ADOPTED, NOT ABANDONED by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction:  What’s happening in Europe is not very far from happening here in America. Secularization, Islamization, and the lack of church growth should awaken us to ask, “what must we do?” If Christ does not return for another 10 years or another 100 years or even another 1000 years, what should be our goal? I can’t think of a better book to walk through at this time in history than Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

• “Pound for pound, Ephesians may well be the most influential document in history” (Klyne Snodgrass).
• “Among the Pauline writings, only Romans can match Ephesians as a candidate for exercising the most influence on Christian thought and spirituality” (Raymond Brown).

With that said, in today’s message, we will begin a 3-part series on how the Trinity is involved in our salvation, starting with God the Father. Some of you may think – “that’s kind of deep…isn’t it?” and “how is that going to help me with my immediate problems.” Yes, it is deep, and yes, it may not be easily seen how this might benefit us; but, we must go deep to lay a solid foundation if we are to stand in the face of the coming storm. Our message is titled “Adopted, Not Abandoned.”

Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 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, 4 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.”

Context: Last weekend, we learned that we are to praise and worship God because he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. While everyone receives God’s blessings, its only we believers who receive his spiritual blessings. What are these spiritual blessings? That’s what Paul describes between verses 4-14. As I noted in the introduction, this will be a 3-part series because the entire Trinity is involved in blessing us. First, it is God the Father, then, it is God the Son, and finally, it is God the Holy Spirit. Each of them has some powerful blessings for us. Listen again –Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 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, 4 just as He chose us in Him…” By the way, “just as” (kathos) doesn’t have to be a comparative conjunction; it can be a causal conjunction = “because” or “since.” On one hand, Paul may be saying that what he is about to list are “just some of the many” spiritual blessings; on the other hand, it can simply mean that these are the spiritual blessings.

How has God the Father blessed us? – Listen carefully to Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 4 “just as (because) He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

Several questions immediately come to mind:

• Have some people been chosen before creation to be saved and some rejected?
• Has God predestined some to be saved and some not?
• Has God made some to be accepted in the Beloved and some to be unaccepted?

To begin with, 2 things to keep in mind: 

• Don’t forget to whom Paul was writing
• What he emphasized in Ephesians. 

To whom Paul was writing: Acts 19 (page #1713) 1 And it happened…that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” You know the rest of the story. Paul explained to them that John’s baptism was not enough. They had to come to Jesus, which they did and were baptized. Even though they were now on the straight and narrow, they must have felt like they were second class, always playing catchup.Paul was writing Ephesians to remind them that there are no Second-Class Believers, and they were also equally blessed by God the Father.

Application: Do you feel like a second-class believer? Do you feel that you are just playing catch up? You may have to play catch up, but you are just as equal as any believer. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 20:16 “So the last will be first, and the first last…”

What did Paul emphasize in Ephesians: In a pervious message, we learned that the church = ekklesia (assembly) is found 9 times in Ephesians. It is referred to as “the Community of the New Covenant,” “the Temple of God,” and “the Body of Christ.” In other words, if you take Ephesians (and Colossians) as only for individual application, you will greatly misunderstand its purpose. Paul was writing in the context of church corporate not individual believers, not Isolated Believers.

Application: Do you tend to isolate yourself from other believers? Do you tend to do your own thing? If so, you will misunderstand this book.

Having addressed those 2 things, listen carefully to what Paul tells them – Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 4 “just as (because) He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” First, what is the meaning of the Greek word “chose”? It is “eklegomai,” a verb related to 2 other words: an adjective “Eklektos” = “Chosen” or “Choice One” or “elect” and a noun “Ekloge” = election. The people of Israel were God’s “choice people.” They were not chosen for salvation but for service. They were not only to be a light to the Gentiles but also bring God’s Choice One into this world. I can go through many passages, but one is key – Isaiah 42     1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles…6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” What does it mean in Isaiah by “My Elect One?” In the LXX, the word is “eklektos.” It is the translation of the Hebrew word “bachir,” which means “chosen” but the context can also imply “choice one.” Here in Isaiah, it definitely carries the idea of the “Choice One.” Think about it – “Who else would God have elected!” Not angels, not the Holy Spirit. Later, 1 Peter 2        4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen (“eklektos”) by God and precious, (Choice and Precious in the sight of God)…6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect (“elektos”), precious, (Choice and Precious Cornerstone) And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 

What is the point? The words (eklegomai, eklektos, and ekloge) are not about deciding who gets saved and who doesn’t. They are about service and sacrifice. They are about the best appointment for bringing God’s plan of redemption into the world. Keep these facts in mind when you read Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 4 “just as (because) He ‘made you the choice ones’ in Him before the foundation of the world…” 

Something else: The phrase “in Him” is found about 165 times in all of Paul’s letters, about 36 times in Ephesians, and about 20 times in the first two chapters of Ephesians. Here are just a few:

• Ephesians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:”
• Ephesians 1:3 “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,”
• Ephesians 1:4 “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,”
• Ephesians 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
• Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood,”
• Ephesians 1:9 “having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,”
• Ephesians 1:10 “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.”
• Ephesians 1     12 “that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whomalso, having believed,”

I can keep reading, but we don’t have the time. 

When it says in Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 4 “just as (because) He ‘made you the choice ones’ in Him before the foundation of the world…” we need to put the emphasis where it needs to be – in him/Christ. The point is that we are “chosen in him” not “chosen to be in him.” Big difference! Klyne Snodgrass, “People become elect only in the Elect One—Christ…Individuals are not elected and then put in Christ. They are in Christ and therefore elect.” In other words, you and I are the choice ones because we are in Christ. Jesus is the “Choice One” and we are the “choice ones” in him.

How do you have a union with him? When you receive Jesus as your Savior and King. Now you are in him. Here’s a better translation – “because before the foundation of the world, he appointed us through our union with Him to be holy and blameless before him in love…” Because you are in him, before the foundation of the world, God has appointed you to be holy and blameless. How does this happen? Not through our own efforts. Instead, Ephesians 5 (page 1800) 26 “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Application: Did you know that this is what’s happening in you as you are hearing the Word of God? This is what happens when you spend time in God’s Word. Also, don’t neglect your personal time in the Word, neither neglect your corporate time in the Word.

2 more benefits follow because of this union:

Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

1. Pre-appointed to Adoption

Proorizein = pre-appointed (no idea of unconditional election); a rare Greek word that does not have the idea of destiny. There are 2 passages that help us here:

• 1 Peter 1      1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

Verb Proginoskein = “to know beforehand” or “foreknow.” Noun Prognosis = “foreknowledge”

• Romans 8     29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

The emphasis is on foreknowledge as the reason for pre-appointment.

Don’t forget: Salvation is not adoption; it’s the benefit of salvation. You and I get into God’s family by regeneration, not adoption. John 1 (page #1635) 12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” God was not satisfied in just making us pardoned sinners or reconciled friends; he wanted us to be family.

Ephesians 1 (page #1795) 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 

2. Acceptance in the Beloved – this will lead us into the next message on the gifts by the second person of the Godhead.

Invitation: Do you know that you are Adopted, not Abandoned? Do you know that you are not second class? Do you know that you belong to his family and this family?