The Blessing of Christ Himself

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 1:3

As we began a new preaching series in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Senior Pastor Mark Davis posed a question to the PCPC congregation at the onset of his initial sermon by asking them to complete the following sentence:

“Our greatest hindrance in the Christian life is…”

Mark borrowed this insight from the English Puritan, John Owen, who ultimately provided his own conclusion to this thought. Undoubtedly, Owen’s reasoning encapsulates what most of us will find to be a godly explanation for our struggle to live as “holy and blameless before Him.”

However, what comes to mind for us initially as the greatest hindrance in our pursuit of righteousness? Perhaps a variety of temptations and distractions. Boredom, fatigue, and familiarity may ring true for some of us. Maybe it’s other people – even other Christians – who we think stand in our way of seeking to live the Christian life.

Owen doesn’t immediately mention sin or apathy or other people as our primary issues. According to Owen, what offers the greatest hindrance in the Christian life is “our lack of acquaintedness with our privileges.”

The Apostle Paul front-loads his letter to the church in Ephesus with a litany of announced blessings that belong to the saints who are faithful in Christ Jesus. In Ephesians 1:3, Paul bundles together these promised good things by declaring them to collectively be “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” 

These blessings, or in Owen’s language, privileges, are both spiritual and heavenly. We are chosen, adopted, forgiven, redeemed, and heirs. Oh! What blessings these are! In contrast to the seemingly physical blessings most often described in the Old Testament, the promises made now in Christ extend beyond the material and have an eternal reality.

While recognizing the astounding benefits God has bestowed upon us by His own choosing and the work accomplished by Jesus, we must recognize that all of these blessings are inseparable from the person of Christ and our being united to Him. As Sinclair Ferguson has said,

                                         “We cannot separate the blessings of  
                                          salvation from the One in whom they  
                                          are found and experienced, Jesus Christ.”¹  

Recently, my wife and I (and our four sons) embarked on our first college drop off. In many ways, this was an adventure I had dreaded for 18+ years. The idea of leaving my oldest son on his own and returning home as a family of five – instead of six – was something I did not anticipate with gladness. Surely, his leaving would upset our family dynamic and leave a hole where we had enjoyed watching him play sports, strum his guitar, entertain friends in our home, and grow in maturity as a young believer. I certainly would miss the things that accompany having him in close proximity – and, in particular, under our roof. I vividly recall the first morning after we had returned home without him, having a new understanding of his absence. My longing was not for any particular activity or experience with him, but it was the thought that he was not in his bed and that he would not walk down the stairs that morning. What suddenly became evident to me was that I was simply going to miss his presence – his person.

As believers, we ought to have the same longing when it comes to Christ. Our attention, rightfully so, is often directed to the works of Christ and what He has won for us. Yet, as Paul describes the blessings which are ours in Christ, he also makes known that the foundation and capstone for every spiritual blessing is our being united to His person. How often do we meditate simply on Jesus and His attributes? His beauty, His love, His gentleness, His steadfastness, His power and majesty, and His holiness.

Paul goes on near the end of this opening doxological and theological proclamation to highlight the assurance of our heavenly inheritance, which comes by way of the “sealing of the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13-14). What exactly has been “sealed”? Certainly, all of the blessings previously detailed in Chapter One are in view here. But, even more so, we have been sealed to Jesus. Amazingly, we are His inheritance – and He is ours.

If we are to be properly “acquainted with our privileges” as followers of Christ – surely we must first and foremost consider the astounding nature of what it means to be “in Christ” – and to have Him as our own. Each and every spiritual blessing in Christ is ours now – and will be for all eternity. The Lord has given us a foretaste of what will be ours in glory forever. May we live in light of this current and future reality with the assurance Paul sought to convey to the early church believers in Ephesus. And may we bless (praise) God as those who have been blessed with all that Christ has to offer – namely Himself.

References:
1. Sinclar Ferguson, Things Unseen, 2024