Salvation in Christ is possible because of Gods favor so lavished upon all who will trust in Him. His mercy and goodness have turned our night into day, our pain into promise, our hell into hope, and our sin into salvation (Titus 3:5-7). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph.1:3a). It is this fact of love and sacrifice that demands our praise and our loyalty.

Praise for favor

            The word, “εὐλογητός,” (Blessed) carries the idea of “Praised with worshipping love.” And so, the apostle calls for a blessing upon our heavenly Father, a recognition of His glory, His honor, His goodness, His inherent worth, and His favor. God would be worthy of every praise and every ounce of devotion if he had devised some other plan to redeem man. But since the foundation of the world, God chose those in Christ to be the supremely blessed (Eph.3:11). There is nothing we can do to earn it (Eph.2:8-9; Isa.64:6), yet, God calls us into partnership with Him in the salvific process and beyond (Acts 2:40; Rev.3:20). What a blessing it is to be called by God (1 Peter 2:9; Col.1:13)!

The Place of favor

            “Blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Eph.1b). Gods favor is manifest in spiritual blessings, in a spiritual place. The apostle says with certainty, “who HAS blessed us.” The blessing is ours. The favor is lavished. The resources of God are there for us, and this gives the assurance as sung, “Blessed assurance Jesus is mine!” We are not down here groaning and writhing without assurance in our Messiah, our Mission, our Mansion, or our Message. It is all as sure as it can be. It is this assurance and blessing that motivates our blessing Him.

The spiritual blessings far outweigh physical blessings. They are higher blessings, better blessings and secure blessings. God is certainly the giver of temporal blessings (James 1:17), but the spiritual blessings should all the more cause our praise and adoration to thunder off the floor of heaven. These spiritual blessings are the rare, the rich, the royal blessings that are preserved for those who He has called His, “chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation and peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). Peter then finishes the thought like this, “that you should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9b-10).

The nature and station of the blessings afforded call our minds to eternity. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay them up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). Eternity will be blessed because the spiritual God, blessed us with spiritual blessings, in a spiritual place, for a spiritual people. But all of this is predicated upon ONE major point that will end this installment on Ephesians 1:3.

The prerequisite for favor

“In Christ” (Ephesians 1:3c). Most of the world seeks the blessings of life and favor of man through their toil, working overtime, investing properly, etc. But the Bible plainly states that anything that matters, anything of true value, anything that lasts, is gained in, by, and through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19).

Outside of Christ, there is no hope, no enduring blessings, no enduring love, no enduring hope, no enduring peace, no enduring comfort, no unity, and no favor. This statement of fact should motivate every person to be found “IN HIM” (Philippians 3:9).

The Plan for favor

            God has revealed in His word exactly what needs to happen for one to be in Christ. “Know ye not that so many of us that were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death” (Romans 6:3). “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Now, the Bible tells us that “all of God’s commandments are truth” (Psa.119:151). The Bible also tells us, “Thy word is true from the beginning” or as others translate it, “the sum of thy word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). If we want to enjoy the salvation and spiritual blessings that God provides, we must obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). We need to follow the path of the great patriarch Noah, “who did all the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 6:22).

This is the plan…

You must hear the word of God (John 6:44-45; Romans 10:17).

That word produces faith, which is essential (Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24)

Upon believing Jesus is who He said He was (John 3:16), one must repent of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30-31).

Then, confession can be made “unto salvation” (Romans 10:10; Acts 8:37).

But none of those things put you INTO CHRIST. The first two verses listed above are the only two in the entire Bible that explain how one gets INTO Christ, where ALL spiritual blessings are (Romans 6:3; Gal.3:27)!

If you would be interested in further study about this, or any other subject, the Eastside Church of Christ stands ready to assist you in that. We pray this article has blessed you, and that God will bless you as you seek to do His will. If we can assist you in accomplishing that, please, reach out to us.