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:
Assurance of
salvation is a spiritual blessing for the Church;
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Acts16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Immediate
access to God is a spiritual blessing which crosses dispensations;
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Knowledge of
God and intercession to God are spiritual blessings;
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered.
Knowledge of
the future is a spiritual blessing among many others;
Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and
the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Having God’s
peace in a fallen world is a spiritual blessing as God promised through Isaiah
when a person’s mind stays focused on God;
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Not having
to worry or live with anxiety is a spiritual blessing;
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for
nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God.
Again,
Isaiah tells us that we don’t have to fall, to grow weary, or to faint for God
renews the strength of those that wait on Him and that is a spiritual blessing;
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon
the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Now, if we
don’t have these spiritual blessings we have to ask ourselves why. What are we
holding onto? What material possession or dark emotion controls us? What is
keeping our mind off of God Himself? We are promised these things with no
condition except our faith in Christ, our keeping our thoughts on God, and our
waiting on Him. What are we doing, what are we thinking that is getting in the
way of what He has planned for us right now?
You realize
that in the ‘rat race’ only the rats will win in the end? You know that true
duties never conflict so at least one of those tyrannical demands that’s pressing
on you isn’t a duty? You realize that all of the fine things in life you desire
will just be burned up when God creates a new heavens and a new earth?
All around I
see parents creating material possession obsessed children at birthdays and
events where it’s “your day” and where the only words that matters are “I want.”
It seems so cruel to implant that in a child’s head when there is so much more
for them that God has to offer. These people grow up to find a great
dissatisfaction with life in that their dreams, their focus revolves around
things. They worry, they fret, they cry about things. Their relationships fail
because those relationships are based on “I want.”
It’s no
wonder that Christians find it hard to focus on God and to have these spiritual
blessings in Christ Jesus when the mortgage comes due, the spouse wants out of
the marriage, the magistrate notifies you of an impending civil judgment, and
the second car/home/television/computer or you-name-it needs expensive repairs
and your credit cards are maxed out and you’re upside down in your home’s
equity.
Satan is the
god of this world and when you participate in the carnival amusements he
arranges and you don’t win the big stuffed teddy bear you go home with a big
frown on your face not imagining that it was all a con game anyway.
You aren’t going
to experience God’s blessings as long as you place your trust and hope in what
the world offers and not in what God promises. Everything that man holds in
high regard God regards as trash.
Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye
are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for
that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Spiritual
blessings await the Christian who turns his or her back on the world and
follows Jesus Christ. They aren’t enjoyed by the Christian who loves the world.
That’s why you’re so unhappy and so uncertain about everything. Focus on God. Keep
your face in the Bible. Regard others before your SELF. We have spiritual
blessings awaiting us.
“Heavenly places” is a location that is
mentioned again in chapter two.
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