Many writers agree that there is a leadership crisis in the churches of America, but they do not agree on the solution to the problem. Many import American business principles into the local church, without much regard for what the Bible says about the requirements and responsibilities of church leadership.

Thus many modern pastors minimize their responsibility of preaching God’s Word and focus rather on being the CEO of the church. As church entrepreneurs, they envision and implement growth plans. They view the church as a product to be marketed to the consumer. As in the retail business, you have to give the customers what they are looking for. Many of these pastor-CEO’s are very successful, building impressive church campuses that cater to thousands of weekly “customers.” They write “how-to” books that share their proven principles for building the church.

If Scripture is sufficient for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4), and it equips God’s people for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17), it should say something about the important matter of church leadership. Since Christ promised to build His church (Matt. 16:18), we should look to His inspired Word for direction on what church leaders should be and what they should do. Two weeks ago, we looked at our text from the standpoint of the duties of church members toward their leaders. Today we will reverse this. While our text is not comprehensive, it does give some vital principles about the responsibilities of church leaders. We learn…

Godly church leaders are responsible to lead God’s flock by walking personally with God and by working together to help church members do the same.

There are four main aspects of this statement:

1. Godly church leaders are responsible to lead.

That sounds like a tautology, but it needs to be said. The New Testament does not teach a distinction between “clergy” and “laity,” in that every believer is a priest with full access to God (1 Pet. 2:9). But it does teach a distinction between leaders and followers in the local church. The New Testament uses different names or titles to refer to church leaders. They are called elders (Acts 20:17), which refers to maturity in the faith. At other times, they are called overseers (1 Tim. 3:1, 2), which refers to their function of superintending the church. (In Titus 1:5, 7 and Acts 20:17, 28 the two terms are used of the same office.) They are called pastors (Eph. 4:11), which means shepherds. Peter uses all three of these terms (1 Pet. 5:1, 2) when he exhorts the elders to “shepherd [pastor] the flock of God among you, exercising oversight ….” He goes on (verse 4) to refer to Christ as “the Chief Shepherd” (or, Pastor).

Another word for church leaders is the Greek verb, prohistemi, (lit., “to stand before”) which is translated “have charge over” (1 Thess. 5:12). It refers to the function of elders “who rule well” (1 Tim. 5:17). It also refers to a man’s responsibility to “manage” his own household (1 Tim. 3:4, 5, 12). The word in our text (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24) is a different word (our English word, hegemony, comes from it) that simply means, leaders. It is used of Paul, to distinguish him from Barnabas (Acts 14:12) as “the chief speaker.” It is also used of Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who are called “leading men among the brethren” (Acts 15:22).

But the point is, leaders should lead. Leadership is primarily influence, and the way that church leaders influence others is by their godly example and by their teaching of God’s word (Heb. 13:7). Because elders in the local church must lead by example, most of the qualifications for that office in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 are godly character qualities. The one exception is that they should be “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2), or to “exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).

Leadership requires having a clear biblical picture of what the local church ought to be and what it ought to be doing, and continually communicating that to the church. It also requires dealing with problems that arise in the church. President John F. Kennedy observed (source unknown), “No easy problem ever comes to the President of the United States. If they are easy to solve, somebody else has solved them.”

Often, out of an attempt to please everyone, church leaders dodge difficult problems. They don’t want to confront an influential church member who is in sin. They don’t want to teach on doctrines that are not popular, even if they are biblical. They don’t confront someone who is teaching error, for fear of stirring up conflict. They don’t want to get involved in resolving relational conflicts in the church or in church families. But to dodge such difficult matters is to fail to lead the church. Church leaders must actively pursue God and His truth, and help others to do the same.

2. Godly church leaders are responsible to walk personally with God.

In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul exhorts his younger co-worker, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching….” In Acts 20:28, he told the Ephesian elders, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock….” Our text brings out four aspects of the personal walk of church leaders:

A. Godly church leaders must be careful to maintain a good conscience before God and others (13:18).

Paul told Felix (Acts 24:16), “I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.” The conscience is that inner sense of right and wrong that God has put in every human heart (Rom. 2:15). It is not infallible, in that it must be informed by God’s Word of truth. It can become seared or hardened (1 Tim. 4:2; Eph. 4:18-19). Even if your conscience is misinformed, it is always a sin to violate it (Rom. 14:14, 23; James 4:17). Thus Paul told Timothy (1 Tim. 1:5), “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

The main way to keep a clear conscience is to walk in daily obedience to God’s Word. If you knowingly sin, confess it immediately to God and seek the forgiveness of the one you sinned against. Personal obedience to God is the prerequisite to leading others in obedience to God.

B. Godly church leaders live with a view of answering to God someday (13:17).

They are continually cognizant of the fact that they will “give an account” to God, both for their own lives and for the church over which God has placed them as overseers. No man or group of men has final authority over the church. We are merely under-shepherds, accountable to Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd. It is His church, not mine! Church leaders are stewards or managers of the church for Christ, who bought it with His blood. Keeping this fact constantly in mind prevents any abuse of authority or any taking advantage of people for personal gain. Every church leader should read often Ezekiel 34, where God confronts the shepherds who have not tended and cared for His flock, but have used it for their own selfish ends. He will call us to account!

C. Godly church leaders are men of faith and prayer, who encourage others to pray (13:7, 18, 20-21).

In verse 7, the author tells the Hebrews to remember and imitate the faith of the leaders who have gone before them. In verse 18, he asks them to pray for him, and in verses 20-21, he models prayer by praying for them. (See also Hebrews 11 on faith.)

Here is precisely where American business principles do not apply to the local church. The church is not to be run as a business, where we make plans and implement those plans according to the best of human wisdom. The church is to move forward by faith in the living God and by dependence on Him through prayer. Our aim as church leaders is certainly not to lead by our collective wisdom, but rather to seek the mind of the Lord for His church as we wait upon Him by prayer and faith.

Speaking for myself (and, I’m sure, for all of the elders, too), I’m in way over my head! I don’t have all the answers that I need to lead this local church. I don’t know enough to guide people through complex personal problems. Because of this, prayer isn’t just a formality at the beginning of elder meetings or counseling sessions. It’s an essential lifeline to the living God! Everything that we do as a church should be done through prayer and faith!

D. Godly church leaders are willing to suffer for Christ if need be (13:23).

The author mentions Timothy, who has just been released from prison. Paul had exhorted Timothy (2 Tim. 2:8), “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.” Apparently, Timothy had followed Paul’s admonition.

We easily could face persecution for our faith in the years ahead, and the leaders are always the main targets for the enemy. Even if we do not suffer persecution from without, leaders must be ready to suffer criticism and personal attacks, often from those in the church. Charles Spurgeon’s Autobiography ([Banner of Truth], 1:303-327) contains an entire chapter on the early criticisms and slanders that were leveled against him, often by other pastors. Late in his life, he went through many other unfair attacks because he stood against the growing liberalism in the Baptist Union.

Leaders who hold firmly to biblical truth will face such attacks, because no matter how kindly you say it, God’s truth always offends someone. They don’t dare attack God directly, so they attack the leader who delivered the message. It is never fun, but it goes with the job. Spurgeon’s wife helped him deal with the attacks by putting Matthew 5:11-12 on a plaque, which he read every morning, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Thus godly church leaders are responsible to lead, and a main way that they do so is by walking personally with God.

3. Godly church leaders are responsible to work together.

“Leaders” is plural. The New Testament clearly teaches that leadership in the local church is to be plural (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5). Plural leadership is a safeguard against the abuse of authority. Also, the task of shepherding a local church is far too great for one man, unless the church is very small. There are two implications of this truth:

A. Godly church leaders are called to work together.

In our text, the author works closely with Timothy (13:23) and with the leaders of the Hebrew church. He tells the church to greet their leaders (13:24). It is the leaders (plural) who keep watch over the souls of the flock (13:17). Obviously, they could only do this by working together as a team.

In the New Testament, the only example of one dominant leader is negative. The apostle John confronts Diotrephes, who loved to be first among them, and who took it upon himself to put people out of the church (3 John 9-10). By virtue of personality, spiritual gifts, and spiritual maturity, there are examples of spiritual leaders who were first among equals. Peter was the spokesman for the twelve. James was a dominant leader in the early Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21; 21:18-26; Gal. 2:6, 9). Paul became the leader of the first missionary team, even though Barnabas had been a believer longer than Paul had. But all of these men submitted to one another in the Lord and taught that as believers, we must do the same (Eph. 5:21).

B. Godly church leaders put a priority on godly relationships.

The author is concerned that the Hebrews work harmoniously with their leaders, so that they may lead with joy, not with grief (13:17). He asks for prayer, stating his intention to conduct himself honorably in all things, and his desire to be restored to them soon (13:18-19). He mentions Timothy, and traveling with him to visit them. He asks them to greet both the leaders and all the saints on his behalf. Relationships ooze throughout these verses.

The whole Bible is summed up by the two great commandments, which are both relational: Love God and love others. This means that godly church leaders must work at relating to one another in love, and they must work at helping church members relate to one another in love. This was Paul’s concern when he wrote Philippians, that two women, Euodia and Syntyche would “live in harmony in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2). (How would you feel if Paul named you like that in an open letter!) He was concerned for the Corinthian church because Chloe’s people had told him of the quarrels that were taking place there (1 Cor. 1:11-13).

Whenever you get several hundred people together, especially when the group consists of those from different backgrounds, ages, and even nationalities, you have a huge potential for conflict. When you throw in different personalities, differing preferences, and the need to confront sin and false teaching, it’s a miracle that the church has survived all of these centuries! One of the main responsibilities of church leaders is to be examples of godly relationships and to help others work through relational problems. Thus godly church leaders are responsible to lead the flock by walking personally with God and by working together in godly relationships. Finally,

4. Godly church leaders are responsible to help those in the church walk personally with God.

Again, our text is not comprehensive, but it reveals at least four aspects of this task.

A. Godly church leaders help church members by keeping watch over their souls (13:17).

The Greek word translated “keeping watch” means “to keep oneself awake,” and thus, “to keep watch, guard, or care for” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Walter Bauer, William Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich [University of Chicago Press], Second Edition, p. 14). The image was drawn from shepherds keeping watch over their flocks (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament ([Harper & Brothers], 1887, p. 9). Shepherds had to stay alert in order to guard their flocks from predators. They had to know the sheep and observe them carefully enough to know when a sheep was sick or missing. They had to go after the strays and try to restore them to the flock. They had to lead them to pasture and clean water (see Ezek. 34:1-16).

These tasks require the discernment to know where people are at spiritually and when they are heading toward spiritual danger. Leaders must love God and people enough to have the courage to confront those who are drifting. While you can only lead those who are willing to be led, godly leaders must always make the effort. The task is more difficult in our day when there are many different churches in town. If people get upset at one church, or if the leaders there try to confront some sin in their lives, they just move down the road to another church that welcomes them. Sadly, they usually carry their problems with them.

“Keeping watch over souls” is an overwhelming task, and the responsibility for it does not fall only on church leaders. Every spiritually mature believer is responsible to help restore those who are caught in any trespass and to bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:1-2). If you know of someone in the church who is straying from the Lord, but you don’t know what to do, go to one of the elders for counsel. We do our best to keep watch over the flock, but often we are not even aware when someone is in need. We all need to work together to care for one another spiritually.

B. Godly church leaders help church members by faithfully teaching God’s Word (13:7, 22).

In verse 7, the author mentions the leaders who spoke the word of God to the flock. In verse 22, he mentions his own brief “word of exhortation” (the Epistle to the Hebrews). While all elders should be “able to teach,” some especially “work hard at teaching and preaching” and should be financially supported for that task (1 Tim. 5:17). I assure you that it is hard work, although spiritually rewarding! In one of the strongest admonitions in the Bible, Paul’s almost final words to Timothy were (2 Tim. 4:1-5),

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

C. Godly church leaders help church members by aiming at their joy and spiritual profit (13:17).

“Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” This refers first to the leaders’ joy, but it obviously extends to the joy and spiritual profit of all of the members. Those who are walking in obedience to Christ will know His joy (John 15:10-11). Godly leaders rejoice to see those in the flock walking in the truth (3 John 4).

D. Godly church leaders help church members by emphasizing God’s grace (13:25).

“Grace be with you all” is a salutation, but it is far more than a mere formality. It is a spiritual desire and emphasis throughout the New Testament. In Hebrews, he mentioned that Jesus, “by the grace of God… might taste death for everyone” (2:9). He encouraged us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:16). He has warned against insulting the Spirit of grace (10:29) and falling short of God’s grace (12:15). In 13:9, he cautioned against legalism, adding, “for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace….”

Far too many Christian churches and homes are marked by legalism, but leaders are responsible to create an atmosphere of God’s grace. Grace is never a license to sin, but rather, it instructs us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). When we sin (and we all do!), God’s grace forgives and restores. God’s grace is patient with the weak, encouraging them to grow in the Lord.

Conclusion

D. E. Hoste, who was a missionary leader with the China Inland Mission, wrote (cited in D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, by Iain Murray [Banner of Truth], 2:423),

What is the essential difference between spurious and true Christian leadership? When a man, in virtue of an official position in the church, demands obedience of another, irrespective of the latter’s reason and conscience, this is the spirit of tyranny.

When, on the other hand, by the exercise of tact and sympathy, by prayer, spiritual power and sound wisdom, one Christian worker is able to influence and enlighten another, so that the latter, through the medium of his own reason and conscience, is led to alter one course and adopt another, this is true spiritual leadership.

Before all of our elders (including me!) resign and run for their lives, and no others ever aspire to the office of elder, I conclude by reminding you of Paul’s words regarding the ministry. After asking, rhetorically, “Who is adequate for these things?” he stated, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5-6). The responsibility of church leadership is impossible, but with God’s strength, all things are possible! As leaders, we join the author of Hebrews in asking you, “Pray for us.”

Discussion Questions

1. Why is godly leadership more a matter of influence than of style or technique?
2. Since no leader perfectly fulfills the biblical requirements, how can we know when a man is qualified?
3. Since some problems correct themselves, how can leaders know which problems deserve their attention?
4. Would it be gossip for a church member to inform a leader about another member who is having problems? Why/why not? To what extent is the entire body responsible to keep watch over one another’s souls?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2005, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Introduction

Several years ago, the Saturday Evening Post published an article entitled “The Seven Ages of the Married Cold.” It revealed the reaction of a husband to his wife’s colds during their first seven years of marriage. It went something like this:

The first year: “Sugar dumpling, I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle, and there’s no telling about these things with all this strep throat going around. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and a good rest. I know the food’s lousy, but I’ll be bringing your meals in from Rosini’s. I’ve already got it all arranged with the floor superintendent.”

The second year: “Listen, darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough. I called Doc Miller and asked him to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, please? Just for Papa.”

The third year: “Maybe you’d better lie down, honey: nothing like a little rest when you feel lousy. I’ll bring you something to eat. Have you got any canned soup?”

The fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids, washed the dishes and finished the floor, you’d better lie down.”

The fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple of aspirin?”

The sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something, instead of sitting around all evening barking like a seal!”

The seventh year: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?”

The decline of marriage as seen through the common cold. A funny look at a not-so-funny reality.

When I first heard that story, I laughed but at the same time it struck fear in me. We have this image of love that lasts a lifetime. But, I’ve been married eight years, and while I certainly haven’t accused Lori of barking like a seal, I have seen some changes in our marriage and not all of them for the better.

Are you still treating the woman you married the same way you did when you were dating or when you were first married? I hope so, but in case you aren’t, I want to share with you what I have discovered recently about love and marriage.

This is a hard lesson to share because it is so personal and it reveals my weaknesses. It shows where I fail. But I share it because I know others may be going through the same things. If you are, you are looking for answers. I think I’ve discovered one answer. So let’s look at it.

The answer comes in a rather cryptic picture of marriage—one that has puzzled many people and sent some down the wrong path, but it is a great model for building and growing a marriage. We will see that there is an exhortation, an example and an expectation for us to follow. Let’s take a look at Ephesians 5:25 to discover the model for genuine love that lasts a lifetime.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; 26 that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.

Love Your Wife Sacrificially
So She Blooms as God Planned

Love your wife (25a)

Paul begins with the statement, “Husbands, love your wives.” It sounds like such a simple statement, but what does he mean? What does it mean to love?

I was asked this question the other day with reference to my wife, and my answer was that I wanted her to be happy. Imagine my surprise when a few days later I read the following quote from C. S. Lewis: “… by Love … most of us mean kindness—the desire to see others than the self happy; not happy in this way or in that, but just happy.” He goes on to say that God is not like that. “God does not govern the universe on such lines. And since God is Love, I conclude that my conception of love needs correction.” (The Problem of Pain, p. 40.)

My concept of love was wrong. I thought that loving your wife meant sacrificing yourself and your desires to make her happy. It’s true that true love involves kindness and sacrifice, but it doesn’t stop there.

Then how do we determine what love is? Let’s read on and see what Paul says. He has given us the exhortation to love, and now he gives us the example of love.

Paul says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” From this example of Christ, we can draw our second point.

Love your wife sacrificially (25b)

When we think of Christ’s sacrifice for the church we immediately think about the cross. He died for us. If that is our example, how do we apply that? I doubt if any of us will ever be called to literally die for our wives, so how do we sacrifice?

I think the key is understanding what it means to sacrifice. First we see what sacrifice is not.

• Sacrifice is not just acts of kindness

Too often we read verse 25 and immediately jump on the sacrificial part and come up with a list of things we can do for our wives. In fact, I went to a Family Life Conference this last year and that is exactly what they did. The speaker asked the audience for examples of sacrificial acts of kindness that we could do for our wives. One guy yelled out, “Do the ironing!” Another yelled, “Do the dishes!” Then some wise guy said, “Change the oil!” Anyway, the list can go on and on—wash the dishes, clean the bathroom, iron, give up Monday night football, etc. Most of us are challenged by such lists because there is usually something on the list that has been forgotten. People like lists. They like steps and procedures. Why? Because they feel like they are in control. If you do those things then you have fulfilled your obligation and your conscience is pacified. But is that what it means to give sacrificial love?

What happens if we follow these steps? The husband gives up golf or hunting or Monday night football. He does all the chores around the house. He says, “I’ve got an attitude of sacrifice.” But his attitude might be self-centered. Maybe it is nothing more than working up Brownie points. He expects to be paid back. If he doesn’t get paid back, he stops trying.

Maybe the question to ask is, “What is the motivation?” To put it in the terms Larry Crabb used in his book called The Marriage Builder—is the motivation manipulation or ministry? If it is manipulation, then the husband is doing it because he expects his wife will be happier and treat him better. Most people have the idea that marriage is a 50/50 relationship. That is manipulation. If he is doing it out of the idea of ministering to her then he isn’t doing it for his own benefit. He is doing it for hers.

I read The Marriage Builder before we were married, so I knew this stuff going in to the relationship. I used to struggle with these ideas and what my motivation was. I was always very helpful around the house. I don’t leave my clothes on the floor, don’t watch football, I do wash dishes, and iron regularly, etc. But things did not remain the same as when we were dating or first married. Lori did not respond to me the same way she used to. That’s not meant to be a criticism of Lori because as I’ll explain later, there was nothing to respond to. Anyway, I continually told myself that I was just supposed to minister to her and not manipulate her. So I sometimes felt like a martyr.

Does this mean that Larry Crabb is wrong? No. I just misunderstood what it meant to minister to your wife. I only had a vague and negative idea that ministering was performing acts of kindness and not expecting any results. Christ will fill up your void, etc. Do you know what my idea of ministering was lacking? My ministry lacked direction. I had no goal. But I think I’ve finally discovered what it means to minister to your wife, and it comes in the next two verses.

• Sacrifice is risking emotional pain

You may not believe it but sacrifice really involves risking yourself.

When you look at Christ’s sacrifice you understand that His death was not just an act of kindness. It was the pain of rejection when He entered our world to call us to Himself. Before we can begin to understand this concept we must recognize the motivation. We can never comprehend why God did what He did, but I think we can get a glimpse of the motivation which will help us as husbands see what our goal is supposed to be.

What is our purpose as husbands? What do we expect to happen? What is the expectation of Love?

Love your wife sacrificially so she blooms as God planned (26-27)

The purpose of love is the perfecting of the one loved.

The next two verses have three clauses in them that show the purpose of Christ’s sacrifice and love. I think having the same goal as Christ is the key to loving. So what is His goal?

• Christ’s first goal is that He might sanctify her

To sanctify means to set apart. When you marry someone you set them apart from the world. They are set apart for special protection, special care, for special attention, for a special purpose.

When you get married, that is what you have done. You have taken her out of the world and set her apart because you want to devote special attention to her. What is the goal of this special attention?

• Christ’s second goal is to present her in glory having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing

  Christ’s third goal is that she should be holy and blameless

Christ loves the church and is committed to removing all the blemishes so He can present her in all her glory and beauty to Himself. This is the purpose of love. To bring about the perfection of the beloved.

This is not a new idea. You might recall Ephesians 1:4 which says, “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” This illustrates how God’s love is directed towards our improvement and making us beautiful.

If you remember earlier, I quoted C. S. Lewis as saying that love is not wanting someone else to be happy. He says later on in the same book when commenting on this same verse: “Love demands the perfecting of the beloved; that the mere ‘kindness’ which tolerates anything except suffering in its object is, in that respect, at the opposite pole from Love.” (Larry Crabb, Bold Love, page 184-85.)

So the goal of love is not just kindness motivated by a desire to make your wife happy. The goal is to build her up to bring about God’s purpose in her.

How do we know what God’s purpose for her is? 1 Peter 3:7 says “Live with your wives according to knowledge…” In other words know her. Know what she needs. Know what she is good at and what she is not so good at. Know her talents and help her develop them.

How do we get to know our wife? By involvement. Do things together, talk about significant things, etc. If our goal is the perfecting of our wife, there are going to be times when we need to confront them and deal with a problem. There’s the rub.

So, we now know the goal—to build up your wife and help her mature. So what is the problem? Fear of confrontation.

True Love involves confrontation. The purpose of speaking the truth in love in Eph 4:15 is maturity in the one spoken to. It often involves confrontation and correction, but that can only be done properly in love.

Confrontation has always been hard for me. I am not very quick on my feet in a debate or argument so I always feel like I lose. Over the years I have developed the attitude that I must have all the right answers before I dive into the fray. Whenever there is a disagreement with anyone, I usually back down.

I also feel like I have no place confronting someone else when I don’t have my act together and might be guilty of selfishness or something. But that can also become an excuse for never moving forward into someone else’s life. If we wait till we are perfect, we will never move forward. Those verses about judge not lest you be judged and take the log out of your own eye before you try to take the speck out of your brother’s eye need to be followed, but not used as excused to never do anything.

I think the biggest reason we don’t confront is self-protection. If I don’t have all the answers and I am not sinless, then my wife may become defensive and begin to lash out at me. It will hurt when she does that, and so we protect ourselves from that by retreating and never dealing with problems. That is where the sacrifice comes in. Sacrifice is risking life and limb to move into your wife’s life even though it means you are going to get hurt in the process.

Application:
How Does That Work?

Sacrifice means I’m prepared to do those acts of kindness like watch the kids, clean the house on Tuesday and Thursday. That may free her to pursue things outside of our relationship like having her own business. That will help her grow in ways I couldn’t. She will encounter new challenges and encounter blind spots in her life that I don’t even see. She will have confrontation among her peers that will be different than what we experience within the marriage.

Sacrifice means I’m prepared to risk my feelings and the pain of rejection.

Sometimes it may mean vulnerably sharing your deepest concerns and feelings.

When problems come up I need to face them head on and not wait until I have all the answers or am blameless.

Can we put all of this together in a scenario?

Example: The other morning, I woke up late, went in and had a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and when I was finished I rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. I noticed the kitchen was medium messy and thought I didn’t make the mess, so I headed back to the back of the house. Lori called out from the laundry room and said, “Where are you going?” I said, “To get ready for work.” She said, something like, “Aren’t you going to clean up the kitchen,” or “Why don’t you clean up the kitchen.” I don’t remember the exact words. They weren’t particularly nasty, but they were said with a demanding spirit. She was under a lot of stress to get some things done before some lady came over to the house. So what did I do? I went and cleaned up the kitchen.

Why did I do that? She shouldn’t have spoken with those words or that tone of voice. Why didn’t I confront her? I could have said something like, “It sure makes me feel like a little boy when you talk to me that way.” Why didn’t I do that?

1. Because the natural response from the person you confront is defensiveness and return accusations.

2. Because as I told you before I’m not quick on my feet. It took me two days to come up with that response.

3. Because I was wondering if perhaps I should have jumped right in there and cleaned the kitchen when I noticed the mess. I was not blameless in the situation, so I knew that any return accusation that she made would have some basis of truth. I knew I was going to get hurt if I entered into the fray. That scared me and so I didn’t venture forward.

When I finished the kitchen I went and got dressed and went to work. I never said anything about it to her until the next day when all of what I’m telling you today in this lesson came together in my mind. But there was no fellowship between us in the meantime. And she had noticed that I was out of sorts.

I share this example because it shows what happens when we retreat and don’t communicate with each other. Lori does not want to treat me disrespectfully. She didn’t recognize the way she said what she said. And even if she was defensive at first, she would want to know. When we discussed this situation later, she said “The truth is hard to take, but I’m glad you told me.”

It is better to make a 1000 little mistakes moving toward your wife than one big one retreating. I’ve been retreating for eight years. I made the comment earlier that Lori didn’t respond to me the way I wanted. The reason was there was nothing to respond to. I’m always retreating. I don’t take the lead and initiate the relationship like I should. I finally recognized it. It’s scary but I know what I’ve got to do.

Conclusion

The Exhortation Is to Love Our Wives

The example of love is Christ’s sacrificial love for the church. We saw that sacrifice doesn’t mean just acts of kindness that end in self-centered martyrdom. It involves giving up your patterns of self-protection.

The expectation of love is the perfecting of the beloved. We want to be God’s instrument for building up our wives. The only way we will be able to do that is if we sacrifice ourselves and are willing to be hurt in loving involvement in our wife’s life.

Wives can apply much of what I’ve said today because we husbands are not perfect and there are hurtful things that we do that need to be brought into the open and dealt with, but …

My dad once said to me that 85% of the time problems in marriage can be traced to the husband’s fault. I’m sure that was not a scientific measurement, but it made me realize that in the vast majority of cases that’s the truth. As we have gone through this passage, I have discovered that he is probably right. There is a great deal of responsibility placed on the husband for the maturity of the woman God has brought into our lives. So love your wife sacrificially so that she blooms as God planned.

Appendix: Discussion Questions for Love Your Wife Sacrificially

MEN 7/52 is a men's ministry of bible.org.  Our desire is to see all men become true followers of Jesus Christ 7 days a week/52 weeks a year.

In this lesson, Hampton Keathley IV discusses the bold, yet tender, love a biblical man shows his wife. This lesson includes small group discussion questions on Christ’s love for His church as the model for a man’s love for his wife.

Through the Apostle Paul, God gives men the true formula for loving their wives. It is the model for genuine love that lasts a lifetime. When we think of Christ’s sacrifice for the church we immediately think about the cross. He died for us. If that is our example, how do we apply that?

When you look at Christ’s sacrifice you understand that His death was not just an act of kindness. It was the pain of rejection when He entered our world to call us to Himself. Before we can begin to understand this concept we must recognize the motivation. We can never comprehend why God did what He did, but I think we can get a glimpse of the motivation which will help us as husbands see what our goal is supposed to be.

Men are to love their wives just like Christ loves the church. This is a tall order since Christ’s sacrificial love cost Him His life. Husbands are to present their wives to Christ sanctified, in all her glory, spotless, holy, and blameless. This lesson helps men understand how they are to love their wives sacrificially. It guides men in taking leadership in their marriages so that it grows and flourishes for a lifetime.

Discussion Questions

This lesson is designed to be conducted over six sessions.
Please refer to other books of the Bible in preparing your answers.

Session 1: Love Your Wife Sacrificially (Ephesians 5:25-27)

1. What is the difference between “ministering” to your wife and “manipulating” her?

2. Discuss ways in which you might be manipulating your wife instead of ministering to her.

3. What are the three goals that Christ has for His church?

4. What must you risk in loving your wife sacrificially?

5. What goals do you have for your wife?

Session 2: Loving our wives as Christ loved the church (v. 25)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;

1. What are the many ways in which Christ loved His church?

2. How did He give Himself up for her?

3. Describe, in detail, Christ’s sacrifice for His bride, the church.

4. In loving our wives what is the worst pain we face?

5. What specific areas of your life must be scourged and crucified for your wife?

Session 3: Sanctifying and cleansing our wives as Christ cleanses and sanctifies the Church (v. 26)

That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

1. How does Christ sanctify and cleanse His church?

2. In Christ, His church is set apart by Him. How do you set your wife apart?

3. How do you “wash her” in the word?

4. Describe the ways in which you sanctify your wife?

5. What special attention does she need?

Session 4: Christ presents His church in all her glory, with no spot or wrinkle (v. 27a)

That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;

1. Describe Christ’s church in all her glory, being spotless, with no wrinkles.

2. What would your wife be like in all her glory?

3. What must you do, specifically, to present her to Christ in all her spotless glory?

4. What do you do, or neglect to do, that brings disgrace, stains, and wrinkles to your wife?

5. Whose glory do you put first, hers or ours?

Session 5: Christ presents His church holy and blameless (v. 27b)

But that she should be holy and blameless.

1. How does Christ make His church holy and blameless?

2. What specifically do you do to assign blame to your wife?

3. What shame or blame is hidden in her heart?

4. What sacrifices must you make so that your wife may be holy?

5. What price must you pay to present her blameless?

Session 6: Personal Applications

1. What specific changes must you make in order to love your wife the way Christ loves His church?

2. How will you deal with your fear of confrontation when relating to your wife truthfully?

3. Describe how you will avoid retreating rather that relating.

4. What will you have to give up?

5. Describe your feelings for your wife right now.

Introduction

This was the first week of the competition of the 1992 Winter Olympics. The most popular event in our household is the figure skating competition, followed closely by downhill skiing and ski jumping. As I watched the men and women during their final competition, I could not help but agonize whenever an athlete fell in the course of their program. In many cases, a single fall almost certainly meant the failure of the entire program being performed. While one might be able to remain in the competition, hopes for a gold medal are usually dashed by a single fall. Think of the years of sacrifice, of disciplined living and grueling practice all swept away by a single failure. It is no wonder that we all groan along with the contestant when a fall spells the end of ones hopes.

If a single failure in a 4 1/2 minute program can overturn years of hoping, planning, and work for an olympic skater, think of the possibilities for failure in a program which covers a time span from eternity past to eternity future, which includes fallen and unfallen celestial beings as well as fallible men. How can the Christian be certain that God’s program will not be overthrown by human failure, and that the promises of God concerning the future are certain? There is but one answer: A plan which is certain must cover every contingency and every detail of which is under the control of a sovereignty of God.

There is just such a plan, Which is certain to be fulfilled because it has been decreed by a sovereign God, who is both all-wise and all-powerful.

“This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:26-27).

Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isaiah 46:3-11).

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. “And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:22-24).

This is the plan which God determined before the foundation of the world.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you (1 Peter 1:18-20).

And it was given to him [the beast] to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain (Revelation 13:7-8).

A concise definition of God’s eternal plan is found in the Westminister Confession of Faith, which reads:

“God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.”

Two of Paul’s epistles give considerable attention to the eternal plan of God as it pertains to the salvation of sinners. Each epistle approaches the subject of God’s plan of salvation from a very different perspective. Romans 9-11 explains God’s plan historically, from a temporal perspective. The failure of the Jews to believe in Jesus as their Messiah opened the door to Gentile evangelism. When sufficient Gentiles have been converted, the times of the Gentiles will terminate, and at this time God will turn once again to the nation Israel, to turn all Israel to faith and obedience, and thus to enter into His blessings. In Romans it would appear that at any point in time God blesses either the Jews, or the Gentiles, but not both simultaneously.

Ephesians approaches the plan of God for saving sinful men from a very different perspective. If, in Romans, Paul defends the salvation of the Gentiles prophetically¹⁰ and historically, in Ephesians Paul defines the plan of salvation as a mystery, something unknown and unknowable in times past, but now revealed to men through the apostles and prophets, and in particular through Paul. In Ephesians Paul claims to unveil truth concerning God’s plan of salvation which no man had ever grasped before. In Ephesians we venture into uncharted waters, which take us beyond any previous explanation of the plan of God for saving sinners.

Ephesians tends to focus on the plan of God (chapters 1-3) and its implications (chapters 4-6) in terms of what men did not and could not understand. Here, Paul deals with those elements in God’s plan which were a mystery to men. In particular, this mystery has to do with God’s plan to save both Jews and Greeks through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, in such a way as to mold them together into a new organism, the church.

Paul begins His epistle to the Ephesians by summarizing the key elements in the plan of God in verses 3-14, and then he will proceed to further expound on certain details of this plan as the epistle develops.

We will study God’s plan of salvation in verses 3-14 in three segments. The first of these three lessons will concentrate on the sovereignty of God and the plan of salvation. The second on the sacrifice of Christ and the plan of salvation. The third on the sealing of the Holy Spirit and the plan of salvation.

The Context

Ephesians 1:3-6 is but a part of a larger piece. In order to grasp God’s plan of salvation as outlined in verses 3-14 we need to zoom in on it from its broader context, so that we understand our text in the light of the message and content of Ephesians as a whole. Ephesians is about the glory of God, as demonstrated in the creation (chapters 4-6) and in the conduct (chapters 4-6) of the church, by means of the working of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In chapters 1-3, Paul informs the reader that the church plays a prominent and climactic role in God’s eternal plan, rather being an afterthought or serving as some kind of historical parenthesis, by means of which God marks time until that time when all Israel will be saved.

The church was not only brought into existence by Jesus Christ, it is His body, by means of which Christ is present, active and visible in this present world. Chapters 4-6 define for the church that conduct which not only pleases God, but which edifies the church, so as to display His wisdom, power and glory to men and celestial beings.

In chapter 1, Paul lays out God’s plan of salvation, beginning with His choice of those He would bless in eternity past, and concluding with the summing up of all things in Christ in the future (1:3-14). This is the Christian’s source of faith, hope, and love, and the basis for His worship and adoration of God. If chapter 1 describes salvation from God’s eternal and celestial perspective, chapter 2 describes salvation from man’s perspective, describing his hopeless condition as a Gentile sinner who hates God and who is under the control of Satan (verses 1-3), but who is brought into communion with God (verses 4-10) and with Jewish believers through the reconciliation which God accomplished in Jesus Christ. In chapter 3, Paul speaks of his own ministry as the privilege of explaining how this consummation of all things in Christ, which remained a mystery in past ages was now his privilege to reveal to the church, to the glory of God.

After the initial greeting in verses 1 and 2 of chapter 1, verses 3-14 serve as Paul’s preliminary statement. Here, Paul lays the foundation for the entire epistle by summing up, in one long sentence,¹¹ one which would probably have been rejected by Paul’s grammar teacher, but which serves to spell out in one breath the eternal plan of God by which He would save men and bring glory to Himself. In this study, we will consider only verses 3-6a. In our next lesson, we will focus on verses 6b-9. The following lesson will deal with verses 10-14. Let us begin our study by making a few general observations concerning this eternal plan as summarized in verses 3-14.

General Observations Concerning Verses 3-14

(1) Verses 3-14 are one sentence, one literary unit. Can you imagine what a grammar teacher would have done with this sentence? But there is a purpose, and that is to illustrate the way in which God’s plan is complete, with no weak or missing links in it.

(2) Verses 3-14 are a summation of the spiritual blessings which are the possession of every true believer.

(3) Verses 3-14 are introduced and presented as the basis for our worship and praise of God.

(4) Verses 3-14 are God-centered, describing the blessings of salvation from the standpoint of God’s pleasure, His purposes, His provisions, and His glorification. There is little emphasis in these verses on human responsibility.¹² These verses set down the basis, the motivation, the divine provisions, and the necessity for godly living on the part of the saints. Salvation from man’s perspective will be described in chapter 2.

(5) Verses 3-14 describe the plans and purposes of a sovereign God, established in eternity past, and being worked out to the minutest detail in the present age, and in the future.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:10c-11).

In general, verses 3-6a focus on God’s eternal decree, determined before the foundation of the world. Verses 6b-9 describe the blessings God has accomplished in Christ to this point in time. Verses 10-14 focus on those yet-future aspects of God’s plan, which are yet to be fulfilled.

(6) Verses 3-14 describe the blessings of God as the work of the trinity. God’s plans and purposes encompass the work of the Father (3-6a), the Son (6b-13a), and the Holy Spirit (13b-14).

(7) Verses 3-14 describe the eternal plan of God in such a way as to portray that plan as reaching its culmination in the person and work of Christ.

(8) Verses 3-14 speak of God’s plan not only as the outworking of His good pleasure by achieving the demonstration of His glory, but also as the outworking of God’s kind intentions toward unworthy sinners in saving them by grace. God’s purposes and God’s glory are not at cross purposes with the good which He has determined to do for those whom He has chosen. God glorifies Himself as He brings about the good of His chosen ones.¹³

(9) Verses 3-14 direct our attention to the ultimate cause and the ultimate goal of our salvation. We should be very careful to avoid the conclusion that since God first chose us, we have no choice pertaining to salvation. Likewise, we must not conclude that because God’s ultimate goal is the demonstration of His glory, His plan is not also for our good. If we are careful to distinguish between ultimate causes and goals and those which are more immediate, we will avoid many harmful extremes.

(10) Verses 3-14 describe God as the source, the sustainer, and the recipient of all things.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory, forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

God, the Source of Every Blessing
(1:3)

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.

In the Book of James, we are warned not to accuse God of being the source of our temptations and sin (James 1:13-15). God is, however, the source of every blessing:

Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures (James 1:17-18).

In churches across our land and around the world, Christians sing:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

We also sing (as I remember the words):

Come Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy praise
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of highest praise.

The theology of these songs of praise certainly agrees with Paul’s teaching, and that of the rest of the apostles. In Ephesians 1:3 Paul not only praises God for His bountiful blessings, but he calls for us to join with him. In the broadest sense, every blessing comes from God, including our material blessings (see Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17; 17:24-28). But in our text, Paul draws attention only to the “spiritual” blessings, every one of which originates with God and many of which await us in the “heavenly places.” Our blessings are “in the heavenlies” because our Lord, the source of all blessings, dwells there, and this is where we will experience them to the full (see Ephesians 2:6; Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 1:4).

In verses 4-6 Paul identifies the first two of the many blessings which God has poured out upon His children.¹⁴ These are the blessings which theologians refer to as “election” (chose, verse 4) and “predestination” (verses 5, 11). To some Christians, these doctrines are a cause for protest, rather than praise. For Paul, they are blessings for which God should be praised. At the conclusion of this study we will seek to show why praise, and not protest, is the appropriate response. For now, let us set out to define these two terms, and then to demonstrate and illustrate them in the Bible.

The Blessings of Election and Predestination
(6:4-6)

… He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved … also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:4-5, 11, emphasis mine).

Election¹⁵ and predestination are very similar concepts, so much so that the terms can be used almost interchangeably. There is a difference in the emphasis of the two terms, however. Divine election refers to God’s selection in eternity past of those whom He will in time save by His grace through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. This choice, made long before we were even born, is independent of any works or merit on our part. Predestination, as the term itself suggests, is the divine decision as to the form which those blessings will take. Predestination tends to focus more on God’s plan and on the outcome which He has predetermined.

Let me try to illustrate the difference between election and predestination. I want to enrich the lives of some of the young people in my city, and so I decide to provide scholarships for 5 young men and 5 young women. When I choose the ten recipients of the scholarships, this is election. When I set up scholarships at 10 different universities, I plan each program for the particular person I have chosen. This is predestination. In election God chooses the person; in predestination God establishes the program for the person.

In our text, Paul makes no effort to define election and predestination, nor does he seek to defend these doctrines. He assumes that his readers are not only aware of these truths, but are convinced of them. All he needs to do is to remind his readers of them.

Let us be absolutely clear in our minds that the Bible does indeed teach which Paul assumes here. Consider these texts concerning the sovereignty of God, election, and predestination. As you do, ask yourself this question: Who is the ultimate initiator of salvation, God or man?

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:11-13).

“But I said to you, that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:36-40)

“No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).

And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. “And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:65-69).

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you” (John 15:16).

And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. “For thus the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You should bring salvation to the end of the earth.’” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:46-48).

And a certain woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14).

While certain points of theology may be discussed and disputed, it is virtually impossible to ignore clear and consistent testimony of Scripture. God is the author and the finisher of our faith:

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

Election, Predestination, and Foreknowledge

The debate among Christians is not over the fact that we were chosen, but when and why we were chosen. The Scriptures teach that God chose us in eternity past, apart from any merit of our own, and that in time He calls, justifies and glorifies all whom He has chosen. Some Christians readily acknowledge that we were chosen, but that this choice was not specific, and that such a choice was based upon God’s foreknowledge that we would, in time, choose to trust in the Lord Jesus. They would turn our attention to this text in Romans:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

They maintain from this text that in eternity past God chose the elect on the basis of His foreknowledge of those who would, in time, believe in Christ. This is a position that cannot be supported from Scripture. Let me suggest some of the major flaws in this position.

(1) The term “foreknow” does not mean just to “know in advance,” but can also mean “to choose beforehand.” Only the context of the passage can determine which sense the term is meant to convey. Consider, however, that in the Scriptures the expression “to know” is used with the meaning, “to choose.”

And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? “For I have chosen [literally “known”] him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him” (Genesis 18:17-19).

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5, emphasis mine).

In Romans 8:29 Paul tells us that those whom God “foreknew” He also predestined to become conformed to the image of Christ. In what sense did Paul want us to understand the term “foreknew”? The same expression is used again in Romans 11:

I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew … (Romans 11:1-2a, emphasis mine).

The question that has been raised concerning the certainty and security of Israel’s future blessings. In part, Paul’s response to the question is that God would not and will not forsake His people, whom He foreknew. If God only knew about the nation Israel, there would be nothing here which would make this people distinct from all other nations (God knows about them, too). Paul’s answer is that Israel’s future blessings are secure because God chose her, not because Israel chose God.

Peter uses the term “foreknow” in precisely the same way, in speaking of the Father’s choice of the Son to die for the sins of lost men:

And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:17-21, emphasis mine).

(2) The Scriptures teach that men can do nothing to merit God’s favor, and thus God’s choice was made in eternity past, apart from any consideration of our works.

And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER” (Romans 9:10-12).

(3) If God were to have looked down the corridors of time, to see all those who were to choose Him, He would see no one.

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD (Romans 3:9-11).

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest (Ephesians 2:1-3).

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

18 For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-24).

We Must Choose

The ultimate choice of those who will be blessed with eternal salvation is God’s choice. This does not mean that men have no choice. The Scriptures call upon all men to repent and to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. All who believe are promised eternal life.

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 “If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 “But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken (Isaiah 1:18-20).

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16-18).

37 “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out (John 6:37).

11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; 13 for “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:11-13 ).

When the Scriptures speak of those who are lost and who will spend eternity in torment, away from God’s presence, they speak of hell as the consequence of man’s choice:

21 Therefore the LORD heard and was full of wrath, And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also mounted against Israel; 22 Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation (Psalm 78:21-22).

11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe (Jude 5).

Hell is not only the place of torment which sinners deserve, it is also the place which sinners choose by their rejection of God’s Word and especially of His Son.

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:28-32).

5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation (Romans 2:5-8).

The Goal of Divine Election and Predestination

In Romans chapter 8, the goal of election and predestination is that we might “become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren” (Romans 8:29b). In Ephesians chapter 1 Paul writes that God chose us “that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4).

In eternity past, God chose those whom He would make “holy” and “blameless.” This goal is God’s will pertaining to the Christian’s character. It assumes that even before the creation of the world, men would become sinful, and thus unholy and condemned. God purposed, in eternity past, to reverse the effects of the fall of man, even before that fall had occurred.

The fact that those whom He chose would become holy and blameless before Him is significant. In Old Testament times, unholy men could not approach God, but only stand at a distance. There was always a physical separation between sinful men and a holy God. Being made holy and blameless makes it possible for us to dwell in His presence, because our sins and uncleanness have been removed.

It should also be noted that while believers in Christ have been declared righteous through the saving work of Jesus Christ, their full and final perfection comes when we are transformed and taken into His presence (see Romans 8:18-25; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10; 1 John 3:1-3).

In verse 5, Paul tells us that we have been predestined “to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.” Paul is not speaking of the forgiveness of our sins, for that is what being made holy and blameless (verse 4) is all about. It would be wrong to think of sonship as belonging to Israelites and adoption as sons being the means by which Gentiles become sons of God. Believing Israelites, too, were adopted as sons, just as are the Gentile believers:

3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises (Romans 9:3-4).

The “adoption as sons” of which Paul speaks refers to the transformation of our earthly bodies, and our reigning with Christ over all creation:

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:18-23).

Sonship is a position of power and authority, whereby one reigns and rules on God’s behalf:

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. 9 ‘Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware’” (Psalm 2:7-9)

10 “I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. 12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever”’” (2 Samuel 7:10-16).

Satan failed his sonship (compare Job 1:6), and through His devious efforts, Adam and Eve failed, followed by Israel as a nation, and Israel’s kings. Jesus came as the “Son of God” to reign over God’s creation (see Matthew 2:15; 3:17; 4:3ff.). In Christ, we all become the “sons of God” and thus have a share in this reign.

The immediate goal of divine election and predestination is the salvation and sanctification of lost sinners. The ultimate goal of election and predestination is the public demonstration of God’s glory and grace, resulting in praise to Him. Paul begins in verse 3 with an expression of praise to God. Three times in verses 3-14 Paul speaks of the “praise of His glory” (verses 5, 12, 14).

Conclusion

Here, then, is the ultimate goal of God in choosing us for salvation—the praise of the glory of His grace.¹⁶ Why, then, is the subject of divine election a cause of consternation? Why do some individuals want to protest, rather than to praise God for divine election?

This week, we have observed Valentine’s Day, a time when sweethearts savor and celebrate their love for each other. Probably the most romantic valentine story I ever heard was one which was published a number of years ago in Reader’s Digest.¹⁷

A happily married young woman was driving home when she became involved in a terrible collision. Her body sustained multiple injuries, but the greatest damage was to her head and face. She survived the crash, but the sight of her disfigured body was so horrifying, her husband never returned to the hospital after his first visit. Instead, he divorced her and remarried.

The injured woman came under the care of a devoted and talented plastic surgeon. In spite of the fact that she had no money, seemed hopeless doomed to live out her life hideously disfigured, the doctor would not give up. Using bone and flesh from other parts of her body, he literally fashioned a new face, creating, among other things, a nose and lips. She was emotionally and spiritually impacted by this tragedy, and so the doctor saw her frequently, encouraging her about the progress she had already made, and assuring her that yet more improvement might come, though over much time and many surgeries. The doctor married this patient, and persisted to refashion her face until she was able to resume a normal life, her ugly, distorted face replaced by one which was truly attractive.

The story of this doctor’s love is one which ranks high in the annals of human love. It is a wonderfully romantic story. Does anyone protest because this doctor chose to love this unattractive woman? Does anyone object to the fact that the husband first chooses the woman he wishes to be his wife, and later the woman chooses whether or not she will marry him? Why is the doctor’s “(s)election” of this woman to be his bride different from God’s choice of those whom He will bless with salvation?

The difference between this doctor and God, and between praise and protest can be summed up in one word—grace. The doctor was not put off by this woman’s outward appearance. He chose her because of something inside her, so deeper quality of character. When God chose us, it was not because of anything which He saw in us, that drew Him to us. God does not find the basis or motivation for election deep within us; He finds it within Himself. It is because of His mercy, compassion and grace that God has chosen us. In the choice of those whom He will save, God brings about the good of His elect and the demonstration of His own glory at the same time.

Being chosen of God is no reason for pride or boasting. It is only the occasion for humility and gratitude. Because divine election gives us no ground for boasting, fallen men find it distasteful. This text in Ephesians tells us that divine election should be the basis for our praise. Let me conclude by suggesting some of the ways that divine election is a blessing indeed, and a cause for praising God.

(1) God is sovereign, in control of all history. God not only established His plan for creation before the world came into existence, He revealed His plan in the Bible. As we look back, we can see that God has fulfilled His plan and His promises, just as He planned it. History testifies to the sovereignty of God. If God is in control of history, He is also in control of my life. If the God who is all-knowing and all-powerful is also the God who chose to love me, and to prepare me for an eternity in His presence, then there is nothing which can separate me from His love.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

(2) If God is the initiator, the author of my faith, then He can be trusted to finish what He has started.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

(3) If God’s plan and purpose is to demonstrate His glory, then we can be assured of His faithfulness to fulfill His plan and promises. This was the only appeal which Moses could make to God in Exodus chapter 32. Moses had gone up on the holy mountain, to receive the Lord’s commandments. The people sinned by making and worshiping a golden idol. There was no excuse for Israel’s sin. Moses had no basis for appealing to God, other than that God’s glory was at stake. God had promised to bring this people into the land of Canaan. God had brought them out of Egypt. For the sake of His glory, He must finish what He started:

9 And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” 11 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why doth Thine anger burn against Thy people whom Thou hast brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Thy burning anger and change Thy mind about doing harm to Thy people. 13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants to whom Thou didst swear by Thyself, and didst say to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever’” (Exodus 32:9-13).

(4) Divine election is the only means by which God could manifest His grace and bestow His blessings on sinful men.

6 The LORD performs righteous deeds, And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us; Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust (Psalm 103:6-14).

If we would have God deal with us according to our deeds, we would all be damned, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The only way that God can bless us is by grace, and this grace cannot be based on any human merit. How, then, would we have God to choose those whom He would save if it were not by His sovereign election? This is precisely the point Paul makes in Romans 9:10-12. God chose Jacob over Esau, not because of any merit on Jacob’s part, but because His choice was not to be determined by any human influence. Did Israel’s tradition pass the blessing on to the first-born, God was not thus bound. Do we think that God saves only the worthy? God chooses the weak and foolish things of this world, in order to bring glory to Himself.

Jonah, the prophet of old, was hopping mad at God for purposing to save those he considered unworthy. In the final analysis, as Jonah chapter 4 reveals, Jonah protested against God because of His grace. Who is it that despises grace? Only the self-righteous do. Jonah believed that Israel’s blessings were do to Israel’s merits. He despised grace as “divine charity,” charity which he believed he did not need. If the Book of Jonah teaches us anything it is that God was indeed gracious to Jonah.

Grace is unmerited favor, for which the humble and needy rejoice. Grace is “divine charity” which the self-righteous abhor. I ask you as we come to the conclusion of this message, my friend, does the grace of God turn your heart to praise or to protest? The difference is that of being joyful for having received grace, or the bitter rationale for having rejected it.

The grace of God has been poured out freely in Jesus Christ, for all who will receive it. I trust that you will receive it today.

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:5-7).

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved, 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:4-10).

10 That is to say that in Romans 9-11 Paul uses copious references to the Old Testament prophecies to show that the salvation of the Gentiles fulfills prophecy. The salvation of the Gentiles was to be expected, because the Old Testament Scriptures foretold it.

11 The commentators point out that in the original text Ephesians 1:3-14 is but one continuous sentence.

12 In verse 13 Paul does speak of the Ephesian saints as having listened to the gospel and having believed it, hinting at the responsibility which will elsewhere be emphasized.

13 In all honesty, we must also say that God glorifies Himself in the judgment of the wicked as well. See Romans 9:21-24; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Peter 2:12; Revelation 16:4-7.

14 I understand the “just as” at the beginning of verse 4 in the NASB to be something like a colon at the end of verse 3. The blessings which Paul speaks of generally in verse 3, he begins to enumerate in verse 4.

15 Several terms are used interchangeably to refer to divine election . Election is the term often used by theologians. Paul uses the term “chose” in our text (Ephesians 1:4) and “foreknow” in Romans 8:29.

16 Let me simply remind you that God will also be glorified by the wicked, both in their confession and in their condemnation. See Romans 9:19-22; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Peter 2:11-12.

17 This is to the best of my recollection. The details, as I portray them, may differ from the actual account, which I have no way of documenting.

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth (Ephesians 1:8b-10).

Introduction

We had invited some friends from church over for dinner after church one Sunday afternoon. It was one of those days when several pesky flies had somehow maneuvered around the screens on our windows and doors. We were all sitting at the table, about to offer thanks for the food. One fly was persistently landing on the empty plate of one of our guests. I had had enough. I stood up and swatted the fly. It was one of my best efforts. I hit the fly squarely and dealt him a fatal blow. There was only one problem—his badly maimed body landed in the middle of a very large salad, one that my wife had worked very hard to prepare.

Jeannette tried to salvage the situation. She hastily snatched up the salad bowl and took it to the kitchen counter. There, before the eyes of all, she removed not only the fly, but a large portion of the salad with him. It didn’t work. No one ate any of that salad.

There is a song (some might call it ancient), which goes something like this: “Little things mean a lot.” In biblical terms, it is the “little foxes which spoil the grapes” (Song of Solomon 2:15). In practical terms, it often takes but a very little thing to do a great deal of damage.

This week, there were a lot of folks who had no interest in art, who gave much thought to Michelangelo. “Michelangelo” is not a painting, it is a computer virus, a very subtle computer program which attaches itself to computer programs and lays dormant and undetected in your computer—until the date it is set to activate. At this point in time, your hard disk begins to erase all the data that you have taken months or years to store there. Something unseen and unexpected suddenly takes control of your computer and causes serious trouble.

Something devastating has happened on a much broader scale, which has resulted in suffering and distress, not only for mankind, but for the entire creation. The disaster happened in several stages. The first incident seems to have happened before the creation of man. It was the “fall” of Satan, which many understand to be described in Isaiah chapter 14 and Ezekiel chapter 28. Satan was created as a “son” of God,²⁰ but he wanted the status of God rather to serve God, and so he fell, the first of a number of fallen angels, which are often referred to as demons.

After the creation of Adam and Eve, Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, resulting in their rebellion against God, for reasons strikingly similar to those of Satan (see Genesis chapter 3). The consequences of this fall can hardly be overestimated. All mankind became contaminated with sin, in every aspect of their being—intellectually, morally, socially, emotionally, and volitionally. While all men are not totally corrupt, they are corrupted in every part of their being. No part of our humanity is free from the presence and power of sin. Theologically, this fact is known as the doctrine of total depravity.

The devastating consequences of sin go far beyond that of total depravity. I call this the doctrine of total cosmic chaos. All of creation has been corrupted by the fall and shares in the curse resulting from man’s sin. This can be seen from Paul’s words in the 8th chapter of the Book of Romans:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now (Romans 8:18-22).

Thank God, the fall of man and the curse which has fallen upon all creation is reversible. It will be reversed by the coming of the King, and the establishment of His kingdom. This reversal and restoration of creation was to come about in a way that many would not recognize. It, like the fall and curse of creation, would have seemingly insignificant beginnings, but awesome consequences. Jesus summed it up this way:

He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32).

The Lord’s coming in the form of a baby, born in a cattle trough, to parents of meager means in an insignificant village was far from spectacular. It was hardly indicative of the way in which the Messiah would come, a second time, to overcome His enemies and to establish His kingdom. While this kingdom had seemingly insignificant beginnings, it will eventually result in the reign of our Lord over the entire creation.

It is about this climactic conclusion of history and the coming of the kingdom of God of which Paul speaks in the first chapter of Ephesians. As unflattering as it may be to the human ego, the coming of Christ was not only to save men from their sins. According to Ephesians, man’s salvation is not the ultimate purpose of the coming of Christ. God’s eternal purpose is the “summing up of all things in Christ.”

If the corruption and chaos of all creation commenced with the fall of one man—Adam, the cure was also to come about through one man—Jesus Christ. Our text in Ephesians chapter 1 focuses on this climactic reversal of the fall of Adam and of the chaos and corruption it has brought about. In Ephesians 1:8-10 Paul speaks of the great reversal as the “summing up of all things in Christ.” Barclay has paraphrased them this way:

This happened because he made known to us the once hidden but now revealed secret of his will, for so it was his good pleasure to do. The secret was a purpose which he formed in his own mind before time began, so that the periods of time should be controlled and administered until they reached their full development, a development in which all things, in heaven and upon earth, are gathered into one in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:8-10, Barclay’s paraphrase).²¹

The subject of our text is of vital importance. In the first place, this text describes God’s purpose for human history.²² Perhaps nowhere else is God’s purpose for human history so concisely summarized. Second, the passage we are considering in this lesson introduces the central theme of the Book of Ephesians. By understanding our text that we obtain the key to the message of the entire epistle.

In this lesson we will endeavor to explain how it is that God has purposed to sum up all things in Christ, and how this relates to the Christian and his conduct in the church and in the world. We will begin with the principle as it is introduced in chapter 1, and then move to its final clarification in chapters 2 and 3. After this we will look for parallel passages in other Scriptures. We will then seek to discover biblical illustrations of how God’s purpose in this principle is being carried out in specific areas of life. Finally, we will seek to explore some of the implications of the principle for our daily lives.

Few themes are of greater importance than that which we are about to study. Beyond this, few themes are more difficult to grasp. Repeatedly in Ephesians and elsewhere Paul refers to the principle as a mystery, one which has only recently been unveiled, and the primary task which Paul has been given as an apostle. Twice in this epistle to the Ephesians Paul prays that his readers will be granted the divine enablement to understand all that is involved.

Let us prayerfully and carefully enter into this mystery, knowing that it is a truth vastly bigger than us, but one which can and should shape our lives. Let us listen well, and make these matters the subject of a life-long study, to the glory of God as well as for our own blessing.

Summing Up All Things In Christ

The exact term which is translated “summing up” is found only twice in the New Testament. Both times the term is used by Paul. The other use of the term is found in Romans, where Paul writes,

For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF” (Romans 13:9, emphasis mine).

The term used here means, “to gather up into one.”²³ It is a compound term, with the principle root being the word for “head.” I believe that the New International Version precisely conveys Paul’s meaning when it renders the text in this way:

And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10, NIV, emphasis mine).

The teaching of the headship of Christ is referred to often in the New Testament, and it refers to His authority and rule. The purpose of God in history is to bring glory to Himself by bringing all of creation under the headship (the authority and rule) of Christ. This truth is taught in a number of other New Testament passages.

For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:15-23).

15 And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:15-20).

For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. But one has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that Thou rememberest him? Or the son of man, that Thou art concerned about him? “Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, And hast appointed him over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. “For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him (Hebrews 2:5-8).

And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped (Revelation 5:6-14).

Several truths and inferences emerge from our text in Ephesians and these other texts, concerning the summing up of all things in Christ:

(1) God has, from eternity past, planned to sum up all things in Christ.

(2) The summing up of all things in Christ is God’s plan for human history. It is also the climax, the culmination of human history. It is the conclusion of God’s plan for time, and the commencement of God’s plan for men in eternity.

(3) God is sovereign, in control of all history, so that His plan to sum up all things in Christ is certain.

(4) The plan to sum up all things in Christ is the result and the reflection of God’s infinite wisdom and sight (Ephesians 1:8; see also Romans 11:33-36).

(5) The summing up of all things in Christ centers in the person of Christ, in His first and second comings.

(6) The summing up of all things in Christ provides for the reversal of the fall of Adam, and the restoration of all creation from its devastating effects (see Romans 5:12-21 and 8:19-25).

(7) God’s plan to sum up all things in Christ was a mystery until after the coming of Christ. The plan to sum up all things in Christ is one made in eternity past. It is a plan that God partially revealed in time. This plan was a mystery in that it was not revealed in full and in that it was not understood.

I believe that it would be mistaken to think that the plan of God to sum up all things in Christ was not revealed in the past, but only revealed by Paul and the other apostles. When Paul speaks of the salvation of the Jews and the Gentiles in Romans 9-11, he frequently cites Old Testament prophecies as having been fulfilled in Christ and in the church. The mystery was that God revealed His plan in part and in pieces, and no one could put them together until after they were fulfilled in Christ. Even then, men could not understand it unless God explained it through His apostles and men were enabled to grasp it through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 3 and 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:6).

Let me try to illustrate it in this way. If you have ever watched any of the “Columbo” mysteries on television, you will remember that this seemingly inept detective first uncovers a number of “mysterious” pieces of evidence, which do not square with the explanations offered for the crime. Finally, Columbo puts the facts together and solves the crime. This is the way I understand the “mystery” of God’s purpose to sum up all things in Christ. The prophets spoke of the sufferings and the glory of Messiah, and how both could be true was a great mystery to them (1 Peter 1:10-12). Only after Christ’s first coming do we see how suffering and glory fit beautifully together, to the glory of God. So it is with every puzzling piece of those prophecies which spoke of God’s purposes in Christ, which did not seem to fit together to form one clear picture. In Christ, all the pieces fit, the mystery is solved, and all things are summed up in Him.

(8) The proclamation and explanation of God’s plan to sum up all things in Christ was a part of Paul’s special calling and a commission given him by God (see Ephesians 3:1-13).

Some Specific Examples of Summing Up

We have spoken in general terms of the summing up of all things in Christ. Now let us pause to consider some of the specific ways in which all things are summed up in Christ. These are only samples, suggestive of the many other ways in which God has brought all things together under the headship of His Son.

(1) God summed up our salvation in Christ.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20).

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

(2) The sin of Adam, which brought sin, death, and condemnation upon the human race, God has summed up and reversed in Christ:

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous (Romans 5:17-19).

So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45).

(3) The blessings of the Abrahamic covenant were summed up in Christ, through whom God’s purpose and promise of blessing has been fulfilled.

Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ (Galatians 3:15-16).

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:29).

(4) The Old Testament Law of Moses is summed up in Christ, who alone has both fulfilled its requirements and born its penalty for sin.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor Galatians 3:24-25).

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And upon their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:14-17).

(5) The Old Testament prophecies are summed up in Christ, who fulfills them.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).

Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which were written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look (1 Peter 1:10-12).

(6) The rituals and ceremonies of the Old Testament Law were also fulfilled in Christ.

Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:17).

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says,” that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain” (Hebrews 8:3-5).

In many other unexpected ways, Christ fulfilled the Old Testament anticipations of Him.

“OUT OF EGYPT DID I CALL MY SON” (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15).

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4).

(7) God’s rule over angelic and celestial powers is summed up in Christ: the fallen celestial powers are defeated by Christ and the unfallen are instructed by Him.

When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him (Colossians 2:15)

“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out” (John 12:31).

“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:8-11).

Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Ephesians 6:11-18).²⁴

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night (Revelation 12:10).²⁵

(8) All of divine revelation is summed up in Christ.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it … And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-5, 14).

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they (Hebrews 1:1-4).

(9) The cleansing of the heavens has been summed up in Christ.

And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him (Hebrews 9:11-28).

(10) The future of the earth and all creation, which groans under the corruption of sin, is summed up in Christ.

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:1-9).

Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy (Isaiah 35:4-6a).

“It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the Lord (Isaiah 65:24-25).

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now (Romans 8:19-22).

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true” (Revelation 21:1-5).

(11) The judgment of the enemies of God is summed up in Christ, the One who will judge the living and the dead.

On the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus (Romans 2:16).

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).

And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous art Thou, who art and who wast, O Holy One, because Thou didst judge these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments” (Revelation 16:4-7).

(12) The blessings of God are summed up in Christ.

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).

(13) The glory of God is summed up in Christ.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they (Hebrews 1:1-4).

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11).

Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11).

To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 25).

One Final Note of the Summing Up of All Things in Christ

The emphasis of this lesson has been to show how, in the eternal plan and purpose of God, the Father has determined to sum up all things in Christ. We should not forget, however, that when all things are summed up in Christ, the Son of God will, in submission to His Father, give up the position of preeminence, giving it back to the Father:

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:22-28).

Conclusion

As we conclude our study of this text in Ephesians, let me point out several ways in which this passage affects our lives.

First, our text introduces the central theme of Ephesians. The summing up of all things in Christ is not only God’s purpose in history, it is the primary subject of the entire epistle. In Ephesians 1:9-10 Paul introduces the subject. In the closing verses of chapter 1, Paul prays that his readers might come to grasp this majestic truth:

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:18-23).

In chapter 2 Paul shows how God has reconciled rebellious sinners to Himself, in Christ (verses 1-10), and how through the church, the body of Christ, God has reconciled Jews and Gentiles, although they were formerly enemies (verses 11-22). The church is presented, not as a parenthesis or as some kind of temporary institution, but as the culmination of God’s plan for human history, because the church is the body of Christ. If the fulness of the Father is in Christ, the fulness of Christ is in His church (see 1:22-23).

In chapter 3, Paul identifies the summing up of all things in Christ as a great mystery, but one which now is being proclaimed to all men. The proclamation of this mystery is one of Paul’s primary missions, a stewardship committed to Him by God. Many of his tribulations are a direct result of his faithfulness in carrying out this task (3:8-13).

God has purposed that until the Lord Jesus Christ returns, to subdue His enemies and to reign over all creation, the church is to be the visible manifestation of Christ to the world. The God who filled the Lord Jesus with all His fullness, now fills the church with His fulness. What a glorious privilege and responsibility God has given His church! God has created the church not only to manifest Christ, but to manifest His glory. Therefore, the conduct of the church and of each of its members is a matter of the highest priority. Chapters 1-3 describe the creation of the church, to the glory of God. Chapters 4-6 prescribe the conduct of the church, to the glory of God.

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:14-21).

Second, our text teaches the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. In our culture, we are told, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” In many ways, this is a good word of advice. But it is not true in terms of Christian faith. We are to put all our eggs into one basket, and that “basket” is Christ.

We are to cast ourselves totally and exclusively on Christ and Christ alone. We are to place our trust in none other for salvation, for sanctification, for our eternal hope, for spiritual blessings. It is in Christ and Christ alone that God has pours out every spiritual blessing upon men (Ephesians 1:3). It is in Christ, and Christ alone, that God sums up all things (1:9-10). There is nothing else and no one else in whom we can place our trust for spiritual blessing.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:36).

For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).

There are those who do not know or trust God who trust, “Not Christ but …” They will trust in science, or in philosophy, or in their own good works, but not in Christ. There are others who seem more broad-minded. These trust in, “Christ, or …” They believe that there are many ways to heaven, many different (but equal) faiths. One may choose to get to heaven through Christ, or through some other means. Many are willing to add Christ to the list of their “gods” in whom they trust, but this is not good enough.

Then there are those who profess to be Christians, and yet they trust in “Christ and …” They trust in Christ and medicine, Christ and psychology, Christ and good works. Often, this kind of person speaks of “integration.” Most often I hear the expression, “the integration of psychology and theology.” I must say it emphatically, my friend, there is no place for integration here, but only a place for subordination.

Paul will have nothing to do with anything less than this: “Christ only!” I must place my trust in Christ, period! He alone can save me. He alone can sanctify me. He alone can assure my entrance into His heavenly kingdom. He alone can keep me. He alone is my hope, my joy, my comfort, my motivation. Every spiritual blessing comes only from Christ.

But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him (Colossians 2:1-15).

Third, our text informs us of the supreme importance of the church and of ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church) in the plan and purpose of God. I have already mentioned the importance of our conduct in the church above. But here I wish to stress the importance of the teachings of Scripture concerning the structure, function, and ministry of the church.²⁶

The church is supremely important in the economy of God. It is the “body of Christ” (Colossians 1:24) of which Christ is the head (Colossians 1:18). It is the “bride of Christ” (Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:7; 21:9). It is the “fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23). It is the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). It is “God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19) and the “dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). No wonder God has given such specific instructions on the form and function of His church. The church is the manifestation of Jesus Christ, in whom God has purposed to sum up all things.

Imagine, for example, that you were the chauffeur of a man who sold all of his cars in order to buy one very rare and expensive automobile. The car you are now driving is your employer’s only car, a car which he prizes above all else. How would you feel as you drove such a car? This is how we should feel about our conduct in the church.

How is it, then, that Christians take Paul’s instructions to the church so lightly? Why is it that men feel that Paul’s instructions can be quickly changed or even set aside? Why is it that Paul’s practice and teaching in the New Testament are viewed as unique to a particular church, when Paul says otherwise?

I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:16-17).²⁷

Why is it that we not only permit women to speak publicly in church and to lead, but now we even take pride in the fact that they can preach, when Paul specifically forbade this, and based upon the principle of the headship of Christ over the church, the very principle which Paul teaches in Ephesians (see 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; 14:33-36; 1 Timothy 2:11-15)? The subordination of the woman to her husband by her silence in the church is a picture of the subordination of the church to her “head,” Jesus Christ. Why have we concluded that Paul’s teaching was a culturally relative matter, when he clearly teaches it to be linked to a principle which spans time and cultures?

Why is it that God struck a man and his wife dead for lying to the church and caused the sickness or death of those who failed to properly esteem the body of Christ in the observance of communion? Why is it that the focus of much of what we do in church is not Christ and His cross? May God cause us to revisit those doctrines and instructions concerning His church which we have taken lightly or even set aside.

May God grant to His church a fresh vision of the glory of the church and of the supreme importance of our conduct in the church.

20 Angels are called the “sons of God” in Job 1:6 and 2:1, and perhaps also in Genesis 6:2, though this text is more debatable.

21 William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 83.

22 Barclay (page 83) titles this text, “The goal of history.”

23 T. K. Abbott, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and to the Colossians (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1974 [reprint]), p. 18.

24 This text must be understood in the light of the context of the texts in Isaiah to which Paul is alluding, describing the armor which Messiah will put on the accomplish His victory over the enemies of God.

25 See also Revelation 20.

26 A word of warning must be sounded here. Let us not fall into the same trap as the Jewish religious leaders—thinking that right forms guarantees right function. Right forms don’t assure right function; they can only facilitate it. But often it is the churches who boast most about the right forms which have the wrong functions. Let us not forget the warning of Isaiah 10:1-17; Amos 5:21-27; Hebrews 10:8-9.

27 See also 1 Corinthians 14:33-36.