Whenever I go grocery shopping, inevitably I end up in the “slow” line. Sometimes it is a new cashier in training and other times it is a price check. But there have been the odd times where the person paying for their groceries did not have enough money or their card didn’t work. I think there has been a time or two where I was that person and had forgotten my wallet in the car… embarrassing.

But maybe you’ve experienced this problem: You go to an ATM and punch in your password, and it says, “Sorry, insufficient funds.” Or maybe you give a waiter your credit card and you get that awkward look, “I’m sorry, we don’t accept that card. Do you have another one?”

When we do find ourselves “short” on funds, it is rather embarrassing, isn’t it? You think everything is okay, but when you write that cheque or go to purchase those groceries and reality comes to bite you.

But imagine being on the other side of the spectrum. Imagine having a large amount of wealth but living your whole life unaware of how much you have—living like a pauper when actually you are a prince. That’s what Paul is referring to in the book of Ephesians, when he tells believers the amount of spiritual wealth they have as Christians—what they have in their “spiritual bank account.”

Paul repeats a phrase over and over in Ephesians 1: “in Christ.” When you come to Christ, God sees you as in His Son. Ephesians 1:3 says, “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.”

And what are those spiritual blessings? What’s in your bank account? Well, the fact is, you’re rich!

You are rich because of your Father. God chose you (Ephesians 1:4. How many of us remember playing games during recess or lunch in school. When the group was divided up, how did it feel to get picked by the best player?

You are also rich because God chose to adopt you (v. 5). I can remember watching all those Dave Thomas ads (the founder of Wendy’s) encouraging people to adopt as he once was. To go from rejected to wanted and loved. What an amazing feeling.

You are also rich because He redeemed you (v. 7). Imagine being so far in debt that there was no possible way to get out of it. We were in cosmic debt to God and through Christ’s sacrifice, our debt was paid and we were bought back to God.

You are rich because of forgiveness. Ephesians 2:1-10 shows that you and I were born into this world alive physically but dead spiritually—separated from God. We needed a new birth, and God “made us alive together with Christ” (v. 5). Forgiveness is something we have a hard time doing whether it is for ourselves or someone else.

But through Christ, God has forgiven you. He doesn’t hold your sins or your past against you, so you need not live in a perpetual state of turmoil. He sees you in Christ now. Underline Romans 8:32: “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?” In other words, you are rich in the spiritual assets given by God.

And you are rich because of your spiritual family, the believers He has placed around you. I love the fact that in the body of Christ I have brothers and sisters who love me and pray for me and stand with me and encourage me and show me accountability. It’s wonderful! As the only believer in my family, in essence, the church IS my family. Are we perfect? No. Do we sometimes get on each other’s nerves? Yes. But through Christ, we are now related eternally.

When we step back and look at our lives from an eternal perspective, we realize that we have a “bank account” that is filled with spiritual resources and wealth. If you realize what is yours, the power that is at your disposal, you are going to walk in joy and confidence. I pray that we would all realize that. I pray that this doctrine would permeate our lives, and that we would walk in love and humility before our brothers and sisters, walk in integrity before the world, and walk submissively in our homes.