Tag Archives: Election

Great Power, Great Consolation

12 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in Sermons

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Ephesians 1:19

Paul’s prayer for illumination for the Ephesians contains a very surprising and thrilling request as he prayed that the Ephesians would come to know God’s great power at work in them. Five different words are used to unpack the dimensions of God’s power operative in believers, while in verse 20 a case from history, Christ’s resurrection and heavenly exaltation, are cited as tangible examples of just what kind of enormous things this power can accomplish. Believers, armed with a sense of awareness about this power, will have consolation to know that not only will they arrive at the promised and hoped for heavenly inheritance but also that their earthly struggles against spiritual forces of darkness will not end in failure.

Download MP3

We Have Received An Inheritance

22 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in Sermons

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Ephesians 1:11-12

Paul hardly mentions the grace of eternal inheritance, before he passes on quickly to underscore its sovereign administration to us. Five different terms are used to highlight the sovereignty of God in his plans, purposes, operations, and distributions. Where one term by itself could have adequately conveyed divine sovereignty, Paul uses many terms to amplify God’s power and plans. The opening phrase of v12 accounts for this heaping up of terms as Paul discloses the purpose of God’s administration of the grace of inheritance when he declares that it was for the purpose of God’s glory. Paul’s basic message is that divine sovereignty is overwhelmingly exercised in administering grace in order order to secure the broader of aim of magnifying the glory of God.

Download MP3

Chosen Before the Foundation of the World

27 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by in Sermons

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love. – Ephesians 1:4

“Just as” grammatically connects the thought of verse 4 to verse 3 and thereby traces the divine administration of spiritual grace, referred to in verse 3, to the fountain of the sovereign election of sinners by God the Father in eternity past. Paul makes it clear that election is of individuals, in Christ, in eternity past, unto holiness and blamelessness. It is clear that Paul’s construction of the doctrine of election cannot be construed as a corporate election of the church, apart from the election of specific individuals, unto salvation in Christ and it cannot be interpreted to refer to an election based upon the divine foreknowledge of some individuals who God knew in advance would believe, repent, and persevere in faith. According to the structure of Paul’s thought, the sovereign election of individuals in Christ secures the temporal administration of grace and entitles believers to full assurance of salvation as they contemplate their election in Christ.

Download MP3