EdW

If I knew for sure I would inherit $10M then I would live my life expecting it. The problem becomes one of timing. We westerners, especially Americans, look for instant gratification. We have the promised inheritance of much more than money, yet we fail to see the big picture of what happens when Jesus comes back. As a result we miss the blessings that we could not have hoping for Jesus. It is not I alone that will receive an inheritance, but all my christian brothers and sisters. Since we are going to spend eternity with them, we should be in flellowship with them now. Not only to remind ourselves of the inheritance that awaits us, but to support each other in our journey to get there.

We Christians have to look forward to our glorius inheritance when Jesus returns. When He returns we will inherit blessings beyond our wildest imagination. We now have the Holy Spirit which guarantees our inheritance, but when Jesus returns we will have blessings and power beyond measure. Our hope is based on the promise, sealed and guaranteed by the Holy Spirit, so it is something we will receive for sure. Our hope is sure, it is not wishful thinking. Oh, how often we get involved so much in our daily lives and circumstances and lose sight of what is to come when we receive our glorious inheritance. We can take nothing, materail things, with us from this world but our hope in Jesus, eternal life, and the blessings that He has for us. We should keep this in mind as we live each day. I know I fall short here, but it is good to read and study the Bible to re-affirm what is to come. That is our hope which should affect our daily lliving. Our hope is true and it is real. The hope of the average non-believer is really not hope at all because it is not based on truth. The non-believer really has no hope in the things to come.

THese two verses are two of the greatest in the Bible. As we can see in the verses before, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing and we are adopted into God's family which guarantees we will recieve an inheritence. What we receive to guarantee our inheritence, as a downpayment, is the indwelling Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. We receive the Holy Spirit immediately and we receive much more, more than we can think or dream, of when Jesus returns with His Church, the end of the term. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit as God's own, and gives notice to the spirit world that we are God's people and to ourselves that we belong to God. Whenever we stray, the Spirit is there to convict us and get us back on the right path. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our counselor, and our friend. We are already in God's presence. Our habitation is the world but we are not of the world but of God. The seal reminds us that we belong to God adn we cannot stray far until the Spirit reminds us who we belong too and where our citizenship is. I find this awesome that God cares a great deal for me and wants only the best for me. As the Spirit is the downpayment, I cannot imagine how much more we are to receive as God has given us the same power, indwelling, as raised Christ from the dead and counseled Christ continually on what God the Father's will is. If only we would care less about our circumstances in this world and tune into the Spirit mroe to get God's will, what we could accomplish and do is without measure. PTL.

I am redeemed from the world, where sin reigns, and have been made a full member of God's household. I was a slave to sin, now I am a bondservant to God. I no longer am controlled by sin but by the Spirit of God. If I had not been redeemed, I would probably be dead, for sure I would be lost without purpose. God in His infinite mercy has delivered me from death, literally and figuratively. I would be miserable, thinking that I have it made, but asking the question, is this all there is to it.

We have been chosen by God, predestined, to do the purpose of His will for the praise of His glory. We are the vessels to give God the glory after being restored to fellowhship with Him. The plan was designed by Him and executed by Him for His glory. We just get to enjoy the benefits when we accept Christ. We fulfill this purpose by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and by obeying Him so that we are always in God's will. This does not always happen, but He always gives a way to come back to Him if we listen to Him and seek Him and His will. Mat 5:13-16 is the practicality of doing His will. We are salt and light. By following God, we show by example who God is. God wants us to be salt and light so that other men can see God through who we are and what we do.

The significance of all things being under one head is that there is unity in the Church and God has order in what he does. Christ has been put over the Church by God. Christ is part of the Trinity and it has been decreed that He as Savior is also the supreme head of His Church, those that believe in Him. Man was created by God. We see this in Gen 1 and 2. We also see in Gen 1 that the Spirit was with God and in John 1 that Christ was there also. The Creator is the Triune God, the order is that the Church is under the person of Jesus Christ. Everything God does is in unity and that is what His purpose is for the Church. As this relates to 1 Cor 15:24-28 is as follows: God the Father has given God the Son the reconciliation mission to bring us back to Him. He has set up an orderly, united manner in which to do this. When all is complete, God the Son hands it over to God the Father when the mission is complete.

Becasue adoption means that God "chose" us. Being a natural child is a consequence of a man and a woman coming together in union with a resulting offspring. Being an adopted child means that you are selected, as is, to being incorporated into the family of the adopting parents. God chooses us, just as we are, to be members of His family. This is most encouraging as it means He went out of His way to make me, all believers, members of His family. One must be encouraged when this is considered.

To be "holy" is to be set apart for God's purpose. I stand "blameless" before God because of Jesus' actions, not mine. He has given His righteousness to me so that when God looks at me, He sees the righteousness of Christ. This is an awesome fact.

I do not find predestination scary. I am neither a Calvinist not an Armenian becasue these points of view taken to the extreme could lead to error. There has to be a mixture of predestiantion and free-will to have a balance. It is comforting to know that God has seen me and my decision to accept Him adn that in His love, I am accepted. Since God is not bound by normal time, He knew what I was going to do from before creation. It is nice to know that I am a member of His family. I think Paul is praising God for this fact so that they will be encouraged by this fact and that no matter what, they can hold on to this truth - Christians belong to God and are members of His household! Praise the Lord!

In Christ to me means that I am intimately connected to God by Jesus Christ. When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, he not only became my Lord and Savior, but became my brother, and in dwells me. He and I are forever linked. This means my life is not my own. For every thing I do, He is there also. It helps me to stay on the straight path.

Greetings, my name is Ed and I live in Dayton, OH with my wife of 43 years. I have three children and six grandchildren. I love studying the Bible and look forward to the Ephesians Bible study as Ephesians is one of my favorite books.