Christmas 2C

On Christmas Eve, we spent some time thinking about the gift we’ve received, and our call to do something with that gift. Today, I’d like us to spend a little more time thinking about what that gift really is. And to do that, I want to take a close look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

First, we need to say a short word of thanks to the translators who gave us the English Standard Version that we read this morning. In the older translations, verses 3-14 are one continuous sentence. That’s pretty typical for Paul. We’re blessed to have a translation that broke it up just a little bit.

Let’s pause for a moment and think about that word: “blessed”. This is another one of those words that we use on Sunday morning, but I question if we all agree as to its definition. I found a really good one while I was studying this week’s lessons: “To bless means to speak, wish or do good. Men bless God by word and thought. God blesses men by act.” [E. T. Horn and A. G. Voigt, Annotations on the Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, ed. Henry Eyster Jacobs, vol. IX, The Lutheran Commentary (New York: The Christian Literature Co., 1896), 13.]

I like that definition a lot. And I find it particularly helpful in reading the passage from Ephesians for today. In just the first verse of today’s reading, we encounter some form of this word three times. The first is our verbal praise of God; the second two describe God’s act of blessing us. And He has.

This reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians begins with what my favorite scholar calls a description of “the whole work of God for our salvation.” If you want to explain to someone how God saves us, use this passage. It’s in its most concise form right in these verses.

“…even as he chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world,” - this plan has been in motion from before the universe was made. And it begins with God’s action: He - that is, the Father - chose us. We didn’t chose him. He chose us. It always begins with Him - He takes the first action. He loved us first. He blessed us first. He chose us first.

And the Father did this “in” His Son. Now unless you’re a language nerd like I am, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about prepositions like “in” or “through” or “by”…but for this passage, this little word “in” is quite important. For the Father to chose us “in” His Son tells us that we are in union with Christ, sharing a “vital connection”. How did He do this? “God selected us and appropriated us unto himself (middle voice) by a specific, eternal act.” [R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians and to the Philippians (Columbus, O.: Lutheran Book Concern, 1937), 354.]

We have been chosen by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - chosen “that we should be holy and blameless before him.” [ESV, Ephesians 1:4] The Father has known from the beginning that one day we will all face His judgment. If we are to make it through that, He had to intervene. And He did, by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of what Christ did, we actually stand a chance to be found “holy and blameless before him.” Without Christ, we would have had no chance of that at all.

Why did the Father do this? “In love” Paul tells us. That is why He has done this and continues to do all of this. He “predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” [ESV, Eph 1:5–6] “Predestined” - this was planned from the very beginning. By choosing us “in” Christ, we are united with the Son. And because we are united with Christ, we become sons of God “through” Christ. It is Christ’s work that achieves this.

It would be easy here to get hung up on the male language. But Paul is not doing this to be sexist. This is the same Paul who tells us that “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” [ESV, Gal 3:28] This is not an omission. Context is important. In those days, women could not inherit property - it was only passed to men. So by adopting everyone (male AND female) as “sons” - everyone can inherit what God has promised to His children. This is not sexist. This is inclusive in the best way.

“…according to the purpose of his will,” - again, this is all part of God’s great plan for salvation. Everything that happened with Christ…and about Christ…and because of Christ… all of this was to serve God’s purpose and fulfill His promises. This was all what the Father intended. Sometimes that may seem hard to wrap our heads around, but it’s true.

“…to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” What the Father has done is absolutely worthy of praise, and Paul reminds us of that here. God’s grace is itself a gift, but it was earned by Christ on the cross. We could never have earned it ourselves, but it was what we needed, and so God took care of the price. And that is, indeed, a blessing - a wondrous act of God for the good of His children. How did God do this? “…in the Beloved” - in His Son. There’s that little word again: “in” - telling us that we have been united with the Son.

The next verse starts with that same short but oh-so-important word: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us...” [ESV, Eph 1:7–8] Because we are in union with Christ, we have redemption and forgiveness. Because of His precious blood. “According to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.” This seems a bit redundant, but Paul does that for emphasis. God’s grace is abundant. And it’s a good thing it is, because we need lots of it. Can you imagine a world where God’s grace is finite, or limited? I can’t. It *is* abundant, and He *has* lavished it upon us, and continues to.

“In all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ...” Another reminder here from Paul that God’s wisdom is beyond any other. But He let us know what He was doing - He sent His Own Son to teach us. It’s not a mystery anymore. And even this action was part of the plan - “according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ...” This plan the Father has, to save us for eternity with Him…it all hinges on the Son. It began with the Son, and its result is because of the Son.

“…as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” That phrase “fullness of time” is how Paul refers to the end-times. When everything else that is going to happen is over, and time has reached its fullness, then God’s plan will be completed. And that plan is to unite everything there is, both in heaven and on earth. When sin first came into the world, Creation was broken. And that brokenness has been spreading ever since. When this uniting takes place, it will fix all of that brokenness.

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will...” - do you see the pattern here? Paul is repeating himself, but this is the heart of the Gospel. Everything Paul describes is God’s action. And because of what God has done, we receive this “inheritance” as he calls it here. Why? Because God predestined it. It was His Will that we should receive it. He does this as He does everything: according to His Will.

Now this next verse puts a bit on our plate: “so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” Dr. Lenski says here that “Our whole condition in this our lot is to be that of praise for God’s glory.” [Lenski, 379.] When we realize the gift we’ve been given, our natural and appropriate response should be to praise God. And the way Paul puts it, that should be our permanent state. We should praise God always and constantly. Given the magnitude of the gift we’ve been given, that’s totally appropriate.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” [ESV, Eph 1:13–14]

When you heard the gospel and believed it - faith comes through hearing. Hearing the gospel - God’s promise to you and me and everyone - is one way to open the door for the Holy Spirit to go to work in your heart. And that’s exactly what Paul says happened when you first heard it “[you] were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” - God *promised* to send His Spirit…and He did! And the Holy Spirit has sealed you, protecting you from things and forces which will wither and destroy you. His Holy Spirit is the One Who guarantees we will receive our inheritance.

How does he “guarantee” that? Well, God’s plan is for us to stand “holy and blameless” before him, right? It’s the Holy Spirit who “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies us”. To sanctify is to make holy. He is making us holy right now, and does so with every step we take in our walk of faith. And his seal ensures that for all believers.

“to the praise of his glory.” We find this phrase a few times in this passage. Paul doesn’t waste words, so he must be putting it in there for emphasis, because of its importance. We are to praise God for the gift we’ve been given. And again, that’s totally understandable.

This gift is the greatest gift we will ever receive. We should never think of it as anything less, despite the pressures of the world around us. And as we reflect on this gift, and what it means to us, it should drive us to want to do something with it - to share it, to proclaim it, and at the very least to sing God’s praises for it.

As we come to the Lord’s Supper this morning, let us do so with thanksgiving in our hearts and on our lips, remembering the magnitude of His Gift, praying like Solomon that he would give us discernment for what best to do with it, for the good of the Kingdom.