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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, (NKJV)
Did you know there are certain facts about you that became true the moment you trusted in Christ and you became a new person in God’s eyes?
These facts are nothing short of wondrous and awe inspiring! A proper understanding of them will allow us to overcome discouragement and live with joy in all circumstances (2Cor 6.10). When our flesh rises up to defeat us, speaking words of despair and tempting us to quit, we must drown out that flesh-inspired voice and recall the FACTS about being a Christian. These facts will quickly render our flesh powerless to quench our spirit!
In the first chapter of Ephesians we find many of these marvelous facts which, in reality, are blessings of God bestowed upon His children in order to glorify His Son. Let’s take a look at a few:
- FACT: you are blessed with every spiritual blessing – 1.3
- God has given us everything we need and more! He has left nothing unfinished, unprepared or unsettled. He has taken care of every aspect of this life, and the one to come.
- FACT: you were chosen by God before the foundation of the earth – 1.4
- Think of that. God chose us before the world was ever created. He doesn’t explain the reality of that to us in full, but it leaves us awestruck at the thought. (Note: This is not a study of Calvinism, so let’s just enjoy the simple truth of the verse for now.)
- FACT: you are holy and blameless before God because of Christ – 1.4
- God sees you as He sees Christ. Your sin was removed and placed on Christ. Christ’s holiness has been accounted to you.
- FACT: you were predestined to be adopted by God – 1.5
- God had already decided that you were going to be one of His adopted children. He predetermined for His “own good pleasure” that you would be in His family.
- FACT: you were redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ – 1.7
- Christ has bought you back from the slave trade of sin. He paid the purchase price for you and you now belong to Him.
- FACT: you are forgiven of all your sins – 1.7
- Your sins are forgiven. When God sees you on the Day of Judgment, you will have no sin that needs to be paid for.
- FACT: you have obtained an inheritance from God – 1.11
- As a child of God, you will receive an inheritance from God. We so easily get excited about a financial inheritance from an earthly family member, how much more exciting is an eternal inheritance?
- FACT: you are sealed with the guarantee of salvation by the Holy Spirit – 1.13-14
- You are sealed with the guarantee of salvation from none other than God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. Could you ask for a better guarantee?
- FACT: your spiritual eyes have been opened to God’s truths – 1.18
- The truth of God that was once nonsense to you is now a heavenly treasure. You’re spiritual eyes are open and God can now illume your heart concerning eternal truths.
- FACT: Christ is your head, and you are part of His body which He fills “all in all” – 1.23
- Christ is now the head of a body that you belong to. You are part of His Body. You have a purpose, a function and a responsibility in life now. He will fill you “all in all” in order to be successful in your heavenly assignment.
If you were the child of a Rockefeller or Bill Gates, it would not be difficult for you to imagine all of the privilege and benefits that an inheritance would bring. How much greater are the benefits and blessings of being a child of the King of the Universe?
Most Holy God, open our spiritual eyes to see the riches and blessings of being adopted by You. Help us to see past our weak flesh and gaze into the spiritual reality of our inheritance as Your children. Amen.
Contemplation: Are you easily defeated and discouraged in your Christian walk? Do you do things for God because you “have to” or because “God said so”? Do you have a continual joy, excitement and expectation about being a child of God? Or do you have an attitude that you will just accept your lot in life because that’s what Christians have to do? Do you have the feeling that all the joy will come “later” in heaven, we just have to suffer in silence for now?
Application: Paul had discovered these great FACTS and believed them. That is why he could be joyful in ALL circumstances, truly joyful. If life is a “drag” that you are just enduring dutifully, maybe you haven’t discovered these amazing facts about the Christian.
- What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today?
- What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth?
- What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?
(seriesid:10)