Ephesians 1:1-23 (NLT)
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere,
16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power
20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
For a life that has known failure and rejection—many reasons to lack confidence—there is extraordinarily good news in what we have received in Christ. Long before we ever existed, the God of creation, who forms all things by the sound of His voice, chose us to be holy and righteous, embraced in a love that never changes.
Though He is rich beyond comprehension, He has made us His inheritance—the passion of His own heart. That love compelled Him to give His Son as the price to redeem us from the bondage of sin and from all condemnation. We do not have to remain in any crippling identity of the condemned.
All of this is already ours. Nothing we do can earn it, and nothing we fail at can disqualify us from it. What is essential, however, is that we become aware of it and understand the place that is already ours in Him. Reception is all that is required, and understanding always precedes true reception, no matter how great the gift.
Therefore, our prayer and pursuit are not for something God has yet to provide. It was provided long ago. Our prayer is for the understanding that allows us to receive what has already been given. As we know and respond to this reality, insecurity and hesitation are transformed into confidence and boldness in who we have already been chosen to be.
The riches, healing, and wisdom are already ours—without regard to race, gender, stature, or intellect. And the prayer for this transformation is already in motion for everyone who receives the gift of the Spirit and the revelation that comes with Him.