For Seekers of Every Spiritual Blessing
by Andrew Chan, PBC Vancouver, BC
Ephesians 1:3-14
“…blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing…”
Is it true? Many perhaps wonder where is this blessing. How can God be blessing. Look at the world… not much blessing, …
But from the very beginning God’s intention was to bless humanity.
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness….’ (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. (28) God BLESSED them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…’ (31) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (NIV) What was God’s original intention? To bless humanity, it is not? Only thing created that is blessed with His image. That gives purpose dignity, made to be blessed, not cursed, spat on, ridiculed, to exist with fear as an overriding emotion. God’s heart - filled with joy when He created humanity as He blessed them….
As the work of creation was completed God rested and he blessed the 7th day and made it holy. (Genesis 2:3) God intended 7th day of rest to continue, He blessed this rest day is to be the perpetual day that never end. Blessedness of this rest of God is where people were made to exist, we were made to be blessed. Made to enjoy with God who took pleasure in it his work of creation, saw all that he made it was good! It was good -statement “completely perfect” - statement: no evil was laid on this world by God’s hand, God just wants to blessed and take.
But u and I know man and women fell from that perfection, state of blessedness, by their own choice to become their own gods instead of following God’s created order. World fell into chaos, murder, lying, hatred, accusations against each other, blame, bit by bit as people take matters into their own hands, blessedness was lost.
Yet in you and I, God sees value, He sees His image, His creation, rebelling, lost… I began to understand this more as I see a bit of my own image in my own sons and daughter when they disobey and oh how the hearts aches, groans… so does God give up? Thank God NO, Genesis tells - God will not just wipe us off the map, He intends to redeem people made in His image, for to completely wipe humanity off the map, destroy them all, is to really destroy himself. So can you sense why Paul was excited about this insight from God he received. It was so exciting according to original Gk. These 12 verses constitute a single complex sentence. “As Paul dictates, his speech pours out of his mouth in a continuos cascade. He neither pauses for breath, nor punctuates his words with full stops” (Stott) “like a snowball tumbling down a hill, picking up volume as it descends.”
Color, movement, grandeur - impression made on reader’s mind. Praise, doxology begin by blessing God for blessing us with every conceivable blessing.
A. The past blessing of election (v.4-6)
1. This is a divine revelation, not a human idea
“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world”
This insight tells the fact that God knew people will sin, yet he created world. Why? “In love he predestined us to adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Only explanation given somehow out of love, out of pure delight, He enjoys it, pleasurable, to have us around him… see that as I see my kid Michael got his first base hit in Little League Ball, my kid Jesse drew first cartoon, Nathan’s first day at preschool, Kaylene’s first little attempt to walk, blessing of those moments fade away as they fight, squabble, hit on the head, blame, not me, he started it. Take those old pictures and videos of every accomplishment, graduations, marriages, victories, joy, warmth, glow, as see images of yourself , know the love invested in them pays off – get a sense of purpose, love, completeness about life. YES~LIFE has value!!! Not impersonal matter that just happen to form out of chance…
I believe when God first chose us in him before the creation of the world, He saw the potential of people made in His image, He saw the great things we can do, He knows the potential that things can go awfully wrong, yet he did it, completeness about love…, he wants to have that happen, in love he predestined us to be adopted through Jesus, life must flourish, love must grow, cannot be held back. Even in a fallen state and in love he brought us back from a place of destruction, no love, purposelessness, to be saved. It was his pleasure His will to do it.
No wonder Paul sings His praise “to the praise of His glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Yes, God will rescue sinful people, not because they merited it, deserved it, earned it, but out of His heart that sees the potential of the image of God in us, He longs to bless, to give, to love, to cherish, to have joy in seeing beauty out of brokeness. He chose freely and He gives through Jesus Christ!
2. An incentive to holiness, not an excuse for sin
To be loved, chosen, grace given us freely in Jesus Christ,
“chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” Before God we are all no.1 picks, chosen, equal dignity made in His image, loved, chosen, can’t get those words out of my mind, If God the father were the GM of NBA teams, we would all be no. 1 picks, And how are No.1 picks treated? whole nine yards, super treatment, wined and dined, get the big bucks, that’s what we are in Christ, He assesses us according to, not our talents, gifts, abilities to slam dunk, he assess us according to perfection, of the no.1 pick of entire universe, his beloved Son Jesus. Chose us in him … to be holy and blameless. Some treat it excuse for sin… they don’t know what it means to enjoy God’s love, have his pleasure, know His heart. Oh can’t anyone see that He can wipe us out with just the snap of His fingers, yet chose us in him. Hallelujah, what a God, what a lover, what a friend for sinners. History shows those chosen often as high picks in pro sports often misuse opportunity given them and blow it - they will not last, but those chosen, who work hard and play hard, and show up on time for practice and are disciplined, end up with championship rings, they play through injuries, sickness, pain Jordan, Kobe Bryant, through ridicule by others such as Shaq O’Neal who gets criticized for being unable to sink in free throws.
Remember feel low… schoolmates don’t pick me to play field hockey. Peers looked down on me but coach pick me. Felt great… went on to play well enough to garner school’s greatest honor for an athlete. The School Colors was awarded to me.
God wants us to play well, holy and blameless, not slackers, keep at it, serving Him not playing our own tune but His music. He’s the conductor, and plans for us to be playing His majestic music perfectly through Him. Know deeply God is origin of blessing. Feel secure, play well. If insecure, we will feel every mistake is jumped on, feel tremendous pressure – result: we won’t play well. To be holy and blameless, easier when you know sins are covered and forgiven but when insecure we will never try, play safe, don’t do a thing, joy will dissipate.
3. An impetus to humility, not a ground for boasting
No place for arrogance, as if we are better than others, treat others below dignity accorded by God’s image. Election is not about arrogance, we are chosen, it just say that we are bunch of losers if it weren’t for God’s grace. Lose because of sin, lose because without Him we have no sense of worth, without His word, we’d be lost, never know how special we are in full of value and worth. God specifically told Israel that he chose them not because of their merits, strength and numbers, opposite. Chose them in love.
7 “The Lord did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larger or greater than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 It was simply because the Lord loves you, and because he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such amazing power from your slavery under Pharaoh in Egypt.
(Deut.7:7-8, New Living Translation)
Do you see God’s will, pleasure, purpose? Will we be changed by these truths - humble gratitude, adoration?
B. The present blessing of adoption (v.5-8)
1. Privilege of “sonship”
Roman view of adoption - enjoy same rights of natural children. Same way today we enjoy rights of the Son, Jesus. V.7 privilege outlined - redemption through his blood, (enjoyed now) forgiveness of sins ( we have it now, in the present, not later when He feels like giving it, done deal, signed, sealed and delivered), does not give it grudgingly but lavished it on us with all wisdom and understanding. We get an inheritance, blessings riches untold (v.11). All because of Christ!
"In Christ we have also obtained an INHERITANCE..." (v.11, NRSV)
2. Responsibility of “sonship” (v.12)
Heavenly father does not spoil his children. Need to actively "set our hope on Christ" which means living out truth his kids "might live for the praise of his glory" (v.12, NRSV). Unthinkable that we get to be his sons and not behave as if we are His family. Later on comes the command, “Be imitators of God as his beloved children (5:1). Neglected kids are most misbehaved bunch of all. See it in experience of broken homes, where neglect happens so often, most miserable existence! BUT we are not illegitimate spoilt kids that He does not care for. He pays attention to us, won’t let us go especially when we are "marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit" (v.13) and His will is to bless, not blast us! He will be deeply involved in changing us!
C. The future blessing of unification (v.9-10)
1. History is moving towards a glorious goal
Made known to us mystery of his will for the future, according to chap.3 mystery is inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s new society, gentiles and Jews are on equal terms v.10 God’s plan is to unite all things, barriers erected by years of human hatred, human sin will be abolished, God’s plan “for the fullness of the times” when time is no more, when eternity begins is unity (GOAL)! All barriers that segregates groups and individuals from one another from within the church will be removed.
Perhaps today, not much of that blessing is felt. See constant wars, brokeness, alienation, prisons are full to capacity...But be assured that God will bring that blessing for He wants every spiritual blessing to be poured on all who choose to trust Him. Today we live by faith, that this is His plan "to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" and it is His pleasure to bring us this blessing as well "according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ" (v.9,NRSV). This we must not forget: it brings pleasure to God to bless us with all things!
Conclusion:
No blessing is being withheld from us. Past, present, future blessings in Christ belong to us if we choose to believe in Him. God’s view of us in Christ, is that we are His no. 1 picks in the draft of the cosmos. He sees us as chosen in Christ, not through our merits.
Yes, we still have to grow in maturity, for all things that live, grow. Don’t grow, you’ll go dead. BUT if we are in Christ, being made alive in Him , knowing the security of being His precious kid, we will become more and more spiritually in tune with Him everyday then we will know for sure every sp. Blessing is ours.
Paul would say it is God’s will, good pleasure, His own sovereign choice to do this. Do we hear this? Does that mean we are inactive? NO (v.13-14)You need to hear God’s word to be included and you need to make a choice to believe it, and appropriate the guarantee by the Spirit which you can’t touch nor feel but by faith in Christ alone. It is this Deposit, the first installment that guarantees inheritance. Have you sense this in your life this guarantee?
Do you sense you have today every sp. Blessing in Christ? If not pray with me...
