This is why you should give thanks.
There are 10 amazing ways God has blessed you. Read this to find out why you, Christian, have every reason to give thanks!
Read Ephesians 1:1-14, first.
Introduction:
For what are we thankful?
Biblical thanks is based on who God is and what he does
Thankful for What the Father Has Done
Thankful for What the Son Has Done
Thankful for What the Spirit Has Done
10 Amazing Ways God has Blessed You
Be Thankful for What the Father Has Done (1:1-6)
1. He has blessed you to have spiritual blessings in the heavenlies
God says, “Look at everything I made and all I own. Guess what? It’s yours!”
2. Chosen you in Christ before the foundation of the universe to be holy
God took your filth, cleaned you out, and washed you up to be without blame.
That means, in Christ you are flawless, blameless, and without shame.
God does not now focus on your faults, deficits and failures. You were a failure but because of what the Father has done through Jesus for you, you are no longer a failure!
3. In love, he predestined you to be adopted as children.
Why? Just because he delighted in doing so. It made him happy to do this and it was
to the praise of his glory!
4. Made you to be accepted in Jesus, the Beloved.
a. Nothing you do can make you acceptable to God.
Before Christ’s work, you were a criminal rebel who hated God. You had nothing to say or do that will bring you in the good graces of God’s favor.
You deserved to go to eternal prison.
b. But nothing can keep you from being acceptable if God so chooses to accept you in
Christ.
c. God made you acceptable in the Beloved!
God never intended and never did these things without Jesus Christ. They are all in and through Christ
You, the new person may be rejected by the entire world, but when God accepts you in his Beloved Jesus, it’s irrelevant what they think or how they judge you.
God accepts you in His beloved. All others may see you as a reject, unacceptable for whatever their reason. Yet the great news for you who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is that you can say, “I may be rejected by others, but my loving Father accepts me!”
Be Thankful for What the Son Has Done (1:7-12)
5. You have redemption through his blood.
To be redeemed is to have your debt to God, your enslavement to the world, the flesh, and the devil paid for in full. You are set free because Jesus paid your debt and ransom.
To be redeemed is to have freedom.
a. Freedom from the Law’s grip and curse (Gal. 3:13; 4:5)
Paul attempted to fulfill all aspects of the Law and redeem himself. See Philippians 2. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us
b. Freedom from Satan’s power (Gal 1:4; Heb. 2:14)
Jesus gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
c. Freedom from sin’s power (Rom. 6)
The power of sin is in its addiction - believing some thing or someone can fill your void, and set you free.
d. Freedom from evil (Rom 8:22f; Ti 2:14; Heb. 9:12)
6. You have forgiveness of sins through Christ’s rich grace.
You have been forgiven in order to have fellowship, friendship and sonship with God in Jesus, and then to share a rich relationship with others in Christ.
7. You have a wealth of grace, which he lavishes on you
His grace keeps on flowing out of his Cornucopia of treasures.
8. You have the secret of Jesus revealed to you (1:9)
Have you heard and believed in Jesus?
How God saves and transforms a people for himself, all by grace?
9. You have received the inheritance, if you are in Christ by faith.
You inherit a new life!
Christ fulfilled and fulfills Israel’s Land of Promise. Everything Israel could ever want in that land (comfort, peace, provision, wealth, happiness…) is given to you who believe on a much greater scale in Jesus Christ!
Inherit a new world
Inherit a new body in the resurrection
Inherit a new treasure
Rom. 8:31-38
* God is always on your side.
* God gives you all good things for free.
* You have the privilege of Christ’s intercession.
* God’s love will never diminish or fail.
* You have the power to overwhelmingly conquer sin, worldly forces, and even death in Christ.
* You inherit a new hope in a world that is hopeless
1 Pet. 1:3 – have an eternal hope that is alive forever
Be Thankful for What the Spirit Has Done
You have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (1:13) the guarantee of your inheritance until you receive it.
Now, reflecting on these 10 amazing ways God has blessed you if you trust and believe in Jesus Christ, how does this affect you? How do these things apply to your daily life as a Christian?