Blessed be God for saving and protecting His people forever.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ 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. ⁷ 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, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:3-10, ESV).

Introduction

We praise God for many things. He created the heavens and the earth to proclaim His glory. He sent the Ten Plagues upon Egypt and drowned Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. God instituted the Passover for the Jews to praise Him. He anointed King David and helped him kill Goliath. David then became a warrior poet who worshipped the Lord who saved him. The people of Israel sang the praises of God, who chose them as His people who would bring forth the Messiah, despite their hard hearts. As believers in Jesus, we praise God for saving us despite our sins through the blood sacrifice of Jesus and for preserving us against whatever ails us. As Martin Luther penned, “A Mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.”[1]  Paul shows us that we need to praise God for saving and protecting His people.

Context

Paul wrote the book of Ephesians between 62 A.D. and 64 A.D. He wrote it to the Christians in the city of Ephesus, which was located in the Roman province of Asia Minor. Ephesus was a port city that became a cultural hub. They had one of the seven great wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Artemis. Paul stayed in Ephesus for two and a half years to start the church, where a large number of Christians in the Asia Minor district converted to Christ. Paul had to leave Ephesus after a large number from the Artemis cult rioted and tried to kill Paul for taking away from the idol business. Paul wrote this letter to remind them that God is their sovereign Savior and Protector, and that all of life must submit to the sovereign rule of Jesus Christ.

Thesis

God is to be praised for choosing, saving, and uniting His people in Christ.

Outline

This will be seen in three movements: I. Praise God for His Election, II. Praise God for His Redemption, and III. Praise God for uniting us in Christ.

I. Praise God for His Election

1. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ 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 (Ephesians 1:3-6, ESV).
2. In context, Paul just wished the grace and peace from God to the faithful, chosen saints who are in Ephesus. The grace and peace are rooted in the very concept of God. God has been eternally gracious to His people and has planned/determined that His peace will forever be with them. In doing this, he has blessed us in Christ, who is the source and divine bridge, to have this grace and peace.
3. What does this grace and peace give us? In short, everything. We are co-heirs with Christ to enjoy all of God’s goodness, grace, peace, creation, and all kinds of spiritual gifts we haven’t even imagined.
4. Since God is eternal and omniscient, God chose us from before the creation of the world, those who belong to Christ and are faithful in Him, to be recipients of God’s grace. This means that before God created the heavens and the earth, God had you in mind to save us through Jesus Christ.
5. This does not mean we don’t have wills or are robots. Divine election and human responsibility are not in conflict with each other. Charles Spurgeon said,

“Now, if I were to declare that man was so free to act, that there was no presidence of God over his actions, I should be driven very near to Atheism; and if, on the other hand, I declare that God so overrules all things, as that man is not free enough to be responsible, I am driven at once into Antinomianism or fatalism. That God predestines, and that man is responsible, are two things that few can see. They are believed to be inconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is just the fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot be contradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in one place that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if I find in another place that man is responsible for all his actions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me to imagine that two truths can ever contradict each other. These two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded into one upon any human anvil, but one they shall be in eternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, that the mind that shall pursue them farthest, will never discover that they converge; but they do converge, and they will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throne of God, whence all truth doth spring.”[2]

6. No biblical doctrine is contradictory. It is just as true that the Bible is the Word of God and was penned by human authors. Likewise, indeed, Jesus is truly man and truly God. Nothing was lost in Jesus’ deity when he became a man. Nor was his humanity diminished when He was incarnated. There are plenty of truths that we do not fully understand when we read the Bible. However, we understand them by faith.
7. It was in love that He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons, bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Several passages point to this truth.

• • “¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13, ESV).
  • “²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30, ESV).
  • “⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44, ESV).
  • ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (Romans 29-30, ESV).
  • ⁴⁸ And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48, ESV).

This is just a small sampling of the hundreds of verses that talk about this subject, with at least 22 verses using the word elect or chosen. It is not something that can be ignored but accepted as biblical doctrine.

8. God doesn’t choose his people for destruction. He blesses His adopted children with all the blessings he has in Christ. When one is united in Christ, he receives all the love, blessings, and rewards that are available in Jesus Christ.

II. Praise God for His Redemption in Christ

1. “⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Ephesians 1:7, ESV).
2. Redemption comes at a cost. In fact, the very word means to buy back, free from debts, restoring rights, or free from enslavement. In the context of what the Bible says about Jesus’ redemption, all of these concepts apply to the world. Ephesians 2 illustrates this clearly:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-7, ESV).

3. Redemption, according to Paul, is to make alive that which was once dead. Jesus killed our old nature that is seen in “the passions of our flesh.” The flesh is seen as the same as the rest of the evil of all mankind: “carrying out the sinful desires of the body and mind” and deserving the wrath of God. Jesus satisfies God’s wrath through his blood sacrifice on the cross. He took on our sin and died under God’s wrath to make us spiritually alive. Since Jesus is God and paid it all, He rose from the dead. This way, we are made alive in Christ. Then, like Jesus, those who repent and trust in Jesus will be dead to sin and alive to God, united in Jesus.
4. The importance is that it is “through His blood” and “according to the riches of His grace.” God has lavished His grace and peace upon His children through Jesus, despite ourselves. We are not saved because of our ancestry, intellect, or will. God is so gracious that He saves us out of His great love. Again, as Charles Spurgeon said, “I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterwards.”^[3]
5. Well did Isaiah prophesy of Jesus,

⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6, ESV).

6. My favorite hymn is “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted.” The third verse of the song says this:

“Ye who think of sin but lightly, nor suppose the evil great. Ye may view its nature rightly. Here its estimate. Mark the sacrifice appointed. See who bears the awful load. ‘Tis the Word the Lord’s anointed. Son of Man yet Son of God.’”[4]

7. Do you want to know how God feels about sin? God killed His only begotten Son for it. It wasn’t even His sin. It was your sin. Feel the weight of the guilt so you can see the weight of His grace towards you. This is why we can sing “Grace, grace. God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.”[5]

III. Praise God For Uniting Us in Christ

1. ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:8-10, ESV).
2. God’s predestined plan isn’t to be a puppet master, make us robots, or take away our individuality. God’s plan is to make us who we were originally created to be, to be united in Jesus Christ.
3. What does it mean to be united in Jesus Christ? We are united in His mind:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:1-11, ESV).

We are to be united in His service to the body of Christ:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. ⁷ But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Ephesians 4:1-7, ESV).

We are to be united in His reign:

¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:19-23, ESV).

Conclusion

We have seen that God is to be praised for choosing, saving, and uniting His people in Christ. Beloved, this should comfort us. Remember the song, “Great is thy Faithfulness.”

1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father; There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hast provided; Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain][6]

If you do not believe, here is how you can know true grace and peace from Jesus Christ. Jesus is God and Man, the final judge to whom you have to give an account on the final day. God has seen all the sins you have committed: the lies, theft, murder in your heart, the adultery, fornication, greed, and idolatry. We are all on our own stand condemned under God’s Word. We deserve to go into eternal conscious torment in a place called Hell. It is a horrible place that all sinners deserve to go. This should scare you, not make you impertinent. Wake up to your fate! You must flee from the wrath to come.

Yet, God is rich in mercy. He sent Jesus not to judge at first, but to ransom His people from their sins. Jesus lived a sinless, perfect life; a life pleasing to God. He taught the Way of God, performed miracles to heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, raise the dead, and restore people to a proper relationship with God. Then He died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all who would repent and trust in Jesus. He rose from the dead three days later to declare He is the Son of God, show our sins have been paid, and give us proof that we will overcome death in our resurrections at the final judgement. God calls all people everywhere to repent (turn from sin) and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for salvation. Let’s pray,

Dear God, thank you for Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, for giving us your Word, and for sealing with the Holy Spirit those who believe that we can be your children forever. Please grant your people repentance and the power of the gospel to draw others to Christ. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

[1] Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” 1529. Public Domain.

[2] Charles Spurgeon, “Sovereign Grace and Man’s Responsibility,” Metropolitan Tabernacle, August 1, 1856. Spurgeon.org Accessed. November 14, 2025. https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/sovereign-grace-and-mans-responsibility/#flipbook/

^[3] Elliot Ritzema, ed., 300 Quotations for Preachers (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

[4] Thomas Kelly, “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted,” 1804. Public Domain.

[5] Julia Johnson, “Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord,” 1910. Public Domain.

[6] Thomas O. Chrisholm, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” 1923. Public Domain.

More From Striving for Eternity

For more on fasting, read “Fasting and the Bible” by AMBrewster.

If you want more information on studying the Bible and how to interpret it correctly, check out the store section at strivingforeternity.org/store. There are tons of resources to help you get started on your journey to interpreting the Bible better. Also, invite Andrew Rappaport and Aaron M. Brewster to come to your church and teach you biblical interpretation with their Biblical Interpretation Made Easy Seminar. Andrew Rappaport, Aaron M. Brewster, and other guests on Apologetics live would also enjoy answering your questions on the live show on Thursdays from 7pm–9pm CST with the link to the stream yard at strivingforeternity.org/apologeticslive. Lord bless you and strive to make today and eternal day for Christ Jesus.