Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"
The book of Ephesians is often labeled as the epistle with the most spiritual blessings. And rightfully so, as in the starting verse 1:3, "...who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing...". Remember that this epistle was written by Paul to the churches in Ephesus when he was in jail. Hence, when someone in jail who has no equity on money, status, assets, time, strength, opportunities yet still can exhort believers that they are blessed with every spiritual blessing, it means something.
What spiritual blessings was Paul talking about?
Firstly, the spiritual blessings are in the heavenly places in Christ. The spiritual blessings are in God's complete, eternal, heavenly domain. Not primarily on the earthly world's, incomplete, temporal domain. Hence, if the blessings that you seek are just earthly blessings, fame, fortune, assets, leisure, you will be disappointed. For the blessings that Paul refers too are of a greater nature, those of heaven. But the heavenly blessings are of an infinitely greater worth! I remember Jesus words in Matt 6:19-21,
"Do not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also."
If we focus on just blessings in the earthly nature, we will be sorely disappointed. In finance terms, they will depreciate. We see that happening now. Investments have lost much of their value when the US Treasury got a downgrade from S & P. As inflation strikes, value rots away. Treasures on earth get stolen too. They get stolen in a failed venture, failed investment or in a lawsuit over ownership of property. Earthly blessings though may bring us temporal happiness, but after the party is over, when the lights are turned on again, joy and happiness vanishes.
Hence, Jesus exhorts us to turn our eyes upon spiritual blessings where, moth and rust do not destroy. Again in finance terms, they have true intrinsic value. They WILL NOT DEPRECIATE. And they belong solely to yours. They will not flee from you. They will not be stolen from you. And when, we set our eyes on heavenly spiritual blessing, they will hearts be also. Away from the envy, jealously, bitterness, coveteousness of this world, but in the peace of God, joy in God's presence and in the contentment of His blessings.
In the next article, let's look at what spiritual blessings we gain in Christ.
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