Our Father Which Art In Heaven – Who Are You? (Part 4)

When God told Moses to bring Israel out of Egypt, He revealed His purposes. I say purposes because He had many planned for Israel.

“And the Lord said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.” Exodus 3:7-8

The first purpose God revealed to Moses about why He wanted to bring Israel out of Egypt was to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians. God knew their sorrows. The Hebrew word for “know” in Exodus 3:7 is yada. It translates as “to see, to perceive, to recognize.” The word “sorrows” is makob. It translates as “to have pain, to be sore, to grieve, to sorrow.” God saw and recognized the pain and sorrow the Israelites were experiencing at the hands of their cruel masters in Egypt. He heard their cries for help. What did God do about it? “So I have come down to deliver them.” Think about the depth of those words. God came down from Heaven to “deliver” His children. What an amazing picture that is of the Almighty God coming from His Throne to His footstool (Isaiah 66:1) to “deliver” His people out of the hand of the Egyptians. The Hebrew word for “deliver” here is nasal. It means “to pluck out of the hands of an oppressor or enemy, rescue, deliver from danger, preserve.” The word implies exertion, tumult, and bursting of bonds with power and courage. That’s a great picture of what God did for Israel.

God told Moses that delivering the Israelites from the hand of Pharaoh would not be easy or quick – and that was for another purpose – that Egypt and Israel would see the “mighty hand” of God.

“Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob —appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ ‘The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.” Exodus 3:16-20

The method God used to save Israel from the hand of the Egyptians is the same way He saves people today. Everyone on earth is born a slave to sin (Romans 3:23). They will remain a slave to sin unless God delivers them from sin. How does He do that? Through blood.

“Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:13

Only God’s chosen people were saved from the death plague that covered Egypt. The only people who will survive the death plague that covers our world now are those who are covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:8-10

God delivers us from the bondage of sin by justifying us through the Blood of Christ and reconciling us through the death of Christ. The power of deliverance was in the “blood” and the “death” of Jesus Christ, the Spotless Lamb of God. Praise God for His wonderful gift!

Deliverance also includes protection. What happened after Egypt’s king let the Israelites leave? He changed his mind and pursued the Israelites to bring them back into his service.

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, ‘What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!’ So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops —pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.” Exodus 14:5-9

The people of Israel were not a trained army. They were a slave nation. How could they protect themselves from the elite army of Egypt? God promised Moses that He was going to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up from that land to a good and large land that was flowing with milk and honey – and that’s what He was going to do. Deliverance includes protection.

“Moses answered the people,  ’Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’  Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.’ Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east windand turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, ‘Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.’ Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.’ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.” Exodus 14:13-28

God does the same for us today. His deliverance includes His protection. He delivers us from the penalty of sin and will lead us to the Promised Land.

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39

What is the second purpose God had for Israel? We’ll see in the next part of our study.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

May 30, 2012 – 7:15 am Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , |

Our Father Which Art In Heaven – Who Are You? (Part 3)

God told Abraham that He would provide salvation for His people (Jehovah Jireh – Genesis 22:14) and that is what He taught Israel in the wilderness. The last lesson we looked at in Numbers 11 was a hard lesson for Israel to learn.

“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” Numbers 11:4-6

God had provided for Israel’s nutritional needs through the manna that came down from Heaven, but the children of Israel complained about that and compared what God provided for them to how the ungodly Egyptians treated them. The children of Israel actually said they liked the food their Egyptians masters gave them better than what God gave them. Can you believe that? Time for another lesson. God told Moses to gather 70 of the elders of Israel and have them come to the Tabernacle.

“Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.” Numbers 11:25

What a remarkable thing to see! God took of the Holy Spirit that was on Moses and placed the Spirit upon the 70 elders. The elders prophesied at that moment, although they never did so again. Then, it was teaching time.

“Now a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.”

Kibroth Hattaavah means “graves of craving.” The lesson? The people of God must crave God alone. The cravings of the flesh lead to death. Craving God leads to life. The sad truth about this lesson is that Israel did not learn it. The fleshly “cravings” of the Israelites led them astray for centuries.

Another lesson from this is that God stays true to His promises. He made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) and kept them, even when Israel didn’t keep their promises to God. The fact is – God loves Israel – and He always will.

“Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. And he said: ‘The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together. ‘Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.’ And this he said of Judah: ‘Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.’ And of Levi he said: ‘Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. Bless his substance, Lord, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.’Of Benjamin he said: ‘The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.’ And of Joseph he said: ‘Blessed of the Lord is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.’ And of Zebulun he said: ‘Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.’ And of Gad he said: ‘Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the Lord, And His judgments with Israel.’ And of Dan he said: ‘Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.’ And of Naphtali he said: ‘O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the Lord, Possess the west and the south.’ And of Asher he said: ‘Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be. ‘There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.” Deuteronomy 33 1-29

What can Christians learn about God the Father from the lessons He taught Israel in the wilderness? More on that in our next study.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

May 24, 2012 – 7:11 am Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , |

Our Father Which Art In Heaven – Who Are You? (Part 2)

It is the best-known prayer in America – “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9) Jesus taught the people who crowded around Him to pray that way. Jesus used the term “Father” dozens of times in the Gospels, so a question for us is – “who is the Father?”

In our last study about the Father, we learned that He is a Holy, Righteous, and Just God. He judged and disciplined Israel in the wilderness. He taught them what it meant to be “children of the Most High God.”

We know from being members of a family that a good father provides for his children in addition to disciplining them. God is a Greater Provider than the best human fathers and revealed that to Israel in the wilderness. Even as He sent fire from Heaven to discipline, God sent food from Heaven to provide.

God Sends Food From Heaven

“And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, ‘Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:1-3

The children of Israel had seen the most amazing demonstrations of God’s Power, but just weeks after Moses led them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea to safety the people were complaining to Moses.  ”Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” They had cried out to God for freedom from the cruelty of slavery in Egypt, but all they could think about after God freed them was being back in slavery and having meat and bread to eat. How ridiculous – how human.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.  And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Exodus 16:4-5

God always knows what His children are up to and He has an answer to all their needs. Early in their new relationship with God, the children of Israel were going to learn that Yaweh could and would provide for their every need.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ’I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ‘This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’” Exodus 16:11-16

Israel ate much better in the wilderness with God than they had in Egypt. Quail and manna tasted good and met the nutritional needs of the people – “And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” (Exodus 16:32)

God was faithful to provide manna for Israel every day for 40 years (Exodus 16:35), but the children of Israel still complained.

“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” Numbers 11:4-6

It’s amazing that with all they witnessed, they would still complain about God’s provision. God taught them another lesson.

“So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, ‘Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.’ Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?” Numbers 11:16-20

What was God teaching Israel through His provision – a provision they continually complained about to Moses? We’ll see in the next part of our study.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

May 17, 2012 – 7:13 pm Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Our Father Which Art In Heaven – Who Are You? (Part 1)

It is the best-known prayer in America – “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9) Jesus taught the people who crowded around Him to pray that way. Jesus used the term “Father” dozens of times in the Gospels, so a question for us is - ”who is the Father?”

One of the best places to go to learn about God the Father is in the wilderness – specifically the 40 years God spent with the children of Israel between Egypt and the Promised Land. That’s where we see the Father teaching the 12 Tribes of Israel what His being their Father meant.

God is extremely complex – far too complex for the children of Israel to comprehend. Knowing their weaknesses (and ours) God revealed Himself to them in ways they could understand.

God Sends Fire From Heaven

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.  So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, ‘This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ So Aaron held his peace.” Leviticus 10:1-3

God the Father introduced “fire” to His children early in their relationship. In fact, He first introduced fire to Abram when He appeared as a smoking oven and burning torch, and later to Lot when He destroyed the wicked people  of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.  On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.” Genesis 15:17-18

“Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.  So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.” Genesis 19:24-25

The Hebrew word for “fire” is esh. The Greek word is pur. In the Old and New Testaments fire symbolized judgment, purity, holiness and the Presence of God. The first time God spoke to Moses was “in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush.” (Genesis 3:2) It was from that holy fire that the Father revealed His Holy Name to Moses – Lesson #1 for the children of Israel.

“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.” Genesis 3:14

God demonstrated His Judgment of Egypt through fire.

“And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. ” Exodus 9:23-25

God led His children through the wilderness with fire.

” And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. ” Exodus 13:21

“For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” Exodus 40:38

God revealed His Holy Commandments for His children from fire on the mountain.

“Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.” Exodus 19:18

“The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Exodus 24:17-18

God revealed the demands of His Holiness and Justice to the children of Israel through the many burnt offerings necessary to appease the fierce wrath of God and receive their Father’s Forgiveness and be at peace with Him.

“And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.” Exodus 29:18

“This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. ” Exodus 29:42-43

“ And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 5:10

“If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” Leviticus 1:3-4

If you ever wonder how serious God was about His children never forgetting the purpose of the fire and burnt offering, read this.

“ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ’Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen trousers he shall put on his body, and take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. Then he shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.” Leviticus 6:8-13

God the Father used fire at times to judge and discipline His children.

“Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.” Numbers 11:1-3

God the Father used fire throughout the Old Testament both to discipline and protect His children. God does not change. He is today the Mighty God and uses fire to judge and destroy. Is it any wonder that when John the Baptist prophesied about Jesus he said the Lord would punish the wicked “with unquenchable fire”? (Luke 3:17) Is it a surprise that Jesus said, “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49) and “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”? (John 15:6) How wonderful then for His children to read that the end for all wickedness is the “fire” of God.

“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:7-15

The “fire” of the Father reveals His Holiness, His Righteousness, and His Justice. The children of Israel have spent thousands of years struggling with that revelation, but the day is coming when they will learn their lesson and receive their great reward.

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

May 11, 2012 – 7:03 am Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

What We Have in Jesus (Pt 6)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:3-14

The first blessing Paul mentions in Ephesians is that God chose us in Him “before the foundation of the world.” The second blessing Paul mentions is our “adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” The third blessing is that we were adopted by Christ “to the praise of the glory of his grace.” The fourth blessing is “wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” What an amazing statement! God has made us accepted in the beloved. Some key words to understand in the context: “wherein, accepted, beloved.”

“wherein”

Where is the “wherein”? The words just before “wherein” are tes charitos autou - “of the grace of him.” The word “wherein” refers to “the grace of him.” That’s where we have all the blessings of God – in His Grace. Understanding, accepting and rejoicing in the unmerited favor of God is everything in a Christian’s life. We have all good things because of God’s Grace.

“made us accepted”

The Greek is echaritosen. It comes from the root word charis and means “compassed with favor, honored with blessings.” We are surrounded by God’s Grace and honored with great blessings! We do not live in a vacumn. We do not accept Christ as Lord and Savior, receive His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, then walk away to spend the rest of our life alone waiting for rapture or death. We spend every minute of our lives “in” God’s Grace; we are blessed with its abundance of blessings and protection! God freely bestowed on us His great blessings; He favored us and made us accepted. God’s Grace is active! His Grace acts upon us and in the process we are accepted.

What does it mean to be accepted? The act of accepting is not ours to do. We don’t accept ourselves. We may want to be accepted into a club or school or organization, but it is the choice of the head of the club, school or organization to accept us and make us members. Salvation, the forgiveness of sins cleansing from all iniquity and the gift of eternal life, is for God to give. It is not in the power of anyone else to grant it. God and only God is the Creator of life and He alone is the One to give eternal life. God could have come up with any rule or regulation necessary for humans to be forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life. Anything God would have come up with would have been right for Him to do. He could have made us climb the highest mountains on our bleeding hands and knees for 40 years to be forgiven. He could have made us fight a thousand trained fighters and win every battle to be forgiven. He could have made us undergo the same kind of torture dealt to Jesus over and over throughout our life to be forgiven. God could have done anything He wanted to us, but what God did was love us and surround us with His Grace. That is what Grace means: we don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it, we can’t buy it, it is a free gift from God.

Paul writes that we are accepted “in the beloved.” What or Who is that?

“in the beloved”

The Greek is en toi egapemenoi. It is the perfect passive participle of agapao (love) and is used only here in the New Testament. It means an action completed in the past with results still affecting the present. “Beloved” is locative of sphere, which means God made us accepted by His Grace in the sphere of His Son.

Jesus Christ is the Beloved of God! God “accepts” us in His Beloved. We do not have to do anything for God to receive His acceptance. We do things for God because of His acceptance. How blessed we are that the Almighty God of Heaven has accepted us in Christ, His Beloved!

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

April 29, 2012 – 3:04 pm Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

What We Have in Jesus (Pt 5)

The first blessing Paul mentions in Ephesians is that God chose us in Him “before the foundation of the world.” The second blessing Paul mentions is our “adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” The third blessing is that we were adopted by Christ “to the praise of the glory of his grace.” We have a high calling and purpose! There is nothing small or ordinary about Christians. We have been called by the Most High God to the most high purpose: “to the praise of the glory of his grace.” That statement in itself is amazing and almost beyond explanation.

“to the praise”

  • Praise is the Greek epainos and means “applause, commendation, approbation, praise.” Jesus Christ is the object of our praise. I like the word picture of applause. I’ve often thought about how hundreds of millions of Christians will react to seeing Christ in Heaven’s great arenas and applause and shouts of adulation come to mind. I can just see and hear the throngs of the redeemed applauding, shouting and singing songs of praise to the Lamb of God as we see Him in all His Heavenly glory. We get a picture of that in the Book of Revelation as the heavenly host sing “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Won’t it be wonderful to join with the angels in heaven to sing their song to Christ? We’ll see the 24 elders worship Christ saying “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” We will praise Christ with our whole body, including mouths for shouting and singing and hands for applauding.
  • We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to praise Christ and applaud Him. We were adopted as children “to the praise” of Christ in this lifetime and for eternity! The singing and praising and shouting and applauding started at our adoption service (our salvation) and will continue forever. The purpose of our entire life is to be to His praise!

“of the glory”

  • Our excited praise is because of the “glory of his grace.” Glory is doxa and means a high opinion of someone or something and the honor that would go with it. In the case of Jesus Christ, doxa would be the highest opinion and the highest honor we can possibly give! We know about the glory of Christ through what He created and His life-giving sustenance to everyone and everything (“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” Colossians 1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1)

“of his grace”

  • Grace is charis and means “unmerited favor.” Charis has the underlining meaning of favor that causes joy and gladness. The Grace of God brings joy! It brings gladness! It brings hope! We were lost in sin. We were spiritually dead. We deserved God’s punishment, but instead we received His Love and Grace! That’s why we sing! That’s why we shout! That’s why we applaud!

God’s Grace is what we praise and honor. Christians were adopted as children of God to the praise of the glory of His grace. We spend our lives praising God, applauding God, singing to God and serving God because of the glory (highest opinion and honor) of God’s Grace (unmerited favor). There is nothing higher or more important in our life than the high purpose of our calling. We are God’s children. We were adopted as His children to be to the praise of the glory of His Grace.

How do we live our lives to the praise of the glory of His grace? We obey Him. That means knowing what He says about every subject of life, every aspect of life, and obey what He says. That means reading the Bible regularly, intently and fervently. That means praying to God regularly, intentently and fervently. That means living the life of Christ before others regularly, intently and fervently. That means sharing Christ with others regularly, intently and fervently.

Think about how excited Christians get at sports events, entertainment events, church events. We shout and applaud and high-five each other and enjoy ourselves thoroughly. Do we have that same high opinion of Christ? Does being a child of God bring out that kind of fervent joy and gladness? If not, why not? What keeps us from enjoying our relationship to the Most High God to a higher degree than our favorite team making a touchdown or getting a home run or hitting another basket or making another goal? Why would we become more excited about hearing our favorite singer or group in concert than hearing from God in prayer or study?

I think about this often. Nothing in this life should make me happier or fill me with more joy than being a child of God. Christians should be “the” happiest people on earth. We have something that everyone wants, even though they don’t know it. I didn’t know I wanted Christ when I was an atheist. I wanted happiness. I wanted joy. I wanted fulfillment. I wanted satisfaction. I wanted love. I wanted acceptance. I just couldn’t find it in anything or anyone. My search for peace in this life was not fulfilled by anything in this life. What I wanted was to be adopted by God. I wanted His love, His grace, His acceptance. I wanted to belong to Him. I just didn’t know it until He found me and wooed me and saved me and cleansed me and taught me about His Grace. That’s when my applause began. That’s when I shouted for joy. That’s when I cried with tears of thanksgiving. That’s when I knew I belonged. That’s when I knew my life had begun. That’s when I knew life had meaning. I was a child of God. We are children of God “to the praise of the glory of his grace.”

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

April 18, 2012 – 7:13 am Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

What We Have in Jesus (Pt 4)

The first blessing Paul mentions in Ephesians is that God chose us in Him “before the foundation of the world.” The second blessing Paul mentions is our “adoption.” Paul wrote that God “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” What a blessing! What an eternal joy! God chose us “before the foundation of the world” to become His children through spiritual adoption. We were born into this world by flesh into sin. We were dead in tresspasses and sins. We were under the control of the world, the flesh and the devil. However, God knew us from before the foundation of the world and chose us to become His children through legal adoption!

“Having predestined” speaks of God’s “marking out the boundry or limits” (proorizo) of our relationship with Him at sometime in the past (before the foundation of the world). God “predetermined” or “defined beforehand” what our relationship would be with Him. The word was used by ancient Greeks when speaking about the gods determining their destiny in life. It was something determined “beforehand.” Some translators have chosen the word “foreordain” to explain the meaning of “predestined.” It is a predetermination about a person’s future. God predetermined that He would adopt you as one of His children!

Paul used proorizo in other letters to Christians to help them understand their unique relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 2:7 – “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.”

Romans 8:29-30 – “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

Luke used the word in Acts 4:28 – “…  to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” The apostles used the word in the context of the enemies of God gathered together against Him to murder His Son Jesus Christ. It is a reminder that God “predetermined, predestined, foreordained, chose beforehand,” that Jesus Christ would die a violent death at the hands of God’s enemies.

Paul used the same word when describing the decision God made about you and about me in “predetermining” that we would be adopted as His children. The word “adoption” is huiothesia and means “a placing as a son” and speaks of an adult rather than a minor child. It means the adopted person received all the benefits of a son who had reached the age of “maturity,” including full civil status. That status included the position of heirship (heirs with Christ).

Paul was the only writer in the New Testament to use the word huiothesia.

Romans 8:15 – “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:23 – “Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

Galatians 4:5 – “… to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

The word “to” is the preposition eis and means “with a view to,” which speaks of purpose or result of an action. Adoption as adult, mature sons of God was the purpose of His predetermination made as part of His choosing us from before the foundation of the world. How blessed we are!

This adoption as adult sons was “by Jesus Christ to Himself.” The word dia is a preposition of intermediate agency. Jesus Christ was the intermediary (intermediate agent) between God and you. Sin carved a huge chasm between God and the human race. God is holy, the human race is unholy. People could not approach the Holy God except through an intermediate agent. Paul wrote to Timothy – “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” Jesus Christ is God’s Only Begotten Son. He alone is worthy to be the permanent and eternal intermediate agent. His death on the cross broke the wall of partition between God and the human race making salvation possible. Our adoption as adult sons was “by Jesus Christ” to God the Father.

This adoption is about the highest and most important relationship any human being can have in this life and the life to come: a personal relationship with their Creator. In Christ’s famous prayer just before his arrest, Jesus prayed to His Father -

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. ’Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:20-24

Jesus prayed for all the people who would believe in Him and asked His Father to make them “one in Us.” The purpose of that relationship of unity was so “the world may believe that You sent Me.” Christians’ personal relationship to God is much bigger and higher than just our salvation. Our relationship with God is a primary way the world sees that the Father sent the Son to save the world. Christ’s prayer for the unity relationship goes a step further to include Christians’ relationship to each other. “ And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” The way we support, encourage and treat each other is vitally important in God’s plan to reach the lost world for Christ.

Our “adoption as sons” comes with great reward and great responsibility. We have been given the privilege of being numbered among the redeemed from the world’s masses. We have direct access to God through Jesus Christ (“Abba, Father”). God listens to our prayers and gives us answers as a Father would an adopted child who has full legal rights of maturity and heirship. We will have access to God in person when the mortal puts on immortality and we go to be with Him forever in Heaven. That access to our Heavenly Father comes with a big price and responsibility. It cost the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, His Blood and His Life. Jesus paid the highest price the Son of God could possibly pay to redeem unworthy, lost sinners, like us. He sacrificed His holy life for us. We went from being lifeless and filled with sin to being alive and saved by grace because of the price Christ paid on the cross for us. We have the highest responsiblity to conduct ourselves as sons of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords through humble obedience and grateful service. The world is watching to see whether we are one with God and each other. What they see will tell them if what we claim is real about God sending His Son to earth to die for their sins.

God’s plan for our relationship with Him through His Son is also from before the foundation of the world. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” It is difficult for us to comprehend anyone or anything that existed before the foundation of the world. We are so locked into time and space that the thought of God living outside that framework is hard for us to get our minds around. However, the fact remains that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) predetermined before the creation of the world that you and I would receive the many benefits of His Love and Grace. One of the primary benefits is we are allowed to behold the glory of Christ. He wants us to be with Him where He is at the Right Hand of the Almighty God. We now see the glory of Christ in small part because of our mortality, but one day as immortals we will see and experience the complete and outstanding glory of Jesus Christ when we witness His full power and glory in Heaven!

God’s predetermined choice to make us adult sons is “according to the good pleasure of His will.” What a stunning thought! What God did in choosing us to become adult sons pleased Him. It was “according to” (dominated by) the good pleasure of His will. The words “good pleasure” come from the word eudokian. It has the meaning of “good will, satisfaction, delight, counsel, purpose.” This good pleasure comes from God’s “will” (thelema). It is a desire that comes from God’s heart and emotions. As God looked into future time and space (“before the foundation of the world”) from His eternal throne, He chose us and predetermined our relationship with Him as adult sons. That expression of His grace and mercy was dominated by the delight and good counsel of His loving heart. What a wonderful gift and benefit we have in Christ!

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

April 12, 2012 – 6:59 am Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Buried With Jesus

Jesus died for our sins, then was buried. What does His Burial mean to us? It means we are dead to sin and were buried with Him. When you think of Jesus hanging on the Cross, remember that our “old man” was crucified with Him. Why? That the body of sin might be done away with; that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Death to sin is our freedom. We are freed from sin because of our Lord’s Death and Burial. We are no longer slaves of sin. We are alive to God through Christ.

Why are we alive to God? Because of His Grace. But that doesn’t mean we should continue in sin. On the contrary. We are called to a new life; a new way of living – newness of life. We can live that new life because death and sin no longer dominate your life as they did before you were saved from your sins. What does that mean from day to day? We are no longer under laws and rules and regulations. We are under the Grace of God. That impacts everything we think, feel, say, and do. We do not let sin reign in our bodies. We do not obey the lusts of the flesh. We do not use our body as an instrument of unrighteousness to sin. Instead, we present our body to God. Every part of our body should be an instrument of righteousness. Why? Because sin no longer dominates us. We are under the amazing and wonderful Grace of Almighty God.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:1-14

That this may be a blessed Easter weekend to you and your family is my prayer and fervent hope.

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

April 7, 2012 – 8:58 am Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , |

GraceLife Thoughts for Easter 2012

We started publishing GraceLife Thoughts on the Internet 17 years ago (March 1995). One of the great joys we’ve had during that time has been sharing about the Death, Burial and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ during the days leading up to Easter. As the Apostle Paul wrote so beautifully almost 2,000 years:

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

As we approach another Easter, we wanted to share with you some of the GraceLife Thoughts from Easters past. We pray they will be a blessing to you and your family.

The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ – True or False?

Three Weeks Until Easter

The Holy Week: Lessons for Discipleship

The Holy Week: The Lesson of Opposition

The Holy Week: The Lesson of C’s

The Holy Week: Lessons of Pain

The Holy Week: Lessons of Life!

The Holy Week Ebook

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

March 27, 2012 – 8:40 pm Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

What We Have in Jesus (Pt 3)

We have EVERYTHING in Jesus!

The Apostle Paul is specific about the individual blessings God gives His children. The first he mentioned is that God chose us in Him “before the foundation of the world.” When we consider who we were before we were saved, God’s choosing us becomes an even larger blessing.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3

We were “dead” in trespasses and sins. We lived our lives according to the direction of every other sinner in this world. We lived according to the direction of Satan, the prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit that works in all children of disobedience. We used to live as children of disobedience behaving according to the lusts of our flesh. We lived our lives to fulfill every desire of our flesh and sinful mind. We were by our very nature children of wrath, just like every other sinner. We were spiritually dead, dirty and diseased. No one would look at us and find anything attractive about us. If we were put up for adoption, no one would want us. No one, except God.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” Ephesians 1:3-4

God “chose” us. He wanted us. He loved us. His desire was to make us part of His spiritual family, part of the Body of believers in His Son Jesus Christ. How amazing is that?

“… just as He chose us in Him.” Those seven words hold a world of hope for every believer and every person who will believe. God chose us. We are His choice. He wanted us. He loved us. His wish was that we belong to Him. How wonderful!

He chose us. We are not an unpleasant duty. We are not a dreadful deed God had to do to fulfil some ancient obligation He couldn’t find a way to escape. God chose us freely, voluntarily, willingly, wantingly, gladly!

God chose us “in Him.” The words “in Him” are used in the context of the location of our blessings: “in the heavenly places in Christ.” God the Father chose you and me in Christ! God’s work is always done in perfect harmony. The triune God – Three in One – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – make “their” choice. It’s never one against the other. The Triune God makes a singular choice – and their choice was you and me! God the Father chose us in His Son and God the Holy Spirit agreed with the choice and plays a vital role in carrying out the purpose of the choice.

When did God make this choice? Was it recently? Was it just before we prayed to receive Christ as our Savior? Was it at our birth? Was it when our parents prayed we would pray to receive Christ? The Bible says clearly that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit chose us “before the foundation of the world”! God chose us before He created the world. His choice was not made in haste. He chose us in Christ before His creative act of bringing the world into being. God knew us intimately and loved us intensely long before the first human beings walked on the earth. He chose us before there was a world surrounded by a sky filled with stars, planets and moons. He created us before there was water, air and land. He created us before the birds sang, the fish swam and the animals foraged for food. God wanted us and chose us before He created the world we live in and depend on for life. God’s choosing us was an amazing activity of the Great Mind of God before He thought and spoke the worlds into beinbg. God chose us, then created a place for us. What phenomenal love!

God didn’t just choose “people” to be saved; He chose “you” personally because He knew you before time, loved you and wanted you. He knew who you would be. He knew when you would be born. He knew where you would be born. He knew who your parents would be. He knew what you would look like, what you would do as a child, what you would become as a teen and adult. He knew all about you. He knew your strengths and weaknesses. He knew your sinful ways and made a way for you to become His child. He sent His Son to die for your sins and make a path to righteousness. He knew when you would believe, when you would pray to receive the salvation He provided for you, how you would live your life as a Christian. He knew everything and chose you!

God chose us in Christ before He created the world “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” God had a marvelous purpose in choosing us. He wanted the best for us. He wanted us to be saved from sin, to be spiritually and physically whole again. God chose us to be “holy and without blame before him in love.” The word “holy” means we are separated and dedicated to God. We are set apart for God’s service. The words “without blame” mean we are without any blemish. God has made us perfect in Christ. We are like Him. Christ was the pure sacrifice without blemish and God chose us to be made like His Son. No one can point to any blemish and accuse us of being unworthy of belonging to God because God has made us without blemish. We are without blame (blameless) in Christ. That’s how God sees us now, how He saw us before the creation of the world and how He will see us through eternity. God chose us before He created the world that we should be holy and without blame.

The position of our blamelessness is “before him.” We would be foolish to think we are perfect in this world. We know our faults. We know our sins. We know our failings. We are as imperfect as they come. We don’t (can’t) live up to all God asks of His children. We are human. We are sinners. However, in Christ, we are saved sinners. God sees us differently than we see ourselves or other believers. He sees us standing before Him in love as sinners saved by His Matchless Grace. He sees us covered by the Blood of Christ. He sees us saved and set apart for service to Him. We are holy and without blame in God’s sight – in His view.

As we will see during our study, God is the reason we can be holy and blameless. We are not holy and blameless because of something we did, do or will do. We are holy and blameless in God’s sight because He sees us “in” Christ. Jesus is the Holy One. He is the Blameless One. We are holy and blameless before God because we are in Christ and He is in us. That is both a “miracle” and a “mystery”.

This first spiritual blessing is the greatest blessing of all. We have hope for every aspect of our lives. When we fail (as we will continue to do every day we breathe air on this planet and our heart pumps blood through our body), we can pick ourselves up and know that in God’s eyes we are holy and blameless in Christ. We will blame ourself for so many things in this lifetime, but God chose us to be holy and without blame before Him in love. That’s how God sees us and how He wants us to see ourselves, other believers and those who will become believers.

The first blessing is how we learn as Christians to see God, see ourselves, see others, see this world and the world to come. We can do what God calls on us to do because we have the proper perspective about life. We understand when He chose us, how He chose us and why He chose us. That perspective makes every day special, every moment important, every opportunity vital.

You are so special! God chose you from before the foundation of the world. He chose you to be holy. He chose you to be without blame before Him in love. Enjoy your life!

In Christ’s Love and Grace,

Mark McGee

GraceLife Ministries

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

March 22, 2012 – 10:18 pm Categories: Grace Thoughts | Post a comment

Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 143 other followers