Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
The principle we learned last time was how to bless God — bless those who don't bless you to be more like God (Matt 5).
We have all spiritual blessings in high places. Charles Spurgeon, referred to as the "prince of preachers" once said: "When you're in the Bible, you're in your Father's house." Every promise/blessing in the Bible is not ours. Spurgeon did not take into consideration progressive revelation. We are in our Father's house but we are also in another person's house — be careful!
"Be spiritual" are the buzz words of today. For example, Oprah says look on your spiritual side, whatever that means to you. She is not referring to the Holy Spirit.
Our spiritual blessings versus Israel's earthly blessings:
Israel's blessings were in earthly places and were conditional — "If you're good, I will bless you." (Deut 28:1-14):
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer. I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer" (Ex 15:26).
All these promises were for Israel. God blessed them with physical blessings in earthly places.
God also promised to curse them if they didn't obey (exactly the opposite of blessings) (Deut 28:15-45. All the blessings and cursings were show them they couldn't be good! (Gal 4:1-7)
Our blessings are in heavenly places and are unconditional. We are in no condition to dictate the terms, we can only believe. A few of these blessings are: We are new creations (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), complete in Him (Col 2:9-10), heirs of heaven (1 Pet 1:4), adopted as full grown sons (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:1-7), saved by grace, through faith, entirely apart from works (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5), made acceptable in the Beloved One (Eph 1:6-7), justified — clothed in His righteousness and standing before God as if we'd never sinned — by the finished work of Christ (Acts 13:38-39; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 3:24; 5:8-9; 8:33-34; 1 Pet 2:24), given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee unto the day of redemption (2 Cor 1:20-22; Eph 1:6, 13; 4:30), and we can never be separated from the love of Christ (Rom 8:31-39), etc...) God gives these to us up front and then beseeches us to walk worthy of them (Eph 4:1).
Not all Israel's blessings have been realized. All of them will be realized in the earthly Kingdom to come. If His disciples (Jewish) have enough faith, they will be given anything they ask for (Matt 21:20-22). God will cause them to obey in the earthly Kingdom (Eze 36:26-27). This promise is not for us. In Romans 8:26 we told that we do not know how to pray as we ought. If we were given everything we asked for, it would be a curse, not a blessing.
The principle we learned last time was how to bless God — bless those who don't bless you to be more like God (Matt 5).
We have all spiritual blessings in high places. Charles Spurgeon, referred to as the "prince of preachers" once said: "When you're in the Bible, you're in your Father's house." Every promise/blessing in the Bible is not ours. Spurgeon did not take into consideration progressive revelation. We are in our Father's house but we are also in another person's house — be careful!
"Be spiritual" are the buzz words of today. For example, Oprah says look on your spiritual side, whatever that means to you. She is not referring to the Holy Spirit.
Our spiritual blessings versus Israel's earthly blessings:
Israel's blessings were in earthly places and were conditional — "If you're good, I will bless you." (Deut 28:1-14):
- If you're good, I'll will bless your commerce, etc... (This promise is for Israel, not us. Prosperity preachers say if you send me money, God will bless you. They are preying on the poor.)
- If you're good, I'll bless your crops, give you children, keep you safe.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer. I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer" (Ex 15:26).
All these promises were for Israel. God blessed them with physical blessings in earthly places.
God also promised to curse them if they didn't obey (exactly the opposite of blessings) (Deut 28:15-45. All the blessings and cursings were show them they couldn't be good! (Gal 4:1-7)
Our blessings are in heavenly places and are unconditional. We are in no condition to dictate the terms, we can only believe. A few of these blessings are: We are new creations (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), complete in Him (Col 2:9-10), heirs of heaven (1 Pet 1:4), adopted as full grown sons (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:1-7), saved by grace, through faith, entirely apart from works (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5), made acceptable in the Beloved One (Eph 1:6-7), justified — clothed in His righteousness and standing before God as if we'd never sinned — by the finished work of Christ (Acts 13:38-39; 2 Cor 5:21; Rom 3:24; 5:8-9; 8:33-34; 1 Pet 2:24), given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee unto the day of redemption (2 Cor 1:20-22; Eph 1:6, 13; 4:30), and we can never be separated from the love of Christ (Rom 8:31-39), etc...) God gives these to us up front and then beseeches us to walk worthy of them (Eph 4:1).
Not all Israel's blessings have been realized. All of them will be realized in the earthly Kingdom to come. If His disciples (Jewish) have enough faith, they will be given anything they ask for (Matt 21:20-22). God will cause them to obey in the earthly Kingdom (Eze 36:26-27). This promise is not for us. In Romans 8:26 we told that we do not know how to pray as we ought. If we were given everything we asked for, it would be a curse, not a blessing.
Our physical blessings are such things as rain, sun, food, etc... Everybody, whether saved or not, receives these blessings.
We have already been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Be thankful for our physical blessings — sun and rain, etc. — (the unsaved do this, too) but be especially thankful for our spiritual blessings and walk worthy of them!
We have already been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. Be thankful for our physical blessings — sun and rain, etc. — (the unsaved do this, too) but be especially thankful for our spiritual blessings and walk worthy of them!
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