Spiritual Blessings

Eph. 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

 

For me to bless God for His blessing me so plentifully would involve knowing how He has blessed me and then understanding how these blessings affect my life. I know that God has given me all that I need, but how often do I thank Him or bless Him for these spiritual blessings? Sadly my heart is more in tune with the physical blessings, the things that I can see and understand in this world.

 

To begin with all these spiritual blessings are in Christ. He is the conduit through which God's great love reaches man. It was through His great sacrifice that I could even know God. How hard it must have been for the Father to give up His only Son, to turn His face from Him when He took the sin upon Himself! What amazing love!  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

 

...even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,that we should be holy and blameless before Him. My life was destined before the world came into being. His purpose in choosing me and in sending His son was so that I would be holy and blameless. Since I could never achieve that state myself, God sent His Son. Not only did He choose me, but He gave me the means to make it a reality. Without the choosing of God, where would I be?  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.  When I was chosen, I was also predestined to be adopted as a son not because of what I had to offer, but because of Jesus Christ. Jesus obeyed the will of the Father implicitly to praise of His grace, a grace that is the means of my salvation, my power to live daily, and the greatest gift in my life. Without grace, there would be no way for me to know God. Without this destiny, where would I be?   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight...In Jesus I am redeemed through His sacrificial blood. I have forgiveness because of the never-ending supply of grace, not a grace that was the bare minimum to get the job done or a grace that would run out, but it was a grace lavished upon me. What a glorious word lavished! This grace was not lavished indiscriminately but lavished in all wisdom and insight. God's plan and will are perfect even down to the administering of His great grace. Without this great blessing, where would I be? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

...which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. All of this great plan for me was set forth in Christ for the express purpose of being united in Him. His life becomes my life and His will my will. It was the perfect plan accomplished by the Perfect One for the imperfect and deeply flawed one. What an amazing blessing! I can be united with God! Without this plan, where would I be?  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. In addition to all the previous blessings, God has given me an inheritance according to His will. This inheritance gives me hope in Christ. I know that as I longingly wait, He will come in God's time, according to His will, and to the praise of His glory. God works all things according to His will. Nothing takes Him by surprise! These blessings jsut keep coming! Certainly lavished! Without this great inheritance, in what would I hope? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In Him you also, when you heard the world of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession to it, to the praise of His glory. Once I believe in Jesus I am sealed with His spirit who is the guarantee of my inheritance. I don't have to worry that I will lose my salvation or that anyone or anything can take me out of His hand. I am eternally saved and sealed from the moment that I believed in Jesus. Certainly to the praise of His glory! Where would I be without this great peace and security? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

What a glorious passage, one that I need to remember everyday. What great grace and God-given salvation!  May I never take these blessings for granted, but instead glorify the Father and the Son for uniting me to them. My heart and my voice must constantly say, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Father,

Blessed be Your name, Your will and purpose, Your Son, Your grace, Your Spirit, Your plan for my life! Thank You for giving me such rest and peace as I long for Your return. Spirit, always remind me to thank and bless the Father for these great blessings and for giving me all that I need to live for Him.

In Jesus name,

Amen