Rounding out the first chapter of Ephesians, St. Paul drives home the truth that salvation is the gift of divine grace from start to finish: not only is Christ's atoning sacrifice a gift, but even the faith to believe in it is a gift, given by the Gospel and Baptism. Audio is here.

This week we begin a study of St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. It opens with a marvelous multi-layered declaration of the grace of God in Christ, and in particular his atoning sacrifice (which the Apostle simply calls 'redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins). This, he says to the church, is what you were predestined to have from before the foundation of the world; for even then your redemption was already in the good will and counsel of God. The podcast is here.