Sunday 11th January 2026 // Evening // Ephesians 1:3-6 // The Doctrine of Unconditional Election

Rev. Craig Lynn preaches Ephesians 1:3-6 at evening worship on Sunday 11th January 2026 in First Ards. Paul traces our salvation back beyond our decisions or responses to God’s gracious purpose before the world was made, showing from Ephesians 1 that grace begins not with us but with God’s loving choice in Christ. Before we existed or did anything good or bad, God chose a people in his Son, not because he saw something worthy in them, but out of sheer love, with the aim of adopting them into his family and shaping them to be holy in his sight. Election, far from being cold or abstract, is presented as deeply personal and relational, rooted in the Father’s love, centred on Christ and designed to end in worship. This truth strips away pride, grounds assurance, fuels holiness and prayer and leads the church to say with joy and humility, “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name be the glory,” as all praise belongs to God’s glorious grace alone.