I. "ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL."
A. This is God acting in His sovereign capacity.
1. As God He does what He pleases, and no one has the right to challenge His actions.
2. Because He is God His acts do not need to be challenged for He is good thus His acts are right.
Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
LUK 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
B. God has every right to do as He pleases, He has also given to you the privilege to do as you please. With God it is a right with us it is a privilege.
1. For God is the creator, and as such has certain rights just by virtue of being the creator.
2. We are the creation of God, and were created for His good pleasure. "For Thou has created all things and for Thy good pleasure they are and were created."
3. Our decisions and actions are subject to challenge. The issue concerning our actions is not is this right or wrong, but does it please Him.
C. In verse nine Paul speaks of the good pleasure which He has purposed in Himself.
D. In verse 11 he speaks of the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
E. If you are wise, you will live to please God by doing His will.
1. God allows you to resist His will, to rebel against His will.
2. You can only do that because God allows you to do that, but in reality that is the most foolish thing you can do.
II. "TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE."
A. The glory of His grace.
1. In the next verse he speaks of the riches of His grace.
2. This is the praise that arises out of the glory of His grace.
3. One of the purest forms of praise is that which rises spontaneously from the soul of man at the revelation of the grace of God.
4. Through grace God blesses us beyond measure when we are least expecting it.
a. I never deserve the blessings.
b. I sometimes expect a blessing when I have done something special or extra for the Lord.
c. Often I am certain they are not coming for I know I have failed Him once again.
d. That is when God so many times chooses to give me an extra special blessing.
5. Does this mean that I should go out and fail willfully that God might manifest His grace toward me? As Paul would say, "God forbid" or "Perish the thought."
a. Oh the folly of the human intellect and human reasoning.
b. Like the person who declares that when I sin I am only proving the word of God is true when it says that all have sinned. Thus it is not fair for God to punish me for proving that His word is true.
6. Think on the glory of His grace.
a. In
Romans 11:6 Paul shows how that it is mutually exclusive with works as far as obtaining the blessings of God.
ROM 11:6 And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace:
b. You may wish to relate to God on the merits of your works if you so desire, but as for me, I will relate on the glory of His grace.
III. "WHEREIN HE HAS MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED."
A. It is through the grace of God that He accepts me in the Beloved.
1. God accepts me. What a glorious thought to contemplate. God accepts me.
a. Sometimes your friends do not accept you because of your behavior, but God accepts you.
b. My acceptance by God is not something that I have merited or earned, it is only because of my position in Christ.
c. I could never be accepted on my own, but through my position in Christ, I am accepted.
2. What does it mean that God accepts me?
a. It means that I am a part of the family of God.
b. God has placed me with the privileges of an adult son, in the family.
c. This He has done that I might praise Him for the glory of His grace.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
