Ephesians

The book of Ephesians.

1. Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3: What does it mean to have been blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places? Christ in heaven, but us in earth? Is our soul being blessed in some heavenly realm? Our angels in heaven continually seeing the face of God? (Matthew 18:10)

4-6: This is a cosmic mystery. Predestination isn't even the half of it. God created a plan of love for us to all become his children through the work of Jesus. Through the Father's glorious grace, we become blessed and holy and have our sins removed. This was the purpose of reality all along. Jesus is the Beloved and we are in his kingdom, bound in his being somehow.

7-10: The blood of Jesus gives us redemption. Our trespasses are covered over. This was the whole plan the entire time. All of the cosmic order of heaven and earth are united in Christ. Past present and future. Between man and God. This is what it is all about. Thus the unclean becoming clean, the dying becoming everlasting, etc...

11: Because of Christ we are now Sons of God, and every son has an Inheritance. The Inheritance is full access to God and all his glories. Obviously we do not have that in its entirety yet...

12: the first to hope in Christ - does this refer to the apostles and early church specifically?

13-14: ...but, in the mean time, the Holy Spirit pours out spiritual gifts on us of love and miracles, and this is the guarantee or down payment that we are truly heirs of the king of kings. Insofar as the Holy Spirit continues to protect us, fill us with peace and love, and works all kinds of wisdom and signs through us, we can be certain that our faith is worth it. Even though he still requires that we have faith, God is so generous he does not just leave us hanging in a cold, cold world, but gives us every thing that we could possibly ask for even now.

Still this isn't something that can be strictly measured or controlled with purely rational observation. When we hear the word of truth and believe that God is at work, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. That Sealing involves all kinds of mysteries in heavenly places, in the secret places of our heart, and in the complex tapestry of our lives. We can only keep track of so much. But the fruit is real and tangible.

This was all predestined, so even if it is sometimes murky to us we can still detect God's purpose working its way out in providence. This dimly growing awareness of God's glory in all his secret works stirs up praise in our hearts, and growing aware of our own role in all of it -- so thankful to be alive and fed and warm and given every encouragement, not trapped suffering as one of his enemies.

We are still waiting to acquire full possession.