Love goes both ways Pt 21: Blessed in Christ

Ephesians 1:3-10                   3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love 5he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us.  With all wisdom and understanding, 9he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Every spiritual blessing

The book of Ephesians was not written to address any particular problem or failing, but rather to remind his readers that they had been called by God to bring Him to the world, to shine His light, and to live apart.  These verses come from the very beginning of the letter and shows the Corinthians the wonderful things God has done in their lives.  Paul doesn’t ease into the book of Ephesians—he launches right in with a firehose of praise.  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1:3).  That one sentence sets the tone for the next dozen verses—a single, uninterrupted burst of gratitude for God’s saving work.

Let’s start with that word “blessed.”  Paul is saying, in effect, “Let’s speak well of God, because He has spoken so abundantly well over us.”  And the blessing isn’t generic or material—it’s spiritual and located “in the heavenly realms.”  In other words, this is deeper than money or health or success.  This is about every benefit God gives to us through Jesus—benefits that start now and last into eternity.  The key phrase here is “in Christ.”  Every blessing—past, present, and future—is only ours because we are united with Christ.  That’s the core idea of Christian identity in Ephesians.  We aren’t saved because of what we do, but because we’ve been included in what Christ has done.  “In Christ” is not just a poetic phrase.  Being in Christ means you and I, and all who believe, were chosen by God before creation.  It describes a real spiritual union between believers and Jesus.1  This union means His life becomes ours, His righteousness becomes ours, His future becomes ours.  All spiritual blessings flow through this connection.

We often chase after blessings we can see—jobs, status, relationships.  But Paul reminds us that we already have every spiritual blessing in Christ.  Instead of striving for worth, we can rest in what’s already ours: adoption, forgiveness, security, and purpose.

Chose…to be holy and blameless

Paul continues with a head-scratcher: “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph 1:4).  Let’s slow down.  This is one of those verses that theologians have debated for centuries—but let’s not miss the forest for the trees.  Paul is saying that God’s love for us didn’t begin when we started trying to be good.  It didn’t even begin when we were born.  It began before the creation of the world.  That’s wild.  Before we had a name or a story, we were known and chosen by God.

Now, what were we chosen for?  To be “holy and blameless.”  Not just chosen for salvation, but for transformation.  God’s grace doesn’t just rescue—it reshapes.  When I used to hear that God called us to be holy and righteous, I used to think that, in my case at least, that was not possible.  I was too sinful inside and no one really knew what I was like.  But holiness here doesn’t mean perfection.  It means being set apart, living a life that reflects God’s character.  Blamelessness is about integrity—living in the light of God’s love, not hidden in shame.  And Paul continues: “In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ” (v. 5).  This isn’t cold fate—it’s love-driven destiny.  Predestination here is about God’s loving plan to bring us into His family.  The phrase “adoption to sonship” carried legal weight in Roman culture.  An adopted child received full rights as a legitimate heir.  Paul is saying that through Christ, we are fully included in God’s family, not as second-class citizens but as co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17).

.Redemption and forgiveness

Paul goes on to describe how this adoption and holiness becomes reality: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Eph 1:7).  Here’s where the abstract theology hits the ground.

Let’s start with redemption.  This word comes from the world of slavery and ransom.  To “redeem” was to buy someone back, to set them free.  Paul is saying that Jesus’ death wasn’t just a tragedy—it was a transaction that brought our freedom.  We were in bondage to sin, guilt, and death.  But the cross paid the price.  And then there’s forgiveness.  Not just a legal cancellation of debt, but a restoration of relationship.  God doesn’t just erase the record—He opens His arms.  The word used here means “release” or “sending away.”  

And how does this all happen?  “In accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”  Paul doesn’t say “out of” but “in accordance with.”  That means God doesn’t give us grace in drips—He gives it in waves.  His grace is rich, abundant, overflowing.

Made known the mystery of His will

Paul finishes by shifting our attention from the individual to the cosmic. “With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ…” (Eph 1:8–9).  The word mystery in Paul’s writing doesn’t mean something spooky or unknowable.  It means something previously hidden but now revealed.  And what is this mystery?  Verse 10 tells us: “To be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

That’s massive.  God’s plan isn’t just to save individuals—it’s to unite all creation under the lordship of Jesus.  This is the “big picture” gospel.  Not just personal salvation, but cosmic restoration.  The world is fractured by sin, division, and death.  But through Jesus, God is healing and reuniting all things—both spiritual and physical, visible and invisible.  And notice how God goes about this: “in accordance with his good pleasure.”  God’s redemption plan is not reluctant.  It’s His delight.  His will isn’t a cold decree—it’s a joyful act of love.

What about me?

Do you live like someone who’s chosen?  Or do you still operate out of fear, shame, or comparison?  God didn’t choose you because you were impressive—He chose you because He is loving.  And He’s still at work, making you more holy, more whole, and more like Jesus.  Do you live like you are holy?  I certainly don’t.  I often wonder if people would still love me if they knew what I was like on the inside.  But holiness isn’t about checking religious boxes—it’s about letting your life reflect the grace that chose you.  Remember, God chose you to be part of His family because He loves you in spite of what you think.

What would change if you started your day remembering you are already blessed—not because of your circumstances, but because of your position in Christ?  And do you still carry the weight of guilt?  Paul reminds us that in Christ, we have already been redeemed and forgiven.  You don’t have to work off your sins—you just have to trust in the One who paid the price.

Also, if you’ve received this kind of forgiveness, are you extending it to others?  Grace received becomes grace given.

Do you ever feel like the world is spiraling out of control?  Paul says God has a plan—and it’s already in motion.  Even when we don’t see it, Christ is bringing unity and healing to a broken world.  And personally: are you aligned with that purpose?  Are you someone who fosters unity, reconciliation, and hope—or someone who sows division?  God has revealed His will—now we’re invited to live it out.

Paul wants us to be rooted in what God has done.  You are blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, and informed.  You are not random.  You are not forgotten.  You are not stuck.  You are part of a plan that started before the foundation of the world and is moving toward the restoration of all things under Christ.

This isn’t just theology for scholars.  It’s fuel for your soul.  The more you understand who you are in Christ, the freer you’ll be to live with joy, confidence, and purpose.

1Piper, J. (2012).  “The Stupendous Reality of Being in Christ Jesus”.   Quoted in Desiring God.  Retrieved from Six Things It Means to Be in Christ Jesus | Desiring God