The Father Blesses

The Father Blesses

Ephesians 1:1-6

Main Idea: ​​In Christ, we have been blessed, chosen, and adopted by the Father to the praise of his glory.

I. Blessed by The Father (1:3)

Paul begins Ephesians with an explosion of blessing directed toward “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Before we think of God as a Creator, Ruler, or Law-Giver, we must begin with the Trinitarian reality of God as Father.

“Since God is, before all things, a Father, and not primarily a Creator or Ruler, all his ways are beautifully fatherly. It is not that this God ‘does’ being Father as his day job, only to kick back in the evenings as plain old ‘God.’ It is not that he has a nice blob of fatherly icing on top. He is Father. All the way down. Thus, all that he does, he does as Father. That is who he is.” ~ Michael Reeves

As an eternal Father, God’s love for the Son overflows into all of creation and to his children. For those of us “in Christ” (used 40x in Ephesians), we have received “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” As we live simultaneously “in Ephesus” and “in Christ” (1:1), God the Father is not holding back anything from us, which is an invitation to bless him. 

II. Chosen by the Father (1:4)

Though the doctrine of ‘election’ is the source of many debates and questions, it is presented as a praiseworthy reality by Paul. Election is not cold and impersonal; it shows us the glorious reality of God’s divine initiative from before the foundation of the world to save through Jesus Christ. 

There is divine mystery in election (Deut. 29:29), but it is meant to warm our hearts toward our Heavenly Father, who is not improvising, but planned from eternity past to save us in Christ by his grace. “Election sets the soul on fire with enthusiastic delight in God.” ~ Charles Spurgeon

The doctrine of election ought to produce in us:

  • Humility (Deut. 7:6-8, 1 Cor. 1:27-29)

  • Holiness (1:4b, Rom. 8:29)

  • Security

“Nothing about the biblical doctrine of election is meant to cast doubt on whether you’re welcome in God’s household. God is not some metaphorical airport security screener, waving through the secretly preapproved and sending the rest into a holding tank for questioning. God isn’t treating us like puppets made of meat, forcing us along by his capricious whim. Instead, the doctrine of election tells us that all of us who have come to know Christ are here on purpose.” ~ Russell Moore

III. Adopted by the Father (1:5-6)

Adoption is the primary picture of our salvation throughout the NT. This passage points us to 4 realities of our adoption:

  1. Planned

  2. Personal

  3. Permanent

  4. Praiseworthy


“What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father… If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all” ~ J.I. Packer

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