Trilogy of Spiritual Blessings

 

Introduction:

The text we are going to study this morning is taken from Ephesians 1:3-14. The theme of this passage is spiritual blessings. Let’s exegete the passage of Ephesians 1:3–14 to learn how does God bestow spiritual blessings on believers.

God the Father is the giver of all spiritual blessings to believers through His son Jesus Christ.  It is important to note that the spiritual blessings Christians received are heavenly, and not earthly. Unbelievers seek worldly blessings, which are not eternal. However, the blessings God bestowed on believers are His abundance that God has given to believers through Jesus Christ. These blessings are described as follow:

·       "Riches of God’s grace" (Ephesians 1:7; 2:7 NIV）

·       "The riches of the glory of His inheritance " (Ephesians 1:18; 3:16 NASB)

·       "Rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4 NASB)

·       “Boundless riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8 NIV)

The original text of blessing in Ephesians 1:3 is "Eulogia" (G2129), which means blessing. Thayer’s lexicon defines it as: “Praise, laudation, panegyric of Christ or God.”[1] These spiritual blessings are given believers in Christ, culminating its fulfilment in the new heaven and earth as defined in Ephesians 1:10, "To be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." (Ephesians 1:10 ESV) This verse expresses a profound theological perspective that reveals the goal of God's plan of salvation.

Specifically, the meaning of this Ephesians 1:3, and 10 is that God, through the work of Jesus Christ, plans to ultimately unify all things, whether heavenly or earthly, in Christ. Christ will be preeminent over God’s creation including all angels and powers, and human, and all creation will be under Christ in unity. Previous rebellion will be crushed. And Christ will reign supreme in this new order. In a broader theological sense, it also reveals that Christ is the head of all, and that all things will ultimately return to Him, depend on Him, and find ultimate harmony and peace in Him.

The Big Idea:

Through the plan of God the Father, the work of the Son, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit, every Christian is given spiritual blessings, which will cumulate of Christ being preeminent and bring unity of all creation in the new heaven and earth.

Outline of the Sermon:

1. Spiritual Blessings from the Plan of God the Father (Eph 1:4-6)
2. Spiritual Blessings through the Work of God the Son (Ephesians 1:7-12)
3. Spiritual Blessings by the Sealing of God the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14)  

         I.            Spiritual Blessings from the Plan of God the Father (Eph. 1:4-6)

A.     God the Father chooses believers to be holy and blameless.

Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose [elelexato G1586 – elect] us in him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:4) Election is a profound theology to be understood by our finite mind. Election means that salvation comes from God: "You did not choose me, but I chose you." (John 15:16) A lost sinner will not find God by his own effort, "there is no one who seeks God." (Romans 3:10-11) God has come to seek sinners out of His love for us, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10) God chose us before the creation of the universe. So, our salvation is entirely and absolutely by His grace, not by any of our actions that make us saved. He chose us in Christ, and He chose us to be holy and blameless.

The first blessing is to elect us to be holy and blameless before the foundation of the world. Before sin entered the human world, God elected us to be holy. When sin entered the human world, "when we were dead in transgressions" (Ephesians 2:5), God’s plan of election was in action by eventually sending the Lamb of God to save Adam's seed: "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you." (1 Peter 1:20 NASB)

 Why did God prepare salvation for mankind before the creation of the world? God is an all-knowing God, and He knows that if He gives human the free will, they may choose to sin. To ensure man does not sin, the only alternative is to remove free will from man, and man becomes a robot.

How do sinful people get salvation? When sinners meet the gospel, they must use their free will to choose whether to believe in Christ's atonement. Before and after man sin, God respects the free will of man. It is impossible for God to take away your free will and force you to believe in Christ without you exercising your free will. The famous theologian CS Lewis writes on human free will:

If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it, you have not succeeded in saying in anything about God:  meaningless combinations of words do not acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words ‘God can’…It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of His creatures to carry out both exclusive alternatives…not because His power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.[2]

B.      God the Father predestined us to be adopted as his children.

“He predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his please and will.” (Ephesians 1:5)

The second blessing is the predestination of our sonship through Christ. John 1:12 makes it clear: " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12 NASB) When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have adopted by God as His children, and we can call God Abba Father: "The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,  ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15) Because we believe in Jesus, we are adopted by God to become part of God's family. The sequence of adoption is as follow: we must first be born again by receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour, then God adopted us as His children.

After accepting the Lord as our saviour, God predestined us for adoption: "He predestined us for adoption to Sonship.”  (Ephesians 1:5) The word "predestination" here in relation to adoption refers primarily to what God does for the saved. "Predestination" is only applied to believers as quoted by Warren W. Wiersbe.

Here we meet that misunderstood word predestination. This word, as it is used in the Bible, refers primarily to what God does for saved people. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that people are predestined to hell, because this word refers only to God’s people. The word simply means “to ordain beforehand, to predetermine.”[3]

If unbelievers are destined to hell, then no need to preach the gospel!

By God's predestination, we will be like Christ: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son." (Romans 8:29) He is the firstborn of many brethren, he is preeminent of all new creation, i.e., the church (Romans 8:29–30). God also predestined us for future inheritance: "In him we also have obtained in inheritance... according to the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:11) In God’s kingdom, Christians are special. Angels are God's servants who minister to us who receive salvation (Heb. 1:14). In the future, we will also judge fallen angels in the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:3). This shows that in the kingdom of God, man is more important than angelic beings.

C.      God has accepted us in His beloved Son.

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:6 KJV)

The third blessing is to be accepted in grace. This verse emphasizes the acceptance of believers in the Son (Jesus Christ). God has given us grace through Christ, and He has favored us even though we are unworthy. The Greek word for "made us accepted" means a deep, welcoming and acknowledgment by God through the grace in His Son, putting us in the position of God’s favour. The original word "accepted" in the KJV, "Charitoo, G5487" appears only twice in the Bible, the other occurrence is Luke 1:28, which is translated as the verb for of grace. Thayer’s Lexicon defines it as “to make graceful, compass with favour and to honour with blessing.”[4] Therefore, Christians are “graced” or “favoured” by God.

D.     Blessed is the glory of God #1.

Heavenly Father blesses believers with abundant blessings to predestined us to be holy, to adopt us as children, and to accept us showering his grace on us, thus we are favoured by God. Let us recite loudly to praise God for the glorious grace: "So we praise God for the glorious grace…” (Ephesians 1:6a NLT)

             II.            Spiritual Blessings through the Work of God the Son (Eph. 1:7-12)

A.     A costly redemption

 "Through the blood of our beloved Son we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7)

 After humanity sinned, these verses show that man is separated from God and lives in hopelessness. Sin brought about separation between man and God. Man could not use good works to resolve the debt of sin. In fact, the scriptures say that no sinner can save himself by work. However, God provides the saving grace through the blood of Jesus Christ so that people can be forgiven and thus free from this hopelessness that arises from sin. Specifically, this passage reveals the despair of humanity in the following ways:

 1.      The bondage of sin: Man is unable to save himself from sin, it causes humanity to surge into the state of hopelessness, unable to restore their relationship with God.

2.      Inability to save oneself: Man could not save himself by merit, and in fact “our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) Thus, sin has brought man into great despair.

3.      God's Grace and Redemption: In hopelessness and despair, God provided the way to obtain salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and through his blood shed on Calvary, could cleanse our sin, and restore our relationship with God.

 Thus, man’s hopelessness is the separation of man from God. God brings hope and restoration through the salvation of Jesus Christ. This is a shift from "despair" to "hope". God's redemption is described as: “He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.”  (Ephesians 1:8-9 NLT) The Lamb of God had to pay a great ransom for deliverance from the bondage of the devil. The cost is: “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lost their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT) What is the price of your ransom? Your ransom is the Son of God! Your price tag is JESUS.

 B.      Adopted through Christ “to have an inheritance.”

 “In him [Jesus] we have obtained an inheritance (eklērōthēmen G2820), having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." (Ephesians 1:11 ESV)

 In this passage, "inheritance" (eklērōthēmen G2820) means "heritage", “legacy” or “collection for private property." This word is used only once in the New Testament here (cf. Young's Concordance).

 1.      Christians inherit through God’s adoption:

 "Inheritance" means that God has predestined an inheritance for believers. However, it is through Jesus Christ that believers become children of God and can share in God's spiritual inheritance. Christians share in Christ's spiritual inheritance because they become members of God's family through God's adoption, i.e., heirs of God. John 17 makes it clear that believers belong to Christ and Christ belongs to believers: "I have given them the glory that you gave me." (John 17:22) Through Christ, we are co-heirs of God inheritance: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17)

 2.      Christians are adopted after being born again:

 It was not an accident that Peter gave a clear account of the process of obtaining inheritance. Rather, God predestined those who trust in Christ to be born again according to His own will and plan to receive this spiritual inheritance: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

C.      Blessed is the glory of God #2:

 Our hope in Christ is super-precious salvation and inheritance; This hope causes us to praise God's glory, and this is the second time we have praised His glory. Let us recite the praise of God’s glory: “Let us, then, who were the first to hope in Christ, praise God's glory!” (Ephesians 1:12 GNT)

                 III.            Spiritual Blessings by the Sealing of God the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14)

 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. 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.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

 Ephesians 1:13-14 mentions that believers are "marked in him with a seal, the promise Holy Spirit" and "a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" refers to the Holy Spirit as a God-given assurance and proof that believers belong to the people of God, and they are protected and guarded by Him in their faith.  The sealing of the Holy Spirit has two parts:

 A.     The seal of the Holy Spirit

 This refers to a "mark" or "seal" that the Holy Spirit applies to the believer, a symbol of certification or ownership. Like an ancient seal, it indicates that a person or object belongs to a certain owner. Therefore, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and it means that they belong to God and have been chosen and accepted by God: “… If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

B.      The Deposit of the Holy Spirit

 The text goes on to say that the Holy Spirit is "a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance."

The word deposit in Greek is arrabōn (G728), and Thayer’s Lexicon defines as “an earnest.”[5] Thus, the word “arrabon” means: "down payment or deposit". The Greek word “arrabon” are only used only three times in the New Testament, the other two occurrences are 2 Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5. All three occurrences the word arrabōn (G728)  is used to describe the Holy Spirit as the deposit of our salvation.

 "…Put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV)

"…Give us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 5:5 NIV)

This is a deposit paid for the purchase of a property, and at the time of completion of the transaction, the deposit will be part of the value of the property. This means that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee to receive full salvation and co-heirs with Christ on God’s inheritance.

 C.      Blessed is the glory of God #3:

 Believers receive the seal and deposit of the Holy Spirit; thus, believer should bless the glory of God. This is the final praise of the glory of God in verses 3–14. Indeed, God's glory is worthy of praise, and God saved desperate humanity because of His grace, even before the foundation of the world, when He chose us to give us hope from despair through His only Son! The goal of a Christian's spiritual blessing is the praise of God. Let us read aloud the praise: "We would praise and glorify him." (Ephesians 1:14 NLT)

 Conclusion:

 Every book in the Bible has a theme. The book of Genesis is a book that talks about the beginning. The Gospel of Matthew is a book about the kingdom of heaven. Galatians is about spiritual freedom. And Ephesians speaks of the spiritual richness that Christians have in Christ. We are to be thankful that God has given us spiritual blessings through the three persons of the Triune God. Through the Father's election, we are elected before the foundation of the universe to be holy and blameless. All these blessings were made possible by Christ's work of redemption on the cross. The Holy Spirit also provides a basis for our blessings through His seal and guarantee.

---

[1] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/2129.html, accessed 9.2.2025 10.55am.

[2] C.L. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: HarperCollins Books, 1996), 18.

[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Rich – NT Commentary on Book of Ephesians (Amazon Kindle Book) 30/188.

[4] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/5487.html, accessed on 9.2.2025 10.36pm.

[5] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/728.html, accessed 9.2.2025 10.39pm.