CHRISTMAS 2 – January 5, 2020 – Eph. 1:3-14
“WISDOM FROM GOD”
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 Ephesians 1. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Everywhere in Holy Scripture, wisdom is something to be desired and sought. And it is through the Holy Scriptures that God seeks to give us wisdom and knowledge.
- In our Old Testament reading, God gave this precious gift to Solomon, and even more wisdom when he asked for it. God kept His promise to Solomon, and we all know how greatly Solomon and the children of Israel were blessed through this wisdom from God.
- Even Jesus, in His state of humiliation, “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.” Of course, as the Divine Son of God, Jesus is the foundation of all Wisdom!
- This is why we too should desire, seek, and treasure wisdom from God! It is good for us and good for those around us!
- To this end, that we should have wisdom, God sent His Son Jesus to be our Savior and to reveal Himself to mankind. In our text, the Apostle Paul connects the dots for us, showing us the magnitude of wisdom God has provided for us! May we be attentive, that we also receive this great wisdom from God.
I. Knowing What God Has Already Given Us Is Wisdom From God
A. His Redemption And Salvation
Text: “He chose us in Him . . . that we should be holy and blameless before Him. . . . In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”
B. He Has Granted Us Adoption Into His Family
Text: “He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.”
C. In And Through All Of This He Has Granted Us Every Spiritual Blessing
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.”
D. So That We Have All Wisdom And Insight Into His Will, Purpose, And Plan For Humanity
Text: “According to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time.”
Statement: What is conveyed and assured to us is so monumental, so grand, that we scarce even begin to take it all in! It is literally unbelievable, what God has given to us. To know His redemption and salvation is to know His heart. To know His adoption is to know His commitment and love. What can it mean that we have been “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”? And can it possibly be that God has already made His will known to us, that we even now know His purpose and plan – for the fullness of time? Astronomical!!!!
Application: So, what do we do with all of this “WISDOM FROM GOD”? First, drink it in and absorb it. Make it part of the fabric of your mind and your thinking. Then apply it back to everything else you know and do. Cling to it, grow in it, delve into it. God wants you have this wisdom, to enjoy this wisdom, and to benefit from this wisdom. And as you do so, you will surely be God’s blessing to others around you! May God grant it to each of us!
Transition: And there is even more, for:
II. Knowing What Is Coming Also Is Wisdom From God
A. We Have An Inheritance Coming From God – 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. . . . And you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.”
B . For All Things Work To His Will
Text: “according to the purpose of His will . . . making known to us the mystery of His will . . . according to the counsel of His will.”
Statement: Luther commented on the stupidity of animals, which is shared by unbelievers. He noted: They do not know their origin, where they came from, that they were created by God. They do not know their purpose in life, what God purposes for human beings, but rather keep their heads down, munching on the pleasures of this life. And they do not know their end, the condemnation that is coming for those who reject the gracious calling and mercy of God. In other words, they have no clue as to the purpose and will of God for them.
Application: But this ignorance and foolishness is NOT you, you who have been blessed with this “WISDOM FROM GOD.” How magnificent you truly are to know God as He truly is, and to be a part of His great salvation and eternal plans! And if you know these things, your wisdom far surpasses that of the vast majority of humanity! This too is the will of God, His plan and His purpose. So master it, enjoy it, and be a blessing to others!
Conclusion: Solomon pursued many things, and mastered many things, through the “WISDOM FROM GOD.” Sadly, he also allowed many things to ultimately cloud that wisdom.
May our prayer be the same as the young Solomon, that God would grant us an understanding mind, wise and discerning! And may we persist in this “WISDOM FROM GOD,” never veering from it.
In this way we will ever remain in accord with the blessed will, purpose, and plan of 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.