In Christ

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The Bible book of Ephesians teaches a lot about our identity being in Christ. In Ephesians chapter 1, we learn that God has blessed us, chosen us, and accepted us. And this all happens “In Christ.”

God has blessed us in Christ with “every spiritual blessing.” The original language reveals that the Heavenly Father speaks good words about us. This might be healing for you to know that a Father speaks good words about you, now that we are in Christ, His Son.

The Father has also given us many spiritual spiritual blessings. God blesses us – but it’s found in Christ Jesus. This is His grace for you and I.

God chose us in Christ before the world was even made! This means God picked us to be His child, and to be His own special people. The Bible says that He adopted us. And similar to how it is in the adoption process, the parent gets to choose the child.

God didn’t choose us because of anything special in us, nor did He choose us because of anything great that we would do. Instead, it’s only by His grace that we have been chosen. It’s the parent’s grace to choose their child. The child can only choose to believe and to receive this special grace. We don’t cause the grace, nor can we work for, nor earn His grace; or grace is no longer grace.

He chooses us, and yet verse 12 tells us we also have “trusted in Christ.” He chose us, and yet verse 15 says we must have “faith in the Lord Jesus.”

We also must have faith that God works both of these things out somehow; God never says to figure out how He would choose us, but require us to also have faith and trust in Him, because we never can understand it. We simply need to follow God by faith.

God also predestined us in Christ. The word can also mean to “predetermine.” The original Greek word speaks of God seeing your horizon – your future – even before you were born. And God planned ahead of time to adopt you in Christ Jesus.

God knows you and has a perfect plan for your life!

And God accepted us in Christ. This word for “accepted” means to “endow with grace.” God will “endow” you with His grace, but His grace for you is found in Christ.

You don’t have to be perfect. You never will be while you’re alive here. God doesn’t accept you because of any good works you can do. He accepts you because of His grace found in Christ Jesus, despite your failures and who you might be.

So Christian, whenever you may feel alone or unaccepted, remember that God has already chosen you, blessed you and accepted you because of you being “in Christ.”