Ephesians 1:1-14 (Final Meditation) - "So Bless Him!"

Ephesians 1:1-14 is untouchable. The Solus Christus meditations on this text are at best surface-scratching. Take a moment and read this breath-taking passage again.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

I see verse 3 (in red) as the main thought in Paul's mind. That's hard for me to say for a number of reasons, but I think it is right. This is hard to say because there are so many major thoughts in Paul's mind in this text; not the least of which are:

• Being chosen by God before the foundation of the world.
• Being chosen for holiness and blamelesness before God.
• Being a receipeient of God's predestining love.
• Being adopted by God as His sons.
  
• Having Christ's blood redemption.
• Being released to join God in the praise of His glorious grace.
• Being given God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

So why are these elevated thoughts not the main thought in Paul's mind? Because these are evidences of why we should obey verse 3.

Verse 3 is a trumpet blast from Paul saying, "So bless Him already!" In Christ, God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (cf. the summary points above). What is the appropriate response to this reality? It is not arguing about views of predestination, or noting the long sentence structure. It is praising God who has blessed you with all of His blessings by giving you His only Son - and nothing less!

So what are you waiting for? Bless Him!