3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

(We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ? Amazing! Do we even understand what that means? I think it's being in these fleshly bodies that makes it hard for us to understand the reality of this. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.")

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.


(It says we were chosen before the creation of the world! Meaning we were chosen long before we ever existed! Also, meaning we were chosen before we could do any right or wrong. Which confirms all the other scriptures in the bible that say we are not saved based on our works, but by God's grace. Eph 2:8-10 "By grace you have been saved though faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any one should boast".)


In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.


(Why did God predestine us to be adopted as sons through
his son Jesus Christ? Because it was his pleasure and will to do so, and so His grace would be praised. He freely gave us this grace through His son Jesus Christ. When I truly understood that my salvation was by grace, and nothing good I've done, I never have wanted to stop praising the Lord for His grace, knowing I did nothing to deserve salvation, but I've done plenty to deserve death.)


7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

(It is through Christ, and His blood, that we have redemption and forgiveness of sins, and it is all by His Grace! He lavished His grace on us with His full wisdom and understanding! I think all believers question why God does what HE does sometimes. But we don't have full wisdom and understanding as God does. Like the scripture above says, now we only know in part, but when we see Jesus face to face, we will know in full. So, it's always better for us just to trust Him, knowing that He knows everything, and never makes mistakes).


9 With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.


(He has made known to us the mystery of His will in these things. Believers before Christ came to die for us didn't understand what we do now. The disciples didn't understand why Christ had to die. Peter tried to stop it from happening. But after Christ died, they did understand. Everything is fulfilled in Christ. He completed the righteous requirements of God for us with His perfect life and his death on the cross. John 19:30, Jesus said at His moment of death "It is finished." )


11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory.



(Before the foundation of the world, God planned the salvation of His children and He works everything out to conform to His sovereign will. He doesn't make mistakes, and the scripture says He will lose none of His children. John 6:39 says, "9And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.40For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." When our hope is in Christ, we are marked with a seal, the Holy Spirit which He said would be our Counselor, who will teach us all things and will remind us of everything Jesus has said to us. John 14:26 The Holy Spirit is our deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. If we have our hope in Christ and we have the Holy Spirit, we have eternal security! If we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, we cannot be forsaken. God will never forsake His own. We are God's possession. We are His children! )


This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. It is filled with knowledge of God's redemptive work for us, and His eternal promises to us. It is filled with hope! And not the Obama kind of hope. Real hope! Hope that never has the possibility to fail!