Blessed with Every Blessing

“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,” (Eph. 1:3)

We often say, “I am blessed,” usually in reference to the abundance of our physical possessions or the comforts we enjoy. We count our family, our health, our homes, and our jobs among the many gifts we have. But what does it truly mean to be blessed? What if we had none of these things? Could we still say that we are blessed? In Ephesians 1:3, Paul declares that God has blessed us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

Paul’s statement moves us beyond the temporary comforts of this life to the eternal riches that belong to those who are in Christ. These blessings are not measured by material wealth or earthly success. In fact, some of the most persecuted Christians, living in places like China or Iraq, would consider themselves richly blessed, even though they face hardship, persecution, and the threat of death for their faith. Their understanding of blessing is not tied to worldly comforts but to their union with Christ, which brings them eternal life, hope, and peace.

This contrast between worldly and spiritual blessings is powerful. In Saudi Arabia, a man was converted to Christianity after encountering Jesus in a dream during his pilgrimage to Mecca. Yet, because of the laws in his country, he could not openly profess his faith. He risks his life to keep the Bible hidden and to follow Christ in secret. Despite his isolation and the constant danger, he still considers himself blessed. His story highlights the reality that true blessing comes not from external circumstances but from possessing Christ.

It is in this light that we can begin to see how the world’s definition of “blessed” differs from that of the Christian. The world may define blessing by what is visible—wealth, health, status—but as believers, we know that the greatest blessings are spiritual and often unseen. These blessings are given to us “in Christ” and are “in the heavenly realms.” They are not temporal but eternal, unshakable, and secure.

Paul lists some of these spiritual blessings in Ephesians 1:3-14, a single long sentence in Greek that overflows with praise for God’s lavish generosity toward us in Christ. These blessings include:

• Election to holiness (Eph 1:4): God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him.
• Adoption as sons (Eph 1:5): We have been adopted into God’s family, giving us the rights and privileges of sons and daughters.
• Grace in the Beloved (Eph 1:6): God’s unmerited favor is poured out on us through Jesus Christ.
• Redemption and forgiveness (Eph 1:7): Through Christ’s blood, we have been redeemed from sin, and our sins are forgiven.
• Revelation of God’s will (Eph 1:8-10): To us has been made known the knowledge of God’s mysterious plan of salvation.
• Inheritance in Christ (Eph 1:11): As heirs with Christ, we have a future inheritance in the kingdom of God.
• Sealing with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13): The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance, securing us for eternal life.

These blessings, unlike worldly wealth, are given to all believers in full measure. God holds nothing back from His children. We receive every spiritual blessing, not partially, not sparingly, not proportionately, but theses spiritual blessings are distributed to each one of God’s children abundantly in full, according to the riches of His grace.

The blessings Paul speaks of are not tied to earthly circumstances. If they were, Christians in dire situations could not claim to be blessed. But they can, and they do, because the blessings God gives are rooted in His eternal purposes and are held securely in Christ. Material blessings may come and go, but these spiritual blessings are ours forever and we can not lose them.

As we meditate on this particular truth: that God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great and generous Giver of all Gifts, has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places; may we realize how truly rich we are in Christ. The world cannot comprehend this kind of blessing because it is found only in union with Christ. These blessings are “in the heavenly places,” meaning they are secure in God’s realm, untouched by earthly decay or corruption. Our inheritance is reserved in heaven (1 Pet 1:4), and our citizenship is with Christ in His kingdom (Phil 3:20). Even now, though we are physically present on earth, we are spiritually seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6).

What is our response to such overwhelming blessings? Paul begins this passage with praise: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:3). It is only fitting that we, too, respond with worship and thanksgiving. As we reflect on how God has blessed us, we are moved to give Him the glory and honor He is due. Just as a child gives back to their parent what was already theirs as a gift, so we give God our praise and thanksgiving, though all things already belong to Him.

Psalm 50 reminds us that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps 50:10). He does not need anything from us, but what He desires is our obedience, our thanksgiving, (Eph. 5:20) and our proclamation of His excellencies (1 Pet 2:9). When we recognize the depth of our spiritual blessings, we cannot help but worship Him with greater fervor, offering our lives as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1).

In Christ, we are truly blessed beyond measure. These blessings are eternal, secured in heaven, and granted to us by God’s grace. May our understanding of blessing go deeper than the physical and temporal. May we, like Paul, overflow with praise and gratitude for the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ.

As we continue our verse by verse study of Ephesians, let us remember that we are blessed not because of what we have but because of who we have, Jesus Christ. He is the source and substance of every blessing. When we say, “I am blessed,” may we say it with a full understanding of the spiritual riches we possess in Him. Let our hearts be stirred to worship, knowing that we have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ, blessings that will never fade, spoil, or diminish. Truly, we are blessed with every blessing.