"Blessed" November 11 Readings: Ephesians 1:1-2:10

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Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026

This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New. 

Bible Readings: Ephesians 1:1-2:10

In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer. 

Background:  

Ephesians is one of Paul's most important works, written to one of his most important churches. He spent more time in this church than any other, according to Acts, and saw God's mighty work there.

The book, like Romans, is an explanation of the power of God in salvation. The first three chapters explain the great salvation that God won for us at the cross through Christ, a salvation that is "by grace through faith" and while it is not of works, it produces a life of good works. Chapters 4-6 tell us how to walk worthy of our calling - our salvation.

These six chapters are power-packed with theological and practical truth.

Daily Devotional: Blessed

I really need a blessing today; how about you? Maybe, if I do enough good things, God will pour out more blessings on me today than he did yesterday.

We think that way sometimes, don't we? We long for blessings. We seek blessings from Jesus. We struggle to attain blessings from him. We wonder what we have to do to get more of them. There is a problem with this view - it runs counter to what God's word says in Ephesians 1:3.
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.
Did you see that? It says that God HAS (past tense) blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing we can expect. I've got every blessing I will ever need; every single one I will ever receive - already.

The keywords in this passage appear here and several times throughout this section (verses 3-14) - two words that change everything. "In Christ." In him, we have every blessing God can give us. Why? Because Jesus doesn't give us blessings; he IS the blessing. When God gives us Christ, when we are "in him," we have everything we could want, everything we need. 

What are some of those things we have "in Christ?" This passage tells us a few of them. 
  • He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. (God chose us for his own and determined to make us blameless!)
  • In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. (In Christ we are now part of God's heavenly family.) 
  • In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (We are forgiven in Christ.) 
  • Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (God has a plan to consummate history in Christ, and we are part of it!)
  • In him, we have obtained an inheritance. (In Christ we inherit the riches of God's grace.)
  • 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. (The Spirit is ours in Christ.)
So, when I have Christ, I don't really need anything else. He is all the blessing I will ever need. In him, I have all the blessings of eternity. I need to learn how to live in these blessings, to avoid hindering God's blessings in my life, but in Christ, I have every blessing I will ever receive. 

More specifically, Jesus Christ IS all my blessings!

Father, thank you for your great blessing, Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord. All I need from you I have in him. 

Consider God's Word:

Peruse these blessings and take time today to thank God for the salvation he has given you and all the other blessings that are yours in Christ.
Have you received the salvation which is by grace, through faith, and not by works?


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