Through Ephesians -01- Every Spiritual Blessing

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 (NIV)

Intro to the Series:

   Ephesus is in present day Turkey.

Acts 19: How the church in Ephesus began.

      Paul spent 3 years there.

Rev. 2:1-7 Ephesus is one of the 7 churches.

Chastised for having forgotten their first love. Commended for taking a stand against false teachings and false teachers.

I. The Blessed God Blesses us!

   A.   He Chose us! (v.4)

      1.   Before the foundation of the world! (When were you chosen by God?)

          a.    Before your grandparents’ grandparents’ grandparents had molecules, you were chosen by God!

      2.   He chooses us to be holy and blameless. (Eph. 5:3-8)

   B.   Oh how he Loves you and me! (v.5)

      1.   He love us enough to adopt us as sons and daughters.

      2.   He loves us so much he didn’t even start the big blue ball rolling until His plan was all worked out to the last detail.

      3.   It pleases God (God gets pleasure) in our adoption

   C.   He freely gives Grace (v.6)

      1.   Eph.2:8-9

      2.   The appropriate response to God’s gift of grace is PRAISE!

II.   We are blessed “In Christ”

   A.   “In” means “Because Of” (vv.7-10)

      1.   Because of what Jesus did on the cross we have redemption and forgiveness.

          a.    Redemption - we are bought back — redeemed from any claim Satan holds (held) on us.

          b.   Forgiveness — our sin no longer matters to God. He doesn’t even see it anymore!

      2.   Because of Jesus we have redemption and forgiveness and because of Jesus God’s plan is known to us (the “mystery” (v.9) has been revealed).

   B.   “In” means “By Means Of” (vv.11-12)

      1.   Through Jesus himself, God chooses us (v.11)

      2.   Jesus himself is intimately involved as not only the reason for, but also the means of our restored relationship with God.

   C.   “In” means “In Union With” (v.13)

      1.   We are able to benefit from what Jesus has done for us only as we are “included in Him.” (v.13)

      2.   We are united, become one with Christ, through our belief in the good news of our salvation.

III. Every spiritual blessing!

   A.   In the Heavenly realms (v.3)

      1.   Lit. “in the heavenlies” a phrase that occurs 5 times in Ephesians (1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12)

          a.    A place or plane of existence where Christ rules (1:20), where we have similar authority (2:6), where there is challenge to his authority (3:10), and where there is an actual spiritual war going on (6:12)

      2.   These blessings come from the heavenlies just as they are enjoyed by us spiritually (in that plane of our existence where we exist in the heavenlies).

      3.   We are, as a matter of fact, blessed right now with every spiritual blessing at that level of our existence.

   B.   Spiritual blessings are from the Spirit

      1.   These blessings are spiritual not merely because they pertain to the soul, but because they proceed from the Holy Spirit. (Charles Hodge)

   C.   The Spirit is the blessing (vv.13-14)

      1.   Ultimately every spiritual blessing is ours because the Spirit is within each of us.

      2.   The Spirit himself is the greatest blessing, since through Him we have a deeper and more intimate knowledge of God than we could ever have through our own devices alone.

      3.   The Spirit guarantees us the great blessings mentioned before:

          a.    Our redemption, forgiveness, adoption as God’s own children.

          b.   The spirit guarantees that we will become the “holy and blameless” ones God chose us to be.

          c.    The Spirit guarantees that our lives will be lived out “to the praise of his glorious grace.”

The Bottom Line: 

All this He gives for the “Praise of His glorious grace.” Let’s praise Him with our Mouths and with our Lives!