Brothers and sisters, peace to you on this Lord’s Day!
The heavenly Father has chosen you. The risen Christ has redeemed you. Through Him, you have been given the name and status of sons before God. All of this is for the praise of His glorious grace. Amen! That, in itself, is the entire message.
This passage declares the glorious gospel in just a few sweeping statements. So why do we still need preaching? Why do we keep listening to sermons? Because in worship, the gospel is not only heard—it comes alive. Through the preaching and the hearing, the gospel becomes something we can see and touch, something woven into the very fabric of our lives. May the Lord help us.
1. From Heaven Above: The Blessing of Election
This passage runs from verse 3 to verse 10. In the original Greek, it’s one long sentence—201 words stretching from before the foundation of the world to the end of time. It is a majestic, unbroken stream that begins with praise and ends in the glory of God. One pastor once said that sin damages our imagination, our very capacity to grasp spiritual realities. The restoration of that imagination is the beginning of God blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
God’s revelation breaks through both our intellectual complacency and our spiritual dullness. We find the Big Bang imaginable but struggle to conceive of divine creation. We understand psychology but cannot comprehend the rebirth of the soul. Why? Because we are sinners. Sin robs us of the capacity to taste the spiritual blessings of heaven. It’s like losing your taste buds. No matter how rich the feast set before you, you cannot enjoy it.
Likewise, if you have not been born again, what this passage calls “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” will not seem like a blessing at all. You might ask, “Where are the real blessings? Are there any gifts? Any refreshments? What will we get after the service?” A coworker once shared how, during Christmas outreach, they handed out gospel tracts, each one paired with an apple. People took the apples and left the tracts behind.
Only God’s revelation can restore our spiritual taste buds. Only God’s revelation can awaken in us the capacity to receive true spiritual blessings. Then, like Paul, we will say, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Amen! All the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places that God has given us—that is His blessing. And God’s blessing is the beginning of a whole new way of seeing our lives and this world.
The Lunar New Year is approaching, a season Chinese people know well. The Spring Festival is when we most passionately discuss blessings, when we are most in need of them, and when our greetings are imbued with wishes for good fortune.
But if you reflect on the blessings in these verses, you’ll realize something: our cultural imagination about “blessing” is painfully shallow. During New Year’s, what do we wish for each other? Good health, success in everything, prosperity. But today, let us shift our focus to just one of the spiritual blessings from heaven that Paul speaks of: the blessing of election.
The Father chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world. According to His sovereign purpose, He predestined you for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ. “Blessing” may be one of the most common words in Chinese culture. But in Paul’s mind, it becomes one of the loftiest words in the universe. What once felt down-to-earth is lifted to heavenly heights in the Christian faith.
You might say, “But we Chinese already show that blessing comes from heaven—we hang the 福 character upside down to symbolize that it’s been ‘poured down’ from above!” That’s true. But today, let us consider: How is the spiritual blessing from God different from the upside-down 福 on our doorposts?
Let us now consider this blessing of election. I want to share two points: First, the Father’s election took place before the foundation of the world. Second, the Father’s election of you is in Christ.
You could sum it up in four words: Unconditional, with a Mediator.
The first—election before creation—is unconditional.
The second—election in Christ—is through a Mediator.
2. Unconditional: Election Before the Foundation of the World
What does “before the foundation of the world” mean? Paul’s depiction of salvation here brings to mind the poet Bai Juyi(白居易): “Though I seek to the heights of heaven or descend to the depths of the grave, this love endures, without end or limit.” But Christ’s love for the church goes even further. Can Emperor Xuanzong’s(唐玄宗) love for Yang Guifei(杨贵妃) even begin to compare? Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, even unto death on a cross. Emperor Xuanzong loved Yang Guifei, but in the end, it was she who was made to die for him at Mawei Station. One love sacrifices the self; the other sacrifices the beloved.
This passage tells us: Before the world began, Christ was there. At the end of time, He is still there. He is above the heavens, and He is even in Sheol. This is not like human love, where “both ends vanish into the mist.”
Friends, have you ever experienced rejection in life? Ever been left out, passed over, or excluded? I think most of us have. From a young age, we learn what it feels like to be benched, to fail an exam, to be eliminated. In many ways, growing up is a long journey of being excluded. Do you agree? The farther you go, the more you realize: That door has closed. That life will never be yours. That group is out of reach. Maturity often feels like one long process of being told, “You’re out.” You’re not the winner. You’re not the top scorer. You’re not the leader. You’re not the CEO. You’re not the boss. And in the end… you’re not the bride either.
Isn’t that the story of every life? And I understand. That’s painful. I’ve been there too. All of us carry deep scars from being rejected, overlooked, or disqualified. To be passed over feels like you have no value, like you’re useless, like you don’t matter. That kind of experience creates deep anxiety.
So in a world where we are constantly rejected and passed over, what do we long for? We want to cling to something—anything—that cannot be taken away. Some students, struggling academically, try to be the best at fighting, just to set themselves apart. Some girls express their individuality by doing whatever it takes to be different. Why? The reason is simple: Every person longs for affirmation. Every person needs an identity. Every heart wants to know it matters—and wants others to see its worth too. Isn’t that true?
People love the word “unconditional.” Imagine if college entrance exams were unconditional—everyone could get in! How fair that would seem! But here’s the irony: Nobody wants unconditional sickness. In reality, ever since Adam fell, the only thing in life that is truly unconditional is death (Genesis 6:3). Dear brothers and sisters, from that moment on, there has been only one thing guaranteed for all: unconditional death. No matter the conditions, sooner or later, everyone will die.
I searched the word “unconditional” online. The first thing that came up was a song by Eason Chan called “Unconditional.” Like so many pop songs, it’s about love. What do people most long for in love? Unconditionality. Only unconditional love can satisfy the deep ache of the human heart. Only love that doesn’t ask for terms can truly be called love. The kind of love described in Ephesians, the electing love of God, is this kind of love: unconditional. Eason Chan ends his song with this line: “True love in this world asks for no conditions, but who can truly see it?”
Many people, after a lifetime of struggle, pain, searching, and rejection, come to know this truth: Real love doesn’t set conditions. But then they ask: Where is this love? Who can see it? Only in Scripture. Only at the cross of Jesus Christ can that love be seen with perfect clarity.
So these verses tell us this: Salvation was ordained before the world was made. God’s election of you came before He created the universe. Your salvation was decided before creation. Before you existed, His love for you already did. What could be more unconditional than that? Ephesians teaches us what unconditional love really is: It is love from before the foundation of the world. If you do not believe in Christ, if you will not follow Him, then the only thing in your life that remains truly unconditional is death. Apart from Christ, everything else in life comes with terms and conditions.
Imagine that in your company there is a young man that no one notices. Just an average guy, maybe even unimpressive. Then one day, the chairman makes a shocking announcement: his beloved daughter is getting married, and the groom is that guy. What’s more, the chairman appoints him as the new vice president. Suddenly, everyone is stunned. Jealous. Angry. Why him? What did he ever do to deserve this? Must be his looks! He just got lucky because the boss’s daughter took a liking to him. Exactly. Well, that’s exactly the case. She chose him because she loved him.
Friends, the gospel story is even more shocking, more enviable, more outrageous than this one. It’s the good news about how a group of nobodies have captured the heart of the King of the universe. “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:4). And yet, they hear this unbelievable good news. It feels like a love song written just for them.
Have you ever heard that old song, “Just Because I Love You”? That’s what Paul is saying in Ephesians. He’s singing praise to the God who loves us, not because of who we are, but simply because He chose to. We are weak. We are unworthy. We are the worst of sinners. Yet God loved us before the foundation of the world. Paul is overwhelmed by this: he praises God for His election, for His predestination, for the grace He lavished on us in Christ Jesus. Amen!
Dear brothers and sisters, the love of divine election tells us this: God didn’t wait until we were miserable enough to pity us. He didn’t look at our lives after we had hit rock bottom and say, “Fine, I’ll throw you a lifeline.” He didn’t choose us because we were the only ones left, the leftovers no one else wanted.
No, sisters. Election means this: You are not leftover women. You were selected long ago. You will always be the bride, always the leading lady in the story God was writing from eternity past. Before the world began, He had already written your name into the script. You will never be cast aside because you are God’s chosen. Amen! Before you were even born, Christ paid the debt you could never repay. He bled for you on the cross. Therefore, you are far more blessed than any beauty of history. You are loved beyond what even imperial favorites could dream of. Even your sad tears are more precious than the happiest tears of palace life, because you will never face your own tragic ending. You’ve already been to Calvary. Amen.
3. There Is a Mediator: Election in Christ
Second, what does it mean to be chosen in Christ? It means that although God’s election is unconditional—based on His will before creation, before you existed—it is not without a mediator. In other words, God chooses freely those whom He loves: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Romans 9:15).
But here’s the thing: the people God loves are also His enemies. They are sinners, rebels against Him. While election itself is an expression of His love, for this love to be just, God’s righteousness must also be satisfied. God’s choice cannot contradict His justice. Divine election must be both loving and righteous.
This is where many non-Christians struggle. They might say, “How is it just for God to choose a sinner? That doesn’t seem fair.” So let’s reframe the question. Instead of asking why this particular sinner is loved so deeply, ask this: How can God choose to love a sinner without violating His justice? The answer is: election in Christ.
From God’s perspective, no one descended from Adam is righteous. “None is righteous, no, not one” and “all have sinned” (Romans 3:10, 23). But when Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened and the Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
This is the living expression of what Ephesians means when it says we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. In the truest sense, God didn’t choose you or me directly. He chose His only begotten Son. Only Jesus is righteous. Only Jesus is pleasing to the Father. The Father does not delight in anyone outside of Jesus. Election must be through a mediator.
So what is a mediator? The book of Proverbs warns us, “Be not one of those who… put up security for debts” (Proverbs 22:26). A guarantor (or surety) is someone who takes on full legal responsibility for another person’s debts. The mediator becomes a substitute. The law treats the mediator as if he were the one in debt. And when the mediator pays that debt, it is counted as though the debtor paid it himself. That’s why the Father never chooses anyone apart from Christ. He doesn’t choose you directly, or me directly. He doesn’t choose any sinner in and of themselves. The Father chooses only one: His beloved Son—our Lord Jesus Christ.
Earlier we read the Lord Jesus’ prayer, where He says that the Father has given Him a people. Christ became the mediator for these people. He stood in their place. And before going to the cross, He prayed to the Father:
“While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction” (John 17:12).
“You, Father, are in me, and I in you… All mine are yours, and yours are mine” (John 17:10–11).
What do we see here? That Christ, in going to the cross, became our mediator and our substitute. He paid the debt we owed to the law. He stood in our place before God. But there’s something more. This substitution is not only legal; it also brings about a real, mysterious union.
Paul calls this union: “in Christ.” This is key to understanding salvation and the church. In legal terms, a guarantor and the one they represent can be treated as one person, but in everyday life, the two remain separate. No one mistakes the two as literally becoming the same person. But in the gospel, we are called the ones who are “in Christ.”
Christ’s atoning work brings about a spiritual mystery. He is our substitute in the legal sense. But even more, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are united to the life of Jesus Christ Himself. This union is real.
If you are in Christ, then when the Father says of His Son, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), that word applies to you as well. Even you are now pleasing to the Father. Even you can now be called a beloved son. But if you are not in Christ, if He has not stood in your place, if His righteousness does not cover you, then what does that declaration have to do with you? The Father loves His Son. And the Father hates sin and those who rebel against Him.
Before God, there are only two positions. No third option exists. Either you are in Christ, and the Father is pleased with you; or you are outside of Christ, and under the full weight of God’s wrath. If you are in Christ, then you, yes even you, are now called “beloved” by the Father and adopted as a son through Jesus Christ. This is why election is not just an act of love, but the love of a mediator—a love that satisfies both forgiveness and justice through the cross of Christ.
4. The Blessing: The Love of Election and Mediation
This is what Ephesians 1:3–6 describes as the greatest blessing in life. Whether it’s Chinese New Year, New Year’s Day, the Qingming Festival, or the Mid-Autumn Festival, whenever you want to bless someone, there is really only one blessing worth giving. Because apart from this, there is no blessing for a corrupt sinner. If this blessing does not come, then what other blessing could possibly matter? What “blessing” could you still wish them? Esau once asked Isaac, “Have you but one blessing, my father?” (Genesis 27:38). And Isaac’s reply showed there was no blessing left. What remained were things like health, prosperity, and good fortune—the kind of blessings everyone else in the world can have. But the one true blessing had already been given to Jacob.
Dear brothers and sisters, let me remind you of a verse. In the Gospels, Jesus tells of a tax collector, despised as unclean, who came to the temple and prayed: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). This is one of the shortest prayers in the New Testament. In Greek, it contains only five words. Three are nouns: God, me, sinner. The other two are verbs: be gracious, have mercy. Together they form not only the shortest prayer but also the most essential confession of the Christian faith. On one side is a holy and righteous God; on the other side is a pitiful, unclean sinner. What bridges the gap between them? Not the sacrifices you bring, not the money you give, not your moral character, not your good deeds—only grace and mercy. Only God’s graciousness and compassion. This prayer expresses what every person feels when they truly come to know God: His holiness, and my uncleanness.
And what can bridge the holiness of God and the filth of my sin? Dear brothers and sisters, if that bridge was not already laid before the foundation of the world, it will never be built in this lifetime. This is what the love of election means. If it wasn’t established before creation, there is no way to establish it now. Nothing you do can connect the two, unless God, before the world began, chose you in the love that is in Christ Jesus. He is gracious, He has mercy. And in that love, the holy God and the unclean sinner are bound together—so closely that you are called a child of God.
5. Application: Recover Your Spiritual Blessings
Dear brothers and sisters, let me show you how to apply the love of election and the love of the Mediator to our lives. This is a heavenly blessing that requires spiritual imagination to truly grasp. You—yes, you who have been loved by God for no earthly reason—among you, not one is lost except the son of destruction. Amen!
So how can this glorious, undeniable, sovereign love of election become a source of strength in our ordinary lives and in our service to the Lord? How can it reshape the way we see ourselves, the way we look at the world, the way we treat our brothers and sisters, the way we understand the church? You might say, “I know all this, I’ve heard it before. But my everyday life is so plain, so routine. I still feel like someone who keeps being sidelined by the world. How can such a lofty, redeeming love move me in the middle of this kind of life?”
Not long ago, I read something one of our members wrote, and it deeply moved me. He was reflecting on himself and said: “I’ve seen the drama ministry at church go deeper and deeper. I’ve watched young people handing out gospel tracts on the street in their ‘Nightlight’ evangelism group. I’ve seen them doing prayer walks. I’ve seen the prayer meetings, the daily Bible readings—all these signs of revival in the church. And I can no longer bear my own laziness in spiritual life. I’ve finally decided to join the church’s daily Bible reading plan. But I’ve also found that many days I can’t follow through. Still, maybe that’s exactly what the Spirit is prompting me to see: that perhaps yesterday I was one of those who didn’t make it. Maybe some of the people who serve in morning prayer today were people of little faith just yesterday. On this journey toward heaven, some are ahead at times, others behind. Some are strong, others weak. Some are burning with spiritual fire, others are lukewarm. Some fall, others lift them up. That’s the beauty of being members of one another in Christ. I often feel guilty for my weakness, and weak because of my guilt. I live far from the church and can’t always attend morning prayer or other gatherings. Sometimes I wonder: if I moved closer to church, would I become more faithful?”
As a pastor for the last ten years, let me tell you plainly: absolutely not. Serving in the church, participating in prayer—it has nothing to do with how close you live. Very often, the people who arrive the latest are the ones who live the closest. This brother goes on to ask: “In my current condition, can I be at peace? Or am I just fooling myself, mistaking apathy for peace?”
Let me give you another example. Every weekday, more than twenty people attend morning prayer at our church. One day, I noticed a sister who came to pray early that morning. It was her birthday. On the day of her birthday, she got up early to come to church and pray. In that moment, I thought: she has recovered her spiritual imagination. This is what it means to live in the reality of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).
Dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you—
If today is your wedding anniversary, come to morning prayer!
If today is your birthday, come to morning prayer!
If you’re going on your first date today, come to morning prayer!
If you plan to propose today, come to morning prayer!
If you just found a new job, or lost one, come to morning prayer the next morning!
You need to recover your spiritual imagination. You need to lay hold of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Amen!
Two Stories of Believers Who Left the Church
Let me end with two stories of believers who left the church. The following is from a believer’s testimony. She recalled a time when a visiting pastor came to her church to preach. During his message, he told a story that stayed with her. A sister had been sent out by her church as a missionary to a distant place. One day, she wrote a letter to her pastor. It went something like this:
“Dear Pastor,
By the time you read this letter, I will have already left this church. During the time I was sent out to serve, many things happened. I feel I must write to tell you my decision. One day, I came back and happened to attend a prayer meeting. No one noticed that I had returned. I sat quietly, listened to the prayer requests, and paid attention to what people were praying for. But to my sorrow, not a single person prayed for me. Not one person prayed for missions at all. Now I finally understand why being a missionary has been so hard. I now see why the spiritual warfare has been so intense, and why I’ve felt so alone every day. It’s because no one was praying for me in this church.”
After hearing this story, the sister who wrote the testimony broke down in tears. She realized: “I was one of the people that letter was talking about. I was one of those who didn’t pray for missionaries. I was one of those who let that sister face battles, persecution, and spiritual hardship alone. I didn’t lift her up in prayer. I’ve sinned because I didn’t pray for those who love the Lord and serve Him. The reason I didn’t pray for them was because, deep down, I didn’t love the Lord.”
The second story is about another sister who came to her pastor and said, “I’m done with church. I want to leave.” The pastor asked, “Can I ask why?” She replied, “Because when I’m serving, I see people on their phones, people chatting and gossiping. These people are terrible. They are hypocrites, moralistic, and fake. I just can’t take it anymore.” The pastor was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “Alright. But before you make your final decision, could you do one small thing for me?” She said, “Sure. What is it?” He said, “Go to the other side of the church, fill a cup of water, and then walk one full lap around the sanctuary. But there’s one condition: don’t let a single drop spill. When you’ve done that, bring the cup back to me.” She agreed. She carefully filled the cup and walked a full lap around the church. Then she returned with the water, still full. The pastor then asked her three questions:
“While you were walking, did you see anyone using their phone?”
“No.”
“Did you hear anyone gossiging?”
“No.”
“Did you notice anyone sinning?”
“No. I was so focused on keeping the water from spilling, I didn’t pay attention to anything else.”
The pastor said, “Exactly. When you come to church, your focus should be entirely on the one true God, on the Lord who chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world. If your eyes are fixed on Him, you won’t lose heart because of others. You won’t lose your faith, your courage, or your hope.”
These are two stories that seem to point in opposite directions. In the first, a believer leaves because the other members failed her; they didn’t pray. The implication is that the responsibility lies with others. In the second, a believer leaves because she failed to keep her eyes on God; the issue was with herself.
One story reminds us: when our brothers and sisters are weak or fall, we are responsible. We must bear that responsibility and carry each other’s burdens. The other story reminds us: don’t always blame others. Don’t say it was someone else who caused your fall. Maybe you were the reason you stumbled.
I don’t know which of these stories speaks more directly to you. But both point us to the same truth: The mystery of our faith is not found on the horizontal level. It is found in the vertical. Both stories remind us that the deepest, most direct, most profound, and most essential reason anyone becomes a Christian is this: God’s redeeming love. It is the Father’s unconditional election—His choice of you in Christ before the foundation of the world. It is Christ’s sovereign, free, surprising love for you.
All of this is grace. All of this is unconditional. All of this flows purely from God’s own will and work. It’s not because of you. And it’s not because of anyone around you. If you don’t believe in Christ, it’s not because your Christian husband or wife wasn’t a good enough example. You don’t believe because you don’t believe. You don’t believe because of your own deceitfulness, your hardness of heart, your unwillingness to know the God who already knew you before creation.
If you struggle to serve God, it’s not because of your spouse, your children, or your family. It’s not because they aren’t godly enough. It’s because your relationship with God is not close enough, strong enough, deep enough, or glorious enough. Because you are not captivated enough by the high and holy love of God’s election. Your spiritual imagination has not yet been awakened. The gospel, the greatest gift in the universe, filled with every spiritual blessing, has not yet been woven tightly into the fabric of your everyday life. So your vision stays on people. Your explanations stay focused on circumstances. Your disappointments stay focused on others. Your categories stay rooted in psychology, economics, and worldly logic. You’ve forgotten: You are someone with wings. You are someone whom God loved before the foundation of the world. You are someone redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. You’ve forgotten the voice of the Son saying to the Father: “All mine are yours, and yours are mine” (John 17:10). You’ve forgotten the most mysterious sound in heaven and on earth: the voice of the Son praying, “Father, I have kept them… not one of them is lost” (John 17:12).
So I urge you today, if you are not sure whether you’ve been born again, ask the Lord, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, to give you new life in Christ, to open your eyes to the blessings of heaven. If your faith is weak, if you’ve fallen into self-pity, if you feel tired or alone in your service to the Lord, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again. Ask Him to awaken your spiritual imagination, to open your eyes to a world of grace beyond what you can see. Pray that He would help you see that every good thing in your life is something you never deserved. And pray that in every ordinary day, you would encounter a gospel moment—a moment when your sleepy faith comes alive again, a moment when Christ becomes more real to you than your ten fingers, a moment of grace that you can touch, and lean on, and live from.
Amen!
Closing Prayer
Let us bow our heads and pray:
Lord, we thank You and praise You! We look to Your grace. We long to behold Your majesty. We long to be wrapped in Your mercy. We long for our lives to always have a vertical path, one that, through the blood of Christ, gives us unhindered access to You. A way that is always open, that leads us straight into Your presence. Lord, I come before You today: may there be someone in this gathering who would cry out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” And Lord, I pray not just for one, but for five, or ten, or fifty—even more boldly, I ask for a hundred of Your children to pray before You today with the same plea: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Because we live by Your grace and mercy. We survive on the crumbs that fall from Your table. Lord, we confess that we are loved by You just as we are. We admit we are the ones cast off, disqualified by the world. And yet we are not anxious, because in You, we have an identity that never changes. An identity that has nothing to do with what we’ve done, but everything to do with the fact that before the foundation of the world, You loved us. Before the world began, the Father gave us to the Son. And at the cross, the Son bore a burden that we could never carry on our own.
Lord, help us. May those to whom You show mercy be able to take up their cross and follow You. Lord, bring us back again and again to that vertical relationship with You. May Paul’s doxology become our own song of praise. In every ordinary, difficult, mundane day we live, may the glory of Your grace be praised. We thank You, we praise You. Hear our prayer, offered in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
