Thrice Blessed

Ephesians 1:3

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

We are extremely blessed. (Blessed beyond measure.)

Ephesians 3 speaks of blessing and uses the word “blessed” three times.

The word used in the original language was  “eulogetas” (“good words,” we get our word “eulogy” from this same word). The root of this word is “logos” (a familiar term meaning “word” or “logic”). However, in Ephesians 3:1, each time the “eulogos” is used, it has a different ending. These changes in endings change the meaning (just slightly).

First, the verse says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this instance, “eulogos” is used as an adjective pointing to the character of God. In the New Testament, this word is used only of God, and it means that God is worthy of praise. He is worthy of our extolling His virtues and saying good words about Him. 

We see this in the Psalms, where many of the Psalms focus on praising the Lord. For example:

Psalm 145:1–3 (NKJV) ¹I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

God is worthy of us extolling His name, and this is what the first phrase of Ephesians 1:3 is saying. 

Ephesians 1:3 continues: “who has blessed us…”

The first phrase speaks of God’s character. He is worthy of praise. This phrase tells us who God is. It identifies God as the One who has blessed us. This time the word “eulogeō” is a verb. It is an action being performed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this case, the “good words” are benefits or good things given to us. In the New Testament, this word is used primarily of God blessing His people.

In that He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see much of the blessing that He has given us. As Romans 8:32 says,

Romans 8:32 (NKJV) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

We also need to remember James 1:17.

James 1:17 (NKJV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

When we think of blessings, we often think of material things. God has blessed with cars, houses, clothing, food, and families. However, all these are going to go away (except family). When I die, I am going to leave my house and car behind. (Since there is going to be a “wedding feast,” there might be food in heaven, but there certainly will not be any hunger.) After speaking of God’s character and identity, Ephesians 1:3 tells us what the blessings are. This time “eulogos” is a noun. The objects described by the noun are “blessings.”

Two things stand out about these blessings. First, they are spiritual. They have to do with the spiritual realm where angels and demons move about and have their being. These are things that matter. Material things, including our bodies, are destined to perish, but the blessings that God has blessed us with are eternal in nature. 

The eternal nature of the blessings brings us to the second thing that stands out about these blessings. Ephesians 3:1says, “…every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” The original text does not have the word “places.” The word used is an adjective. This means it is describing the nature of the blessings not the location. We have a salvation reserved in heaven for us. Jesus is preparing a place for us, and we can store up treasures for ourselves in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy. On top of all this, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.

Our home is no longer here. Jesus taught us that where our treasure is there will our hearts be also. We do not even know the treasures we have in the heavenly realms. We need to spend time investigating the treasures we have. For example:

• We have access to the Father.
• We have whatever we ask for (if we abide in Him).
• We have an eternal home in heaven.
• ….Count your many blessings, name them one by one.