Ephesians 1:3 begins with the phrase, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Good start. Enough said. But Paul doesn't leave it there. He goes on to tell us why. Why is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ blessed? Because He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. The vastness of the claim is overwhelming. Every spiritual blessing. And those spiritual blessings are found in Christ. That is, contained in Christ is every spiritual blessing God has to offer, and He has offered them ... all. Beyond that, the verb tense is past tense. We will not be blessed in the future. He has already blessed us. (Not to suggest that the past tense of these blessings means that there is no future blessing. These blessings are ongoing.)
What blessings does Paul have in mind? Without delving deeply into surrounding theology or implications, here's a quick list. We were chosen before the foundation of the world. We are holy and blameless before Him. We are adopted into His family. We have been redeemed, forgiven, and lavished with grace. He has made known to us the mystery of His will and incorporated us into His full plan. He has given us an inheritance. We have been sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit. A brief list, perhaps, but by no means a small one.
Why? Why did God bestow on us all these blessings? "To the praise of the glory of His grace." That's the idea. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing -- blessings found in Christ -- for God's glory. Not for us; for Him. As the psalmist put it, "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory" (Psa 115:1). Today, Sunday, is a good day for that, don't you think?
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