Daily Thought

In these opening verses each Person of the Trinity coordinates in love to secure the blessing of the believer. In language vibrant with adoration, Paul writes of the sovereign will of the Father, the redemptive work of the Son, and the confirmatory witness of the Holy Spirit. Verses 3 to 14 form a single sentence, showing that the glorious truths unfolded form a unified purpose of grace. The goal at every point is not simply human blessing, but the praise of the glory of God, vv. 6, 12, 14.

The source of our blessings lies in the will of God. The location of our blessings is not earth but ‘the heavenlies’ and ‘in Christ’. The Epistle emphasizes that believers are eternally united with Christ, and hence with one another. We are ‘in Christ’ and Christ is in us. The electing and predestinating purposes of God reach back before the world’s foundation. But mark the objective: ‘that we should be holy and without blame before Him’. Costly love, not merit, was the sole basis of such an amazing objective, cp. Deut. 7. 7, 8. Throughout, the sovereign will of God is stressed, vv. 5b, 9a; what He has purposed, He will bring to pass. What assurance this conveys!

Yet, these sublime purposes depended absolutely on the sacrificial obedience of ‘the Beloved’. How could guilty rebels and captive sinners find acceptance in the Beloved? We have ‘redemption through his blood’. In the work of Christ, all the wealth of God’s grace has been lavished on us, v. 7, and abounds towards us, v. 8.

Moreover, the grand divine plan is ultimately to ‘unite all things’ in Christ, v. 10 ESV, which here implies ‘the entire harmony of the universe, which shall no longer contain alien and discordant elements, but of which all the elements shall find their centre and bond of union in Christ’ (J. B. LIGHTFOOT). In pursuance of this, even the Gentiles (‘ye also’) have been admitted in Christ to the holy fellowship of the people of God, cp. Deut. 32. 9. What an inheritance is ours!

The Spirit’s seal upon those who believe denotes ownership, security, and authority, 2 Tim. 2. 19; Matt. 27. 66; Esther 8. 8. The indwelling Spirit is the witness and guarantee of our inheritance!