Blessings...undeserved!

(Wow. This is already amazing! I am so excited!)

In reading through this passage last night I was struck by two things: 1) the spiritual blessings heaped upon us and 2) what they point to - the fact that we are the recipients means we have been forgiven of our sins!!! Oh this is so good for my soul! How quickly both turn my gaze off of myself and the temporal to recounting both how much I have been blessed (and so undeservedly!) and to the blood that was shed for me (also so very undeseverdly!).

It's hard to not instantly be filled with wonder and awe and gratitude! Stott begins his commentary on Ephesians with this: "In the original Greek these twelve verses [3-14] constitute a single complex sentence. As Paul dictates, his speech pours out of his mouth in a continuous cascade. He neither pauses for breath, nor punctuates his words with full stops. Commentators have searched for metaphors vivid enough to convey the impact of this opening outburst of adoration." Wow. Besides giving an incredible picture of the emotion with which Paul desired to communicate with the Ephesians, it is convicting that I can READ those words with any less passion! Phrases like "He CHOSE us in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world," "redemption through His blood," "forgiveness of our trespasses," "obtained an inheritance," and "in Him you...were SEALED with the promised Holy Spirit" instantly evoke gratefulness for things of which I am the beneficiary.

But obviously emotion isn't what we strive for =) so I am challenged by questions Kayla, Jordan and Scott ask.

What are the spritual blessings He has given us in the heavenly places? Besides eternal life? And access to His throne here on earth? And the Holy Spirit - Comforter and Helper? This is plenty but He really doesn't stop there. It's beyond imaginable to think of all the blessings I have received in Him...so undeserving.

Do I live with the realization that Christ does not withhold anything good from me? Verse 3 states this...and I know it to be true...but does my life reflect this? Sadly, so often it does not. I find myself living with the expectation that I deserve more. More! How can that thought cross my mind when I have been given EVERYTHING?? What love is conveyed in the very fact that Christ chose ME before the world was formed? That He gave His life so that through His blood I might be redeemed!!! He has lavished (yay Scott for defining sweet words! =) on us the RICHES of His grace. What? I complain???

Do I practically recognize that I had nothing to do with my being saved? Ugh. So often I do not. So often I live as though I had a hand in my salvation - that I was NOT unlovely or filthy in sin and that God wanted me so badly that He felt He could do nothing but save me. In reality, the craziness of it all is that I was filthy in sin, blatantly rebelling against Him and He chose me. He knew what I was. He still chose me. He redeemed me, bought me, purchased me! He gave His life for me and then CONTINUES to lavish blessing upon blessing on me. What of that could I possibly have helped with???!!!

Oh, this is going to be a great 10 days...