Ephesians 1: 9 – 14 NLT
“God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”
Our faith isn’t just to help us survive another day, or live in some pleasing, kind way. God has some amazing plans for this world, and you are part of that plan.
In the beginning, we know that God chose the nation of Israel to bring his name and honour to the world. We read the beginning of that nation in Genesis 12: 1 – 3: “The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
Throughout the Old Testament, we read various prophesies about the coming of the Messiah. The verses in Isaiah 9: 6 – 7 are an example of those prophesies.:
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
That prophesy tells us that Jesus is not just a helpless baby, but God himself. And it hints at another time for this world. Jesus will return again, and do what Paul says in today’s verses. “God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.” If you read the last three chapters of Revelation, you will get an idea of what that time will be like.
“And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” Another reason to praise God. He has given us the Holy Spirit which lives in us every moment of day and night. Romans 8 is one of my most favourite passages of scripture. In that chapter, we are told that the Holy Spirit prays for us when we can’t find the right words or even the right reasons to pray.
Once again, we have reasons to praise God. God has plans and they will happen. We are part of those plans, and he is with us every moment to help us be strong.
Our song for today is Same Power by Jeremy Camp.