Spiritual Blessings

Ephesians 1:3-10
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

As a society, America divides things into spiritual and secular.  I see it in they eyes of people I speak with when I mention God or scripture and their influence on my life.  Here we see that those who have accepted Christ's payment for sin and follow him, have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.

I'll admit, I'm selfish.  Many times I wish I'd be blessed with material blessings.  But God has not given me those things because he knows I will only use them for my own selfish desires.

It is the spiritual blessing that will not be stolen or destroyed.

⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, 

If you ever get depressed, think on this truth. Before the creation of the world you were chosen by God to be made holy and blameless.  Not through what you have done but through what Christ has done.  God knew every screw up and sin you would ever commit and still chose you.  You can't surprise him or make him stop loving you.  He loved you before and still loves you now.  Remember that becoming like Christ is a lifelong process that will not be completed till we die and live with him.  Then completes the process.

 in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

And this is why he did it.  He wanted to.  He wanted to show us grace which we receive freely through Christ.

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

Look at these spiritual blessings!  Redemption.  We've been bought back from sin and death.  Forgiveness. We can have fellowship with God.  Notice we're not just forgiven.  Grace was lavished on us.  The means to expend profusely.  In other word lots and lots.  Also note that God was not spending like a "drunken sailor."  He lavished us with grace with HIS wisdom and HIS understanding.  How much of his wisdom and understanding?  All of it.  No mistakes.  No oops.

⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

This was all done in his timing for his good pleasure.  It was to unite everything under Christ.

Our neighbor may have more that this world has to offer, but all of it will still be here when they die.  We who follow Christ have so much more.  We need to share it with them.

God Bless.