Spiritual Blessings at Arm’s Length

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 6, 2023

Spiritual Blessings at Arm’s Length

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”

Ephesians 1:3 

Every spiritual blessing means that what is true for Jesus is true for the disciples of Jesus. Jesus spoke to God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven, and earth, with the very intimate term of endearment, Abba. We, the disciples of Jesus, also can call out to our Abba Father. Every spiritual blessing means that God’s loving embrace of you is not conditioned on your performance as a disciple. God made a covenant with the disciples of Jesus, and God is always completely faithful to His covenant. The disciples of Jesus do not drift in and out of a state of right-standing with God. The Apostle Paul goes on to write that God “chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:4-5). So, what are you doing with your spiritual blessings?

Some disciples of Jesus don’t know this truth and are still trying to earn God’s favor. Some disciples of Jesus have heard this truth, but it is too good to be true for them. Some disciples have heard this truth and accepted it, but only in a superficial way. They have yet to experience this truth in a transformative way. Some disciples have begun to experience this truth, but there yet remains a reluctance to fully surrender to the one who stands at their door and knocks. They are not quite willing to hear his voice and open the door, even though they know his promise to come in and share a meal together as friends. (Revelation 3:20)

My Takeaway: Opening the door of your heart and mind to Jesus can be quite frightening because you know he will rearrange your life. Keeping the spiritual blessings at arm’s length seems safer. But think of all the meals you are missing.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.