Bridge Church Vancouver

There are significant blessings from being in a relationship with God through His Son Jesus the Messiah

Spiritual Blessings
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Websters:
- A declaration of divine favor, or an invocation imploring divine favor on some or something; a benediction; a wish of happiness pronounces.
- to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.
- a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.

Word History: The verb bless comes from Old English bldsian, blēdsian, blētsian, "to bless, wish happiness, consecrate." Although the Old English verb has no cognates in any other Germanic language, it can be shown to derive from the Germanic noun *blōdan, "blood." Bldsian therefore literally means "to consecrate with blood, sprinkle with blood."

Blessing is an intentional - formal act by word or deed that bestows favor

Many kinds of spiritual Blessings:
The ability to be sustained in difficult situations Ps 1
Find prosperity in right ways Ps 49:18
Experience the hope of rescue when facing danger Ps 41:1
Say exactly the right words at the right times Ps 45:2
Good marriage - prov 5:18
Leave an inheritance for your children - prov 20:7
Live a generous life - prov 22:9
Live a faithful life - prov 28:20
See God's purpose in life - Prov 29:18
Blessed by children and spouse - Prov 31:28
Live in the confidence of the Lord - ps 128:1
Live with physical and emotional strength - Ps 84:5
Go through life knowing the Lord is with you - Ps 89:15
Finds delight and joy in their life - Ps 112
Confident they are making right and good decisions - Ps 119
Finding delight in your children - Ps 127:5
Experience healthy praise from others and a good name Prov 3:4

Beatitudes
Fruit of the Spirit

We experience these blessings because We have been:

Chosen -
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Psa. 65:4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!

We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.

Before the creation - before time began, from before the beginning, this was the plan, that you would be and would belong to Him, by His own choosing

Chosen to be holy & blameless before God
Dignity
Guiltless - not condemned - Rom 8:1

This was the very center of God's will
Eph. 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will

the question arrises - what about all those who are not chosen. When we ask that question - we do not understand who our God is and His nature, we don't understand what drives him.

Rom 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

He Chooses EVERYONE who chooses Him. His arms are open wide, no one is excluded but those who do not come to him. That is one of the reasons he includes us in the redemption process to extend his invitation, let people know his arms are open. He does not need us to do that, but he likes to do it that way. I personally know people who have become followers of Jesus through dreams, because there was no missionary, preacher, church or other Christian around to tell them and so God used a dream to introduce Christ to this person and she lead many in her town to know Him as a result - without a preacher; that is the exception I find and not the rule. If you are around - he will use you to extend his invitation, so you can't run from it. And at the same time

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 6:40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

Matt. 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

The next spiritual blessing is that we are:
Adopted
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

To be adopted is a legal transaction = a formal activity with initiative, for thought, consideration, intentionality
Legal - not kidnapped, tricked or enslaved. The legal terms for your adoption demanded a death -

He has taken responsibility for your welfare

The previous parents have given up rights - by death

Adoptive parents want to parent - it is His pleasure and will - He wants to do this

You have a father who wants to be your father - do you let him

Redeemed
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

The price is paid - by someone else
You are redeemed by his blood -
Psa. 32:1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
The past is gone
- our sin is not held against us

Provided by grace - you are valuable to Him - and He restores value into you.

Enlightened

God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

Enriching - lavished on us - we did not have this before, we could not gain on our own
The mystery of his will - "good, perfect, pleasing will" Rom 12:2

I am able to see God, myself, others, situations, enlightened
I see money, economy, society, sex, education from God's perspective
He brings enlightenement to us, because He has redeemed us, adopted us and chose us - so he show us who he is and how to live.

All comes together in Jesus - he purposed it this way

Eph. 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Marked

13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

Seal - like a wax seal, a signature, indicating authority

Promised Holy Spirit - Jesus himself said he would send us the Holy Spirit to guide, remind, instruct us

Deposit - guarantee
He put part of himself in us

Not everyone has this - only his children