colleenmarie

To be holy, means to be blameless and spotless before the Lord. In the O.T. saints provided sacrifices for forgiveness. Now in the N.T. since Jesus has provided himself for the ultimate sacrifice we have been covered by the blood of the lamb. That one perfect spotless man, the man that was marked by the father so that we could come to him in acceptance through Jesus. We can appear before the Lord holy in the sense that he sees us through Jesus who is holy! As long as we abide in him and he in us. Glory be to God!!!

I don't know that for me there is anything that is scary about predestination. Maybe because outside of Ephesians I was spiritually raised in a church that teaches about this, or maybe it's just having that assurance in Jesus that he is with me and I am with him. I know with my heart that I will go home to be with him at his coming. And that to me gives me security. I know that he predestined me for himself before the foundation of the world, and because of his grace I am saved. I know that he will continue a work in me through his spirit. I praise him for that, and because Paul had that assurance of his salvation through his relationship with Jesus how could he not praise him!?

To be in Christ to me means to be redeemed, it means to have the spirit dwelling in me. To be in Christ to me means that I have and must continue to die to self, and to present myself a living sacrifice. To me it means that he has shown me a much greater love then I can even comprehend, it means that he has shown me his grace and his mercy.