BLESSED.

How blessed is God! 

And what a blessing he is! 

He's the Father 
of our Master, Jesus Christ, 

and  takes us to the high places of blessing in him. 

Long before he laid down earth's foundations, 
he had us in mind,

had settled on us as the focus of his love,

 to be made whole and holy by his love.
 

Long, long ago he decided to

 adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. 

(What pleasure he took in planning this!) 

He wanted us 

 to enter into the celebration of his 

lavish gift-giving 

by the hand of his beloved Son.  

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, 
his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, 

we're a free people—

free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. 

And not just barely free, either. 

Abundantly free! 

He thought of everything, 

provided for everything we could possibly need, 

letting us in on the plans 

he took such delight in making. 

He set it all out before us in Christ, 
a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together 
and summed up in him, 

everything in deepest heaven, 
everything on planet earth.

It's in Christ that we find out 

who we are 

and what we are living for. 

Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, 

he had his eye on us, 

had designs on us for glorious living, 
part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. 

It's in Christ that you, 

once you heard the truth and believed it 

(this Message of your salvation), 

found yourselves home free 
signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. 

This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, 

a reminder that  

we'll get everything God has planned 

for us, 

a praising and glorious life. 

 

Ephesians 1:1-14

The Message