Ephesians 1:3–14 is perhaps the most incredible sentence ever written. Although our modern translations split it up into multiple sentences for readability, it was originally one long sentence in the Greek. We could spend a lifetime delving into its depths and the Trinitarian glories it reveals.
Verse 3 reminds us, first of all, that we have “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” a wealth of inheritance in Christ Jesus. We are not waiting for this to come true—it is a present possession not dependent on our feelings about it. We still wait for the fullness of it when Christ comes again, but we are children of God now.
These first few verses focus on the work of the Father, mentioning His predestination of us and our adoption. God chose us for this inheritance, calling us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. This is an ongoing process of being more and more conformed to His image because of our position in Christ.
Verses 7–12 transition to the work of the Son. Jesus Christ is the realization of God’s plan in history. He has lavished on us His grace, wisdom, and insight, redeeming us and transferring us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God. It is through Jesus that we receive salvation and an eternal inheritance.
The Holy Spirit seals us and is a pledge of our inheritance. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our position in Christ and keeps us until the day Christ comes again.
At the end of each of these three sections, we find the phrase, “to the praise of His glory.” This one sentence in the Greek, then, is a praise to all three members of the Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
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