The First Sermon on the First Chapter - Ephesians 1:1-3
which they had once received because their calling into the communion of Christ's Church was wrought by the will of God.
Nevertheless, look how many sentences there are here, so many warnings are there to cheer up the Ephesians to acknowledge God's benefits. In the fourth chapter, he describes the means whereby our
Lord governs and maintains His church, namely by the gospel which is preached by men. Whereupon it follows that that is the very point of perfection, and that the church cannot otherwise be kept up.
Therefore, the apostle's meaning is to commend unto the Ephesians the ministry whereby God reigns among us. Afterwards, he speaks of the fruits of preaching, that is to say, of innocence, holiness, and of all duties of a Christian man. He not only teaches what the lives of Christians ought to be in general, but also interlaces particular instructions which concern every man's peculiar calling or vocation.
The First Sermon on the First Chapter 1. Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to all you holy and faithful ones in Jesus Christ which are at Ephesus.
2. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly things in Christ. - Ephesians 1:1-3
When we read the Epistles that Saint Paul wrote to various places, we must always consider that God intended them not only for one time alone or for certain people but for all time and for the entire
Church. Indeed, if a man carefully considers the doctrine contained in them, it will be easy to discern that God's intent was to be heard in the matters spoken of, even to the world's end, and that He had such a care for us that He did not overlook or forget anything that might further our welfare and salvation.
The theme of this Epistle, which I have now taken in hand to expound, is that Saint Paul confirms those who had been trained in the Gospel, so that they might know that this is the thing upon which they must rest, as upon true, lawful, and perfect wisdom, and that it is not necessary to add anything to it. He tells us that the benefits brought to us by our Lord Jesus Christ are so excellent that we must be utterly ungrateful if we continue to wander, like people who are never at rest or contented. Thereupon, he shows us what we have in Christ so that we may cling to Him and not presume to seek help elsewhere, assuring ourselves that He has bought us entirely.
On the other hand, he shows us that Christ has so well provided for His Church that, if we have the wisdom to use the gifts of grace which He offers, we will have full and perfect happiness.
Furthermore, he warns those who have been instructed in the truth of the Gospel to lead holy lives and to show that they have profited as they ought to in God's school.
These things are not intended only for the city of Ephesus, nor for any one country, nor for any one age or time. We need to be strengthened more and more, seeing that the devil continually works without end to thrust us out of the way. When he cannot lead us away entirely from the doctrine of Jesus Christ, he labors to make it
lose its appeal to us through some means or other, to entangle us in new curiosities, and to prevent us from remaining constant in the faith we have received, causing us to be in constant uncertainty.
Whenever our minds are so unsettled, it is certain that a door is opened to erase the remembrance of what we had previously learned, allowing many foolish and erroneous doctrines to enter, which corrupt and pervert the purity of our faith. We see, then, that the doctrine contained in this Epistle is directed and dedicated to us even today, and that God, in His wonderful providence, has so arranged things beforehand that not only do we have the foundations of the Gospel upon which to ground ourselves, but also a means by which our faith may grow and increase day by day until we reach perfection.
First and foremost, Saint Paul claims the authority that was given to him by God, so that people would not stop at his person, as if it had been merely the words of a mortal man. For indeed, our Lord Jesus
Christ is the only Master from whom we must learn, as it is witnessed of Him from heaven: "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him" (Luke 9:35). It has always been God's will to govern His
Church Himself and to have His Word received without opposition, and He has not given that privilege to any creature.
Furthermore, "Jesus Christ is ordained in the place of God the Father because He is God manifested in the flesh, the infallible
Truth itself, and the Wisdom that existed before all time" (John 1:14). When men speak, they must not do so in their own name, nor present anything from their own fancy or imagination. Rather, they must faithfully set forth what God has commanded and given them in charge. This is why Saint Paul often uses the preface that he is an Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ. He holds it as a firm and absolute
foundation that if any man speaks in his own name, there is nothing but rashness in him.
Why is that so? Because he takes upon himself something that belongs to God alone. Moreover, since our Lord Jesus Christ was purposely sent to be our final teacher, providing wisdom that is perfect and without fault, Saint Paul calls himself an Apostle sent by Him.
This presupposes two things: first, that Saint Paul had this charge committed to him; and second, that he acquitted himself duly by faithfully fulfilling the office to which he was called. For even if a man is the most able and excellent in the world, if he thrusts himself forward on his own, he disrupts all common order. We know that God desires order, not disorder among us, as Saint Paul says in the fourteenth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians (1
Corinthians 14:33). Therefore, anyone who speaks, especially to teach, must have a calling. That is to say, he must be admitted and given his charge so that no one may thrust himself forward out of unadvised zeal, as I mentioned before.
Now, to speak any further of Saint Paul's calling, it is not necessary at present, for we know how God confirmed that He avowed Paul as His apostle. Indeed, Paul does not spend much time disputing this here, because it was already well known in the Church of Ephesus.
However, because the Galatians had been troubled by deceivers, and because Paul's authority—and even the name of God—had been disgraced there, we saw how he defended his position, telling them that the reverence due to an apostle of Jesus Christ could not be taken from him without undermining the order of God. Therefore, it is enough for Paul here to have stated in one word that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Let us now come to the second point I mentioned, namely that it is not enough for a man to be called unless he discharges his duty with a pure conscience and upright conduct in his office. Paul considered this a settled matter, and he had given ample proof of it. Deceivers may well boast loudly that they are called, as we see they do. For all who fight against God and His Word and sow trouble and confusion in His Church would like to shield themselves behind their calling and their supposed zeal, claiming to be Christians, and more. But Paul had sufficiently proven that he did not come of his own accord and sought nothing but to spend himself in building up the Church.
Since this was well known in Ephesus (as we may gather from the account of Saint Luke), and because Paul had endured many hardships, he thought it sufficient to simply say that he was an apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here we are reminded, first, to adhere to the pure doctrine we know to have come from God, for we cannot go astray if we follow that rule. Since in our Lord Jesus Christ we have everything necessary for our instruction, so that we need not doubt whether to hold to the Gospel or add something to it, let us be content to accept the Son of God as our Master, especially since He graciously humbled Himself to take that charge upon Him. He also assures us that if we progress well in His doctrine, we shall reach the true goal toward which we should strive. Therefore, the first lesson we must gather from this text is that our faith must not waver in any direction, but have a sure and unshakable foundation upon which to rest, namely, God's truth as contained in the Gospel.
Seeing that Saint Paul has been sufficiently avowed to us, let us not doubt that God's Spirit speaks to us today through his words. Let us not hear the doctrine as though it were subject to our judgment, but let us imprison our own understanding and receive it without dispute
unless we intend to willfully wage war against God and elevate ourselves above Him. This is one of the key points we must take from this text.
Furthermore, in order that this doctrine may not only be revered among us but also be pleasing to us, let us remember that Saint Paul speaks in the name of Christ, who was sent to us by God the Father to bring us the good news of peace. Let us also remember how he says in another text that he was ordained to bring the message of reconciliation and to beseech men, in God's name, to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:20). I mentioned before that this was done to make the doctrine of the Gospel sweet, so that we might desire it and devote ourselves to it.
Whenever we are told that God speaks to us, that alone is enough to authorize all that He shall say. But we might still tremble at His voice and grow weary of it, as we see many people who confess that God deserves to be obeyed and that all men should be subject to Him, yet they avoid Him as far as they can because His majesty makes them afraid. However, when Jesus Christ speaks to us as the mediator between God and man, we may approach Him boldly.
As it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrews, "We are no longer at Mount Sinai, where the lightnings flashed, and the Law was given, so that even if a beast touched the mountain, it must die" (Hebrews
12:18-20). The voice that God uttered at that time was terrible. But now, since He encourages us by the Gospel to receive the grace He offers us, and is willing to erase the remembrance of our sins, let us allow ourselves to be justified by His free goodness and be at peace with Him. This should move us to come to Him like poor, hungry souls, ready to be fed with the heavenly food that He freely gives us.
This, in essence, is what we must remember when Saint Paul calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Whereas Paul adds that it is "by the will of God," this serves to prevent any questioning, so that people would not accuse him of presumption, as if he considered himself more reputable than others.
He professes that it was not due to any worthiness of his own, but because it pleased God to choose him for that office. Surely, this is no false humility when he says he was placed in that position by God's mere grace and choosing.
As it is written, "For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9). We see how Paul confesses elsewhere that he was not worthy of such honor but instead deserved utter damnation, as he states, "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man" (1 Timothy 1:13). He acknowledges that it was a testimony of God's infinite goodness that He exalted him—one who had been a murderer of Christians and shed the blood of martyrs.
There is no pretense in Paul's confession here when he says that his position and authority came only by the will of God.
This teaching serves us greatly, reminding us not to judge God's Word by the qualities of those who bring it to us. One of Satan's common strategies to diminish the reverence of God's Word is to cast doubt upon the people who deliver it. Indeed, we are frail vessels, of little worth—like broken pots. But what do we find in those whom
God has ordained to be the ministers of His Word?
As Scripture tells us, "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2
Corinthians 4:7). The treasure is inestimable, despite the despised vessels that carry it. Therefore, when men come to proclaim the
forgiveness of our sins and the salvation we hope for, our faith must ascend beyond the human vessel and not dwell on whether that person is worthy to be heard or not. Let us rest assured that God, by these means, intends to draw us to Himself.
This is the path we must walk, and if we stray from it, we go astray and tread the path to destruction. Let us understand, then, that we must submit ourselves to God's will and ordinance, receiving without hesitation the doctrine preached to us through the mouths of mortal men. We must not be as those who, in their supposed wisdom, question whether God could not have sent angels from heaven to teach us through revelations. Nor should we be like those presumptuous individuals who claim they have the Holy Spirit in their possession and thus scorn the gifts God has distributed.
To avoid being bewitched by Satan in this way, let us take heed to what is said here: it is God's will that the Gospel is preached by the mouths of men, and they serve as witnesses to us. Whoever refuses to accept this order is, in effect, pushing back God's hand when He offers the sure and infallible testimony of salvation. This is what we must carefully note from this text.
Moreover, those called to bear and spread God's Word must take Saint Paul's example to heart and walk in humility. For who are we compared to him? He shows us that he was not chosen for any sufficiency or ability within himself, but because it was God's will.
Therefore, let us be sure that we owe all things to Him and to His mere grace, and we cannot claim anything for ourselves unless we intend to rob Him of His rightful glory. We know that such ingratitude cannot be tolerated.
Hereupon he says, "To all the holy ones that are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:1). It is true that the name
of the city is expressed here, but yet (as I have touched on already) the doctrine is common to us all. God has ordained it for our use even today, and we must receive it as if Saint Paul were still alive and preaching among us. Indeed, we must not only look to Paul as the messenger, but also to the One by whom he is sent. For although
Paul died when he finished his race, God's Spirit does not die.
Whatever the case may be, we must remember for our learning what Saint Paul means here when he speaks to the holy and faithful ones in Jesus Christ. Although we are not of that time, nor of the country and people of Asia, yet, since it has pleased God to unite us with those to whom Paul wrote in that time, let us assure ourselves that it is equally necessary for us today to be strengthened in the faith we have received through the Gospel. This is because the intent and purpose of the Holy Ghost was to encourage all those who have entered into the Gospel, who are still weak, and who need further confirmation.
Let us pay close attention to these words, "the holy and faithful ones in Jesus Christ." For Paul shows that all human holiness is nothing but pretense until God has called and dedicated people to His service and consecrated them through faith. By nature, we are all unclean, and nothing but uncleanness can come from us. It is true that if men can set a good appearance upon things, they may be considered as righteous as can be, and their virtues will be praised everywhere. A man can earn a reputation for great perfection if he has some outward signs of goodness.
However, we must remember what is said in Acts 15:9, that "God cleanses people's hearts by faith." And He certainly needs to do so, for, as the Prophet Jeremiah says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). We may not
perceive it, but God has clearer eyes than we do. Whatever the case may be, let us assure ourselves of this: all the holiness that men imagine they possess is but corruption and utterly abominable before God until they are made one with Him by believing in the Gospel.
Therefore, take note of this foundational truth: no other holiness is approved or accepted by God than the holiness of believers. For unless we first become Christians, we are blind and can never render
God His due.
Although there were no other hindrance than this, would it not be enough to mar all the virtues we might otherwise possess? Again, seeing that the spirit of perfection, the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of righteousness, and the spirit of purity abide and rest in Jesus
Christ, it is certain that all who are separated from Him have nothing but vice and all manner of uncleanness in them, no matter how much the world flatters them.
On the other hand, let us also note that all who boast of belief in the Gospel but are not sanctified by God reveal their own hypocrisy and self-deception, regardless of what their mouths may say or sing. We see many nowadays who defile and dishonor the name of faith, which ought to be holy. Everyone claims to be faithful, and those who have the least faith are often the boldest in asserting that faith resides only in themselves. Would God that this were true even for half of us! But we see that even among those who bear the name of Christians, their whole lives are disordered and loose, to the point that they mock God openly and despise all religion. Yet, in the meantime, they believe (as I have already said) that they are greatly wronged if they are not regarded as good Christians and Catholics.
Despite this, we see how Saint Paul links these two things together in an inseparable bond: namely, that if we have the faith of the Gospel,
we must wholly give ourselves over to God and separate ourselves from the corruptions of the world. As we have seen in his Epistle to the Galatians, he says that the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ was for the purpose of sanctifying us by His blood, so that we would yield obedience in all purity to God the Father (Galatians 1:4). And as he says in another place, "We are not called to uncleanness, but to holiness, so that God's name may be honored and glorified by us" (1
Thessalonians 4:7).
Thus, you see what we must remember in this preface, so that we may be better prepared to receive the teaching contained in this
Epistle. It should carry the authority it deserves among us and, moreover, be made desirable to us, so that we understand how it is for our singular benefit to learn from Paul. For he testifies to us the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and leads us to God to be reconciled to Him, whereas we are naturally the children of wrath. Furthermore, we may stand in His favor, being bold to call upon Him as our
Father, and be assured that He takes us as His children.
Therefore, let us give thanks, lifting up our hearts to acknowledge how greatly we are indebted to God, especially considering that He has shown Himself so bountiful toward us, revealing His grace to us in every way possible.
"Blessed," says he, "be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).
Forasmuch as the chief thing God requires from men is that they acknowledge His benefits and be thankful to Him for them, Saint
Paul considers first how this can prompt them to fulfill their duty.
For we are so reckless, it is a pity to see. We readily confess that our chief purpose and endeavor ought to be to live a well-ordered life—
that is, to praise God. If a man were to ask us why we are in this world, why God cares for us, why His goodness feeds and cherishes us, and why He showers us with such great blessings, the answer is clear: so that we might offer Him some acknowledgment of them.
As it is said in the Psalms, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you" (Psalm 16:2). We cannot profit Him at all, and He requires nothing from us except thanksgiving, as it is written, "What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord" (Psalm 116:12-13).
We see, then, that all we can offer to God is to acknowledge that we are indebted to Him for all things. Yet, even in this, we do not discharge our duty, not even a hundredth part of it. Rather, from the greatest to the least, we defraud Him of the praise due to Him because, through our wickedness, we continually bury the praise that should be ever present in our mouths.
For this reason, the Lord rebukes us for our negligence. The holy Scriptures exhort us to praise God and use many words to that purpose. Let us not think that these exhortations are superfluous, but recognize them as many reminders of our ingratitude and failure to do what is so essential—the primary purpose of our lives.
It is true that the Holy Spirit often presents other reasons why we should magnify God's name, such as the order of nature, the fruits of the earth, the help God provides, and other such things. These are sufficient reasons to praise God. However, Saint Paul leads us higher here. He wants us to glorify God above all things because it was not enough for Him to place us in the world, to care for us here, and to provide for our needs in this transient life. He has also chosen us to be heirs of His kingdom and of heavenly life.
Thus, we are doubly bound to God, even more than the ignorant and unbelieving, for although they are already sufficiently bound, the good that He has done for us in Jesus Christ is incomparably greater and more noble. He has adopted us as His children. Truly, as humans, we are part of His creation, fashioned in His image. But what of that? This image has been defaced in us by sin and by the corruption inherited from Adam's disobedience. What heritage remains for us other than His wrath and eternal death?
In short, if we remain in the state of our natural condition, we are not worthy to be counted even among the brute beasts. But now, seeing that God has made us members of His only Son, has set us in the company of angels, and has prepared us to partake of His own nature and glory, as Peter says, "He has given us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), should we not perceive this as a grace so high and noble that it ought to completely captivate our hearts?
Thus, the first thing Saint Paul intends to convey in this text is that we are exhorted here to apply ourselves entirely to praising God because we are too cold and slothful in this regard if we are not prompted and driven to do so.
In addition to this, Saint Paul had another intention: to feed us in such a way with the grace we receive through the Gospel that we no longer desire other things in the way we are naturally inclined to. We see how fickle we are by nature, and even when God is gracious enough to set His Word before us, we still seek other things, and nothing seems to satisfy us. What is the cause of this? It is because we are dull and have neither understood nor grasped what God reveals to us by His Word.
As we shall see later, those who know the love God shows us in our Lord Jesus Christ have all that they could wish for—upward, downward, far, and wide. Therefore, Saint Paul calls on us to bless
God so that we hold fast to the doctrine in which lies the fullness of all happiness, at least if we have the wisdom to use it for our benefit.
Furthermore, let us also observe why Paul says, "in spiritual blessings." Although we cannot eat a bite of bread or drink a drop of water without owing it to God, unless we acknowledge and confess that He shows Himself gracious toward us in it, yet the things that pertain to this earthly and transitory life are nothing compared to the things that serve for the everlasting welfare of our souls. Indeed, when Paul exhorts us here to praise God for His heavenly blessings, he also gives us a reminder that we should be patient if we are troubled in our flesh and do not have everything we desire. If God withholds some portion of our needs and does not handle us as tenderly as we would like, two things are implied here.
First, we should learn to understand where our true and perfect happiness lies—that is, in the life we hope for, which is hidden from us for now, so we will not be tied to the world (Mark that for one point). Second, if the world despises and rejects us, and if people mock us while the ungodly boast in their pomp and luxury, we must settle ourselves in patience. Even if some of us suffer hunger and thirst, while others are wrongfully troubled and vexed, we must look beyond these things. Why? Because we are to content ourselves with the heavenly blessings that God has bestowed upon us. This great, high, and inestimable privilege should enable us to endure all the hardships we may face when God exercises and tests us in this world with many afflictions, calling us to endure scarcity and poverty in many things.
This is the essence of what we must understand from this passage.
Now, before we proceed further, let us note that the word "blessing" is used in different senses when Paul applies it either to God or to ourselves. It is said that we bless God, and how? And how does He bless us? When we bless God, we fall far short of how He blesses us.
For (as I already quoted from the sixteenth Psalm), all our services cannot benefit Him, and again, as I quoted from the hundred and sixteenth Psalm, all that we can bring to God is simply the acknowledgment that we are indebted to Him for all the good things we have. So, all our blessing consists merely in offering the sacrifice of praise to God. Let that serve as one point.
But now, when God blesses us, is it only in words? No. It is in filling us and providing for all our needs as far as is necessary. Why is this word "blessing" attributed to Him? Because He does not need to labor or exert effort to help His servants and give them the things He knows are good for them. If He only speaks His will, the thing is done. Since God created the world by His word alone, He also has the power to do us good merely by promising it. Therefore, it is said that we are enriched by His blessing—that is to say, by His showing of love and favor to us.
Now let us consider if we can be excused when we defraud God of His due, refusing to open our lips to confess how much we owe Him after receiving so many benefits from His hand. Let all the blessings that men in the world could offer to God be weighed against the one blessing with which He enriches us—which will outweigh the other?
All that men can say is that they must confess they can neither do nor say anything of real worth, while on the other side, God shows us that He has everything necessary for our welfare.
Therefore, it is not without reason that Paul says here that the faithful must devote all their thoughts and efforts to blessing God, seeing that He gives them such great cause. Otherwise, they are ungrateful and miserly. Thus, Paul speaks of two things: "The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ" (Ephesians
1:3).
Where he says, "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," it must be understood in this way: namely, that the God whom we experience as so favorable to us is the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. This detail deserves careful attention. By it, Saint Paul helps us understand that God's benefits, especially those that pertain to heavenly life and the eternal salvation of our souls, cannot reach us unless Jesus Christ is, in a sense, the conduit through which they flow, so that we may become partakers of them.
Therefore, let us clearly recognize that we are cut off from all good things, especially those concerning the salvation of our souls, unless
Jesus Christ becomes our mediator. It is true that the ungodly eat, drink, and indulge themselves to the fullest, and the sun shines upon them. But even though they enjoy these things, they do not rightfully possess any of the things God gives them because they take them without any lawful claim. The world was made for God's children, and that is in relation to their inheritance in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In short, it is not without purpose that Saint Paul, when explaining how God has given Himself to us, says it is because He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But (as I mentioned earlier), this is not merely about eating and drinking; it concerns far greater and more precious matters: namely, that God has adopted us as His children.
This is the main point we must remember.
However, to benefit more fully from this passage, we must guard ourselves against wandering into confusion when we hear that God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because the Papists often have the word "God" on their lips, and they speak of Jesus Christ, but in the meantime, they have disfigured Christ and corrupted the doctrine of His Gospel, in which He ought to be revealed. So, while they may claim to know God, it is only by a confused imagination, and in truth, they do not know Him. Indeed, they know no more about the true God they worship than the Turks do.
We know that our Lord Jesus says in the fourth chapter of John, "Those who do not have the Spirit to guide them do not know what they worship, and they continually create idols for themselves" (John
4:22). Therefore, there is only one way to have good and infallible access to God, and that is by beholding Him in His living image,
Jesus Christ. God's majesty is too great, too distant, and too deep for us. But Christ has come near to us, accommodating Himself to our weakness, and revealing everything necessary for us to know in order to draw near to God the Father.
You see, then, that we must have our Lord Jesus Christ as our way to prevent us from going astray. Since He is the Father of our head and of Him who is one with us, we may now come familiarly to Him.
Without that Mediator, we are all cut off from God, and His majesty would make the hairs on our heads stand up in fear. But when we consider that God calls Himself the Father of Him who is our head, we understand that He must also acknowledge us as His children because He has bought us with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Furthermore, although Saint Paul mentions here but one phrase, "spiritual blessings," yet he shows that God has been bountiful toward us in more ways than one. He will later provide a more
detailed explanation, laying forth the specific benefits we obtain through the Gospel, as this entire chapter is full of them. Regardless, he makes it clear in this passage that God's gracious gifts to us are not given in small amounts or in a fleeting manner, as if with a "wet finger," as the saying goes. Instead, He has given us His gifts abundantly and in diverse ways, so that we have ample reason to magnify Him in all respects.
Therefore, let us understand that since Jesus Christ is given to us, in Him we obtain everything necessary for our salvation and for our happiness, just as Paul speaks of it in Romans 8. As it is written, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
If the only Son is given to us, then surely all the benefits He holds are communicated to us through Him and by His means.
However, as we receive these blessings, let us learn to value God's spiritual gifts in such a way that we gather all our thoughts and focus on appreciating them fully. To achieve this, we must be careful not to let our minds become too attached to the world. The very reason we often fail to perceive even a fraction of the good that God has done for us, and cannot apply His benefits to our advantage, is our own vanity. Each of us deceives ourselves with our wandering and frivolous desires.
Therefore, let us strive to remove the things that hinder us from coming to our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though our corrupt nature urges us to pursue the fleeting things of this world, let us make every effort to turn away from them, so that we may yield ourselves with a free heart to God, be earnestly committed to obeying Him, and give ourselves entirely to Him. This is His will for us—that we be joined to Him completely.
This is what we must take from Saint Paul's words when, after speaking of spiritual blessings, he immediately adds, "in heavenly places." By this, he intended to show that we cannot truly receive the gracious gifts communicated to us in Jesus Christ, which God wants us to possess, until we recognize that nothing in this world should captivate us. When we understand that we are not meant to remain in this world forever, but are to live as pilgrims passing through, knowing that our eternal inheritance and true treasure are in heaven, then we should press onward toward that goal and dedicate ourselves to it more and more.
Although we may feel weak, we should not lose heart but instead be courageous and pray to God for strength. Furthermore, you see why
Paul speaks of "spiritual blessings"—to remind us that, while the devil may lay many traps to lead us astray, God will provide everything necessary to counter them. Why? Because He has such an abundance of blessings that He can easily frustrate and destroy everything that stands against our salvation.
But now let us fall down before the majesty of our good God, with the acknowledgment of our faults, praying Him to touch us more deeply with them, that we may be brought to true repentance. Let us pray that we may condemn ourselves and seek our Lord Jesus Christ for the grace we lack—not just for one day or in a moment of crisis, but continually and steadfastly until the end of our lives. And whatever may befall us, may we always assure ourselves that we have reason to praise our God.
If we are poor and miserable in this world, let the assurance of our eternal inheritance be enough to comfort us and sweeten all our afflictions and troubles. Let it give us such contentment that we may still keep our mouths open to bless God for showing Himself so kind