In Him!!!!!!!!!!
Reflection: While most of Paul’s letters to the churches he helped plant were
directed at correction or some issue whether it be doctrine or lifestyle of the
new Christians, the book of Ephesians has a different tone to it. Some have called it Paul’s church manual
where he reveals the nature and mystery of the Bride of Christ, the Church, and
its role in bringing about God’s purposes.
In chapter one, Paul gives us a glimpse of the calling and role of each
believer and how this has been predestined through Christ before time. He states:
Praise for
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of
the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he
predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the
One he loves. 7 In
him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on
us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us
the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in
Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their
fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
What you
will notice here is that all of the action begins and ends with God’s work through
Jesus Christ. Notice the statement we
have blessed in the heavenly realms with “every
spiritual blessing in Christ!”
In short, God has given it all to us as His sons and daughters through
Christ, and what He did for us on the cross.
Notice it says which He has given us “freely”. It is God’s
nature to freely give, not under obligation. When it came to us, He freely gave
it all in Christ.
And we also
see the importance of the short phrase “In
Him”, which we will see many times in Ephesians. The point is it is in only
“in Jesus” that God’s will and pleasure is accomplished. God the Father is pleased to give us everything
through God the Son! A lot of our
challenge in life is wondering will there be enough for me? Do I have enough, can I produce enough, am I
good enough? And today the Father is telling
us that we have been adopted as God’s sons and daughters, and through Jesus we
have everything we need. We have everything we need to be and also do what God
has called us to do on earth until He takes us home and we obtain our full
inheritance as God’s children.
Is that Good
News for you? I hope so and I hope you can start your week remembering who you
are and that your identity is “In Him”!!
Psalm 80:1-7
1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
4 How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
7 Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
Isaiah 14
14 The Lord
will have compassion on Jacob;
once again he will choose Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
and bring them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations
and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
and rule over their oppressors.
once again he will choose Israel
and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
2 Nations will take them
and bring them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations
and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
and rule over their oppressors.
3 On the day the Lord gives you
relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, 4 you
will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
How the
oppressor has come to an end!
How his fury has ended!
5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples
with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
with relentless aggression.
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;
they break into singing.
8 Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.”
How his fury has ended!
5 The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,
the scepter of the rulers,
6 which in anger struck down peoples
with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
with relentless aggression.
7 All the lands are at rest and at peace;
they break into singing.
8 Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
no one comes to cut us down.”
9 The realm of the dead below is
all astir
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.”
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms cover you.
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.
10 They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.”
11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms cover you.
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness,
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?”
they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a wilderness,
who overthrew its cities
and would not let his captives go home?”
18 All the kings of the nations lie
in state,
each in his own tomb.
19 But you are cast out of your tomb
like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,
with those pierced by the sword,
those who descend to the stones of the pit.
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20 you will not join them in burial,
for you have destroyed your land
and killed your people.
each in his own tomb.
19 But you are cast out of your tomb
like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,
with those pierced by the sword,
those who descend to the stones of the pit.
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
20 you will not join them in burial,
for you have destroyed your land
and killed your people.
Let the
offspring of the wicked
never be mentioned again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children
for the sins of their ancestors;
they are not to rise to inherit the land
and cover the earth with their cities.
never be mentioned again.
21 Prepare a place to slaughter his children
for the sins of their ancestors;
they are not to rise to inherit the land
and cover the earth with their cities.
22 “I will rise up against them,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors,
her offspring and descendants,”
declares the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place for owls
and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors,
her offspring and descendants,”
declares the Lord.
23 “I will turn her into a place for owls
and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
24 The Lord Almighty has sworn,
“Surely, as
I have planned, so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will happen.
25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke will be taken from my people,
and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
and as I have purposed, so it will happen.
25 I will crush the Assyrian in my land;
on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke will be taken from my people,
and his burden removed from their shoulders.”
26 This is the plan determined for
the whole world;
this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
this is the hand stretched out over all nations.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
A Prophecy
Against the Philistines
28 This prophecy came in the year
King Ahaz died:
29 Do not rejoice, all you
Philistines,
that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,
its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
and the needy will lie down in safety.
But your root I will destroy by famine;
it will slay your survivors.
that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,
its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.
30 The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
and the needy will lie down in safety.
But your root I will destroy by famine;
it will slay your survivors.
31 Wail, you gate! Howl, you city!
Melt away, all you Philistines!
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,
and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
32 What answer shall be given
to the envoys of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,
and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”
Melt away, all you Philistines!
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,
and there is not a straggler in its ranks.
32 What answer shall be given
to the envoys of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,
and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”
Ephesians 1:1-10
1 Paul,
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s
holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise for
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every
spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before
the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he
predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with
the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all
wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of
his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to
be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all
things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
I will save you that you may become a blessing. Zechariah 8:13 (NASB)
Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called – that you might inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9
Lord of the covenant, we rise this day to be the blessing you call us to be. We rise this day to love the unlovable and lift up the broken hearted. Grant us courage and wisdom in these tender and meaningful tasks. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment