Have you stopped to realize just how blessed we are? In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are reminded of the many blessings that we have in Christ Jesus and, specifically, in His church. This letter encourages Christians to live with gratitude because of the many spiritual blessings that we have been given in Him. In this opening passage of Ephesians, Paul elaborates on three different ways we are blessed because of Him.
First, we are blessed because we are chosen. Even as a child, we appreciate being chosen. In recess, how early you got picked for a team was almost like a sign of social status. Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Do you remember making shoebox mailboxes and handing out cards to all of your classmates? Do you remember how special you felt based on which character was on the card? For example, you knew you were special to someone if you opened a Looney Tunes card and Bugs Bunny was on it. This meant your friend chose their best for you.
Isn’t it special to know the God of the universe chose us to be in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)? He predestined us for adoption that we may be called his children through Jesus Christ (v. 5). This was God’s plan from the beginning. It is our holy calling (2. Tim. 1:9). We are chosen to be holy and blameless. Yet, we cannot be holy and blameless apart from God. So, how can we be considered holy and blameless? Through faith in Jesus! 1 Peter 1:20-21 tells us that He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, that He would be raised from the dead, given glory by the Father so that our faith and hope would be in Him. Our sin did not catch God off guard. He had a redemption plan for us from the beginning.
So secondly, we are blessed with redemption. God’s will for us is to be redeemed, as shown through this passage. We are blessed in the Beloved (that is, Christ). We are redeemed by His blood. We are blessed with His rich grace. Paul says his riches of grace are “lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight.” This isn’t some chump change of grace. It’s a full feast of riches. And this feast is given to all. Paul will elaborate more on this throughout this letter, but for now, let’s focus on the gift of reconciliation we have in Christ. His plan was to unite ALL things to Him (v.10). This was a foreign concept to Jewish Christians in particular, who still viewed themselves as God’s chosen people. But God, through Jesus, offers grace overflowing; a grace that flows down to all who believe, both Jew and Gentile. And through the blood of Jesus, God makes known the mystery of His will (v. 9-10), that we are to be united to Him and each other. We have the blessing on the other side of the cross of seeing God’s redemptive plan come to fruition. God is building us into a spiritual house, a dwelling place for Him (1 Pet. 2:25).
Finally, we are blessed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. As his redeemed, adopted children, He has blessed us with the Holy Spirit. Paul says in verse 13 that we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. That seal is a seal of approval. It is a mark of who we are and whose we are. We belong to God. He is the guarantee (or “down payment”) of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it (v.14). We haven’t fully received our inheritance yet, but the indwelling Holy Spirit marks us as His people, destined for that inheritance.
When a child is adopted, a judge stamps a document, proving who they are and who they belong to. The child is given a new name, and they become part of the family. When we put on Christ, we are stamped by the Holy Spirit and given a brand new name: Christian. This is a gift of grace, coming from the Father who lavishes his riches of grace on us. In return, let’s honor Him by living lives that are changed by grace, lives worthy of the stamp of approval we have been given through the Holy Spirit.
As Christians, we truly are a blessed people. Blessed to be chosen. Blessed to be redeemed. Blessed to be sealed by the Holy Spirit. Blessed to be adopted children of God in Christ Jesus. Praise be to His glorious name!
Jared McLeod
