“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Ephesians 1:3-4).
What are spiritual blessings? Just what is it that you have from God as a result of your salvation? The Apostle Paul was known for writing things that at some times seemed over the top. What is written in Ephesians 1 would seem to fall under that category. Paul wrote this way, intentionally, so that we would not miss the fullness of what God has done for us. So, when Paul says that God has blessed us with spiritual blessings, what does he mean?
Try this on for size. Spiritual blessings are defined by Paul as he continued to write in 1:7-11: Adoption, redemption, forgiveness, grace (lavished), knowledge, inheritance. It wasn’t enough for Paul to just say that God saved us through Jesus. He wanted it to be known how great the benefits are of knowing and loving Jesus. We are adopted by the father into his family. He redeemed us from our sin, forgave us, gave us grace which Paul said God “lavished” on us (Isn’t that a great word? Lavished!). He gave us spiritual knowledge and an inheritance with him.
So, as a people who have freely received so much from God, how are we to respond to such wonderful gifts? Paul reveals the requirements in verse 4: “We should be holy and blameless before him.” Our response to God’s goodness should be just as lavish as he has heaped upon us. To be holy is to be separated unto him. In other words, completely dedicated to God in love and obedience. To be blameless is to resist and stay away from sin, for which Christ died in such a lavish manner.
Is your life marked by this kind of commitment to Christ?
Memory Verse
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3-4).
Application
When we marry our spouse we take a vow to, “Love, honor and cherish.” This is similar to how we should live in lavish commitment to Christ. How will you express this kind of love to God today and everyday.
