priest.

And in Matthew 3,

God's voice comes from heaven saying,

This is my beloved Son

in whom I am well pleased.

Then at the transfiguration,

God confirms that this man,

Christ Jesus of Nazareth,

is God the Son in the flesh,

the beloved of God.

There at Mount Tabor,

God gives the authority of Christ

as the perfect prophet

who alone can reveal God's wisdom

in its full brilliance.

Matthew 17, 5,

the voice of God declares,

Behold!

And with a bright cloud overshadowing them,

the voice comes out of the cloud saying,

This is my beloved Son

in whom I am well pleased.

Hear Him.

So He's washed by the water

to prepare Him to serve as a priest.

And now He's declared,

This is my beloved.

Hear Him.

He will serve as a prophet.

The Holy Spirit confirms

that this same man,

Christ Jesus of Nazareth,

is God the Son in the flesh,

the beloved of God.

And summing up His completed ministry,

now sitting at the right hand of God the Father

in John 3, 35,

we are told that the Father loves the Son

and has given all things into His hand.

This is language of a king.

All things given to Christ

who rules from authority.

We are to praise God

through Jesus Christ

who from His baptism as our priest,

His transfiguration as our prophet,

and now in His heavenly exaltation,

He reigns as the King of kings.

He stands as the only mediator

who can carry God's love

perfectly,

unblemished,

unblemished,

the worthy recipient,

the beloved of the Holy God.

And the good news of our passage,

verse 6,

praise the glory of God's grace.

It's through Christ

that we have been made accepted.

How?

In Christ.

The love that God has

for Jesus Christ,

His beloved,

is now that same love

coming with all the force of God

on you, His people,

who are in Him.

This thought that the Holy God

who elected and predestined His church

is now viewing His people,

you and me,

blamelessly,

embraced,

welcomed,

accepted,

in the beloved,

before the face of the Holy God.

With that thought at the end of verse 6,

it's like popping off the cork

of the next overflow of praise

that comes from Paul's pen.

The next focus of doxology

is how this can be so.

How can you and me

be found accepted

in His beloved,

in Jesus Christ?

And so He overflows into verse 7,

and in Him we have redemption

through His blood,

the forgiveness of sins

according to the riches

of His grace.

Let's open up each of these phrases.

Before we do,

put the first pen there

on verse 6.

Our first reason to praise God

through the person of Jesus Christ,

the beloved,

is because it's in Him

that God accepts you and me.

Praise the beloved

in whom God accepts you.

Now here comes the second reason,

starting at verse 7.

Praise the beloved

in whom we have redemption.

Praise the beloved

in whom we have redemption.

Verse 7 calls Jesus Christ

the beloved,

the one in whom we have redemption

through His blood.

The word redemption,

redemption,

it can also be translated

in English as deliverance.

It means to buy something back

or to ransom something.

In these ancient times,

you can picture the marketplace

in Ephesus.

You would go to buy

not just something made

by goldsmith,

not just something

that you could take back

and use within your home

as a vessel.

You could go and buy

a human being,

a slave.

But first you have to ransom them.

You have to pay the price

that the slave owner demands.

To ransom something.

It means to move their status.

They were in captivity

and bondage

but now they've been moved.

They are now

under new ownership.

Their status is no longer

in bondage

to that slave master.

And he says,

we have redemption

through His blood,

the forgiveness of sins.

That's what we're delivered from.

That's what we're redeemed

out of.

It's both the guilt

and the power of sin.

This passage tells us

in verse 7

that sin is bondage.

Do you know that sin is bondage?

Every Christian is saying,

at least in your heart,

amen.

May I never have to go back

to that again.

Sin is bondage.

Sin is slavery.

Psalm 107.10 says,

because we rebelled

against the words of God.

That's what sin is.

Because we rebelled

against the word of God,

we sat in darkness,

in the shadow of death,

bound,

tied up,

chained down

in affliction

as with iron.

Through Micah,

Micah 6:4

chapter 6, verse 4,

God has promised,

I buy back

and bring up

my people from slavery.

He points to the story

of the Exodus,

how the nation of Israel

was in captivity

to Egypt

and the Lord Himself

redeemed them

from that house

of bondage.

This is the language

he's speaking to Jews

mixed with Greeks

and he's bringing

the weight of the Old Testament

to bear

on what Christ accomplished

as Redeemer,

as Deliverer.

In the beloved,

Paul is preaching,

in Jesus Christ,

we have redemption.

We have deliverance

and it's through

His blood.

Redemption means

we are emancipated

from slavery.

Redemption means

we are released

from captivity.

Redemption means

we are ransomed

from bondage.

In verse 7,

we have redemption

through His blood,

the blood of Jesus Christ,

the beloved of God,

the forgiveness

of sins.

Do you know

this forgiveness

of sins?

Our sin problem

is most likely

deeper and worse

than we understand.

We are born in sin.

We are guilty

of sin

even inside

the womb

of your mother.

And we're born

carrying this curse

of sin

from Adam

in the fall.

And on top of that,

every inclination

of our own hearts

is away from God.

It's toward evil.

The problem of sin,

the bondage of sin

is so pervasive.

The wages

of your sin

and mine

are death.

What we deserve

for our sin

is for the blood

to be let out

of our bodies

until there is

no more life

in that vessel

of your body

and mine.

You and I

deserve this

because we have

sinned against

the holy God.

And God

in His righteousness

cannot justly

pass over

your sin

and mine.

The price

that we owe God

must be paid

in order for us

to be ransomed.

the problem for us

is worse than that

though.

Even if we were

to pay for our sin

with our own lives

by dying for our sin,

we still

have failed

to merit

the eternal life

because God

not only

must punish

sin,

He must also

have a people

clothed

in perfect righteousness.

And none of us

born under Adam's curse

are capable

of living

a righteous

life.

We cannot

buy

everlasting life

for ourselves.

God requires

a sinless

Savior

who will then

also pay

the penalty

that sin

deserves.

Psalm 49

at verse 7

is a wonderful

summary of this

truth.

None

can

by any

means

redeem

his brother

nor give

to God

a ransom

for him

for the

redemption

of their

souls

is

costly.

No man

born under

Adam's curse

can redeem

another.

But God

is so

gracious

he abounds

in his

mercy

and he's

pleased to

declare

what he

has purpose

to do

all along

in Isaiah

61

1

which is

we know

it speaks

of Christ

it's called

forth in

Luke 4

18

we're told

the spirit

of the

Lord

has anointed

me

that servant

that God

prepared

to preach

good tidings

to the poor

he has sent

me to heal

the broken

hearted

to proclaim

liberty

to the

captives

and the

opening

of the

prison

to those

who

are

bound

this is

the mission

of God

the son

the beloved

is to do

what no

man could

do

how is it

that God

the son

the beloved

accomplished

this great

plan of

redemption

that God

prepared

all along

it's

through his

own

life

in the

flesh

and his

blood

shed

for his

people

it's one

thing if you

have to see

yourself

bleed

emergency

nurse

told us

some people

have a real

phobia of

blood

but others

have a real

phobia of

needles

and the two

are not

the same

she said

her boyfriend

works as a

police officer

and he sees

blood a lot

it doesn't bother

him but when he

sees a needle

he gets

wheezy

to see your

own blood

is one

thing but

now

to see

one of your

loved ones

bleeding

that's a

whole different

thing isn't

it

to see a

loved one

it's a

horrible

thought but

I do invite

you to go

there because

this is the

gospel

it's a

bloody

gospel

because we

need this

picture your

beloved

losing

blood

hemorrhaging

unstoppably

to the

point of

death

1 Peter 1

18 and 19

says

you church

you have

been

redeemed

not with

corruptible

things

but with

the

blood

the precious

blood

of Christ

as a

lamb

without

blemish

you see

Jesus Christ

the beloved

of God

lived a

life that

was sinless

faultless

righteous

which God

can bless

and promise

to bless

and secure

eternal life

because of

his obedience

and Jesus

Christ

the beloved

of God

bled out

before the

face of

God

on the

cross

for the

forgiveness

of sins

of his

people

this is the

gospel

you and I

need

the blood

of Jesus

Christ

he has

redeemed

us

with the

precious

blood

of his

beloved

if you're

sitting there

wondering

was his

blood

for me

did he

purchase

me

with this

precious

blood

we need

to ask

this question

looking at

our passage

who is it

that Jesus

Christ

ransomed

!

who is it

that he

redeemed?

look at

our passage

starting

at verse

three

he's

writing to

a local

church

gathered

hearing

the word

of God

and he

says

you

are

blessed

with

every

spiritual

blessing

in

verse

four

he

tells

the

same

people

you

were

chosen

in

Christ

before

the

foundation

of

the

world

in

verse

five

you

were

predestined

to

be

adopted

by

him

verse

six

it's

you

you

same

ones

who

were

accepted

by

him

now

verse

seven

it's

the

audience

has

not

changed

the

recipients

of

God's

grace

have

not

changed

it's

those

same

people

that

Christ

has

redeemed

it's

the

one

that

he

has

loved

before

time

and

space

began

in

Christ

this

is

who

Christ

has

ransomed

it

was

helpful

for

me

in

preparing

to

picture

myself

at

that

marketplace

in

Ephesus

and

here's

a

row

of

slaves

and

I'm

one

of

them

I'm

chained

up

and

I'm

standing

there

and

the

slave

traders

would

show

the

teeth

I mean

they treat

human

beings

like

a

horse

you know

test

your

strength

we're

told

that

Christ

actually

ransomed

from

that

row

of

captives

those

whom

he

loved

those

whom

he

predestined

to be

adopted

actually

purchased

them

with

his

blood

if

you

put

your

faith

in

Jesus

Christ

today

you

don't

need

to

wonder

if

you're

the

ones

that

he

has

done

this

for

that

he's

purchased

that

he's

claimed

and said

this

one

is

my

child

I

clothe

this

one

with

my

own

robes

this

one

belongs

to

me

see

when we

preach

the

redemption

of

Jesus

Christ

by

his

blood

this

can be

taken

in

three

different

ways

but

only

one

fits

with

what

the

Bible

teaches

the

first

way

that

does

not

fit

is

to

say

that

the

blood

of

Christ

was

shed

to

save

all

human

beings

!

universally

this

is a

false

gospel

it's

a

lie

to

say

that

love

wins

in

the

end

you

know

in

other

words

no

one

will

receive

the

wrath

and

the

judgment

that

they

deserve

for

their

sins

outside

of

Christ

they'll

still

be

forgiven

there

is

no

forgiveness

outside

of

Jesus

Christ

that's

universal

redemption

that's

false

the

Bible

does

not

teach

that

we

need

to

shut

it

down

the

second

option

is

called

hypothetical

universalism

and this

basically

says

God

didn't

actually

save

anyone

by the

blood

of

Christ

it's

like

saying

he

paid

the

price

but

he

just

set

it

off

over

here

and

then

whichever

ones

of

these

slaves

want

to

come

over

and

take

the

ransom

price

then

they

can

be

free

that

means

he

didn't

actually

ransom

those

people

that

he

loved

before

the

foundation

of

the

world

he

didn't

really

redeem

anything

with

his

blood

he

just

hypothetically

made it

available

if you

want to

come

grab

it

that

does

not

fit

what

the

Bible

teaches

what

the

Bible

teaches

is

definite

redemption

definite

atonement

the

blood of

Christ

actually

purchased

you

who

trusted

in

him

you

are

redeemed

this

made me

want to

study

this

wording

very

carefully

in

verse

7

he

says

we

have

redemption

we

have

redemption

that

verb

to

have

to

have

it

can

be

translated

in the

three

most

common

ways

throughout

all

the

New

Testament

it

can

mean

to

hold

something

you

actually

hold

this

redemption

!

It

can

mean

to

count

something

I'm

counting

the

exact

price

he

paid

and

it

can

mean

to

wear

something

to

wear

this

redemption

isn't

that

beautiful

this

is

the

relationship

between

the

Christian

and

the

redemption

that

Christ

purchased

with

his

blood

here's

how

you

have

it

we

hold

what

Christ

secured

for us

truly

we

apprehend

this

we

can

have

assurance

of

salvation

in

Christ

and

the

way

you

hold

it

is

faith

not

looking

to

anything

else

it's

my

poor

beggars

empty

hands

holding

Christ's

promises

of

redemption

we

can

have

this

redemption

by

counting

by

seeing

his

blood

and

his

wisdom

is

it's

perfect

he

fully

paid

for

all

my

sin

there's

nothing

left

not a

penny

left

I owe

him

of

good

works

not

a

single

ounce

of my

blood

that I

need to

go shed

now

I

counted

and his

wisdom

is

perfect

I

am

redeemed

completely

by

Christ

and we

can

wear

this

redemption

I

I'm

a

slave

there

dirty

neglected

injured

he

takes

me

as

his

child

and

washes

me

and

heals

my

wounds

and

robes

me

with

his

righteousness

like

that

prodigal

son

I mean

Jesus

told

this

parable

of the

prodigal

son

before

he

even

went

to

accomplish

the

redemption

on

the

cross

and

there's

the

son

loved

by

the

father

embraced

clothed

in his

righteousness

brought

home

wear

this

redemption

that

Christ

has

purchased

for

you

praise

the

beloved

in

whom

we

have

redemption

amen

here's

our third

reason to

praise

God

the

son

praise

the

beloved

who

reveals

God's

gracious

will

toward

us

praise

the

beloved

who

reveals

God's

gracious

will

toward

us

he

says

in

verse

seven

these

are

the

riches

of

his

grace

which

he

made

to

abound

toward

us

other

wonderful

translation

is

he

lavished

upon

us

well

Paul

has

used

that

language

speaking

of

allusions

to

the

ceremonial

law

the

blood

of

a

perfect

lamb

the

lamb

of

God

and

he's

reminding

them

how

Christ

fulfills

all the

promises

of

the

old

covenant

and

now

he

makes

an

allusion

next

to

Ephesus

I

believe

to

the

Greco

Roman

world

remember

how

Ephesus

was

that

international

hub

for

trade

people

coming

from

all

over

east

meets

west

and

bringing

their

goods

Ephesus

housed

one of

the

largest

ancient

banks

!

of

the

world

and

it

was

a

bustling

city

with

extravagant

wealth

from

that

great

temple

of

Diana

where

people

would

come

from

all

over

the

world

as

tourists

as

that

provincial

capital

for

Asia

of the

Roman

Empire

may

Abound means that God's riches, they excel toward you.

It's like opening up the floodgates and here come the blessings of heaven flowing forth,

excelling, gaining momentum and speed like an avalanche poured over God's people.

It can also mean that may these riches of God's grace increase in you.

May they remain in you.

This is what it means to be lavish, to abound.

It's never going to be a part of a Christian's life that's lacking God's grace.

You can look here and there, there's not a dry spot.

You are smothered in grace.

Why us?

Everyone must ask, whether you're in Ephesus or right here.

Well, let's recall the words of Deuteronomy 7 and 8, because God does not change.

The Lord did not set his love on you, nor choose you, to sum it up, for any reasons based on you.

For you were the least of all people, but because the Lord loves you.

He loves you in the beloved.

He always has loved you in his beloved Jesus Christ.

Now, how do you and I enter the treasure house of God's grace,

where his love runs toward you and grows in you and grips you with a fatherly embrace that he will never let go?

We read next in verse 8.

Here's how we go into this treasure house.

It's through the wisdom and prudence that he's made known to us.

So he reveals this to us through Christ, pulling us deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper in.

He has shown Christ's perfect fulfillment of the Jewish ceremonial law.

And now he says it's in all wisdom and prudence.

I believe this is alluding now to the Greco-Roman reasoning of this church in Ephesus, which is mixed.

All wisdom and prudence.

All wisdom and prudence.

Every wisdom.

Anything that's wise.

Anything that's prudent will be proved in Christ.

For those who studied Aristotle, wisdom referred to eternal truths.

The overarching nature of things.

First principles.

So for the church, this is saying, come in and behold God's plan.

See the wisdom of God.

See the true nature of reality.

See God's purpose all along.

That's wisdom.

And then prudence refers to the practical judgment or discernment.

Executing what all of this means in real life, day to day.

It's the capacity to evaluate a situation.

To navigate different human affairs.

And take those wise principles of belonging to the kingdom of heaven.

And by the help of the spirit to apply them in a real world decision.

Paul's emphasizing here that God does not merely reveal this grand plan of redemption.

But he also lavishes on his people the daily discernment we need to belong to him in the heavenlies while still walking here on earth.

He doesn't take us out of this fallen world.

But we taste by faith his grace now.

We are in the world but not of the world.

Verse 9 says,

Having made known, having declared or certified to us the mystery of his will.

He's kept it veiled.

He's been saving this great moment for the fullness of time.

And he's been promising it and prophesying it and casting shadows forward toward the substance which is coming.

Jeremiah 31.3 we're told that the Lord appeared to me of old.

See this has been God's revelation all along.

He says,

I have loved you with an everlasting love.

Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.

You see you can look back on all of God's word and it's always been pointing toward being loved by God in Christ.

This is what it's all built toward.

God makes this known to us.

The mystery of his will.

When we hear the word mystery in our Bibles.

It doesn't mean to hide something.

It's the opposite of that.

Mystery is a form of revelation.

It's a loving unveiling of something that had been wrapped up until the perfect moment.

You picture God taking the most precious gift.

Which is this.

That you were loved in his beloved.

And he now by faith by the ministry of the spirit.

He pulls off the veil.

He uncovers this precious gift to you.

And it's that magic of surprise.

For his people to receive this.

This is how God will keep all of his promises in Jesus Christ.

And it's for me.

And it's for you.

Who trust in him.

He did this.

We read in verse 9.

According to his good pleasure.

Which he purposed in himself.

Now.

If you're like me.

You want to touch stuff.

And see it for yourself.

Look at verse 9.

I want to highlight three words.

The first one is this.

It's the mystery of his will.

That's the first one.

The will of God.

Number two.

According to his good pleasure.

So his will is the first one.

His good pleasure is the second one.

Which he purposed in himself.

That's the third one.

He purposed in himself.

Paul is putting one, two, three.

In a row.

The will of God.

The purpose of God.

The good pleasure of God.

He's repeating himself.

But he's rounding it off in such a full way.

To paint the full picture.

Of what is unveiled.

By the person of Jesus Christ.

His will.

His good pleasure.

That which he purposed in himself.

What do each of these words mean?

His will is the result.

Of his deliberate determination.

God deliberately determined.

This glorious salvation for us.

What he purposed.

It means this is what he has set forth.

It's what he has designed.

It's what he has planned all along.

According to his good pleasure.

He's using language of the perfect God.

Who is unchanging.

So the good pleasure of God.

Is good pleasure.

To the extreme.

There could be no more goodness.

Added to God's good pleasure.

And God could know no more pleasure.

Than he already knows.

All wrapped up in this salvation.

Through Jesus Christ.

1 John 4.9 and 10 tells us this way.

In this.

In this gospel of Jesus Christ.

The love of God was manifested.

Toward us.

That God.

Has sent his only begotten son.

Into the world.

That we might live.

Through him.

In.

This.

Is love.

Not that we have loved God.

But that he.

Loved us.

And sent his son.

To be the propitiation.

For.

Our.

Sins.

You see the great love of God.

For you.

In Jesus Christ.

Praise the beloved.

Who reveals.

God's.

Gracious will.

Toward us.

His good pleasure toward us.

In Christ.

Well the fourth and final reason.

To praise God the son is this.

Praise the beloved.

Who is.

Reordering his new creation.

Including you and me.

In himself.

Praise the beloved.

Who is reordering his new creation.

Including you and me.

In himself.

We read in verse 10.

That in the dispensation.

Of the fullness of the times.

Or in the administration.

Of the fullness of the times.

God might gather together.

In one.

All things in Christ.

Both which are in heaven.

And which are.

On earth.

In him.

That word dispensation.

Or administration.

It's the same word.

From which we get.

Our English word.

Economy.

So it's in God's management.

Of everything.

In his disposal.

As our providential.

Ruler of all.

He's setting it up.

For the fullness of time.

To accomplish.

To arrange.

All of human history.

To fulfill.

The final.

Aspect.

Of this redemption.

Which is the culmination.

Of Christ's work.

He's just talked about.

The blood of Christ.

What's already happened.

But now he's pointing us.

To look forward also.

How all things will.

Be consummated in Christ.

The kingdom of Christ.

The ministry of Christ.

Is an already.

And not yet.

Ministry.

He says that in Christ.

All things will be gathered.

Together in one.

They will be summed up.

Comprehended.

Headed up.

Under Christ.

At the fullness of times.

Colossians 1.

19 and 20.

Helps us to.

See other light.

And clarify this.

We read that it.

Please God the Father.

That in Christ.

All the fullness.

Should dwell.

And by him.

God will reconcile.

All things to himself.

By Christ.

Whether things on earth.

Or things.

In heaven.

Having made peace.

Through the blood.

Of his cross.

See this is promised.

And it's in motion.

If you belong to Christ now.

You are brought into this.