"Blessing Continuum." John D Carr Phd

 "Blessing Continuum." John D Carr Phd

 

The principle of blessing and being blessed can be described as the "blessing continuum." The means by which the blessing is conveyed from God and is ultimately returned to him can be called the "grace continuum." This reciprocal nature of the blessing dynamic is best illustrated in a word study in the Apostolic Scriptures. The word for grace, which  is the source and medium of the divine blessing, is xapis  (charis ),6 from which early Church Latin derived charitas (Anglicized as "charity"). Grace is the blessing that descends from God upon his people. It is the unmerited favor of God that is extended without condition to the one who is the object of God's love and blessing. God is always the source, the fountainhead of both blessing and grace,8 for it is not in the capacity of man to generate grace or blessing from within him own being. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Any lateral manifestation of blessing in men's lives is the direct result of the prior infusion of divine grace. Even the capacity to do good deeds apart from divine redemption and rebirth through theMessiah is a result of the implant of God's instructions in the hearts and minds of all men that itself is a gift of grace.9 God's grace is given to all, and without it no life could be sustained. A far more abundant measure of grace is given to those who choose to believe in God's provision for their sins: they are saved by grace1O and are given the full blessing of the Divine.

 

The grace does not, however, remain limited to the one whom God blesses. It is transferred laterally into the lives of others through the gifting of the Holy Spirit that God places in the lives of all he has added to his family of faith. The Greek word for the gifts that God gives as manifestations of the Spirit is (charisma, pl. charismata). These gifts are given for the benefit of the entire community of believers. 11 The charismata are given to individuals so that they can become channels of the divine grace.

 

The truth that grace is foundational to gifting as a means for the lateral transfer of God's blessing to the lives of others is confirmed in Paul's observation that believers have gifts that differ "according to the grace [charis] that is given to [them]. "12 The apostle continued to elaborate on the various charismata that were given through God's grace to the church. This is the same context in which he discussed the various manifestations of the Holy Spirit given for the profit of all believers.13 In another discourse, Paul observed that "to every one of us grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ." The word for gift here is dorea, which speaks of the supernatural gifts that are given to believers, including the gift of eternal life. 14 The free gift is imparted through the medium of God' s grace. When that gift flows to others, it is still a manifestation of grace (charis) channeled by charismata.

 

God's blessing, then, is given so that the one who is divinely blessed may, in turn, be a blessing. The grace that is given vertically is to be channeled horizontally into the lives of others. In order to bless others, one must become a channel through which God's blessing can flow. Recognizing God as the ultimate source of all blessing will make the blesser humble about his own control over the capacity to bless. At the same time however, it will empower him to become highly available as a channel of divine blessing.  The principle that as established in the life of Abraham becomes a paradigm for blessings as God wishes it to be applied in the lives of all his children, Abraham was blessed so that through him all nations could be blessed.  All believes, likewise are blessed in order to be the bearer of God’s blessing. 

 

The blessing that flows from one person to another by means of gifting of the holy Sprit is also a reciprocal blessing.  One cannot bless another without being blessed in return.  The energy of the blessing is reflected from the blessed back to the blesser.  In like manner some blessing can have residual effects on many others over long period of time. This can even produce generational blessing. The nature of blessing is such that it can never be bottled up. The benediction is so powerful that once unleashed it reverberates, taking the grace into totally unforeseen vistas through a chain reaction of blessing.

 

The blessing does not end in the transactional and reciprocal grace from the one who is blessed of God blessing others and, in turn, being blessed himself. What has flowed into the lives of men is returned to God who gave it. The grace continues to be manifest from simple divine impartation, through gifting, and finally returns to God in the form of thanksgiving. The Greek word for thanksgiving is (eucharistia), the word from which the term Eucharist is derived. The believer who has received God's grace (charis) through the blessing of another's gift (charisma) is so blessed that he returns the blessing to God who gave it as thanksgiving (eucharistia). The blessing of grace is uncontainable! It must be released in reciprocity.

 

This was the dynamic that Paul succinctly described in this way: "In everything give thanks [eucharistia], for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." It was not, however, a revolutionary, new idea that the apostle was expounding. It was but a continuation of the rich tradition of blessing God that this Jewish rabbi had been taught from infancy and later at the feet of Gamliel, the leading Jewish sage of his time

 

Jewish tradition emphasizes the fact that it is essential for a believer to give thanks to God for every event and matter of life,  whether good or bad, so that perpetual thanksgiving flows from the mouth of the believer to God. The tradition is as ancient as Job who, when confronted with the greatest tragedy of his life confessed, "The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."!? David shared the same passion for thanksgiving that Paul underscored: "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth."18 This connection between praise, thanksgiving, and blessing was emphasized to all observant Hebrews from antiquity. They were to bless God. As a matter of fact, the very formula of Jewish prayer is fundamentally a blessing, with each petition to God beginning with a blessing of his name,

 

 "Blessed are you, 0 Lord, our God, King of the universe."

 

 

The thanksgiving that is offered to God is a means of capturing both the blessing and the grace that transmits that blessing and returning it to its source, the Almighty. "Blessings on the horizontal, earthly plane ultimately flow to and from the ultimate source of all blessing."19 Blessing God throughout the day in every matter of life is a means of returning the blessing that has come down from heaven and completing the cycle of blessing and grace. It forms a continuum of blessing.

 

 

BLESSED TO BLESS

The blessing of God that is imparted to those who open themselves to his grace is, therefore, extended to others through the anointing and ministry that represents God's gift of grace in their lives. These humble souls have qualified themselves to be instruments through which the grace of God can flow into the lives of others. Like the patriarch of faith, Abraham, they are points of light and blessing. They do not consume the grace upon themselves but always release it both to men and to God. They are blessed of God with a view toward blessing others. God expects it, and so do they! They readily "work the works ofAbraham,"2o doing justice and loving mercy and freely extending it to their fellow man. They do not omit the weightier matters of God's law, justice, mercy, and faith.21 they treat others as they would prefer t be treated.  They love with the love that Christ loved that self-sacrificing love that transcends human reason.  They imitate their God by becoming sources of blessings themselves.  Like Abraham they are commissioned to be God’s blessings bearers.

 

The blessing continuum, therefore, works by divine grace. Charis is given vertically to be manifest laterally through charismata and finally to be returned to God as eucharistia.

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