Ephesians 1:7-10, 15-23

This passage will give you a nosebleed it’s such high doctrine. Paul unveils God’s secret to reunite all things: people, races, nations…even heaven and earth, in Christ. What that means for us is our topic this morning: the restoration of all things.

Ephesians 1:4-5, 11

One of the more puzzling revelations Paul makes in this passage is that being chosen by God from before the foundations of the Earth is a blessing. How can this be when it feels like the doctrine is fraught with so much confusion and fear?

Ephesians 1:3-14

Paul explodes in verses 3-14 in a string of notions that color the joy of his salvation in vivid display. The long run on sentence sings about God’s provision of adoption, his purchase of his people through Jesus’ blood, and the work of the Spirit to guarantee their future. All joy this week!

Ephesians 1:1-3

Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians with the powerful word “blessing,” the base note of the Christian life. Joy is a better motivator than anything else. In the end, that joy is rooted in our deep connection “in Christ.”