Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Have you ever watched a fireworks display and focused on just one firework at a time? Sure, a single burst of light is beautiful, but the real spectacle happens when you step back and see them all together, the coordinated explosions of colour filling the entire sky.
That’s exactly what Paul is doing in Ephesians 1:3-14. Each blessing he lists is incredible on its own, but they’re never meant to be viewed in isolation. Together, they create a spectacular display of what it means to be “in Christ.”
Here’s the thing: We can get so busy looking ahead for the future blessings and provisions we want from God that we forget to be thankful for the blessings we already have right now. We’re like someone standing under a fireworks display with their eyes closed, wishing for something beautiful to happen.
So today, let’s journey through four current, true realities of the blessings that are already yours in Christ.
The Blessing of Holiness
“He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his
sight” (Ephesians 1:4)
Martin Luther called it “the great exchange.” At the cross, your unrighteousness went to Jesus, who suffered and died in your place. And Jesus’ righteousness came to you. Right now, God the Father sees you as He sees Jesus: righteous, blameless, sinless, HOLY.
This is your position, your new standing before God.
But it’s also practical. As someone in Christ, you’ve been given new desires and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out those desires. This doesn’t mean you’re without any sin, but it does mean you can live in such a way that you increasingly reflect the holiness of Jesus.
The Blessing of Adoption
“He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:5)
In the Old Testament, God is referred to as Father only 14 times, and always impersonally in reference to the nation of Israel. But everything radically changed with Jesus. He spoke of God as Father more than sixty times in the New Testament.
Yet sometimes we can we still believe the lie: “I must be good for God to want me.” Remember playing the “she loves me, she loves me not” plucking of the flower petals and hoping for a loving result? We can do the same thing with God: “He wants me, He wants me not. He forgives me, He forgives me not.”
But look at verses 4-5 again. God doesn’t regret saving you. He chose you before the beginning of time. You weren’t picked last like in schoolyard sports because you were the only option left. God chose to redeem you because He wanted you.
The Blessing of Forgiveness
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7-8)
In Christ, you are totally, completely, and eternally forgiven. But sometimes we don’t often truly believe that truth. We start grading the severity of our sins and then decide whether God can forgive them or not. Let me be clear: there is no sin that is more powerful than the blood of Jesus.
God doesn’t hold your sin against you. He isn’t going to abandon you. He loves you despite your sin.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)
Apart from Christ, we’re slaves to sin, that’s biblical terminology for addiction. But in Christ? You are redeemed, free, and totally forgiven.
The Blessing of Grace
The apostle Paul spoke of grace more than any other biblical writer, he did this about 100 times. In every single letter, Paul opens and closes speaking of the grace of God.
Why? Because to be in Christ cannot be a reality apart from the grace of God.
In Christ, you’re graced. You’re chosen by grace, saved by grace, kept by grace, tied by grace, empowered by grace, matured by grace, and sanctified by grace. You persevere by grace, and one day you’ll see Jesus face-to-face by grace.
Any effort to manipulate God for blessings is as unnecessary as trying to make water wet.
Why does God bless us with all these incredible gifts?
“In order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory… to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12, 14)
You are blessed so that your life becomes a living display of God’s glory—another burst of light in His grand fireworks display.
Take a moment to thank God for one specific blessing from today’s reading that stands out to you. Ask Him to help you live in the reality of that blessing today, not just hope for future ones.
