Ephesians 1:1-14

The first couple chapters of Ephesians are favorites of mine. The entire focus is on God’s plan and purpose for His people. His plan and purpose for His people are LOVE & BELONGING. I find myself sitting up straighter and prouder as I soak in God’s love.

Paul opens the first chapter to the Ephesians, exclaiming God’s plan for mankind to be adopted into the family of God before creation even began. He goes on to let them know that this is an incredible gift. God paved the way for our adoption through sacrificing His One and only Son. I picture Paul emphatically staring at the Ephesians, saying, “Don’t you get it? You are so incredibly loved and made for purpose!”. Paul is pointing to the past here. Pointing to what has already been done. Then he points to the future. It’s as if he is saying, “And that’s not all! There’s more!”. He’s telling the Ephesians, salvation has even more ahead. He tells them that one day everyone will be united under Christ. Loved and belonging to His family.

Love and Belonging

There is no way to argue the deep longing for love and belonging that everyone has inside them. This passage reminds everyone that we belong to the family of God and we are loved more than we can ever imagine. Love and belonging are key components of any relationship that thrives. These two components are also apart of the most important relationship of all…the relationship we have with God through Jesus. Notice that God ultimately provides all we need and long for in the areas of love and belonging. The best part? His love and belonging to His family will remain unchanging. Nothing can separate you from His love or belonging to His family.

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