Title: COUNTING BLESSINGS

Focus: The grace of God provides us with tremendous riches.

Function: To move the people to take stock of God’s spiritual riches and live by them.

Text: Ephesians 2:1-10

Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 23

INTRODUCTION

Every so often corporate America issues a Fortune 500 list. On that list we find the names of America’s 500 wealthiest persons. My name is not on that list. And that’s ok. For a lot of people, it’s a great honor and prestige to be on this Fortune 500 list, because it sets them apart from the rest of the world, and it points to one of America’s most culturally valued symbols--the symbol of success, the symbol of “having it made.”

I hope that you are not disturbed by the fact that your name does not appear on the most recent Fortune 500 list. For there is another list—far more valuable—on which our name might appear. The Bible refers to that list as the “book of life.” Forget Fortune 500! Earthly riches perish, and so do all of us who cling to and aspire these riches. But the heavenly riches that come to us when our name is written in the book of life do not perish. They stay with us, both now and forever more!

In light of Scripture’s teaching, I declare to you today that the grace of God provides us with tremendous riches. Therefore, take stock of God’s spiritual wealth and use God’s spiritual treasure as a resource for daily, Christian living.

THE CATECHISM: LORD’S DAY 23

We live in a democracy with capitalism as its main engine. Making money, living with luxury, and pursuing personal comforts are part and parcel of the diet we consume. It’s hard for us, therefore, to reorient our lives from a menu of earthly riches to a menu of heavenly blessings. Thus we do well as Christians to recite and live from the “balance sheet” of the Christian faith.

That balance sheet is called “The Apostles’ Creed.” The Apostles’ Creed contains 12 statements of faith. As we claim these statements as our own, we take possession of all our spiritual riches.

It’s in this context that the Catechism, as our mentor of the Scriptures, comes to us and asks: “What good does it do you, however, to believe all (these statements of faith)?”

I like that question, because many people claim to be Christians, yet when we observe them in their daily living, they seem no different from any other unbeliever: they do not practice their faith; they pray very little; they rarely worship with the community of faith, and their lifestyle reflects little awareness of God’s call to holiness and purity. Honestly now, what good does the Christian faith do them? It’s a good question to ponder for all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ: so what that you believe the Bible’s teachings?

I do feel that a warning is in order. Some might think that our teacher (called “the Catechism”) is thinking in terms of physical health and worldly wealth. Many evangelists and preachers today tap into this capitalistic and narcissistic stream of American culture. And thus they promise financial prosperity and physical health to all who come to faith in Jesus Christ. These promoters of a false “gospel” draw great crowds with “rags to riches” testimonies and “deathbed to miraculous healing” stories.

Being a follower of Jesus Christ, however, calls more often for “loosing” your life, then gaining it, for “bearing your cross” then going through life on a bed of roses. Sacrifice, suffering, and persecution mark the pilgrimage of a Christian. So, be careful. The teacher or the Catechism is not inquiring about financial gain or physical health when asking the question, What good does it do you to embrace the Christian faith as summarized on that balance sheet called “The Apostles’ Creed”? Rather, think in terms of spiritual riches.

Listen to the answer: “In Christ, I am right with God and heir to life everlasting.” To live under a cloud of guilt and condemnation is like being a prisoner on death row. All people who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ by faith live under that cloud. That’s a terrible burden because it leads to eternal death. But here is the good news: In Christ, you and I are right with God and heir to life everlasting. The key, of course, is Jesus. IN him, there is forgiveness so that we are right with God; and because we are right with God IN Christ, we may receive eternal life as a gift from God. What is better? To be on the Fortune 500 list—and yet perish because you do not know Jesus, or to have your name written in the book of life, thus making the claim that you are a child of God and that an inheritance of eternal life is waiting for you?

In the next question, we notice that the voice of the Bible teacher is filled with awe and wonder: “How are you right with God?” That expression of wonder comes to all who know the depth of their sins and sinfulness. It comes to all who know what it means to have a contrite heart, filled with sorrow. But that sorrow turns into joy and exuberance whenever we turn to Jesus Christ. For in Christ there is our treasure!

As you listen to the answer, I want you to notice the structure or form of the answer: it’s in the form of “Even though….nevertheless….” Perhaps the picture of a weigh scale may help. There is a scale on the left and a counter scale on the right. And in the middle we find the ONE who holds the scales in balance--the God of grace. Listen (and take note of the left scale): “Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandment and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil….” This is the scale of our conscience, deeply convicting us of our sin and sinfulness, deeply aware of our prison and bondage to sin.

Now listen (and take note of the right scale): “nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.” This is the scale of our voice of faith, stimulated and overjoyed by the new situation found in Christ Jesus.

How is it possible for us to count such spiritual blessings as being children and heirs of God? It’s because of the ONE who counterbalances the scale of sin and sinfulness with the scale of Christ’s work of salvation. Listen again: “Even though…nevertheless…God grants and credits to me….” Where, oh where, do we find such good news in the Scriptures? Where in the Bible can we take stock of these wondrous spiritual riches?

THE PASSAGE: EPHESIANS 2:1-10

The apostle Paul has written a letter to the Christian church in Ephesus. It’s a letter to new Christians, most of them from a Gentile or pagan background. In chapter two, the apostle ponders their (and our) spiritual riches as Christians. Paul wants us to be vividly aware of the old status (apart from faith in Christ) and the new status (faith in Christ).

Paul describes the old status with such images as a grave, a prison, and a seat of judgment. Listen: “As for you, you were dead in your transgression and sins (here’s the grave image), in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (here’s the prison image, where the world and Satan hold captive all who rebel against God’s Word and commandments). All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath” (here’s the seat of judgment image). Life in this weigh scale is like sitting on death row, waiting for the day when you receive your just punishment. We may own the whole world, be the richest woman in town, or be classified as a Fortune 500 person, but if we are in this weigh scale called “death row,” we are terribly poor indeed. All our earthly riches won’t do us any good.

Why not turn to Jesus Christ by faith and find yourself in the counter scale? Take note of the ONE who makes the difference: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” God in Jesus Christ splits open our graves of sin; he shatters the doors of our prisons, and leads us away from judgment, away from death row into a world, a kingdom of freedom, of love, of forgiveness, obedience, and eternal life.

Listen: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” There you have it: the balance sheet of the Christian faith. All the riches of God’s grace are bundled up in Jesus Christ. All these riches are ours to draw from every day, as we turn to Jesus in faith and live by the rhythm of his will and Spirit.

Oh, the Catechism teacher had her ears tuned into God’s Word very well. The teacher knows that all our spiritual blessings, all our riches are found only in Christ Jesus. That’s why we hear the Catechism say (Q&A 59) “In Christ I am right with God and heir to life everlasting.” And in response to the question “How are you right with God?” we hear that ring of biblical truth: “Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.”

No, we don’t work for the blessings of God; they come to us by God’s love and mercy. They are God’s gift to us. Faith is not our work; it’s God’s gift to us, whereby we reach out and receive all our spiritual riches in Christ Jesus. Faith is the mouth by which we taste God’s love. Faith is the channel by which all God’s benefits come to us. Everything we have in Christ Jesus is God’s undeserved favor toward a lost humanity and world.

Not even the best of works or actions deserve our name or ownership, for Paul says in the text: (Our salvation) “… is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There’s no need for bragging or pride. Even the good things we do as Christians are works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

So, count your blessings. Take stock—not in yourself, but in the spiritual treasures of life and salvation found in Jesus Christ.

To him be the glory, now and always. Amen.