April 29, 2014
NO ONE ACCIDENTALLY GROWS CLOSER TO CHRIST.
Ephesians 1:1-14
Shari Johns
Central Truth
When your life seems chaotic, rest in this truth: Jesus is Lord, and God is in control.
Key Verse | Ephesians 1:11
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. (Ephesians 1:11)
Ephesians 1:1-14
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful 1 1:1 Some manuscripts saints who are also faithful (omitting in Ephesus) in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us 2 1:5 Or before him in love, 5having predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known 3 1:9 Or he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee 4 1:14 Or down payment of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, 5 1:14 Or until God redeems his possession to the praise of his glory.
Dive Deeper | Ephesians 1:1-14
I spent the first thirty-some years of my life trying to do it all my way. I'm stubborn and willful; just ask my husband. There have been more than a few times I've made a plan on my own without looking to God's Word, God's people, or God's Spirit.
I've had a fair amount of professional success doing things my way. But there was also chaos, and the more I tried to control things, the more chaos seemed to ensue. My problem was that I tried to make God's plan fit my plans, instead of the other way around.
With all the chaos around me, there were many places I could apply myself, but where would I start? The first step was trusting God and being obedient in the most painful thing. I began to be obedient to God and intentional about my marriage. I trusted God that His plan for how my marriage should work, and how my husband should be, was better than mine. It was hard, but I began to see the fruit -- less chaos, more peace, and more joy.
After trusting God's plan for my marriage, I began to trust God's plan for our family finances. That was harder than I expected because I felt like I could do it just fine on my own. But again, as we looked for the advice of godly people, listened to counsel, and followed His plan, we experienced more peace and less chaos. Now, I'm intentional and faithful with our finances and not as controlling as I once was.
I'm still turning other big things over to God and intentionally seeking out His plan. It started with the most obvious things first. Working on my own walk with God (trusting and obeying Him) was the first step that enabled the second step, and so on. Saying "yes" and seeing the results made turning the next hard thing over to Him much easier.
I find trusting God's plan is easier the more I do it. I have less chaos, more peace, more joy. Who wouldn't want more of that? No one ever accidentally grows closer to Christ.
Discussion Questions
1. In what areas has God's Word, God's people, or God's Spirit changed your life?
2. How are you intentionally giving your chaos over to God?
3. Are you willing to let go in order to fully see God's plan for you?