SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
                                  EPH 1:1-14
I.  SALUTATION
    A.   FROM PAUL AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST  (vs1)
             1.By the will of God
             2.To the saints which are at Ephesus
             3.And to the faithful in Christ Jesus
    B.   PAUL WISHES GRACE AND PEACE TO THE READERS  (vs2)
             1.Grace and peace from God our Father
             2.Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ
II. INTRODUCTION OF THE BLESSINGS  (vs3)
    A.   PAUL BLESSES GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
    B.   GOD HAS BLESSED US
             1.With all spiritual blessings
             2.In heavenly places
             3.In Christ
III.ELECTION  (vs4-6)
    A.   THE FATHER CHOSE US  (vs4)
             1.In Christ
             2.Before the foundation of the world
             3.That we should be holy
             4.That we should be without blame
             5.That we should be before Him
                            a.In his sight
                            b.How God sees us (holy, blameless)
             6.In love
             7.If the Father chose us in Christ, then the choice that leads to salvation
               is outside ourselves.
          B.   THE FATHER PREDESTINED US  (vs5)
             1.He adopted us -- Who was our previous Father?
             2.We are children, sons, not robots
             3.By the work of Christ (poor analogy: Christ is adoption social worker)
             4.According to the good pleasure of God's will
                            a.vs4 says we did not exist when God chose to predestine us
                                                (1)excludes all work, effort, choice etc. on our part
                                                (2)excludes all cause outside of God (God's will)
                                                (3)excludes any influence of the mind of God to choose you
                            b.God's eternal good pleasure is the only cause
                                                (1)men who object are trying to overturn God's eternal purpose
                                                (2)some object saying God foresaw belief
                            c.All men are lost in Adam
                                                (1)God had to rescue us by His own election
                                                (2)there was nothing to be foreseen
    C.   THE FATHER MADE US ACCEPTED
             1.To praise the glory of His grace
             2.Grace made us accepted in the Son
IV. REDEMPTION  (vs7-10)
    A.   OUR REDEMPTION IS IN CHRIST  (vs7)
             1.Through the blood of Christ (Atonement)
                            a.Includes the forgiveness of sins/guilt (not guilt feelings)
                            b.According to the riches of His grace
             2.It abounds in God's wisdom and understanding given to us (vs8)
                            a.The gospel is perfect wisdom
                            b.This is why we can hate false doctrine, philosophy, psychology etc.
             3.He has revealed His will to us (no longer a mystery)  (vs9)
                         4.It's all according to God's pleasure and purpose
    B.   THE TIME OF OUR REDEMPTION IS IN GOD'S PURPOSE  (vs10)
             1.God determined when Gentiles learned of their salvation
             2.Outside of redemption is confusion
             3.God gathers us together in true unity in Christ
V.  INHERITANCE  (vs11-14)
    A.   GOD CONTROLS OUR INHERITANCE  (vs11)
             1.Our inheritance is predestined
             2."Who worketh all things" -- God does it all
             3."The counsel of His own will" -- is the cause
    B.   GOD'S CONTROL PRAISES HIS GLORY  (vs12)
             1.His will is the cause of those being predestined
             2.God's glory shines in us as He controls us
    C.   WE TRUST IN GOD'S CONTROL (TRUST = BELIEVE)  (vs13)
             1.The Ephesians trusted in Christ as did Paul and the Jewish Christians
                            a.Both groups have the same faith/trust
                            b.Ephesians trusted after hearing the Gospel preached
                            c.There is no truth outside of the Word of Truth (God's Word & Gospel)
             2.The Ephesians were sealed in Christ
                            a.Seals give authenticity and identify the writer
                            b.This means true conviction is not feelings  (on and off again)
                            c.The Holy Spirit makes preaching efficacious (affects your
                    conscience)
                                                (1)Holy Spirit enlightens your intellect, confirms your thinking
                                                (2)Beginning of faith is knowledge, not feeling
                                                (3)Saving faith is believing the knowledge of the Gospel--the
                         preached Word of Truth
          D.   GOD'S CONTROL GUARANTEES OUR INHERITANCE
             1.God's Spirit is also God's promise
             2.God's Spirit promises to redeem His Church (Purchased Possession)
             3.God's Spirit, while sealing us, proclaims God's glory

                                    SUMMARY
Paul an apostle by the will of God
God the Father blessed us
He hath chosen us
having predestinated us
according to the good pleasure of His will
the glory of His grace
He hath made us accepted
we have redemption through His blood
made known unto us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure
which He hath purposed
He might gather together in one
Predestinated according to the purpose of Him
after the counsel of His own will
praise of His glory

Predestination is an eternal, unchangeable decree of God.

If a larger theme of Ephesians is unity, then predestination, election and all the blessings
discussed must be an important part of that unity.

Denying predestination implies a lack of unity.

Denying predestination does not mean the one who objects is not a Christian, but it does
hinder the unity with the Biblical Creed of Christian Doctrine.

It denies the glory of God in salvation. It implies a lack of unity that closely relates to
the gospel.

The unity of our fellowship is to be centered around the gospel. Paul uses the first 14
verses of his letter to emphasize God's Sovereignty in the gospel.

We should likewise be concerned about emphasizing the Sovereignty of God with other men who
claim to be believers. Paul's letter was to believers, not unbelievers.

In today's Commercial Religion predestination is not taught. And if it is mentioned, it is
usually misrepresented and misunderstood.

Paul says God the Father has blessed us with all these spiritual blessings. Let's count our