New Series: Fully Alive - A Study of Ephesians
Sermon Recap
This week, we stepped into one of the richest
passages in all of Scripture. Ephesians 1:3-14 is one long, beautiful sentence.
Paul erupts in praise, reminding us that God has already blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in Christ. In a world that constantly tells us we need more;
Paul redirects our attention. The Christian life is not about chasing
blessings. It’s about recognizing the blessing we’ve been given in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3-14
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places, 4 even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He
predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according
to the purpose of His will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He
has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which
He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery
of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ 10 as a
plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven
and things on earth in Him. 11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having
been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according
to the counsel of His will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ
might be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also, when you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed
with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until
we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Ephesians
1:3-14
Discussion Questions
What stands out to you most in Ephesians
1:3-14?
When you hear the word “blessing,” what do
you usually think of?
How does Paul redefine blessing in this
passage?
Which trust stands out to you about the
identity Christians have: being chosen, adopted, redeemed, or sealed? Why?
What does it mean that you are “sealed with
the Holy Spirit”?
Paul repeats, “to the praise of His glory”
three times. What does that tell us about the purpose of our lives?
Closing Thoughts
This identity should propel us outward. Three
times, Paul says our salvation is “to the praise of His glory,” which means our
lives are meant to point beyond ourselves. As we live in community (loving one
another, forgiving one another, walking in unity) we become a testimony to the
world of what God has done in Christ. Mission is not just something we do; it
is something we are together. When we live as people who are secure, forgiven,
and adopted, we invite others into that same reality. A gospel-centered
community becomes a living display of God’s glory, drawing others to see and
savor Jesus.
END
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