This week's Epistle lesson encapsulates much of the Christian faith. Our whole reason for trusting and believing in the gospel message is validated in these few short passages. Verses 4 and 5 clearly define God's greatest motivation as love, merciful, unmerited, unconditional love for the wayward members of humanity. The greatest measure of this love is its activity on our behalf. God's love, working through Christ "saves" us from death, "raises" us to divine heights, and "sits" us with Christ in "heavenly places."

Note that the writer of Ephesians puts all this love-inspired activity in the present tense - these are gifts we can receive today. Once we allow God's grace to work in us, we are granted immediate access to this new existence. As Christians we simultaneously enjoy heavenly stra…