Remember back in elementary school when we learned about the water cycle?
Our teacher explained to us how water came down as rain in liquid form and eventually returned to the sky as water vapor.
One big never ending cycle that continually repeats itself. Here in the opening chapter of Ephesians, Paul lets us know that there's similar sequence.
Let's call it the Grace/Glory Cycle.
"To the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (v6).
God gives grace. We get His good. We give Him glory.
It's the Grace/Glory Cycle.
Our teacher explained to us how water came down as rain in liquid form and eventually returned to the sky as water vapor.
One big never ending cycle that continually repeats itself. Here in the opening chapter of Ephesians, Paul lets us know that there's similar sequence.
Let's call it the Grace/Glory Cycle.
"To the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (v6).
God gives grace. We get His good. We give Him glory.
It's the Grace/Glory Cycle.
We need to remember the Grace/Glory Cycle appears in the apostle's Tsunami of Blessing (Eph 1:3-14). What begins with the mention of how God has blessed our socks off (Eph 1:3), quickly transforms into a tidal wave of His goodness (Eph 1:4-14).
Grammatically, this is one, big run on sentence. Bad writing. But very high praise.
Once Paul gets started, he can't contain himself. He wants us to be swept away by all of God's blessings that are in Jesus.
Grammatically, this is one, big run on sentence. Bad writing. But very high praise.
Once Paul gets started, he can't contain himself. He wants us to be swept away by all of God's blessings that are in Jesus.
The Apostle Paul wants his readers to keep the main thing the main thing. God is a incredible Giver. Let's remember what He's given us.
Let's remember who He is. Let's remember what He's done. Let's remember who we are in Him.
He writes this letter to his Ephesian friends because of what's going down just down the road in Colosse, Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Some spiritual snake oil salesmen have duped folks in those churches into believing that Jesus might have been good but not God. He might be able to get us into His kingdom but it's up to us to stay in through good works.
And wouldn't you know it, these hucksters have just the secret to staying saved. How convenient.
Paul has already written a letter to the folks in those churches treating the heretical disease that's spread through the congregations. That's what we call the book of Colossians.
So at the same time, he writes another letter to believers just 100 miles down the road in Ephesus. If his letter to the Colossians is medicine, his letter to the Ephesians is an inoculation against the disease.
Paul knows that when we keep who Jesus is and what He's done directly in front of us, false teaching will have little impact on us.
Let's remember who He is. Let's remember what He's done. Let's remember who we are in Him.
He writes this letter to his Ephesian friends because of what's going down just down the road in Colosse, Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Some spiritual snake oil salesmen have duped folks in those churches into believing that Jesus might have been good but not God. He might be able to get us into His kingdom but it's up to us to stay in through good works.
And wouldn't you know it, these hucksters have just the secret to staying saved. How convenient.
Paul has already written a letter to the folks in those churches treating the heretical disease that's spread through the congregations. That's what we call the book of Colossians.
So at the same time, he writes another letter to believers just 100 miles down the road in Ephesus. If his letter to the Colossians is medicine, his letter to the Ephesians is an inoculation against the disease.
Paul knows that when we keep who Jesus is and what He's done directly in front of us, false teaching will have little impact on us.
Back to the Grace/Glory Cycle. The apostle begins telling us that the entire reason God has preloved us and chose us before He created time is "to the praise of His glorious grace" (v6).
Actually the literal translation from the Greek is "to the praise of the glory of His grace." Suddenly a couple of other verses here in this Tsunami of Blessing pop out at us.
When we place our trust in Jesus and what He's done for us is "to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:12). He seals us with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our divine inheritance "to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:14).
God is so very good to us. And in return He gets the glory. The Grace/Glory Cycle.
Actually the literal translation from the Greek is "to the praise of the glory of His grace." Suddenly a couple of other verses here in this Tsunami of Blessing pop out at us.
When we place our trust in Jesus and what He's done for us is "to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:12). He seals us with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our divine inheritance "to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:14).
God is so very good to us. And in return He gets the glory. The Grace/Glory Cycle.
This is a HUGE theme throughout the Bible. Even in the Old Testament.
In the famous Shepherd's Psalm, David makes it clear that the whole reason the LORD is so incredibly good to him is for His glory. "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Ps 23:3).
Not for David's glory. But God's glory. Why is this important? Because God is the ONLY ONE in the entire universe who deserves the applause.
He's the ONLY ONE who deserves the credit. He's the ONLY ONE who deserves the praise.
It's not because He's some divine glory hound. Everything good starts with Him. Everything starts in Him. He's the ONLY ONE worthy of honor and glory and praise (1Pet 1:7).
In the famous Shepherd's Psalm, David makes it clear that the whole reason the LORD is so incredibly good to him is for His glory. "He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (Ps 23:3).
Not for David's glory. But God's glory. Why is this important? Because God is the ONLY ONE in the entire universe who deserves the applause.
He's the ONLY ONE who deserves the credit. He's the ONLY ONE who deserves the praise.
It's not because He's some divine glory hound. Everything good starts with Him. Everything starts in Him. He's the ONLY ONE worthy of honor and glory and praise (1Pet 1:7).
A major expression of God's overwhelming goodness is His rescue of completely undeserving people.
Paul knows that when God does His radical saving thing in you, He does it "so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Lord Jesus Christ" (1Th 1:11-12).
And one day, every creature will worship Jesus. "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11).
Paul knows that when God does His radical saving thing in you, He does it "so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Lord Jesus Christ" (1Th 1:11-12).
And one day, every creature will worship Jesus. "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10-11).
God gets the glory because He's so gracious to us in Jesus. This "grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved" (v6).
Grace. That's the Greek word χαρις/charis. It means something completely undeserved. Something absolutely unearned.
A gift. Something done out of love. Something done out of goodness. Tullian Tchividjian calls grace God's descending, one-way love.
When it comes to the Grace/Glory Cycle, grace is what comes down from our so very good and giving God. He gives. It's just what He does. It's just Who He is.
Paul reminds us that God has saved out of His overflowing goodness. It's a fantastic gift we don't deserve. We're "justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:24).
Grace. That's the Greek word χαρις/charis. It means something completely undeserved. Something absolutely unearned.
A gift. Something done out of love. Something done out of goodness. Tullian Tchividjian calls grace God's descending, one-way love.
When it comes to the Grace/Glory Cycle, grace is what comes down from our so very good and giving God. He gives. It's just what He does. It's just Who He is.
Paul reminds us that God has saved out of His overflowing goodness. It's a fantastic gift we don't deserve. We're "justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:24).
Just in case we missed the gracious goodness of God, Paul makes it clear that He's "blessed us in the Beloved" (v6).
He uses the Greek word χαριτοω/charito'o. This is basically the verb form of grace (Gr. χαρις/charis). It means to give grace, honor with blessings, show favor and express kindness.
The only other place this verb appears in the Bible is when Gabriel drops in on Mary unexpectedly to tell her she's expecting. "Greetings, O favored one (Gr. χαριτοω/charito'o)" (Lk 1:28).
In other words, God has graced us with grace. Sure sounds like a lot of grace to me!
He uses the Greek word χαριτοω/charito'o. This is basically the verb form of grace (Gr. χαρις/charis). It means to give grace, honor with blessings, show favor and express kindness.
The only other place this verb appears in the Bible is when Gabriel drops in on Mary unexpectedly to tell her she's expecting. "Greetings, O favored one (Gr. χαριτοω/charito'o)" (Lk 1:28).
In other words, God has graced us with grace. Sure sounds like a lot of grace to me!
The entire source of His grace to us is "in the Beloved" (v6). This is the one and only risen Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus.
God expresses His gracious goodness to us in Him. In Jesus. There's the BIG IDEA of the letter.
Paul uses this idea of union with Jesus 28 times in one form or another. The best thing we can do as followers of Jesus is remember who we are IN JESUS.
Or as the writer of Hebrews encourages us, keep your eyes laser focused on "Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2).
God expresses His gracious goodness to us in Him. In Jesus. There's the BIG IDEA of the letter.
Paul uses this idea of union with Jesus 28 times in one form or another. The best thing we can do as followers of Jesus is remember who we are IN JESUS.
Or as the writer of Hebrews encourages us, keep your eyes laser focused on "Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2).
Don't miss the fantastic relationship Father God has with His Son. He's "the Beloved" (v6).
The Father uses this same idea when He drops one of His heavenly "attaboys" on Jesus for everyone to hear. "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17).
Paul sums up this same idea over his letter to his friends in Colossae. "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col 2:13).
Dad really loves His Son. I mean REALLY loves Him. And because we are "in the Beloved," He REALLY loves you and me too.
The Father uses this same idea when He drops one of His heavenly "attaboys" on Jesus for everyone to hear. "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Mt 3:17).
Paul sums up this same idea over his letter to his friends in Colossae. "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col 2:13).
Dad really loves His Son. I mean REALLY loves Him. And because we are "in the Beloved," He REALLY loves you and me too.
The apostle lets his readers know that this all comes down to the Grace/Glory Cycle. According to MacArthur, God's ultimate purpose of pre-loving us and handpicking us to be saved is for His glory.
He gives us grace. We give Him glory. The only thing we can give God is the glory He deserves.
He certainly isn't so needy and desperate for praise that He saves us to be His some kind of spiritual sycophants. God is perfectly satisfied in the friendship He shares in the Trinity.
But out of His overwhelming and overflowing goodness, He reaches out to us. He places us under the waterfall of His grace.
That's when the Grace/Glory Cycle kicks into high gear. What is for our good is always for His glory. And what is for His glory is always for our good.
He gives us grace. We give Him glory. The only thing we can give God is the glory He deserves.
He certainly isn't so needy and desperate for praise that He saves us to be His some kind of spiritual sycophants. God is perfectly satisfied in the friendship He shares in the Trinity.
But out of His overwhelming and overflowing goodness, He reaches out to us. He places us under the waterfall of His grace.
That's when the Grace/Glory Cycle kicks into high gear. What is for our good is always for His glory. And what is for His glory is always for our good.
It's the Grace/Glory Cycle.
©2013
Jay Jennings
©2013
Jay Jennings
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