Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ "

The moment an individual receives Christ as Saviour and Lord, he enters immediately into indescribable treasures. He becomes a spiritual millionaire.

Paul writes to his friends at Ephesus with the desire of sharing with them the treasures he has discovered in Christ. Like a father who wants his children to receive their full inheritance, he writes to them, urging them to enter into the full treasure that is their birthright in Christ. God longs for all His children to realize and relish the treasures that are theirs now in this present life, as well as hope for and await the treasures of the Coming Kingdom.

Notice in this passage:

I. Present Blessings . "has blessed us" --already, here and now.

Not just a home in glory someday in the future, but treasures to make the trip more satisfactory.

#A man dreamed of taking a cruise to the Caribbean; that was his lifelong ambition. Finally the day arrived. He had saved enough for the ticket. He traveled to Florida, purchased the ticket, and noted that he had spent most all of his money. Just a few dollars for his expenses remained. He thought: "How will I survive on the cruise?" He went to a grocery store, purchased some cheese, crackers and peanut butter. Put in a bag, and boarded the ship.

What a wonderful cruise. Everything was great except the meals. He could smell the food, and he looked in the beautiful dining room and saw how the people were enjoying the meal, but alas, he had no money, so he went to his cabin, opened his bag, had his peanut butter and crackers with cheese, and drank some water.

The last day of the cruise, he was talking with a friend. The friend said: "Joe, I noticed you haven't been coming to the dining area and eating with us. Have you been sick?" Joe replied:"Well, I'm a little embarrassed to tell you, but I didn't bring quite enough money, and I couldn't affford to eat in the dining room with you folks."

His friend replied: "Why Joe, didn't anyone tell you the meals are free. When you bought the ticket, the meals were covered."

Many people are on the Good Ship of Zion, they are safe on board, on their way to heaven, they are truly saved, but they are miserable, poor, and missing out on the treasures that are part of the package of salvation. The Lord intends that the journey to heaven be adorned with a taste of heaven on earth.

II. These Blessings Are Spiritual Blessings. "spiritual blessings"

When the Lord saves us, a part of us that was dead comes alive. Our spirits (that part of us that can relate to God, and know Him) comes alive, we are resurrected with Christ. That part of our being is the most important area of our life to God. He longs to pour out blessings on us spiritually, in order that we may have intimate fellowship with Him.

Some teach that the most important blessings are physical and financial. They teach that if you have faith, you will always have health and wealth. Is that true?

Look at Paul, the example of what God can do with a sinner. He was the best Christian who ever lived, in my opinion. Yet, Paul had financial problems, was a bi-vocational pastor, had to work in the mobile home construction. (Tents were mobile homes in those days). Things didn't always work out for Paul. What about his health? He was plagued with eye-problems, suffered pain from the tortures he endured for Christ. If anyone should have been qualified to claim healing, it was him.

God does heal when it will bring glory to His name, but not always according to our time table. He does bless us with financial resources, but it is all a matter of His grace, and His timing.

The treasures that are most important to the Lord are the inner treasures that ennable us to walk closer to Him and to enjoy fellowship with Him. This is the greatest of treasures.

IV. These Blessings Are Sufficient Blessings.. "blessed us with all spiritual blessings"; not one is lacking

All the spiritual blessings we need from Grace to Glory. From the day we are saved by grace to the day we enter His Glory, He provides spiritual resources in abundance..

#When a normal baby is born, he comes with all the equipment he needs to exist in this life. He has arms, legs, etc., The only thing missing is teeth, and some folks have learned you can live without tgeeth. Medical scientists tell us that even the teeth are there, just litttle seeds of teeth waiting for the right time to grow out of the gums. So, all he needs is there. When he is ready to walk, he doesn't need a new set of legs, he just needs to learn to use what he has. When he wants to talk, he has the equipment, he just doesn't know how to use it. He spends a lifetime developing the use of the equipment that was his all along.

When you are saved, the Spirit of God enters your life and He brings all the resources you will ever need to live the Christian life. But you spend a lifetime discovering what was yours all along. That is what the Christian life is all about. A growing in the knowledge of Christ and the resources He has given us.

V. These Blessings Are Heavenly Blessings. "in heavenly places".

These blessings are granted us in the heavenly places.

As we walk with the Lord, as His Spirit fills us with the fullness of the blessed life, heaven invades our lives, and the joy of the Lord is ourr constant companion. It is as though there were an invisible pipeline between us and heaven. The Spirit of God is in us, and the Spirit of God is in heaven....our direct contact with heaven.

# I was converted through the testimony of a Sunday School teacher named Genevra Andrews. We visited her home one Sunday. We had been told she was dying. When we stood around her bed, she was rejoicing in the Lord, and all she could talk aboutt was how wonderful the Lord is. I couldn't believe my ears. I thought, "If I were dying, I would be frightened, but she is unafraid, rather she is radiant. I must have what she has." The next Sunday I was saved. Later when I visited her, I told her that she was responsible for my salvation. She told me: "Bill, when you young people came, I had been praying. At first, I was discouraged to think I would die so young, but as I prayed, it seemed that heaven filled my soul. I was rejoicing in the Lord when you kids came. All I could talk about was Jesus!"

I was saved through the witness of a sick woman who was experiencing a little bit of heaven on earth. God later raised her up to health, but it was in her sickness that I saw the glory of heaven in her personality. .God did heal her, and she is alive today. God heals when the healing will bring glory to His name, but even in sickness and in poverty, we can know the spiritual treasures that are the birthright of every believer..

VI. The Blessings Are In A Relationship With Jesus Christ. "in Christ"

They are granted us in the most excellent way one which leaves room for no comparison it is in Christ.

When by faith one places his life into the hands of Jesus Christ. When one makes the surrender of repentant faith, calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, he is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, united with Christ, one with Him. In that relationship one finds the riches we have written about.

Not in joining some organization, even though church membership is very important, it will not save you. Not by turning over a new leaf and trying to live better----- but by repenting of personal sins, looking by faith to Christ Who died as our Substitute and rose again from the dead; thereby one begins the richest life this side of heaven.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ What blessing, what a source of joy, what grace, to be thus the objects of God’s favor, according to His sovereign love!

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