Ephesians 1:1-6
Chosen in Christ
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,
6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul introduces himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will. He is not writing as a religious commentator giving advice from a distance. He is writing to people who belong to God in Ephesus and who are being addressed as saints and faithful in Christ Jesus.
His greeting joins grace and peace. Grace is not a reward for people who have already performed well, and peace is not simply a quiet household. Both come from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The letter begins by locating the family's life inside God's generosity.
Paul then blesses the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because believers have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. He is not describing a life free from grief or material need. He is naming the deep gifts that belong to people united to Jesus.
Before the foundation of the world, God chose His people in Christ to be holy and blameless in His sight. He predestined them for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will. The purpose is not cold speculation about who is welcome. It is the assurance that salvation rests in God's loving purpose and comes through Christ.
Questions
1 How does Paul describe the people receiving this letter?
AnswerHe calls them saints and faithful people in Christ Jesus. Their identity is connected to Jesus, not to their reputation or achievements.
2 What does Paul say comes from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?
AnswerGrace and peace come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus. The greeting presents Christian life as received from God.
3 Where does Paul say believers have been blessed?
AnswerThey have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. These gifts are found in union with Jesus.
4 What was God's purpose in choosing His people in Christ?
AnswerHe chose them to be holy and blameless in His sight and adopted them as His sons through Jesus Christ.
What This Means for Us
This opening asks us to begin with what God has given, not with a household scorecard. We do not have to manufacture our worth before we can come to Him. In Christ, we are addressed as people who belong.
Holiness is still part of the calling, but it grows from adoption rather than earning a place at the table. A family can correct sin honestly while refusing to make performance the foundation of anyone's belonging.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the grace and peace You give through Jesus. Help us remember that our belonging rests in Christ, and make us holy and faithful as the people You have adopted. Amen.