The Story in Advance

Ephesians 1:3-14 | Rev. Benj Petroelje

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 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. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[c] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen,[d] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Rev. Benj Petroelje

After two years in a pastoral position with young adults in a large, non-denominational church in Brookfield, Wisc., Benj Petroelje moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he received his M.Div. from Regent College. After Regent, Benj was an associate pastor at Fleetwood CRC in Surrey, BC, for fifteen months (2013-14). While there he began to see doing a doctorate as vital to his sense of pastoral call. As a result, in 2014, Benj and his family moved to Edinburgh (UK) to pursue a Ph.D. in New Testament at the University of Edinburgh. He completed his degree in spring 2019. Benj began his ministry at Fourteenth Street CRC in December of 2018.

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