So with that, let's get into the Word of God.

On Sunday mornings, we're now going through Ephesians, having completed Galatians chapter by chapter and verse by verse.

And our text today is going to be chapter 1, verses 3 through 14.

So I'll have you turn there if you're not there already.

And if you're able, I'll ask you to stand

you can follow along as I read if not that's all right beginning in verse three the apostle

Paul by the Holy Spirit is writing to the church in Ephesus and says praise 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.

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ,

in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has

freely given us in the one he loves. In him, verse seven, we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us.

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of His will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

to be put into effect when the times reached their fulfillment to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In Him, verse 11, we were also chosen, having been, and here it is again, predestined,

according to the plan of Him, who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will in order that we who were the first

to put our hope in Christ might be for the praise of His glory.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,

when you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who,

verse 14, is a deposit, an earnest money, a deposit, if you will, guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption

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