All Blessings Awareness, Gospel Pride in Ephesians

Spiritual Awareness

All Blessings Awareness, Gospel Pride in Ephesians.

NOTE: This Bible session is dedicated to all those chosen IN CHRIST from
before the foundation of the world, those who are “not ashamed of the
Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16), showing it as real and genuine, unlike the
official or professional Christian, by giving readily a testimony to Christ and
their faith, across the world in places not easy and witnessed online by the
cities and countries that are constituents of SunGrist_Bible on www.
biblecombibleman.com, and especially those witnesses of Google plus with
their words of witness and testimony about Jesus, the Bible, and God.
6-1: Introduction with Gospel Pride to ALL BLESSINGS AWARENESS in
Ephesians 1:3-13.
1. GOSPEL PRIDE IN ROMANS. You have seen some of Gospel Pride in
Romans so far as having the dual thrusts of: (1) We are not ashamed {more
positively stated, we are proud of the Gospel of Christ} of the Gospel,
Romans 1:16, knowing that it is (a) the Gospel or good news of Christ, (b)
that it demonstrates the power of God all the way to human salvation, (c)
there is no discrimination with God as it is for “everyone who believes”, and
(d) it is for the Jews first because of the election through Abraham, but also
to all Arabs, Greeks, and Gentiles; (2) Gospel pride because “hope maketh
not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit which is given unto us", Romans 5:5, the inward Holy Spread
spread out all over our hearts gives the only pride admissable in the sight of
God, Gospel Pride; (3) Not ashamed but proud of the "rock of offense and
stumbling block", (Romans 9:33) that God placed right in the middle of Zion,
that rock being Jesus Christ, and (4) Gospel pride because of the awareness
that by the grace and power of God, He will not allow us to be ashamed
after we believe, Romans 10:33.2. Is that enough on Gospel Pride, or are you
interested in more?
NOTE: Even though all human pride is forbidden in the sight of God, pride is
one of the 7 deadly sins and obvious in the sight of God, Gospel pride is to
"glory" in God and what He has done by grace and IN CHRIST like Paul wrote
in Galatians 6:14, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the
world.”
3. Gospel Pride in Ephesians.
“In Him you also trusted, after you hear the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation; in whom, also having believed, you were sealed with the
Holy Spirit of promise.” (Ephesians 1:13)
4. ALL BLESSINGS AWARENESS in Ephesians 1:3-14.
“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...”; (Ephesians
1:3)
6-2: Many of you can get a blessing, through the Spirit on your own human
Christian spirit, in a first reading of Ephesians 1:3-14. As you do so, please
cast your mental tents, or focus, on the 8 spiritual blessings in heavenly
places.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good
pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, {this also
summarizes much of GP, Gospel Pride} wherein he hath made us accepted in
the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath
abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto
us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath
purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven,
and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an
inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise
of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that
ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after
that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is
the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3-14)
6-3: Blessed be the God Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).
1. First, it is wise in order to understand Paul, and the Spirit through Paul,
to appreciate this God of Whom Paul is praising as the bestower of all
spiritual gifts in heavenly places. Never is the Bible, or God through the
Bible, unrealistic that there are many gods in the world, in the minds of
many peoples and nations. Hence the first commandment, “You shall have
no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3}, with the “gods” in little letters and
the Me in big letters because our God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ,
knows both of those many other gods in the world that demand the place
and position that only the “Me”, in capital letters is entitled to.
2. Ephesians 1:3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places...”
3. Observe that this God the Father has blessed us: (1) with all spiritual
blessings, hence the title ALL BLESSINGS AWARENESS, and (2) these spiritual
blessings are made secure in heavenly places, for example in “the book of
life written in heaven” (Revelation 21:27) which is as secure and protected
as our God is able to make possible, and as for heavenly places, these
blessings are both in heaven before the Second Coming and in the new earth
headquarters at the New Jerusalem after the Second Coming and the New
Earth.
4. These 8 blessings in heavenly places to be briefly enumerated shortly
have always existed for all believers IN CHRIST {even more Biblical than
Christian}, in fact they existed before you knew about them, and before you
were born--the amazing reality you will see in a few moments, or saw in
your original reading, is that God selected you to be a believer IN CHRIST
before this same God created the world.
6-4: “He chose us IN HIM” {preferred words for Christians in Ephesians where
we have the great treatise of BIC, Before in Christ, and AIC, after in Christ},
before He even focused His wisdom and power to make the world.
“...just as He chose us in HIM before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and blameless before Him in love...” (Ephesians 1:4)
6-5: Adoption as sons of God, Second of 8 blessings in heavenly places.
“...having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His
grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5,6)
6-6: Redemption through Christ’s blood on the Cross, third blessing in
heavenly places.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in
all wisdom and prudence...” (Ephesians 1:7,8)
NOTE: “according” is a key word and phrase to give God the praise after the
listing of each blessing in heavenly places. Here with the third blessing,
redemption and forgiveness of sins, it is “according to the riches of His grace
which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence”; with the
second blessing of adoption as sons of God, it is “according to the good
pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made
us accepted in the Beloved.”; next with the fourth heavenly blessing of
revelation of His plan for the universe, it is “according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself”; and the fifth blessing, AN INHERITANCE,
which by the way has a double “according”, is “according to the counsel of
His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His
glory.”
6-7: Obtained An Inheritance in heavenly places, the 5th blessing from God
in heavenly places for all IN HIM.
“IN HIM also we have obtained an inheritance , being predestined according
to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His
will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”
(Ephesians 1:11,12)
NOTE: While we are far from being among the first of the first century that
trusted in Christ, Jews and Gentiles, we are PRAISE GOD among the
approximately seven thousand of every generation that God has reserved for
Himself, for the new body and creation in heaven and on the new earth.
6-8: 6th blessing in heavenly places for those IN CHRIST, Hearing the Gospel
of salvation, the word of truth, and Believing.
“In Him you also trusted {we could stop right there and preach or praise God
because of the opportunity and determined opportunity to trust and believe,
but there is more to praise God about}, after you heard the word of truth
{thank God also for those who preach and teach and witness to the word of
truth}, the gospel of your salvation...” (Ephesians 1:13a)
6-9: Seventh blessing in heavenly places for those IN CHRIST, the Holy Spirit
seal of security for salvation.
“... in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13b,14)
6-10: There are 8 blessings in heavenly places of which you should maintain
awareness if you count the Redemption and Forgiveness of Sins separate in
Ephesians 1:7.
1. In either case, awareness that blesses the soul and might be called in the
nature of Acts 3:19, a “time of refreshing”, or what we at SunGrist_Bible on
www.biblecombibleman.com like to call “Jesus and Refreshing Evangelism”,
in any case, you should start your awareness with awareness of this great
God of the Universe, Creator, and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is
none other.
2. A good prayer to pray daily about God awareness.
“Thank you heavenly Father for the increased awareness of You up there on
the great white throne in great majesty and power; and for the Lord Jesus
Christ at Your right hand, making intercession for our sins and preparing to
come get us again in great power and glory.”
3. Redemption through the blood of Christ shed on the Cross. The ultimate
time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord from Peter in Acts 3:19 is
complete redemption at the Second Coming of Christ.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And
he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the
heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God
hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
(Acts 3:19-21)
There are many words the Bible uses to describe salvation such as
atonement, blood of Christ, redemption, justification, propitiation,
reconciliation, and on and on, but the practical Bible theologian that many
preachers have studied in Bible classes, W. T. Conner, chooses the word
REDEMPTION to entitle his survey of the many aspects of salvation as “The
Gospel of Redemption”. Redemption includes the original repentance of
faith when one first becomes IN CHRIST, it includes the new birth,
sanctification, and completeness like Christ at the Second Coming, often
called glorification. Redemption is a continuing process of buying the
believer back from bondage to sin and satan; it does include a continuing
process of repentance and faith throughout the new life IN HIM; and it does
include a continuing life process of the confession of sins and the forgiveness
of sins.
6-11: Let us not miss in Ephesians 1:3-14 all the Praise to God the Father.
1. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (1:3)
2. “...to the praise of the glory of His grace...” (1:6)
3. “...according to the riches of His grace...” (1:7)
4. “... that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His
glory.” (1:12)
4. “...who {the Holy Spirit} is the guarantee of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession {purchased as possession and child
of God by God in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, by the death of
the death of the Son of God on the cross}, to the praise of His glory.” (1:14)
6-12: With all the big things to do like the heavens full of stars, the distant
planets, beautiful flowers, plants, and animals and birds, WHY in His
planning before Creation did He see fit to chose each one of us that are IN
CHRIST?
The answer is that He chose us to be holy and blameless in order to be
among those 7,000 of each generation and country that re-people the new
earth after, at the Second Coming, the old earth and heavens are burned up
with fire.
1. God chose us to be holy and without blame.
“...He chose us in Him from before the foundation of the world, THAT WE
SHOULD BE HOLY AND WITHOUT BLAME BEFORE HIM IN LOVE...” (Ephesians 1:
4)
Wow, what a challenge and not easy! We know of the daily Christian
warfare against “principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high
places”; we know of that natural and remaining human spirit, even after IN
CHRIST, that wars daily against our new creation in Christ to promote love
of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;
we know how “the spirit that dwelleth within us lusteth {or covets} to envy”
even after the new birth; and sometimes we know the cry of the Apostle
Paul, “who shall deliver us from the body of this death?”
2. It is not easy, and that is also why God through the Apostle Paul, also
wrote, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” in
Philippians 2:12.
3. And those admonitions that started the year with II Peter, implied that
this holiness and no blame will not come automatically and instantly, that
along with the sustaining grace of God, we have some work to do to ADD to
our initial faith the following stages of progress and survival in the Christian
life--
“...giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to
knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance
godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”
(II Peter 1:5-7)

As usual you can also download free this Bible session, "All Blessings
Awareness".