Our Blessings In Christ Jesuss

The Many Blessings Of God because we’re in Christ Jesus: Eph. 1:1-6 3-15-08

Today we’ll try and point out a few of the many blessings we have because of our being in Christ Jesus.

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According 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: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Have you ever noticed how much time is spent by Paul and other NT writers to remind us of all that is ours in Christ!

I am afraid that in our day as what must have been true in Paul’s day as well, is that so many Christians are not living out of the resources that are rightfully theirs through their relationship with Jesus Christ.

You probably never heard of Hetty Green. She died in 1916 and left an estate with an estimated value of $100 Million Dollars(not pesos and not 1960 but 1916).

Hetty regularly ate cold oatmeal because it cost too much to heat it.

Her son had his leg amputated because she took so long to get him adequate care because she was looking for a free clinic.

Hetty died in the midst of an argument over milk, she argued that skim was best because it was the cheapest.

She was wealthy but she lived like a PAUPER. She never enjoyed nor benefited from the riches that were hers.

A second person I heard about lived on the West Coast of America living in poverty until one day he found out that he was the only living heir to a British Nobleman. What do you think this guy did when he found out? He went to the clothing store and bought the best suit he could find, bought a 1st class ticket to London and returned to England in style!

HE BELIEVED WHAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD WAS TRUE AND HE BEGAN TO ACT UPON IT!!!

Which illustration best describes your spiritual life?

·Paul gives a long list of blessings which are our in Christ in the book of Ephesians and encourages us to walk in them and not live in the poverty of this world.

Three areas I want us to look at in these verse.

First is to look at the EXAMPLE OF PAUL’S LIFE

THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL’S LIFE: Ephesians 1: 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

It’s amazing when you stop and remember who Paul actually was when we first met him in the book of Acts. He was named Saul and was an antagonist to the Church of Jesus Christ. His life is an amazing example of the power of God’s grace to change even the most aggressive foe of the gospel.

1. PAUL KNEW WHO HE WAS IN GOD’S PLAN: Ephesians 1:1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God

a. The problem most believers have is that they don’t know who they are in God’s plan, how they fit into all that God is doing in the world. They go through the motions of church life but never really live out any calling in their lives.

Now suppose you were writing this epistle. Take out the name Paul, and insert your name. Jim, an engineer by the will of God. John, a technitian by the will of God. We may not all be called to be an Apostle like Paul but we all do have some calling and you can’t live it until you know it!!!

b. Who are you by the will of God? That is one of the most important questions we must answer in life. God does not hide His will but makes it freely known to a surrendered heart.

John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

2. PAUL KNEW WHO HE WAS CALLED TO MINISTER TO: to the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

a. Part of every Christian’s life is the element of reaching out for the sake of the gospel into the life of someone else. Paul knew he was called to build churches and encourage believers.