Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3–14)

I delivered this message at Spring Creek Bible Church on October 15, 2017.

Prefer what I actually said? Read the transcript (lightly edited for readability).

Introduction

The topic and text I’ve been assigned² is how we’re “blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ,” which Paul describes in Ephesians 1:3. The topic is a daunting one. I won’t even pretend to be able to cover all the spiritual blessings we receive in Christ in 30–40 minutes.

I considered taking my message in a topical direction and highlighting the major spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ across the NT. But as I meditated on our text in its context, I became convinced that the best way I could serve our body—by God’s grace—is by attempting to help us all gain a little better understanding of this marvelous text at the beginning of the letter to the Ephesians.

Text

Our text for tonight is Ephesians 1:3–14. Let’s read it together. We’ll begin with verse 1 to set the stage for our text.

As we read, pay attention to repeated words, phrases, and themes.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are 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 would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on 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 on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

This is the word of the Lord.

Prayer

Let’s pray and ask for God’s help.

Gracious Father, thank you for this amazing text and what it reveals about who you are, how you’ve richly blessed us in Christ, and why we should continually praise you for your glorious grace. Please help us in these brief moments together. Stir our minds and our hearts to think and feel rightly about you for your glory and our blessing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

This text is amazing on many different levels. The more I’ve studied it, the more I’ve come to love it—and the God and the truths it reveals.

Some of its unique characteristics include

1. Its structure: it’s one sentence and beautifully constructed. Many believe it’s a hymn.
2. Its trinitarian nature: Father, Son, and Spirit all work together for our salvation and blessing.
3. Its emphasis on union with Christ: it permeates the entire passage.
4. Its rich exposition of the multi-faceted gospel: it covers more aspects of the glorious gospel in such a compact form than perhaps any other passage of Scripture.
5. Its saturation with God’s amazing, sovereign grace and his rich blessing of his people: its ability to bring you to your knees in humble gratitude.
6. Its focus on God’s own praise and glory as its unmistakable aim: This is rich, God-centered theology, much needed in our man-centered day.
7. Its focus on God’s eternal plan and purpose which takes us from eternity past to the cross to the present and into eternity future and to unify everything (Jew and Gentile; heaven and earth) under Christ, the gospel mystery that was concealed but is now revealed.
8. Its bringing together of heaven and earth and present and future in the already-but-not-yet aspects of our salvation.

There is so much to study and delight in this passage. If I accomplish only one thing tonight, it would be to whet your appetite to study this rich passage more for yourself and as a family. Camp out here for the next week or month, and you will be richly blessed.

Proposition

This is a message about our spiritual blessings in Christ. And while these are grand and glorious truths, there’s a risk that we focus on the blessings in a way that belittles the Blesser, the gifts over the Giver.

There’s a bigger, grander purpose behind the blessings we receive, and that takes us to the heart of our passage, the book of Ephesians, and the Bible. The praise and glory of God is ultimate, and must be the primary focus of our study on this rich topic and passage.

The core message of this passage is that we should continually praise God for his glorious grace in Christ (v 3) because he blessed us in so many ways (vv 4–12).

Problem

Every passage of Scripture is the solution to some human need or problem. It’s the grace that addresses our fallenness. As 2 Timothy says, all of Scripture teaches, rebukes, corrects, and instructs or trains. That is, it’s the word of God’s grace to us.

What does this passage address that our hearts need? What is it the remedy to?

Unity and Division

Often a solution implies a problem.

The major theme of the book is the unity of the church in Christ, which implies there were divisions and dissensions in the churches to which Paul wrote. No doubt this was a major theme in most churches in the first century, as the people of God transitioned from being Jewish to being the union of Jews and Gentiles equal and one in Christ. Ephesians offers the theological framework for this unity of the one body of Christ.

So one possible need Paul is addressing here is divisions in Christ’s one body. And our text provides some of the gracious remedy.

Suffering

Secondly, remember that Paul is writing this letter from a prison cell, probably in Rome around AD 60. Paul is suffering for Christ (see 3:13), and he writes an encouraging letter about all of the rich blessings we have in Christ. There is a lesson for us here. Meditating on and praising God for our union with Christ is a wonderful remedy to life’s difficulties and suffering.³ No doubt Paul needed this passage as much as his readers.

Praising God for His Glorious Grace in Christ

I’d also suggest that the emphasis on praising God for his glorious grace in Christ in our passage implies a need in his readers. They weren’t praising God as he deserves. The way Paul prays for his readers (in vv 15–23) reinforces this. He prays for their eyes to be enlightened, their knowledge to be enriched. And the aim of this knowledge of God’s glorious grace is clearly outlined in our passage: “that we should be to the praise of his glory.”

And isn’t this a universal fallen condition? Failure to be enraptured with the glory of God as he deserves? We’re often more taken up with sports or work or technology or toys or family or relationships than we are with God.

We don’t think grand enough thoughts about God, let alone enough thoughts. Our affection for God is weaker than it should be. We lose the sense of awe and wonder and amazement of this glorious gospel of grace. Our hearts grow desensitized to it. We’re so familiar with it that we fail to stand in awe of it. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that “now we see only a reflection as in a mirror” (v 12). Sanctification is in part a gradual removal of the blinders that keep us from seeing and savoring God’s glory in Christ.

And so our passage serves as God’s gracious means of removing our blinders just a little bit more so we can be “to the praise of his glory.”⁴

Solution

So while this passage can bring grace to a myriad of needs, I think this passages implies that in our fallenness [FCF] we take God’s glorious grace and rich blessings for granted and fail to praise him as he deserves. But this passage also tells us what we should do and shows us how to do it. [Thesis] We should praise God continually for his glorious grace and rich blessing in Christ. But how do we do that? We do it by applying our minds and hearts to all of the ways God has richly blessed us in Christ, as Paul lays out in this passage.

Illustration

Perhaps an illustration will help to put it in perspective for us.

When’s the last time you noticed Mt. Baker and were moved by its beauty? Most of us probably tend to ignore it as we go about our busy lives. It feels all too common and familiar, and we often lose our sense of awe at its grandeur and beauty. Most of my family have come out to visit us in Bellingham at one point or another. My parents are coming in two weeks. To them Mt. Baker is a sight to behold. To me it’s often invisible.

How do we fix this? How do we notice and stand in awe of its glory? One way is to take a trip to Mt. Baker. Carve out some time to get away from the distractions of everyday life, get up close, and give it focused attention. When you do that, you can’t help but stand in awe of its beauty and majesty.

That’s what Ephesians 1 is for us.

Is your heart dull to the glory of God’s grace? Is your life full of lesser things? Come with me on a trip to Ephesians 1, and into the heavenlies, and consider the splendor of God’s glorious grace in Christ.

Transition

Let’s turn our attention now to our text. Turn there with me. We’re going to spend our time in this text, so you’ll want to have it open in front of you.

Depending on what Bible translation you’re using, you may notice that verse 3 is not a complete sentence. The NIV has a preference for readability and shorter sentences, so it ends the verse with a period. In the NASB and ESV, it ends with a comma. In most editions of the KJV, it ends with a colon, which I like. It shows that what follows unpacks verse 3.

In the Greek, the sentence that begins in verse 3 runs all the way to the end of verse 14.⁵ This is the longest sentence in the New Testament.

So we can’t fully understand the message of verse 3 without considering the rest of the sentence.

I’d like to start by unpacking verse 3 and then summarize verses 4–14 and demonstrate their connection to the message of verse 3.

Verse 3 calls us to praise God for his blessings; verses 4–14 outline what those blessings are and provide the foundation for praising him.

The Call to Praise God (v 3)

Let’s read it again together.

Text

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,

Questions

On the surface, this verse seems straightforward: We should bless God the Father because he has blessed us richly in Christ in the heavenly places.

But there are a few questions that may come to mind as you consider this text more carefully:

1. What does it mean to bless God? I thought God blesses us.
2. What does “every spiritual blessing” include?
3. What are the heavenly realms? And what happens there?
4. What does it mean to be in Christ?

Let’s take these one at a time.

#1 The Blessed One Blesses Us with Blessings

What does it mean to bless God? I thought God blesses us.

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,

• Depending on what version you’re looking at, the first word in v 3 is either blessed [ESV, NASB, NET, KJV] or praise [NIV].
• Talk of blessing God is uncommon today, which is why more dynamic translations go with praise. We talk of praising God, but not blessing him. But blessing God carries the same idea as praising him.
• The Greek word is made up of two parts: a prefix (εὐ-) which means good and a root (λόγος) which means word. This captures well the core idea: to speak good things about God. This is essentially what it means to praise. (Not always do the parts of a word added together equal the meaning of the word, but in this case it works pretty well.)
• This is the Greek word from which we get our word eulogy, which is “a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.”
• This word occurs 8 times in the NT and always refers to God.⁶
• Paul begins the clause with blessed to emphasize God’s worthiness to be praised.
• This is not the normal word for blessed like we find in the beatitudes (μακάριος), which almost always refers to a believer as the recipient of divine blessing.⁷
• The same root word for blessed occurs three times in this verse: the one worthy to be blessed [εὐλογητός] blesses [εὐλογήσας/εὐλογέω] us with blessings [εὐλογίᾳ].
• It goes without saying, but how we are to bless God and how he blesses us are not the same. When we bless God, we praise him for his greatness and goodness. When God blesses us, he extends his goodness to us. We do not improve God when we bless him; he certainly improves us when he blesses us.
• But the core of idea of speaking good things also works for how God blesses us. He speaks or pronounces good things to us. We acknowledge what is already true. God brings about good things for us.

#2 Every Spiritual Blessing

What does “every spiritual blessing” include?

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,

• We could probably spend a long time listing out the blessings we have in Christ.
• The immediate ones that Paul has in view appear in vv. 4–14, which we’ll look at in a moment. But that’s certainly not exhaustive.
• The rest of the book of Ephesians unpacks even more of these blessings.
• The rest of Paul’s letters even more.
• And the NT and the whole Bible.
• And the Bible itself does not contain the whole.
• Most people argue that these spiritual blessings are not limited to non-physical blessings. Spiritual here, as it usually does, refers to what comes from the Holy Spirit.
• So we actually have an illusion to the Trinity here in verse 3, which, as we’ll see, is developed more fully in vv. 4–14.

#3 In the Heavenly Places

What are the heavenly realms? And what happens there?

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,

This phrase, “in the heavenly realms,” occurs five times in the Bible, all in Ephesians. Let’s walk through them all so we have a clearer understanding of what it means here.

1:18–21 (v 20): God raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the heavenly realms.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

2:4–7 (v 6): God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

3:8–11 (v 10): God is putting on display his manifold wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

6:10–12 (v 12): We are doing battle against rules, authorities, powers, and spiritual forces in the heavenly realms.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

So what is in the heavenly places?

• The Father
• Christ
• Believers
• Our blessings
• Spiritual forces

So I think heavenly places modifies the entire verse. The Father, who is in heavenly places, blesses us, who are in heavenly place, with blessings that are in heavenly places, in Christ, who is in heavenly places. Even though we are still on earth physically, these blessings are really ours now, and we experience them in part. One day we would experience them fully.

This theme ties into what theologians call inaugurated eschatology. Maybe you’re familiar with the more common phrase “already, but not yet.” Paul’s touching on the reality that we’re in a sense already seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, but not yet fully there. One day, the already and not yet will become one.

This theme is woven all through our passage.

Heaven and earth, Jew and Gentile, positionally and physically, all things will one day be fully united in Christ. This great work was already begun in Christ’s first coming and will culminate at his second. We’re living in the already, but not yet.

#4 In Christ

What does it mean to be in Christ?

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,

No series on our identity in Christ would be complete without talking about our union with Christ.

Its Occurrences

This theme of being “in Christ” occurs 11 times in the passage we read, and it continues throughout the book of Ephesians.

Let’s note each one:

• v1 faithful in Christ Jesus
• v3 blessed us in heavenly places in Christ
• v4 chose us in him
• v5 predestined us through Jesus Christ
• v6 gave us grace in the beloved one
• v7 have redemption in him
• v9 he purposed his will in Christ
• v10 he united all things under Christ
• v11 he chose us in him
• v13 included in Christ
• v13 sealed in Christ

And elsewhere we learn that we died with Christ, we were raised with Christ, we were seated in the heavenly places in Christ, we rule and reign with Christ, we are accepted in Christ, and we could go on and on.

You can’t understand Ephesians—or dare I say the gospel—without at least a basic understanding of union with Christ.

Its Meaning

So what does it mean?

It is perhaps the most comprehensive concept for encapsulating all of God’s saving work in the gospel. It refers to the real relationship that exists between believers and Christ, in which we receive and experience every aspect of salvation from eternity to eternity.

Westminster Larger Catechism defines it this way:

The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God’s grace whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband (Question 66).

Here’s how others define and describe it:

• Billings: “Union with Christ is theological shorthand for the gospel itself.”
• Billings: “Union with Christ is a central New Testament description of Christian identity, the life of salvation in Christ. It entails the giving of a new identity such that in Christ, forgiveness and new life are received through the Spirit.”
• Longenecker: “Being ‘in Christ’ is the essence of Christian proclamation and experience. . . . [W]ithout treating the ‘in Christ’ motif we miss the heart of the Christian message.”
• Murray: “Nothing is more central or basic than union and communion with Christ” (161).
• Murray: “Union with Christ is really the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation.” (161).

Its Corporate Nature

We tend to think and talk about union with Christ as an individual and personal thing. And while it certainly is something individual and personal for every believer, it’s more than that. It’s not just each of us individually who are united with Christ, but all of us together. And not just us, but all believers around the globe and all believers throughout the ages.

Individualism is a dominant theme in Western culture, and it often causes us to miss the corporate themes in Scripture. While we shouldn’t ignore the individual aspects of union with Christ, Paul was focused primarily on its corporate aspects, and its function in calling the church to unity, particularly unity between Jews and Gentiles.

All the metaphors for union with Christ used throughout the book reinforce this. Christ has only one body. Christ is the cornerstone for only one building, the one household of God. Christ has one church, that he loves and died for like a husband should love his wife.

If you’d like to learn more about this rich topic of union with Christ, you may benefit from a two-part series I had the privilege of doing back in 2013.⁸

Transition

Now that we’ve seen how verse 3 calls us to praise the Father for blessing us in Christ, let’s turn our attention to verses 4–14 and notice how they outline what those blessings are and provide the foundation for praising him.

Reasons to Praise God (vv 4–14)

Introduction

Praising God’s Glorious Grace

Notice, first, how this theme of praise is developed and reinforced throughout the rest of this very long sentence. This is a good indication that we’ve found the central theme.

“Just as” (καθώς) introduces the spiritual blessings mentioned in verse 3, and they come in three main sections. Paul gives us some structural clues to see what these sections are. He ends each of the three sections with a similar phrase that ties directly into the theme of verse 3:

• “to the praise of his glorious grace” [εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ] (v 6)
• “for the praise of his glory” [εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ] (v 12)
• “to the praise of his glory” [εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ] (v 14)

And it’s no accident that this praise occurs three times, as we’ll see in a moment.

The point of each of these three sections is to lead us to praise God for his glorious grace, for the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ in the heavenly realms. The ultimate aim in our salvation is the glory of God.

And, as above, there is both a present and future aspect to this. Our lives should praise him now, but we will one day fully praise him as he deserves.

Triune Blessings

There’s another important theme in the structure of these verses: each section emphasizes one of the persons of the Trinity.

• vv 4–6: We’re chosen and predestined to adoption as sons by the Father.
• vv 7–12: We’re redeemed and forgiven through the Son, and the mystery of Christ was revealed to us.
• vv 13–14: We’re sealed with the Spirit, who is the downpayment of our future inheritance.

Other Themes

In addition to the recurring theme of praising God for his glorious grace, Trinitarian nature of the passage, and its emphasis on our union with Christ, there are three other features of this passage I’d like to call your attention to.

1. The multi-faceted gospel
2. God’s rich and free grace
3. God’s eternal plan and purpose and the gospel mystery

Let’s look now briefly at these three stanzas of praise to God who blesses us as Father, Son, and Spirit.

1. Praise God Because the Father Planned Our Salvation (vv 4–6)

vv 4–6: We’re chosen and predestined to adoption as sons by the Father.

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

1. The Father chose us in Christ.
2. The Father predestined us to adoption as sons through Christ.
3. The Father graciously gave us grace in Christ.

The Father Chose Us in Christ (v 4).

In Christ

What does chosen in Christ mean? He chose us to one day be in Christ? Or he chose, already viewing us as in Christ in our election?

While we experience union with Christ at conversion, there is a sense in which we were in Christ from eternity. Recall that we were in Adam, our representative head, before we were born. We were also in the second Adam, Christ, before we were born. Paul tells us that we were given grace in Christ before the world began (2 Tim 1:9). In some sense, we were recipients of God’s saving kindness in Christ before God even created the human race.

So there is a kind of union with Christ from all eternity. There’s another kind of union with Christ in his death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session. And there’s another kind of union with Christ in our conversion. And still another yet to be fully realized in our glorification.

All of salvation from its origin in the eternal purposes of God to his accomplishing it in his son to his applying it to us in our conversation to the consummation of it in eternity has union with Christ at its core. Salvation at its most fundamental level is union with Christ.

And it all begins with our mysterious election in Christ in the eternal purposes of God.

To Holiness

Election aims to make us holy in God’s presence. Today, we are positionally holy. We’re becoming increasingly holy in practice. One day we’ll our positional and practical holiness will become one.

The Father Predestined Us to Adoption as Sons through Christ (v 5).

Election and predestination are closely related in the Bible. Election has us in view, while predestination has our future destiny in view.

The precise relationship between election and predestination is not clear. Did one precede and cause the other? Are they two metaphors for the same thing? Is the latter a restatement of the former? Commentators debate these issues, and we’re not going to solve them tonight.

What is clear, though, is what he predestined us to: adoption as sons. If you missed it, go back and listen to Pastor Curtis’s message on adoption from a few weeks ago.

I’ll simply point out that adoption has in view both a privileged position as sons of God, but also our likeness to our Father. We see this same connection in Romans 8:29, where Paul says we were predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the preeminent one among many brothers. God’s purpose in our predestination and adoption is restore us to his images, to make us like Jesus, who is like his Father, that Jesus might be the preeminent Son among millions of his likenesses, like mirrors all radiating and resounding to the praise and glory of God.

This mirrors the purpose of our election in v4: to be holy and blameless in his presence.

The Father Graciously Gave us Grace in Christ (v 6).

The Greek doesn’t come across literally in English very well, so most translations go for a less awkward expression:

• NIV: The Father freely gave us grace in the One he loves.
• ESV: The Father blessed us with grace in the Beloved.
• NASB: The Father freely bestowed grace on us in the Beloved.
• KJV: The Father has made us accepted in his grace in the Beloved.

The Greek literally says that the Father graced [χαριτόω] us with grace [χάρις] in the loved one. You could also say that the Father graciously gave us grace in the loved one.

The redundancy emphasizes the gracious character of God’s election to holiness and predestination to adoption.

Notice the connection between love in v5 and love in v6. He predestined us to adoption as sons he loves, and he graciously gave us grace in the one he loved. God loves his unique Son, and God loves all of the copies of his unique son that are united to him and appointed by adoption. In Christ we share in the very love the Father has for the Son. He is the preeminently loved one, but we are also loved by the Father with the very same love God has for his unique Son.

Let’s turn now to the second stanza.

2. Praise God Because the Son Accomplished Our Salvation (vv 7–12)

• vv 7–12: We’re redeemed and forgiven through the Son, and the mystery of Christ was revealed to us.

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 him, things in heaven and things on earth. 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.

There’s a lot here, but I’d like to point out three things:

1. We have redemption in Christ through his blood and forgiveness from our trespasses.
2. We received the mystery of God’s plan in Christ.
3. We have been chosen as God’s inheritance.

Redeemed and Forgiven in Christ by His Blood (vv 7–8a)

Redemption to us is a Christian word, but not too long ago it was still in general use. And in Paul’s day it was a common word that meant to buy something back. D. A. Carson points out that one reason slavery was so common in the first century is that there was no such thing as bankruptcy. If you owed someone money and couldn’t pay them back, your only option was to sell yourself to them and become their slave. Now, if you had a relative who heard about your predicament, they could redeem you by paying what you owed your debtee. You’d then be free and clear.

This is what Christ did for us. We were in bondage to sin, and Christ paid our debt and set us free. And that payment was his death by shedding his blood.

And this same payment of our debt also secured for us forgiveness. With our debt wiped clear, we were no longer guilty before God.

Revelation of God’s Plan in Christ (vv 8b–10)

The Bible talks a lot about mystery. It’s a concept that refers to what was formerly concealed that is now revealed. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the great mystery. How God was going to win the cosmic battle against Satan and his minions. For the beginning, the evil one was scheming to thwart God’s plan. He got Adam and Eve to sin. He thought he’d won. But God offered forgiveness, and there was a godly line that walked with God, but evil continued to grow in part due to the cohabitation of evil spiritual being with human women. God started over with Noah, and then again with Abraham. And then finally with Christ, the second Adam. But this was the mystery. How were God’s purposes going to stand. The Old Testament saints didn’t understand it. The disciples didn’t understand it. Even the angels didn’t understand. The spiritual forces of evil thought that by killing Jesus they’d finally win. But they didn’t realize that their evil would actually perfectly fulfill God’s grand design. This is what Ephesians 3:10 says the heavenly hosts look on at amazement at what God has done through the church to manifest to infinite wisdom in fulfillment of his eternal purposes.

And it’s this glorious gospel mystery that not only saves us, but that we get to understand and marvel at, along with the myriads who look on in the heavenly places.

God’s Inheritance (vv 11–12)

This word for “chosen” is not the same one as in v 4. It’s actually related to the word inheritance in v 14. The idea is that we’ve been made God’s inheritance, his portion, his people. The Old Testament talks a lot about Israel as God’s position, his allotted inheritance.

Deuteronomy 32:9: For the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.

And now that privileged position belongs to the church, Jews and Gentiles alike. Notice the change from we in vv 11–12 to you in vv 13–14. It’s not as if some of these benefits were for Jews and other were for Gentiles. Paul is subtly making the point about our unity in Christ. Jews and Gentiles are on the same footing in this glorious gospel mystery.

3. Praise God Because the Spirit Ensures Our Salvation (vv 13–14)

• vv 13–14: We’re sealed with the Spirit, who is our downpayment of our future inheritance.

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

1. We received the Holy Spirit as a seal.
2. We received the Holy Spirit as a down payment.

This last short section carries forward the point at the end of the prior section. We are God’s possession.

The Spirit as a Seal

We receive the Holy Spirit as a seal, that is, as a mark of authenticity and possession. Just like a document in the ancient world would have a seal on it to indicate that it was authentic and belong to the owner of the seal, the Holy Spirit in us is that mark of authenticity and possession. We belong to God. We’re clearly his. We’re not imposters or counterfeits.

There’s also an element of security. What has his seal is his, and no one can take it away.

The Spirit as a Down Payment

This security and certainty is reinforced in the next metaphor: the Spirit is a down payment or deposit. This word’s meaning is straightforward: “payment of part of a purchase price in advance, first installment, deposit, down payment, pledge.”⁹

The idea is that God gives us the Spirit as a promise and guarantee of what’s to come. And, get this, this is only the tip of the iceberg. All we’ve looked at in these 12 verses, as amazing as it is, and as real as it is for us today, is just the beginning. The best is yet to come.

We’ve been redeemed, but another redemption is still to come: the redemption of our bodies. Our adoption is present, but still future (Rom. 8:23).

The Spirit as a seal and downpayment marks us out as God’s own position and gives us confidence, security, and certainty that all he’s promised will one day come to pass. What a glorious day awaits all who are in Christ, when we fully realize God’s purpose of being to the praise of his glory.

Conclusion

I’ve argued that the aim of this passage is to call us to praise God for his glorious grace in Christ, all the rich blessings we receive as his beloved sons and daughters. And that is certainly the appropriate response to the glorious truths of election, predestination, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, and receiving the gift of the Spirit as a seal and downpayment of our future inheritance.

But there’s something peculiar about each of the doxologies at the end of the three stanzas. They don’t specify who is doing the praising. They don’t say, “That we should praise him for his glorious grace.” They say for the praise of his glory or that we should be for the praise of his glory. Now, certainly, it’s clearly implied that we should be participants in praising God for his glorious grace.

I want to leave us with this one thought. This glorious gospel mystery that God has planned from all eternity, which has been concealed, that the prophets didn’t understand, that angels have desired to understand, that if they had known the powers of darkness would not have killed the Lord of glory, that the disciples didn’t believe, that the world views as foolishness—this glorious gospel mystery is bigger than just the praise of his blood-bought people.

According to 3:8–11, what God is doing in the church, this glorious gospel mystery, is part of a cosmic battle, with myriads of spiritual forces watching in awe of God’s manifold wisdom. The angelic host praises God unceasingly for the glory of the wisdom of his eternal plan and unfolding of this great gospel mystery. And those spiritual forces of evil, even in their rebellion, marvel in wonder of God’s amazing wisdom defeating them in Christ.

Let’s us join the heavenly host in praise of our great triune God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

“To the Praise of His Glorious Grace”

By D. A. Carson

What astonishing mercy and power:
In accord with his pleasure and will
He created each planet, each flower,
Every galaxy, microbe, and hill.
He suspended the planet in space
To the praise of his glorious grace.

With despicable self-love and rage,
We rebelled and fell under the curse.
Yet God did not rip out the page
And destroy all who love the perverse.
No, he chose us to make a new race,
To the praise of his glorious grace.

Providentially ruling all things
To conform to the end he designed,
He mysteriously governs, and brings
His eternal wise plans into time.
He works out every step, every trace,
To the praise of his glorious grace.

Long before the creation began,
He foreknew those he’d ransom in Christ;
Long before time’s cold hour-glass ran,
He ordained the supreme sacrifice.
In the cross he removed our disgrace,
To the praise of his glorious grace.

We were blessed in the heavenly realms
Long before being included in Christ.
Since we heard the good news, overwhelmed,
We reach forward to seize Paradise.
We shall see him ourselves, face to face,
To the praise of his glorious grace.

Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank you for this rich text. May its truths sink deep into our souls. May your Spirit implant its glories in our minds and hearts. Fortify us against all that we may be going through and will go through. Ravish us with your glorious grace and keep us from being enthralled with lesser things. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Notes

1. This fall in our Sunday evening Family Life Service our theme will be “Our Identity in Christ.” We will highlight eight different truths concerning who we are “in Christ.”

2. “Would you be willing to prepare and preach a 30–40 minute message on, ‘we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ’ (Eph. 1:3)?” ↩

3. Cf. Rev. 2:3, where the church in Ephesus is commended because they “endured hardships for [Jesus’] name.” ↩

4. Cf. Revelation 2:4–5, where the church in Ephesus is criticized for leaving its first love. ↩

5. How do we know this, since the original Greek had no punctuation? There are no new independent clauses until verse 15. ↩

6. Mk 14:61; Lk 1:68; Ro 1:25; 9:5; 2 Co 1:3; 11:31; Eph 1:3; 1 Pe 1:3. ↩

7. 1 Timothy 6:15. ↩

8. Part 1, “Union with Christ: Biblical Foundations,” and part 2, “Union with Christ: Theology and Application.” ↩

9. BDAG, 134. ↩