Eight Spiritual Blessings

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Please make your donation today at vision.org.au. As our series on spiritual growth comes to a close, it's good to focus on what fuels that growth, the blessings that God gives to those who trust him and obey. So today on Turning Point, Dr David Jeremiah turns to Ephesians for a closer look at the specific blessings that believers can count on. Wrapping up the series, The Life God Blesses, here's David to introduce his inspiring message, Eight Spiritual Blessings. Well folks, I hope you have a pencil and some paper and you're ready to do some writing because we're going to cover all these blessings in one message.

We are not going to spin this over until the next day. This is the final message in our series and there are eight points. I never do that because I know that's a lot to absorb, but you have to do that with Ephesians 1 in order to get the whole picture and I can't think of a better way for us to end our series, The Life God Blesses. Well, I know we need to get started because we have a lot of ground to cover today, so open your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1.

Let's consider the blessings of God in our lives. I want to talk with you about some of the gifts that God gives us and if you have your Bibles, turn with me to the first chapter of the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 1. Now I need to tell you before we get started that Ephesians chapter 1 verses 3 through 14 is the longest sentence in the Bible. If you read it in the Greek language, there are no periods from the beginning of verse 3 all the way to the end of verse 14.

The reason I know that is because when I was in seminary in a Greek class, I had to diagram it and the diagram ran off the page and onto another page because everything modifies everything else and it just keeps going on and on. I never understood at the beginning of my study, the book of Ephesians, why you would have such a long sentence, but I think I understand it now. Paul got started talking to the Ephesians about all the blessings that God has for us and he got so excited he couldn't even take a breath.

He just went right on through one right after the other until he exhausted everything that he had to say and he also did something that's really encouraging to me. He started with these blessings in eternity past and he carried them out all the way through life and ended them up in eternity future so that as you look at these blessings they kind of sequentially go through and you begin to understand one because you understand the one before it. Now I want to do what Paul did. There's so much in these first 14 verses that I could probably get five or six sermons just out of the 14 verses, but if I did that you would miss out on the blessing of seeing all of this in one picture. So hang on, we're going to do all 14 verses at once.

I want you to see everything God has given you in one big picture and if we read this the way we should and understand it the way we should it can be the most exciting chapter in the Bible. Now Paul begins by telling us that one of the spiritual blessings we have is that we have been chosen. Now notice what it says in verse four, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now the Bible tells us that God is love and love cannot live alone. Love needs others and so God determined that he would bring to himself a group of people that he would choose to come and spend eternity with him and he chose these people for himself. The Bible says before the foundation of the world. Now I know that I'm treading on some very controversial territory here when I began to talk about being chosen.

Somebody's already got the word election stuck in their throat. What does it mean when it says Almighty God chose us? Well I've studied this carefully in the Greek language and in all the commentaries and I figured it out. It means that God has chosen us.

That's what it means. And whether you like it or not, whether you can understand it or not, the Word of God says that before there was a world before you and I existed, before there was anything in the heart of Almighty God, he had thoughts about you and he chose you. You say well how did I get chosen and somebody else didn't?

I will never be able to comprehend that. What I can tell you about this truth is it's a mystery I can't explain but it's a mystery I'm going to enjoy because the Bible says not because of anything I have done or anything you have done but the Bible says because of Jesus Christ in eternity past he chose you. Now who is he talking about? He's talking about the us in verse 3. Who is it that he has chosen? The ones the Bible calls the Saints, the believers, those who have put their trust in Christ, those who can say God is my Father and who can say Jesus Christ is my Lord. The Bible says God has chosen us.

Now please don't get arrogant about this. If you happen to be a Christian and you say well that if I'm a Christian that means I'm chosen, it has nothing to do with you. You don't have anything that you can offer to God and say you know why God chose me. No he chose you in spite of you. He chose you because of Jesus Christ because you were in Christ. You see God chose his son and since you're in his son you got chosen. Now looking back on it we can see that. Looking forward we may not understand it but simply put it down in your book. The Bible says it we can't contradict it. I'm unfaithful if I don't preach it. Whatever you might think about this Almighty God has chosen you.

You understand that? You remember what it's like to be chosen? When I was growing up as a boy I had a sister her name is Mary Alice who was one of the world-class athletes in our town. When we would go to play softball she would get chosen before me. Had to be one of the most embarrassing things in my life.

I never could quite get as good as she was. I'll tell you one thing in eternity past Almighty God chose you. He chose me. What does it say? He chose us in his son Jesus Christ.

Now that's the first blessing. We're chosen. Secondly he says not only are we chosen we're adopted.

Now let me explain to you what he says. Notice what it says in the next verse. Having chosen us he predestined us. Now there's another word that's just gonna blow some circuits in your mind. Election and predestination. You couldn't get two more controversial words in theology. But notice here he's not talking about predestination as you think about it. He's saying listen now listen carefully. When Almighty God chose you in eternity past he predestined you to a certain thing.

The word predestined means to set boundaries so that you stay on course. Now here's what the Bible says. God chose you and then he predestined you that you would be an adopted son or daughter of Almighty God. Now this is a great truth because adoption as we understand it today is anything compared to what the Bible teaches us about adoption. Some of you know we have an adopted daughter and I remember when we went through the process of adopting Jan that it was quite an experience to go through all of the interviews and everything else. And actually what happened was we got the privilege of raising a daughter who wasn't our own by flesh and blood who became our own because we made her our own and she was from another family and she became part of our family.

Now there's a part of that in this but that's not what God is talking about here. In the Greek times when a person was adopted it meant that they were placed as a son in the family and here's how it worked. When you were born into a Greek family until you were a certain age you were considered a child. But when you got to a certain age they would bring you forward and place you as a son in that family and at that particular moment you would become a true son in the family with all of the rights and privileges that went along with being an adult son in the family. And what God is saying is that when he chose us in the past he determined that his purpose for us would be that we would be adopted into his family as mature sons and mature daughters and we would have all of the rights and privileges that every son has in his family.

Now here's the astounding thing. The Bible says that because we have been adopted as mature sons in the family of God we have the same status with Almighty God as Jesus Christ. We are heirs and co-heirs with Jesus Christ so that everything Christ has with the Father we have with the Father. When Almighty God looks for David Jeremiah he doesn't see David Jeremiah he sees David Jeremiah in Christ.

He sees Christ around David Jeremiah and so I have standing with God not because of who I am or anything I've done I have standing with God because I'm in Christ. I've been adopted into God's family as a mature son and I now belong to Christ and I belong to God and I am on equal standing with God as far as rights and privileges along with Jesus Christ. So we're chosen and we're adopted. Keep reading and you'll discover that the third thing that happens to us when we become Christians is we're accepted.

Notice what it says in the next verse. Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made us accepted in the beloved. Now I don't have time to go into all of the illustrations I could mask today about what people try to do to get accepted. You see it on television you see it out in culture somebody comes up with a new standard somebody comes up with the new fad everybody rushes to do and to get so that they can feel accepted. Especially a challenge with young people these days wanting to be accepted wanting to feel like they belong. Everybody is on a quest to be accepted and frankly the religions of the world fall right into that very trap because the religions of the world are simply attempts on the part of people to find acceptance with Almighty God by doing certain good things by following certain principles by doing certain good works by participating in a church bazaar or whatever they do trying to do enough good work so they can be accepted by God.

And you know what the problem is you can never do enough. God doesn't accept anything unless it's perfect. God doesn't grade on the curve.

You don't get a grade from God unless you get a hundred percent nobody can do that. We can never be accepted by God if we have to find acceptance in our own strength and in our own wisdom and in our own works. So notice what it says the Bible says we have been made accepted in the beloved. Now the word beloved is a term that means Jesus Christ.

Three times heaven opened and Almighty God said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. So here what it says now you and I who were chosen and adopted we've been accepted because of Jesus Christ. We've been accepted in the beloved. That's what it means to be accepted in the beloved.

It means that because of Jesus Christ you have a standing with God. Aren't these good things? This is great truth. We are chosen. We are adopted. We are accepted. Now notice fourth we're redeemed. You say what does that mean?

Well listen to what it says in the text. It says in him we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. You say pastor Jeremiah why do I need to be redeemed? Because you're a sinner. So the Bible says we have to be redeemed. And the word redemption is a word in the Greek language which means to buy back or to free.

And here's the picture. The Bible says that all of us before Jesus Christ comes into our lives are slaves to sin. Just like that passage says we may not accept that but if we stop and think about it why is it that we keep doing bad stuff?

We can't help ourselves. We're slaves to sin and the only way we can get free of that is if somebody will redeem us. The Bible says that you and I are slaves of sin. And one day Almighty God came down to buy us back and you know what he used for collateral? The precious blood of Jesus Christ. He brought the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

The blood that was spilt on the altar of the cross and he redeemed us back and brought us to himself. And listen what the scripture says and the result of that is the forgiveness of our sins. When we got redeemed our sins were forgiven. Again next to being accepted being forgiven it's got to be one of the most extraordinary things.

To know when you get up every day when you lay your head on the pillow at night Almighty God has forgiven you. We're chosen. We're adopted. We're accepted. We're redeemed. Here's the fifth thing. We're enlightened. Notice what it says here. It says having made known to us the mystery of his will verse 9 according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself and verse 8 says which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

Now here's the deal. When you become a Christian all of a sudden when you are redeemed and adopted and chosen and accepted Almighty God gives you a new sense of understanding about him and about life. It says here when you become a Christian you get new wisdom and new prudence. Wisdom is understanding the deep things of God.

Prudence is figuring out how to put them into practice. And then it says in the next verse you get to understand something about the mystery of God. Now that's exactly what the scripture says. One of the blessings you have from God is when you become a Christian he gives you an enlightened mind so that you can understand God better.

You can understand life better. And it even says you can begin to understand what God is up to in the world. And if you read the next passage it tells us that what God is up to in the world is bringing everything together under Jesus Christ so that ultimately all will be under his authority. And what is this whole world about? From God's perspective it's bringing things along in the world until ultimately that day comes when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord and everything is brought together in Christ. Did you know that when you become a Christian God gives you the beginning of an understanding of how life works, what the world is about, how to deal with the spiritual things that you never knew how to deal with before.

Why would you not want to be a believer if you get all of these blessings? Now let's keep going. We're not finished. We're chosen. We're adopted. We're accepted. We're redeemed.

We're enlightened. And then the Bible tells us that we obtain an inheritance. Now once again I need to remind you once you become a son in God's family you have all the rights and privileges of sonship and one of those rights is an inheritance. You get an inheritance. You don't get an inheritance if you're not a son or a daughter but Almighty God is giving you an inheritance and that inheritance is going to be yours someday.

Notice again he started with you before the world began and he is going to be finished with you ever because he's even got you in mind for the future. What is the inheritance? The inheritance in the Saints he says. I can't tell you what it is but I can tell you what Peter says about it. Listen to these words from 1 Peter as Peter describes this inheritance that we have. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Now watch this. To an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled that doesn't ever fade away reserved in heaven for you. That's what it says. The inheritance Almighty God has for you is not going to be messed up by the economy. It's not going to suffer from the stock market. It's not going to be taken away by inflation. Nobody's gonna steal it. Nobody can get at it and God's promised to keep you safe until you get it. When you get to heaven that inheritance is going to be something you'll never believe.

I've seen stories in the paper about some great inheritances. None of them even come close to what God has prepared. The Bible says I has not seen nor ear heard the things that God has prepared for those that love him. God has a wonderful plan for your future and he's gonna make sure you get it because you're one of his own. Not only do you have an inheritance but the next thing tells us that having obtained an inheritance we are sealed. Whoa. Well is this just more theology?

No, it's what the Bible says. Notice what it says here. I told you I was gonna do all this at once. It says that we having trusted and heard the word of truth were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. Let me ask you a question.

What does it mean to be sealed? Watch carefully now. Here's the question I would have having heard all that I've said. Okay God loved me in the past. God's gonna take care of me in the future. Well what about in between?

What about now? I mean I'm in high school. I'm in college. I'm trying to build my family. I know God loved me in the past and he's gonna take care of my future but man I'm trying to make it now.

What if I don't follow through? Listen to what the Word of God says. He has sealed you with the Holy Spirit of promise. What happened to you when you became a Christian was that the Holy Spirit came to live within your heart and the Bible says that Holy Spirit is the guarantee, the seal that you're gonna be okay. The best way I can explain it is what happens when you send a piece of registered mail.

When you go to the post office you send a certified letter, a piece of registered mail, you fill out a form and then you give them the letter and they take a stamp and they stamp on the seal of the letter so that if anybody tries to open it you can see. Well the Bible says that the Holy Spirit who lives within you and me is the guarantee that what God promised from the past he's gonna fulfill in the future. How do I know I'm gonna get what God has for me? Holy Spirit lives in my heart. How do you know the Holy Spirit lives in your heart?

Because he witnesses with my spirit that I'm a child of God. Somebody says how do you know you're Christian? Well I just know that I know.

Well how do you know that you know? Well there's this inward thing that I know the Holy Spirit's in my heart. That's the seal that proves and guarantees that I'm gonna be in heaven someday.

Just one last one. Not only are we sealed but we're secure. Notice in the last verse. Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession to the praise of his glory. What does it mean? It means that the Holy Spirit is the proof positive that you and I are going to be in heaven someday. That God is going to take care of us. When it says he is the guarantee some of the older translations maybe you have an old King James Bible says the earnest of the spirit.

What is that? Well it's like a down payment. If you go and buy a house you have to put money down and when you put money down what that means is that you're planning to come back and pay the rest of it over a period of time.

Your down payment is your earnest money. Now the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. God's given us part of what he's going to do for us already and it's a guarantee that one day in the future he's going to give us all the rest so we can be certain that God is going to care for us.

Now every once in a while someone will come to and I'm going to get a little controversial here someone will come and say to me pastor do you think a person can lose their salvation? Well let me ask this question. Who has been doing all of these things we've been talking about? Who chose us? God. Who adopted us into the family? God. Who accepted us? God. Who redeemed us? Christ. Who gave us an inheritance?

Christ. Who is securing us? The Holy Spirit.

Who's sealing us? The Holy Spirit. If you go through this the Trinity is involved in all of it. God thought it. Jesus bought it and the Holy Spirit wrought it. It's all in God.

So let me ask you this question. If I were to lose my salvation somehow I got to get out of God's hands. Between being chosen and being secured how can I do that? Where do I fall away?

How do I get away? If God is the one who's doing it not me then the problem isn't mine it's God's. So I know because I'm a Christian in spite of all of my flaws and failures and mistakes one day I'm going to be with Almighty God because God bought it.

The Son bought it and the Holy Spirit wrought it. I'm going to be with God someday. Well what a fitting end to our month of discussing blessings.

We've been talking about the life God blesses and today we've been examining the eight spiritual blessings of Ephesians chapter 1. I hope you'll join us on Monday as we begin a new series called Making Sense of It All and the first message is how to have courage when fatigue drains you. Anybody tired?

You know that's the strangest thing isn't it? We've all been sheltering at home. We've not been doing a lot of things we are used to doing and all of us are more tired than we've ever been before because stress makes you tired.

Pressure makes you tired. Well we'll learn some things about that Monday that maybe will help us as we go forward. Don't forget to go to church on Sunday. Watch Turning Point on television this week and we'll see you back here on Monday for the next edition of Turning Point right here on this Good Station. Our message today originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah the Senior Pastor. Would you like to tell us how Turning Point ministers to you?

Please write to us Turning Point Post Office Box 3838, San Diego, California 92163 or visit our website at davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio. Ask for your copy of Jack Countryman's new book God's Blessings Just For You. It features 100 inspirational readings and reflections and it's yours for a gift of any amount and if you still haven't requested David's new Daily Devotional for 2021 Strength for Today there are still copies available. It's a great way to get a dose of biblical truth every day. Ask for your copy when you visit davidjeremiah.org forward slash radio. I'm Gary Hoog Fleet. Join us Monday as we begin the series making sense of it all as here on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. Thanks for taking time to listen to this audio on demand from Vision Christian Media. To find out more about us go to vision.org.au.