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English Worship

Predestination in Ephesians Ephesians 1:3~4
July 17, 2022 ( Matthew Oakley)
The book of Ephesians is a teaching 4:24). The new man is perfect, and we
letter to a church that had not seen can walk in this perfection as we walk
Paul face to face. It was almost cer- by the Spirit. The new man does not
tainly not intended for the church of have to be imagined or conjured up. It
Ephesus, because Paul had lived and really exists by the decree and creative
ministered in Ephesus for two whole act of God. We are this new man, and
years, and later told the elders that he when the old man is completely done
had announced to them, “the whole away with by the death of our body,
counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), in oth- we will be revealed entirely as the in-
er words, everything! Teaching letters corruptible and immortal new man in
of this kind were needed for churches a new body.
where Paul had not personally minis- And when was it decided that we
tered. His purpose is to establish the would have this wonderful destiny?
most fundamental tenets of the faith Was it when we responded to the gos-
with the authority of apostleship. pel? Was it when we were born? No,
Verse 3 is so striking! The blessing of it was before the foundation of the
God is literally EVERY spiritual blessing. world. Before Adam and Eve were
Moreover, this blessing is not held out created, before they sinned, we were
as a reward for good behaviour; it is already chosen in Christ. We were cho-
already conferred; He ‘has’ blessed us. sen in eternity past for an eternity of
This blessing is ‘in Christ’. It is Christ blessed fellowship with God.
who is our substitute. He ‘became sin This is the teaching to put a backbone
for us that we might become the right- of strength into the saints of God! To
eousness of God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21). know one’s identity and blessedness
Our big brother is our federal head, in Christ is absolutely crucial. We are
just as Adam is our head according to at war with the world, our own flesh
the flesh. The key thing here is the new and the devil. We are assailed daily by
creation. We have been born again discouragements. The first item in our
into a second act of creation, into a kitbag of weapons is the shield of faith.
new human race. Faith in what? Faith in our unassaila-
This new creation is perfect. Paul else- ble identity in Christ! The identity of
where exhorts us to ‘put on the new one who has been blessed with every
man, created according to God in true spiritual blessing in Christ.
righteousness and holiness’ (Ephesians
. . . . .
초 대 합 니 다 이름 : 연락처 :

7월 추천도서 하나님의 마음에 가장 가까운 기도
말씀으로 기도하라

저자 지용훈 | 출판사 규장
하나님의 뜻을 마음에 새기고 구하는 본질적 기도 말씀암송기
도! 하나님의 마음에 가장 가까운 기도이며, 신앙의 기초이며,
전도의 핵심인 말씀암송기도를 다뤘다. 소리 내어 성경을 암
송하여 선포하는 것 자체가 기도, 찬양, 예배, 중보기도, 영적
전쟁 그리고 전도의 가장 핵심요소라고 전하고 있다. 저자는
이 책을 통해 사람들이 성경암송이 묵상의 본질임을 알고 암
송기도를 하는 자가 되어, 성령님과 더 깊은 천교를 나누게 되
길 바란다고 말했다. 묵상의 핵심, 성경암송기도의 영적 원리,
성경암송기도 훈련, 암송금식기도의 체험, 암송금식기도의 은
혜 등을 다뤘다.