In Christ – Ephesians 1-14 (part 2)

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This study is dedicated to my wonderful niece, Kelsey Hartlaub, who graduated from College today.  I will never forget the very first Bible study she was a part of in my home when she first arrived as a freshman …… a study of IN CHRIST !!!  Congratulations Kelsey…..and many more blessings to come!

We continue our study of Ephesians 1:1-14, paying particular attention to the truth of “in Christ”, which is stated or referred to 11X in this section.  Hence the number in parentheses after each use of this phrase.   We pick up in verse 8.

Verse 8  Wherein (the riches of God’s grace) He has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence (well-ordered, intentional thinking);

Unfortunately, there is not enough well-ordered, intentional thinking in the Christian world today.  There is apathy……people just showing up, doing the minimum to keep God off their back for another week.  There is emotion…..as if God were a big ball of passion…..swooning, crying, weeping, swaying to and fro.  There is arguing, condemning, accusing.  There is guilt, depression, belittling, anger.  But there is very little wisdom and well-ordered, intentional thinking.  Yet God has abounded toward us in these things.  Why, then, is there so little evidence of them in Christianity?  Because….

Verse 9  Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself; 

This wisdom and well-ordered thinking is wrapped up in this mystery of God’s will, and, in general, Christianity is bereft of the knowledge of the mystery; therefore, they lack well-ordered, intentional spiritual thinking.  In the mystery is contained the good pleasure and purpose of God.  Following are a couple of sections of Scripture that talk about this mystery.

Colossians 2:2a-3  …to the acknowledging (epignosis – an intimate experiential knowing) of the mystery of God…  (“and of the Father and of” is not in the original text)  Christ.  In which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (gnosis – knowing by experience).

Ephesians 3:9-11  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things (“by Jesus Christ“ is not in the original text);  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be known (gnosko’d – known by experience) by the church the manifold wisdom of God.   According to the eternal purpose (purpose of the ages) which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Try this sometime.  Make it a point to ask Christians, pastors, Christian ministers……what is the mystery of God?  What is the mystery of Christ?  What is the purpose of all the ages?  Why did God create everything…..what was His purpose or intention?  The answer to all these questions is right here!  Contained in the power of these few words!

The mystery is the wisest thing God has ever done!  His wisdom is invested totally in the reality of this mystery of Christ of which Paul writes in detail, throughout his epistles.  And it’s all in Christ!!!

In Christ is the mystery of all the ages revealed!  In Christ is the mystery, containing all the treasures of wisdom and experience, realized!  We have only begun to see it, experience it, taste it, touch it.  Brethren, do not depart from the amazingly powerful, life-transforming beauty and power which is set loose in the revelation of the mystery of God……totally contained in Christ!

Verse 10  That in the administration of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ (6) both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him (7);

This gathering together “in one” is the oneness of which the Hindus speak.  Where all things spiritual (in heaven) and all things physical (on earth) are completely unified in purpose and practice.  Imagine doing something for the first time (surfing, fishing, parachuting, speaking Urdu, whatever), or visiting someplace never before seen, and having the distinct feeling that this thing, or this place, was waiting for you all along!  Imagine meeting someone for the first time, and just knowing that they were going to be a very important part of your life….and that applies to every person you meet!

II Corinthians 5:17, 18a Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God….

In Christ all things are of God.  In Christ is the oneness of all creation realized….experienced, practiced, lived out in all its fullness.

Verse 11, 12  In whom (8) also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will;  That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ (9).

To “obtain“ means to lay hold of.  Our inheritance is laid hold of in Christ.

Now this “predestination” is not predetermination.  It’s pre – destination.  It’s the destination God decided ahead of time that we’d arrive at when we choose to believe on the gift of the life of His Son, Jesus Christ.  That destination is our being unto (complete arrival point) the praise of His glory.  And wouldn’t you know it, this glory happens in Christ.

Verse 13, 14  In whom (10) you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom (11) also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.

The sealing that is done by the holy spirit is like the sealing that is done when vegetables or fruit are canned or jarred.  They are sealed so that the freshness cannot escape, and the bad stuff cannot enter.  In Christ, the holy spirit of God seals us as holy before God.  In Christ we richly experience that powerful holiness in the presence of God.  In Christ all things are of God, and in Christ there is no pollution of sin; therefore, in Christ we cannot sin.

I John 3:9  Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he born of God.

That which is born of God cannot sin.  That which is born of God is sealed within us.  Try to wrap your mind, your thoughts, your heart around this truth.  From the moment we believe unto Jesus Christ, there is born and sealed within us a pure wholeness which can never be touched by the hand of the evil one.

It is our good fortune, pleasure and blessing to continue to seek those blessings (our inheritance) which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, as we also are.  In Christ!

Ephesians 2:6  And (God) has raised us up together (with Christ), and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.

In conclusion, we see in Ephesians 1:1-14 that in Christ:

Are found the ones to whom this greatest of all revelation is addressed, and by whom it  can  even be understood,
We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the spiritual realm,
We were chosen by God before the foundation of the world,
We were made the objects of his generosity, given the nature of grace itself,
We have redemption, a restoration to usefulness and fruitfulness,
We shall be gathered together with all creation in the oneness of the experience of God,
We lay hold of our inheritance,|
We are numbered among all the holy ones who trusted God regarding the gift of His Son,
We are sealed by the holy spirit which God promised.

A wonderful study would be to read the entire New Testament, meaning from Romans, looking for all the uses of “in Christ.”
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Other related studies:
Power and Authority
The Mystery of Christ
Aspects of the Mystery of Christ
Our Inheritance