THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GIVING ATTITUDE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GIVING ATTITUDE!

Memory verse: "For If there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.” (Second Corinthians 8 vs 12.) 

READ: First Kings 17 vs 10 - 16:

17:10: So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”

17:11: And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

17:12: So she said, “As the Lord Your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

17:13: And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 

17:14: For thus says the Lord God of Israel; ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.

17:15: So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.

17:16: The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

INTIMATION:

God is mindful of the willingness of the heart to give out of your resources. He knows our individual capacities because our blessings come from Him. Holding back much of your abundance reflects unrighteousness to God, and unbelief. However, the person who can give only a small out of his or her meager resources shouldn’t be embarrassed. God is concerned about the willingness to give from your resources.

A giving attitude is more important than the amount given. The amount we give is not as important as why and how we give. God does not want us to give grudgingly. Instead, He wants us to give out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the fact that it was simply the good and right thing to do.

People may hesitate to give generously to God because they worry about having enough money left over to meet their own needs. But God is able to meet our needs. The person who gives only a little will receive only a little in return. Don’t let a lack of faith keep you from giving cheerfully and generously. 

In the passage we read today, it was obvious that when the widow of Zarephath met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal. But a simple act of faith from a willing heart, flowing from a giving attitude, produced a miracle— an overflow. She trusted Elijah and gave all she had to eat with her household to him. 

Also, consider the story of the giving of a poor widow In Mark 12 vs 41 - 44. Jesus’ remarks on the offering of a poor widow is quite revealing of God’s kingdom standard; “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12 vs 43 - 44,)

These widows, in faith, gave all they had to live on, from a willing heart, flowing from their giving attitude. They knew they were giving to the God that owns everything, and ‘is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that they ask or think.’ The widow of Zarephath, by her giving, provoked divine provisioning, such that she, the prophet, and her household were fed all through the period of drought or famine. 

This attitude resulted to the miracle of raising the dead. The widow’s son was raised up from death, after he fell seriously ill and died. It is interesting to note that the widow that gave the two mites got God’s approval because she gave extravagantly all that she had, while the rich amongst them were given big sums from their abundance. God saw her offering as the biggest. 

How you give reflects your devotion to Christ. You should give as a response to to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. Your willingness to give enthusiastically is more important than the amount you give. When we consider giving a certain percentage of our income a great accomplishment, we resemble those who gave “out of their abundance.” Here Jesus was admiring generous and sacrificial giving. As believers, we should consider increasing our giving—whether of money, time, or talents—to a point beyond convenience or calculation. 

From the Scriptures, we see the benefits of giving to include: (1) It Provokes divine provision. (2) It provokes divine protection. (3) It provokes God’s approval, especially when you give sacrificially. (4) It ensures freedom from enslavement to our possessions. (5) It provides the joy of helping others. (6) It opens doors of more blessing by God, more than you can ask or think.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of giving out of dedication to Christ, and give me the grace to willingly and generously give sacrificially that You will make all grace abound toward me, that I will always have all sufficiency in all things, and that I may abound to every good work, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD’S GRACE! PART 3.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY AUGUST 28, 2023.

SUBJECT : GOD’S GRACE! PART 3.

Memory verse: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4.) 

READ: Romans 6 vs 1 - 2; Galatians 5 vs 4; Titus 2 vs 11 - 13:

Romans 6:1: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

6:2: Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer it?

Galatians 5:4: You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Titus 2:11: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

2:12: teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in the present age,

2:13: looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

INTIMATION: 

Grace teaches us that in view of the love of God for us through the cross, it is reasonable that we should naturally respond to God’s will with the totality of our lives. When we understand all that God has done for us through the cross, then our hearts respond with gratitude to God for His saving grace. 

The motivation of the Christian is based on the grace of God. Therefore, only those who have hearts of gratitude are deserving of the eternal kingdom of heaven. When one’s life is controlled by thanksgiving and gratitude, he develops skills by which he can continually dwell with others. He looks for opportunities to help others because God has helped him. He is thus, mentally prepared for heavenly dwelling. 

We are taught to live godly. Since the grace of God has been manifested to all men, then it is God’s desire that all men obediently respond to His will.. When one truly understands the grace of God, he will respond in thanksgiving for all that God has done through Christ. Our motivation to please God is not because we are trying to legally justify ourselves before God, and thus put God in debt to reward with heaven. 

We must not turn grace into lascivious living. If sin magnifies the righteousness of God to act through grace, then some erroneously assumed that sin would result in more grace. Some were assuming that grace would cover their willful violation of law. Others possibly thought that they could be slack in their Christian duties, believing that God’s grace would save them in their laziness. 

The freedom we have in grace is not a license to sin. Christians have been set free from law and sin by God’s grace, but they have not been set free to sin against the law. On the contrary, law is established by our thankful response to grace. Those who died to sin were those who were seeking a solution for sin. The solution they found was the grace of God. It is not reasonable, therefore, that they should go back into that from which they were delivered.

Grace establishes law. Law is established in the life of the one who walks in gratitude for the grace of God. Law is established because the obedient son cries out “Abba Father” in his realization that he cannot direct his own paths. He thus cries out for the guidance of the Father. The Father responds with direction, and thus, law is brought into the life of the one who responds by faith in the grace of God. 

We can fall from grace. if one returns to a system of justification by perfect law-keeping and meritorious deeds, then he is alienated from Christ. He is cut off from the grace of God. By perfect performance of law no one can be justified before God. All who would seek to supplement the grace of God through works of law or meritorious deeds are fallen from the grace of God. 

We don’t need to live any longer under sin’s power. The penalty of sin and its power over us  were miraculously destroyed on the cross. Through faith in Christ we stand acquitted or not guilty, before God. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots—we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we became Christians, we were dead in sin and were slaves to our sinful nature. But now we are alive with Christ.

Prayer: Abba Father, Abba Father, thank You Everlasting and Merciful Lord for Your unmerited favor bestowed upon me through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for my salvation. My utmost heart desire is to serve You acceptably all the days of my life, and I trust that only You can empower me to do so by Your grace, imake all grace abound toward me, that I will always have all sufficiency in all things, and have an abundance for every good work in doing Your will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD’S GRACE! PART 2.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2023.

SUBJECT : GOD’S GRACE! PART 2.

Memory verse: “But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. (Second Corinthians 8 vs 7.) 

READ: Romans 3 vs 23 - 24; Second Corinthians 9 vs 8; Galatians 1 vs 15 - 16; Second Peter 3 vs 18:

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:24: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus 

Second Corinthians 9:8: And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Galatians 1:15: But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace,

Galatians 1:1:6 to reveal His Son to me, that I might preach Him among the Gentles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,

Second Peter 3:18: But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.

INTIMATION:

We are justified by grace. All humanity has fallen short of that which is required for one to dwell in the presence of God. The result of law is that all are made sinners. The result of sin is separation from God. And the result of separation from God is spiritual death which will eventually lead to a second death. Since all men sin, then apart from the grace of God, no man can stand justified before God on the basis of law alone. We are justified before God, not on the basis of meritorious obedience to law or good works. 

We are justified on the basis that God saved us regardless of our inability to keep the law perfectly in order to save ourselves. This grace was freely given regardless of the spiritual condition of all humanity. It has to be freely given because men could not work in order to earn grace. Therefore, grace was given to take care of the sin problem of man. Once justified from sin by grace, we are then reconciled again to His presence and glory. All these were made possible by the sacrificial cross of Jesus where God’s grace was manifested. 

We grow in grace. It is the responsibility of each Christian to grow spiritually. The realm for growth is within the grace and knowledge of Jesus. One’s realization of God’s grace and knowledge that Jesus is the manifestation of the sacrificial Lamb who took away our sins, should stimulate us to spiritually grow. God has provided the motivation for spiritual growth through the revelation of His grace on the cross. It is the responsibility of Christians to grow in response to God’s grace and the knowledge that God poured out His love for mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus for our salvation.

We hope through grace. The Scripture in Second Thessalonians 2 vs 16 - 17 says, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace.m, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, while the Father remained in the Spirit. God has given us comfort through the gospel. The result of our comfort will carry on throughout heavenly glory. It has been through the grace of God that we are saved. 

We abound through grace. Adam’s sin affected posterity. All men die as Adam spiritually died because all men sin. Spiritual death, therefore, ruled in the lives of men until the cross. When Jesus came, the opportunity was presented to men to reign over death in life through Jesus. One’s reign in life, therefore, is inseparably connected with the abundance of God’s grace through which comes the gift of justification. There is no reign in life outside Christ. 

We are called by grace. Our call to Christ and to do God’s work is according to the work of God, not of man. We are called by grace, not by any work of ours.  Before our birth God has foreordained on the work or purpose we are to serve on this earth. We are called by the grace that was manifested on the cross. We are called by rendering ourselves to the appeal of God’s atoning sacrifice for our sins, sins we could not atone through good works. 

We continue in grace. We continue as Christians only in the favor of God by being receptive to His Word. The Scripture, in Acts 13 vs 43 says, “Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 

God’s grace is for the humble. Therefore, the humble receive grace. The Scripture, in James 4 vs 6, says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says:”God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” God’s grace is extended toward those who have humbly submitted to Him. Those who are arrogant will not submit their lives to the Will of God. They resist submission, and thus, God resists giving His grace to them in order that they might be saved.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You Merciful and Loving Lord for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for our sins. Never had their been any show of love and mercy such as this. My utmost heart desire is to serve You acceptably all the days of my life, and only You can empower me to do so by Your grace, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD’S GRACE! PART 1.

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY AUGUST 26, 2023.

SUBJECT : GOD’S GRACE! PART 1.

Memory verse: “Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved.) Ephesians 2 vs 5.) 

READ: Romans 5 vs 1 - 2, 6 - 10:

5:1: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

5:2: through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

5:6: For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

5:7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

5:8: But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5:9: Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

5:10: For if, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

INTIMATION:

The “Grace of God” is defined as God’s free and unmerited favor for sinful humanity. It’s the unmerited favor of God toward man that was made possible by the sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross. Grace is thus the free gift of God because we cannot, through meritorious works or perfect keeping of law, earn God’s favor and justification. God saves by grace because of our obedient response to Him by faith.

God’s grace is Divine. In this respect there is stress on its freeness and universality, its spontaneous character, as in the case of God’s redemptive mercy, and pleasure or joy He designs for the recipient. It bestows on the part of the receiver a sense of favor bestowed, a feeling of gratitude, and sometimes the desire to be thankful. 

We are saved by grace.  It is noteworthy that the provision that was necessary to revive man from his death in sin was totally based on the initiative of God. The Scripture states thus, “But God manifests His love toward us, in that while we are still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5 vs 8.) No man can righteously live in a manner to earn the mercy of God. We have been made alive with Christ because of God’s grace, not because we have legally earned or deserved God’s love, grace, and thus, His mercy.

God’s grace, therefore, was undeserved and unmerited because no man lived flawlessly in reference to God’s law in order to demand grace and mercy. Therefore, when one thinks of the plan of salvation that has been extended to man, he must understand that such was made possible by God without any obligation on the part of God to do such.

There is no other way to be saved except by the grace of God. Salvation comes to man as an unearned gift of God who has loved man. This favor of God did not come because we lived in a manner to earn or deserve the cross of Jesus. Men could never do enough good works to merit the reward of eternal life. It is only by the grace of God that salvation and eternal life are offered. 

This does not mean, however, that there are no conditions. Therefore, without the condition of obedience, grace would profit no one in reference to eternal life. It is by obedience to the gospel in response to God’s grace we have been saved. The gospel teaches us that we must acknowledge what Christ wrought for us on the cross, confess Him as our Lord and Savior (Be born again) and surrender our lives to Him. And these conditions of salvation are given in order that one step into the realm of God’s continued grace through the cross.

When we realize that our salvation has been made possible by the grace of God, and that we need not trust in the merit of perfect obedience, then our hope is made sure. Therefore, the hope of a Christian does not rest on his ability to perfectly perform law or accumulate meritorious good works. We can have hope because we have faith in the grace of God.

We cannot earn grace. Jesus did not die on the cross because men had meritoriously earned His sacrificial death. He died even though we were in sin. The loving grace of God was thus manifested though we were in sin. The loving grace of God was thus manifested through the cross because Jesus died for the unloving and undeserving. 

We stand in grace. We gain entry into the realm of God’s grace through Jesus in whom we must have faith. It is grace that brings assurance, for upon it we base our spiritual and emotional stability. Upon it we base our salvation. We do not stand on our ability to perfectly keep law, nor on our good works. Christians stand because of and on the grace of God. Their salvation is dependent on God’s grace since they are unable to keep law perfectly or do good works in order to atone for their own sin.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You Everlasting and Merciful Lord for Your unmerited favor bestowed upon through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation. Never had their been any show of love and mercy such as this. My utmost heart desire is to serve You acceptably all the days of my life, and I trust that only You can empower to do so by Your grace, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

WORD AFFIRMATION AS A LIFESTYLE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2023.

SUBJECT : WORD AFFIRMATION AS A LIFESTYLE!

Memory verse: "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men." (Titus 3 vs 8.)

READ: Revelation 12 vs 11:

12:11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death.

INTIMATION:

Living your life in the Word involves believing, confessing and affirming the Word of God. Affirmation is the last part of the process of this living. To affirm is to make firm. An affirmation is a statement of truth that you make firm by repetition. The Scripture, in our memory verse! says, "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly....." The bold declaration or affirmation of the Word is indicative of the inherent truth, and your trust and believe in it. 

In the first five Books of Moses, God's expression of "I am the LORD" occurred more than two thousand five hundred times, indicating the truth, and lays credence to the fact, and the value of affirmation. That should be the lifestyle of every child of God; confessing, and affirming the Word. 

You should constantly affirm to your own soul the great, and outstanding facts of redemption, reminding yourself constantly of your identity in Christ Jesus, confessing and affirming the fullness of Jesus Christ and His finished work in the presence of your enemies; in the presence of your weakness; in the presence of your adversary. 

They may not mean much the first time you repeat them, but constantly reaffirm them. By and by, the Spirit will illumine them, and your soul will be flooded with light and joy. Every time you repeat what God has said about you as an individual, about Himself—The Trinity, and the church, these truths reach down deep into your inner being with strength, courage, joy and victory. 

Our spiritual lives depend upon our constantly affirming what God has declared, what God is in Christ, what we are in Christ, and what we are before the Father in Christ. It is for this reason that the apostle Paul, in Philemon 6, says, "That the sharing of our faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."

In the passage we read today, Satan, our accuser, was defeated when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. The victory is won on our behalf by that supreme sacrifice, that is, Christ's death in our place to pay the penalty of our sin, and the sacrifices we make because of our faith in Him; testifying of Him as our Lord and Savior, and affirming what He wrought for us in redemption. These good works of believe, confession, and affirmation, in faith, are all good and profitable for Christians. 

The Bible includes hundreds of passages that speak about the power of the Word. Locate as many as you can, and confess, and affirm them. They will be more effective as you speak them with volume, feeling, conviction, and enthusiasm. Words weakly spoke have minimal results. I encourage you to speak some of these affirmations as many times as you can, but at least, three to five times a day. 

Prayer: Abba Father, forever Your Word is perfect, and settled in heaven. Endue me with the spirit of bold declaration of Your Word at all times, that I may reap their manifestation in my life, in Jesus” Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

ALWAYS STRIVE TO HAVE A GOOD CONSCIENCE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY AUGUST 24, 2023.

SUBJECT : ALWAYS STRIVE TO HAVE A GOOD CONSCIENCE!

Memory verse: "Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.” (Hebrews 13 vs 18.)

READ: Hebrews 10 vs 22 - 24:

10:22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

10:24: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and to good works:

INTIMATION:

Conscience is a knowing with oneself. It’s that faculty by which we apprehend the will of God, as that which is designed to govern our lives. It is that process of thought which distinguishes what is considers morally good or bad, commending the good, and condemning the bad, and so prompting to do the former, and avoid the later. Your conscience is your first judge, and imprisons you if you are not acting appropriately. We escape the gnawing accusations of our consciences by acting in love, and setting our hearts on God's love. Not by ignoring them or rationalizing our behavior. Do good, act appropriately, and you will then free yourself by having a good conscience.

Many feel guilty because they think they are not doing enough to show proper love to Christ, and others. Their conscience bother them. If they ignore their consciences, then they sin because they have compromised their faith by doing something they believe is wrong. One must not allow his faith to be led astray by a violation of what he or she conscientiously knows to be what is right. 

How can you keep your conscience good? Treasure your faith in Christ more than anything else and do what you know is right. Each time you deliberately ignore your conscience, you are hardening your heart. Over a period of time your capacity to tell right from wrong will diminish. As you walk with God, He will speak to you through your conscience, letting you know the difference between right and wrong. Be sure to act on those inner tugs so that you do what is right—then your conscience will remain clear. Do not ignore those inner tugs nor rationalize your behavior, but set your heart on God’s love. 

When you come to God with a good or clear conscience, you are coming to Him without fear, confident that your requests will be heard. When you say, "God you know that I am walking in the light of love, I am doing Your Word," then persuade your heart. If you go into His presence for intercession, your heart is not fearful; your heart does not condemn you. Your heart is in perfect fellowship with the Living Word and you have boldness in His presence, conscious that you are welcome. You make your petition in the name of Jesus, and you know that the Father hears you and that you have the petition of your heart.

We try to steer clear of actions forbidden by Scripture, of course, but sometimes Scripture is silent. Then we should follow our consciences, and be faithful in your doings. “Whatever is not from faith is sin” means that to go against a conviction will leave a person with a guilty conscience. When God shows us that something is wrong for us, we should avoid it. 

Job said, “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” (Job 27 vs 6.) In the midst of all accusations, Job was able to declare that his conscience was clear. Only God’s forgiveness and the determination to live right before God can bring a good or clear conscience. How important Job’s record became as he was being accused. Like Job, we can’t claim sinless lives, but we can claim forgiven lives. When we confess our sins to God, He forgives us. Then we can live with good or clear consciences (First John 1 vs 9.) 

Sometimes after confessing our sins, we still feel guilty. However, when such guilt feeling rise up in our hearts, we should remind ourselves that God knows our motives as well as our actions. His voice of assurance is stronger than the accusing voice of our conscience. If we are in Christ, He will not condemn us (Romans 8 vs 1; Hebrews 9 vs 14 - 15). So if you are living for the Lord but feeling that you are not good enough, remind yourself that God is greater than your conscience. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of obedience to Your Word; hearing and doing Your Word, that my conscience may be good in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

OUR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23, 2023.

SUBJECT: OUR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS IN CHRIST! 

Memory verse: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1 vs 3.)

READ: Ephesians 1 vs 3 - 6, 11 - 14:

1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, 

1:4: 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:

1:5: Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

1:6: to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

1:11: 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:

1:12: that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

1:13: 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,

1:14: who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.

INTIMATION:

God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1 vs 3). You are blessed with everything that you need to live for Him. His very fullness is yours. His love is yours. Yes, He Himself is yours. In Christ we have all the benefits of knowing God—being chosen for salvation, being adopted as His children, forgiveness, insight, the gifts of the Spirit, power to do God’s will, the hope of living forever with Christ. 

Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now. The “heavenly places” means that these blessings are eternal, not temporal. The blessings come from Christ’s spiritual realm. His righteousness and all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places was given to us in Christ with the intent that we bear fruit with them. We become the disciples of Christ in utilizing the blessings to bear fruit. 

God is making His grace to come leaping toward you in all its fullness, and that grace has within it His all sufficiency for every good work, and in every emergency. Do you understand what He means by "fruits of your righteousness?" It means all the gracious things you are able to do with these heavenly blessings at your disposal, just as Jesus did in His earth walk. All the gracious words that Jesus said and all the mighty acts that He performed were the fruits of His righteousness. I wonder if you have ever thought of it. In our fruit of righteousness God the Father is glorified. And He promised to increase and multiply whatever we do to bear fruit. (John 15 vs 😎. 

How little we have appreciated this, that His very sufficiency and ability—all the heavenly blessings—are all at our disposal. How ashamed we ought to be that we have ever talked about our weakness and our lack when the measureless ability of God is ours. You see when He took us over and came into us in the person of the Holy Spirit, and began to build His Word into us, He was building His sufficiency and His ability into us. He was enriching us liberally in everything, no restrictions. Why then do we restrict ourselves? Now, take note of this fact carefully; He is not only our ability, but He is also our sufficiency. 

The apostle Paul beautifully put it in First Corinthians 2 vs 12 thus, "Now we have received, not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God." These things that are given to us are in the finished work of Christ. We have access to all the riches of His grace unveiled in that finished work of Christ. Jesus, in His benevolence, and knowing our inabilities, came in His Spirit form to abide with us, and be our Helper (John 14 vs 18), and also, primarily to reveal God and Himself to us, and also our inheritance in Him. 

That great, mighty Holy Spirit who has come to make His home in our body is guiding us into all the reality of the wealth that has been given to us in Christ. He is making us know what the resurrection means to us: that if we were raised together with Christ, we are masters of the forces that operated in slaying Jesus; that we are now taking Jesus' place in this earth walk. 

Take for instance, the Word of God created this universe; created this earth with all its richness; the flowers and fruits, its wealth of minerals, chemicals, and oils etc. His efficiency in that living Word created these things. Now He is building into us that living Word with its supernatural efficiency. Now, a prayer life of the believer, backed with this whole knowledge, becomes invincible. All we need to do now is to take our place and act our part for it is God who is at work within us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2 vs 13). Not only is He building Himself into us, but He is there to work through us.

Jesus was fearless in the presence of the enemy in every place. He had no fear of a storm at sea. He had no fear of lack. He wasn't afraid of death. He raised Lazarus who had been dead four days. He wasn't afraid of a mob. He exercised power over nature and its forces. Those were some of the fruits of His righteousness. When these fruits abound in us they will make us like Jesus, and these fruits can abound in us. Therefore, build yourself up in His Word, submit to the Holy Spirit do His great works of reminding and revealing the truth in the Word that you may be a true disciple of Christ, abounding in every good work.

Prayer: Abba Father, You have given everything I need to be sufficient in all things, and have made Your grace to overflow toward me that I should efficiently abound in good work in Your vineyard. May Your Spirit build me up in Your Word that I may abound in wisdom and knowledge of You, and my inheritance in Christ, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!