Your Name in God’s Breathless Blessing
Ephesians 1:3-5, 11-14
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will...In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 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,who is the guarantee [downpayment] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
This passage of Scripture, in the Greek, forms part of one very long, and breathless sentence. Even chopped up with annotations by the Biblical scholars in order to make it clearer. In fact, even I decided to parse out the portions of the passage that I feel most strongly about commenting on. The apostle Paul has packed so much information into this opening blessing that commenters could spend a week on just them.
If you really want to capture the gist of everything Paul packed into this opening, go through it and plug in your name wherever he writes "us". For instance, "who has blessed us in Christ". And you'll no doubt realize that he's writing about how everyone who has been transformed by Christ's Spirit through the gospel is a saint because Yeshua (Jesus) has predestined his people for this end.
If you try this exercise I promise you that the passage will stop being an abstract theology and become instead a direct declaration from God to you the individual believer he refers to as a saint. It drives home that this isn’t just about "the church" in general; it’s about you, chosen, adopted, sealed, and destined for glory.
Try it:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed [Insert Your Name] in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…" [Pause]
Realize now, you have been lavished with every spiritual blessing. Not earned, not partial, but complete and heavenly in scope, right now, because of your union with Christ.
"…even as he chose [Insert Your Name] in him before the foundation of the world, that [Insert Your Name] should be holy and blameless before him." [Pause]
WOW!
Let that sink in.
Before time began, before galaxies formed, before history started, God set His affectionate gaze on you in Christ.
The purpose?
Holiness isn’t an optional upgrade; it’s your predestined identity. You’re not striving to become holy to earn favor; you’re called to live out the blameless standing that's already yours in Him. Already yours inheritance that HE gave you.
"In love he predestined [Insert Your Name] for adoption to himself as [a son/daughter] through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…" [Pause]
Your adoption wasn't a backup plan or a consolation prize. It’s rooted first in love, then executed through Christ’s work, and aligned perfectly with the Father’s sovereign purpose.
You're not on probation, destined for punitive purgatory punishments. You're already a full heir, sealed by the Spirit He sent into your heart.
"In him [Insert Your Name] also [has] obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will…" [Pause]
Again, it can't be said enough, your inheritance isn’t uncertain or contingent, it’s secured by the same will that orchestrates all things. God doesn’t just "hope" it works out; He actively works everything toward the fulfillment of His plan for you.
" …so that [Insert Your Name] who [was] the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him [Insert Your Name] also, when [you] heard the word of truth, the gospel of [your] salvation, and believed in him, [were] sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of [your] inheritance until [you] acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." [Pause]
Don't you see? The moment you heard and believed...BOOM! Sealed. The Holy Spirit isn’t a temporary loan; He’s God’s irrevocable down payment, the committed guaranteeing of your full possession of the inheritance. No expiration date, no performance clause, just unbreakable assurance, all "to the praise of his glory."
It serves HIS will that it be this way. It's not our will that creates this like some kind of opinion, HE established this principle and no traditions of men should attempt assessing it with their provisions. To do so would be to take the Lord’s name in vain.
Friends, make no bones about it, every believer is a saint (set-apart one) not because of flawless living, but because Jesus (Yeshua) has sovereignly predestined His people for this exact end. This exercise crushes any lingering doubt or performance anxiety. If God chose you before creation, predestined you in love, sealed you with His Spirit; then your identity as a saint is fixed in Him, not fluctuating with your daily walk. To think otherwise would not only be foolish, but arrogant as well. Why? Because your works never played a role in this project in the first place, therefore why would they now?
Try this exercise a few times, and share how certain phrases or truths stands out most for you when you personalize it.
To the praise of His glorious grace; now, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.
