"Holy And Blameless” Series

Seven Spiritual Blessings

Part 2

“Holy and Blameless”

Foundational Text: Eph. 1:3-14

Text: Eph. 1:4

Have you ever heard about a person who did not trust banks, so he hid his money some place in his house? Story after story is told about large sums of money being found in mattresses or hidden under floors. More than once, we have heard of people who went lacking in meeting their basic needs during their life. After their death, fortunes were found that had never been touched. Do you own treasures that you do not use? Many Christian believers do. Many believers live in spiritual poverty when God intended them to live like royalty. Practical Illustrations

Intro: Last week we looked at spiritual blessings

- we forget them many times

- no problem seeing the financial blessing

- but the spiritual is less visable so many times it is overlooked

- spiritual blessings are only for the believer

- these are not blessings that are available to the world

- the reason God blesses us spiritually is because we are ruled by our spirit

- if our spirit is strong then we will be better equipped to make righteous decisions

- material blessings can be lost but spiritual blessings are ours for all eternity unless we give them away

Read foundational text:

Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 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:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

We want to focus on verse 4 our text for tonight

Text: Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV) Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

I. Holy

What a wonderful text

Think about this with me for a moment

- God determined before the world was ever created

- He made up His mind a long time ago

- He decided before we were ever created

That He would have a people that would be holy and without blame

He had a plan of redemption before we had ever sinned

- He made a way for us

- He had a plan for you and I to be justified before He ever even new us

- He had a plan before the beginning of time for you and me to be able to stand before Him without blame, holy

Can you begin to grasp the love that God has for us

- He wasn’t surprised when man sinned

- He wasn’t caught off guard when Adam and Eve fell in the garden

- He did not begin to run around heaven wringing His hands saying what will we do now

- How can we redeem man?

- How can we keep him from hell?

He wasn’t stunned or shocked in fact He had already made a plan

There is a good lesson here if we can lay ahold of it

God is never surprised

When you face a trial or difficulty of life

- God is not surprised

- He is not caught off guard

- He is right there with a solution

- In fact He has the solution to your needs

- He has the solution to your problems

Before you ever need them