OUR NINE-FOLD BLESSINGS

 

OUR NINE-FOLD BLESSINGS

Eph. 1

The Apostle Paul gives us nine blessings that are ours as children of God. Some of our blessings were listed as part of our gift of salvation, yet I believe that it is essential for us to always remember just how great our salvation is. In Phil. 4:8, he reminds us to think about these things. We must never take for granted our life in Christ. We must always live in gratefulness for what Jesus has done for us.

We are positioned in Christ. 3,4,13 Notice that we have a heavenly place. We are blessed with every spiritual blessing of heaven in Christ Jesus. We are chosen by God to be holy in Christ Jesus. We are known in heaven as God’s children through Christ. We have a heavenly position, therefore, let is live victoriously in Christ while on earth.

We are predestined in Christ. 5 God loves us unconditionally. He loved us before we were ever born. Ps. 139 His eternal plan was to create us to be loved and to love Him in return. God loves us purposely; His plan has always been to adopt us as His own. He loves us sacrificially; He gave us Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. John 3:16 He loves us freely and gladly, for God is love.

We are participants in grace. 6 Grace is God’s kindness towards us even though we don’t deserve it.

We are participants in God’s will. 9,19 God’s will is always found in Christ. It is God’s will for us to be one in Christ. Broken fellowship is always rooted in Satan; Christ unites, never divides. It is God’s will for Christ to be the Lord of every child of God.

We are promised an inheritance. 11,12 We have hope in Christ. Our hope is in the completion of God’s plan for us. God does not start a project without completing it. All we have to do is let Him complete what He began in us at Calvary. If we do, we will be with Him eternally in heaven.

We are possessed by the Holy Spirit. 13,14 The Spirit is our possessor; we are sealed by Him in Christ. He is our promise. He is our preparer; He prepares us for the work God gives us to do, and He prepares us for heaven.

We are participants in prayer. 15-19a Prayer is an expression of our love for God and one another. It is an exciting release of God’s power through the church. And it is an exercise of a living faith.

We are powered by the Holy Spirit. 19b-23 Without the Spirit in control of us, we have no power to live the Christian life, we have no power to produce godly fruit (Gal. 5:22-23), we have no power to resist Satan, and we have no power to serve the Lord. In fact, without the Holy Spirit actively working in us, we have no connection to Christ.

We are blessed in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus! Feast on the blessings that are ours in Christ, and live like you are indeed blessed.