Our Epistle reading for this morning begins 8 weeks of reading through St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  What we heard today is a prayer that the themes that he will discuss later on as he delivers God’s word to his hearers.  And so it serves the same for us, introducing many of the themes that we will be focusing upon during our next 8 weeks.  And it all centers around who God is, what He has done in Christ, and who you are in Christ. 

But the most wonderful thing is, He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him.  Think about this for a moment. God has elected His people before the foundation of the world.  Before the heavens and the earth, the sun and stars, the plants and animals, Adam and Eve, God had predestined His people for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.

God who has invested so much in us that He chooses us from the beginning will keep his promises to us. Paul emphasizes the holiness and blamelessness of those adopted by God. God has done all of this because of the riches of Christ’s work on the cross, where He has redeemed us and forgiven us all things. God is rich toward us both according to his grace and according to the gifts he lavishes on us, including wisdom and understanding.  But make no mistake, this is purely by grace.

We live in an age of entitlement.  We often look at things in life as that which we deserve.  Our culture is wrapped up in this over and over again.  Who has the right to do this or that?  As Christians, we fall into the same type of trap.  Too often we pay lip service to salvation by grace alone through faith alone, yet we act as though God owes us blessings.    Make no mistake, God does not owe us anything, not His Word, not His Spirit, not His grace.  We do not deserve Jesus.  That is how serious sin is. That is how corrupted our nature is.  No injustice is done to those who are punished and received the wages of sin.

Solely out of God’s love, in Christ, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places/matters.  God’s blessings of life, salvation, forgiveness are yours.  And here’s the key, this is all accomplished and delivered “in Christ.”  Without Jesus, there is no life, salvation, nor forgiveness. Without Jesus, there are no spiritual blessings.  Make no mistake, there is no salvation, no forgiveness, no spiritual blessing outside of faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. These benefits have their manifest fulfillment at the cross, where the long–term plans of God are revealed and fulfilled for those with eyes to see by faith, but where those who choose not to believe see nothing worthwhile and have their hearts hardened.

But in Christ, we obtain His inheritance.  What Jesus deserves as the only begotten Son of God, that He gives to those who believe in Him.  Our election is founded not on our godliness or virtue, but on Christ’s merit alone and on the Father’s gracious will.  Therefore, when we His children sin and stumble, He calls us to repentance again through the Word, and the Holy Spirit wants by that Word to be effective in us for conversion – for out justification and our sanctification. 

This is truly amazing, but there comes that nagging voice in your head, the whispers of the devil and guilty conscience, placing doubts within you.  “Is God really talking about me?  How can I know for sure if I am part of this, or if I just think I am?  Am I really part of the elected faithful, or am I just going through the motions.” Our pride tempts us to trust in our commitment to God; doubt makes us worry that we are committed enough.

St. Paul has an answer, which centers in Christ.  “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” Jesus blesses us by leading us to repent of our sinful pride and calms our worried hearts.  Our election, our salvation is sure, not because of what we do, not because of how much we believe, but because God has acted in Christ.  In your Baptism, He adopts His children and seals us with a guarantee, the Holy Spirit. Through His Word and by His Spirit He sustains us in the truth faith to life everlasting. By the body and blood of Christ, we are fed the food of immortality. According to the riches of His grace, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, that He has lavished upon us in Christ.

The righteousness of God in Christ Jesus has provided us with the abundant assurances and benefits of being God’s special people, chosen by Him from the beginning.  We are predestined by God in Christ, and He does as He wills. Our life is therefore a manifestation of His praise and glory. It is through these promises applied to us that we find both the faithfulness and strength to love our neighbors, marking us as those distinctive people God has chosen from the beginning.  It is in the assurance of our salvation in Christ, in our justification, being made righteous, we may begin to do good works and to obey God’s Law.  We receive the Holy Spirit for the very reason that new life may produce new works, new dispositions, the fear and love of God, hatred of lustful desires, to serve and love others with the grace of God in Christ.

By faith in Christ, O people of God, you are the elect of God in Christ.  Sins forgiven. Life bestowed.  To the praise and glory of God, in Christ. The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.