Paul's Letter to the Ephesians | Ephesians 1:11-14 | J. Allen Mashburn

In verses 3-6, Paul praises God for His sovereign work in our lives. He reminds us in verse 3 that God is good! God’s goodness translates into His blessings upon our lives. He demonstrates His blessings upon us by showering us with His blessings. Among those blessings is God’s work in salvation. He made us a part of His redemptive plan. This results in us being adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters; in having our lives changed by His power; and in our being accepted by God. That is a valid reason for praising the Lord. In verses 7-10, Paul praises God for His saving work. He reminds us that God sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ in to the world to redeem us from our sins. Through His precious blood we are redeemed by grace and forgiven of all our sins. God, in His great grace, opened our eyes to our lost condition; He made us aware of what Christ did for us when He died for us on the cross, and then He saved us by His amazing grace. To top it off, God did everything I just mentioned, and more, just because it brought Him pleasure. That is another valid reason for praising the Lord. In the text before us today, Paul tells us that God Is To Be Praised For His Sharing Work. In these verses, Paul turns his attention to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In these verses, we will not only see that God has provided a way of salvation and has revealed that plan unto us; we will also see that God has opened the treasure houses of Heaven and He shares everything He possesses with His redeemed people.