Ah, well, nevertheless, I did do some catching up yesterday, and realized that the MacArthur Daily Bible started selections from Ephesians on Sunday. We'll have one more day - tomorrow - reading Ephesians, and then go on to start Philippians on Saturday.
But reading Ephesians 1 and 2 yesterday was just so uplifting to me that I thought I'd share some thoughts with you about the wonderful, incredible grace of God and His infinite and perfect love for His children... (and as I'm writing down there below the fold, I realize that the first three paragraphs of Ephesians are so awesome, that I probably won't go past them today!)
For those who care, today's selected readings are Isaiah 59 and 60, Psalm 115:1-8, Proverbs 26:23, and Ephesians 5:17-33. Actually, Isaiah has had a LOT of great things the past several chapters, so I might also post about some excerpts from this great prophet of God's Word...
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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
After Paul opens the letter with his typical greeting of grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, he begins with this wonderful paragraph. Look at these wonderful things God reveals to us through Paul!
God the Father has blessed His children with EVERY spiritual blessing. Do you know what that means? First of all, God has given us the spiritual blessing of new life. Before we believed in Christ, we were dead in our sin. We were unable to respond to Him, we had no interest in Him, and, in fact, we were hostile to all the goodness and beauty of His righteousness. But God gave us NEW LIFE! We are now alive in Him and should reckon ourselves dead to sin, but the eternal life that God has planted in us, His Holy Spirit, is a wellspring of purity and power and joy that will be with us forever!
Secondly, God has also given us spiritual blessings of understanding. Because the Spirit dwells within us, we can now come to God's Word, and the Spirit will reveal God's character and will to those who read the Bible carefully, soberly, and prayerfully. The Bible is no longer just a "great book," or a "collection of myths" - No! - God opens the pages of His Word to us so that He may teach us, rebuke us, guide us, and show us how very much He loves us. The thought of God our Creator, God the Almighty, God the Everlasting, God the Living and True God, humbling Himself to sit with me and teach me - stubborn and rebellious though I still am - is astounding and awe-inspiring!
Now, look at what Paul says next: "... He chose us in Him [Jesus] before the foundation of the world..."! From before God even began to create the world, He knew us and chose us. For some wonderful and mystifying reason, known only to Him, God created me for Himself! Each person in God's family was included in the Lamb's Book of Life before Adam and Eve ever sinned. God is omniscient and knows the end from the beginning; His hand moulds history and He accomplishes all His will upon us. So the incredible grace and love He shows in choosing us, even knowing our sins past present and future, and having His Son die on our behalf when we could do nothing to deserve or earn that gift... How marvelous is His love and grace!
Finally, look at how Paul ends this paragraph: "... He made us accepted in the Beloved." "Beloved," of course, refers to His Son, Jesus. Jesus Himself stands in Heaven, forever offering intercession for us before His Father, perfectly and righteously. Since we are in Him, clothed in Him and redeemed by Him, we too are accepted and beloved. Remember, the Church is the Bride of Christ, whom He loves and for whom He sacrificed Himself. And so, when God revives our spirits and we place our faith in the salvation offered through His Son, God welcomes us into His family. We are placed into His kingdom and are eternally accepted by Him!
Wow... And that's just the first paragraph!
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Now Paul lists what God has done for us through His Son - but look at how God does this: "... according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us..." God is not stingy! Because He created everything, He owns all things - and is the source for all strength and love and patience and courage and joy and endurance (and so many other things!) as well. God is all sufficient, and His hand will withhold nothing from us that He knows we need. Sometimes we need discipline - and what good Father fails to lovingly discipline His children for their good? Sometimes we need hardship - for how else could we learn patience and endurance and how to rely on Him in everything? Sometimes we need loneliness - if only to learn that He is always with us and will never leave us...
But when you really step back and look at your life, think more on all the "good stuff" He lavishes upon us: our very lives, the beauty and majesty of this earth He created, the glory of the stars and planets at night, the opportunity to love and learn, and the blessing of His salvation.
Paul emphasizes God's sovereign power in this paragraph: it's obvious that this is all God's work, and that it is His sovereign choice to use us for His glory. He mapped out a purpose for each of His children, a plan for their life, and He will weave it all into an infinitely beautiful tapestry of love and holiness and righteousness. In His wisdom and kindness, God chose us to be inheritors with His beloved Son, and when He finally wraps up history, we will be able to take all the wondrous love and blessings and gifts He has showered upon us, and return them to Him in perfect worship.
Heaven will be a place where the love and glory and giving and joy will never end: it will be an endless circle, forever feeding back upon itself and growing more and more beautiful throughout eternity...
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
I love this. I absolutely love this! When I'm down in the dumps, and feeling like God couldn't possibly have any more patience with me, I remember that I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit. God has given me the guarantee of Himself, living within me!
I do not have the words to describe the importance of this and the security it gives me. I know - I KNOW - I screw up on a regular basis. I know that there are things in my life that God hates and wants me to forsake... And yet, at the same time, He is still there, convicting me and calling me to His Cross for forgiveness and restoration. He doesn't condemn me and push me away, as Satan would. He calls me, again and again, with His love and compassion. His Spirit within me nurtures my feeble desire to be holy, and reminds me that I don't have to do it in my power, but in His.
The Living God is the God of second chances - the God of endless chances - each day of my life. Each morning is brand new, each day offers many opportunities to love Him more and serve Him better.
God has me in His hand, and no one can take me out of His grasp... Not even me!
So, all I can do is sing the praise of my Lord and Savior, in humble gratitude for His abundant grace and mercy:
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
I like finding conservatives and seeing the MacArthur Study Bible cuaght my attention!
Posted by: Ryan | October 05, 2007 at 09:33 AM
Kat, You are reading the Word with the open eyes of your heart. Well done.
In Dec 1992 in my daily Bible reading Isaiah 59-21 jumped out at me. I took it as a personal covenant. I still do. It keeps me going.
Posted by: James Atticus Bowden | October 05, 2007 at 11:56 AM
Jim, I thank you so much for your encouragement - and Isaiah 59:21 is a beautiful verse, and a wonderful promise:
Thank you so much for your godly support!
And Ryan, I'm glad that you found me - I hope and pray that this post was edifying for you! Come back anytime and let me know what you think.
-- Kat
Posted by: Kat | October 05, 2007 at 12:03 PM