Dec. 28, 2025

“After Christmas: Chosen, Redeemed, and Sealed in Christ”

Text: Ephesians 1:1–14

Christmas is behind us now.

The celebrations have quieted. The routines of life are returning. The world is moving on.

But the church gathers again—not to move past Christmas, but to understand what Christmas accomplished.

The Sunday after Christmas is not about sentiment. It is about substance.

It asks this question: What did God actually do when He sent His Son into the world?

Ephesians 1 answers that question—not by taking us back to the manger, but by taking us behind the manger, into the eternal purposes of God.

If Christmas tells us that Christ came, Ephesians 1 tells us why He came—and what it means for us now.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Paul begins this letter not with commands, but with worship.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Christianity does not begin with what we do for God. It begins with what God has done for us in Christ.

This matters deeply after Christmas.

Because once the decorations come down, the temptation is to go back to measuring our faith by performance— How we’re doing. How consistent we are. How strong we feel.

But Paul says, start here: God has already blessed His people with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Not some. Not potential blessings. Not blessings waiting on your effort.

Every spiritual blessing—already given, already secured, already yours in Christ.

Christmas did not make salvation possible. Christmas made salvation certain.

Paul now takes us back further than Bethlehem—back before creation itself.

“even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world…”

Before there was a star over Bethlehem, before there was a manger, before there was sin to redeem,

God chose a people in Christ.

This is not cold doctrine. This is warm assurance.

Your salvation does not rest on the strength of your faith. It rests on the eternal will of God.

And notice the purpose:

“that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

Election is not about pride. It is about transformation.

God did not choose us because we were holy. He chose us to make us holy.

Christmas reminds us that salvation is not reactive. God was not scrambling to fix a problem.

The incarnation was always the plan.

Paul continues:

“In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ…”

Christmas was not merely about forgiveness. It was about family.

Through Christ, sinners become sons and daughters.

Adoption means:

And why did God do this?

“according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace…”

Salvation exists for the glory of God’s grace.

Not our worthiness. Not our effort. Not our story.

Grace gets the glory.

Paul now moves from eternity past to history.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…”

Christmas cannot be separated from the cross.

The child in the manger came to shed His blood. The incarnation points forward to crucifixion.

Redemption was not free—it was costly. Forgiveness was not cheap—it was purchased.

And notice how grace is described:

“according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us…”

God is not stingy with grace. He lavishes it.

After Christmas, when guilt returns, when conscience accuses, when joy fades— we return to this truth:

Our forgiveness is grounded in Christ’s blood, not our feelings.

Paul then lifts our eyes higher:

“as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Christmas is not only about personal salvation. It is about cosmic restoration.

God is reconciling all things through Christ.

History is not random. Your life is not meaningless. The world is not spiraling out of control.

Everything is moving toward Christ.

Finally, Paul brings us to assurance.

“In him you also…were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance…”

The Spirit is God’s down payment.

What Christ purchased, the Spirit applies. What God promised, the Spirit guarantees.

After Christmas, when doubts come, when faith feels weak, we remember:

We are sealed. We are kept. We are secure.

And why?

“to the praise of his glory.”

So how do we live after Christmas?

Not trying to earn God’s love. Not wondering if we belong. Not living in fear.

We live as people who are: