I mentioned last week that for our 12th anniversary I made 12 lists of 12 things. I thought I would share one of the lists with you. My hope is that you will be encouraged to trust in Jesus Christ as you think about the ways the gospel can and should impact all aspects of your lives, including marriage.
12 Ways Ephesians 1:3 Should Impact Our Marriage
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. – Ephesians 1:3
1. Jesus Christ is our Lord and therefore he is Lord of our marriage. All we do should be in submission to him.
2. God has already blessed us (it doesn’t say “he will bless us”). Therefore, we should cultivate grateful hearts.
3. This blessing is in Christ, therefore we should diligently seek to be found in him by resting in him and trusting him alone for salvation.
4. Because the blessings are in Christ we should not seek the “blessings” found apart from him, which the world falsely promises.
5. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He isn’t holding out on us. There aren’t other blessings we need but don’t have, therefore we should be content.
6. Because God has given each of us every blessing we don’t need to (and should not) seek our ultimate happiness in each other.
7. Because God has given us every blessing we are free to return good for evil. We are free to give grace when sinned against.
8. Because God has given us every blessing we can be confident that he has given us all we need to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3) and therefore we ought to.
9. Because we have every spiritual blessing we can be generous towards others knowing that we won’t lack anything.
10. Because we have every spiritual blessing we can trust God and continue to follow him even when he takes material or physical blessings from us.
11. Because we have every spiritual blessing we can be confident we will have unceasing joy in his presence and therefore seek this joy in Christ even now.
12. Our blessings are from and in the heavenly places and thus we will most fully enjoy them there. Therefore, when one of us dies the other will grieve, but as one who is full of hope knowing the other is experiencing the fullness of the blessing.
[...] friend, Dustin, has a very encouraging list of ways the gospel can and should impact all aspects of our lives, including marriage. Written by [...]
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