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2023-Q3-L02: God’s Grand, Christ-centered Plan

Read for This Week’s Study: Eph. 1:3-14; Eph. 2:6; Eph. 3:10; Col. 1:13, 14; Deut. 9:29.

Memory Text: “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” (Ephesians 1:3, ESV).

Eph1

Scriptures

  • Ephesians 2:6 (ESV): 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
  • Ephesians 3:10 (ESV): 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
  • Colossians 1:13–14 (ESV): 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
  • Deuteronomy 9:29 (ESV): 29 For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’

Notes

  • It took a night for God to take the nation of Israel out of Egypt, but it took 40 years (a complete generation) to take Egypt out of Israel.
  • Christ's sacrifice released us from both the penalty of sin (forgiven; guilt removed), from the power of sin (through the spirit-driven, new birth experience), and ultimately from the presence of sin in the resurrection and final judgment.
  • The record is covered, the character is reformed, and ultimately freed from every vestige of sin.
  • One sentence (in the Greek) for verses 3-14. It starts with "blessed". We normally thing of blessing in the material realm, but Pauls is talking about "spiritual" blessings.
  • Identity. Who we are in relationship to God. Identity is a big problem in our world today.

Predestination

  • The Blessing. One was willing to sell it for a bowl of soup and one was willing to cheat for it.
  • All are predestined to be saved, but man must choose. It is universal salvation from God's perspective, but conditioned on choice. God offers a banquet (or potluck), but you don't have to come and eat.

SABBATH.

SUNDAY. Chosen and Accepted in Christ

From the lesson: Paul praises God for the fact that He has “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing” (Eph. 1:3, ESV). That the blessings are spiritual (Greek, pneumatikos) suggests that they come through the Spirit (pneuma), pointing to the closing of Paul’s blessing, which celebrates the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers (Eph. 1:13, 14).

MONDAY. Costly Redemption; Lavish Forgiveness

From the lesson: The Greek word translated “redemption” in Ephesians 1:7 is apolutrosis, originally used for buying a slave’s freedom or paying to free a captive. One can hear echoed the voice of the slave trader auctioning his merchandise and the cold grinding of a slave’s manacles. When the New Testament discusses redemption, it highlights the costliness of setting the slaves free. Our freedom comes at an extreme cost: “In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood” (Eph. 1:7, ESV). The idea of redemption also celebrates God’s gracious generosity in paying the high price of our liberty. God gives us our freedom and dignity. We are no longer enslaved!

Note carefully that the idea that God pays the price of redemption to Satan is a medieval, not a biblical, one. God neither owes nor pays Satan anything. The benefits of Calvary also include “the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Eph. 1:7, ESV). On the cross, Christ takes upon Himself the price of our sin, both past and future, “canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands” (Col. 2:14, ESV). In doing this work of redemption and forgiveness through Christ, God is acting as our generous Father, with the “riches of his grace” being “lavished upon us” (Eph. 1:7, 8, ESV).

TUESDAY. God’s Grand, Christ-centered Plan

From the lesson: The term that Paul uses to describe the plan is a picturesque one (Greek, anakephalaiosasthai), to “head up” or to “sum up” all things in Christ. In ancient accounting practice, you would “add up” a column of figures and place the total at the top. Jesus heads God’s final, eschatological plan. This Christ-centered plan was crafted “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4) and is so broad that it encompasses all time (“the fullness of the times,” NKJV) and space (“all things … things in heaven and things on earth,” ESV). Paul announces unity in Christ as the grand, divine goal for the universe.

In discussing God’s “plan for the fullness of time” (Eph. 1:10, ESV), Paul shares the theme that he will weave through the letter. God begins His plan to unify all things, rooted in the death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of Jesus (Eph. 1:15-2:10), by founding the church and unifying disparate elements of humankind, Jews and Gentiles, in it (Eph. 2:11-3:13).

In this way, the church signals to the evil powers that God’s plan is underway and their divisive rule will end (Eph. 3:10). As the Bible says elsewhere: “For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time” (Rev. 12:12, NKJV).

WEDNESDAY. Living in Praise of His Glory

From the lesson: In the Old Testament, God’s people are sometimes thought of as being His “heritage,” or inheritance (Deut. 9:29, Deut. 32:9, Zech. 2:12). This sense of being or becoming God’s inheritance is clear in Ephesians 1:18 and is the likely meaning of the term in Ephesians 1:11 as well (which would then be translated, “In him we have become an inheritance”). As a central element in their Christian identity, Paul wishes believers to know their value to God. They not only possess an inheritance from God (Eph. 1:14, Eph. 3:6, compare Eph. 5:5), but they are God’s inheritance.

Notes

  • 1:11. We are taken into the inheritance. That is, we are God's inheritance. Deut. 32:9.

THURSDAY. The Holy Spirit: Seal and Down Payment

Notes

  • Seal. Four different meanings. Seal a book: to validate as genuine. Second, seal to hide the content, break a seal (Rev. 5). Seal a person: mark of ownership (tatooed). Mark of protection (Ezek 9), if on God's side. Eph 1, mark of ownership, as God's slaves. Rev. 7, servants of God are sealed--special seal, protection from the winds of strife. SC 68: Sign that the person has accepted the gospel, assurance of salvation.
  • Another metaphor of salvation. How do you know a person is sealed by salvation.

FRIDAY. Further Thought: “In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.” — Steps to Christ, p. 68.

ATONEMENT Theories. The central role of Christ in the plan of salvation.

Biblical Reasons Jesus Died. Why did Jesus die or have to die?

  1. Jesus Died to Provide Eternal Life. (Revelation 5:9-10; Daniel 7:18, 27; Matthew 25:34, 46; Luke 18:29-30; Revelation 2:26-27; 22:5; etc.)
  2. Jesus Died to Reconcile Us to God. (Colossians 1:19-22; Ephesians 2:13-16; [1 Peter 3:18]; Hebrews 10:19; Ephesians 2:18-19)
  3. Jesus Died to Express Love. (John 3:16; Revelation 1:5)
  4. Jesus Died to Defeat Evil. (Hebrews 2:14-15; Colossians 1:13-14; Ephesians 2:1-3; [1 John 3:8]; Acts 26:18)
  5. Jesus Died to Provide an Example. (Philippians 2:4-10; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 12:1-3; [1 Peter 2:18-23]; [1 John 3:16; 4:10-11]; Philippians 3:9)
  6. Jesus Died to Justify Us Apart from the Law. (Romans 3:19-25; Romans 7:1-4; Galatians 3:23-26)
  7. Jesus Died to Free Us from Sin to Live Righteously. (Romans 6:1-23; 8:3-4; [1 Peter 2:24]; Hebrews 10:26-27; Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:10-14)
  8. Jesus Died for Our Sins. ([1 Corinthians 15:3]; Luke 24:26-27, 44-46; cp. [1 Peter 1:10-11]; Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 10:45, Romans 4:25; 5:6, 8; [2 Corinthians 5:14, 21]; Hebrews 2:9; 9:28; etc.)

METAPHORS: Sacrifice, Ransom, Debt. These are metaphors to picture Jesus' death for sin, including the sacrifice of an animal, paying a ransom, and cancelling a debt.

  • Sacrifice. (John 1.29; cp. [1 Pet 1.19], etc.). The Lamb of God
  • Ransom. ([1 Timothy 2:6]; [1 Peters 1:18-19]; Titus 2:14; Luke 1:68; 24:21; Revelation 5:9; 14:3; [1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23]; [2 Peter 2:1]). A ransom that needed to be paid. To whom?
  • Debt. (Colossians 2:13-14; Matthew 18:23-35; Luke 7:41-43). A debt that was owed. To whom?

How Jesus’ Death Dealt with Our Sin

  1. Ransom Theory. Was the ransom paid to Satan? If so, is Satan God's equal? The idea that God is making a deal with Satan, a created being, sounds preposterous. If Satan is the kidnapper, why not just snuff him out.
  2. Christus Victor Theory. “Christ the conqueror” sets the cross within a cosmic battle between Satan and God. This theory says very little about human sin and the need for forgiveness. Where is personal responsibility in this theory?
  3. Moral Exemplar Theory. This cannot bear the full weight of atonement. It does not address one's relationship with God, the devil and justice.
  4. Satisfaction Theory. Dominant CATHOLIC theology. Though he did not deserve death, owing to his perfect obedience, Christ willing obeyed to the point of death, paying God back more than he owed. The criticism is that if God demanded satisfaction by the death of His Son, then God did not forgive "freely" but simply got what He asked for. Also, the injustice doubles when the sinner is not punished but goes free, while the innocent Jesus *is* punished severely. Where is the justice in that? Further, it reduces the atonement to a transaction rather than a heart-rending sacrifice.
  5. Penal Substitution. Dominant PROTESTANT theology. The idea that God is placated, that God's righteous wrath is appeased and His justice is satisfied. The criticism is similar to the satisfaction theory. It seems radically unjust for an innocent person to suffer on behalf of someone who is guilty. Also, it sets the Father against the Son. Jesus ends up saving us from the Father as much as from sin. If the Father could only control His anger issues, we'd all be fine. We owe more to Christ who showed us kindness than to the Father who, by exacting debts, showed us no kindness at all. Also, if you believe in eternal damnation, Jesus is not burning in hell right now. It seems unfair that the wicked will burn in hell forever, while Jesus was in the tomb only three days. Also, penal substitution looks suspiciously similar to pagan human sacrifice offered to appease the angry gods. The vengeful Father punishing His Son for an offence he has not even committed sounds more like cosmic child abuse. The whole idea seems contradictory to the statement "God is love." If God indeed is love, then why did He not forgive His enemies (namely, Satan and humanity) and refuse to repay evil for evil?
  6. Governmental Theory. The idea here is that God requires a punishment less than the amount he is owed while sufficiently demonstrating how serious sin is and simultaneously setting an example to both deter sin and inspire righteousness. This theory suffers from the other substitution theories among other things.
  7. Communal Substitution Theory. This theory focuses not on individual wrongs but the group wrong. So, Jesus, himself a human, offers to atone for the whole group of humanity. He offers satisfaction and/or suffers the penalty on behalf of everyone as the second Adam or representative human being. This theory is a kind of upgrade to either the Satisfaction or Penal Substitution theories.

Christ's deity in the atonement. Two advantages: (1) Being deity, Christ was of greater value than any human sacrifice; (2) God does for us what we could not do for ourselves. Three disadvantages: (1) Since Jesus is God (or God the Son), then God is being paid a debt owed to Himself--i.e. God is paying God or, said another way, God pours wrath on Himself in order not to satisfy wrath on everyone else; (2) For some, Christ as the Son of God becoming a man is as meritorious as his death which ends up diminishing his death; (3) Deity did not actually die, because deity cannot die. Only Christ's human "nature" died.

Great Controversy. In summary form: The purpose of the cross is to reveal both the character of God and the nature of sin. The purpose of the final judgment is to forever vindicate the character of God and eradicate sin and sinners. In the final judgment, even the wicked will recognize the truth of God's character. The term "God's character" is equivalent to God's form of government—which is based on love, truth, and freedom.

  • Paul's example. Before conversion he was persecuting Christians—those of a different conviction. After conversion he allowed others to be persuaded in their own minds.
  • The truth about sin and sinners. Sin is lethal. The sinner sets in motion a chain of events which ultimately brings punishment upon himself. In other words, the sinner reaps what he sows. The sinner is a sinner by nature. He cannot change himself and, therefore, cannot save himself. Forgiveness has no value, if the sinner remains a sinner. It's like a pig being washed and then going back into the mud.
  • God's remedy for sinners. God's remedy involves both forgiveness and healing. Both are fulfilled in Christ. By faith in Christ we are forgiven and through Christ we are restored. The work of transformation begins the moment the sinner accepts Christ. Salvation is progressive: from the new birth, to growth and maturity, and finally to glorification at the second coming. The saved individual no longer continues in sin (Romans 6).
  • God's judgment on sinners. God cannot help those who do not want to be helped. Those who choose to remain in sin cannot and will not want to live in God's holy presence. They would rather die than remain in His presence, and will cry to the rocks and mountains, "fall on us and hid us" from His presence (Revelation 6:15-16). The rejectors of God's mercy will get what they want. The saints will also get what they've asked for—happy to live in a perfect, sin-free world.
  • GC 36.1: God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown.
  • Two salvations. One is: What must I do to be forgiven? The other is: What must I do to be restored? One is preoccupied with my legal standing before God (i.e. being forgiven). The other is preoccupied with healing the damage done (i.e. standing before God spotless). One is a temporary solution; the other is permanent. Christ both blotted out our guilt and provided a remedy to our condition.
  • Did God kill His Son? No. Rather, God allowed Satan to manifest his character (i.e. form of government). It is not unlike the story of Job. At the cross, the character of the Accuser was fully revealed.