Our Unfathomable Blessings in Christ

In the original Greek, Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long and elegant sentence that gathers momentum until it reaches a crescendo. The writer, the apostle Paul, is exuberant that the triune God initiated and accomplished our redemption and reconciliation for “the praise of his glory” (v. 14).

In this passage, there are at least 30 references to God. There are also a few references to “us” and “we” and “our” – about 13. The point of this is to emphasize what God has done, not what we do, because in this passage we simply receive God’s work. While these verses contain lots of reference to the blessings we receive from God, ultimately, they emphasize God’s plan for redemption and the role of grace in this divine blueprint.

Paul outlines how God, “before the foundation of the world,” chooses (v. 4), predestines (v. 5), adopts (v. 5) and redeems (v. 7) believers through Jesus Christ. It is clear that these spiritual blessings are not a result of human merit or effort but flow solely from God’s grace and initiative.

Our Great Blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3)

This is one of the most glorious sentences in the entire Bible. Paul uses three prepositions to describe the magnitude of our blessing: God has blessed us in the heavenly places with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Each phrase unfolds the richness of God’s generosity toward us. Because we belong to Christ, we dwell where he dwells (“in the heavenly places”), and we receive what he deserves (“every spiritual blessing”).

All of this is possible because we are “in Christ.” Paul uses the language of “in Christ” or similar phrases almost 200 times in his letters in the New Testament. He uses it approximately 40 times in Ephesians, eight of them in this passage.

“In Christ,” “in him” or “in the Lord Jesus” is a major theme in these few verses. The entirety of our salvation can be summed up by this reality: union with Christ. This union is not one specific blessing but an unfolding of numerous blessings included in our salvation:

• We were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (v. 4).
• We have been predestined for adoption through Christ himself (v. 5).
• We have redemption and forgiveness in Christ (v. 7).
• We know the fulfillment of God’s plan in Christ (v. 9).
• We are included in God’s plan to unite all things in Christ (v. 10).

Our entire blessedness – our joy, our hope, our identity – is bound up in our being bound to Christ.

The Security of Our Adoption as Children of God (Eph. 1:4-14)

Being the adopted children of God is, perhaps, the most amazing thing we can be called. Because God adopts us, we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ: “He chose us in him … In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ … In him we have obtained an inheritance” (vv. 4, 5 and 11).

There is simply no spiritual blessing that can compare with the glorious and gracious gift of adoption: “In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself” (v. 4c-5a). This is why theologian J. I. Packer calls adoption “the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.” He continues: “In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship, and establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection, and generosity are at the heart of the relationship.”

Adoption means God wanted us in his family, on purpose, forever. It speaks to the security of our relationship with God because of what he has done for us. God’s adoption plan began long ago, in eternity past. The Father plans, the Son redeems and the Spirit seals us in adoption. Each member of the Trinity is involved in bringing us into fellowship with God.

God adopted and accepted us because he loves us. We didn’t do anything to deserve his love. This adoption combats the cruel notion that we should feel uncertain concerning our status with God. Being the adopted children of God summarizes the message of the Bible: God is merciful, loving and patient; he is faithful and true; and he keeps his promises.

And what does adoption mean for us? Martin Luther says, “The life of Christianity consists in possessive pronouns.” Applying this to us, J. C. Ryle writes: “It is one thing to say ‘Christ is a Savior.’ It is quite another to say ‘He is my Savior and my Lord and my God.’” Anyone can say the first. Only those adopted by God can say the second.

As the adopted children of God, we receive numerous blessings:

1. We have redemption through his blood and forgiveness of our trespasses (v. 7). “Redemption” refers to ransoming someone from captivity or slavery. The greatest Old Testament example is the Exodus, where God redeemed his people from bondage in Egypt. This is a picture of the bondage of sin, the cruelty of sin and the devastation that it brings to our lives. In power, he conquers Satan, sin, hell, death and the grave. Our enemy is his enemy, so redemption is about freedom from the cruelty of slavery.

Christians are freed from bondage to sin and guilt through Christ’s blood, signifying his death as an atoning sacrifice. He died in our place for our sins so we could be forgiven of ours sins and declared righteous before God. This is the great exchange. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2. We obtain an inheritance (vv. 11-12). “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Though this promise is for the life to come, our inheritance was guaranteed before the foundation of the world, even before we had life. And it’s secure. In Ephesians, Paul says that “it has been obtained” (past tense), so secure that it’s as good as done already.
3. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee (v. 13). Because of the Holy Spirit’s sealing, we can have confidence in our relationship with God. Just as a signature on a contract confirms authenticity, the Spirit’s seal marks us as truly in union with Christ. This seal guarantees our security and identifies us as God’s possession.

Why We Receive These Tremendous Blessings (Eph. 3:6, 12, 14)

It is all “to the praise of his glory.”

Grace glorifies the giver. We receive every blessing in Christ – planned by the Father and sealed by the Spirit – to magnify the majesty of our triune God.