by Andrew Bonar
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
There are many wonderful things in this epistle. Sometimes we are
told to look up to the 'heavenly places;' sometimes to look back,
past eternity; and again we are told to look far forward, into the
'ages to come.' Men used to come to Ephesus to see the great temple
of Diana. If we read this epistle to Ephesus, the Holy Spirit opening
our eyes, we will see things more wonderful. We will not have read
many verses till we have to stand still and wonder. Let us see in
this verse :
1. Christ in the heavenly places.
- This is another name for the right hand of God. Christ's work
is all done, and so the Father has said, 'Sit down' in the place
of glory and honour. His reward is begun. The Father has poured
upon Him the oil of joy above His fellows. 'Thou hast made Him most
blessed for ever.'
2. The Father gives to Christ all
manner of blessing.- The blessings first come to Christ, and from
Him they come to us. We get them 'in Christ.' 'The Father loveth
the Son and hath given all things into His hand.' We must go to
Christ for everything. 'All things are delivered unto Me.' The devil
claims the world, but he is a usurper. Christ says, 'All things
are delivered unto Me by my Father.' 'He has received gifts for
men.' There is a great supply of gifts, but they are all in Christ.
3.The Father gives all manner of blessing
to Christ's people. - Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings,'
etc. Has every believer got them? We look round, and we see some
very poor believers of whom we hope there is grace in them. Can
we say of them that they have been blessed with all spiritual blessings?
The Israelites got a grant from God of the whole land, even as far
as to the Euphrates. But they did not take possession of it all
as they were warranted to do. God has given us a grant of all these
blessings, but He does not say we have taken advantage of them all.
Believers are often contented with just the main things, but they
don't go on to all. How many stand still and say, 'we have got a
great deal of joy.' Very good, but you must go on to more. You have
got the thirtyfold, but you might go on to the sixty and a hundredfold.
You are warranted to expect a very great deal. All that Christ has
we have a grant of, and we may go and knock and say, 'I have come
for all spiritual blessings,' and the Lord will say, 'You have done
well to come. I wondered when you would come for them.'
When you find in reading the Bible any blessing Christ has to give,
put your finger on it and say, 'That is a gift for men, a gift for
me. I may go and ask for it.' How many things have we left unsought?
4.The nature of these blessings. -
They are 'spiritual blessings.' God has not blessed us with strength
so that we are never to be weak, - with health, so that we are never
to be sick, - with riches, so that we are never to know poverty.
Not at all.
He hath blessed us with spiritual blessings. We begin with forgiveness.
We must have guilt taken away before we can handle any of these
other blessings. Then we get the blessing of adoption. We get into
the Father's presence and we stand there in love, He loving us,
and we loving Him. We have a seat in the heavenly places waiting
for us, but even now it is ours by right and privilege. Whatever
grace we read about, that belongs to us as believers. Have you spoken
about it to your Father? Whatever the Spirit can give, you may ask
for. Listen to Paul's words in the eighth of Romans, 'Who is he
that condemneth?' Look at the robe I have got by going for it !
Who will condemn me? 'Nay, I am "more than conqueror !"'
He is waving his palm as well as wearing his white robe. Can you
say this? You say 'I contrive to keep the enemy back.' But you should
be 'more than conqueror.' I don't wonder that Peter says we ought
to have more grace than we have. 'Add to your faith,' etc. Why do
we not get it? Suppose one of Jacob's sons had come back from Egypt
with only a small sackful of corn, and his father says to him, 'Is
that all you have got?' 'Yes, all.' 'Had he no more to give? Did
he grudge it?' 'No, but that was all I asked for.' Another of Jacob's
sons comes with full sacks of corn. He needs six asses to carry
them. 'How did you get them all?' 'Just as my brother here got his
little sackful. I asked for them.' A good old Puritan says, 'Each
tribe got only one blessing, but every believer may get every spiritual
blessing.'
5.Every blessing comes out of Christ
to us. - We come and have fellowship with Christ, and while we are
holding fellowship with Him, He is dropping grace for grace into
our heart. Have you not often come away from fellowship with Him
finding that every grace was enlivened? It is a very humbling subject
this. Why have we not taken possession of the whole land when we
have a grant of it? How few of these spiritual blessings we really
have ! To think that God is so liberal and generous, and we have
often such hard thoughts about Him, as if He were not dealing kindly
with us ! Do we prize these blessings much? The subject is very
encouraging too. If we do in earnest desire to have these blessings
they are all 'in Christ.' 'Our life is hid (deposited) with Christ
in God,' and if we would go and knock at the treasury door we would
get what is waiting for us. Prayer and communion will lead us to
appropriate these spiritual blessings.
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