All Spiritual Blessings

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. The Foundation And The End
• II. The Blessing Of Adoption
• III. The Blessing Of Acceptance
• IV. The Blessing Of Redemption
• V. The Purpose

TRANSCRIPT

Our text for this morning is Ephesians 1: 1-7. Verse one, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”. Amen.

This is an epistle written by the apostle Paul for the church in Ephesus. But it is an epistle about the church as a whole. It is an epistle for all churches about the doctrine of the church and the practice flowing from it from that doctrine. The church is an assembly of saints. The saints which are at Ephesus. Saints who are holy, set apart by God for His purpose, separated by God unto Himself.

The church is an assembly of the faithful who are in Christ, the saints which are at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Those who are saved by faith in Christ and who now walk by faith, who live lives of grateful obedience to the Lord whom they follow. They have the grace of God. They have peace from God.

In this, Paul elaborates further in verse 3, the church is an assembly of those who have been blessed by God. Blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And that can be seen as a major theme of this epistle. The church as the recipient of all spiritual blessings. This is what the apostle Paul is going to expound in detail and apply.

These are spiritual blessings primarily. It is not that material blessings are out of the picture. There are many promises in the Old Testament which were for Israel as a nation but which are applied even in the New Testament in various connections. Promises of material blessing - we have a promise that God will supply all our needs. That God will enable us to abound unto every good work. So it is not that material blessings are out of the picture but the spiritual blessings are the primary ones. The spiritual blessings are the really glorious ones. The spiritual blessings are the ones that apply eternally.

And in many cases, the material blessings, even in the Old Testament that were promised and enjoyed by God's people, served as emblems and pictures pointing to those spiritual blessings with which God has purposed to bless His people. It is these spiritual blessings that ought to be our focus. And this is what the apostle Paul focuses on here. He goes through the foundation and the end of these blessings in verse four. He traces the road leading from that foundation to that end from verses 5 to 7, giving us along the way an insight into God's purpose in bestowing these blessings on His people.

This is what is reserved for us in heavenly places. But this is what we have a foretaste of even now as we wait for the full enjoyment of these blessings. And this is what the apostle Paul will apply later. Beginning in chapter 4, the apostle applies this doctrine of the church, this view of the church as the recipient of all spiritual blessings in Christ. The apostle applies this to beseech us to walk worthy of that vocation wherewith we are called. But this exhaltation, this application builds on the understanding that we must have from the earlier chapters. It builds on this view of the church that we must have beginning with this text, this opening in chapter one. We need to understand who we are as the people of God in Christ. We need to understand what we have from God in Christ. Then we can be exalted to live accordingly. Then we can be exhorted to walk worthy of the calling that we have. And this is what the apostle Paul begins to do as he opens the epistle.

I. The Foundation And The End

So let us first look at the foundation and the end of these blessings that we have in Christ. God indeed bestows His grace and His peace upon His people foundationally because He has chosen them from eternity. That's the foundation. It is God's election, God's choice “According as he hath chosen us in him” (V. 4), he has blessed us with all spiritual blessings “According as he hath chosen us in him”- in Christ -“before the foundation of the world.”

At that point, of course, there was nothing apart from God. Before the foundation of the world, there was only God. And therefore, His choice was not influenced by anything outside Himself. This choice had no motive other than His own will because He chose us before the foundation of the world. We have been chosen by God according to His will. See how Paul has already applied this to himself. In verse one, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God”. It is this will of God that is the foundation. And all our blessings are referred to this foundational cause, the will of God in our election, God's sovereign choice. This is a choice of some from among all.

And ‘the all have’, as others have pointed out, are those who are dead in sins. In chapter two, the apostle Paul elaborates on this, “You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sin,s hath quickened us together with Christ, (By grace ye are saved)” (V. 1-5).

These are the opposite of holy and without blame. And yet out of this out of this sinful mass of people, God has chosen some, predestinated, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Not in ourselves, but in Christ. This is a choice that has nothing to do with our own merit. We are not in ourselves holy and without blame. And yet God has chosen us not for any worth or any merit in us but purely by His grace. His gracious and sovereign choice according to His gracious will.

And again, this is a choice of some and not all. God has made us a distinction between those who are his and those who are of the world. The people who are His and the people who are the world’s. It is a choice of some and not all. We find the Lord Jesus indicating this in his prayer in John chapter 17, this is the Lord's prayer to the Father, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.” In verse 9, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”

These are God's chosen, who have been given to Christ from eternity. This includes not just the believers in at that point in time when the Lord is making this prayer, but us as well. John 17:20, ”Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” Verse 24, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.”

Now clearly when we speak of God's sovereign choice, when we speak of God's election, when we speak of God choosing some and not all, we are speaking of a great mystery. How did God choose exactly what happened before the foundation of the world? Why some and not all? We cannot give a full explanation, a full account of these things, nor should we expect to. If there were nothing mysterious, how would we remember that we are but creatures? But what cries out for our recognition? What cries out for our wondering adoration is that He has chosen us not for anything in us but purely by His grace. He has chosen us undeserving. He has chosen us in Him in Christ before the foundation of the world.

What does it mean to say that we are elected or chosen in Christ? Again, it means we are chosen not for any merit in us. We are viewed as being in Christ and just and thus chosen for His sake, not for anything in us. Union with Christ is the foundation of all these spiritual blessings. It's the foundation of everything that we have. We are blessed just as we have been chosen. And that choice is in Christ. You think of what the apostle says elsewhere in Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

The foundation is this choice, this election, this predestination. And the choice is in Christ. Not merely that we were chosen to come to believe in Christ in time, but that Christ was in a sense our representative already from eternity in the choice that was made. Therefore, it was possible for the just and holy God to choose sinners to choose those who were fallen and to determine them for holiness and blessing. That is the end of the election given here. He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. We have been chosen in order that we might be holy before Him. Therefore, this choice must be in Christ because only in Christ can we be holy and without blame before Him.

The mercy and love of God for us is ever in Christ. in Christ, we are saved. From all eternity, it was determined in the perfect and sovereign council of God that Christ would represent His people. that He would take our sins on Himself, that He would pay the penalty of our guilt, that He would satisfy all the demands of the law on our behalf, that He would take our penalty and give us His righteousness. He is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8, “the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.L This was determined from the foundation of the world.

Remember also what the apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:19, we were redeemed not with corruptible things, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was for ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

And this is the end of our election. Our perfection in holiness, blamelessness before God. This is something that we are and have in Christ, not in ourselves. Yet it is something also that involves us. It involves our doing. Holiness is not a passive condition merely, but an active one. Again, 1 Peter 1: 13, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

Because we know that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, but redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, who was for ordained before the foundation of the world. Because we know this, all the more we are to strive towards holiness. This is the end of our election. God has chosen and purposed and determined His people for this that we should be holy and without blame before Him. Does that mean there is nothing for us to do? No need for us to be active in any way? Is holiness something that is that is done to us while we lie back passively? Holiness is not a hairstyle that you get at the hairdresser. You can sit there, lie there, go to sleep and the hairstylist does everything for you and you wake up and your hair is nice and beautiful. Holiness is not a manicure, not a pedicure. You don't sit there and it's done to you. It is something we are called to, something we strive towards.

And yet all our striving, all our working, all our doing is the working out of what God has worked in us. It is His purpose. It is His work in us. And yet we work out what He has worked in us. It is an outworking of God's inward work based on His choice. Therefore, there is a certainty to it. There is an assurance to it. because He has chosen us in Him in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

This is the blessing, the confidence, the assurance. God has determined this. All our efforts in striving after holiness in Christ are not in vain. We ought to be always abounding in the work of the Lord. But we know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord because God has determined already that we His people should be holy and without blame before Him.

Again, what we read in Romans chapter 8, those he did predestinate them he also called. Those whom he called, them he also justified. those whom he justified them he also glorified. There is a certainty to it. But it's not a certainty that leads us to be complacent, to be passive, to be lethargic. It's a certainty that spurs us on that forms a great exhaltation for us. That's what the Apostle Paul is going to exhort us to to walk worthy of this calling wherewith we are called, a calling that leads us to holiness and blamelessness. This is a blessing bestowed on us that stirs us up to act to live in light of it. This is this is a loving choice that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. To be chosen in Christ is to be chosen in love.

Again, Ephesians 2:4, “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us … has quickened us together with Christ” even when we were dead in sins. This is God's love in Christ displayed in our perfection. The love of God as others have described it is not a love that finds beauty in us but a love that makes us beautiful. That's the unique love of God. God did not love us because He saw that there was something something lovable in us. But He has made us beautiful because he loved us in Christ freely, sovereignly, graciously.

This is a love therefore ultimately that glorifies God. In our glory, God is glorified. We are chosen in Christ from all eternity. So that when we are brought to that final state of glory, so that when we are presented holy and without blame before Him, the glory of that final estate is ascribed entirely to God. So that we will ever say throughout eternity, “blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.”

In Christ, we will return the blessing to God because the blessing comes to us in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God, not for anything in us. And all our striving when we come to that final consummation of holiness and glory, all our striving we will ascribe to God. It will be to His glory. We will be to the praise of the glory of His grace. It will not be our own merit. It will not be our own work, but it will be the glory of God forever and ever. That's God's purpose. We'll come back to that later on. But the apostle Paul goes on to list further some of these blessings that we enjoy as those who have been chosen in Christ from eternity for holiness.

II. The Blessing Of Adoption

To be chosen in Christ means as that choice is worked out that we receive the adoption of sons in Christ. Ephesians 1:5, ”Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ” - or through Jesus Christ unto himself to God. This is an adoption that brings us into the family of God. It brings us into close relation with God. It brings us into the enjoyment of privileges as children of God. It gives us access to the throne of God. It gives us a secure relationship with God. Assurance of His love and favour.

This is what we have in Christ. As those chosen in Christ from eternity, this is what we are predestinated to. The adoption of children through Jesus Christ. We become sons and daughters of God in Christ. Adopted in Christ. And again, as others have pointed out, this adoption does not merely give us a new legal position, but as part of this adoption, we have a new nature.

Again, as others have pointed out, it is not like adoption in the human sphere today. If you or I adopt a child, that adoption doesn't override the biological reality. We cannot pass on our biological inheritance to that adopted child. That adopted child, he or she doesn't take on our biological nature by virtue of the adoption. The the adoption is a legal act. But to be adopted as children of God in Christ is to have a new nature, to be conformed to the image of His Son, to be made like unto the Son of God.

That's the adoption that we have in Christ. 1 John 3:1,” Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

That's the love of God in Christ. We are called now the sons of God. And we are being conformed to the image of His Son. And on that day when we see Him as He is, we will be like Him. That's the gracious love of God that we have. That's the blessing that we have in Christ. What a blessing.

III. The Blessing Of Acceptance

We have the adoption of sons. We are adopted by God as his children. We are made like his beloved Son freely. God gives this to us. He bestows this blessing on us. We don't deserve it. Thus also we receive acceptance in Christ. Ephesians 1:6, He has made us accepted in the beloved graciously. We come before God condemned in ourselves justly deserving of eternal punishment in ourselves. And yet we come before God accepted in Christ. That's our assurance. That's our confidence. We can stand before God because He has made us accepted in the beloved son in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing. What an assurance.

What hope could you or I have in ourselves of ever standing before God? Every day we offend against His righteous and holy law. Every moment we show ourselves sinful and filthy and vile. How can we stand before God? How can we be accepted by God? It's an old joke that has been told by a well-known comedian. He says, ‘I don't want to be a member of any club that would have someone like me as a member.’ If Heaven is a place for people like you and me, we don't want to go there in ourselves. If Heaven is a place for liars, murderers, angry, hurtful, malicious people. If Heaven is a place for people who are dishonouring to their parents, disobedient to their parents, unloving, selfish, unkind like us. Heaven is a place of light and glory where God is who is light in whom there is no darkness at all. How can we be accepted in such a place? In ourselves we cannot. But in Christ, in Christ we are accepted. We are welcomed. We are received into the presence of God.

Even now, even now as we sit here in the presence of God, we are not worthy in ourselves. Even now, it is the blood of Christ that covers us. Even now, we are accepted for His sake. Are we worthy to sing his praise in ourselves? Why should God listen to us? Why should God accept our offerings? Who are we? We ought to be struck dead to come into His presence. The place where we sit is holy. The presence of God is here. How can we be here in His house? We walk in as if we belong. But it's only in Christ that we belong. Only in him. And yet in Him we have that full confidence and assurance of acceptance because we are joined to the beloved son. We are members of His flesh and of his bones. Ephesians 5:30, ”we are members of his body” - the body of Christ - ”of his flesh, of his bones. We are joined to Him so securely that we can be accepted as He is accepted. And therefore we can come with boldness and confidence into the presence of the awesome and holy God because we come in Christ because He has made us accepted in Christ and therefore we need not fear.

How can God reject us if we are joined to His beloved son? How can the love of God ever fall away from us? If we are joined to Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. Not life, not death, not height, nor depth, no creature can separate us from the love of God in Christ because He has made us accepted in the beloved. This is a great blessing, isn't it, what a great confidence, what a great assurance. We know how often we fail the Lord, don't we? As we examine ourselves, as we look at our lives every day, as we search our hearts, we have to confess our sins before the Lord. We have to come before him in tears and say, 'Lord, I failed you. I didn't do the things that I ought to have done today. I did the things that I ought not to have done. My words have not pleased you. My thoughts have not pleased you.’ We do the things that are displeasing to God. But this is our confidence. This is the blessing. We are standing in Christ. We are accepted in Him.

IV. The Blessing Of Redemption

We are standing in the one who perfectly pleases the father. We don't please him perfectly but Christ does. John chapter 8 Jesus said, ‘I do always the things that please him and we are in him’. God the father looked on his son and said, ‘This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.’ And we are in him. God's love is upon us in Christ. God's favour is upon us in Christ. We have that security. Even though we fail, Christ never fails. Even though we are unworthy, he is infinitely worthy. And we are in him. What a blessing. What a blessing we have. Graciously, freely from God. Because in Christ we have been redeemed.

Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood” We have been bought back. That's redemption. We have been rescued and purchased by God for Himself. Redeemed from death. This is a redemption through His blood. We stand in Christ because he has bought us by His blood and we belong to Him. That's a belonging that gives us assurance. That's a purchase that secures us forever. The blood of Christ has been shed for us. That's our confidence. What can fail? What can we lose? What can be taken away from us if the blood of Christ has been shed for us? That's a purchase that is secure. Because God will never allow the blood of His son to go to waste. He has freely given for us His only begotten son. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things if the blood of Christ has been shed for us? That's all the confidence we need that every spiritual blessing is ours.

The blood of Christ was necessary because we were sinners. We were under the penalty of death, under the dominion of evil. We needed to be bought back. We needed to be redeemed and He has redeemed us through the shedding of His blood. Without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. But we have the forgiveness of sins. This was graphically displayed in the ceremonies of the Old Testament taught to God's people by way of these ceremonies. The need for the shedding of blood, the need for an atonement, the need for our sins to be laid on another, the need for the lamb of God to come.

And now He has come. He has shed His blood. He has laid down His life. He has taken it up again. Redemption has been accomplished. We have redemption through His blood. His life for ours, His death in our place, His righteousness covering us. These are most glorious blessings that we have in Christ.

V. The Purpose

These are most glorious blessings that we have in Christ. They're not laid out here in any really strict order. The purpose is really to overwhelm us with the thought of all that we have in Christ. See how the apostle goes on and on and on. So much that we have in Christ - Adoption, acceptance, redemption. These things are laid out for us to provoke our response that we might commit ourselves to holiness, that we might be exalted to walk worthy of this calling. What a high calling it is in Christ. We have been blessed so richly by God in Christ. Shall we not respond to these blessings? Shall we not live for Him?

We owe everything to Him. We are nothing in ourselves, but we have everything in Christ. What response is called for? A life of holiness, a life of obedience, a life of grateful and faithful service. A life of praise and worship. And this was God's purpose ultimately in bestowing these blessings on us. It was for the praise and glory of His name. All this was done according to the will of God. This is described further in verse 5 as “the good pleasure of his will”. That's a reference to God's satisfaction, God's delight, His good pleasure. God delights in the salvation of His people, in the adoption and acceptance of sinners in Christ. He delights in it because it accords with His character. It wonderfully displays His glorious attributes. It displays His grace.

The end of God's choice, as we have seen as far as we were concerned, as far as our condition was concerned, was that we should be holy and without blame before Him. But his ultimate purpose is to glorify Himself. He has done this that He might be praised for His grace, that we should be to the praise of the glory of His grace. This purpose is fulfilled in us. We will be praising the grace of God for eternity. That will be the song of the redeemed forever and ever. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is God of all glory and blessing and honour. We will be a permanent display of the grace of God forever and ever. We will be to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Forever and ever. We will be looked upon as those undeserving in ourselves, but graciously saved, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, joined to Christ, made accepted in Him, His bride for eternity. Just as the wicked in their judgment will be a permanent display of the justice of God, this is the description right at the end of the book of Isaiah. Isaiah 66:24, in that day, “they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” They will be looked upon. God will display His justice in them, but He will display in us the glory of His grace.

We don't deserve that. That's the grace of God. That's the real mystery, isn't it? Not some abstract philosophy. The real mystery is why me? Why am I saved? Why am I chosen to be a display of God's grace? And there's no answer other than that was the sovereign and gracious choice of God. God's purpose in our election, in our perfection, in all these blessings is His glory. We are a holy nation, a peculiar people, rescued, redeemed, translated, brought out of darkness into his marvellous light that we should show forth His praises (1 Peter 2). And this is what the church is meant to do ultimately. This is what the church is. The church is the recipient of all God's blessings in Christ. The church is to praise the glory of the grace of God. The church is to show forth his praises.

All these blessings are in Christ. We are blessed in Christ, chosen in Christ, adopted in Christ, accepted in Christ, redeemed in Christ, blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, all in Christ so that all the glory goes to him. No merit of our own. It is all of grace. It is to the praise of the glory of His grace. Apart from Christ we have nothing. We are nothing, but in Him we have all spiritual blessings. How crucial then that we be found in Christ. And I think we ought not to leave this subject without urging this upon everyone here. You and I must make sure that we are in Christ because every blessing is in Him.

Nothing. We have nothing apart from him. Apart from Christ, we have only eternal condemnation that we justly deserve for our sins. We must believe in the Lord Jesus. God sent Him for that purpose: to make redemption through His blood, to make redemption possible, to save His people. And if we will believe in the Lord Jesus, this is God's promise, this is the wonderful assurance: if we believe in Him, it is because God has chosen us from eternity. God has been at work in us, and yet we are called to believe, just as we saw before. This is the command of the gospel: Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and you will have all spiritual blessings in Christ. All the assurance, all the acceptance, all the security, redemption through His blood. If you see that is what you need, you must have it from Christ. There's no other way. Make sure that you are found in Christ by faith.

The saints which are at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus - Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Only believe, and all these blessings are yours in Christ because of the riches of His grace. And then we must respond by returning all the praise and glory to God. It must come full circle. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. We bless the God who has blessed us in Christ. And this is the church, as Paul understands it, as scripture reveals it. This is the church in the plan of God: the recipient of all spiritual blessings in Christ. The people whom God has purposed to bless most richly to the glory of His name. We, whom God has chosen from eternity for this glorious purpose. That is what we see when we look at the church. That's what we see. Not just a bunch of people, not a bunch of random strangers, not just friends, not just people we're familiar with. When we look at the church, we are looking at God's masterpiece, God's handiwork, God's display of His own glory.

When we look at the church, we are looking at all the spiritual blessings that God has purposed to bestow on His people. That's the glory of the church that we see in this epistle, that we will see more and more as we go through this epistle, Lord willing. And this is the view of the church that we need to have, and the view of ourselves as part of the church that we need to have. This is the view that will lead us to walk worthy of our calling. This is the impetus to see the church as it is in God's design. If we are lax in the Christian life, if we are lax in putting off the old man and putting on the new, if we are cold and dull in our worship and our praise, it is because we have forgotten what we have in Christ. We have forgotten what we are in Christ. We have been taking for granted all these spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. Who can see these things and fail to say from the heart with joy, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. That's the song of the church. We don't wait for heaven to sing it with sincerity, with joy, with loudness. We sing it now. We taste these things now. We see them now. We experience them now by faith. Of course, they come in their fullness. Then it is not only heaven that should resound with the praise of God. It is this place also. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We should cry it out from our hearts.

If we are cold and dull and lethargic, it is because we have forgotten what we have. We have lost sight of these spiritual blessings. But this is why we are here: to worship and praise God. We come to Him in Christ as His blessed ones to bless Him. This is the circle of life. Of course, not in the pagan sense, but in this true sense: we receive life and blessing from God in Christ as His free gift, and we return that life to Him in faithful service. We return that blessing to Him in praise and worship.

What a wondrous collection of blessings we have in Christ. Shall we take them for granted? Shall we receive and give no thanks in return? Shall we be blessed and give no praise in return? We are the undeserving ones, and yet God has given us so much. He is deserving, and we give Him nothing. Is that the way things should be? All the more we should give Him the glory and praise that is due to His name. We should sing with all our hearts. We should live with all our strength. We should serve with all our might. He is worthy of it. Let us recognise and appreciate all these spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. And let us render due praise and worship to the Lord from the heart every day, every moment. Let us sing His praise. Worship Him in spirit and truth. That's the way things are meant to be. That's the life of joy and peace. That's the life of security and blessing. That's the life that will endure for eternity. And if we live such a life, then we can look forward to an eternity of the same. An eternity of even more joy and praise, even more worship. That's the church now, and in eternity. That's the view we need to have. May the Lord help us to take this to heart, to see it by faith, to embrace it, to apply it, and the Lord grant that we will see more and more as we go through this epistle if the Lord carries. Let's close now with a word of prayer.

Our Father in heaven, how we thank and praise You for the rich blessings You have bestowed on us. Our words fail miserably to capture the greatness of the grace You have bestowed on us. What can we say but to echo the words of scripture: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Help us not to forget, not to take for granted, but to remember and to rejoice in these blessings, blessings that we have only in Christ. We pray You would help us never again to take these things for granted but to worship You from the bottom of our hearts and to live faithfully, in all sincerity, with gratitude, the life that You want us to live. Continue to be with us. Work in us by Your word and your Spirit and guide us. Bless us, we pray, in Jesus’ name we ask. Amen.

THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

All Spiritual Blessings

All Spiritual Blessings

Ephesians 1:1-7

The Exceeding Greatness of His Power

The Exceeding Greatness of His Power

Ephesians 1:20-23

Message 1: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 1)

Message 1: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 1)

Ephesians 2:1-10

Message 1: The Nature of Faith

Message 1: The Nature of Faith

Ephesians 2:8, Hebrews 11:1

Message 2: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 2)

Message 2: Hindrances to a Personal Relationship with God (Part 2)

Ephesians 2:11-18

Good Friday Service: Reconciliation with God

Good Friday Service: Reconciliation with God

Ephesians 2:11-18

The Amazing Prospect And Awesome Responsibility Of Being A Christian

The Amazing Prospect And Awesome Responsibility Of Being A Christian

Ephesians 2:19-22

God Is Able

God Is Able

Ephesians 3:20-21

Walk Not as the Gentiles

Walk Not as the Gentiles

Ephesians 4:17-24

A Walk to Remember

A Walk to Remember

Ephesians 4:17-32

Be Careful How You Live

Be Careful How You Live

Ephesians 5:15-17

Message 6: What is a healthy and strong marriage? One that obeys God’s model!

Message 6: What is a healthy and strong marriage? One that obeys God’s model!

Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:22-33

Honour and Obey Thy Parents

Honour and Obey Thy Parents

Deuteronomy 5:16; Ephesians 6:1-3

Message 7: What are children for? Heritage of godly seed for Christ!

Message 7: What are children for? Heritage of godly seed for Christ!

Psalm 127:3, Malachi 2:15, Ephesians 6:4

Be Prayerful

Be Prayerful

Ephesians 6:18