ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” -Ephesians 1:3 [KJV]

Many think that spiritual blessings are held in reserve for those who plead with God to give them. It is generally acknowledged that the Lord has a plentiful storehouse of gifts, but the distribution of those blessings some believe to be conditioned upon the willingness of sinners to request and accept them. It is clear from this text, however, that God already blessed a chosen people with all benefits in Christ. These gifts are not withheld from men because of non-request; they already belong to the children of God. Nothing pertaining to eternal salvation is given because sinners beg God. His greatest gift was His only begotten Son and God did not send Him in response to men pleading for a Savior. The “unspeakable Gift” was unasked for and when He did come, He was unwanted (John 1:11).

He was sent according to the eternal purpose of God to save a people by His sacrifice on the cross. God provides abundantly and freely, making those to whom He gives thankful to be the recipients, and His gifts never go unclaimed. Rather than the Lord giving because we ask, He gives in spite of not being asked and in spite of our rebellion, enmity and unbelief. In giving us Christ, “He hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (II Peter 1:3); all of God’s blessings are wrapped up in Christ. Furthermore, not only does God give unnumbered blessings in Christ according to His own initiative, He gives with no condition to be met on our part. There are no laws to be kept, no rules to be followed, nothing to be given Him in exchange. All spiritual blessings are given to us by grace alone in and through Christ alone.

-preacher Jim Byrd

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