BENEDICTION

The Power of Blessing

The first blessing in the Bible came from the direct action of God. Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them...” The Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words states that blessing was and is the normal state of people before God.

To be blessed means to have benefits conferred upon you. It means that necessary stores of power, prosperity, protection, and peace are yours in Jesus Christ. We could speak at length of the content of these blessings. The Bible, however, goes much further than that, for the biblical record does not just share with us that God is willing to act favorable toward us; rather, it also tells us the essential nature of this blessing.

The Bible focuses PRIMARILY on the relationship that exists between parties, for it is in that relationship that the blessings are conferred. As the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary says, “God blesses with a benefit on the basis of the relationship.

The blessing is not the blessing, so to speak. The blessing is the residual outcome of having a proper relationship. The relationship is the real perk.

ONCE IT WAS THE BLESSING, NOW IT IS THE LORD

ONCE IT WAS THE FEELING, NOW IT IS HIS WORD

ONCE HIS GIFT I WANTED, NOW THE GIVER OWN

ONCE I SOUGHT FOR HEALING, NOW HIMSELF ALONE

ONCE, IT WAS MY WAS WORKING, HENCE IT THEN SHALL BE

ONCE I TRIED TO USE HIM, NOW HE USES ME

ONCE THE POWER I WANTED, NOW THE MIGHTY ONE

ONCE FOR SELF I LABORED, NOW FOR HIM ALONE

ALL IN ALL IS JESUS, JESUS WOULD I SING

EVERYTHING IN JESUS, AND JESUS EVERYTHING

Blessing, then, is all about relationships.

of parents to their children: Genesis 49:28: “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.”

of the people of God: Deuteronomy 33:1: “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.”

However, we have not where we may bless others. The blessing must come from God. Exodus 32:29 says, “For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.”

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:”

to bless (favor) — verb. to invoke (or enact) divine favor, often implying a positive disposition or kind actions toward the recipient.

opposite of cursing

James 3:10: “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

John Ortberg teaches us something about the nature of blessing when he wrote, “Blessing is not just a word. Blessing is the projection of good into the life of another. We must think it, feel it, and will it. We communicate it with our bodies. Blessing is kind of like an ancient dance of the Hokey-Pokey; before you finish you have to ‘put your whole self in’.” Blessing is done by the soul.

Researchers have actually found what are sometimes called "mirror neurons" that indicate we are wired to bless. When we watch another person perform an action, we have neurons that fire just as if we ourselves were performing that action. Researchers speculate that this allows us to learn by imitation, but also to have empathy for other people. Actually, brain studies are teaching us even more about the soul than that. When we watch another person suffer, a part deep in the brain behind the temples called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) burns with activity. The greater the distress the brighter the ACC burns. However, activity in the ACC does not predict altruism. That is predicted by activity in another part of the brain (dmPFC-_don't ask). It turns out that we are most likely to actually help someone, not simply when we see them suffer, but when we also consider ourselves "attached" to them (this is what the dmPFC activity indicates). Seeing suffering does not move me to act if I think of the person as "him." (Remember the priest and the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan.) But when I think of that person as part of "us," part of "me," then I am moved to bless.

I Timothy 1:2: “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”

II Timothy 4:22: “The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”

Romans 16:20: “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

I Corinthians 1:3: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 6:18: “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Philippians 1:2: “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

II Thessalonians 3:18: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Philemon 25: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

II John 3: “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Paul’s Wish for Grace

This matter of grace must be important, because of the 13 inspired letters of Paul, they each begin and end with a note about grace. In essence, 26 texts speak of God’s grace. Someone noted that all of the ones that begin the epistle say “Grace to you” and all of the ones at the ends of the book say “Grace with you.”

Philemon 3 and 25

Titus 1:1 and 3:15

II Timothy 4:22 and 1:1

I Timothy 1:1 and 6:21

II Thessalonians 1:2 and 3:18

I Thessalonians 1:1 and 5:28

Colossians 1:2 and 4:18

Philippians 1:2 and 4:23

Ephesians 1:2 and 6:24

Galatians 1:3 and 6:18

II Corinthians 1:2 and 13:14

I Corinthians 1:3 and 16:23

Romans 1:7 and 16:20

Common Grace

In theology, when we talk about “common grace,” we are talking about those wonderful things that God does for all of us. These are acts of grace through which we may live our lives. It is defined by Paul Enns as, “God’s unmerited favor to all mankind in providing sunshine, rainfall, food, and clothing.” But here, I want us to think of that which is in common to all of these benedictions. To some, he says grace and mercy. To others, he says grace and peace or grace, mercy, and love, but to all he says grace. It must mean that grace is so central to the Christian life that it permeates everything. Without it, there could be nothing else.

God’s Grace

We must note, secondly, that it is God’s grace. Remember, it is unmerited favor, and because there is no favor in us, it must flow to us through someone who is deserving of power, love, and favor. That, of course, is Jesus Christ. John Piper said, “Grace is the overflow of God's total self-sufficiency. He has no deficiencies that we could remedy by our works, and so he cannot negotiate with us for some good we could offer.”

Future Grace

The use of this phrase it futuristic in its meaning. Paul is saying, “Wherever you are and in whatsoever state you are, you are going to need this favor from God.” The use of benediction is forward-looking. “When you wish something on someone, you are wishing it on them for the future—meaning the period of time that starts now.” STARTING NOW, I am projecting my innermost desire that God may visit you in unmerited ways— and we remember that blessing is all about relationship, so I am praying that through the merits of His Son, Jesus Christ, God the Father may bestow blessings upon your life.

I Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Piper: “In other words day-by-day as Paul looks to the next moment of his life and ministry, he says, "Not I but the grace of God" that is being given to me fresh and new for every new future challenge and need.”

HOW DOES ALL THIS WORK?

at the beginning

at the beginning of his letter he realizes that they are about to hear his word—the apostolic word, the authoritative Word of God. So he says: in and through this hearing of the Word of God grace is coming TO you.

at the conclusion

he realizes that the listening church will soon not be reading any more; they will be going out into a very hostile world. The parchment will be rolled up and treasured in someone's safe at home until the next reading. Is there more grace besides what comes to us as we hear the Word of God? Paul answers 13 times, "Grace be with you." Yes. Grace does not stay locked up with the scroll in the safe. It goes with you. Because Christ goes with you. At the end of 2 Thessalonians (3:16) Paul says, "The Lord be with you all." This is what it means that grace will be with you. The Lord will be graciously with you, by his Spirit.

The Lord Jesus Christ be with Your Spirit

Part 2

The purpose of a benediction is to declare a reality. It speaks a spiritual fact about your life.

Philemon 25: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

Onesimus

my son

begotten in bonds

was unprofitable to you

profitable now to thee and to me

I have sent him home again to you

A PLACE OF DECISION- receive him

it would have to be done willingly (14)

receive him as Paul himself

Paul

aged

prisoner of the Lord Jesus

had won Onesimus to Christ

discipled him

Paul was willing to pay for any damages Onesimus might have caused

Philemon

would have to forgive Onesimus

would have to receive like Paul that he loved inspite of being the Onesimus that he hardly trusted

upon Paul’s suggestion, Onesimus would not just be restored to his previous employment but accepted into the household as a brother

It is the best prayer we can put up for our friends, that the Lord Jesus Christ may be with their spirits, to sanctify and save them, and at last to receive them to himself

THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOUR SPIRIT. AMEN.