Ephesians 1:1-10 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today we begin Ephesians, one of the most important letters in the New Testament. Written around 60 AD, Ephesians is a letter by Paul to the church he started in the city of Ephesus.
Today’s passage is Ephesians 1:1-10. Let’s go!
Ephesians 1:1-10 (NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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 to be adopted as his sons 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 And 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 will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
On verses 1-10: After identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ and greeting his church (v1-2), Paul begins by giving praise to God (v3). Then in verses 4-10, Paul describes some of the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ: how He chose us (v4), predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters (v5), redeemed us (bought us back) with His precious blood (v7), forgave our sins (v7), lavished His grace on us (v7-8), and is making His will known to us (v9).
What can we learn from this? Notice that all of these blessings are blessings we have “in Christ” (v3). Through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave, Jesus Christ is that exclusive channel by which we access all these incredible blessings.
Also, Ephesians 1:3-10 is like a mirror showing us who we really are in Christ. Verses 3-9 tell us 8 foundational truths about your new identity in Christ:
1. You are blessed (v3)
2. You are chosen (v4)
3. You are predestined (v5)
4. You are adopted (v5)
5. You are redeemed through His blood (v6)
6. You are forgiven (v7)
7. You are the recipient of God’s lavish grace (v6-8)
8. You are a confidant of God’s will (v9) — that is, God has decided to confide in you by sharing His will with you.
So if ever you forget your identity, look at Ephesians 1:3-10.
On this day, I encourage you to do as verse 3 says: give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You can:
– count your blessings as Paul did;
– be still in His presence;
– lift your hands and speak words of praise and thanks to God;
– write out a prayer;
– play a worship song and draw close to God.
Father God, praise You and thank You for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Thank You that because of Jesus I am blessed, chosen, predestined, adopted as Your child, redeemed by Your blood, forgiven of my sins, lavished on with Your grace, and a confidant of Your will. It’s all because of what Jesus Christ has done for us by dying for us and rising again. Thank You! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
