PLEASE READ THE SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY:  EPHESIANS 1:1-11

I heard about a funny cartoon in the paper that showed a pompous lawyer reading the last will and testament of one of his clients to a group of the client's greedy relatives.  The caption of the cartoon read: "I, John Jones, being of sound mind and body, spent it all!"
Well, when it comes to Jesus, he made it possible that you and I could share in all of his riches.  He didn't waste his life by spending all his riches on himself, he paid it all on the cross for us!!!  The Apostle Paul writes in this first chapter of Ephesians a few way that we have been blessed by God The Father and God The Son!

He chose us.  He sought us out.  The words of Philips, Craig, and Dean many years ago ring true: "Mercy came running like a prisoner set free, past all my failures to the point of my need. When the sin that I carried was all I could see - When I could not reach mercy - Mercy came runnin' to me!"  This isn't a declaration that Christ only died for a few. The fact is that he died for the sins of the world that all would would come to repentence.  God's will from the time he created us has been that we would come to Him and serve Him forever.  It's his gracious choice and our free will to say "Yes!" to the Lord.  Praise God that He sent His son, Jesus, and that He came running after us with amazing love!

He adopted us. We are part of God's family.  There is no "outside looking in" position with God.  When we accept Christ as Savior we are now heirs to the whole thing!  Some feel that life has given them some hard knocks and some unfair circumtances.  Some have been rejected by others and feel alone or treated as an outcast.  The good news of Jesus Christ's redemption in us is that you are royalty in Jesus Christ.  There is nothing to live in regret over here on earth, because our inheritance will cancel out all of the hurt, pain, injustice, inequity, loss - and all of the rest!

He accepts us. The best of the best of people here on earth trying to be righteous on their own are nowhere near the standard of a Holy God.  We can't make ourselves acceptable to Him.  However, it is by the grace of Jesus Christ that we take on a position that the devil nor any powers on earth can take away from us.  We stand accepted and marked as the Lord's very own.

He has forgiven us. Christ's atoning death wasn't just so we would be acceptable to God, but it goes beyond our standing with Him.  He has forgiven in such a way that the stain is gone. When we put our sins under the blood of Jesus it is washed away from God's memory.  We stand unashamed, because of the unending and deep grace of Christ which sets us free!  We are forgiven!

He has revealed the will of God to us.  Jesus brought us near to be able to understand the entire plan that God has for us and for the world.  Jesus made a way for us to see clearly.  That is why we sing songs that say, "Tho I was blinded, now I see! -And it's all because of God's amazing grace!"  We are able to see what the Father is doing and has done.  The scales that fell from Saul's eyes are much like the spiritual scales that fall off when we meet Jesus.  We have seen God's glory in Jesus Christ!

We are an inheritance.  Wait. We are?  Yes.  God loves us so much that he considers us that valuable.  He paid such a high price to make us part of His ineritance.  The church is the body of and bride of Christ and Oh how He loves us!

We are blessed! Amen.

Thoughts/Questions:
-Have you been struggling with feelings and thoughts of being "less-than"?  How does this Scripture speak to those thoughts?
-Have you given thanks to God lately for all that He has given to you and all of the hope you have in Him?

Give Him Praise!


-Pastor Russ

Reference Materials Used:  The Holy Bible (NASB), The Wesleyan Commentary, Bible Exposition Commentary (Be Series) - Warren Weirsbe.