September 22
Ephesians 1:1-23
What is the most memorable Christmas gift you received as a child? Was it a doll, a car, a piece of technology, or maybe a trip? For most of us it was probably something we had wished and waited for that we finally received. Paul wants us to understand at the start of Ephesians that the greatest gifts we will ever receive have come from God.
Ephesians 1 is a staggering list of how God has graciously poured out abundant gifts upon us. Notice how extensive the list is (write down all the gifts you notice in this chapter or circle them in your Bible). As you start to see the abundance of the gifts, hopefully, you realize that no matter how extravagant the gifts on your birthday, anniversary, or Christmas might be, they all pale in comparison to the gifts we received from God when we trusted in Christ. These gifts are summarized in verse 3 when we are told we have been blessed with “every spiritual blessing.” These are then cataloged as receiving grace, redemption, forgiveness, knowledge of his will, having been chosen and predestined, being included in Christ, and receiving the Holy Spirit. We did not earn these things, which would make them a payment instead of a gift, but instead they were all given freely. Paul will show how our lives should look different because of these gifts throughout the letter of Ephesians. We need to understand the magnitude of what we have received, before we can live in response to them.
Father God, thank you for all your good gifts. Help me to understand and live properly responding to them. Amen.
Which one of God’s gifts in Ephesians 1, do you need to better understand and apply to your daily living?
What is the most memorable Christmas gift you received as a child? Was it a doll, a car, a piece of technology, or maybe a trip? For most of us it was probably something we had wished and waited for that we finally received. Paul wants us to understand at the start of Ephesians that the greatest gifts we will ever receive have come from God.
Ephesians 1 is a staggering list of how God has graciously poured out abundant gifts upon us. Notice how extensive the list is (write down all the gifts you notice in this chapter or circle them in your Bible). As you start to see the abundance of the gifts, hopefully, you realize that no matter how extravagant the gifts on your birthday, anniversary, or Christmas might be, they all pale in comparison to the gifts we received from God when we trusted in Christ. These gifts are summarized in verse 3 when we are told we have been blessed with “every spiritual blessing.” These are then cataloged as receiving grace, redemption, forgiveness, knowledge of his will, having been chosen and predestined, being included in Christ, and receiving the Holy Spirit. We did not earn these things, which would make them a payment instead of a gift, but instead they were all given freely. Paul will show how our lives should look different because of these gifts throughout the letter of Ephesians. We need to understand the magnitude of what we have received, before we can live in response to them.
Father God, thank you for all your good gifts. Help me to understand and live properly responding to them. Amen.
Which one of God’s gifts in Ephesians 1, do you need to better understand and apply to your daily living?
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