Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Great Things Done, With More Coming Soon...


Ephesians reminds me of one of those “Space Saver” plastic bags of infomercial fame: a ton of information is held in only a few paragraphs.

At first, it reads like a catechism, listing off God’s completed to-do’s and His intentions to do next. Disconnected, the points make little sense. It didn’t really make for an interesting Bible study this morning, until all the points began to fit together. Take a look:

He gave us with “every spiritual blessing” (past tense, it’s been done) “even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:3-4)

Why the “even as?” It’s the connecting line, between the spiritual blessing and the choosing of His people, meaning “Just as He chose us before time, He gave us the spiritual blessings we need to endure in Him and to live out our purpose on earth.” They’re hand in hand.

What’s included in “every spiritual blessing?”

Later on in Ephesians 1:13,

“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….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, who is the guarantee of our inheritance…”

Again, it reads like a catechism, packing in a lot of promises. The Holy Spirit is a promise of our inheritance. To paraphrase the verse, “If you heard the true gospel and believed in Christ to save you, you’ve become included in an inheritance. You don’t have it yet, so that’s why it’s an inheritance—you’ll receive it at a later date. But how do you know? You’ve been given the Holy Spirit; as literally ‘the down payment.’”

What does this mean for you?

· God planned you before the foundation of the world, so that your existence, right now, in January 2010, would fit in His plan.

· He has given you the spiritual blessings to make it through whatever tomorrow holds.

· He has given you the Holy Spirit—Himself—to live within you and be your Helper.

· Your inheritance is a sealed deal.

…and most of all it’s a reminder that God is in the midst of a huge, master plan; a drama of His glory, that was conceived in His mind before time began, of which we are only a tiny part. Just as He chose you before the foundation of the world, He’s working all things to the counsel of his will, to fit in his design. Great things are yet to be seen from Him. God is on the move.