Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… (Eph 1:3)
What sort of blessings? Notice the bountiful blessings described by Paul in just this one chapter:
- God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (1:4)
- We can be made holy and blameless before our Father (1:4)
- In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus (1:5)
- We have redemption through Jesus’ blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses (1:7)
- God has made known to us the mystery of his will (1:9)
- Our Father’s aim is to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth (1:10)
- In Jesus, we have obtained an inheritance (1:11)
- Our Lord is working all things according to the counsel of his will (1:11)
- We have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance (1:13-14)
- The same immeasurably great power that raised Jesus from the dead continues to work (1:19-20)
- Our King reigns, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (1:20-21).
- Our Savior serves as head over all things to the church, which is his body (1:22-23)
- Through him, we have been shown how to live to the praise of God’s glory (1:6, 12, 14)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… (Eph 1:3)
In appreciation for these incredible blessings, may we live to the praise of God’s glory today.