Spiritual Blessings
Devotions for Growing Christians
Spiritual Blessings
Ephesians 1:3 - "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."
Read Ephesians 1:3-14.
A beautiful way to begin any new year is with a doxology - an expression of praise to God. When people are in a proper relationship with their Creator, they can look forward to a joyful year.
Ephesians 1:3-14 is a doxology - a response of praise to God for the many spiritual blessings He has given us. Spiritual blessings can only be seen by faith because they’re spiritual. They’re not the material blessings of a good job or a healthy body. They’re blessings that can’t be physically seen or touched. They are spiritual, but that doesn’t make them any less real. They are as real as any physical reality, but we can only enter into their existence and effect by faith. A number of spiritual blessings are listed in this doxology, and it’s important for the growing Christian to understand them.
Every single spiritual blessing is ours! Because of our relationship with Christ, God has given us all the spiritual blessings that Heaven ever knew (v3). He doesn’t withhold a single blessing from any Christian! Appreciating and appropriating these blessings, however, is a different matter. They’re appropriated by faith - and let’s not blame God for our lack of faith.
These spiritual blessings are said to be in "heavenly places.” This further emphasizes the fact that they are not earthly and physical. The idea in the phrase "heavenly places" is not a location in space somewhere. Notice that the word "places" is in italics in your Bible, meaning the word is added for better understanding in English). So heavenly places is the realm of spiritual experience and activity into which we’re brought because of our identification with the risen Christ. Thus we do not enjoy our spiritual blessings by a mystical experience, but rather by simply realizing and believing that our position in Christ is true.
Chosen in Christ
The first spiritual blessing that is mentioned in this doxology is our election. It’s simply amazing to learn that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (v4)! God "rubber-stamped" us for Heaven way back in eternity past! This is a mind-blowing concept, but don’t attempt to water it down. For example, saying that God chose only those whom He foresaw would choose Him infringes on the sovereignty of God! Limiting God's omniscience to some time in the past limits God.
The Bible also teaches that every human being is responsible to “choose” God. And the Bible teaches that God has given every person enough data in order to make that choice. Read Romans 1:18-20. No one has an excuse for not choosing God. But on the other hand, no one is "rubber-stamped" for hell.
It’s beyond our finite minds to fully grasp how these two seemingly contradictory truths harmonize - but they are not logically contradictory. If the Bible said that God both chose and did not choose, or that man is both responsible and not responsible - that would be a contradiction in logic. But the Bible teaches that God chooses the saved, while those who are lost do not choose God. No person in Heaven will be able to brag, "I'm here because I chose God." And no person in hell will have this excuse: "I'm here because God didn't choose me."
Yes, this is difficult to understand - but our finite human minds cannot completely fathom all truths. The important point in Ephesians 3 is that God wants me to appreciate the fact that He handpicked me, with all my problems and hangups and sin, even though He forever knew them! He chose me to become holy and blameless before Him forever. And Romans 3:10-18 says there was no good thing or merit within me to cause Him to do it. What a wonderful spiritual blessing!
In God’s famiy
A second spiritual blessing is mentioned in verse 5. We are predestined to sonship in the family of God. The word “predestined” not only emphasizes the sovereignty of God, but it also indicates that the subjects are ordained ahead of time for something. In this case, we are fore-ordained to be “adopted as sons.” In New Testament days, adoption was an official act by which a biological son was entered the position of an adult son. No longer was he treated as a child or a servant. He now had all the privileges and responsibilities and dignity associated with adult sonship.
When we become Christians we’re born into the family of God. Not only that, we are placed in a position of full privilege in the family. The full manifestation of our relationship is future, but it is a fact now. Think of this tremendous spiritual blessing. Out of the kindness of His heart, God picked us individually to be his children - with all the privileges of His sons and daughters! (See Romans 8:15-17 & Galatians 4:4-7.)
Redeemed and Forgiven
Redemption and forgiveness are two more spiritual blessings (v7). Before salvation we were in bondage to sin. We were slaves to sin. Whether we realized it or not, this was actually true! But the Son of God came down to earth and redeemed us out of the slave market of sin. The ransom price was high. It cost Jesus Christ His own life.
Now sin has no claim on us. The price has been paid, and we are free to follow our Savior. The Lord Jesus is the Lord of love. He has not only redeemed us - He has completely forgiven us for running away from God. What a Redeemer! No wonder our Scripture goes on to say that all this was according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
Part of God’s eternal purpose
Another spiritual blessing is that we now have the capacity to understand God's eternal purpose for the universe (vs9-10). What is this purpose? It is to put all things (people, places, powers, planets, politicians, etc) under the visible authority of Christ at His coming. God’s plan was not fully revealed to Old Testament believers, and that’s why it’s called the "mystery of His will." Not mysterious - just previously secret, or not yet known. And now this eternal purpose of God has been made known.
Christians have been given insight and discernment into God's program for the future. This is a spiritual blessing. Think of the unbelievers all around us who are struggling for security and peace of mind in a world that seems chaotic and futile. Little do they know that the present powers and politics are programmed for complete change! What a blessing it is for believers to know that our future doesn’t depend on the selfish plans of a power-hungry politician, or itchy fingers on a nuclear button.
Part of God’s future program
The fact that we’re going to share in God's glorious program for the future is another spiritual blessing (vs11-12). When our Lord comes back to claim this world for His own, we will be with Him, and we will be part of His visible and eternal kingdom. What an inheritance! And we will actually participate in the everlasting glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Can that really be true? Look at us now. The world sees us as a bunch of Bible-believing and Jesus-preaching "dummies"! As far as they’re concerned, we’re duped. We’re to be pitied for our "wishful thinking.” But by faith we continue to hold onto our spiritual blessing, because the Word of God says it is true! We have been "born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-4).
Pledged and sealed by the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is mentioned as another spiritual blessing (v13-14). Two facts are stated here about the Holy Spirit. We are sealed with the Spirit, and given the Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance. The personal seal on a 1st century document, letter or container indicated ownership and security. In the same way, God has placed his secure Seal on every Christian - the Holy Spirit. He owns us because of the finished transaction at the cross. We are stamped secure in Christ. And God won't take His Seal back or permit it to be broken. What a blessing to know that our salvation is safe, sure and secure!
As a pledge, the Holy Spirit is like an engagement ring or the downpayment on a house. The Holy Spirit is a guarantee of our future inheritance. We look forward to the redemption of our bodies as part of our inheritance. As God's own possession, the salvation of our souls secure (the Seal), and the complete redemption of our bodies is guaranteed (the Pledge). Some day we’ll have new bodies that will be immune to suffering and sickness and sin - forever! (See Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2.)
As this magnificent doxology comes to a close, perhaps you noticed that it is structured in three stanzas: verses 3-6, verses 7-12 and verse 13-14. Each stanza concludes with a shout of praise to the glory of God! The main emphasis is on our spiritual blessings, but it’s interesting to notice that a different Person of the Trinity is emphasized in each stanza: God the Father in the first stanza, God the Son in the second, and God the Holy Spirit in the third. Our spiritual blessings come from our triune God!
By faith let’s claim and enjoy every spiritual blessing that God has given us!
- Dave Reid