Blessing the Blesser
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· 329 viewsChristians should worship God because he has blessed us with every blessing that is eternally valuable in Chirst.
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After Paul gives his introduction in verses 1:1-2, his starts this letter with worship.
3 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,
3 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,
What does it mean for God to be blessed? It means worthy of praise. God character is one that is worthy of honor and blessing. Even the High Priest, when Jesus was on trial referred to God this way. In , he asked Jesus,
Eph.
A.W. Tozer once noted that Scripture places that the glory of God was even more important than the salvation of man. Do you remember when the angels declared the birth of Christ? Notice the order of that announcement.
58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ”
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
The glory of God comes first, then the blessing of man because of Christ is mentioned.
We see this same priority in the Lord’s prayer:
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Whatever you do and become in life is second to whether your life displays the glory of God.
If that is why God created us, then why don’t I have a greater desire to worship him?
61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
It would radically change our idea of worship if we thought of God as “the Blessed.” He is the one worthy of my blessing.
+ Why did you come to worship? To worship the Blessed one?
*That’s why people that act like they are God bother us. They act like they deserve your blessing. But, their character doesn’t reflect the honor that they are expecting. But, God’s character does. When we are commanded to worship in Scripture it’s because God’s character reflects the honor he expects.
He is worthy of our glory, if for no other reason than he created us. God is worthy of the glory of his creation. But, Paul goes on to say that the Blessed is worthy of our blessing for more than just giving us life. Paul says that he has given us more than just life. In fact, Paul says that the Blesser has blessed us this way...
3 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,
What strikes me about that is that Paul is worthy of worship because he gives us every “spiritual” blessing in the heavenly places. He doesn’t withhold one of them. But what most of the time we wish this had said, “he has blessed us, not with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, “ but with “every material blessing on earth.” That’s something we could get behind. How much money has God given you? More than I could ever spend in 10 lifetimes. When is the last time you have been sick? Oh,
+ What if could say, because God loves me, “I’ve never been sick, as a matter of fact I can’t even get sick, I’m immune to all sickness.” What kind of car do you drive? I drive the newest model model year. God has given me every material blessing on earth! Why doesn’t God do that, now that would attract a lot of followers.
Why isn’t that what Paul is praising God for? It’s because God doesn’t do that. Well, why not? Because God wants to give you more than that.
*Lane sent a quote by C.S. Lewis this week that answers it real well.
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” -C.S. Lewis
“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” -C.S. Lewis
Because all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are better than all the material blessings on earth. We live in a crisis of knowing what we really need. Because we live in a material world, it feels like our greatest needs are physical. But they are not, they are spiritual side. Because, God created you to glorify him by becoming like him. Not becoming God, but to become godly. We live reflecting his glory as we live in a close vibrant, relationship with him.
Paul makes it clear where every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places is found. True blessings only come “in Christ.” By my count, 10 times in the first 14 verses of this letter, Paul says that these things come “in Christ,” “in him,” or in “the Beloved.”
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Eph.
3 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,
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
What does he mean, “in Christ?” What he means is that your blessings from God come via your faith relationship with Jesus Christ because of his work on your behalf. No blessing from God comes via your work on your behalf. The reason, the Bible tells us over and over, is that we are sinful and separated from God. And, God could have allowed us to continue to rebel against him.
Live in our depraved nature and send us to judgment forever. In the same way a righteous judge condemns a criminal to prison, God is glorified when he sends unrighteous sinners to judgment. But God chose to be glorified not only as a just judge, but also a a gracious redeemer. He desires not to allow all humanity to go to eternal judgement, so he sent Christ to redeem a people for himself to create a new humanity in Christ. God has been working toward that end for all eternity. Here are 5 works that God did in Christ to pour on you all the spiritual riches in Christ Jesus.
I’m about speak to believers about what God has done for them. But, if you are not a believer today, I want you to listen closely. It will be what God has done for you if you trust in Christ.
I. In Christ, God chose you (v.4)
I. In Christ, God chose you (v.4)
God chose you how? God chose for salvation before the foundation of the world. He decided one day he would work to change your heart so that on day by faith you would know the riches found in Christ. And by being in Christ, you would be restored to God forever.
What’s important about that? Your salvation didn’t begin with your choice of God; it began with God’s choice of you. That’s why he is the blessed one. That makes him worthy of praise. Even though we deserved hell, he chose to save us. As you might expect, his saving was a saving from the judgment of sin.
A. God chose that we would be blameless (v.4)
A. God chose that we would be blameless (v.4)
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
“ Blameless” means that when you stand before God, God sees you as not under condemnation. There is no sin on your record that must be judged.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans
How can that be? We clearly have sin? It is that way because your sinfulness is replaced with God’s righteousness. You get the credit for the righteousness that Christ earned. But this wasn’t the end goal. God’s saving is more than just escaping judgment. It’s a transforming salvation. In Christ, God is in the process of recreating you into what you were intended to be, holy.
How can that be?
B. God chose that we would be holy
B. God chose that we would be holy
B. God chose that we would be holy (v.4)
B. God chose that we would be holy (v.4)
Holy means different. Set apart from a sinful world. God has you in the process of what the Bible calls sanctification. That means God is slowly transforming you into a person that looks less like a sinful world and more like Jesus.
Does that sound like a good thing? You better believe it. You see ultimately, God’s chosing, or God’s predestining us for salvation is a remarkable act of love. Whatich is why Paul follows this by saying,
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Now, the brings up God’s second acts of God to pour out the riches of Christ on you.
II. In Christ, God adopted you as his children. (vv.5-6)
II. In Christ, God adopted you as his children. (vv.5-6)
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Eph. 1:5-6
God’s saving work doesn’t just simply give us right standing before God as holy. But it gives us unique standing before God as his children. That is a special gift. The Bible refers to being a part of God’s family in other ways too.
Jesus told Nicodemus, you have “to be born again” to enter the kingdom of God.
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
That’s how you enter into a family. You are born into it. That new birth is also called regeneration. That means we were once dead in sin, but we come alive in Christ.
That standing is unique to believers in Christ. The angels in heaven are holy, but they don’t have standing as children. In Christ, you have that standing. That’s why you can walk into God’s throne room and ask him for anything that you need in prayer. You are his child.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
You are his child, don’t neglect the opportunity to step into his presence and cry out for help.
You might ask, “Why would God do this?” Why does God give me this great blessing, but didn’t give this great blessing to someone else that I know? The Bible only gives us one answer that question. He chooses and adopts, “according to the purpose of his will.” (v.5). -Someone might respond, “That’s not a good enough answer!” It’s going to have to do. I’m sure that God has his reasons that fit his bigger plan. But what we can know for sure is that God didn’t make you his child because you were worthy of it and someone else wasn’t. He did it out of his love.
*Growing up did you ever ask your parents a question that they answered, “When you get older, I’ll give you the answer.” We are wait for eternity for a lot of answers and this is one of them. However, let’s not neglect the opportunity to worship God that made us his child simply out of his love and grace. (v.6)
III. In Christ, God redeemed you from the slavery of sin. (v.7)
III. In Christ, God redeemed you from the slavery of sin. (v.7)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Redemption means to purchase and set free by paying a price. In there roman Empire there were some 60 million slaves. They were often bought and sold like we do used cars on Craig’s List. So, when Paul says that we have redemption through the blood of Christ, we need to understand why. The reason is that outside of Christ, we are slaves to sin.
We were born with a sin nature. That sin nature directs us to put ourselves and our glory before God’s. It causes us to act in direct disobedience to God’s desires. It causes you to pursue your own glory. What happens when you pursue your own glory?
Life Principle: Sin promises you happiness, but it always delivers you misery.
Life Principle: Sin promises you happiness, but it always delivers you misery.
But in Christ, God is destroying in effects of sin. In Christ, our sins are forgiven. The cage door is open. Christian, there is no reason to live as if you are still enslaved to sin. You can come out and live for his glory, which is where you will find your joy.
Life Principle: God asks you to believe on Christ and leads you eternal joy.
Life Principle: God asks you to believe on Christ and leads you eternal joy.
When he does, look at the measure of his grace.
A. The Measure of God’s Grace (vv.7b-8)
A. The Measure of God’s Grace (vv.7b-8)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
Lavished! That’s not a word that we expect to find in the Bible! It’s seems to extravagant. It doesn’t seem like the God we envision that expects us to walk the line or get hammered. Lavished. That’s what rich parents do to their spoiled kids. Lavished. That’s what rich husbands do for their trophy wives. Well, in Christ, you are not spoiled, but you are the child of the King who has more than you could have ever imagined. The church is the bride of Christ. The trophy wife whose glory glorifies our husband. Now, we get a sense of the joy of the gospel.
B. The Mystery God’s Will (vv.9-10)
B. The Mystery God’s Will (vv.9-10)
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
When we read the word “mystery” in the Bible, it means something that was hidden up to this point, but is now revealed. In the Gospel, God makes it clear why Christ is so important to what God is doing on earth.
If we go all the way back to the beginning, God created Adam and Eve to live in perfect relationship with God enjoying his goodness and caring for all that he had made. We were made in his image is be his imager on earth. But sin shattered that image in us. It is there, but it is distorted. Sin separated mankind from God. When Adam and Eve sinned they were kicked out of the garden of Eden, kicked out of his presence.
Sin continued to run rampant on the earth. So rapid that the kind of unity that mankind tried to maintain resulted in them trying to build a Tower of Babel that would rival God’s greatness. They could achieve greatness separated from God. So God had to separate them even more, by dividing their languages and creating different nations.
Is there anyway for God to bring humanity back together again united once together with him? Yes. God is bringing people from every tribe tongue people and nation into Christ and back to himself. Which is why Jesus told us in the great commission.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus is not an American Savior. He is not a white man’s savior. But he is the only savior that can bring every nation back to God. If you are here today, and you are not his yet. I believer you are here for Christ to unite you back to God.
IV. In Christ, God has bestowed on you an inheritance. (v.11)
IV. In Christ, God has bestowed on you an inheritance. (v.11)
11 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,
*I read about a cartoon that showed this pompous lawyer reading a client’s last will and testament to a group of greedy relatives. The caption read: “I, John Jones, being of sound mind and body, spent it all!” When Jesus Christ wrote His last will and testament for His church, He made it possible for us to share His spiritual riches. Instead of spending it all, Jesus Christ paid it all. His death on the cross and His resurrection makes possible all the riches of heaven.
V. In Christ, God has sealed you by the power of the Holy Spirit. (vv.13-14)
V. In Christ, God has sealed you by the power of the Holy Spirit. (vv.13-14)
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
13 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,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
God gives us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we have these riches in Christ. When you put a deposit in a bank, they give you a guarentee based on the governement that up to 250,000 you can’t lose your money. But let me ask you this, what happens if the government goes under? No bank on earth can give you an absolute guarantee. But God can and he does.
This word “seal” is not used very often in Scripture, but where it does it means a promise.
*In the ancient world, whenever a king wanted to authenticate a decree he would mark it with a wax impression from his signet ring. That seal was promise from the king that that decree would take place. Can you lose your salvation? If it was based on your promise and your works to be faithful to God, not only could you lose it but don’t think anyone would keep it. But, because it is based on God’s work in Christ and God’s promise, rejoice, it is secure. We fail often, but when we feel that conviction of the Holy Spirit, we are reminded my soul secure in Christ! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Spiritual blessings are eternal blessings.
