WE ARE BLESSED!

Most people measure the blessings of God upon them by their bank account, their material possessions, and their physical health. I hope that we are not so foolish, so carnal, so evidently in love with this world. These are the things which lost men and women crave, seek, and find pleasure in.

The fact is ALL OF GOD'S PEOPLE ARE BLESSED OF GOD. You may be poor, you may have no material possessions to call your own, you may be sickly, in constant bodily pain, and ready to die, but if you are in Christ, if you are a child of God you are blessed, blessed of God with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

Children of God, we are blessed!

WE ARE BLESSED ACCORDING TO THE PURPOSE OF GOD. "God hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:3). Did you catch those words of the apostle? God the Father has blessed us with ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in Christ. Everything that God ever can, ever has, or ever will give to any man, he has given to all his people in Christ in the covenant of grace in Christ, before the world began, The source of our blessedness is "not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." ALL THE BLESSINGS OF GOD'S GRACE AND GLORY, FOR TIME AND ETERNITY, WERE FREELY GIVEN TO ALL BELIEVERS BY GOD'S ETERNAL ELECTING LOVE -"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him: in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Eph. 1:4-5). God in his eternal purpose gave us, and guaranteed the accomplishment of all these blessings in his people: Adoption, Justification, Acceptance, Redemption, Forgiveness, Regeneration, and All The Fulness of Eternal Glory. Do you see how blessed you are? What more could anyone desire? And all of this God has done for us "To the praise of the glory of his grace" (Eph. 1:6).

WE ARE BLESSED BY THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD. To all true believers, all who are chosen of God, redeemed by Christ, and called by the Holy Spirit, it is promised that all things, both the evil that darkens our days and the good that lights our way, work together for our spiritual and eternal good. Children of God, our heavenly Father has promised us good and nothing but good, for time and eternity. He has promised that nothing will ever happen except that which shall have a good effect upon his own. "There shall no evil happen to the just" (Prov. 12:21). Yes, we do experience things which seem to the eye of flesh to be evil, things which cause us pain, heartache, and sorrow. But God will see to it that these things, and all things, work together for our good. God is as good as his Word; and FAITH TAKES GOD AT HIS WORD. By our own experience, by the Word of God, and by the inner witness of the Spirit, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). It is not true that all things will just happen to turn out for good. But it is true that all things work together, according to God's wisdom, purpose, and power, for the good of his elect. And soon we shall see that it has been true.

"In heaven's eternal light we'll see,

All things worked out for good."

And WE SHALL BE BLESSED IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. When our life's journey is over, we shall stand before God perfectly holy and perfectly righteous, being washed in the blood of Christ and robed in his righteousness. Through the imputed righteousness of Christ, God has "made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). All the blessings of eternal glory which were promised to us in the covenant of grace, earned for us by the righteousness of Christ, purchased for us by the blood of Christ, and claimed for us by the ascension of Christ into heaven shall be ours in real possession. Not one of God's children shall lack any portion of the heavenly inheritance. In Christ we are worthy of all; and we shall have all. WE ARE BLESSED INDEED!