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Who am I?  Why am I here? Where am I going?  These are the essential questions of humanity.  Science, religion and even politics attempt to answer these questions.  The answers to these questions shape our worldview, how do we see ourselves in the mirror?  The atheist sees himself as an accident, without purpose and meaning in a vast universe.  The pantheist sees himself as part of impersonal universe.  Paul reveals the answers to our purpose meaning in the first chapter of Ephesians.  

 

            He wants us to know who we are; we are the “adopted” sons (children) of the Creator of the universe.  We are so special infarct that before the universe was even made, He knew us and hand a plan for our lives.  We have an amazing future, an awesome eternity waiting for us. 

            However this future does not have to start at our death, it can start now, while we are alive in this world.  We can access the power of Christ, by our position we have in Him. The Lord has given us the Holy Spirit as down-payment of the redemption to come.  We can have heavenly power from our earthly position. We already have the blessing of our inheritance before the completion of the transaction.

 

Prologue

 ¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 
² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:1-2

 

(Vs. 1)

Paul:  Was writing this letter from prison to the believers at Ephesus, the time was about A.D. 60 at the early part of his Roman imprisonment.  The last time Paul saw the Ephesians, the elders, was on his return to Jerusalem at the end of the 3^rd Missionary journey in Acts 20:17-37. Paul warned the Ephesians “wolves” would come after them and even from among them people would arise speaking “perverse things”. Encouraging and informing his fellow “saints”, Paul wants them to know the victory and glory they possess in Jesus Christ, their position with the Creator of the universe. 

Apostle:  Paul was not one of the original 12 disciples, but he was appointed an apostle to the gentiles, born out of due season.

            The term “Apostle” ἀπόστολος means “a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders”, The term has mainly applied to the 12 disciples.  Paul was called to be apostle to the Gentiles by Christ; many feel he actually replaced Judas as the 12^th disciple.

1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), Galatians 1:1,2:8

 Will of God: Paul’s claim to apostle is not a “self-serving” claim, Jesus appointed Paul to this position, Paul was to represent the kingdom of God to the gentile world.  Ephesus was on the forefront of his evangelism.  Paul’s work in Ephesus served as a missionary model to reach lost people groups.

 Saints..in Ephesus: The subject of the letter were the saints in Ephesus.  What did Paul mean by saints?

The Greek term for saints is ἅγιος hagiosmeans to be separated, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God, sacred.  Paul was referring to all the “true” believers in Ephesus, not just a select group of individuals.  The word hagios is also translated Holy 161 times in the King James Bible (AV) and Saints 61 times.  What makes the saints at Ephesus “Holy”?  When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their savior, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit dwells in the believer (John14:7, 16:13). Unless the Spirit of God dwells in the believer, person cannot be saved, this is what it means to be “Born again”.

 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:3-5

 And faithful in Christ Jesus: This further defines the term saint, as being those who are positioned “In” Christ.  When a person puts faith in Christ, they are secured in Him and His saving work.  Everyone born in this world is a descendent of Adam; our fall is “in Adam”.  In Noah’s day, when the world was about to be judged with a flood, Noah was told to construct an Ark.  When the floods came, Noah and his family went into the Ark, they were “In” the ark when the floods came, they shielded from God’s wrath because of their position in the ark.  In the same way, when we come to Christ through faith, we enter the ark of Christ; we are “in Christ”.

 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.     Matthew 24:37-39

(Vs.2)

Grace and peace:  These two terms are dynamically linked to each other.  It through God’s Grace, we have peace with God.  The word grace in Greek is χάρις  (charis), means that which affords, joy, pleasure, delight, joy or charm, we get the word “charismatic” from it. Jesus came to die for the sins of the world as an extension of God’s Grace. When someone comes to Christ, they are given peace with God; God judgment for sin has been satisfied in the work of Christ.  Peace εἰρήνη (eirēnē)means harmony between individuals, concord.  Christ death on the Cross, has given the believer “Peace” with God, because God’s judgment is satisfied with the blood of Christ.

Father and ....Lord Jesus Christ:  The greeting is from both the Father and Son to the saints.  In this letter Paul goes on to show the dynamic aspect of the “Third” person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer as God’s down-payment and guarantee (Eph. 1:13-14) of the redemption to come.

 

Redemption in Christ

   
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 1:3

 (Vs.3)

Blessed us:  People often receive a “benefit” to their favor and luck or fortune is often given the credit. These terms means events are “random” and could be both good and bad.  Blessing on the other hand means an intentional bestowing of benefit on someone.  God has the power and ability to bestow His blessings on His children.  Our lives are not the result of random events, but intentional circumstances.  The secular world is dependent on luck even life itself is the result of an accident in their world view.

 Spiritual blessing: The believer has blessings outside of this physical world.  The world looks at wealth, positions, status and perception as ultimate benefits in life.  At the end of this life, these earthly benefits pass, while the believer has eternal benefits and blessings outside of this physical world.  Our position is in Heaven, our power and authority are located in heaven as opposed to this earth.

Heavenly places in Christ:  Our benefits come through our relationship with Christ.  Our position is “In Christ”, being in Him we have a position in Heaven.  We are strangers on this earth, our home is not this physical world, but in heaven.   Where our treasure is, there is our heart. 

 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-20

 Why we are blessed

 

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, 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. 
⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both^[a]which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. ¹¹ 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, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:4-12

 (Vs. 4)

He Chose us: What does it mean, when it says “He chose us in Him”?  This is a question has stirred lots of debate in Christendom.  Are we to understand that we don’t have choice, but God is the one who does the choosing?  God by his very nature knows all things (Omniscience); therefore he knows the destiny of everybody before they are born.  Does knowledge of the event before the event happens, mean God predetermined the event? 

 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?" 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,  Romans 9:13-22

 According to scripture, its God who chooses us, we don’t choose Him.  We don’t however know who is chose, only God knows. He allows us to participate in His will by bringing souls into the Kingdom of God.

 Before the foundation of the world: In Genesis Chapter 1, God created the Heavens and the Earth before He created Sun, moon and stars.  God created the Sun, moon and stars to be light sources to shine on the earth, the sun during the day, and the Moon and stars at night.   Today we see the vastness of the universe outside of the earth, which only helps us understand how “Awesome” God, how amazing the world to come is going to be.  Therefore before God even made the world, he knew everything about us, he know our sins and day of our redemption. 

 Holy and without blame: How can we be Holy and without blame?  If we begin to examine our sins this could be a hard thing to imagine.  It’s the blood of Christ that washes our sins, that allows us to be “Holy and without blame” in the sight of God. 

 (Vs. 5)

Predestined us: The word for “Predestined” is προορίζω (proorizō)  which is also translated as “determined” , the word means to predetermine, decide beforehand.  So according to Ephesians before God made the world “He chose us” (Election), to be His adopted children, through Jesus Christ.

To adoption as sons:   Jesus is the “Only Begotten” Son of God because Jesus is of the very same nature as God.  Scripture also calls the angels “sons of God’ (Job 1:6,2:1, 38:7).   When Adam was created he was created in the image of God, in Luke he is called the “son of God” (Luke 3:38).

The adopted son has the same rights as the non-adopted son; we have access to the very throne of God because of our position as children of God.

 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. Galatians 4:4-8

 By Jesus Christ:  When Adam sinned, all of mankind sinned in him.  Jesus restored what Adam lost.  Through Jesus we have a relationship with God.

 (Vs. 6)

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace: How amazing is the Love of God! Today we know how amazing the universe and all creation are, yet we are still finding out.  We see the vastness of the space and we think how small our planet is when we compare it to the galaxies and the hundreds of billions of stars.  The world says how is it possible this little planet is so important?  We are just accidents!

            Yet it is even more amazing then the world can understand, when we realize the Creator who made the universe, also choose to become part of His own creation, He allowed those He created to kill and abuse Him, so that he might redeem us to Himself.  We can never fully comprehend how awesome His grace is.  We are a testament of the “Glory” of His Grace.

Accepted in the Beloved: Through the work of Jesus Christ, the ἀγαπάω agapaō, the Only Begotten Son, we have been accepted by God, we have been justified through His Son. We are “IN” Christ.  When the Father looks at us, he does not see our sins, He sees the blood of His Son.

 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

(Romans 3:24-25 ESV)

 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

(Romans 5:9-10 ESV)

  (Vs. 7) ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 

 In Him: Our salvation is In Christ, we cannot earn salvation, we cannot help our salvation in any way.  Our position with God is only In Jesus Christ.  This is a hard concept for many to understand, we in someway want to help our salvation through good works, deeds and actions.  Before Christ came into the world, the world was lost, Jesus coming into the world did not condemn the lost, the world was in a lost state before He came.  Jesus came to save those who were lost.

 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

(John 3:17-18)

 Redemption:  According to Levitial law, only a “Kinsman” had the right to redeem someone. This left two options, 1. You acquired wealth and could purchase your own freedom. 2. A “Kinsman” could step in and pay your debt.   A friend could not pay the ransom, only the kinsman had the right.  You became property of the debtor and your only hope, if you were poor, was for someone of your same blood to step in and pay your debt

 "If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger's clan, then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself.

(Leviticus 25:47-49)

 The word in Hebrew for redeemer is “Ga’al” meaning near of kin.  For example in the story of Ruth the Moabitis ,her husband Mahlon died in Moab. So Ruth along with her mother in law Naomi returned to their families land in Bethlehem. Naomi and Ruth were destitute,  in Moab Naomi’s husband and sons died, Ruth returned with her mother in law.  Her property was in the hands of another.  Ruth and Naomi were forced to glean off the land, picking up scrapes left from the harvesters.

            Only a “Kinsman” to Naomi could buy back the property of her estate which included Ruth, who married Mahlon, the son of Naomi. Boaz was second in line for the right of redemption, when the closet relative refused the options was Boaz’s. He bought back what Naomi lost and was unable to pay.

Ruth 4:4-6

(4)  So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it."

(5)  Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance."

(6)  Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."

 

In Ruth 4:4-6, the legal principle of redemption is illustrated, Naomi’s kinsman bought back what she was unable to pay.  In the same way, Adam indebted all of his descendents with his sin, Adam created a debt for humanity that he nor any of his descendents could ever pay.  Adam was like Naomi, Jesus who was God in Heaven became man, a descendent of Adam,  to pay what Adam’s descendents could not pay.

 Isaiah 59:16

(16)  He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.

 God became man, Jesus became our brother, our kinsman to rescue us from a debt we could never pay.

His blood was the currency for our debt.  Our debt could only be satisfied by our blood, Jesus as our kinsman died in our place; his blood paid the debt we owed.  His blood was of infinite value since He was both man (son of Adam) and God. The blood of the sacrifice in the Mosaic covenant was a picture of the coming atonement of Christ.  The life was in the blood, our life blood was the debt for our sins, Jesus paid the debt.

Genesis 9:4-5

(4)  But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

(5)  And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

 Exodus 12:23

(23)  For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

 Once the debt was paid, we could receive forgiveness of sins because the blood of Jesus covered our sins.  The power of the blood of Christ is explained in detail in the book of Romans.  

 Romans 3:24-25

(24)  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

(25)  whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

 Romans 5:9

(9)  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

 The two terms Paul uses are two terms to explain the currency of the blood of Christ is “Propitiation” and “Justification”.   Through the blood of Christ, God declares the “believer” righteous, it’s the blood of Christ that “propitiates” the judgment.  Once the sin is appeased through the blood of Christ, God can then declare the believer Righteous.

            The blood of Christ for the sins of humanity is a transfer of the riches of his grace to a bankrupt, lost in their sins humanity.   We are like Naomi, we are destitute and it’s the blood of Christ that pays the debt we could never pay.  Jesus Christ is transferring his wealth to bankrupt estate, buy us back from our debtor.

  (Vs.8) ⁸ which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,

As believers we are wealthy beyond any comprehension, the problem is being wealthy in Christ and understanding what the wealth means are two separate things. Ephesians reveals to us this revelation so we can understand how God’s riches Abound toward us.  We are wealthy in Christ beyond measure and understanding.  God has revealed the wealth of our riches in wisdom (Sophia, Wisdom) of the work of Christ. This is in contrast to what the world elevates as wisdom. The wisdom of the world is to conquer and acquire wealth and treasure, The wisdom and prudence of God refutes this system in one sentence.

 

Mark 8:36-37

(36)  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

(37)  For what can a man give in return for his soul?

 

(Vs. 9) ⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 

Science (Scientia) is the Latin term for knowledge, it’s in our nature to seek out knowledge.  We want to know who are? Where did we come from? What is our destiny?  We want to know!  Francis Bacon, the father of modern science, defined science as “knowledge by causes”. Isaiah describes man’s attempt to find reality as a blind man groping along the wall. The problem is that in our fallen state we could never know the reality. Modern science without revelation from God is desperately trying to figure it out.   

            Only if God chooses to make Known to us the mystery of His will through revelation could we understand our identity.  Just contrast the two perspective world view of the secular vs. the scriptural.

Secular World View	Scriptural World View
We are an accident	We are mad in the image of God
We have no purpose	We are made for the glory of God
We cease to exist at death	We have a home in Heaven
We are finite	We are infinite
There is no right and wrong	God wants us to be with Him

Scripture is God’s revelation of the reality of our being.

            The plan of the Gospel was hidden in scripture to be revealed us. God takes pleasure in having an eternal relationship with the descendents of Adam made in his image.  God did this for his own purpose, He did not have an ulterior motive, he did not negotiate with anyone, it was strictly His will and His purpose.

 

(Vs. 10) ¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both^[a]which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 

Adam and Eve’s transgression affected not only their descendents, you and me, but also creation itself.  The world and age we live in became fallen and corrupt.  The management of the world we live in is known as a dispensation, the Greek word is oikonomia, meaning the management of a household is the  After this fallen dispensation, an age is coming, this age will be a point in time known as the fullness of the times when all things, including the saints and angels will be under Jesus Christ for all eternity. This dispensation is pictured in Revelation 21 and 22.

 

 

Revelation 21:1-3

(1)  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

(2)  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

(3)  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

 

Dwelling with the Lord God, the Creator of the universe, His angles and saints for all eternity is the destiny of the saved.  Every believer is destined for eternal greatness, through the riches of Jesus Christ.

 

 (Vs. 11) ¹¹ 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,

Steven Jobs is one of the most well know men in the world, hundreds of millions of people enjoy using the Iphones, Ipads and macbooks under his direction.  Before he died, he questioned the purpose of his existence.  Here is a man who tried to save his life by having his entire DNA mapped out in the hopes of finding a cure.  Jesus asked the question, “what does it profit a man who gains the whole world and forfeits his soul”.  In this world, without Christ we have no inheritance, we are bankrupt, without hope and lost.  In Him, Jesus Christ we have riches beyond measure and understanding. The Ephesians needed to know the inheritance they obtained in Jesus Christ, every believer needs to know the incredible wealth they possess in Christ.  Steve Jobs had the world at his disposal, yet he could not prolong his life beyond the 56-years he lived. 

            Before God made the universe, he knew us, he knew everything about us, God also knew that we would one day be saved and destined for His eternal Kingdom. We were predestined, proorizō, predetermined before hand by God to accept His Son. This is a hard concept for many to comprehend, the idea that God in eternity past, determined the destiny of those who were not even born, let alone before there was even a Universe for them to be born into.

Romans 8:28-30

(28)  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

(29)  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.

(30)  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

 

Why me?  What did I do to deserve salvation?  We did nothing, we did not merit salvation, it is a gift bestowed on those who are saved.  This glory was conferred on the saved even before the world. Somethings are beyond our understand and we just have to turn over our lack of understanding to will of God.

1 Corinthians 2:7

(7)  But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

 

We never know those who are destined for the Glory of the kingdom of God, God chooses to use the vehicle of the Church and the witness of the saints as His agents of salvation to this fallen dispensation.

 

The Guarantee of Redemption

¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who^[b] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14

  (Vs. 13) Noah and his family obeyed the Lord, they trusted Him,  they constructed an ark which could have taken over 100-years to build.  This ark was built to take Noah and his family from the world before the flood, to the world after the flood.  Noah and his family were in the ark of God, protected from the wrath of God.  In the same way, every believer who puts their trust in Jesus Christ, enters the Ark of Christ, they are In Him. How does one enter the Ark of Jesus Christ?

            God has entrusted the “saints”, believers with the job of telling the world about the good news of salvation.  When a person puts their Trust in Jesus Christ, an eternal, spiritual transaction takes place in the heavenly realms.   What is the process of salvation?  Paul breaks it down here in verse 13,

1. You heard the word of truth: The preaching of the Gospel has been entrusted to the saints through the body of the Christ, the Church.  We are called to reach the world with the Gospel.

 

Romans 10:14-17

(14)  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

(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!"

(16)  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"

(17)  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

 

2. The Gospel of your salvation: The word Gospel means “Good News”.  What is the Good News? The news God sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins, so we can have eternal life.  When accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our sins are paid for and we receive salvation.

Romans 1:15-16

(15)  So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

(16)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

 

3. You Believed in the Good News: So when a person hears the message of the Gospel (Good News) and “believes” they become “Saved”.

4. You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise: The Holy Spirit of God enters every believer, this was promised in the Old Testament, Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 59:21.

2 Corinthians 1:22

(22)  and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

 

Romans 8:13-16

(13)  For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

(14)  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

(15)  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"

(16)  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

 

5. Your inheritance of Redemption is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God dwells in the believer, guiding and directing us toward perfection, until the completion of redemption.

Romans 8:23

(23)  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

1 Peter 2:9

(9)  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 

(Vs. 14) When we purchase an expensive item such as home, we don’t expect the buyer to just hold the home because we should interest.  The common practice is to prove the sincerity of your interest with a down payment.  If you decide you don’t want to follow through with the purchase, you forfeit your down payment. 

            When we accept Christ as Savior, God makes a down payment, guaranteeing the redemption yet to come. God’s guarantee is the Holy Spirit, 

 

 

 

 

G1344 (Justified) δικαιόω dikaioō Thayer Definition: 1) to render righteous or such he ought to be 2) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered 3) to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be Part of Speech: verb A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G1342 Citing in TDNT: 2:211, 168

 

 

 

 

 

G2435 propitiation ἱλαστήριον hilastērion Thayer Definition: 1) relating to an appeasing or expiating, having placating or expiating force, expiatory; a means of appeasing or expiating, a propitiation 1a) used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the propitiatory 1b) an expiatory sacrifice 1c) a expiatory victim Part of Speech: noun neuter A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from a derivative of G2433 Citing in TDNT: 3:318, 362

 

 

 

G3622 (Dispensation) οἰκονομία oikonomia Thayer Definition: 1) the management of a household or of household affairs 1a) specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of other’s property 1b) the office of a manager or overseer, stewardship 1c) administration, dispensation Part of Speech: noun feminine A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G3623 Citing in TDNT: 5:151, 674

 

 

 

 

 

G4309 Predestined Προορίζω (Predestined) proorizō Thayer Definition: 1) to predetermine, decide beforehand 2) in the NT of God decreeing from eternity 3) to foreordain, appoint beforehand Part of Speech: verb A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G4253 and G3724 Citing in TDNT: 5:456, 728

 

G2098  Gospel, Good News εὐαγγέλιον euaggelion Thayer Definition: 1) a reward for good tidings 2) good tidings 2a) the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God 2b) the glad tidings of salvation through Christ 2c) the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ 2d) the gospel 2e) as the messianic rank of Jesus was proved by his words, his deeds, and his death, the narrative of the sayings, deeds, and death of Jesus Christ came to be called the gospel or glad tidings Part of Speech: noun neuter A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from the same as G2097 Citing in TDNT: 2:721, 267