The Pulpit Commentary — Ephesians — Section 38

.a.~-i> .a.ocr;;PTED 1x Cm,IST THE BELO~. (Ven:. 5, 6.) We have seen that the infinite Patber is t-he :3,..,utt'e of all blessing. But that Father has one only Son, the only begott('n, in his Di,ine family. The eternal Father had an eternal Son, and they held fell,,'ITT.hip from all eternity through the eternal Spirit. This Son was and is the well- bel,J,ed. He always did the things which pleased the Father (John viii. 29). But; blessed be his Name, he was content to have "joint-heirs" with himself in his inheri- t.snc-e (Rom. viii. 17). Jesus showed no jealousy about enlarging the family circle and about a.n abundance of brethren. Hence the Fe.tber set about adopting children, bringing into the charmed circle those who had no claim to the position or to its rewards. But every adopted child is made to feel that he is accepted of the Father for the elder Brother's sake. Jesus as the Firstborn in the mighty family has so endeared himself to the Father that for his sake the Father accepts the persons of the prodigals who are adopted into his family. There is no reason in us for our adoption-,-'there can never be; it is owing simply and entirely to Jesus Obrist tha.t we a.re accepted and adopted. Hence there is in the plan, as so far brought before us, no ground for boasting. Election and adoption alike rest on the good pleasure of God's will. They are sovereign acts. They have their root in sovereignty; and as we rise into the heavenly places, we see that this is exactly as it should be.-.R. M. E. Vers. 7-14.-Theforgive:ne.ss amd inspiration. of the adoptetl, children. From the electing and adopting love of God, Paul proceeds next to show how it manifests itself in the thoroagh culture of the adopted children. We saw liow they are accepted into the charmed circle for the Beloved's sake, and to him, indeed, owe all. We are now to notice how thorough is the provision made for the upbringing of these adopted ones. .A.nd- L TBlloUGll -TBE BLOOD OF TllB BELOVED THEY A.BE BEDEEllED AND FOBGIVEN. (Ver. 7.) For the selected individuals, so far from having any personal merit, are lost in sin. Prodigals by nature and practice, they feel that. they deserve not to be called sons of God. They are brought to such a sense of unworthiness as to wonder at the riches of God's grace which could make sons and heirs ;out.of such material. But the great Father has provided redemption and forgiveness ..through the blood of his dear Son. A terrible price, doubtless, it was for the Father to pay, and for the 8on to offer to secure our redemption. Yet it was cheerfully and freely given. The family is thus blood-bought. How holy a.nd consecrated we ought to be! Our redemp~ion price, the terms of olll' forgiveness, involved no less than the death of the Son of God. IL THE ADOPTED CllILDBEN ARE EDUCATED TO KNOW GoD'B WILL. (Vers. 8--10.) Forgiveness and redemption refer to our state, but after we are set down in the family circle we need to be instructed. Earthly families make the education of the children a first concern. So is it in the family of God. Hence the riches of his grace are shown, not only in our pardon, but also in the revelation of his will and in ow ednc:ation therein. :Moreover, his will contemplates the unifying of all thlngs under Christ. His family is not to be split up into sections jealous of each other, hut unity is t.o pen-a.lie it all Gentiles and J ewa, the Ephesians and Paul,-one and all are to be united under Christ the He.ad. Now, there is a .great t.endency towards unity in the thought of men. Philosophy, properly so called, is the discovery of unity of principle among the fact.a of the UD1verse. Well. this tendency ahall have ·its magnificent fulfilment in the OJDRnmmated unity of the dispensation of grace, when the heaven above and the earth beneath shall a.like recognize in Jesus the elder Brother and righteow Head. All education is towards this grand unity. This is God's purpose, and everything will in due season subserve it. The knowledge of God's will, the~ is the apprehension of his magnificent design m the unification of all things, The gospel is thus but a portion of a mightier plan. III. AcooRDINGLY, THE ADOPTED ONES A.BE INBPIBED. (Vere. 11-14.) , Paul speaks of having received an inheritance in Christ, and then he speaks of the Ephesians having got the sealing of the Spirit as the earnest of their inheritance. His meaning is plain. For Jews and Gentiles, as God's adopted children, the one great need in this life is inspiratwn. When the Holy Spirit condescends to dwell within us, we are fitted for the duties which belong to the members of God's family. And it is the spirituality thereby communicated which gives to us the true ideal of what heaven~ OH, I, 1-23,] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 35