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God Has Spoken

“God’s Plan for Man’s Redemption” Ephesians 1:1-14

Date:May 17, 2026
Author: Wayne J. Edwards

Introduction:

On Sunday evening, May 17, at 6:00 PM, I will begin a new sermon series entitled “The Progress of Redemption.”  Another title might be, “God’s Plan of Salvation from Creation to the New Jerusalem.”  Rather than viewing the Bible as a disjointed collection of 66 books, actually, it is one story of how God progressively revealed Himself to mankind and executed His redemptive plan to rescue humanity from sin and restore creation. We will begin Sunday night with a broad overview.

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God Has Spoken
“God’s Plan for Man’s Redemption”
Ephesians 1:1-14

 

   There are two basic views of world history:

  • Cyclical – history is a repetition of events, which are not affected by divine intervention or human power; history has no meaning or goal.
    • Deists and the major Eastern religions hold to this view.
  • Linear – history had a beginning and it will have an end. God is either allowing or causing world events to happen according to His perfect will, in order to accomplish His perfect purpose, which is the redemption of man.
    • Jews and Christians hold to this view.

Scriptural evidence of the linear view of history:

  • Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created…”
  • Psalm 90:2-10 – “…even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God…the days of our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years!”
  • Ephesians 1:10 – “That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ…in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will!”

Secular evidence of the authenticity of Holy Scripture:

  • Archaeological – Scholars have conducted archeological examinations in thousands of sites throughout the Middle East and not one discovery has proven the Bible to be inaccurate at any point!
  • Prophetical – secular history books outline the first four kingdoms or empires of the world exactly as Daniel described them to King Nebuchadnezzar.
    • Babylonian – 602BC – 536BC
    • Medo-Persian – 536BC – 330BC
    • Greek – 330BC – 65BC
    • Roman – 65BC – 476AD
    • Jesus ushered in the fifth and final kingdom – the Kingdom of God. (Mark 1:15)

  The Bible is a two-dimensional book:

  • It is a book of history – God spoke in times past – there was a beginning, a plan, a purpose and a goal, with the coming of Jesus Christ as the central focus.
  • It is a book of prophecy – 8,145 specific prophecies to prove that the events of history continue to unfold according to God’s plan, and to achieve God’s purpose – the redemption of lost man.

THE PANORAMA OF GOD’S PLAN OF REDEMPTION
Ephesians 1:3-14

1. Verse 4 – God chose us to be holy and blameless before Him –

  • Before He created the world, God determined to have a people to live with Him in eternal fellowship.
  • According to Romans 8:30, God’s people would be “called” by God’s Spirit, “justified” by God’s grace, and “glorified” by God’s power.

2. Verse 5 – God adopted us as His children –

  • His adoption of us was decided before the foundation of the world, but made manifest by our expressed faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

3. Verse 7 – God redeemed us from our sins –

  • “Redeemed” means to “buy back” – to pay the ransom for someone who cannot pay it themselves.
  • God redeemed us with the blood of Jesus Christ.

4. Verse 8 – God gave us wisdom and understanding –

  • “Wisdom” – the ability to see life from God’s perspective.
  • “Understanding” – the ability to use God’s wisdom to make the right decisions, in order to walk in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.
  • This wisdom and understanding is found only in Jesus Christ, and is given only to those who have died to themselves so Christ can live His life through them.

5. Verse 10 – God revealed the mystery of His will to us

  • God does have an eternal purpose and plan for this world and for those He created in His image to inhabit it.
  • Therefore, human history is in God’s hand, and He is working all things together to bring His eternal purpose into reality.
  • At some specific date in the future, known only to God the Father, there will be a consummation of history; a climax of time, when God will bring all things together under the headship of Jesus Christ, and a new and perfect world will be created.

6. Verses 11-13 – God has given us an inheritance –

  • “That we should be to the praise of His glory!”
  • By hearing the Word of God, and trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior, God has given us the glorious privilege of “being” – of existing with Him forever, as God’s most cherished treasure.
  • We will be the trophies of His grace for all eternity.

7. God has sealed us with His Holy Spirit –

  • The indwelling presence and divine power of the Holy Spirit is the evidence of our salvation, and the assurance that all God has promised is going to come true – in the fullness of time!

God has an ETERNAL PLAN for our redemption:

  • There was a perfect time for the first coming of Jesus Christ – Galatians 4:4
  • There will be a perfect time for the second coming of Jesus Christ – Ephesians 1:10
  • When that day comes, God will “re-gather together in one, all things in Christ” – everything will return to its original condition as it was in the beginning.
  • This will be the day when God’s plan of redemption will be complete.
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