Words for the Wise
A Weekly Devotional
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…” (Ephesians 1:3, ESV)
In God’s unfathomable and free grace, He has given believers everything that they need to live godly, faithful, and obedient lives. In this phrase Paul emphasizes God’s complete benefit to believers with every kind of blessing. The specifics of those blessings are given in verses four (4) through fourteen (14.)
The believer can have absolute confidence in the ability to obediently and faithfully live the Christian life due to the fact that God has supplied everything that is required or necessary for the spiritual well-being of the believer. The child of God lacks nothing that is needed to live a life pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. The child of God, due to God’s grace, possesses what is necessary to live effectively in this world. Those benefits are found in Jesus Christ Himself.
The resources to live and maintain a godly life are not found within a believer. The believer is certainly not responsible to “muster” up the where-with-all to maintain a spiritual life pleasing to God. Those resources are of a spiritual nature not a natural nature. The believer must simply rely upon Christ Jesus for “success” in the Christian life.
Ask Yourself
It should bring great relief and joy knowing that we believers do not have to conjure up the necessary “blessings” to live a godly life. As a believer, one must simply turn to and trust that God has in fact provided every spiritual necessity or benefit needed in Christ to live a godly life. Ask yourself, who are you depending on in order to live godly? Are you depending on yourself? Have you turned to God through Christ and learned to appropriate all of those spiritual benefits that have been provided for your spiritual success?
____________________________________________________
Join us each Tuesday for Words for the Wise. I love good devotionals very much. For awhile I will try my hand, Lord willing and by His grace to write a short devotional each week designed to edify, exhort, and encourage you.
4 comments:
Amen, Gregg.
We're in Ephesians 1 in the women's study. Paul adds verse after verse until you're in awe and worship of the greatness of God and His salvation.
One can't jsut have faith in yourself.....although it;s important that you can beieve in yourself but that extra bit do come from God I am sure.
This is just beautiful Gregg.
And timely for me.
Thanks
It brings great relief and joy knowing that we believers do not have to conjure up the necessary “blessings” to live a godly life. Great, great relief indeed! Great post! Thanks!
Post a Comment