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Face to Face:You Are Blessed
by J. Ross Greer of The Place of Grace Ministries (about the ministry)
[Note: If you'd like to read more from J. Ross Greer, be sure to subscribe to his daily e-mail list A Word For The Church.]
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us.
Part of the process of engaging in a relationship with God the Father is recognizing all that He has done for us. So many of us seek after emotional experiences that fade with time, when we need to ground ourselves in the reality that we have already been given every spiritual blessing that God has to offer.
We have been chosen in Christ. Before time began, God purposed to include us in His family. His action was not based upon our goodness or His knowledge that we would accept His offer of salvation, but "according to the kind intention of His will". God chose His family members and declared them to be eternally holy and blameless simply because He wanted to, and because it would bring glory to Himself via His grace.
We have been adopted by our Father. This has much more significance due to the time in which this was written. Any child adopted in Roman times could NEVER be disinherited for any reason. If you ever have or have had any questions about the security of your relationship with God, put them to rest here. Our Heavenly Father can never cast any believer out of His family. He chooses and keeps us!
So, how does God accomplish this in that we were born in sin, and therefore, spiritually destitute? God redeemed us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and forgave every sin we would ever commit. Do not forget that all of these transactions took place before the world was spoken into existence. Sin was not a reality, but nevertheless a known fact to God.
Should you ever question the love of the Father, note that He lavished His grace upon you. God did not impart a portion of His grace to you. Rather, He loved, chose, adopted, redeemed, and forgave you according to the infinitely abundant riches of His grace. Thank your Heavenly Father for an "according to" relationship!
Copyright 2001, The Place of Grace Ministries. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About The Place of Grace Ministries: In 1992, God interrupted the well-organized life of J. Ross Greer through a study called "Experiencing God". This encounter birthed a passionate vision for local churches that has become The Place of Grace Ministries. Through teaching, music, and writing, we call believers to return to the basic principles of God's Word and participate in the work of God. For questions or scheduling information, please contact us at: theplaceofgrace@att.net Or visit our web site at: http://home.att.net/~theplaceofgrace |
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