“Ephesians 1”
While on my recent holiday, one day I saw a spectacular view.
It was a landscape. Of sorts.
To describe this view means drawing on words which are somewhat “cliché”.
But it was spectacular. Majestic. Overwhelming. Glorious. Rich. Breathtaking.
In one sense – it was a familiar view. A sight I had seen before – but maybe things had obscured it because this day was especially clear and it was like seeing it for the first time.
This day it seemed new. Different.
Let’s look at the view together and note the range of contours, colours, beauty and power.
The view was not a physical landscape as such – but found in the pages of scripture.
[Read Eph 1:3-14]
It is difficult to describe this particular scene – so I’m going to use a very old quote to describe it.
It was from Irenaus – “The glory of God is a human being fully alive.”
[Read Eph 1:3-14]
The Glory of God… (vv 3-6)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
Here we see God’s love blessing, preparing, choosing, adopting – from before the foundation of the world.
…is a human being… (vv 7-10)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Here we see God’s love re-creating human beings by forgiving them and executing a plan which rescues humanity from darkness and forces of evil. Through His grace humans discover what it means to be human.
…fully… (vv 11-12)
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.
Here we see humans promised a full share in the inheritance of God; and a full life that is orientated to live according to His glory.
…alive (vv 13-14)
In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory."
Here we see humans gifted the Holy Spirit Who is proof positive that all the above is true. The Spirit of Life giving life.
Sometimes the Bible struggles to describe the dimensions of God’s life and love towards His people and this world.
But the struggle to describe Him makes for an exhilarating read.
Ezekiel 1 is such a moment. There the prophet sees God on His throne and Ezekiel cannot quite find the words to describe the vision.
He makes a valiant effort and it ignites the imagination. So much so that Rabbi’s would not allow anyone under the age of 30 to read it.
And here in Ephesians 1 – we have a similar moment.
Here is a description of God and what He has done and continues to do.
It is magnificent.
But take note. There is no instruction or command here.
It is just pure declaration and celebration of the effect of God and His love and plan for humanity.
There is nothing for you to do. Just enjoy the view.
Just experience the joy that God is here and has chosen you and lavished grace and love upon you.
As far as this passage of scripture goes – one commentator puts it especially well when he writes – “It is impossible to analyse.”
In the Greek – it is one long sentence. The entire passage from verse 3 to verse 14.
It falls over itself in trying to come to terms with the extraordinary character of God and how His plan has impacted the lives of people.
It tumbles – one insight and revelation after another.
It dominates.
This passage has been described as a symphony; as an eagle swooping and soaring; a snowball gaining momentum and size; a gateway; a golden chain with many links; a kaleidoscope.
I’m not really sure why it gripped me a few weeks ago. Yet every since I have been drawn back to it time and again.
I find it compelling. I can’t stop reading it.
There are so many angles to it. So many powerful words which stand alone by themselves and increase in their power when taken in with the other words which complete the sentence.
It is truly a magnificent view.
It is mighty and majestic and mysterious all at once.
It is historical in that it tells of what God has done.
It is contemporary in that it tells what God is doing right now.
It is prophetic in that it tells what God will do in time to come.
Before us – we have this beautiful description of how God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have worked since the beginning of time to reach out in love and power to reinstate humanity to the position they were created for.
Intimate relationship with God.
Before us – we see the plan of God to revive humanity. To make humans “fully alive” and this is to the glory of God.
Before us – we see that we have been loved for all time, that our trespasses have been forgiven, that we have had grace lavished on us, that we have an inheritance awaiting, that God’s mysterious plan is unfolding with increasing force, and that we have God the Spirit in our lives as an assurance of all this.
The more I read it – I find that it is overwhelming. Too much to take in. But then there are turns of phrases; truths; promises that revitalise and energise.
It is a passage about the True God and what He has done to make us Truly Human.
Enjoy this passage as you read it time and again.
Allow me to draw your attention to two aspects of it. One is obvious and one less so.
The first obvious point is the frequency of references to Jesus.
All of what God’s plan is about is effect “in Christ” or through Him. There is something like 12 references to Jesus in this passage.
The Message puts it well with its paraphrase of verses 11-12:
"It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. " (Ephesians 1:11-12, The Message)
The second aspect concerns “time”.
There are references to before time and the future – but in verses 9-10 – we read "he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." (Ephesians 1:9-10, NRSV)
Greek has at least two words for time. Chronos which refers to time as weeks, months etc; and kairos which has the sense of “a decisive moment.”
Kairos’ stress is more on what God is doing rather than what humans are deciding. And this kairos moment is coloured by the fact that when God does act it will be the “right time.”
But kairos is not measured by a clock or calendar – it is measured by God alone.
Like Rom 5:6 – just at the right time Christ died for us.
This “view” rests on God’s wisdom and that He will act at the right and decisive time.
That’s encouraging!
So – that’s something of the view that struck me recently.
Yet – the thing about scenic views is that often they can be obscured by other elements.
Clouds, haze – whatever.
This view – unfortunately – is no different.
Clouds can obscure this majestic view of the glory of God making humans fully alive.
Conflict, worry, stress, illness, wealth, sin, busyness, discouragement, despondency – whatever – they are as clouds obstructing a person’s view of a magnificent sight.
If anyone had reason to lose sight of this particular view – it was Paul. The one who wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
He wrote the letter to the Ephesians while under house arrest in Rome. And least you think house arrest was a soft option – he would have been chained to a Roman soldier day and night.
And in referring to his time in Ephesus he described it as fighting wild beasts (1 Cor 15:32).
There was a lot which could cloud Paul’s vision of this landscape of God’s grace and love.
But it didn’t.
Unfortunately – the same cannot be said for the church itself.
Or maybe us.
We do lose sight of it. Many things cloud our vision of the glory of God. Many things take our attention from His work in this world of making human beings fully alive.
And we might have many reasons why this might be the case. We might call it any number of names.
However – Jesus has one way of putting it.
Because not too many years after this beautiful vision was described by Paul in a letter to the church at Ephesus – they lost sight of it.
And from the clouds there emerged a Figure. A Glorious Person crucified, risen and ascended.
And He spoke to this church which had lost sight of the glory of God and what it meant to be a human being as He designed us to be.
[Rev 2:1-7]
On the surface the Christians at Ephesus seemed to have it together.
They were weeding out deception; they had their doctrine right.
But they were living and worshipping in a way less than they were created; and they had their view impeded from seeing the glory of God.
In short – in Jesus’ own words – they had lost their first love.
They had no heart.
They had lost their love for each other and their love for Christ.
The promise He held out was access to the Tree of Life.
The warning was that they would be removed.
If the vision in Eph 1 is “news” to you – I respectfully suggest that you have lost your first love.
The counsel of Jesus is “remember and repent”.
Remember the days of your first love; repent; and do those things again.
Recapture your “humanity” – recapture that zeal that was fuelled by the love of God in your heart and love for others.
Love just changes us and changes others.
Some time ago – a friend asked to meet me for coffee in a café. When I arrived he asked me “Do you know why I’ve asked to meet you?”
I replied “It’s one of two things. You are either leaving your job or you’ve fallen in love.”
He said “It’s both”.
But of the two – it was the “being in love” that was the dominant. Before we left he handed me an envelope.
In it was a card that described why he appreciated me and thanking me for all I had done for him over the years.
In short – he was in love!!
He was alive!
So what am I saying? Is the fact that Eph 1 has been so compelling to me over recent weeks evidence that I have lost my first love?
Maybe.
Maybe another way to come at this is to ask yourself a question.
Given that the glory of God is a human being fully alive – do I feel fully alive?
In your heart – you’ll know the answer to that.
We often agonise of what God’s plan is for my life.
Eph 1 is quite clear on that point. It’s to live “for the praise of His glory.”
Put simply – again – God’s plan for your life is to be fully alive. That glorifies Him.
Are you alive?
Do you still have that first love?
Presented By: Rev. Geoff New