God bless the Church of Jesus on earth, God bless SteemChurch and Christian-trail. I am pleased to speak of a blessed church because I believe that SteemChurch is a great blessing to the many people who are coming to Steem through her.
The apostle Paul, imprisoned in Rome, writes his letter to the Ephesians to teach glorious truths about the Church. In no other letter, he gave as much emphasis on the Church as in this letter to the Ephesians. He explains in this epistle how God chose the Church in eternity, how he rescued it in history and how he trains it and uses it throughout the centuries. At the beginning of this letter, Paul says that the flock is a very blessed people, and blessed with all kinds of spiritual blessing, in the heavenly regions. We highlight here three important aspects:
1 The Church is a very fortunate family, since it was chosen by God in eternity (Eph. 1: 3-6.) - God loved and chose us, even before laying the foundations of the earth. Your choice is sovereign, free and funny. God chose us not for our faith, but for faith. Faith is not the cause of choice, but its consequence (Acts 13.48). God did not choose us because of our holiness, but to be holy. God chose us not for our good works, but for good works. It was not us who chose God, but it was he who chose us. It was not us who loved him first, but he was the one who loved us and attracted us with cords of love. God chose us and adopted us into his family. Now we are children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
2 The Church is a very blessed family because she was redeemed by Jesus Christ (Eph. 1: 1-12) - The Church is very blessed because she was the object of the most sublime love and objective of the highest sacrifice. We have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. The blessed Son of God descended from glory and clothed our skin. He emptied himself and became a servant. He humbled himself and died the painful, degrading and cursed death of the cross. He died not as a martyr, but as a redeemer. By his death, he bought us for God. By his death he assumed our guilt, paid our debt and acquired for us eternal redemption. Jesus gave his life to be free from death. He died our death, suffered the punishment of the law and drank only the bitter cup of God's wrath against sin to justify us, redeem us and give us eternal life. We are blessed because we were delivered, forgiven and saved by the blood of Christ.
3 The Church is a very blessed family because it has been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1,13,14) All those who are chosen in eternity by the Father and redeemed by the blood of Christ, are sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise. All who believe are baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit. The seal is a sign of authenticity. We are not bastards or illegitimate children. We truly belong to the family of God. The seal is also a symbol of property. We are the exclusive property of God for three reasons: we belong to him by the right of creation; by right of ransom; and also, by right of possession. We have been sealed as property of him and for his room. The seal is still a symbol of protection. The seal is inviolable. Thus, no one can tear us out of the hands of God. We are of him, inviolably of him. We are safe and protected. Nothing can separate us from his love, because of the effective work done by us and in us by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The final purpose of the work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is the manifestation of his own glory, both in time and in eternity (Eph 1,6,12,14).
Oh! How blessed we are!
I have heard the good news of the ascension of the beatitudes, I ask God many successes for these blessed tokens. I ask God to go in good hands to bless people who really need to get out of financial bondage. God bless 