Ephesians 1:1-14 Are we chosen by God's Design?

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Have you ever wondered if God desires some people to go to hell or if He chooses only a select few for His divine work? This episode of The Takeaway with Pastor Harry Behrens promises to unravel these profound questions as we explore the themes of God's perfect election and His purpose for believers, as described in Ephesians 1:1-14. From Paul's writings during his imprisonment, we uncover the grand design of God to redeem humanity, emphasizing the importance of aligning our thoughts with His will to lead lives that glorify Him. Discover the dangers of false teachings and understand the necessity of spiritual armor to become effective ambassadors for Christ.

In the teachings of Jesus found in John 15:16 and John 15:5, we are reminded that we are chosen to bear lasting spiritual fruit. This episode sheds light on the misconception that only certain individuals are called to God's work, clarifying that every believer is equipped for good works in their current vocation. As Matthew 5:14-16 illustrates, we are called to be a light in the world, glorifying God in all circumstances. By abiding in Jesus, we not only glorify God but are also filled with joy, understanding that our calling is a divine gift, not based on merit.

We also tackle complex topics such as sin, righteousness, and predestination, referencing key scriptures from Romans and Ephesians to reflect on God's justice and grace. Emphasizing that believers are chosen to glorify Him, we discuss the evidence of being born again in the Spirit and the significance of faith as a gift from God. Finally, we challenge you to reflect on whether you are living according to God's will, urging you to visit our website for more resources and stay connected with our ministry. Join us in this enlightening discussion that aims to deepen your understanding and relationship with God.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway. I'm your host, pastor Harry Behrens, and in today's episode we will be discussing Ephesians, chapter 1, verses 1-14,. God's perfect election. This epistle is attributed to the Apostle Paul and was written while he was in prison. It is considered one of the most eloquent writings of the New Testament, as it covers the full spectrum of Christian living and gives us a clear roadmap to follow so that we can and will be effective believers for Jesus while in this world. This letter will take us through the plan of God, starting with his purpose to redeem fallen man through the full equipping of the saints, so that we can live a purposeful, glorifying life for him that will allow us to live in the joy of the Lord. John 15, 7-11. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified. That you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I. God's desire for us is that our joy is full in him and that he is glorified. These two things work together to produce a purposeful and meaningful life. God has hidden us, hidden our joy deep within himself. Nothing can rob us of it. When we understand this Now, starting in Ephesians, chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, we read Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 1, we see Paul state that he was an apostle by the will of God. It's important to note that the will of God is the primary motivator for Christians and is where we find our purpose. God desires us to align our thoughts with his will, just as Jesus did. By this, we will know that we are one in him and have assurance of our place with him and in him. John 14, 19. Yet the world will see me no more, but you will see me because I live in you also. You also will live in me. In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. Since it is God's will that we abide in him. And Paul states by the will of God he is an apostle, we could be assured that what we are also is by the will of God. Your life is not random or out of control, but purposed by the will of God. I can't stress this enough. You have a purpose in God's plan. That will look different for each of us, but I promise you that you are no less valuable than the apostle Paul was in God's plan to. That will look different for each of us, but I promise you that you are no less valuable than the Apostle Paul was in God's plan to further the gospel.

Speaker 1: 3:09

Once you understand this truth, nothing can stop you from entering the full joy of the Lord and glorifying Him in all that you do. You mustn't let anyone rob you of this truth and lead you astray. You cannot be robbed of your salvation, but you can be robbed of your assurance in your salvation, and this is precisely what the enemy is out to do rob you of any assurance, confidence or hope in Christ to make you powerless. He knows you are powerful in Christ, but wants to ensure you don't know that False teachers, for example, are deceitful and lead the sheep astray. As we have been repeatedly warned, these are not from God, but from the devil himself to ensure that you never walk according to the Spirit. Our position in God is a central theme in this letter and, as we will see, paul urges us to understand, not be deceived, and put on the whole armor of God so that we will be effective ambassadors while in this world.

Speaker 1: 4:08

Colossians 2.8. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 1 Timothy 4.1-2. Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times, some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciousnesses are seared. 2 Corinthians 5, 20-21. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, god making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God For our sake. He made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Now, moving on to verses 3 to 6, we will see that the will of God is to bless us in Christ Jesus.

Speaker 1: 5:03

The problem is that most people have a skewed idea of what it means to be blessed, because we live in a materialistic world. We often think of blessings as receiving gifts, like we do at Christmas time, which is not the way we are to understand blessings at all. We live as if we don't need anything because we have everything at our fingertips. Easy access to health care, food, education and entertainment is available everywhere. Tips. Easy access to health care, food, education and entertainment is available everywhere. It's easy to say that God has blessed us when all we do is shower ourselves with worldly passions. These are not what the Bible is talking about when it is discussing blessings. We must get this through our heads before moving on.

Speaker 1: 5:37

To truly receive what God desires to give us, accepting what he is offering will require a humble and repentant heart to see that your John 16, 24. John 16, 26-27, 15, 8 to 11. By this my father is glorified. That you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things. I've spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. Now Jesus is offering us the blessing of having that same complete joy in the Father that he has. There is no greater blessing than this having the fullness of our joy flowing from our relationship with the Father. It's not about what he does or gives, but about who he is. He is the most high God and offers himself to us without limitations to explore him and his goodness. Jeremiah 29, 13 to 14, you will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord. God will give us material things in this world, but our joy should never be misplaced in the gift. It should always be found in the giver.

Speaker 1: 7:27

Now that we have a better perspective of blessings, let's look at Ephesians, chapter 1, verses 3 to 6. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved Now. These verses are a lot to take in for most people and many, when they read this, go right past it without stopping to take in what these verses are saying. In verse 1, I explain that Paul was who he was by the will of God and that we have a purpose as well. Now we see that expressed here in verses 4 and 5. Even as he chose us in him here in verses 4 and 5. Even as he chose us in him, he chose us.

Speaker 1: 8:29

Jesus told his disciples in John 15, 16, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. You and I could do nothing apart from Jesus to bear fruit and please God. He had to choose us and gift us with the Holy Spirit so that we could ask the Father for what we need and be fruitful and bear much spiritual fruit. John 15, 5, I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you could do nothing. By this he is glorified and we are filled with his joy. That is the best win-win situation you could ever ask for. You were picked to be on the winning team and then given power from above to play so that you can't lose. Do you understand how profound that is? If you haven't thought of it yet, you should have asked what did I do to deserve this, to have God choose, save and empower me so that my joy may be full in Him? And that's a great question. And the answer is that you didn't do anything deserving of it. You weren't able to, as you will see when we get into chapter 2 of Ephesians, because you were enslaved to sin and unable to please God.

Speaker 1: 9:41

Now, romans, chapter 8, verse 6. 8 says for to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. That refers to all of us, when we were once in the flesh. It requires a spirit-filled life to please God, and only God gives us that spirit so that we could be pleasing to him. Not only does he choose us and give us all we need. But he did this choosing before the foundations of the world were laid, showing that he is from before time. Before God created anything, he knew us and purposed a particular life for us, that he would be glorified in us and that we would be satisfied in him.

Speaker 1: 10:33

Psalm 139.16,. Your eyes saw my unformed substance. In your book were written every one of them, the days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them. Jeremiah, chapter 1, verses 4 to 5. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you, I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Romans, chapter 8, verses 28 to 30. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good For those who are called according to his purpose, for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called. And those whom he called he also justified. And those whom he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified he also glorified.

Speaker 1: 11:29

Now some will say this calling is for people with a specific call from God and doesn't apply to all believers. For example, they will say this refers to apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and pastors, but not the everyday person who believes in Jesus. Now, let me stop you here if that is how you think, as that couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is that these gifted individuals were given to the church to equip the saints. They are a gift to you. They are not to be exalted and seen as someone who God calls to do his work so that we can justify why we don't. No, they are given so that we can be equipped to do the work, so that we can justify why we don't. No, they are given so that we can be equipped to do the work he has for us.

Speaker 1: 12:10

Now, what work is that, you ask? Well, ephesians 2, 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. For here it is good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Isaiah 43, 7. Everyone who was called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. We are called to glorify him in all that we do. Wherever we are, we are the light that goes into the world to speak of his glory. We are the light that goes into the world to speak of his glory. That's why we need to be equipped to know who he is and what he says, so that we can share that with the world. 1 Corinthians 7 20.

Speaker 1: 12:53

Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. When God saved you, it was at an appointed time and place, with a purpose. God did not screw this up and get it wrong. He knew exactly what he was doing and prepared you for a time like this to be who you are, what you are, where you are. We often look for our calling after God saves us, as if we should leave our jobs and enter the mission field. That may be the case for some, but most of us are already in the mission field. God wants us in Now.

Speaker 1: 13:26

If you are a lawyer, then be a God-glorifying lawyer. A doctor, a waitress, bus driver or a cable man, then be that for the glory of God, until you are fired for praising him, or he makes it clear where you should go from there. Some people will have jobs they need to leave because of sin generated by that place, but most will be able to stay right where they are and be a light in that dark place. Matthew 5, 14-16. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house In the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.

Speaker 1: 14:14

Now, everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is a light in this dark, lost world. Now that means you have a purpose and that God turned your light on in a dark place to shine his light into it. What other purpose would our light have if it wasn't to shine into a dark place and reveal to those in the darkness which way they should go? Could you imagine being stuck in a dark room that's on fire and filled with smoke, with a friend who is a professional firefighter and he says I need to get out of this place because it's dark and filled with smoke that is going to kill me. Then he gets up and leaves, using his skill to get out of danger and into safety, leaving you there to die. That's what Christians are doing every day in this world. We leave our friends and family in a burning world and do not show them the way out when we know the way.

Speaker 1: 15:02

Now, how can this be? Is the love of God in you, and have you been equipped to go into this lost world to save those who are about to burn up? If the answer is no, then you're probably not saved. If the answer is yes, the love of God is in you, but I haven't. You know it's in me, but I haven't been equipped. I'm telling you right now that's not an excuse. There are ample resources from great teachers worldwide for our equipping Now. Do you belong to a church? If not, why not? That is God's primary way of equipping the saints, as we will see in the coming chapters. When we get to that, we will discuss how to find a good Bible teaching church and what you should do to be equipped Now. God has prepared you from before the foundations of the world to shine his light into the dark places we currently find ourselves in. So stop looking for where you should go and look to those around you who are suffocating and dying right in front of you and do something about it.

Speaker 1: 16:04

Now, in verse 5, it says he predestined us for adoption. Most of us understand how adoption works and, again, the one being adopted that's, us has no say in who adopts us. That's why Paul said he chose us and not that we chose him. That is further reflected in the vocabulary Paul decides to use in adoption. Honestly, anyone reading this plainly should understand this you were adopted not by your choice, but by his. This is with purpose, as we just saw, and was made possible through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, according to the purpose of his will. Again, what's his will? To glorify himself through his son Jesus and those who believe in him, the adopted sons. That is how we are blessed. Not that we need anything, because we have everything through him. Who called us so that we could be fruitful and glorify him? Who predestined us from before the foundations of the world? Don't ever forget this. That is the central truth. The devil will always try to rob you of, so that you don't walk with confidence in the one who called you. You have a purpose. You are loved and are secure in your Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 1, 21 to 22. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Speaker 1: 17:43

I want to answer another question most likely bouncing around in your head right now. If we are chosen, then does that mean that God desires for some to go to hell? The simple answer is no. God does not desire any to go to hell. 2 Peter 3.9,. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. God desires all to be saved, but not all will. So is God powerful enough to save all? If this is his desire, the answer is yes, god is powerful enough. So then, why doesn't God save all if he can, and has he even made a way for all to be saved? We will look at Romans, chapter 9, to understand why, but first you have to remember this before we go there God's desire is to be glorified and to reveal all of himself to his children so that we can have full joy in him.

Speaker 1: 18:48

If there was no sin, fall from grace, sickness, wars and poverty, how could we ever know the great riches of God's mercy, forgiveness, grace, victory, love and so on. There is a whole other side of God that he wants to reveal to us so that we truly know the depths of his love, and it is only through a fallen world that this is possible. Had Adam and Eve never disobeyed, what would they have known of God? Would they have ever known of his goodness? Not having anything to compare it to, they became aware of good and evil when they ate of the tree's fruit. Most people missed that. They think it was just evil they became aware of. But look again, it was both good and evil, genesis 3.22.

Speaker 1: 19:40

Now, before the fall, man had no comprehension of good and evil and no way of good and evil and no way of knowing all the attributes of God. His plan will always be to glorify himself and make himself known to his creation. For that to be accomplished, there had to be a fall and a redemption, otherwise how could we know God completely? That includes forgiveness, mercy, grace and his divine power. Not only is God fully revealed, but those who are redeemed take part in his glory. We experience and feel what God does as he lives in us, so that we can take part in his divine nature. By this he is exalted as it produces praise from us.

Speaker 1: 20:26

2 Peter, 1.4. By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Moving on to Ephesians 1.7-10, in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespass, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him, things in heaven, things on earth. Now the problem people have with God choosing us is that they think this makes God responsible for the fall of man and therefore unjust, if this is the case. But that is not what Scripture teaches. It says we are accountable for our sins, not God teaches. It says we are accountable for our sins, not God. Yes, god made it possible for us to sin, knew we would sin, but in no way caused us to sin.

Speaker 1: 21:34

Let's return to that scenario, with us in that burning room, with a friend who knows how to get out. Let's bring a little more context to the story. You probably never thought about how that fire started, did you? Of course not, because it wasn't relevant for the context given, but now it is. We don't just walk into a burning room for no good reason. We likely find ourselves in trouble because we created the problem or someone else did.

Speaker 1: 21:53

Let's assume the story started with you in a perfectly designed room with everything you need to survive and live a joyful life. One of the things you would have found in that room maybe would have been matches to start a fire so that you could stay warm and cook food. But maybe you were given instructions not to throw those matches in the trash, or else you would set the room on fire. Were the matches bad? Was the fire bad? Was what the fire created in the fireplace bad? No, but what happened when you threw the lit match in the trash after starting a fire in the proper place? You set the room on fire and now needed to be rescued. Was it the fault of the person who created the matches that the room was on fire? Of course not. It was yours. However, jesus is in the room with us after we do such a stupid thing and knows how to rescue us from the fire. He had an escape plan from before the foundations of the world, just like an escape plan you might find in a building in case of a fire. Now, does that prove that someone wanted the building to catch on fire? Absolutely not. You will often find many safety measures to prevent such a calamity, but that doesn't mean the building can't catch fire.

Speaker 1: 23:05

The building and that room represented everything you needed to live and have an excellent, full life in a relationship with the one who built it. When God built this world, he gave us everything we needed to have a full, purposeful relationship with him. He didn't create robots, but he did create people with the will to make choices within the boundaries of a created world. He gave us everything for our pleasure and told us how to use it and what to do with it, including what not to do, like the instructions to not throw a lit match in the trash. He said don't eat of the tree of knowledge or you will surely die. The tree had a purpose in the world's creation and played a part in our relationship with God Some call this free will and that it allowed us to choose to love God without being forced, making it possible to have a genuine relationship with our creator that wasn't coerced.

Speaker 1: 23:54

The only problem with this scenario is that we don't see this problem in Adam's relationship with God before the fall. In no way does that tree being there seem to cause Adam to stumble over his relationship with God. It's not until Eve is deceived by this serpent that we have a problem. It took coercion to get Adam and Eve to eat. We know that Satan is the father of all lies and a deceiver and was cunning in getting Eve to eat the fruit John 8, 44. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Now we could easily ask the question why didn't God make Adam and Eve smart enough to outwit Satan like Jesus did in the wilderness? Or why not put the tree out of reach where they couldn't reach it? Why have the tree to tempt them at all? We have to assume the tree played some part in God's original creation, because he called everything very good and the tree was there when he said that. I also don't think the tree or the fruit of the tree tempted them. Scripture makes it clear that it was Satan who tempted them. Nothing in them was corrupted or bad that made them disobey. It was a source from outside them.

Speaker 1: 25:04

Let's return to that room and assume we had everything, including the matches, except this time. We have been trained to use the matches and are proficient in using them correctly. We have someone over and he suggests another way to use the matches we never even considered. He says you know, if you lit the trash on fire, you will warm the house twice as fast and get rid of the trash simultaneously. You might even say but I was told not to use the matches this way. And your visitor says well, I do it all the time and it works for me. So believe in your visitor.

Speaker 1: 25:34

You throw the lit match in the trash. Initially it looks like it works, until it gets out of control and becomes too hot, the trash can melts, and so on. Had the visitor never shown up too hot, the trash can melts, and so on. Had the visitor never shown up, you would have never done such a thing, but you did nonetheless and you were the one who threw the lit match in the trash, the one who told you might have given you the thought, but you are responsible for acting on that thought. That shows we are accountable for our sins, even though we were deceived into sinning in the first place. It seems to indicate that Satan is ultimately responsible for our sins, even though we were deceived into sinning in the first place. It seems to indicate that Satan is ultimately responsible for our sins, as he deceived us.

Speaker 1: 26:10

But let us take it a little further. God created Satan, who was one of the highest ranking angels in heaven. We aren't given much detail about how and why angels could or were allowed to fall, but we are told they did. In either case, they also are created beings and if God knows all things, then he knew Satan would fall and deceive Eve in the garden, making him the responsible one for the whole scenario. Again, we see this play out in Genesis 3, 12-13. The man said the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate. Then the Lord God said to the woman what is? The man said you make me like this. It's your fault, I wanted to be like you and fell, and that I desire to lie and destroy all that you created and love. But he didn't. Not once in scripture do we see the blame put on God for the fall of Satan. The fall is totally, 100% Satan's fault and his responsibility from the beginning. If it were not so, don't you think he would have spoken up when Adam and Eve did? But he didn't. He kept his mouth shut before the Lord because God was blameless. Again, we don't know how this works out in the heavenly realm, but we do know that the fall is not God's fault and instead the fall is entirely on the shoulders of Satan.

Speaker 1: 27:38

The second point about us not having free will is that universal laws, like gravity, bind us. These laws limit all of our decisions, regardless of how much we want to bend or break them. Only God truly has free will, as he can bend or break these universal laws as he sees fit. All of his thoughts come from within him and there is nothing or no one that influences him in any way. Isaiah 45, 5,. Isaiah 55.8. So, whatever the reason or cause for Satan's fall, we know that it wasn't God's fault and it was Satan's. So why did God create Satan if he knew he was going to fall.

Speaker 1: 28:27

I believe this gets us to the answer we seek in Romans 9. Considering that we know it's not God's fault for sin and that we don't have free will, what else could the reason be? So let's look at Romans 9, 14 to 23. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means, for he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh for this very purpose, I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

Speaker 1: 29:18

Verse 17 is the most straightforward answer in all of scripture as to why God did what he did. Now, this is talking about Pharaoh, but can just as easily be applied to Satan, as he is also a created being. Everyone is made for a purpose, but not all have the same purpose, as we saw Verse 17,. For this very purpose I have raised you up that I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. That's the key to understanding. Every person or angel has been created for either mercy or wrath, in which God is glorified by his name being proclaimed on all the earth.

Speaker 1: 29:53

So then, how can God find fault with anyone? I'm glad you asked because Paul answers that in Romans 9, 19-23. You will say to me then, why does he still find fault For who can resist his will? But who are you, o man, to answer back to God? Well, what does molded say to its molder? Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory, for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory? There it is. It's for his glory that he did all that he did and he presumed.

Speaker 1: 30:46

We want to understand that, even after he told us, only our sin gets in the way of accepting that truth. We don't want the people we love going to hell and we can't stand the thought of God choosing them for that purpose. But here's the thing God desires all men to be saved, and you don't know who he has chosen. So get to work, christian, on reclaiming his name in this world, because that is why you were created.

Speaker 1: 31:12

In addition to us being concerned about lost people not being chosen by God, why is it that you are not concerned about the fall of Satan? Why doesn't anyone ever ask why can't Satan be saved? How is that fair? Why are we concerned that some people are going to hell, but we aren't concerned that Satan is as well? It's because we aren't worried about anyone going to hell, and it's more about us wanting the choice for ourselves. We don't want to hear that our destiny is in God's hands. We want it in ours.

Speaker 1: 31:41

What you don't realize is that it was in your hands and you chose sin over righteousness, death over life. If that doesn't show the power sin has over us, I don't know. What does we want what we want, and we do not want God to choose it for us, even though he only desires good for those who love him Romans 8, 28. And we know that for those who love God. All things work together, for God chose you for adoption so that you would glorify him and praise his name. If you don't believe that, then maybe you were created so that those who were saved would see God's wrath poured out and know that they were saved from, know that what they were saved from, so that they would praise his name throughout eternity. The truth is, we all deserve to be cast into hell, and God would be just for doing so If he desires to save some and not others. When we can agree none deserve to be saved, why do we have a problem with that?

Speaker 1: 32:43

Let us praise God for the favor he has shown us, knowing what we deserve and, more than that, knowing what he has promised us, that we can have the fullness of joy in Christ Jesus. If you love the Lord, you have been chosen by him and for him, and your life is beyond meaningful. Never let anyone rob you of that joy, and praise him all your days. Ephesians 1, 11-14. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him, who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Now Paul finishes promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. Paul finishes his initial thought by reiterating what we just covered in verses 1 to 10. We are in him because he chose us according to the counsel of his will before the foundations of the world were laid, which is predestined, meaning it was planned and purposed before any action was taken, so that we might be to the praise of his glory. That means we would be the ones who praise him, talk about him and exalt him to everyone, everywhere, and it says that this is for his glory.

Speaker 1: 34:10

Now, verse 13 says when you heard the word of truth and believed. The when in that statement has made many believe. It indicates choice on our part and that when we chose to believe, we were saved and given the Holy Spirit the promise and guarantee of our salvation. However, when we look at the text, we see that it doesn't say we choose. Up to this point, paul made it clear that God was the one choosing, not us. So why does it seem to change in verse 13? Because our belief was the evidence of his choosing. That happened at a specific moment in time for us, but was predetermined by God before the foundations of the world. That would be the moment we were born again, not by flesh and blood, but by the Spirit of God. The fact that you confessed Jesus as your Savior and repented of your sins was the initial evidence of your new birth in the Spirit. Nothing of you caused that, as we also see in verse 13. You believed because you first heard. You heard because God sent people to tell you and you received it, not because you were intellectually convinced, but because the Spirit gave you ears to hear and eyes to see.

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Ephesians 2, 7 and 9. So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. Been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. John 1, 12 to 13. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Speaker 1: 36:08

John 3, 5, do not marvel that. I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Jesus clarifies that being born again is like your first birth in the flesh. He uses the same context to tell Nicodemus that spiritual birth comes like the wind and that you don't know where it came from or where it's going. However, he also said the wind blows and you hear it sound. That is evidence that something took place. When a baby is born, it cries and you know it is alive. When you are born in the spirit, you will glorify God by praising him, and that is a noise you have never made before, and people will hear it and not know where it came from. They won't understand what changed because they never saw it coming, nor did you. The proof that something did happen is that you now make a sound that glorifies God.

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As I said, you only heard because they were sent and God gave you ears to hear. Romans 10, 15. And how are they to preach unless they are sent, as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news Matthew 13, 13-17. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says you will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have been closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes for they see, in your ears for they hear, for truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. If you have heard this message, it's only because God gave you ears to hear and gave me a tongue to speak. It's all because of him and it's all for him.

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There is nothing of yourself that you can offer to God that will complete him, because God is complete and fully satisfied within himself. We are his workmanship, in which he shares his glory. That it may be unto the praise of him. We are the instruments he created to proclaim his greatness. In so doing, we experience the fullness of his joy in us. Instruments do not play themselves. They require a musician that knows what he is doing. God knows what he created us for and desires to use us for that purpose. The musician is the Holy Spirit in you. All we have to do is yield to him. When we do, he will orchestrate the most beautiful results beyond anything we could produce. When we allow ourselves to be what we were meant to be, we will find the greatest joy and purpose for our lives that exists in him.

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John Piper says in his book Glorifying God the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. And God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him. This is precisely where Paul wants to lead us in Ephesians. He desires that the fullness of our joy is found in God and him alone. As we go through this epistle, we will see that this is a repetitive theme that Paul doesn't want us to miss. I desire that we can explore the words of Paul, that we can all enter into the full joy of the Lord as we live a life glorifying him.

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Let's pray, father. God, thank you so much for our listeners today. I thank you for your word I today. I thank you for your word. I thank you for the understanding of your word. I thank you for the clarity of your word. I thank you for the purpose that you have given us and placed in our lives, that you have called us, that you have chosen us, that you have adopted us, that you have predestined us to a very specific place and time and work so that we may praise you and that you may be glorified. Father, I pray that you open the eyes and the ears of our listeners today, that they would hear your word and see your word, that they would be moved by your Holy Spirit, god, to move in the good works that you have for them. Father, we love you and we thank you in your precious name, jesus, amen. I want to thank you again for joining us today, as I hope this message helped you take a step closer in your relationship with Jesus and that you have a better understanding for just how much God loves you and wants you to know him.

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In our next episode, we're going to discuss the importance of gratitude as we explore verses 15 to 23 to conclude chapter 1. Paul not only established churches, but he also continued to pray for their spiritual growth and express gratitude to God for the spiritual blessings bestowed upon them. Paul understood that for the church to thrive, it requires sound biblical teaching, spiritual gifts and believers who pray. This forms the basis of a healthy community and it's something we should all be committed to Achieving. This goes beyond the role of pastors. It necessitates everyone being faithful with their gifts, as we will see in the upcoming chapters.

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The question is are you ready to live your life in accordance with God's will, or will you continue to pursue your own desires? Before we go, I want to encourage you to visit us at thetakeawayfaith. On our website, you can learn more about us and sign up to receive emails for notifications about new episodes and ministry updates. You can also easily share our podcast and use it as a resource to help others. Feel free to send us a message, a word of encouragement or any questions or comments, as we would love to hear from you. God bless, and we'll see you next time on the Takeaway.