04 Ephesians 1:7-10 All Things in Christ

September 27, 2026

Chris Freeman

Title: All Things in Christ Text: Ephesians 1:7-10 FCF: We often struggle praising God for the enormity of His redemption plan. Prop: Because The Father has crafted and revealed a cosmic redemption plan for all creation in Christ, we must praise the Father. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Ephesians chapter 1. In a moment we’ll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 7 and going to verse 10. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, we discussed the first of God’s Spiritual blessings He blessed us with. God predetermined to make a family for Himself by adopting as sons those whom He chooses to put into Christ, His firstborn Son, and to share all the promises of that covenant. God did this according to His good will to us and in His love and so that we would praise Him for His abounding grace. But before we move on from this, I want to adjust the temperature level on last week’s sermon. It was clearly put forward as a sermon that would be confrontational. I knew that going in. I think I did my best to defend my interpretation of the scriptures. However, I do want to submit two things to you. First, if you aren’t convinced or if you don’t quite see it my way yet – that’s ok. We can grow together in this. And even if we never see eye to eye. That’s ok too, as long as we pursue peace and fellowship regardless. Second, I did make a point that seemed to say that disagreeing with me would be disagreeing with God. However, I want to add nuance to that. My intention was to keep us from spending all our time debating the topic rather than praising God for His work in salvation. And my intention with that comment specifically was to try to help those who might initially disagree with what was said, not to dismiss everything in the sermon and even to entertain the possibility that they could be wrong. With that being said, thankfully, the sermon today, I think, will be much less confrontational. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: All wise and knowing Father, You have declared the end from the beginning. You have determined what you will do and you will bring it to pass. Never has such a doctrine affected us so, as to the established plan and decree of redemption. You have set out a marvelous and mysterious plan to redeem and forgive sins. And at the center of this plan, You have foreordained Your Son to be its head. Glorious and all gracious Father, may we as Your people praise You today for the grace you have lavished on us in this cosmic plan for reconciliation. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “No creature that deserved redemption would need to be redeemed.” C.S. Lewis “The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.” C.H. Spurgeon [Slide 3] “If I had the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the strength of Samson, the obedience of Abraham, the compassion of Joseph, the tears of Jeremiah, the poetic skill of David, the prophetic voice of Elijah, the courage of Daniel, the greatness of John the Baptist, and the endurance of Paul, I would still need redemption through Christ’s blood, the forgiveness of sin.” R.I. Wheeler [Slide 4] “There can be no thought of “cheap” forgiveness when we remember that our redemption cost God the life of His beloved Son.” Geoffrey B. Wilson May these words help prepare our minds for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) The Father’s riches of grace secured our redemption through Christ’s atonement, so we must praise the Father. a. [Slide 5] 7 - In Him i. The section we are beginning in this doxological eulogy has not quite turned to Christ just yet. Paul is still talking about God the Father. ii. However, rather than seeing what the Father HAS blessed us with in the past, now Paul turns to what the Father is blessing us with in the present. iii. The preposition “in” again is referring to a location. iv. But the pronoun “him” must be referring to Jesus based on the context. v. Once again Paul is relaying to us the Spiritual benefits The Father gives us by uniting us to Christ. vi. So, what other Spiritual benefits has The Father blessed us with? b. [Slide 6] we have redemption through His blood, i. Let’s begin with the preposition through. It is describing to us the means or the path by which we have this next benefit. ii. It is by the means of Christ’s blood, which is certainly talking about His sacrificial atoning death on the cross, which has secured for us this benefit. iii. Much like we see the sacrifices in the Old Testament being the means God used to cover or pass over the sins of His people. However, our benefit is not a covering or a passing over… iv. The benefit is redemption. v. Before we define redemption, it is important to see that this particular benefit is not something that God did in the past for us. Rather this particular benefit is something we HAVE. Present tense. The Greek present tense emphasizes the action happening at the time of writing and usually implies a continuous effect. vi. So, what does it mean we have redemption in Christ? vii. Redemption is a legal term indicating that we have been released, delivered, or ransomed. viii. Depending on the context we could see either a simple deliverance from bondage or the paying of a ransom price in order to secure that redemption. ix. Since both are taught in scripture, I think you can land on either side, but we should not see Christ’s blood as the payment itself. x. If it were, Paul would have said “with” His blood and not “through” His blood. xi. His blood is a metaphor for the payment for sin, which is death. And the payment of that ransom was not paid to Satan, but was rather the cost of freeing us from our bondage to sin and Satan. xii. Sin and Satan trapped us because we were estranged to God. Christ’s death brought peace with God and release from Sin and Satan. xiii. This is made even more clear in the next statement. c. [Slide 7] the forgiveness of our transgressions, i. This phrase is called appositional. What that means it that it serves to rename or re-word what was previously stated. ii. What is our redemption through His blood? iii. It is forgiveness of our transgressions. iv. We should not see forgiveness as if our transgressions are simply forgotten or ignored. Forgiveness is more of a financial term here, where the debts are paid by someone else. v. It has the idea of a formal release or pardon. vi. The reason for the release or pardon is because someone paid the debt we owed. Namely, Christ. Therefore, since the payment has been made, we are free to go. vii. But what caused our debt? viii. It is our transgressions. ix. Transgressions here is the idea of a wrongdoing, a false step, an offense, or a blunder. x. Paul uses this term and others to describe sin in general. There may be subtle nuances between the different words Paul uses, but we see him use words almost interchangeably in similar constructions throughout the New Testament. xi. Christ’s atonement and sacrificial death on the cross specifically redeems and forgives us of the debt we had accrued toward God because of our sins. xii. Paul says elsewhere that the wages of sin is death. Therefore, the deliverance or the ransom paid to God for our sins against Him is to God to cancel our debt and free us. xiii. Christ’s death secured our deliverance. xiv. Why would God do this? d. [Slide 8] according to the riches of His grace i. According to here is once again showing us the source of all that has been done. ii. What source led to Christ’s sacrifice to redeem and forgive us for our sins? iii. It is none other than the riches of His grace. iv. “His” here is difficult to determine. We are a good way away from Paul talking about God the Father. v. We could see this as the Triune God, although that would be even more “out of left field.” vi. The most recent subject would have been Jesus Christ. vii. Certainly, Jesus can show riches in grace. viii. However, contextually, since Paul has not quite finished praising the Father, it seems better to see this as the grace of the Father. ix. And so, God the Father’s uniting us to Christ in His atonement as the means to forgive and release us from our sin debt, flows out of His abundant grace toward us. x. And so once again, it comes back to the grace of the Father. His powerful favor He gives to us, His people, enabling us to do what we could never do for ourselves. e. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: Paul’s primary point is to turn to the here and now. What Spiritual benefits do we have presently from the Father? In this, Paul reveals that out of the riches of grace of the Father, He has secured our redemption and forgiveness through the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ, His Son. God has given His powerful favor to do what we could not do and atone for our sins and secure our pardon. God has released us from sin and death by providing the atonement and payment for our sins. Is there any other response that a believer can offer to this, than praising God? Transition: [Slide 10 (blank)] But providing to us a redemption is not the only Spiritual blessing the Father has given in His grace that we enjoy today. What else has God’s grace done for us? II.) The Father’s abounding grace has made known to us His redemption plan in Christ, so we must praise the Father. a. [Slide 11] 8 - which He caused to abound to us i. Still speaking of the Father’s grace, Paul continues on his quest to show how praiseworthy God is for His blessing us. ii. Literally the Greek text says, “Which abounded to us” iii. Because this is a little weird sounding in English, many translations including the LSB add a word to try to help. “Which He made to abound”, or “which He richly poured,” or as here “caused to abound.” iv. All of this is an attempt to bring the thought over to English readers. v. But we get the idea, mostly because Paul has already talked about how God has lavished His grace on us. vi. However, the way in which He has done so is different here as he continues. b. [Slide 12] in all wisdom and insight, i. Scholars are fairly divided over how to read this. There are basically three ideas. 1. First, that God sourced our redemption in His grace which He abounded to us with His wisdom and insight. Meaning that this provides the motive or the manner in which God gave us grace and redemption. a. God is most certainly all wise and discerning. b. His plan of redemption reflects masterful planning and execution that certainly baffles the minds of men and angels. c. This is an attractive option because it refers back to what He has already said about the predestination, election, and redemption of His people. d. However, I’m not fully convinced that Paul is talking about that necessarily. 2. A second idea goes forward, in that God’s wisdom and insight has made known to us the mystery of His will. a. This would mean that God uses his divine wisdom and discernment by making known to us what His cosmic plans are. b. This is an attractive option because this is more or less what Paul prays for the church in Ephesus in verse 15-22 of chapter 1. c. However, I’m not fully convinced of this one either. 3. A third option is that these are actually further Spiritual benefits to those whom God has redeemed. a. This would mean that God has actually given wisdom and insight to us in order that we would know and understand God’s eternal purpose in redemption. b. And also, that we would know and understand God future plans for our redemption. c. This has the advantage of looking back and forward in the context of Ephesians. d. This is the interpretation that I will preach from, but know that the others are fully biblical views as well. ii. God the Father’s grace was given in abundance to us in that He has given us wisdom, which is the use of knowledge and experience. iii. His grace has also given us insight, which is our capacity for rational thought, inference, or discernment. iv. But it is not simply these gifts, because in some ways He has given these things to all men as image bearers. v. Instead, these gifts are especially abounded in grace so that we would know, experience, and understand what He makes known to us… c. [Slide 13] 9 - making known to us the mystery of His will, i. Making known is another circumstantial participle which conveys to us that this making known is related to God’s causing of grace to abound to us. ii. In other words, it is directly connected to His grace given. iii. In His abounding grace He has given us wisdom and insight by making known to us the mystery. iv. Mystery refers to a divine secret or secret doctrine. v. Today, we would be very wary of “secret doctrines” because the scriptural canon has been closed and we believe that the fullest revelation of God’s Word to us is in Jesus Christ. vi. But Paul writes of that very thing happening. That Christ came and revealed doctrines that were veiled in the Old Testament that are now unveiled. vii. But what is the mystery of God’s will? viii. Scholars almost unanimously agree that this points us back to God’s plan to save His people. ix. Paul is again referencing what he has discussed in verses 3-8. x. This mystery which was not fully known, has been made known to us. xi. God’s grace abounded to us, giving us wisdom and insight to understand this divine mystery of God adopting us and choosing us in Christ, redeeming and forgiving our sins through Christ’s atonement. xii. The only reason we even learn about God’s plan is because God reveals it to us. Without God revealing it… none would ever know it. xiii. But what is the motive that God had in making His mysterious will known to us? d. [Slide 14] according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him i. God has revealed it to us out of His good pleasure. ii. God was delighted to make this mystery known to us. iii. The next phrase, “which He purposed in Him”, is difficult to understand. iv. First, we must understand that this is connected to God the Father’s good pleasure. Whatever follows is related to the Father’s delight. v. Second, we must deal with the meaning of the word purposed. vi. Purposed means to set before, usually meant to set before someone for consideration as the reason or purpose. We could even say, established. vii. However, it is in the middle voice meaning God does this for or to Himself. viii. Paul then adds “in Him” at the end of this which could be talking about Christ or it could be talking about the Father in which case it would take a reflexive meaning… in Himself. ix. It seems best to take this “in Him” as talking about Christ specifically. This makes good sense in the context. x. So, what does this little phrase mean? xi. God delighted to reveal His mysterious redemption plan which He determined or established in Christ. Christ becomes the focal point of this plan which the Father is delighted to reveal to us. e. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Before, Paul showed us that The Father’s riches of grace provided redemption and forgiveness to us by Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death on the cross. But the Father’s abounding grace also has given us wisdom and understanding making known to us His mysterious redemption plan that He has determined in Christ. And God was delighted to make this known to us. Again, I ask, what does a believer in Christ have to say to this other than, Praise the Father! Transition: [Slide 16 (blank)] But what is the purpose of God setting out this redemption plan in Christ? What is the goal? And why Christ? III.) The Father’s redemption plan is for an administration with Christ as all in all, so we must praise the Father. a. [Slide 17] 10 - for an administration i. What is the overarching goal of God’s redemption plan in Christ? ii. For an administration. Well, what does that mean? iii. The word administration means stewardship or management. iv. It carries the idea of the activity of managing or administrating or governing. v. This entire redemption is for the purpose of setting up a system, an economy, or an administration. vi. An administration of what? b. [Slide 18] of the fullness of the times, i. Well, what does that mean? ii. The management or the administration is of the completion or the full to capacity of the times. iii. Meaning that God’s purpose in this redemption plan in Christ, is to lead to the end of all things. That all things would be complete in Him. iv. This plan started before the foundation of the world and its aim is the end of the world, and beyond. v. And what does that administration of the fullness of time look like? c. [Slide 19] that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, i. The words “that is” are not in the text but they help us to see that this is a renaming or a further explanation of the administration of the fullness of the times. ii. The purpose of this great redemption plan, with Christ as the center, is to bring all things in summary into Christ. iii. The word “summing up” is used of the summarization of a speech. In summing up a speech, you take the key points and ideas and bring them all into one sentence or paragraph, and discard the rest. There are actually applications that do this at the click of a button for us today. In this process they peel away the points that are most relevant to the document and discard what is not as relevant or is repeated. iv. Therefore, we could see this “summing up” as an ordering or a restructuring. It takes the chaos of what the world has become and brings it back into order. v. So that Christ will be all in all. That all things will be united into Christ. vi. The redemption plan God set forth in Christ is ultimately designed with the purpose to bring everything into order under Christ. vii. Everything? d. [Slide 20] things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him. i. Not just men… everything. ii. This is a cosmic plan of God that goes beyond merely the salvation of a people. iii. It includes all the realms of all creation. iv. There are both friends and enemies of God in the heavens and on the earth. v. God’s mysterious redemption plan set forth in Christ, includes the whole of creation. vi. Indeed, all creation groans for that day. e. [Slide 21] Summary of the Point: Continuing the thought from before, how God’s redemption extends to a mysterious plan he set up or established in Christ, Paul now shows us why. Why has God done this? It is so that this new order may come about, a new economy that will complete and subsume all of history and ultimately reorder and unite all things under Christ. So that Christ will be all in all. This is the wonderful purpose of God’s mystery of redemption which He was delighted to make known to us. In hearing this glorious message, true Christians can only praise the Father for His glorious will. Conclusion: So, what have we learned this morning that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 22] The grace of the Father is on display once again. God’s powerful favor to His people to bring to them a redemption and forgiveness through His Son’s sacrificial atonement for them. His grace brings us wisdom and discernment so that the mystery of His will in this plan would be made known to us. And He does all this for us because He is delighted to reveal to us a new administration that He is establishing in His Son to bring all of creation back into perfect order and harmony under Him. Wow. God’s redemption plan is so much bigger than you! It is so much bigger than me. In fact, God’s redemption plan… is all about Christ. What is our role as those who have believed on Christ? Is it not to praise the Father for all of these Spiritual blessings? Let me get more specific on these things. 1.) [Slide 23] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that The Father’s grace was lavished on us in His providing redemption and forgiveness. a. God’s Grace as we’ve come to see is God’s powerful favor given to those whom He freely wills to enable them to be, do, and receive what they are unable and unwilling to be, do, and receive for themselves. b. The Father’s grace then is meeting us in our inability. We cannot atone for our own sins. We are unable and really we are unwilling. c. Unbelievers who joke about being in the lake of fire with their friends have no concept of the unspeakable horrors of their punishment for their sins. d. And the punishment there will be eternal, implying of course that their sins will never truly be paid for, even given an eternity. e. And so, the Father has given us lavish grace to provide for us redemption and forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ. f. He has sacrificed Himself so that we might be pardoned. He has taken our shame and our guilt and our condemnation and He has given us His sonship in return. g. We were estranged from God and held captive by sin, death, and Satan. But Jesus has made peace with God by paying for our sins. All the roadblocks preventing us from being God’s true children are removed by the sacrificial atoning death of Christ on the cross. h. This we must believe. 2.) [Slide 24] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that The Father’s grace was lavished on us to make known to us the mystery of His will. a. In 1 Corinthians 2 we are told more of this marvelous mystery. In verses 6-16 Paul says that natural man cannot understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. b. Which is just a long way of saying what Romans 10 says – faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of God. c. Not one single human being would wake up one day and understand and believe what God has said about His Son, if God had not revealed the mystery to Him. Not one. d. God must reveal this marvelous mystery. e. Lydia, dear Lydia, in Acts 16 is down by the river praying. And Luke’s comment is that God opened her heart to receive the teachings of the gospel. f. What a glorious truth that God is still actively revealing this mystery today to more and more. g. May we pray and continue to pray that He would open the eyes of the blind and set captives free. 3.) [Slide 25] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that it was the Father’s delight to reveal this mystery to us. a. A more glorious truth I cannot confess. b. God does not begrudgingly open the mystery of His redemption. c. Indeed, the gospel call goes to all men everywhere. d. Not just Jews but Gentiles too. e. Not just men but women also. f. Not just to those who will believe, but to those who won’t too. g. The gospel call rings out. God is delighted to send His word through His disciples and He is delighted to reveal the mystery of these things to those who believe on Christ. h. What a good and patient Father who is not slow to keep His promises. His Word won’t return to Him void. He will have a harvest. 4.) [Slide 26] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that The Father’s only purpose in redemption, is us. a. Such is popular today. b. We fight constantly to keep man worship out of the worship of God. c. And it becomes even more challenging when we consider that the Father truly does love us. He does! d. But popular songs and teachings attempt to emphasize that God’s love for us is the only motive in sending Christ as the Redeemer. e. But friends… God’s cosmic plan of redemption is for ALL of creation… not even just men. f. All of creation is broken. g. Just as we are made a new creation in Christ, He is bringing a new Kingdom and a New Heaven, and a New Earth. h. Indeed, all things will be made new. i. Do not short change the Father’s plan to only include our souls. Oh, it is so much bigger than that. 5.) [Slide 27] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that The Father established this redemptive plan in Christ so that all creation would be ordered in Him. a. Why would God do this? b. Philippians and Colossians will help us greatly in understanding this as we come to them. c. But for now, it is important for us to understand that the Father sent His Son to do this work. As a reward for His humiliation and obedience, Christ has been made over all Kings and all powers. d. Why is that significant? Wasn’t He God before He came? e. Certainly… but now He is also man. f. How can a man sit on the throne that belongs to the Ancient of Days? How can a man sit on God’s throne? g. This is how. The Father’s establishment of this redemption plan in Christ ensures that all things… ALL THINGS… will be ordered and untied to Him. h. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. i. Christ will be all as all things are in Him. j. What should we do with all of this? 6.) [Slide 28] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must praise the Father for what He has done. a. Once again, Paul’s words here are to illicit deepest praise from those to whom he writes. b. Paul is stringing together subordinate clause after subordinate clause in a feverish listing of all that God has done to bless us. c. And he makes no bones about it… God is praiseworthy for all of it. d. And what we’ve learned today only amplifies this. e. God the Father is delighted to redeem, forgive, and make known to us His mysterious plan of redemption established in Christ. A plan that will complete time and finally bring everything back into order. f. He started before the creation of the world with this plan… and it will go on… forever. g. My friends. If you are a believer here today, that is worthy of praise. 7.) [Slide 29] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God truly has declared the end from the beginning. a. Getting a peek at this today we can go back to Isaiah 46:10 and recognize that the words of the prophet are indeed true. b. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “my counsel will be established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure.” c. Boy that sounds familiar doesn’t it. d. God has a redemptive plan. In the Old Testament much of it was a mystery only to be fully revealed in Christ in the New. e. This gives us hope that God isn’t on plan B. He only has plan A. And He is still on it. And He will finish with it too. 8.) [Slide 30] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” All things will be reordered in Christ. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Repent and believe on Him and you will be saved. a. To believers the idea that all of creation will be ordered and united under Christ, is truly a message of hope and worthy of praise. b. But to those who are not following Christ, part of that ordering is the dismissal of those who are wicked. c. In Revelation it talks about this Kingdom coming. It uses the image of a city. But those who are sinners. Those who love their sin and continue to practice it – they will be excluded from the city. They will be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels forever. d. How can one message be received in two different ways? It all depends on what you do with Jesus. e. If Jesus is your hope, your savior, your Lord… then such a future is bright and blessed. f. If Jesus is nothing to you, or a talisman, or a magic genie, or an accepting person who never tells you to stop sinning… then you will not be with Him in His new Kingdom. g. I invite you to repent of your sin, the very thing that made Christ’s sacrifice necessary, and that you would believe on Him and follow Him the rest of your days. [Slide 31 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the puritan Anthony Burgess O Lord, I bless you, not only for your pardon of those sins I have committed, but also for your goodness in preserving me from those many thousands of other sins I was prone to fall into. If I could repent to the highest degree, or achieve the holiness of men and angels, it could not make up the damage sin has made upon me. Who was more plunged into sin than I? Whose diseases were greater than mine? It may be that thousands and thousands of other souls are now taking their place in hell, for less and fewer sins than I have committed. I do not call upon you to repeal any threat or nullify your word. I do not ask you to become unjust. But your wisdom has found out a way that I may be pardoned and you may be satisfied. Your overflowing goodness overcomes me. If only I had the hearts of all men and angels to praise you. I confess this to you in Jesus’ name, Amen. Benediction: May your prayers be counted as incense; The lifting up of your praise as the evening offering. Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father. Until we meet again, grace and peace to you.