QT 8/20/2026 Eph 1:1-10, Unmerited salvation

Ephesians 1:1–10 (ESV) —

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him.

 

NOTE: These can be difficult verses to understand, but we must take them as face value. God chose us (referring to those who would believe in Christ) before the foundation of the world. His purpose is for us to be holy and blameless, which is both what Christ did on the cross by justification, and what we do in life by sanctification. There is a final stage, glorification, when we will have new bodies and be like him. At the same time, scripture is clear that we have free will and must repent and believe to be saved. So which is true, predestination or free will? From God's perspective, they are both true, even though they seem to be logically in opposition. Most things in life that are in opposition cannot both be true. That maxim is sound but this is one of the rare exceptions to the rule. In God's infinite wisdom it makes sense. In my finite mind, it does not seem to make sense. Of course my explanation of quantum mechanics to my toddler grandchildren does not make sense either. Likewise, adults don't seem to grasp my explanation of AI models as mostly matrix algebra. And they are even more confused when I show them the math to a simple problem. So, let's forget the conundrum and move onto the application.

 

John Stott (1979) writes "The doctrine of election is a stimulus to humility, not a ground for boasting." I have no merit in my salvation. The good works I do now, do not maintain my salvation -- God owns all of that. My good works are thankfulness, and the degree of my good works expresses the degree of my thankfulness for my salvation. So what about the person who calls himself a Christian but does nothing for the kingdom's sake? Is the person saved? Will have face a judgment at the great white throne, i.e., saved but judged in some way?

 

PONDER:

1. What does election mean to you?
2. Do you fully realized your unmerited condition?

 

PRAYER: Father, I will never even glimpse a degree of your holiness in my works. Thankfully, Jesus has given me the status of holy. In the meantime, until Jesus returns, I will do all I can to express my thankfulness for salvation.