Ephesians 1:3–14 . . .

“Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ”

Paul begins today’s passage with an extended benediction. It amounts to a blessing for God, rather than his customary thanksgiving for a specific church body. Find a phrase-by-phrase analysis of Paul’s “grace and peace from God and Jesus” feature in my previous commentary on vv. 1–2.

Herein, Apostle Paul summons believers of all nations, tribes, ethnicities, and genders into a spiritual hymn of thanksgiving and praise to God, our Creator. We’ll look closely at the meaning and purpose of three key words that ought to captivate every readers’ mind, soul, and heart: “chosen” (v. 4), “redeemed” (v.7), and “sealed” (v. 13). He also deals with elements in God’s plan that mystified men, which specifically deals with God’s plan to collectively save the Jews and Greeks as a result of the work of his Son, Jesus, successfully configuring them into one new organism: the church.

We Christians must uphold Christlike living daily. Having been chosen and “predestined for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (v. 5), we delight because “In him we have redemption through his blood” (v. 7). Further, “When [we] believed, [we] were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession” (vv. 13–14).

Note: The longest sentence in the Bible  Before we zoom in on each of twelve verses, it’s important to realize this: Verses 3–14 in the original Greek text were all written as one sentence only. Paul begins his joyful sentence by telling us that we’ve been blessed from an eternal past that provides an eternal future (vv. 4, 14), adding that we’ve also been redeemed by Christ’s shed blood (v. 7). His sentence goes on to tell us in v. 5 that the Father has blessed us by predestining us for salvation, that the Son has blessed us through his crucifixion (v. 7), and that the Holy Spirit has blessed us by giving us his guaranteeing seal for a future redemption beyond our wildest dreams (vv. 13–14). Our receipt of all of these blessings “in Christ” becomes the repeated theme in the passage, all of which praises the grace and glory of God (vv. 6, 12, 14).

Blessing after Blessing in Christ (1:3–6)

If you’ve placed your faith in Christ, you can boldly acknowledge that almighty God has already poured his richest blessings upon you. Hallelujah! Verse 3 confirms that God “has blessed us…with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” But, how many is “every”? What matters is that this verse tells us that “every” spiritual blessing is in Christ. Note the past tense used for that verb “has blessed” assures us that we’ve already been blessed! And, God doesn’t give only a little bit of blessings to believers; he lavishly pours out his blessings on us.

“Every spiritual blessing” refers to the gift of redemption that Christians receive by being united in Jesus Christ. And we see Paul drawing an intentional reference to the Trinity wherein all three entities work together as Paul tells the gospel story. Father God is the originator and source of every spiritual blessing. Only through our identification and union with God’s Son are we eligible to receive his untold blessings. And, the nature of every gifted blessing is truly spiritual. The Holy Spirit is the executor who applies Christ’s work to our hearts and lives.

Paul opens this beautiful Jewish-style poem by praising Father God for the amazing things he’s done in Christ Jesus. We see in vv. 3–5 a joyful celebration of what God has done, in and through his Son, by gracefully providing believers with the extremely valuable gift of salvation. That’s one of a multitude of spiritual blessings in Christ that we receive (v. 3). All blessings come from God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He blesses his children with spiritual blessings in heavenly places (vv. 3, 10). [To appreciate the biblical meaning of v. 3’s “every spiritual blessing,” open Got Questions Ministries commentary.]

What’s surprising in Paul’s praise of Father God is his description of him as being “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul thereby stresses that the God of Israel has a close father-son relationship with Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, who’s come to bring redemption. In v. 3b, Paul gives the reason to bless God: Father God has blessed all Christians!

Next, the apostle Paul identifies for his readers the first spiritual blessing when he writes in v. 4, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” The people of Israel were chosen for this specific purpose: to be holy and blameless in the sight of Father God, set apart as a holy people, God-like, and certainly Christ-like.

Throughout the remainder of this passage, the apostle gives a series of reasons why God is so worthy to be praised, beginning with “For he chose us.” Paul affirms that his believing readers have been chosen by God. And when he adds that God chose us “in him,” he’s referring to Christ’s participation in his Father’s act of creation. Verse 4b’s “to be holy and blameless in his sight” expands on God choosing us. The Father not only chose us to be in Christ, but decided to adopt us into a close, personal, holy relationship with him. We also see that God made his heart-felt decision “in love.”

Redemption and Forgiveness (1:7–10)

The second spiritual blessing that Paul cites is redemption (vv. 7–8). A representative group of Israelites, namely the apostles and other Jewish believers identified with Christ, were redeemed — purchased from their slavery of sin by the sacrificial death of Christ.

Paul calls our attention in v. 7 to remission of sins and redemption through Jesus’ shed blood. As Matthew Henry wrote, “We cannot be released from our captivity except by the remission of our sins. This redemption we have in Christ; this remission through his blood. The guilt and the stain of sin could be no otherwise removed than by the blood of Jesus. All our spiritual blessings flow down to us in that stream.”

In vv. 9–10, Paul identifies the third spiritual blessing by informing us of a long-hidden mystery. Jewish believers became privileged to be entitled to share in a once-concealed secret that’s now revealed. The fulfillment of God’s gracious intention was to gather a people to himself — both Jew and non-Jew — showering upon this new community the fullness of life.

Adding to the spiritual blessing in v. 9 is the privilege of divine revelation, which is what God has “made known to us the mystery of his will.” With that blessing comes the great privilege of being united in, with, and under Christ (v. 10). Therein, “all things in heaven and on earth are gathered together and united in him; peace is made. Paul said that God’s purpose was to unify all things in heaven and on earth, under Christ the Messiah.

God’s Plan, God’s Will, God’s Glory (1:11–14)

Paul next identifies in vv. 11–12 the fourth spiritual blessing: assurance.

The people of Israel “who were the first to put our hope in Christ” asked Jesus to be their Lord. As a result, they’ve assuredly become destined for glory. Through his generous measure of grace, the living God has intentionally made this possible, that it “might be for the praise of his glory.”

Finally in vv. 13–14, we find the fifth spiritual blessing: unity in Christ. Paul includes his non-Jewish Gentile readers in the many spiritual blessings initially belonging to the saints but now extending to all who “were included in Christ.” Initially, God’s sovereign will defined the family of Abraham as inheritors of God’s spiritual blessings; now, everyone who accepts the gospel message inherits this and all five blessings. Today’s Gentiles share in these kingdom blessings by believing the gospel account of Lord Jesus.

In Summary

The main message of “Ephesians” is that we believers are reconciled not only to God, but to each other. We’re to maintain unity of purpose in our families and church, while resisting sinful temptation in today’s world. By counseling the people of Ephesus not to become divided by formerly being Gentiles or Jews, Paul wanted his letter to encourage unity in the early church. He argues that it’s their shared two-fold commitment to the cause of Christ and his divinity. He further exhorts them to remain separated from the pagan world that surrounds them.

Thankfully, Paul’s twelve-verse Jewish-style poem gives us a small but powerful glimpse of life with the God of creation. It’s he who gives us several spiritual blessings directly from heaven (v. 3), holiness and blamelessness in God’s eyes (v. 4), and adoption as his own into the King’s royal family (v. 5). He blesses us with the lavish gift of his forgiveness and grace (vv. 7–8), understanding of the mystery of his will (v. 9), and a new purpose of living “for the praise of his glory” (v. 12). The Holy Spirit of Jesus also comes to live in us to empower and lead us (v. 13) while guaranteeing forever our eternity in God’s presence (v. 14).

Closing Considerations (from Dr. Charles Stanley)

How sublime it is to realize that before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be a member of his family! His choice undergirds and defines our identity as God’s children. It stands as a sturdy rock that stabilizes us when fears multiply and anxieties attack.

In spite of this, however, many believers become unsettled when they think about their own sin nature. Knowing that God will condemn all sin, they become fearful that condemnation of the wicked might fall on them. When this happens, we must remember these reassuring words: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Bear in mind that Father God has marked you as one of his own. “He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:4–5).

Did you know that you are also an heir to unimaginable wealth that will never fade away? If you’re a believer, then God has a valuable inheritance reserved for you in heaven. In fact, he says that you’ve already obtained it (Eph. 1:11). Your right to this treasure isn’t based on anything you’ve done, but on the grace of the One to whom you belong.

You are very special to God; you’re so dear to him that he sent his own begotten Son into a sinful world to die on the cross so that you and I could be very near to him (John 3:16). This is pure, unadulterated grace, for which we should praise him unceasingly.

Highlighting the essence of today’s passage, fully embrace these biblical truths for yourself:
  I’m special (vv. 3–4). God chose me. And he’s transforming me into Christ’s image.
  I’m loved (v. 4). God loves me unconditionally, unalterably, and continuously.
  I’m forgiven (v. 7). Jesus paid the full price for my sins. Father God has permanently forgiven me and adopted me into his family.

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