Spiritual Blessings, Part I

Reading through Ephesians the overall theme I am just captivated with is Paul's two word statement "in Christ." This two word statement is the bedrock of this Epistle. The blessings that overflow in this letter are not found independently, but they are found in Jesus Christ. He is the fount from which blessings flow, He is the giver and the gift. The first spiritual blessing found in Jesus Christ is:

Sovereign Election by God unto salvation

Ephesians 1: 4-6 "...he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 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."

John 6:3 "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."

John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

Acts10:47-48 " For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."

Let this first promise comfort your sin sick heart. You didn't save yourself. You cannot save yourself, but God in His infinite mercy HAS saved you. Not due to anything you have done, haven't done, tried to do, or want to do. Not because He looked forward through the corridors of time and saw that you would have faith in Him. He saved you out of pure grace. You don't deserve, I do not deserve it, but He did it; in love.

This promise, it's our promise, in Christ.

The Blessing of God

I have started a reading through the book of Ephesians, and I hope to share my insights, thoughts, and musings on this book with all 3 of my faithful followers.

"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.."

What are the blessings, in Scripture, that are mine in Christ? That is my first adventure.

Stay tuned

The Soul's Anchor

This is a wonderful and comforting analogy I read in Walter Marshall's book "The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification"

Hebrews 6:19 "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.."

"In ancient days sailing vessels at times could not get close enough to shore to dock. So while the ship waited off shore the crew would place the ship's anchor in a small boat called the forerunner, bring it to the shore, and tie up the small boat at the place where the sailing vessel was supposed to dock. When the weather conditions permitted, the crew would pull in that anchor chain and slowly draw the ship into shore."

"Jesus is our anchor. Jesus is also our forerunner. He is in heaven, the safe haven. But we are connected to Him by a bond that no storm can ever snap. One day His almighty hands will pull us to safety, where He is."

John 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Gethsemane

Luke 22:44:

"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Behold your King! Though the moonlight steals

Through the silvery sprays of the olive tree

No star-gemmed scepter or crown it reveals,

In the solemn shade of Gethsemane.

Only a form of prostrate grief,

Fallen, crushed, like a broken leaf!

Oh, think of His sorrow, that we may know

The depth of love in the depth of woe!

Behold, your King, with sorrow crowned,

Alone, alone in the valley is He!

The shadows of death are gathering round,

And the cross must follow Gethsemane.

Darker and darker the gloom must fall,

Filled is the cup, He must drink it all!

Oh, think of His sorrow, that we may know,

His wondrous love in His wondrous woe!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

In Christ

In Christ:

Every Spiritual Blessing is mine/ours: Eph1:3

I /we are Chosen by God to be Holy & Blameless Before Him: Eph 1:4

I am/we are Predestined for Adoption through Christ: Eph 1:5

I/we have Redemption: Eph 1:7

I/we know the Mystery of His will: Eph 1:9

I/ we have Obtained an inheritance: Eph 1:11

I/we have Hope: Eph 1:12

I/we have Heard the Word of truth & received the Holy Spirit: Eph 1:13

I/we have been Glorified because Jesus is glorified Romans 8:17

"Union with Christ is all embracing because it encompasses all divine blessing in Christ... Christ gives us Himself. He is our wisdom, He is our strength, He is our compassion, He is our sanctification. The secret to the Christian life is to more intimately know the Christ to whom the believer is bound forever. If you are a believer Christ is in you, and you are in Him; forever."

In Christ is where all my/our hope is found!

Sanctification by grace

This first thing to remember, of course, is that we must never separate the benefits (regeneration, justification, sanctification) from the Benefactor (Jesus Christ). The Christians who are most focused on their own spirituality may give the impression of being the most spiritual ... but from the New Testament's point of view, those who have almost forgotten about their own spirtuality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about ourself and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sinclair Ferguson

My Jesus

Christ is:

My life: Colossians 3:3
"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

My righteousness: 2 Corinthians 5:21
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

My sanctification: 1 Corinthians 6:11
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

My redemption: Ephesians 1:7
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,"

My friend: John 15:15
"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

My brother: Hebrews 2:10-11
"For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,"

Christ is my All in All

No Condemnation

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"

the Power of the Gospel

"The gospel not only ignites the Christian life, but is the fuel that keeps Christians going and growing everyday." tullian tchividjian

Ignites: Saving Grace

Eph. 2:4-5

"4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved"

Going: Sustaining Grace

2 Timothy 2:1

"You then my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus"

Growing: Sanctifying Grace

2 Thessalonians 2:13

"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin

The gospel is all we need.

Show me Your glory!

Exodus 33:12-23

Big Idea:

As a type and shadow of Jesus, Moses pleads with the Lord as an intercessor asking that the Lord Himself be with the people. Moses asks for the Lord to show him His glory as a sign of the Lord’s presence. In a beautiful display of His mercy, the Lord protects Moses in the cleft of the rock from being killed by the full manifestation of His glory.

Word Study:

Glory: The Hebrew word for glory is “kabowd” which means splendor, dignity, honor. God displays to Moses His glory, and splendor, all the time showing mercy to Moses.

Application:

God ultimately displays His glory in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. In the cross is the full manifestation of God’s splendor, dignity and honor. We are protected by the mercy of God, as Moses was in the cleft, in Christ whom was given as a sacrifice for our sin. Direct the eyes of our heart, and our people to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ.