To be alive in Christ is nothing short of a miracle! And it didn’t just happen; there was a purpose, a plan, and a promise. In fact, as the Apostle Paul is about to tell us in Ephesians 1 all three Persons of the One Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—have been collaborating from eternity past to eternity future on this very project of Salvation which is now ours by grace through faith in Christ.
It took all of Heaven to work this miracle to make us alive in Christ!
And as the Apostle Paul begins his letter to the church in Ephesus, he breaks forth in one of the most beautiful and transcendent choruses of worship to the Triune God who has saved us and made us alive in Christ. And it’s all to the praise of His glory!
Paul begins Ephesians 1 with a prayer of blessing that will saturate their minds with the truth of the Gospel and stir up their hearts in the worship of God. In so doing, Paul reminds them (and us) of three things: that we are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sealed by the Spirit.
1) Chosen by the Father
The Father has chosen you for adoption.
He chose you! He picked you! He wanted you! And in making you His son, He’s called you “Beloved.” He’s drawn you to Himself. He’s destined you to be well-pleasing in His sight.
You are His from before the dawn of time until beyond the ending of the world and every moment in-between. You are His forever and always.
2) Redeemed by the Son
The Son has redeemed you for union.
God’s plan all along was to unite you to Christ. So that His life might become your own, and that you might come alive in Him.
3) Sealed by the Spirit
The Spirit has sealed you for inheritance.
You are branded as God’s very own. You bear His image and likeness. You are adopted as a son. You are sealed by the Spirit.
Takeaway: Our Salvation is to the praise of His glory.
All God’s saving work is for your good and His glory.
Before time began God knew you, loved you, and chose you. He set His affections upon you, and purposed that you would be his child, that you would be with Him, holy and blameless.
It’s why He sent you Jesus as your Substitute, your Redeemer, your Savior, your Lord, and your King.
It’s why He sealed you with the Spirit—to be his very own possession—as a guarantee of all the glory to come, so that in the end He might share all that He is and all that He has with you.
It’s the procurement of your good to the praise of His glory!
Ephesians 1:3-14
