“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”

–Ephesians 1:3-5

“1-2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 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—

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us,

8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”

— Ephesians 2:1-2, 4, 8-9

“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 God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

7 in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

— Ephesians 2:4-7

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

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

We are prone to drift imperceptibly into thinking that our works earn points with God. The manifestation of works primarily is the change of heart and character that comes from the new birth and the process of being sanctified in daily life. It is through the grateful Spirit-empowered obedience.

God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly place in Christ, according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love. Being holy has two aspects—believers set apart as God‘s children through new birth and justification and believers sanctified progressively through the Holy Spirit’s working to be conformed to the image of God’s Son. Praise God!