I have all i need IN Christ

Blessed

The apostle Paul wrote Ephesians to the churches around Ephesus () to display the scope of God’s eternal plan for all humanity—for Jews and Gentiles alike. This is the mystery of God, hidden for ages but now made known in Jesus Christ. The first three chapters focus on what Christians should believe, unfolding the glorious riches of God’s grace in Christ. Dead sinners are made alive and gain eternal salvation “by grace … through faith” (2:8)

Paul opens this letter to the Ephesians with praising and thanking God for blessing us with every spiritual gift in Christ. before the creation of the world God had chose us to focus his love on. He had a desire that we would be His Holy and blameless people. He worked hard to fulfil this. Even though we messed us He sent His son to lock it in that we his ultimate creation.

Paul opens this letter to the Ephesians with praising and thanking God for blessing us with every spiritual gift in Christ. before the creation of the world God had chose us to focus his love on. He had a desire that we would be His Holy and blameless people. He worked hard to fulfil this. Even though we messed us He sent His son to lock it in that we his ultimate creation.

The church of Ephesus became special to Paul It is there that he encountered disciples who had not heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul told them the baptism they receive of John was a baptism of repentance but he re baptized them to a baptism of the Holy Spirit. This letter back to them is just a reminder of how blessed they truly are.

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Blessed

BLESSED. The most frequent OT word is bārûḵ. When applied to God it has the sense of praise (Gn. 9:26; 1 Ki. 1:48; Ps. 28:6, etc.), and when used of man denotes a state of happiness (1 Sa. 26:25; 1 Ki. 2:45). ’ašerê (‘how happy!’, Ps. 1:1) is always used of man and has for its NT equivalent makarios. The latter is used in pagan Greek literature to describe the state of happiness and well-being such as the gods enjoy

The message Bible translate verses 3-6 this way: How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

In Christ

Our fulfillment is purposely found in Christ. Between verses 3 and 14 we see the words IN CHRIST or IN HIM. If we are to have Blessed Assurance it will only come IN Christ.

I noticed something about the world today by large they are unhappy and unfulfilled. The marketing has tapped into this by dangling stuff in front of to tap into that emptiness, Maybe if i can just acquire this or acquire that I will feel better. I need more money, bigger house, bigger car. If only I had this or had that I would be happy. I have a news flash you will never be fulfilled or feel fulfilled until you realize that all your blessing are IN CHRIST! When you can say all I need is Christ you will always be chasing the one thing that eluded me.

The world will have you acting like an addict if you let it. There is no better fixed than Jesus!

Paul writes to the Ephesians with a focus on helping them understand that they are blessed and they have a great God who loves them.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

In Christ we get the following:

Chosen

Yes he chose us. We are a chosen generation, a peculiar people a royal priesthood.

Throughout history, various groups of people have considered themselves to be chosen people by a deity for a purpose, such as to act as the deity's agent on earth. As "God's Chosen People" we have a responsibility to spread the message of one God. This is why the great commission is so vital to the church. As God chosen people we have the blessed gift of being chosen and the awesome responsibility to represent him well. This is why he said we are chosen to be holy and blameless. How can we be holy and blameless. It in him! See when we remain in Christ his blood covers our sin and to God we are holy and blameless for what Christ has done.

We who are chosen have a responsibility to walk worthy of being chosen.

Colossians 1:10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Next In Christ we are PREDESTINED

He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons. Don’t worry ladies this includes you. we are adopted as his children. That means he want us.

English Standard Version Chapter 8

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

See with adoption a plan is assigned to make our life better. I was watching dancing with the star last week and it was your most memorable year. One of the dancers, Jordan Fisher said his most memorable year was the year his grand parents adopted him. He was born to a drug addicted mother and an absent father and neither wanted him. The moment he was adopted and knew that they loved him so much that they wanted him as their son. Not just im taking care of yu because no one else will but you are mine child i adopted you gave you my name. Now the dynamic were clear these two white aging people wanted this mixed boy to know he was loved. We we were predestined to be adopted to take on a new name. This was purpose of his will!

In Him we also have redemption through his blood so not only did he chose us and predestined us for adoption but he paid our debt in full!

What is redemption? Look at

English Standard Version Chapter 3

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Yes the debt is PAID IT IN FULL Paul said the forgiveness of our trespasses. How many trespasses? ALL our trespasses. Watch this according to the riches of his grace! His grace is truly sufficient! Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

Grace that he lavished on us. How much grace do i need. I don't know but God does. He keeps dispensing grace as he sees fit. Grace is a wonderful thing!

IN HIM we will be united and In Him we have an inheritance that has already been determine =d to work all things according to the counsel of his will.

Its his expressed intention to work everything out for our good. I was watching this movie called the shack. Its about a man whos daughter was taken and killed while they were on a camping trip. He was angry and he received an anonymous invitation to return to the Shack that the murder occured.

This weekend journey was a journey of healing, forgiveness and awakening. See his grief was killing him and his family. While he was grieving the lost of his daughter he was losing his wife, his son and other daughter. The characters in the movie represented each office of the Trinity. Through sharing and expressions of pain he was able to work through the healing process.

We may not know all the answers but we have to learn how to trust God through it.

English Standard Version Psalm 37

3  Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4  Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5  Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act.

6  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

and your justice as the noonday.

Now also in Him we have our SALVATION

Look at verse 13

English Standard Version Chapter 1

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Yes it IN HIM THAT WE HAVE OUR SALVATION. Why because we heard the word of Truth, the Gospel of our salvation.

Paul said in

English Standard Version Chapter 10

6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Not only did he save us but he is the guarantee of that salvation. It is reserved for us until we take possession of it. See once you are saved you can be assured he will guarantee that!

Why would he do all this?

Well Paul mad it clear by strategically place the words three times through out the introduction.

TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY!

TO the praise of his glorious grace he has blessed us

To the praise of his glory we were the first to the hope in Christ

AND Finally he guarantees our inheritance to the Praise of His Glory

Yes he dis all this so we can be with him!

To God be the Glory for the things he has done!