Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20091108.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Ephesians: Overcoming Our Insecurities In Christ
Part I: The Believer's Secure Position In Christ, Ephesians 1:1-3:21
H. Overcoming The Fear Of Any Weakness In God's Wonderful Plan For Us
(Ephesians 1:15-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. Having learned in Ephesians 1:1-14 of the great blessings God has planned for us, due to deep-seated insecurities left in us by past errant religious heritages, we may fear there is some weakness in that plan.
    2. Ephesians 1:15-23 counters this fear, offering insight into the infinite capacity of God to keep His Word:
  2. Overcoming The Fear Of Any Weakness In God's Wonderful Plan For Us, Ephesians 1:15-23.
    1. Having described the great blessings God has for the believer to offset his fears, Ephesians 1:15-16 tells of Paul's prayer for his readers who give evidence of salvation by faith in God and love for all believers!
    2. That Ephesians 1:17-19a prayer offered a threefold request describing infinite security for believers:
      1. Paul prayed that God the Father might give his readers wisdom and revelation in knowing Him, that they might know what is the (a) hope of His calling, (b) what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and (c) what is the greatness of His power toward them, Ephesians 1:17-19a.
      2. The (a) hope of His calling refers back to Paul's teaching on the believer's present hope for future blessing and glory based on God's calling and predestination in eternity past in Ephesians 1:4-7, and (b) the riches of the glory of His inheritance refers to Paul's Ephesians 1:8-14 teaching on the believer's future inheritance; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 620.
      3. The third request, that of knowing the surpassing power of God toward us who believe (Ephesians 1:19a), is expounded in the rest of the chapter in Ephesians 1:19b-23, and this section forms the BASIS for overcoming fear of any WEAKNESS in God's wonderful PLAN for us (as follows):
        1. The power God has directed toward us believers is based on the great power that was exerted in His work in Christ to raise Him from the dead, and to set Him at His own right hand in heaven, Ephesians 1:19b-20. By application to us, even if we physically die as Christ died, we too will be raised incorruptible as was our Lord in Whom we are spiritually positioned, and we will be taken up to glory to be enthroned in the Father's presence as was Christ, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 with Revelation 4:1-11 (where the twenty-four elders in priestly robes crowned and enthroned in God the Father's heavenly throne room is the raptured Church, cf. Revelation 1:5-6).
        2. God's power directed to Christ then put Him far above all created spiritual powers, be they good or evil angels or human rulers, current or future, Ephesians 1:21 with 6:10-12 and Colossians 1:16. By application to us, the believer is assured that no demon or angel or human or group of humans like a nation(s) can block God's fulfilling His plan for him in this age or in eternity!
        3. God's power directed to Christ then put Him far above all other inanimate things, Ephesians 1:22a. By application to us, the believer is assured that no other tangible or intangible entity in creation can keep God from fulfilling His plan for him in this life, let alone in eternity!
        4. God's power directed to Christ made Him head over the Church, the spiritual body of believers that He rules, which body "'is being filled by the One who fills all things with all things (blessings).'" (Ephesians 1:22b-23; Ibid., p. 621) By application to us, the believer is assured that his role and participation in the Church's present as well as in its eternal future is so guarded by the Lord Jesus that he cannot but be blessed in seeing God's will fulfilled in his Church in life and ministry as he fellowships with the Lord, let alone be glorified with all the other saints in the future life to come! (Ephesians 4:7-16, 22-24)
Lesson: The wonderful plans and promises God has made to us believers about the effectiveness of our life and ministry in this present life and about our future life are all supported by the infinite power of God that was shown in raising and exalting Jesus in heaven in full sovereignty over all that affects us.

Application: (1) May we relax and rejoice in the security of God's plans and promises for us, and (2) may we fellowship with the Lord to heed God in our callings for sure blessings in this life!