Sunday 12July09: Ephesians 1: 3 - 14 NIV
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 v.3
This morning my Pastor pointed out the many blessings that God has bestowed on all of us who believe in Jesus Christ. I have read this passage many times before, but this is the first time I realise that I have missed an important conjunction,"for" in v. 4, which explains Paul's assertion about spiritual blessings in heavenly realms.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight
This word "for" appears to be a gateway in this passage that allows us to traverse a list of of blessings which God has already blessed us with, as follows:
we have been chosen in Christ, even before Creation, to be holy and blameless in his sight,
we were predestined to be adopted as his children, through Christ,
we have been redeemed (the pastor said, "purchased, bought back") through his blood, and are forgiven of our sins
to us have been revealed the mystery (plan - kept secret from Israel for a long time), of his will, a very long term plan, to be fulfilled in the years to come.
we have an inheritance from God's riches, and
we have a guarantee, or seal, of that inheritance - the Holy Spirit
And throughout the passage, these blessings are recounted by the apostle Paul repeatedly with the expression, "according to the pleasure of His will"(v. 5, 9, 11).
Dear Christians, we are indeed a blessed people. We have an inheritance from God, guaranteed by His Spirit who is in us. Let us ponder over every spiritual blessing that God our Father has bestowed upon us according to His divine purpose.
