Blessings, according to plan
Ephesians 1:1-4,
Message by Pastor Shatney Representative of the NRBFC
What brings us to a life blessed by God? We all want blessings. We look around and can see others who are blessed – in some cases very well blessed. Does God bless some people more than others because they deserve them?
No. God blesses people according to his own plan. In fact, he sometimes blesses people who don’t particularly deserve it at all. “…he maketh his sun to shine on the evil and the good…” (Matt 5:45). God’s blessings are not random, however. He doesn’t skip around capriciously bestowing or withholding blessings. No, God’s blessings are part of a careful and patient plan.
God does bestow many more blessings on his own children, those who have accepted his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as their personal savior. The saved see many blessings in their lives. Seeing your own children and grandchildren become saved is a tremendous blessing. The evil might enjoy God’s sunshine, but they’ll never experience the blessing of knowing they will see loved ones in heaven. For that, we should be especially thankful.
A key to understanding God’s blessing rests in the Greek word for “has” in verse three. God has blessed us. It’s in the past tense, but with the sense of ongoing completeness. God’s plan was to bless us long before we were ever born – long before we could have ever done anything that we might think earned it. He sent his son. His son died on the cross for our sins – even though we hadn’t sinned yet. His son arose from the grave and has prepared a place for us in heaven.
Even to those who only know the blessing of his sunshine, he offers the invitation to far greater blessings. He offers them salvation. Being “in Christ” makes those blessings available. It’s not doing good works, or even working hard. God is the author of all blessings. He opened the door years ago, for those who will come in and receive his blessings.