3 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, 4 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, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He [a]made us accepted in the Beloved.7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and [b]prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 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. 11 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, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
愿颂赞归与我们主耶稣基督的父 神！他在基督里曾赐给我们天上各样属灵的福气： 就如 神从创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在他面前成为圣洁，无有瑕疵； 又因爱我们，就按着自己的意旨所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分， 使他荣耀的恩典得着称赞；这恩典是他在爱子里所赐给我们的。 我们藉这爱子的血得蒙救赎，过犯得以赦免，乃是照他丰富的恩典。 这恩典是 神用诸般智慧聪明，充充足足赏给我们的； 都是照他自己所预定的美意，叫我们知道他旨意的奥秘， 要照所安排的，在日期满足的时候，使天上、地上、一切所有的都在基督里面同归于一。 我们也在他里面得（得：或译成）了基业；这原是那位随己意行、作万事的，照着他旨意所预定的， 叫他的荣耀从我们这首先在基督里有盼望的人可以得着称赞。
Eph 1:3-12 （以弗所书 1:3-12 ）
Q & A：
- What does Christmas time mean for you and what are you really celebrating for? Explain why we are so blessed to have Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior by referring to the Great White Throne, the judgment seat of Christ and the Book of Life regarding what happens after our physical death. (Eph 1:3; Heb 9:27; Rom 5:17; John 5:24)
- 圣诞节对你来说意味着什么，你知道你真正在为什么而庆祝吗？通过提及白色大宝座、基督的审判席、生命册和关于我们肉体死亡后将面临的事，解释为什么我们有耶稣基督作为我们的主和救主是如此蒙福的。(以弗所书1:3; 希伯来书9:27; 罗马书5:17; 约翰福音5:24)
- Discuss what the privileges are that come with the new identity in Christ and how you can relate to the ones highlighted in the scriptures (priceless in God’s sight, have eternal life, a child and heir of God, accepted, justified by faith and peace with God, grace of God, His workmanship with a good plan, strengthening in our heart, God shall supply all our needs, hear our prayers). (John 1:12; Eph 1:6; Rom 5:1; Phil 4:13; Eph 2:10; Phil 4:19)
- 讨论在基督里的新身份所带来的特权有什么，以及你如何能与经文中强调的特权有身同感受的连接（在上帝眼中是无价的，有永生，是上帝的孩子和后裔，被接纳，因信称义，与上帝和好，有上帝的恩典，是祂的工作/器皿且带有美好的旨意，在我们心中加给我们力量，使我们一切所需用的都充足，垂听我们的祷告）。 (约翰福音1:12; 以弗所书1:6; 罗马书5:1; 腓立比书4:13; 以弗所书2:10; 腓立比书4:19)