Hans Sangtoki Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
“In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6)
The end goal of our lives is so that we can glorify God for the working of His glorious grace to us, His people. The end goal of our lives is not to accomplish great things for God by our own might. The end goal is to witness God transforming us as His church into holy saints pleasing to Him from sinful vessels. Oh, that we would have our eyes opened to see the hope we have been called to, the glorious inheritance in the saints and the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe!
What was the point of predestination, redemption, adoption, and inheritance? God worked these things in us so that we might wonder at the depth of His love and be satisfied in praising Him for His glorious grace. This grace is truly glorious. Yet, only those whose eyes are opened will ever see it.
Before creating the world, God chose us who are His children and predestined us to be made holy and blameless before Him. This is a wonderful truth! God did not choose us because He knew we were better than all the other humans, and we were going to repent of sin down the path. God knew that we would sin against Him and rebel against His ways. Yet, He chose us out of love. He set His heart from the beginning that broken sinners like us would be miraculously transformed into holy and blameless people who glorify and give honour to God.
For this to occur, God knew that we had to be reconciled with Him first. God knew that we were sinners deserving His full wrath. Sinful men cannot meet a holy God and live. Sinful men broke off their relationship with the holy God. There needed to be reconciliation. So, from the beginning, God predestined that we would be adopted as God’s children through the work of Christ on the cross. Through Christ, God planned for those far to be brought near. God planned to heal those who were broken and lost. All this was according to God’s will so that we might praise God for the blessings He has given us in His Son.
In a significant moment of history, Christ came and became a man. He came and brought redemption through His blood so that our sins would be forgiven and we could actually be reconciled with God. What God promised before the foundation of the world, He accomplished. Christ came so that we could be forgiven of sins, be reconciled to God, so that we can be His children who are holy and blameless, serving and giving glory to Him for His grace.
All these things were done because of God’s rich grace, which he lavishes abundantly on us. These were the truths that Christ revealed when He came, showing that it was God’s will all along to be able to bring reconciliation amongst all things between a sinful people and a holy God. God’s plan from eternity past was that we could enjoy God’s company in holiness and perfection.
This reconciliation will be made perfect in the heavenly inheritance waiting for us. The Holy Spirit is now the one who guarantees this inheritance for us until we acquire it. We will surely be made holy and blameless one day, having received every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Now, we are slowly being transformed until we are perfected in heaven. We are learning what it means to be God’s children, what it means to be holy and blameless. We are learning what it means to serve Christ and follow Him as He intended us to. We are learning to surrender our whole hearts to Him and discovering that our truest and deepest joy is found in doing such.
This is all the work of God in our lives by the riches of His grace. May He get all the glory for all that He has done!
Lord, open our eyes to see the wonders and glory of our grace. Give us a personal knowledge of You and what You have done. Thank You that we are Yours and that we are safe in Your hands. Thank You that You are transforming us and that we are part of Your story to shine forth Your glory. Have mercy on us sinners. In Jesus’ name, amen.