The Blessing

279 0

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3Praise 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 1:1-3

Introduction

  • Do not be like Hetty Green, also known as “America’s Greatest Miser”
    • When she was alive, she ate cold oatmeal everyday because of the cost it took to heat it.
    • Her son’s leg was amputated because she delayed too long in treating it as she was looking for a free clinic.
    • She died in 1916, and left an estate worth over $100 million
    • She had such great assets yet lived a miserable life.
    • Listener Participation: Ask them if they’ve had Hetty moments in their life, or if they have things that they know they shouldn’t scrimp on yet they still do.
    • The same could be said of many Christians today. We have many wonderful blessings at our disposal, yet we either don’t appreciate them, or do not use them to their full potential.
  • The book of Ephesians describes many of the great spiritual blessings available to us.
    • We will be discussing this epistle for the next 15 days.
    • Lest we become the spiritual equivalent of Hetty Green, we will study this book so that we can “mine” for the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus.

1. God has given us every spiritual blessing (v. 3b)

  • I’ve got a whole sun to myself!” – J.R. Caldwell
    • Relate the story about the elderly Scottish woman who claimed the sun as her own one day.
    • Relate a personal testimony regarding about how sometimes it feels like God is blessing you personally.
  • God’s gracious gift of salvation can be experienced by all who believe, and we can fully enjoy its blessings without diminishing their enjoyment by others.
    • This is because God and his provisions are limitless
    • His greatness is self-evident, yet almost overwhelming in its infinite capacity
  • God has given us every spiritual blessing, not just a few, but every single one!
    • As will be revealed later, they comes to us as a result of God’s grace, glory, and mercy.
  • These blessings are spiritual in nature, unlike many of the blessings to the nation of Israel of old, which were more material

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

James 1:17

Scope of these blessings:

  1. They are in the heavenly places
    • referring to the spiritual realm, as opposed to the physical
    • this phrase is found only in the Ephesians
  2. They are “in Christ”

Can you name some spiritual gifts or blessings from God that you have already received? What about those that you are still praying to receive?

2. Receive God’s blessings in Christ (v. 3c)

  • It is only in Christ that one can have access to every spiritual blessing.
    • Recall what we said in the last CG, “Christ is our life”.
    • This phrase is mentioned 27 times in the epistle.
  • Christ is the “place” where believers reside, the source in which they find God’s salvation and blessings, the framework in which they live and work.
    • Christ is the source of all spiritual blessings
    • It is as if Christ is a vast repository holding the gifts of God

Are you ensuring that every aspect of your life has Christ “stamped” all over it?

3. Respond by praising God (v. 3a)

  • God’s gifts are ours for the taking, and we should show our overflowing gratitude to Him by giving Him praise
    • Recall what we said in the lesson “What Does it Take to Please God” – Have a thankful heart
    • God wants to see or hear us actually express our thanks to Him

Apart from literally singing and dancing in praise of His name, in what other ways are you praising God as you live your day to day life?

Conclusion

26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27
  • As faithful believers, we are rightful recipients of these gifts.
  • Remember that if you are born again, God has given you “every spiritual blessing in Christ”.

Challenge #1

Read the entire letter prior to the next caregroup. Before you begin reading, pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Challenge #2

Think of some specific spiritual gifts that you want to pray for. Write them down on the space provided, and try to pray for them consistently during the next week. Share the results on the next caregroup.

Leave a Reply