“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
(Ephesians 1:3)
The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Ephesians with a hymn of praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In one sweeping sentence, he acknowledges the eternal, comprehensive, and certain blessings given to believers in Christ. He declares that God “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” This verse sets the tone for the entire epistle, grounding the believer’s life in the abundance of God’s grace and in the unshakable reality of union with Christ.
Though God graciously provides for the physical needs of His people, here Paul highlights our spiritual blessings—those that belong to the realm of salvation, the work of redemption, and the eternal inheritance of the saints. They are blessings secured by the Covenant of Grace, purchased by the blood of Christ, and applied by the Holy Spirit.
Foremost among these blessings is redemption. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, the believer is freed from the curse of the Law and the power of sin. Paul elsewhere reminds us, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). Forgiveness of sins, justification before God, and peace with Him eternally are ours in Christ.
Flowing from redemption is adoption. God not only pardons His people but also brings them into His household as sons and daughters. As John declares, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). To be adopted into the family of God is to share in the inheritance of Christ Himself, to be loved with the same love with which the Father loves His only begotten Son.
Another blessing is sanctification. By the Spirit’s indwelling presence, believers are progressively conformed to the image of Christ. The Spirit takes the incorruptible Word and implants it in the heart, cultivating holiness, love, and obedience. Sanctification is both the evidence of God’s work and the pathway by which He prepares His people for glory.
Glorification is the final blessing, yet it is so certain that Paul speaks of it as though already accomplished. The believer is seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Though not yet in full possession, the inheritance is secure. Christ’s resurrection and ascension guarantee the believer’s future glory. Nothing can separate us from this promise.
All these blessings are given in their entirety at the moment of conversion. In Christ, the believer is complete (Colossians 2:10). Yet the Christian life is a progressive discovery of these blessings. As pilgrims on the way to the Celestial City, we grow in knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment of the treasures that are already ours in Christ. We learn to trust the Father’s love, rejoice in His adoption, walk in holiness by His Spirit, and anticipate the glory to come.
One of the sure evidences of these blessings is the drawing of the soul to Christ. Jesus declared, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). The very fact that we have come to Christ is proof of the Father’s eternal love. That love is everlasting, inseparable, and unchangeable. The mountains may depart, the hills may be removed, but God’s covenant kindness will not depart from His people (Isaiah 54:10).
Such blessings assure us of our position in Christ, our identity as God’s children, and our security in His covenant promises. They summon us to gratitude, obedience, and trust. They anchor our souls in the reality that nothing—neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come—can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Contemplations:
- Blessings of belonging to Him. Lord, I am free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1) and assured of glory (Col. 1:27; 1 John 5:12). I am a partaker in Christ’s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30), blessed with all spiritual and heavenly blessings (Eph. 1:3), having been made complete in Him (Col. 2:10).
- God is my God. The great blessing promised through the Covenant of Grace that God has established with His people is that God will be our God (Heb. 8:10). This relationship is made evident to my soul by my coming to and closing with Christ the Mediator of the Covenant; for He promised to make an everlasting covenant with such as come to Him (Isa. 55:3).
- I delight to do Your will. I know that God is my God and that being called as one of His servants is an unspeakable blessing (Isa. 41:9-10). I know that God is my God because the Law of God is in my heart, and my delight is to do His will (Jer. 31:33; Psa. 40:8). My fear of God, discerned by my desire to turn away from evil, shows that I choose the Lord for my God, voluntarily giving my life to Him to obey His voice and keep His ways (Deut. 26:17-19; Jer. 7:23).
- Evidence that I am His. I know that God is my God because of my desire to seek heavenly things above earthly. For those who do, God is not ashamed to be called their God (Heb. 11:11-16). As John Fairfax said, I will “walk humbly with God … seek him early … praise and exalt him … love him above all with all my heart … turn to him whenever I shall depart from him … and trust in him continually for all things.”[1]
Prayer (Supplication)
O most gracious God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, fountain of every blessing, I come before You with a heart that longs to lay hold of the fullness of what You have given me in Christ. You have blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, yet I often live as though I am impoverished. I plead, Lord, that You would make me more conscious of these treasures and cause me to walk in them daily.
Grant me, O Father, a deeper apprehension of my redemption. I know Christ has borne the curse for me, that He has satisfied the Law on my behalf, and that I stand forgiven in His blood. Yet how often I live in fear, guilt, and unbelief. Deliver me from this bondage and cause me to rest fully in the finished work of Christ. Let me hear the continual voice of Your Spirit declaring, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”
Lord, impress upon my heart the glory of adoption. You have called me Your child. You have given me the Spirit of adoption whereby I cry, Abba, Father. Make this truth an experiential reality. Let me taste the sweetness of sonship, delight in Your fatherly care, and trust in Your unchanging love. Cause me to love You in return with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Father, Your Word says You are faithful to complete the good work You have begun. Conform me to the image of Christ. Put to death the deeds of the flesh. Grant me victory over sin, purity in thought and deed, and joy in obedience. Let my holiness not be in outward form only but inward transformation wrought by Your Spirit.
Lord, keep my eyes fixed on the hope of glorification. This world with its trials and temptations often weighs me down. Lift my gaze to the heavenly inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for me. Strengthen my hope when I grow weary. Remind me that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed.
O covenant-keeping God, seal upon my soul the certainty that You are my God and I am Yours. Let this truth silence every fear, calm every storm, and sustain me in every trial. May I never doubt Your love nor question Your purposes, but always cling to Your promises. Let my life be marked by gratitude, obedience, and humble trust, that Christ may be magnified in me.
And Lord, guard me from wandering, from coldness of heart, from pride, from unbelief. Uphold me with Your strong hand. Let Your everlasting arms be beneath me. And bring me safely home where I shall see Christ face to face and rejoice in Your love forever.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Ephesians 1:3:
1 Peter 1:3; Romans 1:7; Matthew 16:17; 2 Corinthians 1:4
[1] John Fairfax, The True Dignity of St. Paul’s Elder Exemplified in the Life of Mr. Owen (London: H.H. for Tho. Parkhurst .., 1681), 136.
