Life Is Tough, But God Is Blessed

Life is tough, but God is blessed!

Our sources of blessings

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Introduction

-- Life is tough!

-- Divorce and marital separation

-- Physical illness and psychological imbalance

-- Unemployment, financial problems

-- Relational hurts

-- Disobedient children, absent parents

Setting the text

-- One sentence in the Greek New Testament

-- God is blessed

---- Eulogetos vs. Makarios

-- He is blessed, not a cruel God.

-- Quality of Blessings

-- Quantity of Blessings

-- All the members of the Trinity!

1. Blessings from God the Father

-- He has chosen us [elektos]

-- Before the foundation of the world

---- To be holy and blameless

---- Chosen with a purpose

-- He has predestined us

---- To adoption as [adult] sons and daughters

---- According to the kind intention of His Will

----- To the praise of the glory of His grace

2. Blessings from the Son

-- He has redeemed us.

-- Redemption is the forgiveness of sins.

---- An Accounting term.

---- Illustration: CA Redemption Value

-- He has made known to us the mystery

-- The God Incarnate

-- He has given us an inheritance

---- Someone needs to die

3. Blessings from the Holy Spirit

-- He has sealed us with Himself

---- Once saved always saved.

-- It is a down payment.

-- It is like an engagement ring.