What comes to mind when I say the word family? I am sure it depends on your personal experience. For me, the image is very positive. I was loved and nurtured by a mom and dad who deeply loved each other and the three children God placed in their care. I remember evening meals complete with laughter and details of everyone’s day. I remember my mom kissing my dad goodbye as he went off to work with his black metal lunch pail in hand. My family certainly wasn’t perfect, but it was a warm haven of love that protected and strengthened me as I grew to maturity.

That may not be the case for you. Family may bring to mind images and memories of darkness, pain, and shame. If that is the case, I encourage you to let these words from Scripture bring a blessing rather than blame, hope rather than hate, and peace rather than pain. (What is your childhood picture of family?)

Blessings from the Father (v. 3)
In these verses, Paul underscores that believers are family who have been showered with blessings. We all long to have a bit of Heaven on earth, and Paul is saying if we are Christians, we already have it! In verse 4 (and also in Ephesians 1:20, 2:6, and 3:10) Paul speaks of our connection to “the heavenly realms.” We tend to think of blessings as individual, but Paul does not. He repeatedly refers to the blessings coming to Christians as a group, and not as individuals, by his constant use of the word us. As you study these verses, count the number of times Paul uses the plural pronoun rather than the singular. We often miss some of the greatest blessings God the Father has for us because we attempt to obtain them as individuals rather as a part of his spiritual community, the church. (If you feel you are missing some of God’s blessings for your life, reflect on how you can deepen your connections with those in the body of Christ.)

Blessings Through the Son (vv. 4-12)
The central figure of this passage is Jesus, and the central focus is that all of the spiritual blessings available to us come through a relationship with him. Not only is salvation found in Christ alone (John 14:6), so are all spiritual blessings. (Read through these verses again and note every time Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” or “in him.”)

 Paul is so excited about these truths that this entire passage (vv. 3-14) is actually one, long, run-on sentence in the original Greek.

I know a little about this aspect of unbridled enthusiasm. A precious member of my family tends to speak at a rapid rate . . . but when she gets really excited, her speech rate gets even faster! (We tease her that she should be a disclaimer reader for commercials!) That’s what Paul is doing to express his delight and joy in how God has blessed us in the person of Jesus! Paul is excited! (Do you get genuinely excited when you consider the spiritual blessings God has sent our way through Christ?)

This passage is a great place to begin an exhaustive study of our blessings as Christians. When we think of blessings we often think of health, family, and material possessions. But note the superiority of the blessings Paul encourages us to count: being chosen (v. 4), being predestined (v. 5), adoption as sons (v. 5), redemption (v. 7), forgiveness of sins (v. 7), and knowledge of God’s will (v. 9). Wow! How can temporal health and wealth compare to any of these? Redemption indicates the gospel is our emancipation proclamation, while forgiveness reminds us our massive sin debt has been paid for! (Which of these blessings are you most aware of right now and which have you most overlooked?)

Blessings Marked by the Spirit (vv. 13, 14)
All members of the godhead are vitally involved in making us a new family in Christ. In verses 13 and 14, Paul turns to speaking of the role of the Holy Spirit, the invisible presence of God. When we become Christ followers, God’s Spirit comes to live in us by being a seal that marks us.

Maybe you were born with a physical birthmark such as a dimple or a mole. The Holy Spirit is our spiritual birthmark that does not show itself physically but denotes God’s ownership on our lives. Paul says God’s spirit “is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (v. 14). The next time you are discouraged to the point of thinking that God couldn’t possibly love or use you, let the fact that the Holy Spirit is your deposit guaranteeing your place in Heaven be a great encouragement to you!

Our new family in Christ should be a great source of excitement and spiritual blessing that far surpasses anything in the material realm. My family receives a reminder of this every Christmas because our youngest son, Joel, was born on December 24, 1988. His brother and sister don’t remember the gifts they received that year but they still vividly recall the joy and excitement of welcoming a new member of the family. May it be similar for you as you count your blessings from the Father, through the Son, and marked by the Spirit.

--------

All Scriptures are from the New International Version of the Bible, unless otherwise indicted.