The Kingdom is Yours

In my quiet times with the Lord lately I have been considering the tremendous blessings outlined in the first few chapters of Ephesians. If you ever have self-doubts about God's love or wondering what God "really, really" thinks about you, Ephesians chapters 1-3 has some surprising and soul stabilizing answers.  However, you can't just skim these chapters and expect to get all the "nutrients" for your spirit that God intends for you to get.  

These are prime "soaking" chapters.  In fact I'm finding it hard to make it much past the first few verses in chapter one as I ponder the implications of what the Holy Spirit is saying through Paul.  Here are just a few of my thoughts.

Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) states, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ."

For you KJV, NIV and NASB users, there is very little difference in all these translations for this verse.  All of them agree, God is to be praised because He has blessed us with every (or all) spiritual blessings in heaven because we are in Christ.  

So, what does this mean?  I've read some commentators that want to limit the believers experience to receiving these blessings once we're in heaven, since in their mind that's where these blessings are.  Other commentators have a narrow view that these spiritual blessings are a legal position that we hold before God in the courts of heaven.

As in all cases, scripture must interpret scripture.  In order to fully comprehend what the Holy Spirit is leading us to understand, we have to review the context of this passage and we have to shed light on this passage by reviewing what God declares in other places in the bible on this subject.  

Context of Ephesians 1:3

Like most writers, Paul starts us off with a powerful statement which is the subject of what he is wanting to speak to us about.  Behind that powerful subject, Paul then provides supporting evidence so that the reader will understand what is moving Paul's heart to write.  The subject Paul starts with is that God is to be praised because He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings BECAUSE I am in Christ.  All of these blessings are for the believer, those who have accepted Christ as their savior.  So here is a brief listing of supporting spiritual blessings Paul gives in this passage.

• God chose us in Christ.  God planned this before the world was made (Eph 1:4a)
• I stand before God in love and without blame (Eph 1:4b)
• I was predestined as an adopted son or daughter in Christ (Eph 1:5a)
• God delights in choosing and placing me in love before Him (Eph 1:5b) - (Or in other words, I have a happy Papa who wants to bless me)
• I am accepted in Christ (Eph 1:6b)
• I am redeemed through His blood (Eph 1:7a)
• I am forgiven because of His grace (Eph 1:7b)
• God's wisdom and prudence has been abundantly poured out for my benefit (Eph 1:8) - Don't skip over this one.  Again it shows the motive of God's heart and how he looks at you and I.
• God wants us to know the mystery of His will (Eph 1:9) - Or in other words He is imparting spiritual understanding to us so that His heart is revealed.
• I have obtained an inheritance (Eph 1:11)
• The inheritance God gives me will bring Him praise (Eph 1:12) - He blesses me, I bless Him and round and round it goes.  It's like a "glory-go-round."
• I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, which is the "down payment" of my inheritance.  (Eph 1:13-14)

Wow, when you get to the end of just this brief listing you have to be over-whelmed with all these thoughts (if you're not overwhelmed you could be dead).  No wonder Paul's next few statements were a prayer that God would open up our understanding by giving us the spirit of wisdom and revelation.  We need to comprehend what God has done for us by placing us in Christ.

As you were reading through this listing, I hope that what began to take place in your heart was you started seeing that God's spiritual blessings permeate your past, present and future.  God wasn't just giving you something to look forward to and God wasn't just giving you a legal standing.  He accomplished the redemption of "all" of you, including where you are right now.  

If Paul were to list and expound upon all of the spiritual blessings that God imparted to us through His son, the book of Ephesians would have no end.  We serve an infinite God.  There is no possible way that Paul touched on all of these blessings.  He was just skimming the surface, hitting on big categories, or you could say serving the appetizer.  Each one of these Paul mentions are like springboards into oceans of blessing adventure that God is beckoning us to explore.  I really think that's why Paul started to sum up these thoughts with a prayer, "OH GOD OPEN UP THE EYES OF OUR UNDERSTANDING.  GIVE US THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND REVELATION.  WE NEED TO SEE MORE."

Other Supporting Bible Passages

When I started this blog, I had thought about covering other bible supporting passages here.  But after getting to this point I realized there's so much more to be explored in the sections above that I can't cover it all in one blog post.  So I'll just list a few supporting passages below and cover these topics and those left uncovered above in further blog posts.

• Luke 12:32 - Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
• Daniel 7:18 - But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
• Daniel 7:27 - And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
• John 17:22,23 - The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
• Galatians 4:7 - Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Blessings to you,

David

Who Am I - Part 3

Growing up I remember hearing the story of "The Ugly Duckling."  The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from his neighbors until, much to his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story is beloved around the world as a tale about personal transformation for the better.^[1] “The Ugly Duckling” was first published 11 November 1843 with three other tales by Hans Christian Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark.


In many ways, christians resemble the "ugly ducking" in this fairy tale.  We were born in sin and lived in sin until we were born again.  After receiving Christ as our savior, we were transformed into a new creature, something that the world doesn't understand because its not familiar with this "new creation" which God has made.


You know it's funny how the world wants to tell you who you are.  There isn't any lack of opinion coming from your peers, co-workers, neighbors, strangers, and relatives to let you know who they think you are.  And we also have the former barnyard animals (the devil and his minions) constantly trying to define who you are and what your limitations are.  If we are not careful, these voices will define us before we ever find out what our identity truly is.  You know another funny thing is that the world and the devil have no ability to see the future.  So how do they know who we are and who we are going to become?  Truth is, they don't have a clue.  They don't know the future and neither one has the ability to see into the depths of your soul to know who you really are.


Abram didn't know who he was until God spoke to him while he was 75 years old and living in the city of Haran with his dad and other relatives.  At that time God began telling Abram that he was going to become a great nation, a blessing to the peoples of the earth, and he would be blessed.  Later when Abram was still without child God told him that he would be multiplied as the stars of the heavens.  And Abram believed God.  Against all rationale thinking and logic, he believed the report that God gave him.  


David was a young man tending sheep in the valley when one day his older brother called out and told him that a man wanted to meet him back at the house.  When David showed up back at the house an older gentleman walked over, took out a flask of oil, poured it on his head and pronounced that he would be the next king of Israel.  David had no clue he was supposed to be a king until God pronounced it through the prophet Samuel.


Gideon was grinding wheat at the winepress, just hoping that he wouldn't be caught by the Midianites.  Then all of a sudden an angelic being showed up at the winepress and declared that Gideon was a mighty man of valor.  What!!  You mean the scaredy-cat Gideon.  No, God said he was a mighty man of valor.  And Gideon believed (after much convincing) that what God said was true.


There are so many powerful declarations in the word of God about who we are.  When we accepted Christ, we entered into an awesome inheritance.  Our destiny was changed, our character was redeemed, and our identity was baptized into Christ.


I've listed just a few of these declarations below, but I encourage you to go and spend time gathering together what God declares about you.  You need to know who you are.  Because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.  If you are constantly thinking something contrary to what God declares, it will affect what you do.  The ugly duckling didn't realize it was a Swan capable of beautiful and graceful swimming.  Until somebody told the Swan who he was he kept goofing around the barnyard trying to fit in with all the other ducks but all the time feeling awkward and out of place.  Likewise, you'll not walk in all the capacity for which God has made you when you have wrong thinking about who you are.  God has made you into a valiant warrior, capable of walking in all the spiritual blessings of heaven.  And capable of bringing the reality of heaven down to the earth where God has placed us for a season.  


Oh, rise up mighty man and woman of God.  The hour is short, and heaven is at hand.  Lift up your eyes unto the harvest and go forth laboring in the Lord's fields that He's placed before you.


Who Are You?

• You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph 2:10)
• You are blessed with every spiritual blessing found in heaven since you are in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:3)
• You are a son or daughter of God, adopted through Jesus Christ (Eph 1:5)
• You are accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:6)
• You are no longer a stranger, but a fellow citizen of heaven with the saints and members of God's household (Eph 2:19)
• You are an heir with the Father and a joint heir with Christ (Gal 4:6-7)
• You are reconciled to God and an ambassador of reconciliation for Him ((2 Cor 5:18-19)
• You are a temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor 3:16, 6:19)
• You are chosen and ordained by Jesus to bear fruit (John 15:16)
• You are the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)
• You are the light of the world (Matt 5:14)
• You are more than a conqueror through Christ (Rom 8:37)
• You are seated in heavenly places in Christ (Eph 2:6)
• You are part of the bride of Christ and am making yourself ready for Him (Rev 19:7)