When we look at the second part of the Covenant of Redemption in Ephesians 1, we see the Son's redemptive love. According to this passage, the application of the Father's election is accomplished in our redemption through the Son's blood. Paul provides six elements of this accomplishment in verses 7 - 10: 1) The means. The means of our redemption is His blood; 2) The result. The result of the shed blood is the forgiveness of sins; 3) The measure. The amount or measure of the redemption is according to the riches of His grace; 4) The method. The way in which the redemption is accomplished is by God's revelation to mankind. That is, God is the initiator and communicator of the plan of redemption; 5) The motive. The divine motive for accomplishing our redemption through the shed blood of Christ is His good pleasure; 6) The purpose. The divine purpose was and is to sovereignly manage and arrange circumstances to bring those loved before the foundation of the cosmos into a condition of acceptability and fellowship by the forgiveness of their sins and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ.
So is there anything else? The answer is, yes. The blessings of redemption extend to our inheritance according to His predestinating purpose. How sure is our inheritance? How likely is God to perform what He has promised to perform? Of course the purpose of God cannot be thwarted. It is as sure as His sovereign decree. It is also as sure as His promise to glorify Himself in His people. Leviticus 10:3, "Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified…" Isaiah 49:3, "…Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
Having said all of this, verses 12 and the first past of 13 keep us from presumption upon the divine election and its gracious application. We are reminded that the application of these blessing is directly related to the trust that we place in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The application and execution of the promises are not applied or executed in a vacuum. We are called upon to actively place our trust in the mediator of our redemption and that trust is the fruit of hearing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Not any gospel - the true gospel of Christ as revealed in the Word of God.
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