A Note from our Pastor:

“That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.”

Ephesians 1:12

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

In the preceding verses, the Apostle has been explaining the nature of our salvation. He has told us that it is in accordance with the will of God, that it was done before the foundation of the world, that we have a predetermined destiny, and that it was done through and by the works of Jesus Christ.

Having established the mechanics of our salvation, the Apostle begins this verse with the reasoning behind our salvation. Nothing is hidden or difficult in this verse, as the Apostle explains our salvation is purely for the reason of being for the praise of his glory. Our salvation is not because of who we are or what we have done but wholly for the purpose of reflecting the glory of God and praise being returned unto him.

But there is also a secondary idea presented in this verse. We are told that there is one that first trusted in Christ. Fortunately, the first part of this verse provides great clarity as to the entity referenced here. We are told it is the same entity that has “glory”. Given that there are only three entities who have glory and those three are one our first level of understanding is that this must refer to the Godhead.

However, we can narrow this down, for if this is referring to Christ then the logic is circular. For the verse would mean that Christ first trusted in Christ. And while there was no question in the mind of Christ as to whether or not he would accomplish the work of salvation, the verse does not make sense with circular logic. Likewise, to say that the Holy Spirit trusted in Christ does not align with a larger discussion regarding the mechanics of our salvation. That leaves us understanding that the referent here is God the Father.

So what exactly does the Apostle mean when he says that God the Father first trusted in Christ? To keep it focused, the Apostle is telling us that while we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, the legal work of our salvation was not accomplished until the Cross. However, God the Father applied the blood of Jesus Christ and the salvation to the elect prior to the death of Jesus Christ because of the faith or trust that he had in Jesus Christ and the work he would do.

All this to say, we can firmly hold to the promise that Jesus will not and has not lost one of his sheep. They are chosen, redeemed, and will be with him forever more.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah