The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ephesians 2:10,
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Do you believe in predestination? I do. Not in the way "reformed theology" views it, but in the fact that God has predestined all kinds of things throughout the history of mankind.
Look at the verse above. God prepared good works for us, as believers, to do in advance. In other words, God has predestined us believers, now that we are his children and hold a place in his family, to do good works while in this world, and not to just sit on our hands on Sunday mornings in church.
This is the very thing Paul speaks of in Romans 8:29, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Some misunderstand this, that Paul speaks of individuals being "predestined" to salvation. But a careful reading of the text and an understanding of Paul's flow of thought in Romans is helpful in realizing Paul speaks there of those that God foreknew that would be saved, that he predestined them to be changed from within by the Holy Spirit, conforming them to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Our change into the likeness of Jesus Christ is a part of the "good works" Paul speaks of in Ephesians 2:10.
When we receive Jesus Christ in faith, our new life begins. It is designed by God to be an expansive and ever-growing new life as we mature spiritually. With the presence of the Holy Spirit now within us, new character qualities begin to emerge, a process Paul calls the "fruit of the Spirit." We find we become enabled with abilities to carry out a part of God's redemptive plan he has provided for us, "gifts of the Holy Spirit." Peter says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Do you believe in predestination? I do. Not in the way "reformed theology" views it, but in the fact that God has predestined all kinds of things throughout the history of mankind.
Look at the verse above. God prepared good works for us, as believers, to do in advance. In other words, God has predestined us believers, now that we are his children and hold a place in his family, to do good works while in this world, and not to just sit on our hands on Sunday mornings in church.
This is the very thing Paul speaks of in Romans 8:29, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Some misunderstand this, that Paul speaks of individuals being "predestined" to salvation. But a careful reading of the text and an understanding of Paul's flow of thought in Romans is helpful in realizing Paul speaks there of those that God foreknew that would be saved, that he predestined them to be changed from within by the Holy Spirit, conforming them to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Our change into the likeness of Jesus Christ is a part of the "good works" Paul speaks of in Ephesians 2:10.
When we receive Jesus Christ in faith, our new life begins. It is designed by God to be an expansive and ever-growing new life as we mature spiritually. With the presence of the Holy Spirit now within us, new character qualities begin to emerge, a process Paul calls the "fruit of the Spirit." We find we become enabled with abilities to carry out a part of God's redemptive plan he has provided for us, "gifts of the Holy Spirit." Peter says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.
Our life in Jesus Christ is to be expansive, effusive, blossoming and blooming. God has predestined us for this!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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