OUR FATHER WHO HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING

Beginning a deeper look into the book of Ephesians, we start with chapter 1 verses 1 - 6 where the Apostle Paul introduces himself by his name and then by the apostolic office that was he was called to by God and he then addreses the recipients of his letter as the saints who were located in the town of Ephesus and he address another recipient group as the 'faithful in Christ Jesus'.

He then extends the blessings of grace (covering of sin) and of peace (a clear conscience) from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Paul then praises God and Father of the Lord Jesus who has blessed us with the full compliment of available spiritual blessing in heavenly places (which are the access, favor, power and knowledge needed to thrive in the spiritual realm) which He conferred on us who believe through Christ. 

Paul describes the process that brought us to this point starting from before the foundation of the world  when God chose us with the hope that we would ulitmately stand lovingly before God in holiness and blamelessness. 

The reason we would be able to stand before God in this condition is because He predestined us to be eligible for adoption as sons of God through Jesus Christ. This was according to the God's own good pleasure. The qualification of many sons into His family is to the praise of the glory of God's grace which was the instrument by which God made us acceptable into the divine family.

Amen.

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