EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST

Passage: Ephesians 1:1-6

Key verse: 3

NIV

1 Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B)

To God’s holy people(C) in Ephesus,[a](D) the faithful(E) in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(F)

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(G) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms(H) with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us(I) in him before the creation of the world(J) to be holy and blameless(K) in his sight. In love(L) 5 he[b] predestined(M) us for adoption to sonship[c](N) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure(O) and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace,(P) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(Q)

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Footnotes
  1. Ephesians 1:1 Some early manuscripts do not have in Ephesus.
  2. Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. 5 He
  3. Ephesians 1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Greeting

1 Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and (C)are faithful[a] in Christ Jesus:

2 (D)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 (E)Blessed be (F)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (G)in the heavenly places, 4 (H)even as he (I)chose us in him (J)before the foundation of the world, that we should be (K)holy and blameless before him. In love 5 (L)he predestined us[b] for (M)adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, (N)according to the purpose of his will, 6 (O)to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in (P)the Beloved.

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Footnotes
  1. Ephesians 1:1 Some manuscripts saints who are also faithful (omitting in Ephesus)
  2. Ephesians 1:5 Or before him in love, 5having predestined us
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS

The Epistle to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul during his imprisonment in Rome (6

-61 A.D.). Ephesus was an important trade center and the leading city of Asia Minor. The temple of Diana was there, and the silversmith trade of making idols fueled the economy. Paul spent three years of his third missionary journey there, and from this ministry, the seven churches of Asia Minor took root and grew.

In this epistle, Paul writes about the mystery of the gospel--God's great purpose of world redemption through Jesus. The mystery of the gospel is that God planned to save all peoples of all nations, and Jesus died to save the Gentiles as well as the Jews. So the church must be a missionary community, always reaching out to the non-Christian world to bring all tribes and nations to a saving knowledge of Christ and into true unity in the body of Christ. We must welcome one another in love, maintain spiritual order in our fellowship, and be fully equipped with spiritual armor and weapons to do battle with our adversary, the devil. Paul calls himself an ambassador in chains, imprisoned because of his declaration of this mystery of the gospel, and he asks for prayer so that he may fearlessly proclaim the gospel.

Paul calls himself an apostle (or a missionary) by the will of God. Though he was a prisoner, he did not see himself as a victim. Rather, he saw that God chose him according to his will, and God also chose the faithful Ephesian saints. Paul blessed them with grace and peace from the Father and from our Lord Jesus. We need to affirm our identity that Jesus chose us (Jn 15:16) and have real grace and peace from the Father and our Lord Jesus that enables us to live our lives day by day.

Paul praises God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Sometimes we think, “What blessing?” We feel we are not blessed when we compare ourselves. But, in truth, we have received every spiritual blessing in Christ. We should praise God for this!

In predestination, God chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight, like Noah. We don’t follow the trends of this world. Moreover, we are adopted as his children and inherit his kingdom in the next life. Praise Jesus who blessed us spiritually!

Prayer: Father, thank and praise you for giving us every spiritual blessing in Christ and adopting us as your heavenly children. Please help me to see my identity in Christ today and praise you!

One Word: Praise Jesus that I have received every spiritual blessing in Christ!