The Book of Ephesians Pt. 4 Great Blessings for the faithful saints in Christ!
An amazing introduction to spiritual realities.
Ephesians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every letter Paul wrote to a church included a formal greeting. In the majority of his letters Paul named his standing as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word "apostle" means one who is sent forth by Christ with orders and a mission. In this case, he made it clear that his calling into apostleship was by the will of God. God determined to make Paul an apostle to the Jews and Gentiles of the world.
Who was Paul writing to? Remember his last words to the Ephesian elders and the obvious bonds of love they had for each other? (See Acts 20). Paul was certainly addressing the elders and church leaders at Ephesus but he specifically wrote to the saints at Ephesus.
A "saint" is a born again believer who is fully forgiven, pardoned, justified and sanctified by the Father in heaven because of our repentant faith in Jesus Christ. The way that the text is worded indicates that the name "saints" represented the one time actions of God on our behalf that are connected with salvation through faith in Christ.
The word "saints" reminds us that we have "positional blessings" because the Father views them as ours in heaven, and because we are "in Christ" we do possess them. But as long as we live on earth in a physical body, we do not fully possess complete or eternal glorification, sanctification, transformation, and so on.
The full realization of these positional blessings is yet future. We understand that the term "saint" refers to our many eternal heavenly blessings that we have been given in Christ, which we fully enter into and possess when we go home to be with the Lord.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul is going to teach us a great deal of truth about these positional blessings each believer in Christ has now and will fully enter into at death.
Next, Paul used another way of greeting the very same people who are saints. He called us "the faithful in Christ Jesus." However, the words "faithful in Christ Jesus" reminds us that we are seeking to live for God's glory now. We practically and daily seek His sanctifying work in our hearts now. God's measure stick to determine the success of any believer is how faithful we are in loving, obeying and serving Him.
Thus, the phrase "faithful in Christ Jesus" is another term for the born again believers that remind us we are daily to be growing in our faith. We will be judged for our faithfulness in responding to the scriptures and in living out the gospel with our lives. It reminds us to seek sanctification, to pursue holiness and to allow the Spirit of God to lead us each and every day.
Grace is freely given to us.
1 Corinthians 1:4-5 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5) That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
Grace and peace are extended to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth and expressed his thanks to God for the abundant grace that He poured out upon those people. Grace is a rich gift freely given to us by God.
Grace is also that overwhelming love of God that did what needed to be done in order to save sinners from their sins (John 3:16-18).
Grace is God giving us the priceless gift of salvation and all its benefits freely, because of our faith in the Son of God. Grace is the disposition of God toward man that offers free and unmerited love and favor from Him.
Peace is granted to us through Christ.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Paul put grace and peace together in telling the Roman Christians about their spiritual blessings in Christ. Justification by faith in Christ brings peace with God to mankind. Faith brings access to the grace of God where we stand secure forever in Christ.
Peace is the new relational state we have with God because of His grace.
Peace is also from God and instead of being under His condemnation and subject to His wrath when we die as sinners, believers are no longer at war with God. We are no longer His enemies. We have a quietness of heart and a restful spirit because we are at one with God again, through faith in Christ.
Verses 3 through 14 are one long sentence in the Greek and in our translation. Therefore we will go through the texts carefully so we do not miss the beauty of our Savior and the splendor of His salvation.
Blessed with all spiritual blessings.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Our salvation is all of God and He alone receives the glory when a sinner is lifted out of the miry pit of sin's degradation and pulled up to Christ the solid rock. God is the one Paul blessed because of all His redemptive work accomplished by Christ on the cross and affirmed by His resurrection from the dead.
The word "blessed" in this text is always used with God as its object. It literally means to speak well of. It means we are to speak well of God by praising and adoring Him. Paul points to the union of the Father and the Son in this text. It is uniquely God the Father who has blessed us when we are in Christ through the new birth.
Our Father has blessed each believer with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places "in Christ." The word "in" is used 105 times in the book of Ephesians including 25 times in Ephesians 1. This is why I spent some time to contrast the positional blessings every believer has "in Christ" with the practical need to remain faithful to Christ as we live out the gospel in our lives.
These spiritual blessings which are really beyond our ability to adequately describe, were denied to us when we were dead in sins and trespasses. However, our faith in the redeeming work of Christ opened the floodgates of heaven's blessings for us.
God the Father has given each believer "all" spiritual blessings. The word "all" means the entire whole, all of something or each and every one that exists. This is the abundant life that Jesus taught us about. It is a grace gift from God for we certainly do not deserve to receive "all" spiritual blessings from His hand.
The main idea is that we received "all" the spiritual blessings we will ever need from the moment of our conversion to Christ and throughout eternity.
The Power of God's Spirit in us.
John 20:21-22 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22) And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
What are "spiritual blessings?" The Greek word translated "spiritual" is "pneumatikos" and it literally means belonging to the Person of God the Holy Spirit. You see the Greek root in the word "pneumatic" which refers to power tools operated by high air pressure from a compressor. Thus, pneumatic tools are air driven. Remember that wind (a form of air) is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (See Acts 2 ). The idea is that the Spirit of God drives believers, empowers us and transforms us.
All spiritual blessings are freely given to us by the Father.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Spiritual blessings are those things that belong to the Spirit of God. Paul spoke of these realities in his first letter to the Corinthians. No man has seen or understood the deep things of God. Our Father reveals His wonderful things to us by His Spirit. The Spirit of God searches them and knows all the Divine truth completely and intimately.
One reason God sends His Spirit to indwell each believer is so we can know all the spiritual blessings Paul is teaching us about, blessings that are given to us freely because we are in Christ.
All Spiritual Blessings are for those "in Christ."
The word "blessings" in Ephesians 1:3 is specifically praise, laud, glory and honor to God and Jesus Christ. Therefore, "spiritual blessings" refers to all the deep wonderful things of God that only the Holy Spirit knows and reveals to us, that all magnify the Lord.
The key for anyone having all spiritual blessings are the two words "in Christ." Only a born again, regenerated child of God can have all spiritual blessings. In this blog's archives you can find a series of lessons titled "What Does It Mean to be in Christ" where this subject is explored in detail, posted from December 8, 2019 through January 2, 2020. I believe you would benefit from reviewing these essential truths.
Thoughts to Ponder...
Heaven is the location of all spiritual blessings.
All the spiritual blessings the Father has given to us are in heavenly places, in Christ. The phrase "in heavenly places" is used five times in the Bible and all of them are in the book of Ephesians. This phrase has the idea that each believer is right now seen as seated with Christ in heaven. It reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven not in this world. We are members of Christ's kingdom and mere pilgrims while we live on earth. This world is not our home but heaven is.
May the Lord strengthen our hearts with this truth and fill us with joy at the thought of Christ's return to take us home to glory.
When the days turn into a grind may we be reminded of our heavenly citizenship and all spiritual blessings which have been given in Christ. May the world grow strangely dim to our senses as we begin to apprehend even a bit of what our Father has given us.
Bob
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