grace & redemption
Hi! It’s been a hot minute! I unintentionally took some time off after moving. At the end of March, I made the move from South Florida to Knoxville, TN. God has been nothing short of amazing during this season. He’s been with me in every step. Unfortunately, the blog kinda took a back seat as I adjusted to a new city, a new job, and finishing my Bachelor’s degree all at the same time. I’ve missed writing and am so excited to be back!!
For the next 6 weeks (probably more because there is so much to unpack here, I want to take our time going through it), I want to go through the book of Ephesians. Ephesians is Paul’s letter (which he wrote in prison) to the churches around Ephesus to display the scope of God’s eternal plan for all humanity– for both Jews and Gentiles alike. This is the mystery of God, hidden for ages but now made known in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians has 6 chapters. The first 3 chapters focus on what Christians should believe– unfolding the glorious riches of God’s grace in Christ. Dead sinners are made alive and gain eternal salvation “by grace…through faith” (2:8). The last 3 chapters explain the implications of God’s grace for the church, for individuals, and families. This second section comes to a pinnacle with a command to stand with the armor of God against the devil.
Ephesians is a fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.
But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
What God has prepared for those who love him”–
These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
Ephesians 1:3-14 really set the tone for the rest of the book. A common theme throughout those verses is the blessings with which the Father has blessed us. Every blessing we’ve received and will receive, we receive in Christ. Verse 3 explains this, “who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
Our possession of “every spiritual blessing” is as sure as our being chosen by Him and chosen before the “the foundation of the world.” This next part gets me. Verse 4 goes on to say, “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love.” We are chosen not only for salvation but also for holiness. The words “holy and without blame” are a metaphor taken from the perfect and immaculate sacrifices that the law required the people to bring to the altar of God.
The part of the verse that gets me is the “in love” part. One simple sentence that holds so much weight to it. Holiness and blamelessness are nothing without love. “But as love is the fulfilling of the law, and love the fountain whence their salvation flowed, therefore love must fill their hearts toward God and each other” (Clarke). He hand-picked us and chose us before creation while still knowing what our sins would be.
Paul writes about the redemption through Christ’s blood. It’s only in him that we have redemption. There is no possible redemption outside of Jesus and His redeeming blood. Redemption uses the ancient Greek word lootruo, which means “to liberate on the receipt of a ransom”– here that price is His blood. Jesus didn’t redeem us by His sinless life or His moral example, but ONLY by His death.
“According to the riches of His grace” – redemption and grace comes according to the measure of the riches of His grace– which is immense!!! God wants to unify all things in our lives under Him. His ultimate plan is to bring together all things in Christ– to glorify Him. We should exist to the praise of His glory (1:14).
