In this sermon we slow down over Paul’s summary at the start of his opening doxology in Ephesians 1:3 and listen as he bursts into praise: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
Paul uses two different “blessing” words in this verse, and together they reveal something profoundly beautiful about God and about us. We bless God verbally—because of who He is, His goodness, His holiness, and His saving work. Our blessing rises upward in praise.
But when God blesses us, His blessing moves downward in action. He pours out real spiritual benefits—grace, salvation, adoption, redemption—because He alone is the One who is good.
From this foundation we trace Paul’s unfolding doxology (Ephesians 1:3–14): • The Father choosing, adopting, and purposefully loving His people (vv. 3–6) • The Son redeeming, forgiving, and uniting all things in Himself (vv. 7–12) • The Spirit sealing believers and guaranteeing their inheritance (vv. 13–14)
This week we focus on verse 3 as the introduction, and use the following outline to guide our meditation:
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The Source of Our Blessing — God the Father, whose goodness and grace overflow toward His children.
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The Storehouse of Our Blessing — every spiritual blessing secured for us in Christ.
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The Sphere of Our Blessing — the heavenly places, where Christ reigns and where our true life is hidden with Him.
As we behold the character of God and the richness of His salvation, Paul calls us to respond with praise—offering our verbal blessing to the One who has blessed us with everything we need for life and godliness in His Son.