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The Priceless Balm of Christ’s Benefits
Why do we buy things? We purchase things because we believe the things we buy are worth the cost and will benefit us in a way that is greater than the money we have. We are essentially willing to give up certain things because the thing acquired is better than the thing we have.
I want to talk about what Jesus has done for us and why it is worth giving everything up for him. I specifically want to talk about what theologians call the benefits of being united to Christ. I want to do this because we are prone to forget. It is very easy for us to start going through the motions of life, even the Christian life and be unaware of what Christ has done for us and how he changes and enriches everything.
Recently I was reading Francis Schaffer’s True Spirituality. Schaffer was an American theologian, apologist, and pastor who moved to Switzerland and started a ministry called L’Abri (means shelter or refuge in French) in 1955. A community where seekers, students, and travelers could live, work, and openly discuss philosophy, theology, and culture. Combined hospitality, intellectual honesty, and spiritual care. Became a hub for young people in the 1960s–70s searching for meaning (many were disillusioned with secularism or counterculture). There they welcomed anyone into their home to discuss faith and other topics.
In this book Schaffer says the material in the book was foundational to him starting L’Abri, and his ministry. He shared that he faced a spiritual crisis in his own life. He had become a Christian many years before, even went into ministry, but there was a growing problem. He held strongly to an orthodox Christian position but he began to realize that among those who held orthodox positions one saw “little reality in the things the Bible so clearly teaches.” And the second observation was that his own reality was less and less. He began to realize how little he had heard about the finished work of Christ and its meaning for our lives.
Christ dying for our sins is the linchpin of the Christian life and today I want us to see how it is a linchpin for our lives.
The salvation we have in Jesus provides priceless benefits that heal our souls of all that ails them.
Blessed in Christ
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
eulogía in Greek Literature. The literal sense is “speaking well.” This yields the meaning “to extol.”
Some translations say praise.
Everyone wants to be happy today, but very few find it. Why is that? I believe it is because people are looking for finite things to do what only an infinite God can do.
This passage starts with blessing God. “Blessed be God…” That is praising him. We were created to worship. What God has done for us sets us in motion to do what we were created to do-- worship, praise, rejoice, and sing.
The Psalmists blessed God. Our worship time this morning is designed to be a time we can bless him and praise him. If you came in today without a reason to bless God, then you need to hear what God has done for you. You need your identity in this.
Blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places - Eph 1:3.
Does that mean he has withheld?
Does that mean he has been cheap/miserly?
Does that mean he has been unjust?
Blessed with Every Spiritual Blessing
What are the spiritual benefits that come to us in Christ? Here is a list of them from this passage: blessed, chosen, holy and blameless, adopted, heirs, loved, forgiven, redeemed.
In some ways these benefits are like looking at the top of a diamond with its sides and shapes that reflect the light and cause us to marvel at it. We should marvel at these.
But I also want us to see that these benefits can be like the various tools of a medical kit. They meet our spiritual infirmities and bring healing. And like any medical kit, it is important that we know how to use the provisions.
To be a good doctor you need to know the right solution for the problem people have.
What if you broke your ankle and I poured antiseptic ointment on it. Is that going to heal it?
What if you got a really bad sunburn and I pulled out the medical tape and wrapped your whole body.
What if you had an allergic reaction and I gave you a band aid?
Sick with the flu- exercise is good for you so go run 4 miles.
I want to look at some benefits of knowing Christ that come to us packaged like medical kit to heal wounded and downcast souls. They are to return our hearts and minds to praising God.
Blessed. We are blessed.
The opposite of this is cursed. We are not cursed. We live in a fallen world where there is a curse that we feel. While that is the condition of the world we live in it is not the disposition of our Father toward us. Jesus took the curse for us. Now we are blessed in Christ.
A key phrase here is “in Christ.” This is what is known as union with Christ. We are united to him by faith. We are in him. Spiritually.
Positionally. Experientially.
Days where you are feeling down, upset, cursed, you have to remind yourself of what we have in Christ. I am blessed.
Paul said this. Paul was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned for his faith. And through it all he said he was blessed. Blessed in Christ. Not blessed with a new car, new house, iPhone.
Chosen. and predestined.
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ - Eph 1:4,5
To choose means to pick, to select, to single out. He chose us in eternity.
These words concern some people, making them tense up, but they should not. These are Biblical words. Get concerned when people say they don’t believe in election. It’s in there. What it exactly means is something we can debate.
These words should inspire awe and worship. Note here they are cause for praise. God chose you. If God chose you there is nothing greater. There is a joy in this. It’s not because you are better than others but because God had mercy. And your future is not because you are so great, but because he is so merciful.
Corporate (plural) also personal.
Rejected. Not wanted. Pushed aside. Chosen in eternity. Accepted in Time. Destined for Eternity. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together.
God has a plan and you are a part of that plan.
Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ. As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. - Eph 1:9, 10
Look, if this scares you and you fear that you are not chosen, then repent and trust in Christ follow him. Those whom God has chosen repent and trust in him. His sovereignty is fully compatible with your free will. How that works, I don’t know. This is the mystery of his will. But when you are resting in Christ you can marvel that God chose you to show his love and affection to.
But God has a plan, and if you are in Christ then you know that plan is going to end in your good and the glory of God.
Holy and Blameless. We are called to a higher purpose and we are made clean in Christ.
That we should be holy and blameless before him. - Eph 1:4
blemish, fault, spot, faultless, unblameable. Refers to being without defect, either physically or morally.
This is scandalous. Holy and blameless. Without fault, spot, wrinkle. We are holy. He has taken our sins away.
A while back, someone gave our kids an old Lego set. It still had the box on it. We looked at it and were in awe of how good of cognition everything was even with it being so old. But as we started to look at it more closely, we started to see the blemishes, a chip here, a bent corner here, a scratch there. All of these added up to it being worthless. Now, if those blemishes were all taken away it would be perfect. It would be valuable.
It is amazing that in Christ, our sins are taken away. He views us as holy and blameless. Not because we actually are, but because Christ righteousness is imputed to us.
He takes away our debt and gives us a treasure chest.
Sometimes when we see our sin, our unholiness we get ashamed. Have you ever done something you were ashamed of? Pepper in the nose? Felt terrible? Sometimes I feel terrible for things I said or things I didn't say. I should have recognized a friend having a hard time but didn't. Should have known he needed help and didn't.
Shame causes you to hide. It causes you to push people away. Good shame will cause us to cry out for a savior. Toxic shame, sinful shame, causes us to run, hide, not admit our need for help.
Adopted. We are brought into the family of God. We are not left alone in the world.
He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will - Eph 1:5
We by nature belonged to another family. But in Christ God made a legal declaration and by our faith in Christ he brought us into a new family.
We call God Father, and as sons and daughters we receive access to the things of him and even unto his inheritance. Even when we go through hardship, we can trust that our heavenly father is using it to teach us something of himself. He is doing it for our good. Parents discipline their children to teach them certain things. What is my Father seeking to teach me in this?
Heirs. If we are sons, then we are also heirs. What the Father has is also ours. Heir is one who received an inheritance.
Do you ever feel like you will never escape. Ever feel like things will never change. There is a great inheritance awaiting you. It is greater than anything you can imagine. It will never perish, spoil or fade.
Sealed. Sealed with the holy Spirit.
To stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation. The seal denotes authority or offers protection.
Think about when you have an official document and you want it sealed to prove its authenticity. Think about your passport when you travel. They look at it and if it is approved they stamp it. How does God stamp us? By sealing us with his Spirit.
His spirit changes us. Quickens us to his word. Empowers us to do things we didn’t think we could do. The spirit changes us.
I’m not who I want to be, but I'm not who I used to be.
Forgiven. Reconciled.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
to send off,” can have such varied nuances as “to release,” “to hurl,” “to let be,” “to pardon.” áphesis, which is less common, is used for “release” (from office, obligation, debt,
It means to let go. To release. Unforgiveness, anger, bitterness. It is to hold on to something. To forgive is to release. When you hold a grudge what are you doing? You are holding on to punishing that person for what they have done. People grow bitter and hold grudges for decades over petty things.
God forgives your sins. He doesn’t ignore. He knows they are there. He chose to absorb the cost. To forgive a person their debt is not free. It just means someone else is paying for it. God paid the debt of our sin. Because it is paid, when we turn to him in faith, he forgives us our sins. He lets go of hanging them over us.
If God has let them go, then why do you still hold them over yourself.
Redemption. The act of freeing or the state of being freed from bondage, such as that of a prisoner or slave, by payment of a ransom.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory - Eph 1:13
These are some of the benefits of Christ. If you want to grow in your faith, then study what they mean.
We need to tell this to ourselves every day. Rejection, sadness, feelings of being lost, cursed, those are things that confront us all the time. We need to know who we are. We need to know who’s we are.
This is the battle we must fight. Jesus has given us every weapon. He has given us the healing provisions we need.
The grace of God
… the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight. Eph 1:7–8.
Why does he give these to us?
The passage also highlights the grace of God in salvation. We do not deserve these blessings of salvation; we did not earn salvation. Paul speaks of “glorious grace” (v. 6) and “the riches of His grace that He lavished on us” (vv. 7–8). Those who have received these riches should praise the Giver.
Blessed be God.
He has blessed us and we are to bless him. We speak well of him. We worship him. We speak of how great he is. His awesome wonders! We see his greatness in creation. We see it more clearly in the gospel.
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
What would it be if this passage only had the benefits of Christ but no account of Paul blessing God. Wouldn't that be odd? We may not think about that because this passage begins with praise. It begins, ends, and revolves around praise and the celebration of God. And this seems to be not just how Paul wrote Scripture but how he lived his life.
What would you pay to have this? What would you pay to have a balm that would meet your spiritual needs and longings? It’s done in Christ. But you have to turn to him. You have to see that the benefits you have with him are greater than anything else you have, and that his work is something that you live each and every day dwelling on its implications and benefits.
Discussion Questions
- What are the benefits of Christ? Which two are most encouraging to you?
- How do these benefits come to us?
- Which spiritual infirmity are you most prone to? How will you combat that with the balm of Christ’s benefits?