The best gifts are not material but spiritual, not temporal, but eternal, and not earthly, and not earthly, but heavenly.

In the book of Ephesians, we discover a rich list of what God has given to his children.

Let's join Scott Pauley now as we open this portion of scripture and take inventory of all spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ.

In all of Paul's letters, he always has a few opening remarks,

under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course, but he lays a groundwork, a foundation for everything he's going to write.

And he does so in the book of Ephesians in the first three verses.

I want to read them with you again, and then I want to show you a beautiful thought as we

begin our study of these spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 1 verse 1 says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God,

to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ

Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God

and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly

places in Christ.

Now, we're going to go on to study more in-depth these spiritual blessings because really

they're found throughout the entire book of Ephesians.

But I want to just limit my remarks today, if I may, to the opening three verses.

Did you notice that in verse three, the word blessed

is found twice, and it's used in two different ways. First, he says, blessed be God. Blessed be the God

and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then he says, who hath blessed us?

So there is a blessing that comes to us, and then there's a blessing that's supposed to go to God alone.

In other words, there are directional blessings here.

There is a blessing that God pours out on us, and then there is a blessing that we are to give back to him you know i think sometimes

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