Niv Lesson 05-03-2009

Christ and Creation Unit 3: The Fruits of New Life (Lessons 10-14)

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DEVOTIONAL READING: INTRODUCTION ExODUS 19:1-8 A. THE CHOSEN ONES A friend of ours once gave her adopted daughter a plaque with the inscrip­ BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 1:3-14 tion, "You grew in my heart, not in my womb." This sentiment reflects the PRINTED TEXT: .-act that couples who cannot have children biologically often pursue adop­ EPHESIANS 1:3-14 tion. Raising children is perceived to be an important life experience and (in theory at least) a source ofjoy, thus the desirability of adoption. The ancient Romans also practiced adoption, but usually for a very dif­ ferent reason. According to Roman law, a father's property could pass only LESSON AIMS to his legitimate heir, who was expected to continue the household and the family name. Men who had no children would therefore often adopt a son, After participating in this lesson, each student will be sometimes a liberated slave, to stand as their heirs. The adopted son may al­ able to: ready have reached adulthood by the time of the adoption. Those adopted for this purpose severed ties with their former families in 1. Summarize Paul's de­ scription ofpredestination in order to be able to receive their new father's name and property upon his Ephesians 1. death. Of course, they were also expected to submit to their new father and 2. Contrast the biblical live in a way that would honor him. Being chosen to be an heir and elevated view ofpredestination with from slavery thus carried both privileges and responsibilities. In our passage popular but unbiblical views. today, Paul uses the legal principles behind the concepts of adoption and re­ 3. Express corifidence in demption to illustrate our experience of God's grace. his or her salvation because of s sea.I " God'" B. LESSON BACKGROUND Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus is known for its teachings on unity in the church (Ephesians 2:11-22; 4:1-6), spiritual gifts (4:7-16), Christian living (4: 17-5:21), marriage and family relationships (5:22-6:9), and the armor of God (6: 10-18). Many readers prefer to focus on these more practi­ cal passages, while avoiding the difficult and controversial teachings on grace, works, and predestination in the first two chapters. Yet Paul's ethical instructions are based on the principle stated at 5: 1: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." Christians, in other words, are to act a certain way because we have been adopted into God's household; we must live in a way that protects the family name. Following this logic, Paul opens Ephesians with an extended theoretical discussion of our adoption as God's heirs. In so doing, Paul emphasizes God's grace and our need to respond to that grace through lives of service. I. BEING CHOSEN, PART 1 (EPHESIANS 1:3-1 0) A. GOD'S ACTION (w.3-6) 3. Praise be to the God and Father ofour Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In the original Greek text, Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long sentence, a series of phrases that are stacked up to emphasize the wonder of God's gracious

KEY VERSE

[God] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. -Ephesians 1:5

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love for his people. Because of this love, God is to be praised. The idea here is the praise that is due to God because of his mercy and goodness. : Verse 3 is particularly important to the larger argument of Ephesians be­ I cause it clarifies the concept that Christians are to be in this world but not I of this world. Paul uses the term heavenly realms elsewhere in this book to I refer to the spiritual area beyond our day-to-day, earthly experiences. Christ is seated at God's right hand "in the heavenly realms" (1:20); these same heavenly places are the abode of angels and demons and the battleground for their spiritual warfare (3: 10; 6: 12). As Paul will stress at 2:6, Christians are raised up to this realm with Christ when God saves us from a life of sin. Thus, we engage two worlds at once: the earthly realm of sin, darkness, and temptation, and the supernatural realm, where God and Christ abide I eternally. Throughout this letter; Paul will seek to persuade us to act like citi­ zens of the heavenly places while we live our lives in this fallen world. God has blessed us to do so. 4. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blame­ less in his sight. In love The word translated for connects the thought of these verses to the bless­ ings mentioned in verse 3. The Christian's current citizenship in the heavenly realms with God was, in fact, secured before the creation of the world. Paul borrows the notion of being chosen or "elect" from the story of faithful Abraham. Before the coming of Christ, "election" into God's chosen people was grounded in physical descent from Abraham. Now, however; we I are chosen on the basis of faith in Christ, regardless of our ethnic or religiOUS background (Galatians 3:28, 29). The phrase before the creation of the world WHAT Do You THINK? naturally makes us think of the time before Genesis 1: 1; the general idea is What images spring to : that of "always." God always has planned for us to come to him through mind when you thinh of the terms holy and blameless? I Christ, a plan that the Ephesians (and we) have seen fulfilled personally. How do you pursue holiness? i 5.... he predestined us to be adopted as his sons throughJesus Christ, in ac­ i cordance with his pleasure and willi Of course, the Ephesian Christians, many of whom have come from a sin­ : ful, pagan background (see 2:2, 3), are well aware that they are not born into the family of faith. Paul therefore compares their experience with an adoption. According to Roman law, adopted children enjoy the same legal rights I and privileges as other members of the family. Similarly, anyone who accepts Christ becomes one of his elect children, regardless of background or previI ous lifestyle. ! Verses 4, 5 raise two further points that will become important later in the : letter. First, verse 4 emphasizes the implications of our status as adopted chil­ i dren: we are to be holy and blameless, like our heavenly Father. Our lifestyle ! must reflect the fact that we are now members of God's household. Second, WHAT Do You THINK? 5 indicates that God did not choose and adopt us because we deserved if you were adopted into Ii verse it, but rather because it pleased him to do so. We cannot earn the right to afamily, what did it feelli1u: I become members of God's family. All the credit belongs to him; indeed, the when you found out? if you : credit can fall only to God, since our salvation was worked out before the were not adopted, how did , foundation of the world, long before we were even born. you react to the idea ofadop­ i tion when you first found out ADOPTED about it? Tmkerbell is a black and white cat with six babies in her litters. Yes, litters. You LESSON

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see, she has three kittens to which she gave birth, but she also has adopted three

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puppies whose mother rejected them. Two years earlier, the Mason family in Mur­ rieta, Califomia, had found Tinkerbell as a stray and adopted her. Then she did the same thing for the puppies. We may wonder what inner drive makes a member ofone species accept respon­ sibility for the young of another. Apparendy, Tinkerbell's action is not unique. Typ­ ing "mother cat adopts puppies" into an Intemet search engine will result in several such stories in which cats have offered life to babies not their own (dogs do it too). As heartwarming as these stories are, we realize that these cats are responding unthinkingly to some matemal urge when presented with the orphaned pup­ pies. By contrast, God's adoption of his children is highly intentional. Our les­ son text speaks of his willing purpose in giving us an etemal inheritance-an inheritance given only to his children. As part of God's adopted family, our prop­ er response is to praise him for giving us life. -co R. B.

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6.... to the praise ofhis glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. The word to at the beginning of this verse indicates the result or, perhaps better, the intended purpose of our adoption. Ultimately, our salvation brings praise and glory to God; it does so because it demonstrates how very gracious he is. For Paul, the word grace summarizes God's unmerited love for sinners, especially as revealed byjesus' death on the cross. The phrase translated freely given us is actually based on the verb form of the word for grace. The original Greek text literally says, "the glory of his grace with which he graced us." The last part of the verse stresses the source of this gracious blessing: jesus Christ. The phrase in the One he loves builds on the reference to adoption in verse 5. jesus, as God's beloved Son, bears full rights to his father's estate. As the heir of all things, jesus secures our relationship with God under the umbrella of his own rights and privileges.

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DAILY BIBLE READINGS

Monday, Apr. 27-A Ptiestly Kingdom (Exodus 19:1-8) Tuesday, Apr. 28-An Inheritance Promised (Galatians 3:15-18) Wednesday, Apr. 29­ Children of God Through Faith (Galatians 3:23-29) Thursday, Apr. 3D-Adop­ tion as God's Children (Gala­ tians 4: 1-7) Friday, May 1­ Inheriting Eternal Life (Matthew 19:23-30) Saturday, May 2­ Guided by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25) Sunday, May 3-God's Own People (Ephesians 1: 3-14)

B. OUR STATUS (w. 7, 8) 7. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in ac­ cordance with the riches of God's grace Paul has been using the idea of adoption into a family to illustrate our new relationship with God through Christ. Because trusted slaves in Paul's day are sometimes freed and adopted as heirs, Paul switches to the metaphor of

redemption. In the Greco-Roman world, redemption is an economic term, with simi­ larities to the way we refer to redeeming stocks, bonds, or coupons today. Redemption is the process of making payment for the freedom of a slave; the cash paid is referred to as a ransom, similar to the way we refer to the ransom money that kidnappers require for the lives of their victims. Before accepting Christ, the Ephesians were enslaved to sin. God, however, paid the price to set them free: the blood oEjesus. Paul uses another economic term to describe the benefits of this gracious act: forgiveness. just as a creditor might forgive a debt, God does not require repayment for what Christ did on How TO SAY IT our behalf. Indeed, we could never pay him back, even if we tried. In many ways, this verse sums up Paul's thinking about salvation. Previ­ Abraham. AY-bruh-ham. ously, we were slaves to sin, unable to free ourselves. God, however, paid Ephesus. EF-uh-sus. the ransom for our liberty by giving his Son's life on the cross. But God does Gentiles. lEN-tiles.

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Do You THINK? Is being in debt monetarily a good thing, a bad thing, a "necessary evil," a morally neutral tool, or something else? Which label, ifany, il­ lustrates the idea ofspiritual indebtedness? Why?

WHAT

Do You THINK? What are some areas in life that are particularly sen­ sitive to thefullness of time concept? Which of these, if any, can we use to illustrate Ephesians 1:1O?

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not demand that we pay him back. He expects us neither to pay for our own sin debt nor to pay for the work Christ did to pay our sin debt. Rather, God forgave any debt we may owe him. He adopts us into his family and makes us heirs of his wealth. Recognition of this fact should motivate us to trust his judgment and to serve him with all our strength. 8.... that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. Paul frequently uses words like abound and lavish when speaking of God's grace. These terms evoke the image of a bubbling fountain that overflows its basin and, building on verse 7, emphasizes that God has more than enough grace to cover our sins. The terms wisdom and understanding probably refer not so much to the quality of God's actions as they do to the effect of his grace in our lives. Wis­ dom is spiritual insight, the new understanding of God that we gain when we experience his grace and come to know him as our liberator and adopted Fa­ ther. If wisdom refers to the content of our knowledge of God, understanding means that God has given us the ability to put that information into practice. Thus, God's grace is not simply something we know about-not just a doc­ trine that can be described and discussed-but is rather a fact of our experi­ ence that should be evident in the way we live.

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(w. 9, 10) 9. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good plea­ sure, which he purposed in Christ, Our wisdom comes from the fact that God has revealed his will and eternal plan to us. Paul often uses the word mystery to refer to the gospel, God's eter­ nal plan for salvation (examples: Romans 11:25; Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 2:2). This plan was mysterious in the sense that it was hidden throughout the Old Testament period, when God's people expected to receive salvation by being born into the Jewish nation, keeping the Law of Moses, and offering animal sacrifices. No one in that era could have predicted that God was planning all along to send his Son as the ultimate sacrifice. Now, however, the fullness of the story has been made public by the death ofJesus on the cross and by Paul's miraculous call to preach the gospel to Gentiles. 10. ... 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. The phrase put into effect translates the Greek word for stewardship, what we today call "management." From a human point of view, God waited a very long time to reveal his plan for salvation in Christ. Paul stresses, however, that God has been "managing the time," meaning that everything is working out according to his master plan. Even now, however, that plan is not yet complete. One day God will bring all things in heaven and on earth under Christ's authOrity (l Corinthians 15:25). He has already begun to do this by bringing us into God's family. GOD'S PLAN

II. BEING CHOSEN, PART 2 (EPHESIANS 1:11-14) A. PLAN (v. 11) I 11. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan ; of him who works out everything in confonnity with the purpose ofhis will,

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Paul picks up the theme of our adoption again. As God brings all things under Christ's authority, at the same time he makes us heirs and beneficiaries of his estate. These benefits are certain. When we reflect on our sinfulness and the fact that we can do nothing to repay our debt to God, we may fear that he will give up on us and throw us out of the family. This verse offers two responses to that concern. First, as noted earlier in this passage, God didn't choose us on the basis of our inherent goodness; he chose us when we were slaves to sin. His choosing is on the basis of a plan that he had worked out long before we were born­ the word predestined stresses that our inheritance is not, and never was, contingent on our own worthiness. Second, God doesn't make mistakes: he does what he does because it fits into his larger plan. We are not redeemed Visual for Lesson 10. accidentally. Of course, this emphasis on God's act and plan does not relieve Point to this visual as you us of responsibility. Although we are saved by his grace (as opposed to works; ask, "How will we make room Ephesians 2:8, 9) and for his purposes, he expects us to live in a way that for the next person to accept will honor him. Paul will describe many significant aspects of that lifestyle Christ?" through the remainder of this letter.

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B. PRAISE (v. 12)

12.... in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might befor the

praise of his glory.

The word we refers to jewish people who, like Paul, were thefirst to hope in Christ. These jews first had hope in the sense that, historically, jesus' disciples and the first Christians werejewish. For example, Paul-the-jew became a Chris­ tian before the Gentile Ephesians ("you also" in v. 13, below) heard the gospel. In a more general sense, this verse reminds all believers that God sent his Son and offered us salvation to bring glory to himself. The focus is always on God.

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(v. 13) 13. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel ofyour salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, In Paul's time, the idea that Gentiles can be saved is a radical notion, one that many jews do not accept. Even the Gentile Ephesians, who have been raised in a variety of pagan religions, may wonder at times whether they really are equal in God's eyes to jewish Christians. A similar problem may plague Christians today who reflect on their past sinfulness: how can we know for certain that God has accepted us into his family? Paul answers this question by using the image of a seal or signet ring. In the ancient world, official documents are signed by pressing into melted wax a ring that bears the family crest. This seal guarantees that the contents of the letter or contract are valid (see 1 Kings 21:8; Esther 8:8). Of course, God doesn't literally write his name on people; instead, he gives them his Holy Spirit, proof positive that he accepts us as his own. Fol­ lowing the earlier theme, Paul may be thinking of a father's signature on the adoption papers that make a slave to be his legal son and heir. PROMISE

D. POSSESSION (v. 14)

14.... who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of

those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

Do You THINK? What are some modern ways ofcreating seals as the ancient signet rings did? Which of these methods, if any, can be used to illustrate the seal of the Holy Spirit on our lives? WHAT

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PRAYER

God, help us remember two things: the price you paid for us and what you expect in return. We know that we can do nothing to save ourselves. Give us the strength to live as redeemed people. As you do this for us, please extend your grace to others who do not know you, and help us to spread the message ofyour love. In]esus' name, amen.

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In verse 13, Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as "promised." This could mean that we receive the Spirit when we become believers just as God promised we would (see Acts 2:38, 39). Verse 14, however, suggests that Paul is thinking of the Spirit as a promise of better things to come. This is clearer in other trans­ lations of verse 13 that have "Spirit of promise" rather than "promised Holy Spirit." Here we see two sets of images that Paul has used throughout the passage (adoption and redemption) come together. The word deposit means "down payment": our experience of the Holy Spirit is God's deposit on the eternal life we will enjoy. At the same time, we are God's purchased possession, paid for with the blood of his Son. The timing of redemption may refer to our death or to the second coming of Christ; either way, Paul is thinking of the time when God's investment will payoff in eternal fellowship with his children. Meanwhile, we should prepare ourselves to be in his presence by living pure and holy lives that will bring praise to him. 'f\LWAYS"

In 1953, Roy Stem sent his Navy buddy Dick Rewalt a Christmas card. As a joke the following year, Rewalt sent the card back with his signature on it. Each year since then, Stem and Rewalt and their families have exchanged the card. The card is filled with signatures and dates have added through the years. The card is wearing out. Now it is held together with tape on the creases, which have given way to time. However, the friendship has endured for more than 50 years, and the Stem and Rewalt families are probably thinking, "We've always sent this Christmas card back and forth between us." Half-a-century is a long time, but for God it is nothing. His "Christmas card" to us is the incarnation. Our salvation that results from it had "always" been planned. The lifelong, loving relationships many of us have had with friends and family is only a shadow of the intentional and complete love and goodwill God has "always" had for the children he has chosen to save. ---C. R. B.

CONCLUSION My wife and I met in high school. After dating for two years I decided to buy her a hope chest in anticipation of our engagement. After looking at sev­ eral stores, I found one that I thought she would like. I wanted to get it for her for Christmas. But back then I had only a part-time job, making less than four dollars an hour, so I had to put the chest on layaway. (This was before high schoolers had credit cards!) I made the initial deposit, then returned to the store every month with another payment until, come December, my in­ vestment was paid off. My initial deposit was, of course, a promise that more money would be forthcoming. In another sense, the hope chest itself was a sort of down payment in anticipation of the engagement ring that my wife-to-be received a year later. Until the ring came, she could look at the hope chest any time she wanted reassurance of my commitment, just as the engagement ring would serve as a promise that the wedding day would come. As Christians we know that he has brought us into his family. We also hope to live with him in Heaven someday. But in the meantime, we face temptations and periods of doubt. In such times the promise may seem very, very far away. For this reason, God gives us his Spirit both as proof that better ...

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things are coming and for the strength to finish the course. If we do, we will one day learn that our most profound spiritual experiences in this life were only a down payment on something much, much greater.

3, 2009

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER

Christians are God's chil­ dren, heirs to all that he owns.

Discovery Learning

The following is an alternative lesson plan emphasizing learning activities.

Classes desiring such student involvement will find these suggestions helpful. At the

back of this book are reproducible student pages to further enhance activity learning.

INTO THE LESSON Place in chairs copies of the reproducible activity "Rich Assurances and Wonderful Grace" from page 380 for students to work on as they arrive. Begin class with a brief interview of a class member or a guest who has adopted a child. If someone in your church is not available, use this opportunity to reach into the community Tell that person that you will ask the three questions below. Remind the per­ son to be brief, keeping the interview to about five minutes. Therefore, the questions will require some thought and preparation before class begins. Begin the interview by introducing the guest. Then ask the following questions: 1. Where and how did you locate the child you chose to adopt? 2. Each child in a home, whether born to it or ad­ opted into it, has a unique place. What gives an adopted child uniqueness? 3. What are some of the joys and challenges of parenting an adopted child? After thanking your interviewee, make the transi­ tion to Bible smdy by telling the class that adoption can be a wonderful blessing to a child. Say, "God chose to use the concept of adoption as a picture of his grace and our relationship with him. Today we will celebrate our adoption as God's children. How­ ever, before the celebration, we must also examine the implications of adoption for Christian living." INTO THE WORD Before beginning the next activity, read today's printed text aloud. After reading it, tell the class that there are concepts and words in this text that you will look at in order to understand the new life a believer has as a child of God. Study groups will examine these words and concepts. Make four group-study assignments by distributing copies of the following instructions and photocopies of the appropriate passages from the lesson commentary.

Slaves and Servants: Your task is to give the class a snapshot of the practice and purpose of adoption in the Roman world. Repon the expectations that accompanied the adoption. The photocopies of the lesson's introduction and background will be help­ ful. The Predestined: Your task is to define the con­ cept of predestination as Paul applies it to being adopted as children of God. Be ready to share your definitions with the class. Focus on EpheSians 1:4­ 6, 10, 11. The photocopy of the lesson commen­ tary will be helpful. The Adoption Agency: Your task is to help the class understand the blessings and responsibilities that are ours as adopted children of God. Focus on Ephesians 1:7,8. The photocopy of the lesson commentary will be helpful. The Realtors: Paul uses two terms that realtors understand: deposit (v. 14) and seal (v. 13). Read Ephesians 1: 13, 14 and the photocopy of the les­ son commentary Then be ready to explain these concepts and applications to the rest of the class. INTO LIFE Ask the following discussion questions: 1. How does knowing you are adopted change your view of yourself? 2. What does the concept of adoption imply about your inheritance? 3. We may not natu­ rally think of the Holy Spirit in terms of a "seal" or a "deposit." How does this snapshot of the Holy Spirit affect your view of your relationship with God? Now ask the panicipants to work in groups one more time and help make today's lesson personal. Describe (or, better yet, distribute on a handout) the following situation involving "Susan." Allow the groups to develop an answer to the young woman's questions.

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Susan's situation: Susan had been a faithful Christian, active in her local church throughout her childhood and teenage years. However, after she left for college, she chose friends who were not Christian. They drew her into an unchristian lifestyle. As a result, she drifted away from the Lord and into unholy behaviors, behaviors that she knew would offend him. Now Susan is dat­ ing a Christian man. She is wondering if God can

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still love and accept her. What are some ways this young man can respond to her by using the con­ cepts of adoption, a seal, and a deposit? If time is running short, the groups need not share their answers with the rest of the class. Conclude with a reminder and prayer thanking God for the possibility of becoming an adopted child of God. Ask for strength to live up to that obligation.