Installment #2 in our study of the new Christian walk takes us a step further into the book of Ephesians. As we discuss the following passage, feel free to add your thoughts to make this more of a discussion than a lecture (and not the most informed one at that!). I'll do my best to make sense of this for myself as well as my readers.
Eph 1:5-10 (NIV)
[In love] he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
What I'm understanding this passage to say is that God created us with the goal of us being adopted into his family. Have you ever seen a foster child who loved their foster parents so much that they asked to be adopted into that family? That's the picture here with God. He was our "foster dad" until we decided we wanted to be in his family forever. As a matter of fact, his will for us is to want to be in his eternal family so much that we make that life-changing decision. That's why he sent "the One he loves," Jesus, to die in our place for our sins and to rise from the grave, defeating death and giving us everlasting life with him! That's the best news ever!
The blood of Jesus has redeemed us, or brought us into relationship with God the Father. The blood of Jesus has been shed for the forgiveness of our sins. The blood of Jesus gives us the grace that we don't deserve, yet spares us from the punishment we do deserve. That's called mercy and I'm glad God is kind enough to give it to us. That's all part of the mystery of his will. I don't honestly have a clue why he loves us as much as he does. We don't deserve it. We do things to deny his love all the time. We deny his love by the way we treat non-Christians, the way we treat Christians, and even the way we treat ourselves.
Before I get off track, I'll close this section by saying that all this has been put into place as part of God's great plan "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." Someday this will all make perfect sense!
Peace, Love, and Chocolate
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