Paul overflows with praise in Ephesians 1.3-14, listing an abundance of blessings God has poured out upon His children in Christ. God…
- Has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
- Chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world
- Predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ
- Has blessed us with His glorious grace in the Beloved
- Has redeemed us through Jesus’ blood
- Has lavished His grace upon us
- Has made known to us the mystery of His will
- Sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit
I am astounded at the past-tense nature of these actions of God. Greek and English verbs communicate time, and it is important to notice that aspect.
If you are a Christian, you are already blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. No other blessings must be unlocked for you—you have access to them all! He has already blessed you with His grace, redeemed you with Jesus’ blood, lavished His grace on you, and made known to you the mystery of His will.
You were chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined for adoption, and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit!
Furthermore, Paul continues in Ephesians 2.4-10. God…
- Made us alive together with Christ
- Raised us up with Him
- Seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus
- Saved us by grace through faith
Again, notice all the past-tense verbs. If you are in Christ, you are right now alive, raised from the deadness of sin, seated with Christ, saved! God has already done all that for you. How does that make you feel?
To the Gentile Christians, Paul writes in Ephesians 2.13, “Now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” In 2.18-19, Paul asserts that both Jew and Gentile “have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…”
In Christ, you have already been brought near to God, reconciled to Him, because Christ created peace between God and man through the cross. You are right now a member of God’s household! You have been adopted as His son, so you’re in the family.
How deep the Father’s love for us—how vast beyond all measure!
My fellow Christian, if you believe your position with God depends on your own work to make sure you are good enough to get into heaven, you haven’t yet understood what God has already done for you.
If you are unsure about your salvation, wondering if God will accept you into His home one day, re-read Ephesians 1-3 and be reminded where you stand right now with God. Just think—if you are a member of His household—and if you are seated with Christ in the heavenly places—and if you have already been raised from the dead—and if God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world—and if you were predestined for adoption as a son—and if God has already redeemed you with the blood of Christ—why do you wonder if God will save you in the end? There should be no question, but a complete confidence in the work of Christ on the cross, the promise of God, and the seal of the Holy Spirit.
Here is Paul’s prayer for the saints:
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3.14-19