Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)
Read Ephesians 1:3-14 on biblegateway.com
Verse 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Verse 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. Verse 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, Verse 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Verse 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace Verse 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight Verse 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, Verse 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Verse 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, Verse 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. Verse 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; Verse 14this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.
Devotion
Is there any other paragraph in all Scripture that describes so richly all that Jesus means for us? These verses spill over with God’s gifts in Christ – blessing, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, grace, knowledge, fulfillment, truth, promise, the Holy Spirit, eternity and glory! Upon reading this, you can only sit back, take a deep breath and say “Wow!” There’s a year’s worth of sermons in this one paragraph.
Christianity is all about Jesus. Every religion in the world has some form of God and God’s Spirit, but Christians have Jesus.
On the afternoon of Christmas Day in 1530, Martin Luther took his usual turn in the pulpit of the Wittenberg City Church. He described all that Jesus does for us and concluded, “If all this is true, then let everything else go!” Jesus is the one who gives us life, and he is the one we bring to the world.
Prayer
Lord, you are our light and our salvation. Help us to bring this wonderful good news to all the world. Amen.