Wednesday – April 6, 2016
Wow, Wednesday already and time again for God’s Word infusion for our benefit, the benefit of the Kingdom of God and to give glory to God. So, let’s continue talking about being born again by faith and walking in Him by faith.
Colossians 2:6-7 (KJV)
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Now that we have refreshed ourselves with our primary text let’s move back to our secondary text from Ephesians.
Ephesians 2:6-8 (KJV)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Why has our Heavenly Father quickened us and raised up just like He did Jesus? He is obligated by the terms of The Blood Covenant and so that He can show us off, brag on us if you will. Does God brag, you bet. Consider the following verse.
2 Peter 1:17 (KJV)
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Back to Ephesians, notice there are ages to come and our Father will be showing us off forever. We are unique creations in Christ Jesus, there has never been ones like us in the ages past and there will not be any like us in the ages to come. We, the Church, tend to look at the future as one continuous age but that is unlikely since there are ages behind us and God changes not. Look carefully at verse seven, He is already bragging on us and the work He has already done in us and for us because of Christ Jesus. Remember everything concerning us, our redemption, has to do with The Blood Covenant.
Ephesians 2:6-8 (KJV)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Notice the phrase “exceeding riches”. Concerning God one might think it would be adequate to just say riches especially when we are talking about the riches of God but He adds the word ‘exceeding’. Goodness, He has really poured it out for us all because of Jesus, as obligated by The Blood Covenant, in response to our sin and His desire to redeem us. The awfulness of sin required an awful response producing a reality for those who will receive which exceeds that of Adam and is equal to that of our Lord Jesus. Synonyms for ‘awful’ include; dreadful, terrible, appalling, horrible, horrific, and shocking. These terms do not even start to describe what God Himself endured to redeem the family He was determined to have were redeemed, purchased back, by the precious blood of Jesus (God in the flesh).
1 Peter 1:18-21 (KJV)
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
O What a Savior!!!! O What a Father!!!!
The passage from Ephesians ends reminding us that we were saved by grace (The Holy Spirit) through faith. Our salvation did not come because of something we did, or could do, it was a gift of God put in place by Abraham and God and established for eternity by the Cross of Calvary. We believe God and we are confident that all He has promised He will deliver as our faith fueled by love is put in place according to the will of God.
By Pastor David R. Wood
