Introduction
Two little verses we almost always rush past. An opening greeting in a letter, like a polite formula nobody really listens to anymore. And yet, by pausing on Ephesians 1:1-2, Mélanie Ehrismann shows that Paul already slips in everything he's about to develop in his letter: a plan of God that's bigger than you, a new identity that defines you, and two words that sum up the gospel, grace and peace.
Sermon outline
1. The will of God: a cosmic plan you have a place in
- Paul introduces himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God": a sent one, an ambassador of the King, chosen by God.
- He isn't an apostle out of personal ambition or social pressure, but because God willed it.
- The will of God isn't first and foremost "what career does God want for my life" or "who does God want me to marry." It's the great plan of reconciliation by which God establishes his kingdom and gathers everything together in Jesus.
- The shift you need to make: the question isn't "what place does God have in my story?" but "what place do I have in God's story?"
- God turned Saul the persecutor into Paul the church-builder. Even today, his letters are still part of his apostolic ministry, and you benefit from it.
2. The holy people: your identity doesn't depend on your perfection
- Paul doesn't write "to the Christians of Ephesus", he writes "to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus."
- "Saint," in our culture, brings to mind some canonized super-Christian. But Paul isn't writing to perfect people, otherwise he wouldn't even have needed to write this letter.
- "Saint" isn't a moral compliment, it's an identity: set apart for God. Israel was called the holy nation; in the New Testament, that identity passes to everyone who is in Christ.
- You are holy because you belong to God, not because you already live a perfect life. It's a question of who you belong to, not what level you've reached.
- The real danger: defining yourself first by your imperfections rather than by what Christ has done for you. You're adopted by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sealed by the Spirit, before anything else.
3. Grace and peace: the gospel in two words, to receive every day
- "Grace to you and peace" isn't a polite formula equivalent to "hello, welcome." It's a summary of the gospel.
- Grace is God's unearned gift, his free initiative toward sinners. Without grace, there's no salvation.
- Peace is the status of a restored relationship: reconciliation with God and with others. Peace is the result of grace, which is why Paul says "grace and peace," in that order.
- Paul wishes grace and peace on believers who have already received them, because these blessings "can still grow wider" in their lives. You need grace every day to be sanctified, to hold on in faith, to love, to forgive.
- Become, in turn, an instrument of this grace and this peace around you, starting with your own church.
Key takeaways
- The will of God is first his cosmic plan of reconciliation, not an individual answer to your questions about career or marriage.
- Your life isn't a solo act: you're called to become a link in the story of salvation, just as Paul was in his time.
- "Saint" isn't a moral compliment, it's an identity: set apart for God, because you're in Christ.
- Grace and peace sum up the gospel in two words. Grace comes first, peace flows from it.
- You need grace and peace every day, not only at the moment of your conversion, to be transformed, to love, to forgive.
Personal application
- When you think about "the will of God," do you first bring it back to your own choices, or do you see it as the great plan you're invited to step into?
- Has it ever happened that you didn't dare say you're a Christian? What does that reveal about how you define your identity?
- Do you define yourself first by your imperfections, or by what Christ has done for you?
- Sunday's challenge: spend the first five minutes after the service talking to someone you don't know. Would you be willing to try it next Sunday?
- This week's challenge: invite someone from your church to a meal, a coffee, or a walk. Who could you reach out to this week?
Scriptures referenced
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
What does "holy people" really mean in Paul's writing?
It isn't a moral compliment describing a perfect Christian. In the Old Testament, Israel is called a "holy nation" because it's set apart for God. In the New Testament, this identity as a "holy people" extends to everyone who is in Christ. You are holy because you belong to God, not because you already live a perfect life.
Why does Paul say "grace and peace" in that order, and not the other way around?
Because peace is the result of grace. It's because God took the free initiative to reach out to sinners (grace) that a restored relationship with him becomes possible (peace). Swapping the two words would mean reversing the logic of the gospel.
Why does Paul wish grace and peace on believers who have already received them?
Because these blessings "can still grow wider in their lives," as commentator Dominique Angers puts it. You need grace every day, not only at the moment of your conversion: to be sanctified, to hold on in faith, to love, to forgive. Grace isn't a past event, it's a spring that keeps flowing.
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