Guaranteed!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Everyone likes a guarantee!
Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Giving a deposit is a common business practice. If you are wanting to rent a beach condo for a week, to secure your reservation, you will have to put down a deposit, which is a portion of the whole amount you eventually will pay. I’ve bought used cars and when I go look at a car, I take a $100 to give the person if I am serious about buying the car so he knows I will come back and give him the rest of the purchase price.
A deposit secures a future reality.
A deposit is a portion of the full, not the total experience.
A deposit is an expression of commitment to follow through on the rest of what was promised.
So, to wrap up this week of devotions, here is another gift of God’s grace that he gives to us to give us certainty of what is to come. He gives us the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.
How so?
Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” The power to believe comes through the power of the Word. What the Word calls us to do (Believe!), it also carries the power of the Spirit to do! So whenever a person says, “Jesus is my Savior and Lord,” this is evidence of the power of the Spirit at work. 1 Corinthians 12:3 says, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
The moment God works faith in your heart, you are given the Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing the inheritance to come.
To be sure, the Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift. He gives us those insights into the word of God, the will of God and the work of God. He opens our mind to understand the mystery of God’s will as it came to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He makes spiritually confusing things spiritually edifying. Maybe most importantly, he shifts our whole heart, mind and actions from love of self to love of God. He keeps our eyes pointed forward to heaven where our eternal home is, not fixated on the things of this world that are temporary and fleeting.
Yet what we experience today is a shadow of the full inheritance that we have in store for us in heaven. It’s hard to even imagine what it will be like to enjoy all the richness of God’s presence and the glory of heaven, but the glimpses we see and feel today are only to make us long for the fullness of what the Deposit has guaranteed to us.
It’s coming. When God gives a deposit, he is not kidding around or giving himself a way to pull out of the deal. He gives a deposit. He guarantees what is to come. We can stop our spiritual shopping. We can stop looking for a better eternal deal. We can let go of any worry or anxiety about the future because we have God’s Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.
And when God gives a deposit, he will certainly, by his grace, pay out our inheritance in full!
Apply: What peace does it give you that God has given you his Holy Spirit and GUARANTEES you the inheritance of heaven?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace that chose me, called me and gave me the deposit of your Holy Spirit to secure as a gift of grace the inheritance you have promised to me. AMEN.
Happy Fourth of July…and…
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
To be sure, God has shown his blessing to the United States over the 248 years of its history. In spite of its faults, we still are privileged to live in one of the greatest countries in the world. So today is a day to reflect on the blessings we have enjoyed and continue to enjoy as citizens of these United States.
Perhaps today also brings some questions of concern as you look at the leadership and potential leadership of our country. Perhaps we have concerns over policy that moves us away from a basis of Christian morals and biblical virtues. Maybe we wring our hands because we don’t have enough Chrisitians in political offices and the ones that are there are not doing enough to make us a Christian nation and legislate more Christian laws. Maybe with the election of our next president looming just four months away, there is concern over what the leadership at the top is going to be like.
As we enjoy family and friends, burgers and beers, watermelon and time in the water, we may have a subtle unrest that is lurking in our hearts over the current and future state of our country.
I do too. But it is far less than it was. Here’s why.
Ephesians 1:19-23 That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
By God’s grace, he has made me part of his church, his people, chosen in eternity, called by grace through the power of the Gospel. As a member of His church, this passage says there is one in charge that is “far above all rule, authority, power and dominion and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age, but in the one to come.” What does that mean? No leader, even the President of the United States, has more power than the Lord Jesus and the name he bears. The tombs of past presidents are filled and there will be more in the future, but the tomb of Jesus is empty! With the work of salvation completed, God appointed Jesus to be head over EVERYTHING FOR the CHURCH!
That means that Christ is head over the United States, even if the president or elected officials don’t acknowledge it. It doesn’t mean that he is the President or that we need to have the Bible replace the constitution. It just means Christ is in charge of every country, every leader, everything. What does that mean?
He is working all things for the benefit of the Church, his people. Perhaps at times it is hard to see how that is happening, but this is the peace we get to carry in our hearts. No matter the outcome of the election, Supreme Court rulings, legislation or regulations, Jesus is still head over all. He loves you. He loves his church. Kingdoms will rise and fall, but Christ and his church stand forever.
So, this Fourth of July, celebrate the many blessings you are enjoying from God in this country. Resolved to be an involved citizen of your country, your state, your city. Use the vote you get and the influence you have to bring positive, godly change to our communities. But always let your heart be confident that the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that is greater than any politician and any country is at work to orchestrate all things for your blessing as a chosen, loved member of God’s Church!
Apply: What blessings are you thankful for this Fourth of July? What changes in your heart when you know Jesus is head over all and ruling over all?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for all the blessings you have allowed your people to enjoy in these United States for the past 248 years. In your mercy we ask your grace to continue to be evident in our land. May we leverage the freedoms we have to be bold proclaimers of your Gospel of grace so that many more might enjoy being part of your kingdom now and forever. AMEN.
Do you like to solve a mystery?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Ephesians 1:7 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[d] 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.
Are you one that likes a good mystery novel? Or a movie that keeps you in suspense? It has been a long time since I read a mystery book, but I remember in grade school reading almost every Encyclopedia Brown and Hardy Boys books I could get my hands on. Both were intriguing as suspicious activity and events led to gathering clues to try and solve the mystery. It was always fun to try to guess the outcome of the mystery or to try and solve it before the book ended, or to see if you were right by the end of the book.
If the author would leave the mystery unsolved, it would be a very unsatisfying read or movie. We find satisfaction in having the mystery revealed and solved.
The Apostle Paul shares that one of the blessings of being chosen by God is he makes known to us the mystery of his will.
Have you ever wondered why parts of Christianity and the Bible’s teaching confuse people? Perhaps this gives an answer. To some extent it is a mystery. You are not going to solve the mystery on your own, you need God to reveal it to you.
Here’s a couple examples.
Mystery 1: I am a spiritual being and desire a connection with the divine. Who is that divine? People can seek God in nature and know him in part. People can try to logically explain God until things become illogical. People can try to scientifically reason God or reason against God because not all of God is observable. People can just give up on the pursuit of knowing the true God and “solve” the mystery for themselves and create God as they want him to be. But until we are connected to Christ through the Word of Truth does the mystery of God and his will begin to unfold. When the Spirit of God works understanding in our hearts, only then do we begin to see God as he really is and be content with the things we don’t fully understand. The wisdom of God sounds like foolishness, but it all makes sense when God reveals himself to his chosen ones.
Mystery 2: When I do wrong things, I feel guilty and want to “get right with God.” The mystery seems easily solvable by putting together a string of good effort and good works and meeting a self-imposed standard that we feel is better than most, or at least good enough to get God’s attention. We can try to solve this mystery by comparing ourselves to others and feeling like we are good with God because we are better than most. The problem with these proposed answers to this mystery, is it leaves a gap that leaves the mystery unsolved. There will always be the question, “Did I really do enough.” This mystery is solved when God reveals to us his incredible love that sent Jesus to solve the problem of sin. Look above at the verse again. “In him (Christ), we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God’s grace which he lavished on us.” Finally the mystery becomes all too clear. It is solved in the grace of God, not the works of man.
The wonderful thing is that God chose you to reveal these amazing truths to. He wants you to know his will. It’s like he leans in from heaven through the pages of Scripture and whispers in your ear, “Hey I have a secret for you…I want you to understand both the mystery of my will and the profound eternal impact it has on you.”
This revelation to us is also a manifest gift of grace, just like being chosen is.
Apply: What impact does knowing the mystery of God’s will have for you in your life today? That is, what importance do you find in knowing the true God and knowing his plan to save you through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the gift of grace that revealed to us the mystery of your person and your will so we could have certainty and not confusion in our relationship with you. AMEN.
Why did God choose you?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Ephesians 1:3-4 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.
God chose us.
We have all experienced being chosen. When you are selected for the kickball team or the promotion at work there is a sense of joy and satisfaction. However, most of the “choosing” we have experienced is probably based on some performance factor determined by the one choosing. If you are chosen for the sports team, it’s probably because you have skills in that sport. If you are chosen for a job, it is probably because your experience and skill set are a good match for the new position.
So it would be easy to transfer this human experience of being chosen to God’s decision to choose us. In fact, many have tried to understand God’s choosing based on his foreknowledge of what he knew would happen…i.e. He chose us because he knew we would believe or he chose us because he knew we would have strong works of faith.
This then makes the teaching of election or predestination a teaching of personal effort that warrants the choosing of God and the mercy of God.
This is a deviant lie of Satan and satisfies the sinful pride of our hearts that wants to claim in some way the mercy of God is based on our merit.
The fact that God would choose us is one of the strongest testimonies to his grace the Bible proclaims. It leads us to marvel that we were in the mind of God before the creation of the world and he orchestrated an amazing plan in time to communicate to our hearts the message of the Gospel and work faith in our heart to believe it. This fact of being chosen by God is simply a strong testimony to the love of God that would want us to be part of his family…apart from and in spite of our sinful performance we exhibit each and every day.
How could he do this?
Because his choosing of us was done “in him” not “in us.” He chose us IN HIM….to be holy and blameless. Who is the “him”? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of all. God in eternity had planned the saving work of Jesus and orchestrated the connection of that work to our hearts. Only because Jesus lived, died and rose again could God’s choosing be possible. Only through Jesus does any sinner, including you and me, have any ability to carry the status of “holy and blameless” in the sight of God.
Here’s an excerpt from an article written by John Piper, a baptist pastor who also is Calvinist (and not always congruent with the Bible’s teaching on predestination, but I thought this was well worded:
- Therefore, the basis of God choosing you is not in you, but in grace.
Take God’s Old Testament people Israel, for example. Why did God set his favor on Israel above all the peoples of the earth? What was the basis of God’s calling them “my chosen” (Isaiah 45:4)? Here’s Moses’s answer:
The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers. (Deuteronomy 7:6–8)
This is amazing: “The Lord set his love on you and chose you . . . because the Lord loves you.” He loves you because he loves you! That’s the deepest, and ultimate, basis of God’s choosing Israel.
Paul underlines the wonder. Why was Jacob, the father of the nation of Israel, chosen over his twin brother Esau? Paul answers, “Though they were not yet born, and had done nothing either good or bad — in order that God’s purpose to choose might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls — their mother was told, ‘The older will serve the younger’” (Romans 9:11–12).
And the principle holds today. Paul would say, “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5). So it is with every true Christian. Behind our believing — behind our coming to Jesus — is grace alone. There is no ground for our being chosen beneath the all-wise and incomprehensible love of God. Oh, the vastness of the repercussions of this unfathomable truth! 1
Enjoy the status of being chosen…knowing the simple reason you were chosen is because God loves you!
Apply: Think of a time you were chosen. How did you feel? Was it based on your performance or simply because the person wanted you? How does it feel to be chosen by God?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for your profound grace and mercy that would choose me to be holy and blameless in your sight through Jesus, my Savior. AMEN.
- https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/ten-reasons-to-revel-in-being-chosen
Who are you?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
The question of “who are you” perhaps is one that people of all eras, nationalities and culture have asked at some point in history. In America, in recent years, the question of identity has become more pronounced as heated discussions can ensue around gender identity, racial identity or political identity. While individuals have to answer this for themselves, we find ourselves having identity imposed on us as individuals are lumped into groups, or suggestions are given that might lead someone to question their identity.
So where do you find your identity? What shapes your answer to “Who are you?” Rightly so, there are many factors that come by nature or nurture that may come into play in answering this question, but in the end who gets the final say in your mind as to who you believe you are?
Will it be someone from your childhood that said you would never amount to anything?
Will it be a teacher who believed you had unlimited potential?
Will it be the media that puts your demographic in a lump sized identity?
Will it be your first boss who fired you for underperforming?
Many voices and situations can cause us to question our identity or make us overconfident in our identity.
I appreciate art and literature, but there was always something frustrating about studying both. Often the professor would ask, “What do you think the artist was trying to convey?” or “What was the author trying to communicate?” As we went around the class, there were as many opinions as there were students. Inside I was thinking, “The only way we are going to know for sure is to ask the artist or read what the artist wrote about his piece of art or what the author intended to communicate.”
While identity can be a fluid thing in our society, why don’t we just ask the one who made us? Why don’t we ask the Creator of the universe what our identity is to be and the purpose for which he made us?
When I understand it straight from the one who formed me and died on the cross for me, I have a much more stable sense of self and identity than any news pundit, well-meaning parent, or bottom-line driven boss. I will have a deep sense of who I am which then will communicate what I am to do. Identity informs our activity.
The book of Ephesians is written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the Apostle Paul. He was one who was finding his identity in his religious effort and zeal to eliminate followers of Christ until Christ himself changed his heart and perspective and gave him not just a task, but a new identity that was wrapped in the grace of God and the peace he had through Jesus Christ. It gave him a new perspective on the people to whom he wrote as he saw them as saints and faithful believers in Jesus. Like Jesus no longer saw him as the identity of sinner, he saw them as Jesus saw him, “a saint.”
As we journey through the book of Ephesians, I pray that we begin to see all that God has done for us to create in us an identity that settles our soul with a peace only Jesus can give and is lavished in the grace that God loves to give.
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Apply: When you consider the question, “Who am I?” what answer do you give and what has influenced that answer?
Prayer: Thank you for loving me to call me your child and give me an identity and purpose that is rooted in you! AMEN.