Spiritual Blessing in Christ

Ephesians 1:1–14 ESV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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, even as 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 to himself 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. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

The Initiator of our Salvation

Ephesians 1:4–10 ESV

even as 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 to himself 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. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

We think we initiatiate salvation that we choose god but notice what it says

God chose us - before the foundation of the world

again in love he predestined us for adoption as sons

You see God is the initiatior he is chose us

before he made us he chose us to be with him

He even had a plan for when we messed up as he knew we would

in the fullness of time he set forth Christ as he had planned

some claim this was just a arbitrary choice or a reaction to circumstances but he makes it clear that he did it in all wisdom and insight

understand our salvation and the provision for it were both planned out before the world even began

Blessings of Salvation

Ephesians 1:4–8 ESV

even as 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 to himself 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. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

God chose us to be holy and blameless - perfect sinless and in his presence

but we sinned

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons

Children of God - heirs of heaven

but we sinned

so because he knew we would sin he blessed us with the Beloved - with Jesus Christ our savior

in whom we have redemption - ransoming us out of slavery to sin

and forgiveness of our sins - pardoned of all guilt and punishment for our sins

these were paid for by the blood of christ his sacrifice provides atonement for us

this sacrifice is for any and all sins notice it says he gives it according to the riches of his grace and he lavished it upon us . His grace never runs dry No sin is to great to be forgiven except the rejection of the salvation itself.

For Romans 6:23 says

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thus all who reject him get the death they deserve for their sins.

Blessings of Inheritance

Ephesians 1:11–14 ESV

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Inheritance - yet to come

Revelation 21:3–4 ESV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

We will get to dwell with God

no death - eternal life

no mourning no tears - eternal joy and love

no pain - eternal bodies that do not tire and hurt

These are just a few of the blessings of our inheritance their are many more

Yet how can we be sure we will inherit

do we have any certainty or surety that we will inherit

Yes we do Paul says you do have a surety if indeed you are saved. Hear his words in vs 13.

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Thus if you have heard the gospel message that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead left the glory of heaven to come down and live as man a perfect and sinless life that he might become the perfect sacrifice for our sins and die on the cross that he might take upon himself the death that we deserved and thus give us the life that he himself deserved in his sinlessness. Thus atoning for our sin and providing for our pardon. Having heard this if you then believe in him and make him Lord of your life then you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy spirit then has two roles one he serves as the authentication of our salvation by his presence we know we have obtained salvation.

Two he himself is the guarantee of our inheritance Paul says in vs 14

Ephesians 1:14 ESV

who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Thus for those who have accepted Christ the Holy Spirit is both proof of our salvation and the down payment for our inheritance.

Therefore we as Christians can know that we know that we know we are saved and no one can take that away and we can know that we have an inheritance awaiting us in heaven. Oh the bountiful blessings of God in both this life and the next.

Invitation

My question is simply this have you accepted the blessings of God through Christ Jesus our Lord? Do you know that you know that you know you are saved and will one day dwell with God forever? If not will you accept him today.