Reading: Ephesians 1-3
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace(Eph. 1:4-7).
The Book of Ephesians exudes Paul's great confidence and assurance in the Lord his God. From the first verse of chapter one to the last verse in chapter six, Ephesians offers a powerful, positive affirmation of faith. In today’s reading, Paul equates the collective human experience with belief in the Lord and the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jer. 1:5). The first three chapters of the Book of Ephesians read as a heartfelt prayer. Paul understood the truth of his service to the Lord. He knew that it was by the grace of God that his eyes had been opened, thereby allowing him to step willingly into the family of God. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you (John 15:16). Although Paul had made a real and defining choice—born out of free will—as he fell to his knees on the road to Damascus (Acts 22:7-10), he was only capable of making that choice at the invitation of God.
Each and every one of us, as we live our lives in service to the Lord, can stand confident in the fact that He has chosen us for that service. It is in the nature of man to doubt. We question our actions and choices, constantly wondering if another option would have been wiser or yielded better results. God, however, has no such doubts. He has called us into His service, and He stands by that decision. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Rom. 11:29). His love for us knows no bounds, and it is from the cradle of that love that we, like Paul, can move forward with confidence.
Having been chosen before the foundation of the world, we are secure in the service of Christ. Once we have affirmed our commitment to Him by acknowledging Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Rom. 10:9), no one and nothing can ever forcibly remove us from His protection (John 10:28). By daily reading His Word with a desire to do His will and faithfully following after the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we are assured of experiencing the total fulfillment of His perfect will for our lives. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Gal. 6:9).
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory(Eph. 1:13-14).
Thought For TodaySin is the only thing that keeps us from God; when we feel that we cannot reach Him, it is because we have allowed our sins to weigh us down.
Word Studies1:8 prudence = spiritual insight, knowledge and holy love of the will of God; 1:10 dispensation of the fulness of times = last period of the dealings of God with mankind on earth; 1:13 sealed = proof of ownership that we belong to the Family of God; 1:14 earnest = first installment of our inheritance; 2:1 quickened = made alive; 2:13 sometimes = formerly (not "occasionally"); 3:3 mystery = purpose of God which is hidden from the ungodly; 3:13 faint not = don't give up or be discouraged.
Cross Reference:For Eph. 1:22: See Ps. 8:6. Eph. 2:17: See Is. 57:19.
Pray For Government Officials:Rep. Kathy Manning (NC) • Country: Kirabati (104,488) 33 Islands in Southwestern Pacific • Major Languages: I-Kiribati, English • Religious Freedom • 55.8% Roman Catholic; 40.2% Protestant; 2.3% Baha'i; 1.5% Other; 0.2% None/Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Cry and pour out your soul in prayer in time of affliction (Is. 26:16).