In worship recently our pastor reminded us of what is available to us “in Christ.” It brought to mind that over the years of my ministry whenever I would lead a small group study of Paul's letter to the Ephesians one of the exercises I would do with the group is to point out in Ephesians 1:3-14 all that is ours in Christ. First, I would have the group underline each time Paul uses the phrase "in Christ", or "through Christ", or something similar. I have done that for you in the text below. Then I invite them to circle what it is that we receive in or through Christ. I invite you to print out today's quote and do that for yourself, or underline and circle the text in your Bible. It is truly amazing what God has done for us IN CHRIST.
"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, just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in love. He destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight He has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to His counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of His glory. In Him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in Him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God's own people, to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1:3-14)
-- Rev.
David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry
#5627
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