We have "everything" in Jesus! That's an easy statement to make and it's true, but what does it mean? The Apostle Paul wrote a fascinating letter to the Christians in the ancient city of Asia Minor known as Ephesus. He began his letter by telling them what they already had in their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:3-14
Paul made a bold statement to the Christians of Ephesus and every other city in the world of that generation and century until this day: we are blessed with "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." That's a declaration that could come only from a direct Apostle of God's Christ. Who else could make such a claim with absolute knowledge and impunity? Who else could know for sure unless they had heard it straight from the Mouth of God? Leaders of other ancient religions and philosophies made claims that were mostly preposterous, but none could be so bold to claim their deity or philosophy had the ability to grant "all spiritual blessings." Most religions and belief systems hold back somewhat in their claims in case they're wrong about some spiritual or physical aspect of life, every religion "except" Christianity. Getting to heaven or "paradise" always depends on the works of the individual in other belief systems, thus letting the "dieties" off the hook if the promises don't work (which they don't). Christianity is the only religion where God does it all stating clearly that the human race is unable to do anything for itself. Jesus Christ says He is the only Way to God in Heaven. There is no other way. No one could come close to the Throne of Almighty God unless they go according to the Way, the Truth and the Life: Jesus Christ (John 14:6). The people of Israel immediately recognized the difference between the message of Christ and the messages of other religious leaders because Jesus spoke as one who had authority from heaven ("And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Matthew 7:28-29). Jesus has the Authority to save lost humanity and He gave His Authority to His apostles to carry out the work of preaching the Gospel of the world. Those apostles gave their authority to their disciples who gave it to their disciples... until that authority reached you and me.
Paul was given specific instructions along with heavenly authority to preach the Gospel of Christ to Jews and Gentiles and to promise them about the spiritual blessings they would have as they placed their faith in Christ for salvation. He explained that to King Agrippa of Judea.
"At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."
Jesus told Paul he was to tell believers (those who were sanctified by faith in Christ) about their spiritual "inheritance." That's what Paul did for decades as an Apostle of Christ. That's what Paul wrote believers in his many letters to the churches and individuals. That's what Paul addressed first in his letter to the Ephesians. During the next few GMAF newsletters, we'll look more deeply into the riches of "what we have in Jesus."
The spiritual blessings we have in Christ are certainly remarkable and constitute true miracles since they cannot be performed by anyone but God. However, our spiritual blessings contrast deeply to those of God's other chosen people, Israel, and should give us great reason to pause and reflect on the vastness of our blessings. The covenant God has with us is based solely upon His Grace. Israel's covenant is based upon God's Grace and the Law He gave them in the wilderness. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, receives every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies as a gift of Grace from Jesus Christ, the Savior and Head of the Body. We do not deserve it and cannot earn it. Israel received its spiritual blessings as it obeyed Jehovah God. Israel did not receive "every" spiritual blessing as Christians do because no flesh can obey God.
"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Even as God gave Israel His Law and His promise of great reward in a land flowing with milk and honey, Jehovah the Almighty laid out for Israel the sad future it would face in its inability to obey even the least of God's commandments. This portion of God's Word was prophetic of the terrible history of Israel's punishments for its sins for thousands of years to come.
"I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses." Leviticus 26:13-46
Israel continues under the curse of the Law to this day and has yet to be redeemed from individual and national sin. Fortunately for Christians, we are not under any curse and have been forgiven all our sin because we are not under the control of the Law, but are under the protection of God's Grace!
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14
Anyone who stands outside God's salvation which came through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jew or Gentile, is under the curse of God's Law. No man, woman or child can stand before God on the merits of their own works and good deeds. No one is justified by the Law. Those who are just live by faith.
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:10-14
We are truly blessed to know the salvation of God and not only are we saved from eternal punishment, which every one of us deserves, God gives us every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies! Before any of us might become proud of what "we" were able to accomplish when Israel could not, let us always remember that what we have in Christ is all from God and because of God. None of us received any spiritual blessing because of our goodness. We are no better than the Jews and they are no better than the Gentiles.
"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3:9-12
It's pretty clear, then, that the pride any of us should feel about our having every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies should be in Christ who earned our blessings with His Body nailed to a Cross and His perfect obedience to God's Law. Without Christ we have no hope. With Christ we have every spiritual blessing. What a gift!
(Part Two)
We have EVERYTHING in Jesus!
Paul is specific about the individual blessings God gives His children. The first he mentioned is that God chose us in Him "before the foundation of the world." When we consider who we were before we were saved, God's choosing us becomes an even larger blessing.
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Ephesians 2:1-3
We were "dead" in trespasses and sins. We lived our lives according to the direction of every other sinner in this world. We lived according to the direction of Satan, the prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit that works in all children of disobedience. We used to live as children of disobedience behaving according to the lusts of our flesh. We lived our lives to fulfill every desire of our flesh and sinful mind. We were by our very nature children of wrath, just like every other sinner. We were spiritually dead, dirty and diseased. No one would look at us and find anything attractive about us. If we were put up for adoption, no one would want us. No one, except God.
God "chose" us. He wanted us. He loved us. His desire was to make us part of His spiritual family, part of the Body of believers in His Son Jesus Christ. How amazing is that?
"He hath chosen us." Those four words hold a world of hope for every believer and every person who will believe. God chose us. We are His choice. He wanted us. He loved us. His wish was that we belong to Him. How wonderful!
He chose us. We are not an unpleasant duty. We are not a dreadful deed God had to do to fulfil some ancient obligation He couldn't find a way to escape. God chose us freely, voluntarily, willingly, wantingly, gladly!
God chose us "in Him." The words "in Him" are used in the context of the location of our blessings: "in heavenly places in Christ." God the Father chose you and me in Christ! God's work is always done in perfect harmony. The triune God - Three in One - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - make "their" choice. It's never one against the other. The Triune God makes a singular choice - and their choice was you and me! God the Father chose us in His Son and God the Holy Spirit agreed with the choice and plays a vital role in carrying out the purpose of the choice.
When did God make this choice? Was it recently? Was it just before we prayed to receive Christ as our Savior? Was it at our birth? Was it when our parents prayed we would pray to receive Christ? The Bible says clearly that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit chose us "before the foundation of the world!" God chose us before He created the world. His choice was not made in haste. He chose us in Christ before His creative act of bringing the world into being. God knew us intimately and loved us intensely long before the first human beings walked on the earth. He chose us before there was a world surrounded by a sky filled with stars, planets and moons. He created us before there was water, air and land. He created us before the birds sang, the fish swam and the animals foraged for food. God wanted us and chose us before He created the world we live in and depend on for life. God's choosing us was an amazing activity of the Great Mind of God before He thought and spoke the worlds into beinbg. God chose us, then created a place for us. What phenomenal love!
God didn't just choose "people" to be saved. He chose you personally because He knew you before time, loved you and wanted you. He knew who you would be. He knew when you would be born. He knew where you would be born. He knew who your parents would be. He knew what you would look like, what you would do as a child, what you would become as a teen and adult. He knew all about you. He knew your strengths and weaknesses. He knew your sinful ways and made a way for you to become His child. He sent His Son to die for your sins and make a path to righteousness. He knew when you would believe, when you would pray to receive the salvation He provided for you, how you would live your life as a Christian. He knew everything and chose you!
God chose us in Christ before He created the world "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." God had a marvelous purpose in choosing us. He wanted the best for us. He wanted us to be saved from sin, to be spiritually and physically whole again. God chose us to be "holy and without blame before him in love." The word "holy" means we are separated and dedicated to God. We are set apart for God's service. The words "without blame" mean we are without any blemish. God has made us perfect in Christ. We are like Him. Christ was the pure sacrifice without blemish and God chose us to be made like His Son. No one can point to any blemish and accuse us of being unworthy of belonging to God because God has made us without blemish. We are without blame (blameless) in Christ. That's how God sees us now, how He saw us before the creation of the world and how He will see us through eternity. God chose us before He created the world that we should be holy and without blame.
The position of our blamelessness is "before him." We would be foolish to think we are perfect in this world. We know our faults. We know our sins. We know our failings. We are as imperfect as they come. We don't (can't) live up to all God asks of His children. We are human. We are sinners. However, in Christ, we are saved sinners. God sees us differently than we see ourselves or other believers. He sees us standing before Him in love as sinners saved by His Matchless Grace. He sees us covered by the Blood of Christ. He sees us saved and set apart for service to Him. We are holy and without blame in God's sight.
As we will see during our study, God is the reason we can be holy and blameless. We are not holy and blameless because of something we did, do or will do. We are holy and blameless in God's sight because He sees us "in" Christ. Jesus is the Holy One. He is the Blameless One. We are holy and blameless before God because we are in Christ and He is in us. That is both a miracle and a mystery.
This first spiritual blessing is the greatest blessing of all. We have hope for every aspect of our lives. When we fail (as we will continue to do every day we breathe air on this planet and our heart pumps blood through our body), we can pick ourselves up and know that in God's eyes we are holy and blameless in Christ. We will blame ourself for so many things in this lifetime, but God chose us to be holy and without blame before Him in love. That's how God sees us and how He wants us to see ourselves, other believers and those who will become believers.
The first blessing is how we learn as Christians to see God, see ourselves, see others, see this world and the world to come. We can do what God calls on us to do because we have the proper perspective about life. We understand when He chose us, how He chose us and why He chose us. That perspective makes every day special, every moment important, every opportunity vital.
You are so special! God chose you from before the foundation of the world. He chose you to be holy. He chose you to be without blame before Him in love. Enjoy your life!
(Part Three)
The first blessing Paul mentions in Ephesians is that God chose us in Him "before the foundation of the world." The second blessing Paul mentions is our "adoption." Paul wrote that God "predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." What a blessing! What an eternal joy! God chose us "beforehand" to become His children through spiritual adoption. We were born into this world by flesh into sin. We were dead in tresspasses and sins. We were under the control of the world, the flesh and the devil. However, God knew us from before the foundation of the world and chose us to become His children through legal adoption!
"Having predestinated" speaks of God's "marking out the boundry or limits" (proorizo) of our relationship with Him at sometime in the past (before the foundation of the world). God "predetermined" or "defined beforehand" what our relationship would be with Him. The word was used by ancient Greeks when speaking about the gods determining their destiny in life. It was something determined "beforehand." Some translators have chosen the word "foreordain" to explain the meaning of "predestinated." It is a predetermination about a person's future. God predetermined that He would adopt you as one of His children!
Paul used proorizo in other letters to Christians to help them understand their unique relationship with God.
1 Corinthians 2:7 - "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory."
Romans 8:29-30 - "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Luke used the word in Acts 4:28 - "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." The apostles used the word in the context of the enemies of God gathered together against Him to murder His Son Jesus Christ. It is a reminder that God "predetermined, predestined, foreordained, chose beforehand," that Jesus Christ would die a violent death at the hands of God's enemies.
Paul used the same word when describing the decision God made about you and about me in "predetermining" that we would be adopted as His children. The word "adoption" is huiothesia and means "a placing as a son" and speaks of an adult rather than a minor child. It means the adopted person received all the benefits of a son who had reached the age of "maturity," including full civil status. That status included the position of heirship (heirs with Christ).
Paul was the only writer in the New Testament to use the word huiothesia .
Romans 8:15 - "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Romans 8:23 - "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
Galatians 4:5 - "To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
The word "unto" is the preposition eis and means "with a view to," which speaks of purpose or result of an action. Adoption as adult, mature sons of God was the purpose of His predetermination made as part of His choosing us from before the foundation of the world. How blessed we are!
This adoption as adult sons was "by Jesus Christ to himself." The word dia is a preposition of intermediate agency. Jesus Christ was the intermediary (intermediate agent) between God and you! Sin carved a huge chasm between God and the human race. God is holy, the human race is unholy. People could not approach the Holy God except through an intermediate agent. Paul wrote to Timothy - "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Jesus Christ is God's Only Begotten Son. He alone is worthy to be the permanent and eternal intermediate agent. His death on the cross broke the wall of partition between God and the human race making salvation possible. Our adoption as adult sons was "by Jesus Christ" to God the Father.
This adoption is about the highest and most important relationship any human being can have in this life and the life to come: a personal relationship with their Creator. In Christ's famous prayer just before his arrest, Jesus prayed to His Father - "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou has given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:20-24)
Jesus prayed for all the people who would believe in Him and asked His Father to make them "one in us." The purpose of that relationship of unity was so "the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Christians' personal relationship to God is much bigger and higher than just our salvation. Our relationship with God is a primary way the world sees that the Father sent the Son to save the world. Christ's prayer for the unity relationship goes a step further to include Christians' relationship to each other. "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." The way we support, encourage and treat each other is vitally important in God's plan to reach the lost world for Christ.
Our "adoption as sons" comes with great reward and great responsibility. We have been given the privilege of being numbered among the redeemed from the world's masses. We have direct access to God through Jesus Christ ("Abba, Father"). God listens to our prayers and gives us answers as a Father would an adopted child who has full rights of maturity and heirship. We will have access to God in person when the mortal puts on immortality and we go to be with Him forever in Heaven. That access to our Heavenly Father comes with a big price and responsibility. It cost the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, His blood and His life. Jesus paid the highest price the Son of God could possibly pay to redeem unworthy, lost sinners. He sacrificed His holy life for us. We went from being lifeless and filled with sin to being alive and saved by grace because of the price Christ paid on the cross for us. We have the highest responsiblity to conduct ourselves as sons of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords through humble obedience and grateful service. The world is watching to see whether we are one with God and each other.
God's plan for our relationship with Him through His Son is also from before the foundation of the world. "Father, I will that they also, whom thou has given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." It is difficult for us to comprehend anyone or anything that existed before the foundation of the world. We are so locked into time and space that the thought of God living outside that framework is hard for us to get our minds around. However, the fact remains that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) predetermined before the creation of the world that you and I would receive the many benefits of His Love and Grace. One of the primary benefits is we are allowed to behold the glory of Christ. He wants us to be with Him where He is at the Right Hand of the Almighty God. We now see the glory of Christ in small part because of our mortality, but one day as immortals we will see and experience the complete and outstanding glory of Jesus Christ when we witness His full power and glory in Heaven!
God's predetermined choice to make us adult sons is "according to the good pleasure of his will." What a stunning thought! What God did in choosing us to become adult sons pleased Him. It was "according to" (dominated by) the good pleasure of His will. The words "good pleasure" come from the word eudokian . It has the meaning of "good will, satisfaction, delight, counsel, purpose." This good pleasure comes from God's "will" (thelema ). It is a desire that comes from God's heart and emotions. As God looked into future time and space ("before the foundation of the world") from His eternal throne, He chose us and predetermined our relationship with Him as adult sons. That expression of His grace and mercy was dominated by the delight and good counsel of His loving heart. What a wonderful gift and benefit we have in Christ!
(Part Four)
The first blessing Paul mentions in Ephesians is that God chose us in Him "before the foundation of the world." The second blessing Paul mentions is our "adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." The third blessing is that we were adopted by Christ "to the praise of the glory of his grace." We have a high calling and purpose! There is nothing small or ordinary about Christians. We have been called by the Most High God to the most high purpose: "to the praise of the glory of his grace." That statement in itself is amazing and almost beyond explanation.
"to the praise"
"of the glory"
"of his grace"
God's Grace is what we praise and honor. Christians were adopted as children of God to the praise of the glory of His grace. We spend our lives praising God, applauding God, singing to God and serving God because of the glory (highest opinion and honor) of God's Grace (unmerited favor). There is nothing higher or more important in our life than the high purpose of our calling. We are God's children. We were adopted as His children to be to the praise of the glory of His Grace!
How do we live our lives to the praise of the glory of His grace? We obey Him. That means knowing what He says about every subject of life, every aspect of life, and obey what He says. That means reading the Bible regularly, intently and fervently. That means praying to God regularly, intentently and fervently. That means living the life of Christ before others regularly, intently and fervently. That means sharing Christ with others regularly, intently and fervently.
Think about how excited Christians get at sports events, entertainment events, church events. We shout and applaud and high-five each other and enjoy ourselves thoroughly. Do we have that same high opinion of Christ? Does being a child of God bring out that kind of fervent joy and gladness? If not, why not? What keeps us from enjoying our relationship to the Most High God to a higher degree than our favorite team making a touchdown or getting a home run or hitting another basket or making another goal? Why would we become more excited about hearing our favorite singer or group in concert than hearing from God in prayer or study?
I think about this often. Nothing in this life should make me happier or fill me with more joy than being a child of God. Christians should be "the" happiest people on earth. We have something that everyone wants, even though they don't know it. I didn't know I wanted Christ when I was an atheist. I wanted happiness. I wanted joy. I wanted fulfillment. I wanted satisfaction. I wanted love. I wanted acceptance. I just couldn't find it in anything or anyone. My search for peace in this life was not fulfilled by anything in this life. What I wanted was to be adopted by God. I wanted His love, His grace, His acceptance. I wanted to belong to Him. I just didn't know it until He found me and wooed me and saved me and cleansed me and taught me about His Grace. That's when my applause began. That's when I shouted for joy. That's when I cried with tears of thanksgiving. That's when I knew I belonged. That's when I knew my life had begun. That's when I knew life had meaning. I was a child of God. We are children of God "to the praise of the glory of his grace."
(Part Five)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:3-14
The first blessing Paul mentions in Ephesians is that God chose us in Him "before the foundation of the world." The second blessing Paul mentions is our "adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." The third blessing is that we were adopted by Christ "to the praise of the glory of his grace." The fourth blessing is "wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." What an amazing statement! God has made us accepted in the beloved. Some key words to understand in the context: "wherein, accepted, beloved."
"wherein"
Where is the "wherein"? The words just before "wherein" are tes charitos autou - "of the grace of him." The word "wherein" refers to "the grace of him." That's where we have all the blessings of God - in His Grace. Understanding, accepting and rejoicing in the unmerited favor of God is everything in a Christian's life. We have all good things because of God's Grace.
"made us accepted"
The Greek is echaritosen. It comes from the root word charis and means "compassed with favor, honored with blessings." We are surrounded by God's Grace and honored with great blessings! We do not live in a vacumn. We do not accept Christ as Lord and Savior, receive His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, then walk away to spend the rest of our life alone waiting for rapture or death. We spend every minute of our lives "in" God's Grace; we are blessed with its abundance of blessings and protection! God freely bestowed on us His great blessings; He favored us and made us accepted. God's Grace is active! His Grace acts upon us and in the process we are accepted.
What does it mean to be accepted? The act of accepting is not ours to do. We don't accept ourselves. We may want to be accepted into a club or school or organization, but it is the choice of the head of the club, school or organization to accept us and make us members. Salvation, the forgiveness of sins cleansing from all iniquity and the gift of eternal life, is for God to give. It is not in the power of anyone else to grant it. God and only God is the creator of life and He alone is the one to give eternal life. God could have come up with any rule or regulation necessary for humans to be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. Anything God would have come up with would have been right for Him to do. He could have made us climb the highest mountains on our bleeding hands and knees for 40 years to be forgiven. He could have made us fight a thousand trained fighters and win every battle to be forgiven. He could have made us undergo the same kind of torture dealt to Jesus over and over throughout our life to be forgiven. God could have done anything He wanted to us, but what God did was love us and surround us with His Grace. That is what Grace means: we don't deserve it, we can't earn it, we can't buy it, it is a free gift from God.
Paul writes that we are accepted "in the beloved." What or Who is that?
"in the beloved"
The Greek is en toi egapemenoi. It is the perfect passive participle of agapao (love) and is used only here in the New Testament. It means an action completed in the past with results still affecting the present. "Beloved" is locative of sphere, which means God made us accepted by His Grace in the sphere of His Son.
Jesus Christ is the Beloved of God! God "accepts" us in His Beloved. We do not have to do anything for God to receive His acceptance. We do things for God because of His acceptance. How blessed we are that the Almighty God of Heaven has accepted us in Christ, His Beloved!