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. Ephesians 1: 3, NIV.
Dear God, here we are again in Your Holy Presence, ready to receive all that we need to be saved. Please speak to us. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
What a glorious promise! None of us need to be lost! We have been fully equipped with everything necessary for our salvation – in Christ Jesus! Praise be to God!
An appropriate question following that declaration would be: Why then, do we find so many unfulfilled, unhappy, fearful, Christians? To which there could be several answers. To mention a few: 1) We are worried about many other things (Luke 10: 41); earthly things, which eclipse the joy of our salvation. 2) We are not “search[ing] the Scriptures” (John 5: 39), wherein is found the Source, of the hope and joy of the plan of salvation! 3) We are overlooking the “one thing [that] is needed” – a personal commitment, to an intimate, and loving, relationship, with the Lord of our lives – Jesus Christ!
For the next few minutes let us delight ourselves in some of the spiritual blessings that are ours in the Savior, as mentioned by the apostle Paul, in this chapter of his letter to the church at Ephesus:
“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-“ (5). Can you think of any greater privilege than to become, not only to be referred to as, but by His grace, actually become a son or daughter of God, by predestination? My friend that is your and my destiny – to become children of God! Our salvation means so much to God, that He made it a part of our destiny! But not only that, He adopted us! Biological parents do not have the option of choosing their children, but adoptive parents do. They have a choice. God had a choice – and God chose us! Hallelujah!
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding” (7, 8). We had sold out ourselves to the Adversary, with no hope of eternal life. But the love of God would not let us go. The Godhead went the final mile; they gave all that heaven had to give in order to redeem us. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (2 Corinthians 5: 19a). We have been redeemed and our confessed sins blotted out and cast “into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7: 19)! It is no small wonder that the apostle speaks of God’s grace as having been lavished on us! Grace given without reserve – and with all the wisdom and understanding we need to appreciate it! Oh glorious thought!
“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (13b, 14). Now for the icing on the cake. Our salvation has been guaranteed by receiving the seal, the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead! Saints, I wonder if we truly, and fully, appreciate the way God loves us! All heaven has been, and is, engaged, in our salvation!
God sent us this priceless Gift, in the Person of His Son Jesus, the Christ, wrapped in flesh (the incarnation). He walked on earth and left His footprints on the sands of time, that, by His grace, we can “walk as He walked” (1 John 2: 6). Because of this, one of these days, very soon, by His grace, we will have the singular honor and privilege, of sitting “together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2: 6)! Thank You Jesus!
How wonderful to know, that in Jesus Christ, we have everything we will ever need for this life, and, for the life to come!