Returned to God’s Will through Jesus Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

God chooses us as His chosen people through Jesus Christ. We are redeemed from the sinful nature by the Blood of Christ, and through Him we are blameless in God’s eyes. By hope in Jesus, we are conformed to God’s will, which is to be made into the image of His Son. Our belief in Jesus Christ seals us with the Holy Spirit.

• God Chose Us through Jesus Christ.
• Redemption through the Blood of Christ.
• Conformed through Hope in Christ.
• Seal of the Holy Spirit Within.

Paul wrote this letter to you and me as the faithful in Christ Jesus.

“Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 1:1-2

God Chose Us through Jesus Christ.
Even before the creation of the world, God chose us through Jesus Christ to be Holy and blameless in His eyes. God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit has existed together since before the beginning of time. ” This is what is written in John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

When Adam sinned against God it broke the relationship that humanity had with Christ and severed us from being Holy in God’s eyes. Now, we need to be redeemed. It has always been God’s plan for us to be Holy and blameless through Jesus. Therefore, He sent Jesus Christ in human form to redeem humanity from their inherited sin. Once again, as God planned before the creation, we would be Holy and blameless in His eyes through His Son Jesus.

God blesses us with every spiritual blessing that comes through Jesus Christ. That means the Holy Spirit is given to us as part of the predestined plan to adopt us into His family. We become His children through Jesus Christ, which has always been in accordance with what He wants for us. That is His will and His pleasure. God is Holy but we have inherited sin, but by His grace He has sent His Son so that once again we can be blameless in His eyes.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 
For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and will— 
to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.”
Ephesians 1:3-6

Redemption through the Blood of Christ.
The shedding of Christ’s Blood on the Cross is all about restoring the relationship that humanity had with God from the beginning. By returning to Jesus Christ, humanity would be redeemed to the relationship that was intended before sin entered the world. God graciously forgives sins in order to bring us home to Him, but only by acknowledging our need for Jesus. The mystery of God’s will for us is revealed in Jesus Christ, which is for fellowship with God through Holiness. The determination of God to make us blameless is seen because He sent His only Son to die to make His will happen.

The times reached their fulfillment during the Roman Empire. For example, crucifixions by hanging on the Cross began to happen around the time of Christ’s first coming. The Old Testament repeatedly said that He would hang on a tree, be lifted up, etc. The times were ripe for the fulfillment of all prophecies concerning His life, death, and resurrection. There is a slew of things that brought in the fulfillment of times, but the Cross is a big one. All those “ripe” things brought everything together for the coming of Christ. As it is written, “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

As it was before the creation, once again all things would be in unity through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the link to connect humanity with God, and by accepting His sacrifice, once again unity would be brought in heaven and on earth.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us.
With all wisdom and understanding, He made known to us the mystery of His will
according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, 
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—
to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”
Ephesians 1:7-10

Conformed through Hope in Christ.
The chosen of God are those who live in Jesus Christ, as it was from the very beginning of creation. As Christians, we are separated from those who continue without God because they reject Jesus Christ. This is part of conforming to His will. As a part of the redeemed family, we are predestined to be conformed to His plan. We are set on course to be made into the image of Jesus Christ to live a blameless life in the grace and Holiness of God. When Paul wrote this letter, he and all the other Christians were the very first ones to put their hope in Christ. They set an example of what God predestined every Christian to be, so that they might be the praise of His Glory. Every one of us who hears and believes the Gospel of Christ are included in Christ. Which means we are redeemed and conforming to the will of God.

“In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to
the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will, 
in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. 
And you also were included in Christ 
when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.”
Ephesians 1:11-13

Seal of the Holy Spirit Within.
The Holy Spirit is a “who”, not an “it,” “what,” or “thing.” That means a smile, kindness, flatteries, cleanliness, etc. doesn’t automatically connect to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sees through the smiles, flatteries, and pleasantries to see the wolf behind it all. The Holy Spirit coined the phrase, “Wolf in sheep clothing.” The Holy Spirit is not fooled by godly appearances and words. Many people see the Holy Spirit as an “it,” “what,” or “thing,” and they get frustrated when their “humanitarian” efforts go nowhere with the Holy Spirit.

As a believer, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. We don’t get caught up in the current global trend of working to usher in utopia on earth. It’s not of the Holy Spirit. We are not going to lose our Salvation by fighting for a one world government that operates through the mark of the beast. What’s happening in the world today despises Godly foundations. It sets itself up as God while discarding Jesus Christ and trampling on the Holy Spirit. The seal of the Holy Spirit will not allow us to become involved in all of that Godlessness.

The seal of the Holy Spirit is a deposit that guarantees our inheritance in the New Jerusalem. The deposit of the Holy Spirit is ours until the day of our full redemption in the Paradise of God. God has put us on “layaway,” He has laid claim to us with a deposit, and He is coming soon to take us Home to be with Him forever. Does anyone know what a “layaway” is anymore?

“When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of
those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.”
Ephesians 1:13-14

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11