Ephesians 1:1-14 Consider your blessings

Crazy week

Personal – home renovations / rental house roof issues / exposure to COVID

Parsonage – still battling with three different closing issues including some new items that have arose.

People – six people sick with COVID in the church / two in the hospital

Charging phone multiple times a day because I was on it all day, every day. Feeling stressed. Getting short with individuals and feeling bad about that.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed.

And in every situation I have no real control. There may be things I can do, and decisions to make, but ultimately I can neither prevent the situations nor can I control the ramifications of the events.

And so it is with all of us. Every day. We seek to live wise. And we trust God who is in control.

In the midst of all life, it is easy to lose perspective. On who is in control. We aren’t. He is.

On what is important. In my case, most of the issues are of really little long term consequence. Only the people things really mattered..

It is easy to lose perspective.

On how blessed we are.

Sometimes just need to stop and look at the big picture. To see how blessed we truly are.

This is true in the physical realm. The reason I am stressing about houses, is that I own two of them. The church owns one. Think about that. Rather than continuing to rejoice that we have stuff – we complain and stress because of the stuff we have.

But there is an even more important point. In addition to the physical blessings we all enjoy in America, As a Christian we have real blessing.

Already. Because of our relationship with Christ. Paul begins His letter to the Ephesians by setting the proper perspective for the Christian life. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit has already blessed us with eternal blessings that we enjoy and possess right now.

Let’s contemplate those blessings. Let’s live our lives based on these blessings. Let’s not get distracted with the unimportant as we instead focus on our God.

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, … 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

I. Consider your blessings: The Father’s plan for blessing

A. A plan already implemented

(NKJV) Ephesians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

1. Every possible spiritual blessing already given

2. We already reside in the heavenly realm (though we don’t see it)

3. In relationship in Christ

B. A plan developed before the foundation of the world

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

1. Before the fall the plan was complete

2. Before any part of creation the plan was complete

3. Don’t get confused about all this – we aren’t God – Just know that God has it under control. His plan for you is an ancient plan.

C. A plan to give new status

4 … that we should be holy and without blame ..,

5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, …

6 …, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

1. Without blame (holy) -His plan – make us like Christ

a) Salvation in Christ – justification transfer

b) Make us like Christ in practice – sanctification – life is a process by which His goal is to make us like Him – every part of life is shaped by this

2. Adopted sons (chosen)

a) Privilege in the family (not earned – but granted)

b) Relationship / authority / right to ask / power

3. Accepted

a) We are accepted unconditional – can’t blow it

D. A plan that pleased Him

4 … that we should be holy and without blame … before Him in love,

5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, … according to the good pleasure of His will,

6 …, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. to the praise of the glory of His grace,

1. Face to face in the presence of His love

2. Because it pleased Him

II. Consider your blessings: The Son’s sacrifice that brought blessing

Note the many times the phrase “in Him’ occurs

A. In Him – Redemption

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood,

1. Set free through His blood – no longer in bondage – free – debt paid

B. In Him - forgiveness

7…the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,

1. Guilt removed – forgiven

2. abundantly received grace – way more than enough

3. just because it pleases Him – He did it because He wanted to – not on because of our effort or because we deserved it

C. In Him – Inheritance

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

1. Have an inheritance

a) Already – not just future

b) In the will / like a Son of God / Rights and privileges

2. His active purpose at work

D. In Him – Object of faith

12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation;

1. Intent – to be for His glory

2. through trusting in the gospel – trust Him by faith

3. Individual accountability – hear the gospel / trust the gospel = salvation and new position

III. Consider your blessings: The Spirit’s Assurance of those blessings

A. He gives - Security

13 … in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

1. Marked as His possession

2. Made safe by His authority

a) Try to violate the seal – messing with the one in charge (Romans sealing the tomb of Jesus)

B. He gives - Guarantee

14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance

1. A downpayment – foretaste of what is ahead

a) Break the deal you lose the downpayment

b) If the Lord does not deliver the inheritance, the Spirit would be lost

2. A taste of what is ahead

a) A little bit now of what you ultimately will receive in full

b) The guidance / comfort / assurance / power is only a foretaste of the ultimate inheritance

C. He gives - Ultimate full possession

14 … until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

1. Awaiting ultimate and full redemption of the possession

2. There is a waiting period (a world groaning while it waits)

3. But certain to come

Perspective

In the midst of struggle consider your blessings. Not merely the physical but the spiritual and eternal. If you are a Christian the blessings have already arrived. And it will only get better. So let’s not get all stressed over stuff that doesn’t matter. Let’s do the wise thing, but let us trust God now. The One who has a plan for blessing for us. Let us trust the Son whose sacrifice has resulted in the blessing for us. Let us trust the Spirit who makes us secure until the time when we see the full blessings bestowed.