Ephesians 1

"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)

In Christ alone we experience everything we need for time and for eternity!  As His children we have already been made recipients of every possible blessing.  Some of these spiritual blessings we will not experience fully until we are eternally with the Lord.  They are so sure a future reality, however, that we can claim them now!  Hence, our attitudes must be different than the people of the world. When we face difficulties in this world we know we have a faithful God who will protect us and guide us. When we face difficulties in this world, we know we have a sure and eternal future with the Lord! Therefore, we can face each new day with assurance and joy.

As children of God we experience many awesome spiritual blessings.  First, the Lord chose us and then adopted us to be His children!  Secondly, in the Lord Jesus Christ we also according to Ephesians 1:7-8 "have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."  Slaves in Biblical times were freed by the payment of ransom.  The payment required for our ransom from sin and the devil was the blood of Jesus.  Jesus had to suffer hell on the cross for us, so we would not need to suffer the just punishment for our sins.  In the unconditional and unbounded love and grace of God we were forgiven of our sins and made His children!

Another spiritual blessing we receive from the Lord is according to Ephesians 1:10b His bringing "all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."  In a world where many things do not make sense in our minds we can anticipate with excitement a time when all things will be brought together under Christ's headship.  In eternity the things that we can not understand on this earth will all fall into place and make sense!  We will then fully see that the Lord's plan and purpose through it all was good and right.

Finally, according to Ephesians 1:13b-14 we have the spiritual blessing of being "marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of His glory."  The seal of the Holy Spirit on us means we belong to the Lord for time and for eternity!  This seal is a a kind of down payment on the glories we will experience for all of eternity!

We are given salvation and all of God's spiritual blessings for a purpose, however.  That purpose is to bring glory and honor to the Lord with our lives.  Ephesians 1:4b says that He chose us "to be holy and blameless in His sight."  Only the blood of the cross was sufficient to purchase our salvation, and because of that blood we stand righteous before the Holy God.  As His children, however, we also need to grow in practical day to day holiness in our lives.  As children of God we need to reflect the character of Jesus more and more in our lives.  According to Ephesians 1:12b  it is our purpose as the Lord's children that we "might be for the praise of His glory."  Only as we are living for the Lord and for His glory are we ever going to find purpose and meaning in our lives.  It is the only way to joy and peace.

According to Ephesians 1:17b It should be our consuming passion that we "may know Him better." We should desire with all of our hearts to have not just a head knowledge of the Lord, but also a growing experience of His love and working in our lives.  The Lord promises us that we have His strength to live for His glory.  According to Ephesians 1:19-20 we have "His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead."  We have His resurrection power in our lives!  Isn't that an awesome thought?  May it be our passion to live our lives in holiness and in His resurrection power!  May it be our passion to live for His glory!