Our Vicars Letter

Dear Friends

It is always good to count our blessings. The opening section of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is a good place to turn to.

As many of you will be aware, we have begun a new morning series on this Letter – and here now is a brief summary of some of the wonderful array of blessings that Paul spells out, in Eph.1.3-14, for all those who are “in Christ” – i.e. all those who are Christian believers: those who put their trust in him, and in him alone.

We looked at this section a few Sunday mornings ago – the A-B-C of the Gospel:

A. Christians are ADOPTED as God’s children – v.5: “adoption through Jesus Christ”. We need to be aware that adoption carried tremendous privileges in the Roman world. Once adopted, a person was fully and legitimately and permanently a member of the new family and all past debts were wiped out. On a spiritual level, that is true of all Christian believers, adopted into God’s family.

B. Christians are BLESSED in Christ – v.3: he “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing”. What an amazing truth! We need to keep in mind the tension in the Christian life between the “now” (all that we can enjoy as Christians now) and the “not yet” (those things we have to wait for until heaven). But, in principle, “every spiritual blessing” is ours now, to begin to enjoy.

C. Christians are CHOSEN by God – vv.4-5: “even as he chose us in him … in love he predestined us for adoption”. This is not to inflate our arrogance or to make us feel special in the wrong way – nor is it meant to discourage those who are seeking to be sure about the Christian life. But the truth is, as the Lord Jesus himself says: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (Jn.15.16).

D. Christians are DELIVERED in Christ – v.7: “in him we have redemption through his blood”. Some translations use the word “deliverance” instead of “redemption”. Christians have been ransomed. A price has been paid to deliver those who are totally incapable of freeing themselves. And the price paid to set us free was the death of Christ (“through his blood”).

E. Christians are ENLIGHTENED by Christ – v.9: “making known to us the mystery of his will”. We can never discover truths about God, unless he chooses to reveal them to us. The word “mystery”, used here, always in the New Testament speaks of the truth that has been revealed. The Gospel is an “open secret” of God’s purposes of salvation. The Bible is revealed truth, but as we read our Bibles, we still need God to enlighten our minds.

F. Christians are FORGIVEN in Christ – v.7: “the forgiveness of our trespasses”. At the heart of the Gospel is “forgiveness of sins”. Because of Christ’s death we can have forgiveness – and we can know that his blood continues to cleanse us.

G. Christians are GATHERED in Christ – v.10: God’s plan is “to unite all things in him”. One day, God will gather all his people in heaven.

H. Christians are HALLMARKED in Christ – v.13: “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”. Here is an assurance of belonging and of security and of belonging. All Christian believers are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit as a guarantee of all that is to come.

I hope these tremendous truths from Ephesians 1.3-14 thrill us and excite us. The question for each one of us is: Are you “in Christ”?

With Christian greetings,

Yours,

Robert Bashford