We have heard of blessings but what are spiritual blessings and what do they mean for us? Let’s dig into Ephesions 1 and learn.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Ephesians 1:3
Spiritual Blessing – Redeemed
All who surrender to Jesus are redeemed. The ancient Greek word for redemption is lootruo meaning “to liberate on the receipt of a ransom.” (Gaebelein) Our sin incurred a debt, the price of death according to Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Spiritual Blessing – Accepted & Chosen
Christ paid the punishment for our sins through His death on the cross. We are accepted (chariot meaning “highly favored” or “full of grace”) because of Christ’s work to redeem us. God chose us before the foundation of the world before we did anything for Him, and He offers His grace to all willing to accept Him. (verse 4) Strong’s Concordance says grace (xáris in Greek) means God is “always leaning toward (us)”.
Spiritual Blessing – Adopted
Can’t you see God leaning over the rails of heaven, waiting and watching for us to respond by accepting His wonderful gift? He adopted us as His own. (verse 5) In Roman law, “The person who had been adopted had all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family, completely losing all rights to his old family. Even old debts and obligations previously connected to him were abolished.” (Barclay) Gaebelein adds, “Believers in the Lord Jesus are not merely adopted into the family of God; they are born again. There is no “previous life”.
Spiritual Blessing – Forgiven
Think about our old identity before salvation; what a relief to have all guilt and shame removed! David sang, “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Psalm 32:1-4) All believers have unspeakable spiritual riches! (verse 18)
Considering Ephesus was the “bank of Asia”, it is significant that Paul mentions the believer’s wealth in Christ. Our bank is in heaven where the fullness of our glorious inheritance awaits! (See Warren Weirsbe’s Be Rich for a great resource on heavenly inheritance!)
Spiritual Blessing – Personal Relationship with Christ
God’s unfolding plan for those who surrender to Him not only includes the blessings of salvation and personal transformation but also a warm, confident relationship with the Father. (Guzik) My earthly father was loving and caring and demonstrated God’s love. As a child, I loved to sit on Daddy’s lap or cuddle next to him. This comforting image of a good father has translated into my spiritual life.
When I have a problem, I climb right into God’s lap and we talk about it. I am blessed to have this personal, confident relationship with the Father and it’s available to all! As His child, we can go before Him boldly because He is our loving Father. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Charles Spurgeon said, “We are not sitting here groaning, and crying, and fretting, and worrying, and questioning our own salvation. He has blessed us. If you think little of what God has done for you, you will do very little for him; but if you have a great notion of His great mercy to you, you will be greatly grateful to your gracious God.” (Enduring Word)
Spiritual Blessing – Mercy
When we realize His great mercy, we cannot help but “make every effort” to live holy and godly lives in worship toward Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not only to praise God for what He has done, we are to live a wholly surrendered life before Him and share His glorious hope with others! (2 Peter 1:3-11)
Honoring the Lord with our lives and sharing the gospel with those around us is to be marked with and woven through with love. Clarke reminds us, “But as love is the fulfilling of the law, and love the fountain whence their salvation flowed, therefore love must fill their hearts towards God and each other.”
Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel in love and be intentional in engaging with people as you point them to Jesus!
I pray this Bible Study has been a blessing to you, today. It is an excerpt from my writings at Gracefully Truthful.
Be Blessed!
Mandy Farmer
How to Have a Personal Relationship with Christ
Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
