Charles Spurgeon Commentary Ephesians 1:4

"even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:" — Ephesians 1:4 (ASV)

That we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

We are chosen, not because we are holy, but that we may be made holy. The election precedes the character, and is indeed the moving cause in producing the character. Before the foundation of the world, God chose us in Christ, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. You see, then, beloved brothers and sisters, the end for which the Lord chose you by his grace.

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

What an inheritance! To be made holy. Oh, that we might be perfected as our Father who is in heaven is perfect, sanctified through and through. We are elected to this end: it is the very object of the divine choice that we may be without blame before him in love.

According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

The apostle did not ignore the glorious and blessed doctrine of divine election; he delighted to meditate upon it, and to speak of it. I wish that some Christians, nowadays, were not so much afraid of it.

All spiritual blessings come to us in this way; this is the fountainhead of all favor and grace: According as he has chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world.

The object of our election, that to which God has chosen us in Christ, is that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. Unless you are holy, how can you talk of being chosen by God? For the elect are chosen for holiness, chosen to be delivered from all blame through the love and grace of God.

According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,

That is the commencement of all the blessing, God's electing love. This is the fountain from which the living waters flow. There would have been no stream of blessing to us at all if it had not been for this first primeval choice of us by God, even as Jesus said to his disciples, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.

That we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Here is the blessing of sanctification; we are chosen that we may be made holy. To what nobler end could we have been elected? Is not this the very highest of our heart's desires, – that we should be holy and without blame before him in love?