BLESSINGS OF THE SPIRIT Eph. 1:3 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, EPH. 1:3 A.B. Simpson - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all the blessings of the Spirit in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. ALL THE BLESSINGS OF THE SPIRIT Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all the blessings of the Spirit in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:3. We really have know idea of how blessed we really are. Just think about it, all the blessings of the Spirit of God have been made available to us by the redeeming blood of Jesus. Just some of His blessings or even just one would be amazing, but all of them? Really? How big is this promise. If God the Holy Spirit is infinite that means there is no end to these blessings. They are truly limitless. They incorporate everything from illumination, the opening up of our spiritual senses to heavenly things, to access into the very presence of God. It includes Sonship, intercession, victorious living, power for ministry, and best of all intimacy and fellowship with our heavenly friend. It is by walking in the Spirit that we begin to implement these unspeakable blessings into our daily lives. We have more available to us than we can ever know. Here are some thoughts from A.B. Simpson on today's verse. "Ephesians is an unfolding of "all the blessings of the Spirit." This is the true translation of the passage, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all the blessings of the Spirit in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.'" Ephesians 1:3. There is a great difference between the blessings of the Spirit and spiritual blessings. The person of the Holy Ghost is worth more than all His gifts. The blessings unfolded in this epistle are said to be "in the heavenlies"; that is, in the higher realm and element where we dwell in Christ, above the natural life, and in fellowship with the heavenly world. The apostle's theme, in this sublime epistle, is the higher blessings of the Holy Ghost, which He makes known to those who enter into the fullness of Christ, May the Holy Spirit Himself enable us to see and enter into all the blessings of the Spirit!" Learning how to walk in the Spirit becomes our lifelong quest. It all starts by recognizing your need of the Spirit in your daily life. From there, you learn how to drink, or take in, the Holy Spirit into your life. Once drinking becomes part of your life you are well on your way, you are tapping in to all the blessings of the Spirit purchased for you.
I. THE DOWNPAYMENT OR FORETASTE OF THE SPIRIT Eph. 1:14 That [Spirit] is the guarantee of our inheritance [the firstfruits, the pledge and foretaste, the down payment on our heritage], in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring [complete] possession of it to the praise of His glory. II. THE SPIRIT OF ILLUMINATION Eph. 1:15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints (the people of God), Eph. 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. Eph. 1:17 [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, Eph. 1:18 By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), Eph. 1:19 And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Eph. 1:20 Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], Eph. 1:21 Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. Eph. 1:22 And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], EPH. 1:23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything everywhere with Himself].
III. ACCESS AND COMMUNION Eph. 2:18 For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him]. III. SONSHIP Rom. 8:15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! IV. INTERCESSION Rom. 8:26 So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. Rom. 8:27 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God s will. V. POWER FOR MINISTRY Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.
VI. THE SPIRIT WITHIN US 1. INDIVIDUALLY Eph. 2:16 And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end. Eph. 2:17 And He came and preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off and [peace] to those who were near.eph. 2:18 For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him]. Eph. 2:19 Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), but you now share citizenship with the saints (God s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and you belong to God s [own] household. 2. CORPORATELY Eph. 2:21 In Him the whole structure is joined (bound, welded) together harmoniously, and it continues to rise (grow, increase) into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, consecrated, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. Eph. 2:22 In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit. VII. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR DAILY LIVES Eph. 5:9 For the fruit (the effect, the product) of the Light or the Spirit [consists] in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life. Eph. 5:10 And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]. Eph. 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.Eph. 5:19 Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,
VIII. THE OVERCOMING LIFE THROUGH THE SPIRIT 1. THE WORD OF GOD Eph. 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. 2. PRAYER Eph. 6:18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God s consecrated people). IX. OUR HEAVENLY FRIEND Eph. 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).