Week 8, Day 4: In Christ We Are…

Today’s Reading:  Ephesians 3:1-4:32

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

In Ephesians 1:3, Paul tells us that God has blessed us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”  As we look through the rest of this chapter, and really much of the rest of the book, we see Paul lay out many of those blessings that we have “in Christ.”  Just looking at the first chapter, we can find several of these blessings.  We could, of course, write a whole article about each of these blessings, but that is not the purpose of our studies here.  I simply want for you to consider the list of blessings that Paul enumerates throughout this chapter.

In Christ we:

• Are chosen (Ephesians 1:4)
• Are predestined to adoption (Ephesians 1:5)
• Receive grace (Ephesians 1:6-8)
• Are redeemed through his blood (Ephesians 1:7)
• Are forgiven of sins (Ephesians 1:7)
• Receive the revelation of the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 1:9)
• Have obtained an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11)
• Have hope (Ephesians 1:12)
• Are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)
• Can have the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God (Ephesians 1:17)
• May be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18)
• Are a part of the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23)

As I mentioned before, we are not going to try and go into detail on each of these blessings.  Perhaps you can find some further blessings that I overlooked in this chapter.  Most certainly, we could add to the list by going on through chapter 2 and into the rest of the book.  Many of these blessings are the subject of discussions, disagreements and debates.  However, if we simply consider that God has given us so many wonderful spiritual blessings “in Christ”, we should be overwhelmed with gratitude.  Perhaps we don’t even fully understand the greatness of the blessings that God has given to us!  Some may even want to discount the blessings that we have been given.  But, we should embrace the blessings that come to us because we are the children of God, and the joint heirs with Christ.

Sometimes we sing a song entitled “Count Your Blessings.”  The idea of the song is that we can count the blessings that God has given to us, even when things seem to be dreary.  It is beneficial to think of our physical blessings when times like that arise.  However, it is much more beneficial to think of our spiritual blessings.  We have been given so much, how could we turn our back on God?

Popularity: unranked [?]