Blessed Be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
The other day I was going through some old files and came across an encounter I’d had with the Lord while reading Ephesians chapter one, and unpacking phrases and words from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. I don’t know its exact date. But I do remember the transformation that took place in my depths then, and the renewal that happened as I reviewed it.
Outside of correcting and editing some grammar, punctuation, and a few sentences, I have chosen to post the way things unfolded in my emotions, heart, and mind - even though some of the emphases are grammatically incorrect.
As you read, I encourage you to take the time to sit with, and meditate on, whatever Holy Spirit highlights. As the benefits are lasting and quite unexplainable.
And in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray it will not only do the same work in you that it did in me, and is still doing, but that it will do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that either of us can ask or think.
“Paul an apostle (an ambassador, a sent one) of Jesus Christ, by the will (the determination) of God (the Divinity); to the saints (the physically pure, morally blameless…certainly consecrated) in Ephesus, and faithful (trustworthy, trustful) in Christ (the Anointed, Messiah) (Ephesians 1:1).”
“Grace (the Divine Influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life) to you and peace (literally or figuratively); implicating prosperity) from God (the Divinity) our Father (Abba) and the Lord, (Supreme, Supremacy, Controller) Jesus (Jehoshua, Jehovah-saved) Christ (the Anointed, Messiah) (Ephesians 1:2).”
How can we get past this one verse? Time and eternity cannot contain the meaning of these few words: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace: The abounding, unending Divine Influence upon the heart, and His reflection in the life! Grace: the Garden of Life, where Light is received and Love grows - always and forever.
Peace: shalom - wholeness; quietness; contentment; prosperity, literally and figuratively - forever and ever, FROM God our Eternal, Loving Father AND the Lord…Jesus…Christ. Savior. Messiah. King. These two things, in all their facets, are to us from the Self-Existent Eternal One who has loved, and will love us, with His Everlasting Love.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:3-6).”
Are you kidding me?! An explosive utterance of the essence of God’s heart to and for us. An unmistakable declaration of Father’s will, resolve, desire, choice, want…His prayer for all mankind. Before the foundation of the world. Before ever there was anything other than Himself, this was, is, and always will be, the Breath’s purpose and plan for man. Nothing more. Nothing less. “… just as He chose us in Him before…”
Just as He chose us in Him before… We were IN Him before the foundation of the world. IN…not next to, not close by, not in the vicinity of, but IN Him. And because of the blessing and life of Jesus (regardless of what sin has done, the choices we have made, or what the enemy thinks he can accomplish), when we are born anew, we are once again, “accepted IN the Beloved” - where we belong.
BLESSED, ADORED, HONORED, WORSHIPPED, PRAISED, GLORIFIED, MORE AND FOREVERMORE, BE El, Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, El Roi, Adonai, Jehovah, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah M’kedesh, Jehovah Tsidkanu, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Sabbath, Jehovah Saves, I AM, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Abba, Prince of Shalom…Eternal God, Lord Jesus Christ!
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…(Ephesians 1:7).”
Pause: “…according to the riches of His grace.” According to the riches of His grace. According to the riches of His grace. According to the riches of His grace. According to the riches of His grace. According to the riches of His grace. According to the riches of His grace.
According to the extravagant, glorious, affluence of the Divine In-fluence upon our hearts, and His reflection in our lives…Seriously? Yes! And joyfully, more! According…to…the…riches…of…His…grace, now and forever, fully and wholly… Amen…
“…which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him (Ephesians 1:8-10).”
It was in all wisdom and prudence that You made the riches of Your grace abound toward us; knowing the end from the beginning that we would reject You. And even when we were dead in trespasses and sins, it was according to Your good pleasure that You made known to us Your mysterious will - Your mystifying determination - which angels strain to understand and can never receive. And one day, You will gather together all the fractured fragments - the scattered and shattered shards - fully consummating all in the blessed, precious being of Jesus Christ.
Glorious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! OH, for a thousand tongues! OH, for a thousand ways! OH, for a thousand capacities to show and declare! Thank You that because of Your death and resurrection, that day has come, will continue coming, and will remain forevermore!
And if that isn’t enough…
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:11,12).”
In Him also…
In Him what’s more…
In Him as well…
In addition…in Him…
Furthermore, in Him…
Moreover, in Him we have obtained an inheritance, an heirship…a patrimony…a possession.
Extraordinary!!
“…that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”
…that we who first trusted (hoped in advance of other confirmation) in Christ, should be (ought to, must, are supposed to exist, live, be alive, subsist, remain, stay, be saturated, be located, be there, be present, happen, occur, transpire, come about, ensue, come to pass) to the praise (the laudation, a commendable thing), of His glory (His character on display).
Truly, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
“In Him you also, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13,14).”
In Him you also, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed (stamped with a signet or private mark for security or preservation (lit. or fig.)), with the Holy Spirit (the Awful, Sacred, Pure, Blameless, Consecrated Breath) of promise (the Divine Assurance of Good)…
…who is the guarantee (earnest, pledge, security) of our inheritance (our heirship…our patrimony…our possession…
I have minutely glimpsed into “why” and “how” the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders cannot possibly rest night or day, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty; Who was and is and is to come.” And, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and are created.”
What Your determined will and love secured, and perpetually assures, truly cannot be grasped or contained. Yet, my mind tries to answer: “How can these things be?” And the reply can only be: “Because You are. And because You are, these things - and we - must be.”
Blessed are You - Holy and Only God and Father - Jesus Christ, Lord of Glory - Holy and Righteous Spirit! All glory, honor, dominion, and power, truly belong to You alone…forever and ever…Amen.
“Grace with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen (Ephesians 6:24).
The Divine Influence upon the heart and His reflection in the life - the Garden of Life, where Light is received and Love grows - with all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity (in incorruptibility, in unending existence, in genuineness). Amen…
© 2025 Tawna Wilkinson