Blessings in Christ Pt. 2

Ephesians • Sermon • Submitted a month ago • Presented a month ago

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Ephesians 1:3 NIV

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

This morning, we continue our three part sermon as we look at the spiritual blessings we have in Jesus Christ.

First, it is important to establish that these blessings are in fact experienced within a relationship with our Lord and Savior.

I believe that God has incredible things in store for ALL people as ALL people matter to God. However, those blessings are only experienced when we commit out lives to Christ through faith and belief.

And let’s not forget the greatest blessing of all.

Sometimes I fear we get focused a bit too much on “what’s in it for me” when talking about the goodness of God. Yes, there are blessings to be experienced. However, the greatest blessing we could possibly experience is simply coming back into fellowship with our heavenly Father.

God has made it possible for us to know Him again! That’s not just to know of Him, but to know His truth, His love… AND His presence!

Last week, we laid out three blessings that we are made aware of when we give our lives to Jesus Christ.

First, we understand that long before we chose God, God chose us. In fact, all that Christ did on the cross was proof of God’s choosing us before we ever chose Him… while we were yet sinners.

While we were lost in sin, God NEVER lost sight of us. And He desires for all people to come back to Him today.

Secondly, we understand that through Christ, God offers redemption of our sin. The required price has been paid in full. There is no outstanding debt for our sin.

When we choose God through faith and belief, our sin debt is fully satisfied by the blood of Jesus. We no longer stand condemned for our sins, but rather God condemns sin itself through the death and resurrection of Jesus! (Romans 8:3-4)

Through His death… the demands of the law were COMPLETED.

Through His resurrection… sin, death, and the grave were DEFEATED.

Thirdly, we understand that in Christ, the mystery of God’s will for our lives is revealed. Our God-given purpose is made known to those who trust and follow Jesus.

What a blessing it is to know the purpose of God for our lives! He doesn’t hide His purpose from us. He leads us and guides us according to His will for our lives.

This week, we look at one more blessing from Ephesians 1 that we cannot overlook. In fact, this blessing requires a sermon for itself because of how incredible it truly is.

As we introduce this additional blessing, let’s go back and talk about the blessing of redemption one more time.

Remember what I said regarding the work of Christ on the cross.

Before Jesus died on the cross, the law of God was left unfulfilled. No one had the capability of fulfilling the law. This is why God intervened for us.

When Christ said the words, “It is finished,” The payment for our sins was complete and the requirements of the law were fully satisfied. Jesus made it clear that this is what He came to this earth to do:

Matthew 5:17 NIV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Secondly, when Christ was raised from the dead, sin, death, and the grave were defeated by the power of God.

The world finally had hope - not in the form of freedom we could earn… but hope in the form of God’s gift in His Son. We can and do have victory today because of what Christ has done.

And that victory is offered to all who believe.

Now… as incredible as this blessing is in and of itself… there is more to come! This is that part in the infomercial where the host throws up their hands and declares “But wait! There’s More!”

BECAUSE the requirements of the law have been completed and BECAUSE sin, death, and the grave have been defeated - those who believe in Christ Jesus can once again experience the presence of almighty God in their lives! We know this presence as the Holy Spirit!

You see, the tomb was not the only space that was previously occupied but then left vacant through the events of His death and resurrection. There was another space that was evacuated because of what Christ had done. That space was known as the Holy of Holies.

Here was the problem: A righteous God cannot be in fellowship with unrighteous people. Holiness and sin cannot mix. Light and dark cannot occupy the same space.

And because we had no way of paying our sin debt in full on our own, God’s presence was separated from all people… and was locate in the Holy of Holies within the Temple.

It was in this room that the high priest would offer sacrifices to God for the atonement of the sins of the people.

But when the payment was made complete, God’s presence vacated the room! Scripture says the veil was torn in two that separated the room from the rest of the temple. God’s presence was no longer isolated to this small space.

So if His presence was no longer there, where did it go? Where could the Holy Spirit be found if not in the Holy of Holies?

We don’t have to go looking for Him… He’s made available to all who believe! His presence… His Holy Spirit… is someone we can know and experience BECAUSE of what Jesus has done! Here’s the deal church… IF you are in Christ… The Holy Spirit is in YOU!

Ephesians 1:13-14 tells the story

Ephesians 1:13–14 NIV

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Let’s break this down quickly:

We are included in Christ when two things happen:

We hear the message of truth which is the gospel of salvation.

We believe the message of truth.

Once that inclusion takes place, the promised Holy Spirit moves in and acts as a seal on our lives.

This is the blessing I want to unpack quickly today. From our text, we see two important aspects of the Holy Spirit I want us to understand. First off, as mentioned… the Holy Spirit is promised.

The Promise of the Spirit.

What do we know of promises in general?

A promise is a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified. Promises as often given in hopes of bringing reassurance. Sometimes promises are given as warnings or deterrents.

Promises can certainly help to increase hope or assurance. But what happens if a promise is not fulfilled?

Unfilled promises lead to a breaking of trust. The character of a person can be heavily damaged if they say or promise something… and do not deliver.

Promises can increase hope… but they can also do great damage when not followed through.

If there is one thing we can learn throughout all of Scripture regarding God and His promises… it is that God ALWAYS keeps His promises. ALWAYS.

The promise of the Spirit is spoken of in Ephesians 1 but was established long before this letter was written.

The promise of the coming of the Spirit was given by none other than Jesus and I want you to see His words in John 14:15-18

John 14:15–18 NIV

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Jesus was telling His disciples of His soon coming departure. And… they were a bit disheartened by this disclosure. However, Christ reassures them with this promise… when Jesus goes, the Spirit will come.

Jesus knows that when His life is laid down for the sins of the world, the presence of God would become available to all who would believe. Followers of Christ would not be left as orphans, but rather the Spirit of God would now dwell within their hearts… OUR hearts.

Now I can spend another two sermons talking about what the Holy Spirit came to do… but today I want to focus in on the promise.

First off, when God makes a promise… He ALWAYS keeps it.

The disciples were completely unaware of what the presence of the Holy Spirit felt like. They were fully aware of what it was like to be in the presence of Jesus… but the idea of having God’s presence dwell within them was completely new to them.

What they knew up to this point was they were unworthy… no one but the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies. And even then, he was there to offer sacrifices… to make payment for sins.

The promise of God’s Spirit dwelling in their hearts of God’s people was a new concept. BUT… the disciples would have been aware that if God promises anything… it will come to pass.

Perhaps the best example would be the promised land. God promised the land to Abraham and that promise came to fruition through Joshua. God always makes good on His promises.

Secondly, God made this promise a reality through the gift of His Son, Jesus.

Jesus had come to do the work necessary for this promise to come true. Jesus was not about to fail in His mission. The requirements of the law would be completed… sin, death, and the grave would be defeated.

What I want you to see is… God did all the work needed to be done through His Son, Jesus, in order for this promise to be fulfilled.

God completed the requirements of the law.

God defeated sin, death, and the grave.

God made a way for our sin debt to be fully satisfied meaning… we could once again enjoy the fulness of His Presence!

God DID NOT create us to perish in sin… He created us live in His presence!

The Holy Spirit is PROMISED to all who place their faith in Christ Jesus! It’s not a question if we will experience His presence, it’s a promise you can bank on.

And with the coming of His Spirit comes another remarkable truth that Ephesians 1:3-4 speaks of...

The Seal of the Spirit.

What kind of seal is Paul speaking of in our main passage? The verse specifically says, “When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.”

Defined, a seal is something that confirms, ratifies, or makes secure.

Remember after Jesus was placed in the tomb, Pilate placed his seal on it to secure the tomb with his authority. (Matthew 27:66)

In a sense, Pilate was declaring that the tomb would remain closed and Jesus would remain inside. No one would question his authority or break that seal.

This marking spoken of in Ephesians 3 is not something new when it comes to God and His relationship with His people.

In the Old Testament, the mark was circumcision. This was the mark that identified God’s people as… the people of God. It was a sign that they were living in covenant with God. And remember, a large part of living in that covenant was living in accordance to God’s given law.

When the requirements of the law were completed or fulfilled through the blood of Christ, the old covenant was no more and Jesus ushered in a new covenant.... the covenant of His blood - an era of forgiveness and grace. (Luke 22:20) With this new covenant came also a new seal of our belonging to God.

The promised gift of the Holy Spirit to the life of the believer is that new mark… is that new seal… that is given by God Himself.

When we give our lives to Christ, God gives His Spirit to the believer as a seal… as a mark… as a confirmation of the new life that has come. It is an authoritative statement from God declaring we now belong to Him!

We are purchased or bought with the blood of His Son. We are cleansed of all sin and made righteous in the eyes of God. This was NOT something we earned by doing the right things or going through religious motions… it was something made available to us through the love and grace of our God!

Remember, God chose you. He made redemption a possibility for you. In that redemption, He reveals His purpose and plan for you and He seals you with His Spirit saying YOU ARE MY SON, YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER.

The Holy Spirit helps us to know who we are… and WHOSE we are!

And with that seal… comes a remarkable assurance. I want us to look at Ephesians 1:14 again as it speaks of the Spirit and the seal… it says the indwelling of the Spirit...

Ephesians 1:14 NIV

14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Are you getting this today? When the Spirit comes in… He comes guaranteeing our inheritance! Look how Romans 8:16-17 states this truth

Romans 8:16–17 NIV

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Here’s what we need to realize: The Holy Spirit CANNOT occupy a heart that is not redeemed. But once redemption has come, the Spirit comes in. When the Spirit comes in, it is a sign of Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the grave in our own lives!

Those in Christ WILL NOT PERISH. Those in Christ will know the presence and Spirit of God. We are not left alone as orphans as the Holy Spirit has made our hearts His new dwelling place! And with the indwelling of the Spirit comes the assurance of the believer that we will spend eternity in the presence of almighty God!

God doesn’t want us guessing if we are His… He wants us to know our identity in Him. And if you are struggling to relate to what Scripture says here… then maybe you’ve given the wrong spirit access to your heart.

Knowing OF God and knowing God… are two completely different things. The key difference is… relationship.

All of these blessings we have spoken of the last two weeks are blessings experienced IN RELATIONSHIP with God through Christ. What are those blessings one more time?

Knowing that God CHOSE you.

Knowing that God made a way for and offers you redemption.

Knowing God’s plan for you.

Knowing God’s presence in you… and God’s adoption of you.

This truly is the blessed life!

Closing

I want to close by looking at a challenge I mentioned just a moment ago. You might be listening today and you don’t feel very… blessed.

You know of God… the question is… do you know Him, personally?

If you are struggling to know His blessings… then maybe the wrong spirit has gained access to your heart.

Romans speaks of two lives we can live:

Life governed by the flesh.

Life governed by God’s Spirit.

Romans also gives this breakdown.

Romans 8:9 NIV

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

So here’s the deal… The Spirit of God is promised and serves as a seal marking our belonging to Him. If His Spirit is absent… so is your relationship with the Lord. You Cannot be in Christ and not have His Spirit.

So… a lack of His Spirit points to a lack in our relationship. God will NOT withhold His Spirit from His people. He has PROMISED it to all who have placed their faith in Christ.

His Spirit is life, truth, peace, hope, counsel, strength, etc. His presence is unlike anything you will ever experience in this world.

So I ask you this morning… Is His Spirit in you? Can you speak of His presence in your life… or is His presence something you lack in your day to day life?

God wants to fill you today… but first you must come to know Him, personally. you must accept His invitation for redemption.

Jesus is calling for all people to come to this blessed life. Jesus came and gave all that He had to give that we might choose to come back into fellowship with God.

This happens when we realize some things.

First, we recognize our sin for what it is.

Second, we recognize our need of a Savior - our need for someone who can deliver us from our sins.

Third, we believe in and call on the name of our Savior, Jesus. We confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.

Fourth, we receive Christ into our lives and give all to Him. And in that moment, God’s Spirit moves in as our old sin and self moves out!

If you would like to give your life to Jesus today, I want to pray with you.

PRAYER - Salvation

This morning, I want to close in the same fashion that Ephesians 1:14 closed out - to the praise of His glory!