Salt & Light Blog

Adoption: What it Means for Believers

10/24/2015

1 Peter 1:3-5 on photo by Donna Campbell

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

I know that we just did a devotional dedicated to being sons and daughters of God, but I was going through my friend’s Facebook notes and wanted to share this from my dear friend, author Andrea Barringer.[1] (Bible Verses are added to the note by me).
Adoption
This morning I was thinking about adoption. It's something that has been on my heart since I was a child. It's not the kid's fault that they were born into a situation where their original parents couldn't support them due to any number of circumstances. Why should the child suffer the consequences? Don't they disserve love as well? Thankfully, Jim also supports the idea of adoption and it may be something we do later on in life when our daughter is in college.

That idea made me start thinking. If I adopt that means every blessing that I bestow on my own child/children has to be the same for my adoptive child. For example, if Jim and I have a will in which we would leave our earthly possessions to our daughter we would also have to include our adoptive child into that will. If you didn't do that, it would show that perhaps you didn't truly treat them like your own child. Likewise, you wouldn't introduce your adoptive child as "This is _____ my adopted kid". You would introduce them as "This is my child, ______".

When you adopt you are saying with your heart, soul and mind that the child is yours. Fully yours. And just as when you wish to adopt a child the child also has to accept the offer. You can't storm into a place and say to a kid "I'm adopting you whether you like it or not". That wouldn't be very loving, now would it?

This may all sound like commonsense.

Of course all of this made me think of the FACT that I have been adopted into God's family. Galatians 4:1-5 says,
“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
God paid the price of adoption and truly accepts me as one of His own. My name is written in the book of life (that will). With my name being on that book of life I am granted eternal life with Him in heaven. (Luke 10:20, Revelation 20:15). I get His love, grace, mercy, etc. But as I said earlier, with every adoption the kid has to make a decision, whether to accept it or not.

God offers salvation and a true relationship with Him as our heavenly Father, but we have to accept it. If not, we just don't get those gifts. We don't get to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. John 1:9-13 reads.
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

And, as with most huge families there WILL be a huge family reunion. If you have lost someone recently like a child, parent, spouse, or grandparent I know you are hurting. But just as when we buy our plane ticket to go to a much anticipated epic family reunion we will get to do the same once we are in heaven as long as those loved ones were adopted into God's family. We WILL get that epic family reunion in heaven. There are a lot of people that I miss, mainly my Abuela (grandma). I know I'll see her again, for she too, was adopted into God's family.

It's comforting to know that God's love for us is real. It's wide. It knows no depths. I am thankful for His love for me.

[1] You can find Andrea’s book Into the Trenches on Amazon at http://goo.gl/2XHZov

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Psalm 61 Jesus is Our Rock and Salvation

7/21/2015

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Psalm 61

David wrote so many beautiful Psalms, songs, and poems to the Lord and many of them were prophetic. He was a prophet. (Acts 2:29-31). David is a “type of Christ” that is, he was a prophetic symbol, a foreshadowing of Christ. He was not Christ. He was not a Christ or God. Much of what he did prefigured Jesus, His ministry, and His life. So it is natural that so much of his writing would be messianic prophecy. That is what I read in this Psalm titled, Lead Me to the Rock. Verses 1-3 read,

“Hear my cry, O God,
    listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
    that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the enemy.”

The Lord saves us when we cry out to Him. He waits for us to recognize our need of Him. And when we call on Him, He meets that need. Joel 2:30-32 speaking of The Day of the Lord puts it like this,

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”

Does that mean we only have to cry out and that’s it we’re saved? No. it means we cry out because we recognize our need and we believe Jesus is the Christ, God our Savior sent by God to deliver us. We believe He is who He says He is and that He died and rose from the dead for us. In Romans 10:9-13 Paul writes it this way,

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Believer, when we pray God hears us. (1 John 5:13-15). He is our Rock. He is higher than we are. We can’t depend on ourselves for security or refuge. We can’t save ourselves. Only Jesus can save us from the enemy. Only He is qualified to be our Savior. Acts 4:12-13 says,

“This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

David was a great king. He had all the money any man could ever want. He had power ad authority given to him by God. He had amazing talents and wonderful gifts. He was a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14). But He still needed the Lord to save Him. His faith in God, his dependence on God, and his friendship with God aligned his heart with God’s will. He cried out to God for salvation and God saved him. God gave David eternal life. Verses 4-5 read,

“Let me dwell in your tent forever!
    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”

David longed to be in the tent of the tabernacle worshipping God. David loved to worship the Lord. That is evident in his life and in his Psalms. The tent was the Tabernacle, God’s holy and anointed place, where His presence dwelled in the Old Covenant. But in the new covenant God’s doesn’t indwell a tent or a building, He indwells His children. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says,

“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

We take refuge in Him, He shelters us with His wings. The Ark of the Covenant was in the Tabernacle. The Ark though made by men by order of God was the physical representation of The Lord, God. On the lid or mercy seat were two cherubim whose wings were stretched out toward one another. (Exodus 25:10-22). It is under those wings, the wings of the mercy of God that David took his refuge. Hebrews 9:1-10 describes the Ark and its purpose. Today, no one knows where the Ark of the Covenant is. We do not need that holy relic because we have Jesus, God With Us. He is our mercy seat in the New Covenant. There is a reason no one knows where the Ark is. I believe that God either destroyed it or took it up to Heaven because Jesus is our mercy seat now. Hebrews 9:11-14 reads,

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

God gave us a heritage, an inheritance in Jesus. When we are saved, God adopts us as His children and makes us heirs with Jesus. (Ephesians 1:3-14). He gives us a legacy. As we glorify Christ, the world comes to know Him through us, and people who receive the gift of eternal life because of our lives, testimony and witness are our legacy. We didn’t save them, but we were part of God’s great work to bring them to Himself. His name lasts forever. Jesus is eternally our King. Our lives are eternally His. Verses 6-8 read,

“Prolong the life of the king;
    may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
    appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
    as I perform my vows day after day.”

It is because of the lessons we learned from Moses’ life David’s life, and all the other great men and women of faith that we believe today. It is because of the person who shared the gospel with us, the person who lived a life of worship, and the person who disciples us that we believe. It is because The Father called us, Jesus died and lived for us, and The Spirit opened our eyes that we believe.

Jesus’ name and glory lasts forever. He gave us eternal life as well as holy and royal heirs with Him. Jesus sits on the throne of God forever as our Sovereign Holy King. Guess what! We get to sit there with Him! His kingship is shared with us. Revelation 3:20-22 says,

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Don’t stop praising God. Don’t only praise Him in private but in public for everyone to see His awesome power, love and salvation. You Believer, are the holy temple of the Lord. You are standing on the Rock of Jesus. You are heirs with Him. You are royalty. Jesus is the Rock. He is God With Us. He is the eternal King of kings. He is I Am.

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The Brotherhood of Man is a Lie

1/15/2015

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The brotherhood of man is a lie. It is important to remember every person is a creation of God, and love and respect people as such. But it is a lie to say we are all children of God.

Before you knew Christ, you were not a child of God but a son of disobedience and child of wrath. You Ephesians 2:1-3 reads,

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

It is faith in Jesus Christ that lets you be called His son or daughter. Galatians 3:26.

“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

But the good news is, God wants to adopt you as His child. He created you for that reason.

Ephesians 2:4-10

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 1:3-6 says,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

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John 15:12-17 Friendship with God

12/24/2014

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John Chapter 15 Verses 12-17

It was the night Jesus would be arrested, the day before He would lay down His life for the salvation of the world. He was teaching the disciples on the last evening as their Rabbi. Verses 12-13 read,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Earlier in the evening, before the Seder, Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, told them that the servant wasn’t greater than the master and so they should also be humble and serve. They should wash one another’s feet as He had washed theirs. He then gave this same commandment, “love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34). He gave them the commandment again after supper but instead of talking about servants and masters, He spoke about friendship. His words had to bring back the memory of Jesus, their rabbi, bending down with only a towel on His waist doing the most humble of acts and calling it love.

But now Jesus followed it up by saying, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus showed His love for the disciples by washing their feet, and act of great humility, then told them to love one another as He loved them. Now He told them again to love one another as He loved them but this time He told them the greatest display of love was in laying down one’s life for his friends. He was getting ready to do just that.

The disciples knew that Jesus life was in danger. He had not been able to teach and speak publicly in Jerusalem because the Sanhedrin had decided they wanted Him dead. Jesus had told them He was going to return to the Father. They knew His death was a real possibility but they also still thought He would somehow overthrow the Roman Empire and free Israel. He certainly was about to begin His royal kingdom and free many people from bondage. But it wasn’t going to be the way they imagined. Jesus was preparing them for His death, but they wouldn’t grasp all His words and comfort until afterward.

So Jesus continued to teach, He told them about the unique friendship He offered. Friendship with God. Verses 14-15 say,

“You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

In the old covenant, Israel served God. He had plans and purposes that He didn’t always tell His servants. The faithful served God and sometimes He called them Friend, as in the cases of Abraham and David. Those servants who not only obeyed God but sought a relationship with Him were His friends.

But in the new covenant, Jesus extends friendship to everyone who will accept it. Being in a relationship with God, being friends with Him, God trusts us with the secrets of His Kingdom, He lets us in in the plan, and we partner with Him in it. We serve people to show them God’s love. We serve one another. We work to bring the lost to a relationship with God.

That is awesome. You are God’s friend! You don’t get to choose your family. You are born to them. You love them and they love you and it is a special relationship. But unless you were adopted, your mother and father didn’t choose you. Servants are chosen but there is distance between the master and servant. The servant has no choice in obeying the master if he wants to maintain that relationship. But friendship is special. It is different. You choose your friends. You choose to begin that relationship and maintain it. Friends become partners in life by election. Here is the thing about your friendship with God. He chose you! He said, “I want to be your friend.” Almighty Awesome Holy God picked you to be His friend.

He loves you. He adores you! He appreciates you, and enjoys you. His love is perfect, it is tangible, and it is awesome. Verses 16-17 read,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

He chose you and expects you to live up to that high calling. He makes it possible because He is with you. You abide in Christ and Christ abides in you. That is how you can bear fruit. You live out the love of Christ in you and His Spirit allows you to work with God to fulfill the Father’s plans. He said you are His friend and all you have to do is ask the Father as Jesus’ representative to the world and He would give it you!

Does He give you what you ask because you are good, because you deserve it, or because you asked in just the right way? No, He gives it to you because He loves you, you are His friend and partner, and because you are loving people as He loves you.

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Ephesians 3:14-21 God is bigger and more powerful than you can grasp.

10/28/2014

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Ephesians 3 14-21

This amazing section consists of two sentences in eight verses, but they are intense. There is so much depth I imagine I could spend days or weeks on them and not extract all the treasure they hold. I encourage to read the section for yourself and see that you may mine different gold than I have. I will spend a little time on each verse today and quarry a nugget or two to encourage us through the day and give us even more reason to praise the Lord.

Verses 14-15 read,

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,”

We worship and submit to God because of the salvation He gave us and is offering to anyone who asks. He is our Father. We are named for God, Jesus. We are in His Family, adopted to be His heirs. Because we are named for Him, we represent Him and our family throughout our lives. What we do and how we react is reflected on our brothers and sisters all over the world. It is reflected on God. We are Christians, we are Children of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we have a name in Heaven that we don’t know yet. (Revelation 2:17). Names have meaning. In the Bible, people’s names said something about them, their personality, their purpose, or their relationship with God. So our names also have meaning, the name we will receive in Heaven, the name that identifies us as Believers, and the name that denotes us as belonging to God. These names are an honor and we should reflect that honor.

Verse 16 reads,

“that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,”

God has an endless depth of triumph, brilliance, and beauty and from that glory He strengthens us through His Spirit. Whatever we go through, no matter how weak we feel, He is with us and His power gives us the strength to endure. His presence is the power that allows us to persevere and overcome every obstacle and further glorifies God. He is not glorified when we depend on our own limited strength. He is glorified when we let Him be our strength and our power. His strength is immeasurable. It never ends. It never gives in. He gives that might to us. It is God who makes us potent.

Verse 17 reads,

“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”

Because we submitted to the Father and He gave us a new name and identity and the Spirit indwelled us with strength and faith, Christ abides in the essence of our being, our hearts. Jesus who is the personification of perfect love lives in us and gives us a new foundation. Our Cornerstone, our Rock gives us the base and substance of love. We are able to love like He loves because of His love. We can love because He loved us first.

Verses 18-19 say,

“may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

It takes that power, it requires the Spirit to even begin to grasp the vastness and completeness of Christ’s love. Because we have the Holy Spirit we can realize it, but without Him, no one can know it. And we can never completely know it in the present. So we always seek it more and first. Dioko Agape.

In seeking His perfect, abundant, and infinite love God fills us with His fullness. We are filled with His Spirit, with His glory, with His desires and joys. We share in His nature, gifts, and power. We are filled with His richness, completeness, and abundance. We are not simply given a portion or shadow but are stuffed to overflowing with the fullness of God.

Verses 20-21 read,

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

The lives we live glorify God forever and through every generation after us. His power is infinite. He can do more than we can ever dream and more than we can consider asking for. Nothing is outside the realm of possibilities with God. We don’t even know what to ask for, but God knows what is best for us and what will bring about our transformation and His glory. So He works within us and that work is huge. Look back at your salvation. Consider your transformation. Think about the miracles, provision, and protection over your life and your heart. The power that did that is incalculable. The authority and force that accomplished that is within you. God, the Holy Spirit in your spirit, God, the Son, Jesus Christ in your core has done that.

What more does He have in store for you? I encourage you to continue pursuing to know Him more, to carry on seeking to love Him more and love others with His love, and to take joy in His fullness by making use of it and glorifying God everywhere and every moment.

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Ephesians 3:1-13 Secrets have been revealed to you. You have a mission.

10/27/2014

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Ephesians 3 1-13

You have a mission, should you choose to accept it. You are in possession of secrets. You must choose what to do with those confidences.

When you were saved The Holy Spirit revealed things to you. What is mysterious to the world, what doesn’t make sense and is even foolish to them, God made understandable to you. One of those mysteries is that Salvation is available to everyone. The law was given to Israel and they thought that only they would be able to have a full relationship with God. They were His chosen people, His children, given special protection, promises, and the covenant of Law. But through Christ, any one regardless of their origins may come to know God and can be saved. Paul puts it this way in verse 6,

“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

You may think that is obvious and not the slightest bit enigmatic but to those without The Holy Spirit, it is baffling. It is inexplicable that God would offer them rescue from death and hopelessness without strings attached. It doesn’t make sense to them that He loves them so dearly that He gave up His only begotten Son to be able to adopt them as sons. It is beyond understanding that we are heirs to the One True and Living Almighty God.

That secret was revealed to you though and you are not meant to keep it confidential. You were given a job, a mission to share it with someone. You were made specifically for a ministry. Paul’s ministry was groundbreaking at the time. He was to preach Jesus to the gentiles, or those who were not Jewish. At the time it was unheard of. Verses 7-9 describe it this way.

“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,”

Peter’s ministry was to the Jewish people. Timothy was pastor of the church in Ephesus. You were given a ministry as well. When you received the gift of God’s grace it came with responsibility. You were made a steward or manager of that grace. Now you might not be called to lead a church or start an orphanage but your ministry is no less important. You may not be Billy Graham but you are no less able. Maybe you don’t have John’s eloquence, Peter’s passion, or Paul’s candor but you do have spiritual gifts and talents and most of all you have the Holy Spirit. You have His amazing power. You have a soft spot for someone. Is it prisoners, single parents, or teenagers? That is who you were given a ministry to share the gospel with. Is your talent baking? Is your gift kindness? That is how you are meant to share the truth of God’s love. You have confidence because you have the ability to communicate with God anytime. You have the promises of salvation. Do you need anything else?

Why should you share the gospel of Jesus Christ? Verse 10 answers,

“so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Because God wants everyone to know His deep love, His inexhaustible grace, promises, and love. Because when you become a good guardian of the treasure of grace and love God gave you, you administer it wisely and it increases hugely. It becomes so big that even the angels will talk about it.

You have a mission but it is not impossible. You have a mission but rather than keep secret and work covertly, you are to reveal the secret and work overtly. You have a mission whether you choose to accept it or not.

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Ephesians 2:1-10 You are walking dead and you don't deserve salvation.

10/25/2014

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Ephesians 2:1-10

Before you believed, you were the walking dead. You had no hope or future. You were not only in danger of being devoured by the monsters of this world, you actually followed them and were like them. Verses 1-3 say,

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Unbeliever, do you say are not a child of wrath and you are basically a good person? What is being good? How many lies can you tell and still be good? How many people can you hurt and still be decent? How many times can you pass the needy and still be virtuous? Are you sure you haven’t tipped those scales toward bad yet?

In God’s Kingdom there are no scales, no one is good enough. Human nature, often called the flesh in the Bible makes us inherently selfish. We want to be happy. In pursuing our happiness we do all kinds of things such as lying, ignoring other’s needs, caring about our own desires more than someone else’s, and even harming ourselves and others. But God didn’t leave us to our flesh. He made a way. Verses 4-5 read,

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“

God is merciful! What is mercy? It is a term we hear often, especially in the Christian community but have you considered what it means? It means compassionate forgiving treatment toward someone who could be treated harshly. Mercy is kindness toward a desperate person, especially a person whom you have power over. God is rich in mercy. He loves us. He loves you now, no matter how bad you are, or even if you swear He isn’t real. Even if you hate Him, He loves you.

Everyone, believer or not is sinful. But to the person who says, “I believe, Jesus is in charge of my life” He raises him from the dead and makes him alive with Christ. Believer, you are alive with a new heart, mind, and soul. You are no longer without a future. You are no longer walking this earth a dead man. You still struggle with the flesh. You still sin. You still do all those things that focus on the self. But now with The Holy Spirit within you giving you life, you also are able to forgo the self and focus on Jesus, whose focus is on others. You are able to love them in a way you didn’t even know existed when you were dead. God did that for you, not because you were good, not because you work hard, or give to the poor, or act. He saved you because He is graceful.

It is by grace you are saved. So what is grace? I hear you, Christian saying it as if you are repeating your childhood multiplication tables, you rote answer is “unmerited favor.” And it is, but what is that? It is unmerited, undeserved, unjustified, unwarranted, unearned. You did nothing to earn it, deserve it, or even pay it back! Salvation is a gift that was bought with the steep price of Jesus’ blood. That is a big deal.

Imagine you are poor, go back to Charles Dickens’ days and you are a street urchin, you don’t know your parents, you haven’t eaten in 3 days, and you have pneumonia that will kill you unless you get medical attention fast. Now imagine a wealthy kind man sees you and your situation. You say to him, “Help me, Sir, please.” He pulls out of his pocket a diamond bigger than your fist and gives it to you. Then he takes you to his home calls his doctor, treats you, heals you, feeds you, adopts you, and gives you a home. You did nothing at all to deserve that kindness. He saved you. All you can do to repay him is to live well and do for others what he did for you. That is grace.

But God went even further! He didn’t just raise you form death, which would have been enough. He didn’t only call you blameless and forgive every wrong you ever committed or will commit, He made you partners with Christ. You can’t earn Heaven. You can’t work for Salvation. You have nothing to boast about yourself and everything to brag about Christ. He saved you for a reason. Verses 6-7 read,

“and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”

Salvation is not the only mercy and grace you received at the moment you believed. He continues to lavish you with His amazing love and kindness. While your good works can’t earn you favor, they are what you were created to do. He made you specifically to do great things for Him. Not because you are good or talented but because you were created, chosen, and shaped by God to do them. Verses 8-10 read,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

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Ephesians 1:1-14 God chose to adopt you. Believer, you are His heir.

10/23/2014

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Yesterday we completed the book of Isaiah. I found that book to teach me much more than I supposed it would and I enjoyed reading it much more than I thought I could. Today we will begin Ephesians.

Read Ephesians Chapter 1 verses 1-14

Verses 3-10 read,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Verse 3 says that God the Father has blessed us (believers) in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What does this mean? The phrase “heavenly places” is used two more times in this book. Chapter 1 verses 19-23 read,

“and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Christ was raised from the dead and is made authority over all things. He is seated at the right hand of The Father in the heavenly places. Moreover, we have been raised from death as well and we are seated with Him in the heavenly places. Chapter 2 verses 5-7 read,

“even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

That is a big deal! We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We’ve raised from the dead and made alive together with Christ! We’ve been saved. Our sins have been wiped away. They are gone. And we are seated with Christ over all rule and authority and power and dominion. Just like all things are under Jesus’ feet, they are subject to our authority as well. We are subject to Christ and all things are subject to Him and in turn to us. Think that over.

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. But God chose to adopt us. He chose to adopt us before He even created the earth. (Verse 5). He chose you. He chose me. We too are His children with all the privileges that being heirs of God entails. Why? Why would He choose to do something like that for us? Because He wanted to. Because He loves us and wants to shower us in His love. He doesn’t need our worship, He’s got angels worshipping Him 24/7. He doesn’t need our service. He created the whole world, He is omnipotent. He simply wanted to because He loves you so much and He wanted to share Himself with you. He chose to save you, to forgive you and cover you with His love, blessings, and gifts. And He chose you for a reason and a purpose. He knew you were the person for the job He has for you. He designed you. You see He didn’t only choose you, or me, or your pastor, He chose others too. He chose to make a way for every single person to come to know Him, be adopted and be loved. Verse 10 reads,

“as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

That is God’s desire, His will and His plan, that all things will be united in Him. And as you bask in His immense love as you enjoy the immeasurable power, the beautiful gifts, and the great authority He has given you and you conform to Christ’s image you will glorify Him. In your glory and praise, as you manifest the attributes of Christ, are filled and sealed with His Spirit, and live victoriously for Christ others will see God and hear Him calling them. Others will turn to Christ and accept His miraculous and wonderful grace. Verses 11-14 put it like this,

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

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Adoption: What it Means for Believers

Psalm 61 Jesus is Our Rock and Salvation

The Brotherhood of Man is a Lie

John 15:12-17 Friendship with God

Ephesians 3:14-21 God is bigger and more powerful than you can grasp.

Ephesians 3:1-13 Secrets have been revealed to you. You have a mission.

Ephesians 2:1-10 You are walking dead and you don't deserve salvation.

Ephesians 1:1-14 God chose to adopt you. Believer, you are His heir.

Donna Campbell

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