Ephesians 1.1-6 (4)
Pray Psalm 124.1-3, 8.
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,”
Let Israel now say—
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
When men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive,
When their wrath was kindled against us…
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
Sing Psalm 124.1-3, 8.
(Neumark: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee)
If You had not been with us, Jesus—let all who love You say with pride—
when foes rose up to fright and seize us, they would have swallowed us alive!
Refrain v. 8
Our help is in Your Name, O LORD,
Who made creation by Your Word.
Read Ephesians 1.1-6; meditate on verse 4.
Meditate on the time indicated in this verse and how God accomplished this first and most wondrous spiritual blessing. Fix the order of things in your mind, and give thanks to God.
Preparation
1. What did God do for us? When?
2. What was His intent in doing this?
Meditation
Election is the first of the spiritual gifts which Paul outlines for us in the verses to follow. It’s the big frog of spiritual gifts, the hardest for us humans with our puny and sinful minds to swallow. But Paul says it as plainly as it can be said here: Before the foundation of the world, God chose us in Christ, that is, by His Word and into His Word. We are in Christ and thus saints with an apostolic calling, because God chose us to be there way long ago.
Why would God do this? Two reasons. First, we would not find our way to salvation on our own. We are by nature rebels, haters of God, and dead in trespasses and sin. Not much hope there. Unless God acts. Which He does by sending His Spirit into our heart and enabling us to believe and cry out to Him, “Father!” (Gal. 4.4-6). Note again Paul’s language in Galatians 4.6: “Because you are sons”, that is, because He had designated us to be His children before the foundation of the world, “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts”. First, election, then the grace (of the Spirit) that engenders faith leading to salvation.
Second, because He desires to enjoy the fellowship of a holy and blameless people who live before Him in love. How can we know if we’re really chosen? Really saved? Are we striving to live holy, blameless, loving lives in Jesus Christ? Or are we just treating salvation as “eternal life” and Jesus as our ticket to heaven? This is no proof of salvation, because it does not conform to why God chose those He intends to save.
God chose us, not because of anything in us or anything He “saw” that we might do, but because He set His love on us in Jesus Christ, before He spoke the first word of creation. And that is as much about election as we can know.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
For this election we didn’t have to dip into great coffers of cash or promote campaign finance reform to support our cause. Nope. All we had to do was merely be. And God took care of the rest. Our victory speech, though, will proclaim His goodness, His grace, His mercy, His peace, and His mighty blessings.
We were chosen for this victory before the foundation of the world. Before the beginning.
To be “Faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1.1). That’s the position we were elected for.
Elected. Called.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him Who called us…
For if these things are yours” (as one of the elect of God)—
diligence, faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness—
“and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness,
and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make
your call and election sure,
for if you do these things
you will not stumble…” (2 Pet. 1.2-10).
There are many qualifications for this election. Here are some of them:
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
that no flesh should glory in His Presence” (1 Cor. 1.27-29).
In summation, we certainly qualify.
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, Who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification—that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD’” (1 Cor. 1.30, 31).
Elected. Chosen by God. And now a word to our constituency:
“You are a holy people to the LORD your God,
and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself,
a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deut. 14.2).
“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law…
do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Josh. 1.7).
“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth,
and put away the gods which your fathers served…
choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh. 24.14, 15).
Congratulations on your election!
Reflection
1. Why was it necessary for our salvation that we be chosen by God?
2. What does it mean to make your calling and election “sure”?
3. Whom will you encourage today by reminding them that God loved and chose them from before the foundation of the world?
All who are chosen to happiness as the end, are chosen to holiness as the means. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Commentary on Ephesians 1.4
Pray Psalm 124.4-8.
Praise and thank God for His protection and keeping of us whom He has chosen for Himself.
Sing Psalm 124.4-8.
(Neumark: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee)
When all their anger flared against us, the flood would us have swept away;
torrents and waters sore had drenched us were not You all our hope and stay!
Refrain v. 8
Our help is in Your Name, O LORD,
Who made creation by Your Word.
Blessed be the LORD who has not given us to our foes to be devoured.
We shall escape and rise to heaven by His eternal grace and power.
Refrain v. 8
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” turns to consider the unique “currency” of the divine economy. In our Read Moore podcast this week, we begin a new series of readings from our book, Such a Great Salvation. Our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert finds him heading back to Ireland, confused and disappointed—but faithful. Click hereto see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
