Tuesday, September 20, 2011

In Light of the Eternal Covenant







Ephesians 2:3-14

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,
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

This choosing was part of the Eternal Covenant - The Father chose for the Son a people for His own possession - The Father promised to give them to Jesus and Jesus promised to pay the penalty for their sins which would result in their holiness and blameless condition...

In love He predestined us to adoption
as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the kind intention of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace,
which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

This predestined condition was part of the promise - God's grace would be displayed upon His chosen children freely, paid through the agreement with the Son, all before the foundation of the world was formed...

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.

Jesus agreed to put on flesh and die for His people - this would bring forgiveness through grace - He would fulfill the covenant of works given through the law on our behalf...

In all wisdom and insight
He made known to us the mystery of His will,
according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
with a view to an administration suitable
to the fullness of the times,
that is, the summing up of all things in Christ,
things in the heavens and things on the earth.

Through His choosing, the blinders are removed so that we can understand His plan and His actions, which God designed to be offered at the exact right moment -
Jesus, the Creator of man would also be the Savior...

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.

His purpose, His will - we are the recipients of a great inheritance
that was completely out of our reach,
but for Jesus Christ and the Eternal Covenant...

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation—having also believed,
you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is given as a pledge of our inheritance,
with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession,
to the praise of His glory.

The gospel of our salvation
the sealing of the Holy Spirit
the pledge of our inheritance
the redemption of God's own possession -
All of this was done to accommodate
the fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant...

God's own possession...what a precious description...

Do you see it?

3 comments:

  1. I've been thinking on the whole "choosing" thing off and on for several months now and it never ceases to amaze and thrill me. Thanks for this morning - you did an excellent job and it was a joy again. (Lora loved it too and both she and the girls can't wait to come back next week :o)

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  2. Our salvation is secure, secure, secure! To think we could lose it is to say the Father and the Son would renege on this agreement... Unfathomable...

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  3. Whew!!!! Take a deep breath because this is so deep but so comforting it has no words for discribing. Thankful for the Eternal Covenant.

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