Seven
Spiritual Blessings In Christ- Part II
We began a new series,
A Pathway to Christian Living. It is a journey through the Book
of Ephesians. The apostle Paul endured much more hardship than most
other apostles to preach the Gospel. During his first two-year imprisonment in
Rome between A.D. 60-62, he wrote four letters: Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, and Philemon. They are known as the prison epistles. One such
prison letter is the Epistle to the Ephesians: A Pathway to Christian
Living.
He opens that letter
with Seven Spiritual Blessings in Christ. Ephesians 1:1-14.
We looked at three blessings: 1. We are chosen by Love to be Holy. 2. We have
been adopted into God's family. 3. C. We have been given God's unlimited,
glorious grace. The phrase "In Christ or In Him appears some 22 times,
indicating that these blessings are from Christ only to all who believe in and
remain in Christ. Let's look at the remaining four blessings.
We
Americans cherish our freedoms more than many others in their countries. Though
we didn't work directly or fight for them, we enjoy living in a free country.
All our freedoms didn't come freely, and many paid for them with their lives.
Let's be grateful and not abuse them.
Freedom
doesn't mean you can do or say whatever you want. Listen to this prayer of the
senator chaplain Rev. Peter Marshall, who prayed On July 3, 1947, the day
before Independence Day, in the U.S. Senate. "May freedom be seen not as the right to do as we please
but as the opportunity to do what is right. May it be ever understood that our
liberty is under God and can be found nowhere else. May our faith be something
that is not merely stamped upon our coins but expressed in our lives."
That is true freedom, which can only come from God.
4. We have been made free
and forgiven of our sins (Vs. 7)
Ephesians
1:7, "He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with
the blood of his Son and forgave our sins."
"Because
of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the
Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all
our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free!" (The Message)
Have
you seen prisoners in shackles or handcuffs? They are restricted, and they can
not escape their chains. That's what sin does. It cripples us. It hampers our
productivity. Its guilt is unbearable, and ultimately sin leads to death. The
apostle Paul cries in Romans 7:24, "Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will
free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Sin makes you
miserable and eventually kills you. No amount of animal sacrifice or money
spent through charity can free you from sin.
Then,
who can truly free us from sin? Paul has an answer, Romans 7:25, "Thank God!
The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." That's what Jesus came to do for us.
Because of his kindness and grace, he purchased our freedom from sin by
shedding his blood on the Cross. Does sin shackle you? Do you feel guilty and
ashamed of your sin? Come to Jesus and be forgiven of your sin. Let Jesus'
blood free you from sin and guilt so that you can be blessed in Christ.
5. We have been given all
Wisdom and Understanding (Vs. 8)
Ephesians 1:8, "He has showered his
kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." What keeps you out of
trouble and saves your life? This past week, one evening, my wife and I heard a
Tornado warning on our iPhone (that was knowledge). I ignored it and went about
my way. But my wife made both of us hurry to the basement (that was wisdom).
She
quoted Proverbs 22:3, "A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." Thank God there
wasn't any tornado that day. Someone has defined wisdom as knowledge using its
head. Husbands, please listen to the wisdom of your wives so that you can save
yourselves from some troubles. Do you need to gain the wisdom to navigate life's
challenges? How can you obtain spiritual wisdom?
James
1:5,
"If you need
wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke
you for asking." The apostle Paul prayed for the Colossian believers so that
they would be filled with spiritual wisdom. Col 1:9, "So we have not stopped
praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete
knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding." Why
do we need spiritual wisdom and understanding?
Col
1:10, "Then the way you live will always honor, and please the Lord and your
lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as
you learn to know God better and better." To grow in spiritual wisdom, please
read the following five wisdom books.
1. Job 2. Psalms 3. Ecclesiastes
4. Proverbs. 5. Song of Songs.
6. We have received an
inheritance from God (Vs.11)
Ephesians
1:11, "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an
inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work
out according to his plan." What kind of inheritance would you like to obtain
if given an opportunity?
Is
it 100 acres of land, gold, silver, precious stones, or 1 million dollars? All
these earthly treasures can be destroyed. But the inheritance God gives us
lasts forever. What is that inheritance? In a word, this inheritance is "Heaven,
our eternal home with God. I want us to get excited about our new
permanent address called Heaven. It is going to be a beautiful place.
Several
scriptures indicate the nature of this inheritance. Our inheritance in Christ
is imperishable. (Matthew 6:19-20). Our inheritance in Christ is unspoiled.
(Rev 21:27), Our inheritance in Christ is unfading. (Rev 21:5) Although we
enjoy many blessings as children of God here on earth, they are nothing
compared to our true inheritance, our true home reserved for us in Heaven. Jesus
encouraged his disciples, saying, "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it
gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom." Luke 12:32
7. We have become God's own
by receiving the Holy Spirit (Vs. 13-14)
How
do I know all these spiritual blessings are true? Would God deliver the promise
of the inheritance? Our confidence in these blessings comes from Paul.
Ephesians 1:13-14, "And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good
News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as
his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is
God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he
has purchased us to be his own people." The Holy Spirit is our guarantee.
This
is what the Holy Spirit in us testifies. Romans 8:14-17, "For all who are led
by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit
that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he
adopted you as his own children. Now we call him "Abba, Father." For his Spirit
joins with our Spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are
his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of
God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his
suffering." That is the Good News.
We
believed in Jesus Christ and received His forgiveness when the Holy Spirit
convicted us. We have been set free from sin, guilt, and shame. God graciously
adopted us into His family. The Holy Spirit witnesses to our Spirit that we are
God's children and God has an inheritance for us: His heavenly home. You and I
did nothing to deserve this. It is all God's doing.
Because
we believe in Christ, we are given these seven spiritual blessings in the
heavenly realms. 1. We are chosen by Love to be Holy (Vs. 4). 2. We have been
adopted into God's family (Vs. 5) 3. God's glorious grace has been poured into
our lives (Vs. 6) 4. We have been made
free and forgiven of our sins (Vs. 7) 5. We have been given all wisdom and
understanding (Vs.8) 6. We have received an inheritance from God (Vs.11) 7. We
have become God's own by receiving the Holy Spirit (Vs. 13). Why did God give us
these blessings? Eph 1:14, "He did this so we would praise and glorify Him."
Let's be grateful and give Him all the praise and glory.
