Ephesians 1: Because of his love 5 God had already decided
that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure
and purpose. 6 Let us praise God for his glorious grace,
for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! 7 For by the blood of Christ we
are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, 8 which he gave to us in such
large measure!
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Living in an
unforgiving world is sometimes difficult. My mistakes are placed in front of me
and I place their mistakes in front of them. Mistakes were made all over. This
sometimes makes me question if I am truly forgiven.
- I sometimes doubt GOD’s love so I try to control my actions to prevent more trials.
- I sometimes think my actions are greater than GOD’s, so I attempt to do “right” so HE will answer my prayers favorably.
- I sometimes question GOD’s love when I and others are met with trouble.
Paul is given some
powerful words by GOD. He explains that it was GOD who decided to accept HIS SON’s
proposal to save all of humanity. JESUS voluntarily stepped up and gave HIS
life for all who would accept HIS gift. GOD decided this would serve HIS
purpose of loving redemption, well. HE lost everything to save us.
My Observations
- It was not my actions that made GOD love me, rather HE loved me first.
- GOD saw all my sins and decided to save me anyway.
- My entire existence needs to praise GOD because of the incredible amount of grace HE has shown me.
It is impossible
for me to mess up when I was chosen before I was born. I mean, GOD decided HE
would make it easy for me to have a loving relationship with HIM by giving me a
gift that is accessible to everyone. Unfortunately there is a war inside me and
everyone, that fights against this precious gift.
Satan tainted all
of humanity, causing each and every one of us to desire to be GOD. Our sin
nature wants to be in “control” versus accepting the love GOD has poured out in
large measure. BUT GOD did something extra. When I surrendered my life to
JESUS, HE gave me the HOLY SPIRIT to fight that battle for me. I am eternally
grateful for GOD’s great grace!
Challenge
- What actions do you see in this passage of scripture and who did them?
- Do you believe that all your sins are forgiven or just the ones you stopped doing?
- Have you ever felt that GOD is judging you versus loving you?
- Will you stop believing the lie about GOD’s love for you and believe HE loves you dearly and has given you a gift you can freely accept, namely JESUS who died for you and is alive today?
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