What have you done for me lately? We often wonder what someone can do for us. But what do we do it comes to God. What can He do for us? Is our relationship based on our actions? Ephesians 1 looks a lot at what God has done for us.
The Roles of God in Our Relationship
We see that God the Father loves us. God chooses each one of us as individuals. It is taking us out of the world. He determined all of this even before He formed the world. The plan was not just about salvation and personal change but a loving, secure relationship. There is nothing in us though that deserves it. It is about conforming to His image and becoming like Him. As His children, we are special objects of His love. We get to participate in God’s glory and His blessings.
Jesus redeems us. Redemption is the price paid for our sins. We are not self redeemed. It is not just getting us out of sin’s penalty but its power and reuniting us with God. The purpose was God’s glory.
The Holy Spirit seals us. After salvation we are marked with a seal and lasts for eternity.. It authenticates us as true children. We are marked as belonging to God. Our salvation is secure. It is spoken as a past action that gives a present testimony. In other words, it is something that had been done and the effects are always with us. The seal indicates we are God’s. It is a pledge or down payment of our inheritance, which is more valuable then money.
The Impact
There is an impact in the life of the believer. Faith and love is the evidence in our involvement in God’s plan. The real evidence of God’s work in us is not love for God but love for others. That change is due to the power of God working in our life. We are given a better understanding of God. Our Christian life should be centered on the purpose to know God as He is. God wants to be real in the life of the believer. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead has freed us from sin.
Sources:
The Holy Bible, King James Version
Bible Software 4