Monday, September 25, 2023

Blessed "in Christ" before creation with every "spiritual blessing" (ephes 1:3-5).

God blessed us "in Christ" with every spiritual blessing "before the foundation of the world" just as or in the sane manner that He chose us to be holy and blameless before Him which also was "before the foundation of the world". Essentially, God's blessings and His choosing of us were both "in Christ" before creation (vs 3-4). The blessing spoken of in verse 3 are simply for those whom God likewise chose in Christ before the foundation of the world.

(A) Blessed us (vs 3)
(B) In Christ (vs 3)
(C) with every spiritual blessing (vs 3)
(D) Just as or in the same manner to which God chose us in Him to be holy and blameless - before the foundation of the world (vs 4) 

THIS IS WHY:

The Apostle Paul goes on to say; that those whom God both blessed "in Christ" AND chose "in Christ" before the foundation of the world were likewise predestined before the foundation of the world to sonship AS TO receive these spiritual blessings upon having believed seeing that God initially had already blessed us by decree with such blessings "in Christ" before creation - indeed, having blessed us "in the Beloved".

(A) In love He predestined us (vs 5)
(B) According to the purpose of His will & to the praise of His glorious grace (vs 6)
(C) Which He has blessed us "in the beloved" before the foundation of the world (vs 6)

God blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the same manner that He chose us - both having been before the foundation of the world. Before creation is in regards to God's decree. However, God likewise predestined us for adoption to sons as to receive these blessings upon believing; having been already ours before creation to receive. This is why Paul goes on to state that we have redemption through Christ blood and the forgiveness of trespasses because these particular blessings are according to the "riches of His grace" which He "lavished" upon us. God's "lavishing of the richest of His grace" having been before creation is in relation to our redemption and forgiveness of sins "in time" or after creation once having believed.

By Aaron Fisher

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