Spiritual Blessings in ChristНамуна

Spiritual Blessings in Christ
In this first devotional, Paul begins the letter to the Ephesians with a rich expression of praise to God, highlighting the spiritual blessings we receive in Christ. He draws our attention to a very profound spiritual reality by declaring that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ.” To fully understand the meaning of this statement, we need to explore what Paul means by “heavenly realms.”

The Greek term for "heavenly realms" is epouranios. This word is composed of "epi," meaning "over" or "above," and "ouranos," meaning "heaven" or "paradise." Therefore, epouranios refers to the "heavenly realms" or "heavenly places," and is used to describe a spiritual sphere above the earthly sphere, a realm of existence that is beyond what is visible and physical. When Paul says we have been blessed "in the heavenly realms," he is telling us that our blessings in Christ are not just earthly or temporary but spiritual and eternal.

These spiritual blessings include everything we receive from God through Christ: grace, peace, redemption, adoption as children, forgiveness of sins, wisdom, revelation, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. These blessings are not limited by the circumstances of this world or the difficulties we face in our daily lives. They are rooted in the heavenly realms, which means they are secure, unchangeable, and eternal. God has blessed us in a sphere where corruption, death, and sin cannot reach, assuring us that regardless of what happens here on Earth, our blessings in Christ are guaranteed.

Paul emphasizes that these spiritual blessings are “in Christ,” highlighting the union that believers have with Him. Because we are in Christ, we partake in everything He has accomplished—from His victory over sin and death to His ascension to the heavenly realms. Our union with Christ places us directly at the center of the blessings He receives from the Father, and these blessings are given to us by God’s pure grace and love, not by any merit of our own.

In the following verses, Paul speaks about how God “chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.” This choice is an integral part of the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms. God, in His sovereignty, determined that, through Christ, we would be rescued and restored to holiness and perfection. We were chosen to be set apart, to be holy—a word that means “set apart for God.” This holiness is not something we achieve by ourselves but is the result of Christ’s redemptive work in our lives, making us blameless in God’s sight.

Paul also mentions that God predestined us for adoption as sons. This act of adoption is another spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms, for it not only makes us part of God’s family but also grants us all the rights and privileges of sons. We are heirs with Christ, receiving an inheritance that is eternal, reserved for us in the heavenly realms.

Therefore, as we reflect on these truths, we are called to live with the awareness that our blessings are far more than earthly. They are spiritual and heavenly, secured by God and unshakable by any earthly circumstance. May we live in gratitude and praise, recognizing that in Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.