Ephesians Chapter 1
This is such an awesome chapter!
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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 to be adopted as his sons 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. 9And he 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 will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
It never fails to leave me in awe that we will are held as holy and blameless in his sight! We, mere sinners who deserve nothing but death, are chosen to be the objects of the love of God! That love, which cost His son to die a horrible death for our sins, is far above anything else...truly it is God's grace that has made this possible!
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
We have been given the Holy Spirit. What a gift that is! It wasn't until a few years ago that I ever even gave the Holy Spirit a second thought. I knew it was part of the trinity, but that was about all I knew (shamefully). It wasn't until I started researching this gift that God has bestowed upon believers that I came to know the power and the awesomeness of His Spirit being with us constantly.
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also 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 the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
This prayer is something we should be hoping for all believers. It is vital that we remain humbled enough to know that we need God's wisdom and revelation to further know and understand who He is and what He has purposed in our lives.
The word of God is so encouraging! I pray it also encourages anyone who might read this.
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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 to be adopted as his sons 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. 9And he 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 will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
It never fails to leave me in awe that we will are held as holy and blameless in his sight! We, mere sinners who deserve nothing but death, are chosen to be the objects of the love of God! That love, which cost His son to die a horrible death for our sins, is far above anything else...truly it is God's grace that has made this possible!
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
We have been given the Holy Spirit. What a gift that is! It wasn't until a few years ago that I ever even gave the Holy Spirit a second thought. I knew it was part of the trinity, but that was about all I knew (shamefully). It wasn't until I started researching this gift that God has bestowed upon believers that I came to know the power and the awesomeness of His Spirit being with us constantly.
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also 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 the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
This prayer is something we should be hoping for all believers. It is vital that we remain humbled enough to know that we need God's wisdom and revelation to further know and understand who He is and what He has purposed in our lives.
The word of God is so encouraging! I pray it also encourages anyone who might read this.
posted by Monica at 12:39 PM
2 Comments:
Just wanted to drop a line and say that I appreciate the way you and your husband encourage each other in the Lord. It's encouraging to see marriages like that.
Marriage is something people don't take seriously enough these days. It is such a blessing and it should not be diminished as it has been. I'm glad we can be an encourgement to others.
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