Coming to the Still Waters

Today's verses are Ephesians 1:11-14, which read,   v.11, 12 - In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. We will see three "in Him" phrases in this passage.  Yesterday it was that "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses."  We have been forgiven and pardoned by Christ's death and resurrection. Today, "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance..." so we are not only forgiven and pardoned but with that comes something more.  It would seem that if we have done something wrong and were forgiven of it that we would not look for something more.  The pardon would be enough as we breathe a sigh of relief but God gives those who are forgiven much more than they deserve.  The inheritance is part of God...

Today's verses are Ephesians 1:7-10, which read,   v.7, 8a - In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In Christ, through His death and resurrection, we have been redeemed from what we truly deserve.  We have been rescued from hell.  Not only have we been rescued but the thing that condemned us, sin, has been forgiven.  We have been pardoned and we have had the debt cancelled of our doing.  We have went from "guilty as charged" to given the sentence from the Judge that Someone else has taken our place and we are free to go.  As we go in this forgiven state because of Another, our lives reflect the riches of God's grace that He has lavished on us. We learned this weekend that our lives reflecting the forgiven state because of God's grace through the cross of Christ is our sanctification being lived out daily.  God's grace is great an...

Today's verses are Ephesians 1:3-6, which read,   v.3 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,... We many times ask for the blessings of God or we say "God bless America" but do we give blessings to God?  The God who has blessed us so completely through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,  His blessing to us has transformed and is continuing to transform our lives to be more Christ-like.  His blessing even extents into the future and heaven as our home.  His blessings upon us very much dwarf any blessing that we can give back but it is now our life to spent blessing or praising His name.   v.4 - ...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. Paul is writing to the saints in Ephesus.  He is writing to believers of Jesus Christ.  These are people who have ex...