Read: Ephesians 1
According to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace. (vv. 5-6)
In an essay titled “First and Second Things,” C. S. Lewis once observed: “The woman who makes a dog the centre of her life loses, in the end, not only her human usefulness and dignity but even the proper pleasure of dog-keeping . . . You can’t get second things by putting them first. You get second things only by putting first things first.”
Putting first things first is the point of Ephesians 1. Notice how all the great theological statements the apostle Paul makes have God as their subject: “Blessed be . . . God,” God “has blessed us in Christ . . . ,” God “chose us in [Christ] . . . ,” God “predestined us for adoption to himself . . . ,” and God “has blessed us in the Beloved . . . .”
The heart of Reformation theology is God-centeredness, the conviction that God is supremely important. Living coram Deo is to live one’s entire life “in the presence of God,” under the authority of God, to the glory of God. As John Calvin makes clear, “We are not our own” but “We are God’s; let us, therefore, live and die to him. We are God’s; therefore, let his wisdom and will preside over all our actions. We are God’s; to him, then, as the only legitimate end, let every part of our life be directed” (Institutes 3.7.1, emphasis added).
As you pray, give glory to God and pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” (Matt. 6:9-13)
Michael Andres is a professor of religion at Northwestern College. He first met his wife Joan in a History of the Reformation class at Arizona State University.
