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When someone is adopted, they begin life anew. They have a clean slate so too speak. Their past is wiped out, the records are sealed and they begin life all over, with new parents. They become part of the family and have all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of the other children in the family. When we repented and turned to God, the same thing happened. The slate was was wiped clean and we became part of God's family and heirs to the Kingdom.

To be holy is to be separated from the world and to God. We have been "dedicated" to God. Our lives are no longer our own, but His to do with what he wants. I can stand blameless before God because my sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus. Although I have transgressed His law, Jesus has already paid the penalty for my sins.

I don't think there is anything scary about predestination. It is comforting to me to know that before time existed, God chose me to do his work and to spend eternity with him in heaven. Paul brought up predestination to remind the Gentile Christians that God was not just the God of the Jews, but that He had chosen them also. That He had done it long before they were born. In His eyes, they were no different that the Jewish Christians. Paul praised God in their "hearing" so that they would remain strong in their faith, that when trials would come, they would always remember that God chose them and whatever happened to them was within God's plan.

We are intertwined, I am no longer the sinful person I was, but am now part of Jesus, and he is part of me. One body. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20 How I live, every act, every thought, every word, must be done in a manner that would glorify God. I am no longer my own, I belong to God and therefore must do his will. John

Hello to everyone. I live in Northern Michigan with my lovely bride of 20 years and 2 Siberian Husky's. I'm retired from the US Coast Guard and own my own business. I've a daughter who is married with 2 sons in Ohio and a son, married with 1 son in Kentucky. I'm an elder at a church we helped to plant 3 years ago and this is the first time I've done an online bible study. I'm looking forward to both the study, and interacting with everyone else. John