Monday, February 13, 2012

Lesson 3: The Fifteen Spiritual Blessings That Are In The Book Of Ephesians


Lesson 3      The Fifteen Spiritual Blessings that are in the book of Ephesians

Ephesians 1:3 (KJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

    Paul spent three years at Ephesus.   Paul is writing this book from prison.   Ephesians is one of the four books that are called the “Prison Epistles” (Ephesians, Philemon, Philippians, and Colossians) that the Apostle Paul wrote while in prison.  Some call this epistle “the summit of revealed truth” and Dr. A.T. Pierson spoke of it as “Paul’s Third Heaven Epistle” for it soars from the depths of our sins to the heights of our redemption.

     Paul is in bonds in the flesh, but the Spirit of God has taken his thinking and control of pen to speak of the blessing of the believer in Christ.  Paul sits down to write and maybe, Paul remembers the wealth of Ephesus.  Ephesus was one of the five most important cities of the Ancient World of its day.  Ephesus is a large city with a population of about 350,000, with a banking system, Library, Theater and even public bathroom with a sewer system. 

    Paul writes to them about the great wealth they have by being “IN CHRIST”.

Someone called these fifteen spiritual blessing the “fifteen jewels of grace”

The first Jewel is “chosen” in Christ  -  His Possession

 Ephesians 1:4 (KJV) 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Ephesians 1:14 (KJV)
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory
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The Second Jewel is “holy”  in Christ?? V4 -  His Purity  1 Peter 1:16 (KJV)
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy
.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him
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The Third Jewel is “without blame” in Christ v4 - His Promise

2 Peter 3:14 (KJV)
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
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Without Blame/Blameless carries with it the idea of be faultless.

English Words used in KJV:

without rebuke 2
without blame 1
unblameable 1
without spot 1
faultless 1
without fault 1
[Total Count: 7]



It makes me think of Justification.



Romans 8:30 (KJV)
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (KJV)
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God
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The Fourth Jewel is “before Him” v4  - His Presents

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Romans 14:11 (KJV)
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Philippians 2:10 (KJV)
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth
;



The Fifth Jewel is “in love” v4 - His Performance

The Sixth Jewel is “adoption” v5 - His Placement

Ephesians 1:5 (KJV)  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

The Seventh Jewel is “to the praise of the glory of his grace” v6 - His Praise   Ephesians 1:6 (KJV)
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved
.

I want to Praise Him for His Grace

There are three views to God's grace

The denial of grace/ Legalism/ works

     Not of works

    Cannot be justified by the Law

The distortion of grace/ License to Sin/ Just go and do and live whatever you want

The delight of grace/ looking for Sinners

Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Grace that Seeks Us     Ill. Adam and Eve

Grace that  Saves Us

     It’s Undeserving Grace    Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace

     It’s Unmerited Grace  Romans 4:3-4  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt
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     It’s Unconditional Grace  Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

     It’s Unspeakable Grace   It’s Amaze Grace

Grace that Satisfies   Titus 1:4  To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

 In Titus 1:4, there are three words, grace, mercy, and peace.  This is the trinity of blessing.  Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.  Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.   And peace is the result of receiving what we do not deserve and not receiving what we do deserve.  How do you know peace?  We know peace through the grace of God.  It is always grace, then peace; never peace then grace.  Grace always precedes peace.

Grace that Secures   1 Peter 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

     We are not struggling to be saved.   It’s in His power.   We are kept by God, Peter tells us.

1 comment:

  1. Hello dear Pastor Tim, my name is Salviano Adam of the blog; The only truth in his own Protestant. The cause of my contact is because it would like doing a partnership in the name of Jesus, already posthei the blog of the darling in my list of blog, it passes there then to give one checked, and it would like that you also postroast my blog in his blog, but this partnership is alone one will want.
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