Ephesians 1: 3-4

 Read Ephesians 1:3-8 below:

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."

As Paul opens his letter to the Church at Ephesus, he reminds them that they have been blessed with every spiritual blessing because they are united with Christ. Exactly what is this spiritual blessing to which Paul is referring?

Look at Ephesians 2:6 below…

“For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” (New Living Translation)

As followers of Jesus, we are no longer dead in our sins, or our old way of life. We have been raised to a new life, and now sit with Christ in a place of honor (Ephesians 1:26). This isn’t a future promise. It doesn’t say that we will one day be raised to a new life, and be seated with Christ. It is now, in this very moment. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, you were raised to a new life. You were seated with Him in the heavenly realms. Sin no longer is a master over you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside you. This isn’t anything that you can earn. Your striving will not obtain this blessing for you. No amount of hard work will gain you this right to be seated with Him in the heavenly realm. This is a gift given to you because you are united with Christ. It is yours, you just need to choose to walk in it.

Genesis 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” (New Living Translation) In this place of beginning in which the earth was empty and without life, God loved you. Before He considered creating the earth, He thought of you. He chose you to be His. But to choose you would mean to sacrifice that which was most dear to Him. The decision was His. As His spirit hovered over the deep, He decided that you were worth the price. 1 Peter 1:18-20 says that God chose Christ to be your ransom before the world was made. He chose to purchase you with the precious blood of Christ. It wasn’t a chance decision or an afterthought. He knew that to create you would mean that a price would need to be paid to save you. 

Pause for a moment and let this truth sink into your heart. A choice was made about you before the world was formed. God looked at you, and decided that you were worth the price. His love for you was that great. If you are like me, you’ve probably dealt with rejection. You’ve probably at times felt cast aside by people that you had hoped would love you. You have believed that you have to somehow earn love. The thought has crossed your mind that unless you look a certain way, act a certain way, or achieve you aren’t worth loving. This isn’t true. It’s time to replace this lie with the truth. You were loved and chosen before the creation of the world. You don’t have to do anything to earn His love. He has given you every spiritual blessing. You only need to choose to walk in the love He has lavished on you, and claim the spiritual blessings that have been bestowed on you.

Truth to Remember:

You were chosen by God before the creation of the world to be His beloved child.