Alive with Christ: Discovering our Spiritual Riches in Ephesians – Part 1

Discussion Questions for: Ephesians 1:1-14: Read verse 3. What does it mean to you to be “blessed with every spiritual blessing”? What do “chose us” (verse 4) and “predestined us” (verse 5) mean in context? (Hint: Consider “we” in verse 12 and “you also” in verse 13.) Read verses 6-8 and react to this statement: God freely bestowed His grace on you and lavished you with it! Review verse 7. Why is it important to see redemption and forgiveness as a package deal? How do some split them up by claiming to have one without fully having the other? Read verse 12-13. Who were “the first to hope in Christ”? How does this provide context for the true meaning of predestination? How does “you also” offer context as well? Read verse 13 and react to this statement: We’re sealed with the Holy Spirit when we hear and believe the Gospel. (Hint: Note both the method of salvation and the choice involved!) Read verse 14 and react to this statement: The Holy Spirit is God’s promise of your inheritance! Also, how is this reward of the inheritance – as in Colossians 3:24 – different from earning rewards?