Lesson 5

Review:

1:3-6 Praise to the Father

a.  The Father's relationship to the Son.  1:3a

 

 

 

 

b. The Father's relationship to the believer.  1:3b - 6  [read]

1.  Reality of blessing

"Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly  [places] in Christ."

 

-  It is the one who is worthy of praise, the only one who merited blessing who has chosen to bless us, who are believers.

 

 

- "has blessed" = aor. ptc. from eulogew; point here in Eph. is not when but what  God did, the stress is on completion; finished; 

 

 

The question is are we going to live as paupers, or are we going to exploit the wealth of spiritual resources given.

 

2.  What is the nature of the blessing that is in view?

It is spiritual!  pneumatiko,j

 

It is the Holy Spirit who channels our riches to us from the Father,  through the Son.

 

 

3.  The scope of the blessings!

When it says "every spiritual blessing"  it is saying that each and  every spiritual blessing in every conceivable form is available.

 

 

The Father has given us every blessing of the Spirit, everything we need for a successful, satisfying Christian life.

 

4.  The Sphere of the Blessing; "in the heavenlies in Christ!"

 

The logic here is this: 

Jesus Christ died, was buried, He was raised, ascended to heaven and is now seated at the Father's right hand.

Since we are in union with Christ, we are seated where He is, that is in heaven.

 

 

** Observations on "blessing."

 1. These blessings are related to the ministry of the Spirit in our lives;  pneumatiko,j.

 2. These spiritual blessings are "supra-mundane";  they are above the earth; therefore they are above things, above the material.

 3.  Also supra-sensual, they are blessings that you cannot feel with your senses, they are above the emotional.

 

Use of  "in the heavenlies" in Eph. and its emphasis.

 

#1  1:3   We are in the sphere of blessing. 

have all the resources needed to live a supernatural life; CWOL;  all are not found on earth in the mundane things of life but are in and related to our position in Christ.

#2  1:20  We are in a sphere of  power.

 

#3  2:6-7  We are in the sphere of an eternal display of grace;  "ages to come"

 

#4  3:10  We are in the sphere of the display of God's wisdom.

 

#5  6:12  We are in the sphere of a great spiritual battle.

 

 

 

** So we're in the heavenlies, what does that really mean?? Can we get a grasp on it?

 

#1 It Dictates what our priority effort ought to be!

- Mt 6:19-20  = priority of effort; 

 

#2 It Dictates what our priority concentration ought to be!

- Col 3:1-3  points to the focus needed, the concentration on things above, DVPT.

 

#3 It Dictates what our priority values ought to be!

- Eph. 6:13-18 gives us the values that are to be a priority; spiritual armor

 

1:4-6  Selection

1:4a The basis of our Selection

-  here we have the amplification and explanation of what has just been said in vs:3;     and a description of the manner in which we are blessed; 

1. The choosing!

 

 

- Why did He choose Israel? 

 

 

** He selected them to mediate His blessing to others so that through them as His chosen people Israel, others would come to know Him!    [idea of  service]

 

2.  When chosen?

Note carefully that it doesn't say that He selected us (pl) before the foundation of the kosmos, the ordered world.

What it says is that  "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world."  ie. before the creation of the universe; Eternity past;     [before Gen 1:1]

 

 

 

Logic is this: 

Christ is in heaven; we are in Christ therefore we are in heaven.

 

When did God the Father choose the Son?

 

 

Conclusion:

Since Christ is the eternally chosen One and we are in Christ;  therefore we are then eternally chosen.