What does it actually mean to be blessed?

For many of us, the word has been shaped more by circumstance than Scripture. We speak of blessing when life is smooth, finances are stable, prayers feel answered, and doors seem to open easily. But when Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians, he invites us to see blessing from an entirely different vantage point—not from earth looking up, but from heaven looking down.

Before Paul tells believers what to do, he reminds them of what God has already done.

Grace Before Peace

Paul introduces himself as an apostle not by achievement, charisma, or calling as the world defines it, but by the will of God. Ministry, like salvation, begins with God’s initiative. The church in Ephesus—described simply as “the saints”—is not a spiritual elite. It is the gathered people of God, made holy not by performance but by grace.

Paul’s greeting is intentional: grace, then peace. Grace is what God gives freely. Peace is what our souls most deeply need. We never experience lasting peace until we first receive grace.

Every Spiritual Blessing in the Heavenly Places

Paul declares something staggering: believers are already blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Not some blessings. Not future blessings only. Every spiritual blessing.

These blessings are not rooted in our circumstances but in our union with Christ. They are spiritual in nature and heavenly in source, which means they cannot be taken by loss, diminished by suffering, or undone by earthly instability. Paul is reframing how we understand security, value, and identity.

If blessings are heavenly, then they are not measured by earthly success.

Chosen in the Chosen One

Before the foundation of the world, God set His loving purpose on His Son.

Christ is the One foreknown.
Christ is the One chosen.
Christ is the One appointed to redeem and reconcile all things.

The Father’s eternal plan was never centered on isolated individuals—it was centered on Jesus.

And here is the beauty of the gospel:
when we come to Christ by faith, we are united to the One who was chosen before time began.

We are not chosen instead of Christ.
We are chosen in Christ.

Predestination, then, is not a cold decree about exclusion. It is a gracious declaration of what God purposed to accomplish through His Son—that all who are found in Him would be adopted, forgiven, and made holy in love.

God predestined the destiny of those in Christ:
that they would belong to His family,
bear His name,
share His inheritance,
and reflect His glory.

Salvation does not begin with us choosing God.
It begins with God choosing Christ—and graciously welcoming us into Him.

Redemption Through the Beloved

Through the blood of Christ, we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins, not according to the minimum required, but according to the riches of God’s grace. Paul emphasizes that God acted with wisdom and insight, revealing the mystery of His will—the gospel itself.

God’s eternal purpose is to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. History is not random. Redemption is not accidental. Everything is moving toward Christ at the center.

An Inheritance That Serves God’s Glory

In Christ, believers have obtained an inheritance. Paul is careful to clarify that God works all things according to His will, not ours. Salvation is not ultimately about self-fulfillment but God’s glory.

This doesn’t diminish our value—it anchors it. Our lives are not meaningless or directionless; they are woven into a divine purpose far bigger than we can see.

Sealed and Secure by the Spirit

When the gospel is heard and believed, something irreversible happens. Believers are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. This seal is not symbolic or temporary—it is God’s personal guarantee.

The Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, assuring us that what God has begun, He will complete. Salvation is not fragile. It is secured by God Himself.

Seeing What Is Already True

Paul closes this section not with commands, but with prayer. He does not ask God to give believers new blessings, but to open the eyes of their hearts so they might see what is already theirs in Christ.

He prays that they would know the hope of God’s calling, the riches of His inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of His power—the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him above all authority.

Christ reigns. We are in Christ. The Church shares in His victory.

Living from Identity, Not Toward It

Ephesians 1 reminds us that the Christian life does not begin with effort, but with identity. We do not strive to earn blessing—we live from it. We do not work toward belonging—we walk in it. We do not fear losing salvation—we rest in its security.

When we see salvation from heaven’s perspective, our lives on earth are transformed.

May God open the eyes of our hearts to see the depth, security, and glory of all that He has accomplished in Christ.