What did you get for Christmas

Eph 1:3-14

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on 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 on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption ofGod's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
NASU

Eph 1:3-14

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

We are often asked after Christmas “What did you get?” When you consider that the “Wondrous gift” given in Christ as He is called in the Carol O Little Town of Bethlehem, We should consider what gifts we have been given in Christ. The Apostle Paul here begins his letter with a word of praise to God as the Father of our Lord and draws our attention to the gift of God he calls “every Spiritual Blessing in the heavenly places” The Christian should be ever aware that our treasure in Christ is stored up in heaven. Any gifts or riches we may have here are resources to be used here for the glory of God for this is the purpose of our salvation as we are told in Eph 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. NASU
as well as in other places. Our real treasures which are ours to keep are those which are in heaven.

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

Our first gift is that we are chosen. Not on our own merit or because of anything that we had done but before the foundation of the world for Gods own purposes and glory. Let those who are lost worry about what is is to be not chosen. If you are in Christ you have the assurance of God's own unimpeachable Word that you are chosen.

that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

The result of our having been chosen is that we are called by God “holy and blameless” this too is a status imputed to us by God's own decree, for if we are to examine our conduct we will not find that our actions merit such a title. We are in face holy and blameless “before him” that is, God the Father, as he has given us this status and see us us only as he calls us in that given quality of holiness. It is as though he has chosen to call his beloved “lovely” and she remains lovely in his sight regardless of how she appears to other men.

In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

It is no stretch to use the analogy of love as this next line says that it is in fact love which moves the almighty to predestine his church (that is the “us”), we believers, to adoption as sons. We have been adopted and are therefore doubly loved, for a child of birth is loved because it is our own, unless something is wrong with the parent, but an adopted child is not our own yet chosen to be loved when the parent is not compelled by any reason except love to do so. Women should not be offended at the phrase “as sons” for this is not an exclusion but a status. In the Apostle's time a daughter held a lesser place in the house than a son. So even women who are believers are afforded the same adoption as men and afforded the same benefits as would “sons”.

This adoption is accomplished through Jesus Christ so that we may be “sons” of the Father. We are not Children of God by nature as some have loved to proclaim. But only and at great cost, through Jesus Christ, or else this passage would be a lie and it give us no certain hope.

Finally again we are assured that it is the will of God, the “kind” will, or his “good pleasure,” which brought us all this. If we should ask God why this was done He would respond only that it pleased Him to do so.

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Knowing that it was His good pleasure and will drives us all the more to praise His grace. We do not merely praise his might or riches that He can generously reward the deserving like some philanthropist. But in His grace he chose to give such things to the undeserving. These things were given to us in “the Beloved” which is Christ. We know this because of what follows.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace8 which He lavished on us.

What else we have received includes our purchase and redemption by the blood of Jesus, for he did more than come in the flesh, but also died willingly for us. We also receive the forgiveness of those things which we have done which would lead us to fear that we cannot receive the very gifts we have just been told are ours in Christ. This too is out of the “riches of His Grace”, “lavished” on us as one who loves gives extravagantly to the beloved.

In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

Not content merely to do these things in secret, God made known to us what could otherwise remain unknown to us. His will and plan are revealed again out of the good pleasure of God's purpose for Jesus Christ. Even if all were to be saved how pitiable would be our lives if we were left to grope and grovel under the slavery to sin and the fear of punishment when it was God's intention that we would be saved. Instead we are gifted with the joy of knowing that we have been forgiven and adopted as God's beloved Children.

10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

This is to say that it is God's will that all tings be “set right” and ordered from the chaotic state which sin and death have thrown them, separating heaven and earth, God and man, and even our relations to one another. In Christ “peace on earth” is show to be God's final will and purpose, not merely absence of conflict, but true order and justice and righteousness.

In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

As sons we also receive an inheritance again assured to us by the unbreakability of God's Word and will.

12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

All of this not merely for our benefit, but certainly to our benefit, but for “the praise of His glory.” that is to bring about the deserved worship of God. We are introduced to God rightly in Christ so that we may respond with praise.

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Lest we should say all receive the benefits of this we are assured that only those who have heard the Word of this “gospel”, (such good news!) have assurance of our inclusion in this promise. Some may have it and not yet know and as I said before that is a pitiable state, but we have the sign and seal of this promise when we have heard and believed the gospel.

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

The gift of God the Holy Spirit which dwells in each believer individually and is evident in the church as a body is the token like a receipt reminding us that all of these promises are ours. The purpose of this is again, our redemption to be included in God's own people and family to the ultimate end of inciting praise of His Glory. Worship is the end result of all of the gifts that we have been given in Christ.

In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark