REFLECTING GODS OWNERSHIP Thursday January 22, 2015 You were sealed with the Holy Spirit with a view to the redemption of Gods own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:14). Someday God will take full possession of all that is rightfully His. Yesterday we saw that God seals us with the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our eternal inheritance. Here Paul says He does so with a view to the redemption of [His] own possession. That refers to when God takes full possession of all that is rightfully His. Everything is Gods by creation, but satan has usurped Gods rulership to become the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) in whose power the whole world currently lies (1 John 5:19). Consequently, all creation is in bondage to decay and groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Romans 8:22, NIV). It eagerly awaits the time when the curse of Genesis 3 is reversed, all Christians are fully glorified, and sin is eternally vanquished. What a glorious time that will be! You are Gods special possession because you are His by redemption as well as creation. In Revelation 5:9 the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing to the Lord, Worthy art Thou... for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. In Acts 20:28 Paul charges the Ephesian elders to guard carefully the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. That makes you a priceless commodity to God part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Gods own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God (1 Peter 2:9-10). As Gods special possession, you should reflect His ownership and sovereign rule in everything you do. Remember, you are not your own... for you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Suggestions for Prayer: - Thank God that you are His treasured possession. - Seek His Spirits leading in proclaiming His excellencies to others through your words and deeds. - Ask Him to teach you to esteem other believers as highly as He does. For Further Study: Read Ephesians 2:1-13, noting the spiritual privileges and responsibilities that are yours in Christ. Ephesians 2:1-13 NIV As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. From Drawing Near by John MacArthur. May God continue richly blessing you / Dios continúe bendiciéndole ricamente! Jesús Martín Romero
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:09:28 +0000