Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Eph. 1. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- I’ve always been infatuated with King Solomon. The incident in the Old Testament Lesson always struck me as being a little bit like the accounts of someone finding a “genie” who was going to grant them one wish. The request of Solomon was nothing like what I would have asked for when I was a young lad.
- Have you ever thought of what you might have asked for if you had been in Solomon’s place? Maybe even now you wonder what you should ask for from God. I know that my interests and concerns have changed dramatically through the years. But it remains an interesting question – what would be best for us to ask God for!
- As I grew older I began to appreciate more the importance of wisdom, and the wisdom Solomon already possessed when he asked for even more of it. Wisdom is a great blessing – something that protects and preserves us in all manner of circumstances, and helps us to insure that we are doing all that we can to make things turn out optimally.
- Of course, God invites us to pray and promises to hear us, and we can be sure that He does indeed give us what is best for us. The same was true of Solomon. However, one of the things that we learn from the history of Solomon recorded in Holy Scripture is that the wisdom he received from God did not insulate him from the weaknesses of his sinful flesh. And of course, the same is true for us – so that we need always remain in repentance and faith and trust in Jesus.
- God not only blessed Solomon with wisdom, but also with great wealth. The wealth was a mixed blessing, for it provided opportunities for his sin to corrupt him. We too have a measure of wealth – which also increases temptations to sin and corruptness.
- But in our text the apostle Paul highlights the blessings of God that have come to us in Christ – gifts from God. And if we read his description carefully, and ponder it deeply, it will be difficult for us not to conclude that in Christ we have become “RICHER AND WISER THAN SOLOMON.” For:
I. Those Who Are The Blessed In Christ Jesus Truly Are Richer And Wiser Than Solomon
Text: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in Christ.”
A. We Have Received Every Spiritual Blessing In The Heavenly Places In Christ Jesus
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.”
B. He Has Chosen And Predestined Us For Adoption Before Creation
Text: “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.”
C. So We Are Redeemed And Forgiven
Text: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
D. He Has Lavished Upon Us The Riches Of His Grace – In All Wisdom And Insight
Text: “according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.”
E. He Has Made Known To Us The Knowledge Of His Mysterious Will, And His Purpose – And We Are Incorporated Into The Praise Of His Glorious Grace
Text: “making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ. . . . according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace.”
Statement: In the first place all of this is too hard to believe. It is difficult even to begin wrapping our minds around all of this blessedness. Secondly, it is difficult not to become proud and smug – to come to premature judgments about all of this. Third, it is difficult to actually internalize what this means, and to begin actualizing the benefits of this in our life of faith. Lastly, it is a challenge to compare and contrast what we have already received in Christ Jesus with the wisdom and wealth that our sinful nature craves, and to come to the right conclusion – that whatever our earthly circumstances may be, if we are in Christ Jesus we are “RICHER AND WISER” even “THAN SOLOMON.” But it is true.
Application: We, like Solomon, continue to be impeded and corrupted by our sinful nature – so that we struggle to recognize the riches God has blessed us with and to utilize them properly. Instead, we are often distracted and carried away by sinful desires and concerns – so that like Solomon we continue to serve our idols, the things we love and devote ourselves to more than God. But God continues to be gracious and kind to us – to His glory and honor; and He patiently works with us to fulfill His purposes and His will in us and through us – to the praise of His glorious grace. And today, as He often does, He simply reminds us and holds before us what He has already given to us – calling us to grasp and take stock of what we already have. This He does in hope that we will receive the blessings, and utilize them, and fully benefit from them. But always within His gracious forgiveness and mercy in Christ Jesus, which we certainly ever need!
Transition: And He wants us to know all of this, for:
II. We Have Been Included In All Of This Blessedness
A. We Have Been Predestined By God To Be To The Praise Of His Glory
Text: “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him Who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.”
B. We Have Been Converted To Faith By the Word Of Truth, The Gospel Of Salvation, So That We Believe And Have Been Sealed By God’s Spirit
Text: “In Him you also . . . heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, and were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
C. And So We Have Received A Guaranteed Inheritance – Sure And Certain, To The Praise Of God’s Glory
Text: “you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”
Statement: Again, the blessings are hard to fully fathom and grasp – that have come to us by means of God’s Word, the Gospel of our salvation. But it is God’s work, by the power of His Holy Spirit – and so it is sure and certain, guaranteed by God Himself. And it is definite – for it has all come about and been given to us as part of the very glory of God – that He might be praised for His gracious love, mercy, redemption, and spiritual gifts.
Application: Again, we often are distracted and drift into all kinds of things that don’t bring glory to God. But He recalls us by His absolution, His forgiveness, His ongoing gracious mercy and love. It is His Name, reputation, and glory that are at stake. His purpose is to keep us in His salvation, and to bring us to possession of our inheritance. It is to His glory, not our own, to the praise of His glorious grace.
Conclusion: But we are beneficiaries of His gracious love and favor, and we may as well go along with His purpose and will – it is far better anyway. We are abundantly blessed with spiritual wealth and wisdom – so why not actualize these blessings and enhance God’s grace and glory?
Note that these blessings have come to us through Christ, and by means of His Word – so let us continue to be instructed and enriched by His Word! Perhaps this is the prayer that we should offer to God, simply that He grant us grace and wisdom to fully benefit from what He has already given us. And for humility to avoid the pitfalls that Solomon fell into! This would be a prayer for wisdom, and surely pleasing to God! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.