On the 2nd Sunday after Christmas the three Series C readings are 1 Kings 3:4-15; Ephesians 1:3-14 and Luke 2:40-52. The passage chosen to interpret and apply is Ephesians 1:5, “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

There is no greater unanswered question of all Christianity than, “Why some and not others?” Those who attempt to answer it will always fall into false doctrine. About the closest the Bible comes to answering that question is found in verse 5, “according to the good pleasure of His will.” While this is an answer it still does not satisfy the human’s desire to be in control of our destiny.

Of more importance is the analogy of what salvation really is. In every other religion of the world which has a personal god, salvation is up to us in meeting the divine demands for the purpose of meriting our becoming saved. However, in Christianity, there is no road or path of self-glory to reach such a destination. For our salvation is impossible to achieve if it means either doing works of perfection or making up for our sins.

The analogy God prefers for our salvation is ” adoption.” What does a baby do to get adoopted? Nothing. What does a child do to stay adopted? Nothing. Only Christiainity denounces our works as a means of salvation to make it clear that we are saved by grace. Grace means we do not deserve salvation. And that takes place because of a merciful God Who will not hold us accountable for our sins because of what His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ did on the cross and from the empty grave.

Why are some saved and others are not? We not only do not know but need not to know or else God would have revealed the answer in His holy Word. Instead, we know that those who are saved are saved through hearing that Word and receiving those holy sacraments which the Holy Spirit uses to create and sustain faith, salvation and our adoption as children of God!