D3 11. According to purpose (kata).
A3 1:12-14 The Witness of the Spirit.
E 12. The praise of His glory.
F 12. The prior hope.
G f 13. Hearing
The Word ...
g 13. Believing
your salvation.
G f 13. Seal
The Spirit ...
g 14. Earnest
our inheritance.
F 14. The purchased possession.
E 14. The praise of His glory.
The
Will
of
the
Father
(Ephesians
1:3-6)
This is the charter of the church of the dispensation of the Mystery, the
priceless treasure of the Muniment Room, under the watchful care of Paul, the
steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1), the one to whom the Lord had
committed as a `good deposit' these records, deeds and testamentary documents,
that are the basis of our calling, our enfranchisement and adoption and our
inheritance.
Chamber 1. The Muniment Room (Eph. 1:3-14)
The Threefold Charter of the Church of the one Body
Every Blessing that is Spiritual
Having seen that the opening section of Ephesians is threefold, and deals
with:
The Will of the Father
(1:3-6)
The Work of the Son
(1:7-11)
The Witness of the Spirit (1:12-14),
each department in this great passage is devoted to one phase of the truth and
together make up the Charter of the Church. We go back in time to `before the
foundation of the world' (1:4) and on to the future day of redemption (1:14 with
4:30). This redemption comes under the heading `The Work of the Son', for He
alone is the Mediator, He alone the Redeemer, for He alone offered Himself
without spot an offering and a sacrifice for sin. The Spirit's seal and earnest
follows and does not precede this great redemptive work; the Witness of the
Spirit combines the promise given before age times (2 Tim. 1:8-10 and Eph. 1:4)
with the Redemption accomplished by Christ.
In Ephesians 1:3-6 we have `The Will of the Father'.
We ask a series of
questions concerning this will and submit the answers:
What does the believer inherit?
`All spiritual blessings'.
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