"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."Ephesians 1:3
Every spiritual blessing! That's how God has blessed us. Paul did not say God blessed us with five spiritual blessings or 20 spiritual blessings or even 100 spiritual blessings. God blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing! What does that mean?
First, keep in mind the context we've seen already. God speaks well of us from His Heavenly Throne.
Second, look at the words. "Every" is pase . It means "every kind or variety." "Spiritual" is pneumatike . It means "that which pertains to or proceeds from the spirit." In this context, it means that which proceeds from the Spirit of God. The word always connotes the idea of invisibility and of power. "Blessing" is eulogia . It means "to speak well of" and carries the idea of bestowing blessings on someone.
God speaks well of us. His actions follow His thoughts and His words. He blesses members of the Body of Christ with every kind or variety of spiritual good thing. It would be very unkind if someone spoke well of you but didn't do anything to demonstrate what they thought about it. God speaks well of us and does well for for us. He has given us "every spiritual blessing."
What are our "spiritual" blessings? Here are some of the basics. Make your own list each day and watch it grow!
Remember, God blessed you with "every spiritual blessing." There is not one spiritual blessing that you don't have. No other Christian is blessed more than you. That's impossible since God gave you "every spiritual blessing." You have as much access to God, as much access to spiritual knowledge and power, as much access to God's love and grace as any other Christian alive today or who has lived or will live. You are blessed!
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."Ephesians 1:3
The Apostle Paul used the phrase "in Christ" more than 160 times in his letters. He used "in Christ" and its variations at least 35 times in Ephesians. The concept is an important one to understand what we are and what we have as followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek words are en Christo . The root meaning of the preposition en , is "within." In the context of Ephesians 1:3, it means that God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing within the sphere of Christ. Our blessings come from our having an intimate relationship with Christ. It is because of Christ that we are blessed.
Christians have an extraordinary relationship with the living God. We live "in" Him and He lives "in" us! God places His Holy Spirit "in" us and the Spirit places us "in" Christ. One commentator wrote: "This mystic relation is likened to the air that is in us and yet we are in it." We could not exist if air was not in us and we were not in air. The same is true spiritually. We have spiritual life because we are "in" Christ and He is "in" us.
Here are several things God did for YOU "in Christ." (Taken from the many writings of the Apostle Paul)
Being "in" Christ means we're safe. Christ is all around us. He surrounds us with His love and grace. Christ is our safe harbor. He protects us. No one or no thing can get to us unless it first goes through Christ and he allows it. We are "in" Him. It is a very safe and kind place to live.
One of my favorite verses along that line of thinking is Philippians 4:6-7.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
The Greek rendering is that God places an elite guard around our emotions and thoughts and protects us within Christ. That "guard" is strong around us and nothing can pentetrate it. Our part is not to be anxious about anything, but to pray believing in God's provision. God gives us His peace, a peace that goes beyond anything we can grasp and understand. His peace guards our emotions and our thoughts "in" Christ Jesus.
All blessings flow from our relationship with Christ. Protection and peace come from our position of being "in Christ." Christians are eternally "in" Christ, but many of us get into trouble when we forget that and try to deal with life outside His protection. That's like running out of air and forgetting to inhale the air that's around us. We are in Christ! He is all around us. We are "in" Him and He is "in" us. Breathe deeply! You are safe. You are protected. You are in Christ!
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you..."Romans 1:8
"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus."1 Corinthians 1:4
"I thank my God every time I remember you."Philippians 1:3
"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you..."Colossians 1:3
"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers."1 Thessalonians 1:3
"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?"1 Thessalonians 3:9
"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers..."2 Thessalonians 1:3
"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth."2 Thessalonians 2:13
"I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers."2 Timothy 1:3
"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers..."Philemon 1:4
The Apostle Paul thanked God for the Christian brothers and sisters in his life. He began many of his letters with that spirit of thankfulness. Paul's words were rich and encouraging to those who received his letters. Paul felt thankful deep in his soul and understood the importance of sharing his thanks with those who were special in his life.
We need more of that in the Body of Christ: being thankful for our brothers and sisters and telling them, often. Life's rough enough as it is. Most people don't feel appreciated for who they are and what they do in families and communities. Unfortunately, most Christians don't feel appreciated in their local churches. Why is that? Is it because Christians really aren't thankful for other believers? Maybe with some, but many Christians are thankful. So why don't they share their thankfulness? Is it because we get very busy with our own concerns and take others for granted or just forget to say thanks? I think that's a big part of it.
A friend of mine calls it being "other-centered," rather than "self-centered." Being "other-centered" works in marriages, parenting and with fellow believers. It's understanding the work and efforts of others and regularly sharing your thankfulness to them. It also helps the entire Body of Christ to share your thankfulness to individuals openly to the whole church. Look at what Paul did.
"I commend to you our sister Phoebe...she has been a great help to many people, including me. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. they risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them...Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junias...they are outstanding among the apostles...Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ...Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very had in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too."Romans 16:1-13
Paul understood the Lord's Work and how to get it done. Paul passed the philosophy along to us through his writings. Here are three basics of doing God's Work that we should publish in bold letters in every place where Christians meet throughout the world.
Think about what would happen next Sunday if thousands of Christians stood up in churches around the world and shared their thanks for others in the Body of Christ! That one action could begin a revival of heart and soul across the land. But don't stop there. Remember Paul. He shared his thanks for other believers over and over again; year after year. Being thankful is not something you do one time. Keep sharing your thankfulness with your husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, pastor, elders, deacons, choir members, Bible teachers, class members, nursery workers, children's workers, youth workers, friends, everybody! People work for the Lord and they know the Lord is thankful for what they do, but they also want to know that you are thankful, too. Share the joy!
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."Colossians 2:6-7
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."1 Thessalonians 5:16
One of the most-asked questions I've heard from Christians through the years is "How can I know God's will for me?". God's answer is simple and powerful!
When we live our lives in this way, God can easily and clearly point us to other areas of His will for our lives. The difficult decisions about what to do, where to go, who to marry, etc., will become clear as we understand what it means for Christ to be "in" us and us to be "in" Christ. The Will of God lives in us and guides us. Ours is to listen, obey and enjoy.
Go to GraceThoughts3 for more GraceThoughts.
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © , 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
Taking God's Grace to the World!
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Last Updated: 12/20/1999