Sunday 03:27:11

Being “in Christ” forever changes your identity, your direction, and your destiny. Your identity has a lot to do with what you’re about. What you’re focus is. Where you spend your time and energy. Where your passion is. The scriptures and the Holy Spirit are always reading our intentions – what we’re about. The scriptures are really clear – all of us, all our existence, all the creation – it’s all for Him. It’s not about us. If you are “in Christ,” then you are coming to understand that you are intended to be for the glory of God. You are people for His glory. Short story – all of mankind sinned and was alienated from God. We all refused God’s authority over us. When you refuse authority to a government over you, it is treason. We were all guilty of treason – which in all cultures in all times brings the death penalty. We had all tread on God’s authority. But even before that, God had planned to rescue men and women from their sins by sending his son to absorb the punishment for their sins. It didn’t end there, he also intended to show them such love, and to put His Spirit in them to give them power so that they became what he intended all along – people of love, holiness, kindness – to be like their creator. Ephesians 1:1-14 The theme of the passage is saturated with the majesty and grace of God toward his people. v. 3 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. vv. 3-14 can be broken into three sections, each ending with a call to praise God. v. 6 – to the praise of his glorious grace v. 12 – for the praise of his glory v. 14 – to the praise of his glory Because of Who God is and what He has done for us, He is worthy of our praise. v. 3 - He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ. The passage is so rich in describing what God has done, it is almost overwhelming. John Calvin said the passage is intended to rouse believers’ hearts to thankfulness, “to set them all on flame.” The idea is that all of these blessings are because or our position “in Christ” – the term is used 12 times in these first 14 verses. v. 4 - He chose us to be holy and blameless. Before the creation – He chose us to be holy and blameless. He intended to bring holiness to us before we were looking for it. Want to know God’s will for you? It has always been for you to be holy and blameless. He desires for you to be holy – like he is. He sent his Son so that to deal with your sin, and your alienation from God. We are to walk in what He has done for us. v. 5 - He predestined us to be adopted as his sons. Somehow in God’s plan, in His magnificent love, He decided to bring people who were enemies of his into His family. Being God’s sons means because of our new birth, we have a new relationship with God. We were enemies, now, God is our Father. We have the privileges of being God’s sons – he hears, provides, listens, cares, and has an inheritance for us with Jesus Christ. v. 7 - In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. “Redemption” refers to freedom that is attained for a slave or prisoner of war by payment of a ransom. The price for our freedom was the blood of Christ. Jesus Christ is the hero of the scriptures –the hero of all time. He gave his perfect life for the life of sinners. He traded his righteousness for our punishment. For everyone who is “in him,” he has changed their identity, direction and destiny forever. It’s all about him. We are people for His glory.