A motorcycle may be beautiful. It may have chrome shining in the sunlight. It may have a powerful engine. But without fuel, it isn’t going anywhere.
The same is true in the Christian life.
Far too many believers are trying to ride through life on an empty tank. They know Christ as Savior, yet they live defeated instead of victorious. They are anxious instead of peaceful. They are discouraged instead of confident. They are exhausted because they are trying to live the Christian life in their own strength rather than relying upon the grace God has already supplied.
The book of Ephesians opens in a remarkable way. Paul does not begin by telling believers what they have to do. He begins by reminding them of what God has already done.
In fact, verses 3 through 14 form one long sentence in the Greek language, a magnificent hymn of praise celebrating every spiritual blessing believers possess in Christ.
- Before Paul teaches believers how to walk, he reminds them who they are.
- Before he gives commands, he gives confidence.
- Before he speaks of duty, he celebrates grace.
Every blessing necessary for the Christian life has already been provided by God.
Because God has already blessed us in Christ, we should live confidently in the riches of His grace.
How has God fueled every believer through His amazing grace?
Paul answers that question by revealing five incredible blessings that fuel every believer’s walk with Christ.
WE ARE FUELED BY GOD’S CALLING (Ephesians 1:1–2)
Paul begins by introducing himself, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ . . .”
Paul begins by identifying himself as an apostle. This wasn’t something Paul went looking for. It wasn’t something he asked God for. He was called “by the will of God.”
His authority did not originate with men but with God’s sovereign will. Before Paul ever speaks about the believer’s calling, he reminds us that his own ministry was the result of God’s calling. God always initiates His work before He expects our response.
Then Paul tells us who he is addressing, “…To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.”
The term “Saints“ refers to every believer, not an elite class of Christians. The word literally means “set apart.” Believers have been separated from the world and set apart for God’s purposes. Their position “in Christ“ is the foundation of every spiritual blessing discussed throughout the chapter.
In Verse 2, Paul give a salutation, “Grace to you and peace from God our father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace always precedes peace.
- Grace is God’s undeserved favor.
- Peace is the result of reconciliation with God.
Paul reminds believers that everything begins with God’s initiative, not ours.
Our challenge is to begin every day resting in God’s grace rather than depending on your own strength.
WE ARE FUELED BY GOD’S CHOOSING (Ephesians 1:3–6)
Paul erupts into praise, “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,”
Notice Paul does not say God will bless us someday. He says He has blessed us. Everything necessary for our spiritual life has already been provided through Christ. He hasn’t kept anything we needed from us.
Paul continues in verse 4 by saying, “just as He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world . . .” Think about that: God chose believers in Christ before the foundation of the world. This wasn’t because God looked ahead and found deserving people. It was entirely an act of grace.
Then Paul states, “. . . that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love . . .” God lovingly determined that those who are in Christ would be holy and blameless before Him. That means we should talk different, we should act different.
In verse 5, Paul says “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will . . .”
We have been adopted as sons. In Roman culture, adoption carried incredible significance. An adopted child received every legal right of a natural-born child. The old life was gone. A new family, a new inheritance, and a new future had begun.
That is exactly what God has done for every believer.
- His identity changes.
- His future changes.
- His security changes.
That is the grace of adoption.
- We are chosen.
- We are accepted.
- We belong to God’s family.
That truth ought to eliminate both pride and insecurity.
WE ARE FUELED BY GOD’S REDEEMING GRACE (Ephesians 1:7–10)
The word “redemption” was commonly used in the marketplace of Paul’s day. It referred to paying the purchase price to set a slave free.
That perfectly pictures our condition before salvation.
- We were slaves to sin.
- We could not free ourselves.
- No amount of religion could purchase our freedom.
- No amount of good works could erase our guilt.
So Jesus did what we could never do. He paid our ransom. The price was not silver. It was not gold. It was His own precious blood.
Peter later wrote, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold… but with the precious blood of Christ.”
The cross was not an accident. It was the payment required to satisfy God’s justice. Because Christ paid the price, Paul says we now have “the forgiveness of sins.”
Notice he says we have forgiveness.
- Not “we hope to have.”
- Not “we may eventually receive.”
It is a present possession of every believer. When God forgives, He forgives completely.
- He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west.
- He remembers it no more.
- He declares us righteous because Christ bore our guilt.
And Paul says all of this comes “according to the riches of His grace.”
God does not forgive reluctantly. He forgives lavishly. His grace is never scarce.
- It is rich.
- It is abundant.
- It is more than sufficient to cover every sin of every person who comes to Christ in faith.
In verse 8, Paul says, “Which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.”
God’s grace is overflowing grace. He doesn’t merely give enough. He pours it out abundantly. Every act of salvation reflects both His wisdom and His perfect purpose.
Nothing about redemption was random. Every detail was planned by an infinitely wise God.
Paul continues in verse 9, “Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.”
In the New Testament, a mystery is not something mysterious or unknowable. It is a truth once hidden but now revealed by God. The mystery is God’s eternal plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
What the prophets saw only in part has now been fully revealed in the gospel. God is no longer keeping His plan concealed. He has made it known through His Son.
Then Paul brings this section to its glorious climax. Verse 10 says, “That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, in Him.”
History is not wandering aimlessly. The world is not spinning out of control. Everything is moving toward God’s appointed conclusion.
One day Jesus Christ will reign over all creation.
- Every knee will bow.
- Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
- Sin will be defeated.
- Satan will be judged.
- Creation will be restored.
Everything will ultimately be brought under the lordship of Christ. Church, that means our hope is never tied to today’s headlines – It is tied to tomorrow’s King.
Because Jesus redeemed us with His blood, forgave our sins by His grace, revealed God’s eternal plan, and will one day reign over all things, we can live today with confidence and freedom.
We are no longer prisoners of our past – We are redeemed people, living in the light of a coming King.
WE ARE FUELED BY OUR GUARANTEED INHERITANCE (Ephesians 1:11–12)
Paul writes in verse 11, “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”
Once again Paul begins with those familiar words, “In Him.” Every blessing he has mentioned throughout this chapter is found in one place – Jesus Christ.
Paul says, “we have obtained an inheritance.” The phrase could also be understood to mean that we have been made God’s own possession. Both truths are biblical. Believers have received an eternal inheritance, and believers themselves belong to God as His treasured possession.
Think about the confidence this brings. Our inheritance is not something uncertain or conditional. It is not dependent upon the economy, political stability, or earthly success. It is secured by God Himself.
Peter would later describe it as an inheritance that is “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.”
- Earthly inheritances can disappear.
- They can be spent.
- They can be lost.
- They can be stolen.
But our heavenly inheritance is eternally secure because it rests in the hands of an eternal God.
Paul continues by saying we have been “predestined according to the purpose of Him . . .”
Once again, Paul emphasizes God’s sovereignty. Nothing about our salvation is accidental. Nothing catches God by surprise. Our future is as secure as His eternal purpose.
Then Paul makes one of the most comforting statements in all of Scripture. God is the One “who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”
Notice those two words, “all things.” Not some things. Not most things. All things.
God is actively working through every circumstance of life to accomplish His perfect purposes. That does not mean everything that happens is good.
- Sin is not good.
- Suffering is not good.
- Death is not good.
But God is so sovereign that He is able to work even painful circumstances into His redemptive plan for His children.
Joseph understood that truth when he told his brothers, “You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.“
Paul would later write in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Church, that means there is no wasted pain in the life of a believer.
- Every trial…
- Every disappointment…
- Every closed door…
- Every difficult season…
is under the sovereign hand of our Heavenly Father.
Verse 12 explains why God has done all of this. “That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”
Once again, Paul brings us back to the ultimate purpose of salvation. God saves us for His glory. Our lives are meant to become a testimony of His grace. People should see the transforming work of Christ in us and be drawn to worship Him.
Imagine a father who prepares an inheritance for his children years before they ever receive it. The children don’t anxiously wonder whether their father will provide. They live with confidence because they trust his character.
How much more should we trust our Heavenly Father? He has already secured an eternal inheritance for us. That means we can face tomorrow without fear. Our future is not uncertain. Our future is in the hands of the God who works all things according to His perfect will.
Christian, if you’ve been worrying about tomorrow, remember this truth: You are not simply living for today – You are living in light of an eternal inheritance that can never be taken away.
But, as wonderful as our inheritance is, God didn’t simply promise it for the future. He has given us something in the present that guarantees it. Paul now concludes this great hymn of praise by introducing the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
WE ARE FUELED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT’S SEAL (Ephesians 1:13–14)
Everything the Father planned and everything the Son purchased is now applied to believers by the Holy Spirit. Verse 13 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation…”
Notice the beautiful order Paul presents. First, they heard the gospel. Paul calls it “the word of truth.”
The gospel is not merely one opinion among many. It is God’s truth. It is the message that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again so that everyone who believes in Him might have eternal life.
Faith always begins by hearing God’s Word. As Paul later wrote, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Paul continues, “In whom also, having believed…”
The gospel must not only be heard. It must be believed. Salvation is not received through religious rituals, personal effort, or church membership – It is received by placing our faith in Jesus Christ alone.
The moment a sinner trusts Christ, something wonderful happens. Paul says, “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
In the ancient world, a seal carried tremendous significance. Kings sealed official documents with their signet ring. Merchants sealed cargo to identify ownership.
- A seal represented authenticity.
- It represented authority.
- It represented protection.
- It represented ownership.
Paul says that when we trusted Christ, God placed His own Holy Spirit within us as His divine seal. The Holy Spirit is God’s declaration that we belong to Him.
- No one can break God’s seal.
- No one can steal what belongs to Him.
- No one can overturn what God has secured.
Verse 14 expands that truth even further. Paul calls the Holy Spirit, “The guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession . . .”
The word “guarantee” referred to a down payment, a first installment that guaranteed the remaining payment would certainly come.
God has given us His Holy Spirit as His pledge. His Spirit living within us assures us that everything God has promised will one day be fulfilled.
The presence of the Holy Spirit reminds us that heaven is not merely wishful thinking – It is guaranteed.
The redemption Paul mentions here refers to the day when Christ returns and our salvation is brought to its complete fulfillment. Our souls have already been redeemed, but one day even our bodies will be glorified. Sin will be gone forever. Suffering will end. Death itself will be defeated. We will stand complete in the presence of our Savior.
Notice once again how Paul ends this section, “. . . to the praise of His glory.”
This is now the third time in this passage that Paul reminds us everything God has done is ultimately for His glory.
- The Father planned our salvation.
- The Son purchased our salvation.
- The Holy Spirit guarantees our salvation.
And every part of it points us back to the greatness of God.
Imagine receiving the keys to a brand-new motorcycle before taking possession of it. Those keys are a guarantee that the motorcycle already belongs to you, even though the day of full enjoyment is still ahead.
In an infinitely greater way, God has placed His Holy Spirit within every believer as the guarantee that our eternal inheritance is secure.
Church, you do not have to wonder whether God will finish what He started. You do not have to live in constant fear of losing what Christ purchased.
- The God who chose you…
- The Christ who redeemed you…
Has also given you His Holy Spirit to seal you until the day you stand in His presence. Because of that, you can ride through this life with confidence. You are not riding through life on an empty tank, you are fueled by the grace of God!
Fighting for My Pea Patch 