Explore the rich themes of Ephesians with Dr. John Kyle as he uncovers the apostle Paul’s insights on predestination and inheritance. Learn about the spiritual realities Christians encounter as individuals who are ‘In Christ,’ and how this paradigm shift impacts their everyday lives. Gain inspiration from scriptural truths and discover your permanent spiritual address in Christ.
Welcome to Expository Truths, where we exalt Christ by bringing clarity of truth through the scriptures with Dr. John Kyle, pastor of Faith Community Church in Vacaville. As Christians, we’re called to know the truth and be able to proclaim it. We can know truth when we know the Word of God, which is precise, without error, and powerful and effective for both salvation and spiritual growth. Enjoy digging deeply with Dr. Kyle as he takes us verse by verse through the powerful book of Ephesians, giving us a marvelous summary of the good news of Christ and its implications for our daily lives.
SPEAKER 02 :
Please turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 verses 11 and 12. Ephesians 1, 11, and 12. The letter of Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul to the faithful saints living in the city of Ephesus. Paul wrote this while he was under house arrest in Rome in about AD 62. And he wrote it to lay a proper doctrinal foundation for these believers so they could then live out those doctrines for the glory of God. We now find ourselves in the doctrinal section of this book that’s found in chapters 1 through 3. It’s very interesting because this doctrinal section begins with one single sentence in the original language, the Greek, a sentence that consists of 202 words, and a sentence that’s 12 verses long, verses 3 through 14. More than anything else, this is an attempt to use a whole lot of words to praise God for His divine plan. And it’s as if Paul can’t contain the love and the praise that he has for God. So he just rattles off these 202 inspired words that are filled with incredible truths about what God has done for the believer. And it’s only at the end of verse 14 that Paul stops and takes a breath. Up to this point, Paul has praised God for choosing us for himself, for predestining us for adoption, for making us acceptable in the beloved, for redeeming us, for forgiving us of all our sin as believers, for showering us with undeserved grace, and for ensuring for us that the best really is yet to come, all of which are incredible reasons to praise God. But look, there’s more. There’s Look, 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. Now here we see some more amazing reasons to praise and to bless our amazing God. Look, first, in Him we have an inheritance. Note how in Him is very significant in verses 3-14. Look, in Christ… is mentioned in verse 3 verse 10 and then in verse 12 and then in him is mentioned in verse 4 verse 7 verse 10 verse 11 and then in verse 13 so again being in him being in christ is very significant so i guess the question is what does it mean it means that you’re a christian it means that christ has transformed your life and made you new by grace through faith in him Previously, you were in Adam, but now you are in Christ, and He changes everything. Anybody? right? He changes everything. See, He makes us new. He forgives us of all our sin that condemns us. He rescues us from wrath. He was punished for our sin as believers on the cross, so we wouldn’t have to be punished for that sin forever in hell. He changes everything because of what He, God the Son, did when He came, lived a perfect life, died on the cross as our substitutionary atonement, and rose up from the dead three days later. And look, For everyone who believes on him in repentant faith as Lord and Savior, everything changes. And don’t we know it? Everything. And so, to be in Christ means that we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for all our sin. It means that God sees the righteousness of His own Son when He looks at us as believers. It means that we love Him for who He is and for what He has done. It means that He is our true Father and we are His saved sons and daughters. It means that we are Christians. It means that we are true believers in Christ. Not in anything else. No. In Christ. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5.17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. So, being in Him means that things for you… And that’s exactly correct. See, in him defines the saints’ eternal permanent spiritual location. It describes our position and our new sphere of existence. It means that the Christian isn’t just someone who believes in Christ, but the Christian is in a very real sense in Christ. We belong to Him. We are united with Him. We are joined to Him. A good illustration of this is the body. As Paul says, you’re the body of Christ and you’re members of one another. And in chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul’s going to use that very example. That tells us that being a Christian not only means that you’re a believer in Christ, but that you are joined to him, that you are intimately united with him. That he is now our life, our strength, our sufficiency, our all in all. See, in Christ is our permanent location. It’s our address. It means that the Christian lives in Christ as a bird in the air, as a fish in the water, as roots of a tree are in the soil. William Barclay puts it like this. A Christian always moves in two spheres. He has in a certain place in this world, but he also is in Christ. He lives in two dimensions. He lives in this world whose duties he does not treat lightly, but above and beyond that, he lives in Christ. In this world, he may move from place to place, but wherever he is, he is in Christ. That’s why outward circumstances make little difference to the Christian. His peace and his joy are not dependent on them, and that’s absolutely right. He concludes, we are in our own Ephesus, but we’re all in Christ and it is Christ who sets the tone of our living. And I say amen to that. And that’s what being a Christian is. See, Christ isn’t just a part of our lives. No, Christ is our life. And when we truly consider who He is and what He has done for us in rescuing us from eternity in hell, in forgiving us of all our sin that condemns us, and then in dying for us to redeem us, how could He not be our all in all? So being in Christ means that we are His and He is ours. And we love Him with passion because of that. And the attitude is, how could He not be my all in all? Is that your attitude towards Him today? So look, in Christ, what? We have obtained an inheritance. It’s very interesting because in the original language, it isn’t clear if we, deep thought, if we are the inheritance or if we receive the inheritance. Now, both of those things are biblically true, so let’s look at them. The first rendering would indicate that we, believers, are Christ’s inheritance, which is an absolutely remarkable thought. Jesus repeatedly spoke of believers as gifts that the Father had given to him. One said, Jesus won us at Calvary as the spoils of his victory over Satan, sin, and death, and we now belong to him. How good is that? That we are the spoils of his victory. Malachi 3.17 says, And they will be mine, says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I prepare my own possession. Mine. We are his. Or as Isaiah 43, 1 says, which applies to every Christian today. But now thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. That’s an incredible thought. It tells us that from eternity past, the Father planned and determined that every person who would trust in his Son for salvation, every one of his chosen ones, they would be given to his son as a possession, as a glorious inheritance. Again, what a deep thought were his. Lord, help us to live worthy of this more and more and more. Lord, help us to represent him well and to honor him with the short precious time we have left here. I mean, if I am his inheritance, think about that. If I am his inheritance, then I want to be an inheritance that’s going to be well-pleasing in his sight. Anyone? Right? The second way of looking at this is also biblically true. And I think this is what Paul is specifically referring to here in verse 11. That we in Christ have obtained an inheritance. Paul says we have obtained it, which means that it’s sure and that it’s certain. Right? Now that’s all that Paul says about the inheritance here, but Peter helps us out in 1 Peter 1.4 when he says that we have an inheritance, what? Incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away. And look, it’s reserved in heaven for us. Know that the word inheritance can refer to a property already received as well as one that is expected. That tells us that as Christians, we are already experiencing in part what we will soon experience and receive in full. I mean, right now we in Christ are saved. Praise the Lord. We are delivered. We are redeemed. We are rescued from the deadly power of sin and its eternal results. And we also have the Spirit of God living inside of us who is a guarantee of what lay ahead for us. Verses 13 and 14. Next week. It’s incredible. But at the same time, we are also eagerly awaiting the full realization of our salvation, our future glorification in heaven, and the amazing inheritance that awaits us there. See, someday soon, we will experience the full blessings of that inheritance, but not yet. But soon. Can’t wait. Think about that. The presence of God released from this body of flesh, eternal joy, peace, bliss, rewards, perfection, and life with our beloved and with one another, all of that is waiting for us in Christ. And that fact should encourage us today, even in the midst of trials, and it should cause us to bless and to praise our incredible God. See, for us in Christ, heaven is just around the corner. Come on. Come on, heaven is just around the corner. Now our real joys are future, but then they shall be present. Now we are daily struggling with sin, but then we’ll eternally triumph over sin. Now we toil along a hard and dusty pilgrim road, but then we’ll walk with the Lord Almighty. Now we’re surrounded by sin and sinners, but then we’ll dwell among the multitudes of redeemed sinners. the redeemed who have been made perfect now we deal with pain and loss and sin and trials and death but there there is no sickness there is no death there is no decay as first corinthians 2 9 says no eye has seen no ear has heard and no mind has imagined the things that god has prepared for those who love him that is a good reason to bless and praise god anyone Revelation 21.4, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Sound good? Look, Peter describes our future inheritance in four ways. First, he says that our future inheritance is incorruptible. Literally, this means that it will never perish, that it’s beyond the reach of change or decay. See, it’s abiding. It won’t crumble. It won’t fall away. It won’t fade. No. But it will endure forever. And good news, we will be there as Christians in that incorruptible place. And some of you have had loved ones who have gone and who are there right now. They’ve gone there recently. They’re experiencing this right now. Think about that. Notice how our heavenly inheritance is different than any earthly inheritance. I mean, earthly inheritances can be spent up and used. Money can waste away. Houses can burn and they won’t last. Things rust and decay and they never truly satisfy. And all earthly inheritances that are passed down from mothers and fathers are temporary. And when you die, you leave all those things behind. But when we became Christians… Our Father guaranteed an incorruptible inheritance for each of us, His beloved children. And that inheritance will last forever. It’ll never burn. It’ll never fade. And guess what? It will satisfy us for all eternity. How much better our heavenly inheritance. Look, our inheritance truly is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. It will always be new. It will never decay. No night ever comes. It will always be day, how it gladdens my heart with joy that’s untold, to think of the land where nothing grows old. Hey, that’s a good reason to praise God, right? Amen. Second, Peter says that our future inheritance is undefiled. That means that it’s without contamination. It’s unpolluted. It’s untainted. It’s unstained. It’s unsoiled. It’s without uncleanness or impurity. In other words, our heavenly inheritance is in its perfect condition, free from any spot of dirt or pollution. See, it has nothing in it that defiles and it’s free from any effect or influence that would cause it to lose its value. See, it can’t be cheapened in any way and it will not and it cannot disappoint us in any way either. Matthew Henry says that sin and misery, the two grand defilements that spoil this world and mar its beauty have no place there. Amen? Now think about that. Can you imagine being finally free from sin and all its tragic effects? I mean, think about that. Sin mars everything here. But there, there’s nothing there to corrupt, nothing to ruin, nothing to stain, nothing to hurt. No sin in heaven. And that thought should cause us to rejoice and to bless our amazing God. Third, our heavenly future inheritance is unfading. In other words, it’ll never dry up or wither out. It’ll never lose its pristine quality or character. No, but our inheritance is like a flower that cannot wither. But it’s always in bloom and never loses its color or fragrance. We won’t get bored in heaven. Don’t worry about that, okay? You won’t get bored in heaven. We won’t get used to it. We won’t get too accustomed to it. It will always awe us and wow us for all eternity. It’ll never suffer variation in value, glory, or beauty. It’s time-proof. It can’t wear out, nor can it disappoint us in any way. As one commentator said, The crown of glory, though worn for millions of ages, will not be dimmed. The golden streets will lose none of their luster. The flowers that bloom on the banks of the river of life will always be as rich in color and as fragrant as when we first beheld them. And also, again, our awe of being there with our Lord will always remain the same. Perpetual awe, wonder, praise, and joy. So no, you won’t get bored in heaven. No, no. But even after you’ve been there for a million years, it’ll be like the first day you arrived. And you’re going there. If you’re a Christian, we’re going there. Anybody excited for that? Because you should be. Another great reason to bless God today. Fourth, Peter tells us that our future inheritance is reserved in heaven for us. The word reserve means to keep an eye on, to keep something in view, to attend carefully, and to watch over it. And here we find that our inheritance is being kept, held, and preserved for a definite purpose and for a suitable time. Interesting to note that the word reserved is in the perfect tense, which pictures a reservation made in the past. See, from God’s perspective, our reservation in heaven was made before the foundation of the world. But from our human perspective, it became a reality when we first believed. And this reservation is being held for us until our homecoming arrives. So it’s safe to say that our eternal inheritance as believers is secure. See, we can count on what’s waiting for us there. And that should bring great comfort and peace to our souls. And it should also cause us to bless and praise our amazing God who has so graciously given us these things. Think about it. Soon you’ll be home. Come on. That’s a fact if you’re a Christian. Soon this life will end and then glory. Glory. Soon your inheritance that’s being guarded will be yours. Soon eternal bliss will be your reality. Soon heaven. Soon. What else matters in light of that? That reality should fill us with constant praise for our amazing God. Why else should we praise and bless our God? Second, because He predestined us according to His purpose. Now that’s already been mentioned in verses 4 and 5, so why mention it again? Again. Because it’s so good. Because it’s a great reason to give praise and blessing to God. Many people today don’t think it’s a good reason to praise God. And the last thing that they want to do is talk about this doctrine. But that wasn’t Paul’s perspective at all. Not at all. He exalts this doctrine and he praises God for it. And so should we. The word predestined means to determine beforehand, and this ties in with being chosen or divinely elected by God. The idea is this, that in the counsels and purposes and good pleasure of God Almighty, He sovereignly chose the saints out of the mass of humanity, and He predetermined their destiny to be His beloved children. That before God had created anyone or anything, He decided that He would choose or elect or predestine some humans to be His adopted children. Look, since His chosen people along with the rest of humanity would fall into sin, God planned to save His children from that sin. And He also planned and predestined all the means to bring about their salvation. As one noted, He planned that Christ would redeem His chosen ones. He planned that the Holy Spirit would enlighten and enliven His chosen ones and call them to Christ. And he planned all the providential arrangements to make sure that each of his chosen ones would hear the gospel and receive Christ as Lord. God the Father gave this group of chosen ones, the elect, as a gift to Christ to be his people, his sheep, his bride. All of God’s elect will be saved and they are the only humans who will be saved. And biblically, that is accurate. This is what the Bible teaches and Paul praises and exalts God because of it. Now, as we noted a couple of weeks ago, the biblical teaching on this doctrine nullifies what people call universal election, which says that God chose everyone and people can then choose to reject or accept God after that. That is not what the Bible teaches. And in fact, the belief says the opposite of what the Bible teaches. People who assert that God has chosen everyone to be saved are trying to protect God from the accusations of being unfair. But here’s the thing. If God was fair, then no one would get saved because we all deserve wrath because of our sin. Note that there was no obligation on God’s part to predestine and choose and save anyone, but He freely chose some, and that’s evidence of His great grace. The real problem isn’t why He had not chosen some, but why He chose any. Whatever the case, if God has predestined and chosen everyone, then election is essentially meaningless since it accomplishes nothing, and this belief clearly isn’t what the Bible teaches. What Paul teaches here also nullifies that corridor or tunnel of time theory that some like to believe. This theory says that God looked down through the tunnel of time and saw who would believe and He then chose them based on them choosing Him. But that is not what the Bible teaches. Remember, the Bible is very clear that if we are left to ourselves, no one would ever repent of sin and no one would ever believe in Christ. None is righteous. No, not one. No one understands. No one. Seeks after God. All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless. No one does good. No, not one. Romans 3, 10 through 12. Why? Because the lost are dead in their sin. They are blinded in their sin. They are enslaved in their sin. Why? In that Romans passage, it’s almost as if God the Spirit anticipates the tunnel of time theory and says, God did look down through the tunnel of time searching for anyone who was righteous or anyone who would do good or anyone who would seek for God. He double-checked the tunnel. How many did He find? No one. But unless, because unless God chooses and awakens the spiritually dead, then no one will get saved. But good news, God does indeed choose and predestine some. And all that God chooses and awakens come to him in saving faith. That is what the Bible teaches. And Ephesians 1 makes that very clear. And again, Paul prays God for it more than once. You can struggle with this, right? And you can struggle with your understanding of how all this works out, but the issue isn’t, do I understand all of it? No, the issue is, what does the Bible say? This, he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. He predestined us to adoption. He predestined us according to his purpose, Ephesians chapter one. Now question, why would he do this? Answer, because. That’s why. According to his purpose. Or as Paul already said, according to the good pleasure of his will. So why? Here’s why. Because he wanted to. because it pleases God. That’s a deep thought. As one noted, the picture here is not of a grim Lord watching over the execution of his predetermined plan, but of a smiling father who is to be praised. He enjoys imparting his riches to his children. That’s right. So this act of free love is grounded totally in God himself, freely from his own goodwill. He wanted you. He wanted to save you. He wanted to adopt you as his own.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thanks for joining us for today’s exposition from the book of Ephesians on expository truths with Dr. John Kyle. Continue on with us next week at this same time. And to find this sermon in its entirety as well as other sermons, visit vacavillefaith.org. Faith Community Church seeks to exalt Christ by bringing clarity of truth through the scriptures with a commitment to glorifying God through the pure, deep, and reaching message of the gospel through faithful exposition. Pastor John is the preaching pastor at Faith Community Church of Vacaville, a seminary professor and a trainer of preaching pastors overseas. Join Faith Community Church for worship Sundays at 9 and 1045 a.m. located at 192 Bella Vista Road, Suite A in Vacaville. To learn more, visit vacavillefaith.org or call 707-451-2026. That’s vacavillefaith.org.
