Someone seriously, sincerely asks the question, “Who are the people who are the personal pronouns (“we,” “us,” “our”) in Ephesians one and two? Whoever they are, they are v-e-r-y fortunate for they are “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” they are “chosen ... in Him before the foundation of the world ... [to be] holy and without blame before Him in love,” “predestinated ... unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself,” “accepted in the beloved,” and they “have redemption through His blood,” and “the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
That’s not all; they “have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will, [to] ... be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ” (1:3-12).
There are three possible answers to our question: (1) The first person pronoun people are only believers in the church in Ephesus; (2) or, all believers in Christ in all ages; (3) or, the entire human race, including you and me.
If it’s (1) or (2), it’s the believing in Christ on the part of these people that initiates all these magnificent blessings (except strict Calvinism that says God predestined some to be saved and others to be lost, which we can’t buy). It means either way a re-writing of Ephesians 2:8, 9 which says “by grace you are saved, through faith,” so that we correct Paul to make him say, “by believing you are saved” rather than “by grace you are saved.”
But the way Paul says it, the grace (which by the way is “abounding”) works “through faith.” God’s grace has to come first; our salvation is not due to our own initiative but is wholly due to His initiative. From “before the foundation of the world” it has been His idea, not ours.
All this is “through His blood,” and that is serious (vs. 7): anything that Christ accomplished by the shedding of His blood at the cross must apply equally to every human being because “God so loved the world that He gave ...” All His wonderful planning “from before the foundation of the world” is for everyone; the Samaritans were right when they said Jesus is “the Savior of the world” (John 4:42). He has given the gift of salvation to the world, but the world has crucified Him and expelled Him from the planet. You can give someone a gift but if he throws it away, he doesn’t have it. But still you did the giving.
Maybe, the Lord willing, more tomorrow.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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