“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3
Will you imagine with me for a moment that one of the wealthiest people in the world, say Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, in an attempt to help the disadvantaged children of a particular region, started a school? As you can imagine, there would be many who would want to receive the benefit of attending such a school supported by such a benefactor. To have such a school, some guidelines would have to be established. There would have to be age, economic, and other considerations taken into account for one to be admitted and to receive the benefits of being enrolled in the school. We all accept that to receive the benefits of such a school one must be admitted into the school.
Compare Spiritual Blessings vs Physical Blessing
The LORD has provided us a home for those who will obey the Gospel. He wants to bless each with spiritual blessings. There is a specific location and source of all spiritual blessings. It is God who has blessed us in Christ. Paul repeatedly reminds the Christians in Ephesus that the only place that can receive spiritual blessings is in Christ. There are no spiritual blessings outside of Christ. Sure, the sun rises on the evil and the good, and the rain falls on the just and the unjust (cf. Mt. 5:45), but that is not the same as spiritual blessings that are realized in Christ.
The sun and the rain, and the provisions that come from those occurrences provide physical blessings. From those, plants can grow which can be used for food and used to nourish our bodies so that we have the energy to continue on. A summer rain can come with a cool front that lowers the temperature of the day and make our bodies grateful. We may even receive emotional and mental uplifting from the general blessings that God has given us, whether it be gazing at a sunset over Grand Lake or the endorphins released after a bit of exercise. As great as those things are, God has more designed for man.
If a school is built in an impoverished land, surely that society will benefit from educated children who can help the future of that society. In the same way, Christians, just by their presence in society, will improve it by the fruit that we produce. When God’s people are faithful servants daily, our society benefits from our benevolence, our kindness, our commitment to truth, and the overall well-being of men. However, those benefits pale in comparison to the spiritual blessings Christ offers.
What is so Great About Spiritual Blessings?
The greatest blessing that Christ offers is the remission of sin (cf.Acts 2:37-38). This is a spiritual need that is held by all men of accountability (cf.Rom. 3:23). When we obey the Gospel we are set free from the former life, dying to sin, raised to walk in newness of life (cf. John 8:26, Rom. 6:4-6). We are a new creation, washed, sanctified, and justified (cf. 1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Cor 5:17). Moreover, the spiritual blessings are eternal (cf. John 3:16). The unrighteous die, and all physical blessings they are privileged to receive on this earth are no longer experienced by these individuals. Rather, curses of eternal demeanor with no relief (cf. Luke 16:24-25).
The location of being in Christ is the place where we receive spiritual blessings in Christ. That location is where God has deposited us in His church. (cf. Acts 2:41-42;47). If you would like to receive the benefit of Christ, you must do as all Christians have done (cf. Gal. 3:26-27). Jesus has provided the free gift of salvation, will you obey the Gospel and receive all the spiritual blessings that await you in Christ?
Grace and Peace,
R.D. Beavers
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