The Wisdom of Snow

The Wisdom of SnowTrans-Siberian Orchestra

Now why this man's soul was bleeding

The angel had to understand

So invisible, he stood by him

And then gently touched his hand

Which caused the man to stand there still

Despite the winter's cold

And while he stood there in that trance

The angel read his soul

It seemed the man was not always like

The man he had become

And that angel wondered how that change had happened

And when it had begun

The man had been born to a kind and religious family

And raised in the midwest

And all throughout his childhood

This man, clearly, had been blessed

He grew up believing, among other things

Man was made in the image of god

He went to school, observed all rules

While working very hard

He had always tried to help others

Excelled at nearly every task

And when he'd graduated high school

Of course, he was the first one in his class

And in his eighteenth summer

When it was time for him to leave

He had offers from several colleges

All of them ivy league

And at college in all his studies

He always received straight "a"s

And when he tried his hand in theater

He got the lead in the senior play

It appeared to nearly everyone

There was no talent that he lacked

And for three years on the football team

He was, the star quarterback

And there he also met the girl

Who did become his wife

With her, his world was now complete

He had the perfect life

When they had graduated college

They were wed in a ceremony quite grand

Then they moved to new york

In a dream they seemed caught

Where all had been perfectly planned

She decorated their park avenue apartment

In a 1920's art-deco style

And six months after they had moved in

She told him, they would soon be having a child

And after their first ultrasound

He knew they were having a son

Their lives could not have been better

And they had only just begun

Together they arrived early at the hospital

On the delivery date

The father was taking no chances

And did not want to risk being late

But while waiting outside the delivery room

He could tell that something was going wrong

For too many doctors were rushing in

With none coming out for too long

When her own doctor finally came out

With several nurses at his side

He said that his wife had started hemorrhaging

And despite their best efforts, she died

Then in an effort to console him

A nurse gave him his newborn to hold

But from the way the child felt limp in his arms

He knew there was still more bad news to be told

The doctor then gave the prognosis

As gently as anyone could

But before he could finish explaining

The father only too well understood

The child had been cut off from oxygen

For minutes, which is far too long

The damage was now irreversible

His brain permanently malformed

He'd never hold a job,

Learn to read or ever talk

And it would be a miracle

If the child even learned how to walk

And with those words the father felt

His entire world falling apart

And he stumbled for the words to express

The tearing inside of his heart

He cried out, why did god have to take her

While she was still so young

And then as if to cut him deeper

Leave this thing here as his son

"please explain to me god's wisdom

How could he decide

To take from me my precious wife

While leaving this alive

There is no reason for this life

Why does he even exist

And if he had never been born

There is no way he'd have ever been missed

If man is made in god's image

Then something here is surely amiss

For there is nothing of god

Nothing of god

Nothing of god

Nothing of god

Nothing of god in this"

And then he asked for the child

To be placed in a state run home

And after he had signed the papers

He walked into that night alone

And in this world he found unkind

He built a wall around his mind

And every year he'd add new parts

Until it had also enclosed his heart

He kept his job and paid his debts

As he slowly became a silhouette

Of a man walking among the tombs

While living his life within his wounds

He distanced himself from all his friends

Even his sisters and brothers

And as time it went by, he developed his eyes

So they could only see the flaws in others

With this final glimpse, the angel stepped away

And the man shook himself out of his trance

Then continued his walk back towards his home

And few would have given his soul half of a chance

And the angel himself felt helpless

As he watched that old man there

So he did what even humans do

And he quickly said a prayer

And as the prayer flew to his lord

The angel did decide

To carefully follow the old man

And stay closely by his side

For on this night can one deny

The gift of a more sympathetic eye

To cast upon our fellow man

And on this night to understand

The frailty of childhood dreams

Like fireflies over summer streams

And if one dared to remove time's veil

Could one retrace those childhood trails?

But whispers in the winter's wind

Told of rescued dreams, forgiven sins

And who among us shall be deemed

To rescue some forgotten dream?

So on this night of christmas eve

As once again the spirits weave

Its snowswept dreams and colored lights

With bits of magic into each life

And as the snow comes gently down

Its soul intent to reach the ground

To cover scars the world still feels

Perhaps to give them time to heal

For as men invest in money

And professors in what they know

God invests in mercy

Like winter invests in snow

Love - 1 John 4:7-21

Love - 1 John 4:7-21 (ESV)

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

What kind of person sacrifices His only son out of Love? Abraham, maybe? God also? God did. Abraham did, but God stopped him and made a new way. Would you do what Abraham did?  Abraham did it out of obedience and trust in God.  I'm sorry but nothing is more important to me after God then my family. God first, Family Second, Others and myself last. I won't sacrifice my family or my only Son. He is that important to me. Same as my wife. But look at the fullness of Love that God the Father had for us in those verses. They are for the world and also individually. It's not because we loved God, on the contrary, it's because God loved us first and made the decision to love us so much that He sacrificed His only Son for us. Jesus said that no one has more love than this to lay down their life for another (I'm paraphrasing here). But is says in John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. That says the same thing that I said, so God is showing us the greatest of all of love in that He sent His Son to show us the greatest love by laying down His life for us all.

These verses really explain Love, especially God's love and how we can as Christians know love and how we should show love.  But is that enough?  No it's not.  The Holy Spirit directed the use of the word Agape for this section and many others.  Why, because the Spirit needed to redefine the word and make it even more powerful.  It took Agape to a whole new level.  Agape became a stronger word that also helps us understand our place within God.  God has preferential love towards us and towards His creation.  Remember when I said in a previous lesson that God is jealous over the spirit He put within us.  It bears repeating, even to me.  He is showing us preferential love not because of anything we did or our worth, but because He is Love.  It's based solely on the fact that God wants to show us His love.  These verse explains that and help us to recognize it so we can show it to others.

  God is Love and Love comes from God.  To understand Love you need to understand God, to understand God you need to understand Love.  Love is such an unusual concept that people sometimes can't comprehend it, is it chemical, emotional, or just something we came up with.  Well God the great creator is the one who created Love and is the perfection of Love.

Which leads us to the next verse in line about God's Love.  How much more can God love us or the world than to send His only Son as a sacrifice for us and for our very salvation.  John 3:16-18 is very clear on this.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  God sent Jesus to save, to rescue, to free the world from it's Sin and shame and corruption.  Jesus doesn't need to judge us, that's not his job as the Son of God, His job is to show us the Love of God.  He does that very clearly.  Jesus came to be Love for us not condemnation or judgment, but to help us experience and understand God's love better.  Without an example the Jews and Gentiles would have nothing to model after and would therefore continue to live by the Law and not by Love.  It's a new way of life based on Jesus living that example for us while He was here. 

You want to know Love look at Jesus example in the Gospel and how He treated individuals and communities.  Jesus was always caring, compassionate and never judgmental or demanding of people, it was always to show Love and Paul, who knew Jesus later on in life after Jesus was gone from the world understood and was able to describe Love in a way that everyone understands.  Paul was trying to help the Corinthians understand in his first letter to them what they needed to do in regards to a lot of things that were making their church have issues.  If you notice that is mainly what Paul was doing in his letters, instructing the intended audience on how to deal with the issues they were facing.  In 1 Corinthians 13 he was showing them Love and God simultaneously.  Lets look at an excerpt from 1 Corinthians 13, specifically verses 4-8 and 13  4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. 

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

  All that is defining love and it's importance.  Now back in 1 John 4:8 says 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  So now read over the verses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 again.

4 God is patient and kind; God does not envy or boast; God is not arrogant 5 or rude. God does not insist on His own way; God is not irritable or resentful; 6 God does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 God bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 God never ends.  Just take a look at that.  And in regards to believes all things, it also translates to have faith in.  So God has trust or faith in all things, why not He created it all.  From every atom to every object God trusts his creation and all that is in it.

To further emphasize my previous point in 1 John, these verses looked at in conjunction to the earlier ones explain God's character since God is Love. God exudes all these attributes of Love and Himself simultaneously. God the creator of Love and the epitome of Love is more than we can handle. He does all things in Love, because He Himself is Love. He shows preferential Love.

He is jealous to be near us, yet we push Him away. We take the world and it's things, things He created, and choose them over Him. We who were made in Love, don't show our creator and His creation, including ourselves, the Love we should. We are blinded by the world. But the Bible opens our eyes to what we are missing. It makes us aware that there is more outside ourselves, our selfish selves. That there is a Love beyond all reasoning and that we can attain it, show it and be a part of it.  We can see the beauty of Love from these verses taken all together. We are not more aware of our worth in God and our privileges as His children. God shows us His Love daily through His creation and through His words.

In summary, let me make three points clear from all this.

1. God and Love are one and the same. They epitomize each other and compliment each other.  To truly know Love you need to know God, to fully know God you need to know Love.  Knowing one will assist you to and help you know the other.

2.  God’s Love is unconditional.  It’s not based on anything we do and it’s available to the whole world.  If they wish to know it.  It’s available, but they need to accept it to truly know it.  And I’m not saying there aren’t loving people out there, but they don’t fully know Love unless they know God.

3.  God’s Love is preferential, meaning it’s directed toward His creation, just because. Nothing we did can make God more jealous over our souls and knowing us and being near us.  He Loves and desires us jealously to be near Him.  Yet, we decide to chase after other things.

So God’s Love is directed toward us because He Loves us not because of anything we did and Love and God are one and the same.

References: 1 John 4:7-21, John 3:16, John 15:13, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8,13

Holy - 1 Peter 1:14-16

Holy

What is Holy? Who is Holy? What does Holy Mean?

Definition: dedicated or consecrated to God, hallowed, sanctified, devoted to the service of God, saintly, godly, ordained

From the germanic origin of whole, complete

Holy is to be different, set aside, called out, special. Most people see Holy as being perfect, sinless, blameless and complete. Theses are all true statements. So unattainable as humans as we strive for the perfect body, face, hair, family, job, house, car, etc. We work for unattainable goals. Here’s another one: 1 Peter 1:14-16  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Peter is reminding us, actually commanding us to be Holy and Obedient children. Just because God who called us is Holy. That seems unreasonable, doesn’t it? Let’s look at this reference; Leviticus 11:44-45  For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

After listing all the unclean things they were to avoid God summarizes His feelings towards His people. Be Holy because I am Holy and again He says You are Holy because I am Holy.

So we have one section referencing another, that’s not enough, but it is because God said it. Now Jesus also states the same over His followers, which includes us. John 17:14-19 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified[d] in truth. and then John helps us out again in 1 John 3:3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

We are to be Holy, sanctified, complete, pure, consecrated people because Jesus, because God, because of the Holy Spirit. We don’t belong in the world, but we minister, we work, and we live here, but it’s not our home. Don’t get comfortable here. Be Holy, but be ready to leave because we don’t belong, the world doesn’t like truth and we are sanctified in the truth of Jesus. We are consecrated by God.

That makes us alive in Jesus and dead to the world. Living sacrifices and living stones as part of worship to God. We are sacrifices for God daily, it’s part of our services to God to sacrifice ourselves daily. To be available to God in whatever way possible. Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  puts it nicely as we present ourselves to God daily we are Acceptable and Holy sacrifices to God. And when we focus on God we will know what is pleasing and acceptable to God. God makes us Holy and Acceptable through Jesus and because God is Holy therefore making us Holy and Acceptable. Which means we are the Church, the Bride of Jesus. We are living stones that make up the Spiritual house of God. So we are part of God’s Temple, the building blocks that make it up. That is how Holy and Acceptable we are to God. Again we are Holy. Look at 1 Peter 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,  you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ., because of Jesus we are found to be Holy and Acceptable.

We are Holy to God. Holy beings that are not of this world, sanctified by Jesus, consecrated and set apart, called out to be a Holy priesthood. All because God gives us that gift. God makes us Holy. Jesus has sanctified us because we hope in Him and that brings us close to God. Just as grace is God’s inclination to bless us which means to come near. All that combined makes us the most awesome sacrifice living on God’s altar while we are at the same time part of God’s Temple. Stones that make up His building, where this altar stands, that’s where we are an ever present sweet smell to God.

We are the Holy, Acceptable, Pure people of God who represent His Temple on earth and bring Joy to God who desires us Jealously.

Grace - 1 Peter 1:3-12

Charis (Khar' ece) is the Greek for Grace.  Defined as divine influence on the heart and it's reflection in the life including gratitude.  Also benefit, favor, gift, joy, pleasure, thanks, and kindness.  It's also synonymous with mercy - being able to give without the merit of worth of the receiver.  The greek refers to the hebrew of /kana' grace - extension toward also meaning to God freely extending Himself (His favor, grace), reaching (inclining) to people because He is disposed to bless (be near) them.

In the OT spoke of Grace but mostly it was the Grace that we were to know, future grace.  The grace being prepared for us.  Our Faith is sown in God's grace - a soil we don't deserve but God provides.  Just like our Faith is a gift from God but we must do something with it.  It is by God's grace that we receive anything.  Yet what do we do with what God provides is just as important.

Peter states where and how this grace came to be.  In 1 Peter 1:10-11 he says:  Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.  It was prophecy about grace that was directed about Jesus and his bringing the grace, but also about us being the receivers of grace.  The prophets were hearing God speak about us and what we were to receive (without our merit) and about Jesus being the one to provide us with the grace.

Zechariah prophesied about Jesus by God's word in Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn."  Jesus is that Spirit of grace and mercy that God poured out on the world.  Without Jesus arrival here we would have no grace.  Also there would be not fulfillment of prophecy and scripture.  We would continue to be lost in our sin and attempting redemption by our own sacrifices and penance.

Look at John 1:14, 16-17  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth........ 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.   Jesus again the one bringing grace and truth.  Jesus is full of grace ans so out of His fullness we receive grace upon grace.  Grace because Jesus is grace and again because Jesus brings grace.  With this grace comes access.  Hebrews 4:14-16   Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.   Jesus is bringing His followers right to God's throne of grace and mercy.  Tearing down the barrier that separated us from God.  Giving us as Jesus's brothers and sisters an inheritance that is imperishable and access to the Father's throne room where we will find grace and mercy always.

So humility, being humble is a part of understanding grace and we need to be humble.  We are not to be proud as James 4:5-6 states.  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  We have access by being humble. So be humble because God is jealously want us for His own.  He doesn't want to share us with others.  Also Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  Humility makes us able to receive the grace of God better.  Which is the fulfillment of the Spirit of God that indwells in us all.

God's grace is our gift and we need to treat it as such.  Be humble in regards to it since we did not earn it and can't work for it.  We can grow our Faith and strengthen that muscle, but we need to remember that grace is God's unmerited gift to us.  So treat that gift very carefully and stay tuned to what being Holy is all about in the next post.  It will help you understand somethings better.  Also who you are in regards to God and His wonderful gifts to us as Born Again, Christians, Followers of Jesus.

References:  1 Peter 1:10-11, Zechariah 12:10, John 1:14,16,17, Hebrews 4:14-16, James 4:5-6, Romans 12:3

Salvation - 1 Peter 1:3-12

Salvation in the Greek is soteria it's reference in 196 different occurrences of the Bible.  Soteria translates to rescue, safety, deliver, health, salvation, save and saving.

So to continue from the previous post we can't see Faith, Salvation or Grace.  These words are concepts, nouns, products of God, things that we work with and work out within our limited minds and our limitless spirits.  Faith is us putting to practice and work out choice to follow and God equipping us to do that work for which we are called.  Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  It means following the will of God for our lives by following the Word of God so that we find calling and purpose.  If we follow God's Word we allow God to lead us and opportunities present themselves that God wants for us.

Now one of those is Salvation.  It is an opportunity provided by God. Salvation is freely given from God through Jesus.  From our choice to hold our Faith, our Trust in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.

Here are some things to look at in regards to Salvation:

1 Peter 1:5 - It's guarded by our Faith and will be revealed in the last days.
1 Peter 1:4 - It's imperishable (guaranteed), undefiled (pure, can't spoil), and unfading (won't / can't wear out), untouchable (protected in heaven), long lasting (eternal)
1 Peter 1:9 - It flourishes as an outcome of Faith
Romans 6:22-23 - Is a result of God's Grace
1 Peter 1:10 and Luke 10:24 - Was foretold by the prophets
1 Peter 2:9 - Separates us from the world
Hebrews 5:9 - Jesus is our source of eternal salvation

The first reference of Salvation is Genesis 49:18, the last reference is Revelation 22:17.

All of that denotes that God provides the Salvation.  Jesus name also means to deliver, to rescue and salvation.  Just look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:9 to be specific.  And so He is salvation.  Jesus the perfect sacrifice makes us who Trust, Sons and Daughters, family without which we have no inheritance, but in verse 4 of 1 Peter 1 we do have that inheritance so we are family.  Psalms and the Old Testament when speaking of salvation say it's God's.  But for our our time, not then, but now.  It's intangible.  We will see it's result in the revelation at our final calling, when Jesus returns.

From start to finish the Bible focuses on God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit from end to end.  Exodus 15:2 - God has become our salvation, this if from the Song of Moses.  Isaiah 12:2 - Putting our trust in God for our salvation.  Let me leave you with a few references more to look over.  Luke 1:76-77 - John the Baptist was sent to proclaim the coming of Salvation (Jesus)to the world.  Ephesians 6;17 - We wear the Helmet of Salvation - sign of who we belong to and a protection against death.  Titus 2:11-15 - Salvation is freely available to all.  1 Peter 2:1-2 - We grow into our salvation.

Salvation is freely available to all who will Trust in Jesus and put their Faith in what He did to abolish sin and death.  Accept it and Live it before it's too late.

Faith - 1 Peter 1:3-12

1 Peter 1:3-12

To start off here are some attributes to Faith: Guard, Shield, Seal, Producer, invisible, looks to the future, evidence of things unseen, non-tangible.

In 1 Peter 1:3-12, Faith and Salvation are mentioned 3 times each and Grace once.  In verse 5 it speaks of Faith being our guard over out salvation.  When you look at Ephesians 6:16 it's our shield against satan's attacks.  In Romans 9:30-33 it brings righteousness and in Hebrews 11:6 it would be impossible to please God without our Faith.  Given to us by God, but our choice/seed to use as God expects.  In James 1:2-4 our Faith is tested daily and produces steadfastness.  Then in 2 Peter 1:5-8 we need to supplement our Faith.  This helps us to strengthen our shield, guard and fortress.  We work on this and so does God.  It's not our work alone or anything to earn heaven it's just our way of growing.

We grow by our daily walk, devotional time in the Bible, relationships with other Christians, attendance at Church and many other ways but these are core to strengthening our faith.  Our Faith grows and is strengthened by various trials that test us and how we respond can either strengthen or weaken our Faith.  Both of these provide us with a Faith so we can defend our salvation and provide a defense against satan's attacks.  Practice and application within these areas means that our Faith will and is more precious than gold.  Our salvation is that important that we have a system in place to protect it all costs.

In verse 9 our faith produces / outcome is a strong, flourishing, fruitful salvation that brings in v. 7 praise, glory and honor at Jesus revelation at the last time as shown in verse 5.  Now Faith is interesting because it's our side of the coin.  It is ours to make the decision.  God draws us all to Him but each of us makes the choice.  Faith is reference as ours.  Possessive to the person. God provides the grace to all and salvation to those who put their Faith, Trust in God and what Jesus accomplished on the cross and His resurrection.

Just look at Matthew 17:19-20 where Jesus speaks of the disciples Faith and how they needed to have little faith to at least so the little things.  In Luke 17:5-6 the disciples ask to have their faith increased by Jesus and Jesus says again how they need to have just a little faith and they will have enough.  Grace is the soil for our seed of Faith that we provide the choice to do something with it.  Ephesians 2:8-10 states that it's by Faith that we are God's not by anything that we do beyond making the choice to follow.  Here are some more references: Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 11:22-23 and James 2:22-23.

The act of doing completes our Faith.  Our works are our outward expression of our faith and it builds our faith, and strengthens it.  Do you take responsibility for your Faith?  Do you nurture it, feed it, help it to grow?  What are you doing with your faith?  It's like a plant so take care of it.

Our Faith is the words in the book of our life.  What's written in your book?  Are you daily trusting God for your well being?

A Believer’s Position in Grace

A Believer’s Position in Grace

Ephesians 1:1-14

I. Paul’s Letter (Epistle) to Ephesians was written around 62-64 AD, while he was under house arrest in Rome.  It was carried by Tychicus w/ the letter for Colossians and Philemon.  We are going to look at Ephesians Chapter 1 and the Theme of “A Believer’s Position in Grace”.
A letter of general instruction.  One of the churches Paul helped start.  It was his base of operation for 2 years while spreading the gospel to the area of Asia Minor.  Was a wealthy port city.  The are referenced in Revelations 2:1-7 as abandoning their first love (Jesus) and not continuing to do what they should.  They needed to remember what they were like when they first believed and what they did then and to do it again.  They fulfilled John’s prophecy in that there isn’t a single Christian living there now.

II. v. 3 All or Every Spiritual Blessing in Jesus - What do you think that phrase means?  Do you believe they are yours to claim?  The are all still available to the Believe today.  Pure doctrines of the Gospel.  Full graces and gifts of the Spirit.  Transferred and conveyed by the Holy Spirit.  Necessary in the work of God among men.
Blessings of God are the Teachings of Jesus and the unmerited. Love, freely give to us from God and the wonderful gifts of the Spirit, also freely given to us by God.
Based on our knowing Jesus as our Lord
Nothing we do improves that.  Unearned.  No work justifies it.
We show our works now because we love God and what He did for us and want to return a small portion back.

III. v. 4 Holy and Blameless in His sight - Who wants to be Holy and Blameless in God’s sight?  How can we be Holy and Blameless in God’s sight?  Before time God chose that those found in Jesus would be Holy and Blameless before Him in Love.  It’s because God sees us through a Jesus filter.  If it wasn’t for Jesus sacrifice, where he stood in our place on the cross, between heaven and earth as our ultimate sacrifice, God would not be able to look upon us due to our daily sin.
Being holy and blameless is a goal set by God, it’s not optional.  We are Holy, in other words, morally pure.  We are blameless, as in guilt free from sin.  These are only available because of Jesus and what He did for us.

IV. v. 5 Predestined us to be adopted by God’s will - Who is predestined?  Adoption into the family of God as Christians.  This is God’s will to make us His children in Jesus.  By Jesus sacrifice and shedding of blood we are now blood relatives.  Blood relatives to each other as part of the family of God and blood relatives to God.  Officially children of God.

V. v. 6 Made acceptable in Jesus - Why do we need to be made acceptable?  Blessed us and favored us in the Beloved, that is Jesus.  Again if it wasn’t for Jesus we would not be made acceptable to God.  And because we are made acceptable for God’s glorious praise.  Another way of putting it, is that coming to Jesus in salvation benefits God, because it brings glory, honor and praise to Him.

VI. v. 7 Redeemed by Jesus Blood - What does this mean to you?  Bought back from our sinful death by Jesus loving sacrifice.  If it wasn’t for Jesus we would die once and be done, but have eternal damnation since we can’t ever earn our way to Heaven or to God’s good graces.  This redemption entails / promises / guarantees our forgiveness of sins by God’s perfect grace.  It is God’s riches in grace that has freed us from slavery to sin and guilt and death.

VII. v. 8 Lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight (understanding) - What did He lavish upon us? His Grace.  We have peace in grace.  We can’t know peace without his grace.  It’s lavished and abounded or slavished or slathered upon us by God and w/ all His wisdom and insight.
By His Grace - Just Because . . . . He Loved us
By His Grace - Just Because . . . . He Knew us
By His Grace - Just Because . . . . Cared for us
That’s how much He Loves us.

VIII. v. 9-10 God’s mystery will is to unite all under Jesus - What is our Job?  God’s great mystery is to unite all under one umbrella, that is Jesus.  So since the beginning of time God wanted all to be united to Him.  To that end we sent Jesus who was obedient unto death to be the ultimate sacrifice and free us for the uniting of all.  It’s our job to assist in bringing all to Jesus.  We are called to be His instruments, either in word, action or visual representation.  Sometimes we are the only view of Jesus other people will ever have.

IX. v. 11-12 Inheritance in God - What did God give us here?  Gave us the ability to be heirs in eternal life.  God gave us Jesus and His obedience.  Jesus who agreed with God’s will made the inheritance possible.  Therefore we are called Son’s and Daughter’s of God.  Children of the living God.  Predestined people to be His to further reach out to others and bring them into the Body of Christ.

X. v. 13-14 Sealed with the Holy Spirit - What is our Guarantee?  The Holy spirit is our guarantee on our inheritance w/ Jesus.  It’s God’s seal upon us before all creation that we are His heirs.  Brothers and Sisters in Jesus.  Covered with a Royal Seal, that means we are protected and preserved.

XI. Summary - I want you to look at verses 6, 12 and 14 again and see if you see any similarities.  God’s blessings upon us as Christians bring praise, glory and honor to God.  So the little things we do each day for others and for God bring praise to His glory.