Verse of the Day 9/28

Through the Bible - Isaiah 15-17, Ephesians 3

 

Good morning,

Over the weekend, the New Testament readiing plan moved into Ephesians, it is where we'll go for today's verse.

Eph 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.    NIV

or from the NLT

Eph 1:13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Verse 13 tells us that the gospel that is revealed to us must be heard (Romans 10:17), and believed (John 1:12) in order to bring salvation.

The guarantee or "seal" mentioned in verse 14 gives us security, tells us that we are authentic, our faith is the "real deal", and gives us ownership, the sense that we belong and are a part of the family, the kingdom of God.

 

Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, "This is eternal life, our Lord prayed, 'that they might know the the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (John 17:3).  And it is only the Holy Spirit who can enable us to know that.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit, then, is the difference between believing these things, acccepting the teaching, excercising faith - that is something we all know, and without the Holy Spirit we cannot even do that, as we have seen."

 

These early Christians were not just formal church members, they had a living Spirit within them.  This Spirit impacted, directed their life and was evident from day to day, throughout the day.

He did this and does this, as verse 14 says "so that we would praise and glorify Him."

 

As you start out the work week today, read the passage below, consider what we have "in Him" - redemption and forgiveness according to the riches of God's grace.  Because of this, may His light shine through in your life and may we praise and glorify Him in our lives.

 

Gal 3:2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.   NLT

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Eph 1:3-15

 

Redemption in Christ

 

3 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, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

 

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

 

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.   NKJV