Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Ephesians 1:7 – 10

I stand in awe as I read these words, and consider what they are really describing.  The only way I can comprehend the depths and reality of all this is to start where the writer, Paul does, with Jesus.

“In him.”  That is, in Christ.  It is all about the merciful work of Jesus Christ.  It is “in Him” that redemption reaches us and changes our position relative to God and everything else entirely.  How did this happen?  Through the blood of Jesus Christ, Paul insists.  There is no other way to relate to God because it only the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from our sins, the problem that keeps all humans from God.  We cannot possibly earn this eternal favor.  It is God’s to give.

In addition to cleansing us through the Blood of Jesus, God lavishes the riches of his extraordinary grace on us, with all wisdom and understanding.  The all wise One, the One who understands all things, especially us, reveals to us the mystery of God’s will that he purposed in Christ. 

Is this not hard to believe??  It is overwhelming.  Why we should receive this flood of blessing from God through Jesus?  It is out of synch with what we think as human beings.  We have taken our own way – Jesus brings us to His way.  We have diminished our importance – Jesus gives us a new persona and a living hope that is as real as the morning sun.  He is our immortality!

Come to think of it, why would anyone turn down this offer?  Why not bow the neck and humbly receive this lavished grace?  The vision is comprehensive and strong – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.  Lord, settle me on this eternal offering.

Elizabeth just got her first ballet dancing shoes, note the square toes for her stylish tip-toe stance.  The first time anything like this was on our oak kitchen table.  Elizabeth will have a several hour practice today.

In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 1:5 – 6

I recall memorizing as a child, “God is love.”  But, what does that mean?  Here are a few thoughts.  For some, God is like a demanding parent, always expecting more than we can possibly give. Or He is like a heartless judge who finds so much in us to condemn that there is no hope at all of ever pleasing Him.

Then we hear from the Scriptures, God loves us.  Furthermore,  He will do everything necessary to save us, always taking the initiative to do so.  Mankind is helpless when it comes to having peace with God.  We have no idea of how to relate to God, let alone please Him.

Our jaw drops when we realize that God is in fact committed to our welfare and joy.  He does that by adopting us into his heart and his family.  We have no right to be adopted.  We could not even dream of that.  So, it is not human beings crying to an unhearing God but God providing a way whereby “orphaned children” can actually become children of God, because of Jesus Christ who made that miracle possible.

I read that all of this happened because God willed it, not because people demanded it.  It is because of the grace of God, glorious grace that He lavishes on us through the One he loves.

So, it is all by God’s grace!  It is hard for us human beings to believe that.  We feel that we should somehow earn the right to be loved by God.

A note – I find it astonishing that Paul did not even mention Jewish privilege in all this.  Jews  are saved the same way Gentiles are saved, by embracing the salvation offered in Jesus Christ.

Our rose season, early June, was prolific.  Now a few remain to bid good-bye until the second round of blooms, a bit later.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Ephesians 1:4

The Ephesians must have certainly asked, “Who are God’s chosen people?”  There were Jews among them, but most were Gentiles.  The Jews knew the Scriptures well enough to know that they were God’s people, chosen since Abraham to make God known among themselves and to all nations.

So, Paul, a Jew, writing to the believers in Ephesus, wrote, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world.”  Before Abraham?  Before Moses?  Abolutely!  Now, what is new?  Jesus!

The key to understanding this is the phrase, “in him.”  Who is the “him?”  Obviously, it is Jesus. Amazing indeed.  Before the sun was hung in space God had already chosen people to be holy and blameless in his sight.  Those chosen ones included all those who believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ.  Paul does not even mention the special calling of the Jews, a foundation on which Jewish peoplehood was based and the theology in which he was raised.

He is simply declaring that every human being who embraces God is among those who are holy and blameless in God’s sight.  I need to, again, let this reality sink in, to flood my soul and set my heart to singing!

This is our upper pond, bordered by geraniums.  This morning I noticed many wee, wee fish-lings swimming about.  So life goes on.

The large green plant to the left is getting ready to attract butterflies that the frogs love!  The will soon line up on the ledge from which they leap for a nice butterfly meal.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

Ephesians 1:4

I note three things that Paul is emphasizing at this point.  First, we believers, Jews and Gentiles alike, are “chosen” by God.  Of course, we chose to believe in Him, but the more we learn of God’s grace the more we realize that God took the initiative, that is certain.  We would not freely decide to blend our lives with people who are so different from ourselves, like Jews and Gentiles.  That is difficult beyond thought.

We are saved by grace but we need to work out the implications of that divine grace by being a body of believers of different cultures. 

Secondly, we are chosen in Christ, even before the physical world was created.  Talk about breath-taking reality!  This stretches us to the limits.  We had nothing to do with that, it was God at work.

Thirdly, we were chosen to be holy and blameless in his sight.  Not in the site of man but in God’s sight.  “Holy” means to be set apart, different for a purpose.  We are chosen to be holy and without blame in God’s eyes.

Of course, people will watch us but we can not expect them to understand what is happening to us.  It is not our responsibility to make sure our societies understand, they can only look on, without spiritual eyes.  We live as holy in God’s eyes.  Is this not a challenge to top all challenges?

So, after life among the Ephesian believers for three years Paul continues to be astounded by the profound difference that living in the Kingdom of God makes.  How about us?  Do we experience the profundity of this absolutely new way to live?

Beside our house we have a plot of annual ferns.  I am not sure what kind they are but their lush foliage and heavy green color add mystery to our landscape. Each year they come up to delight the eye.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

Our greatest joy is to praise God, the One God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who pours out spiritual blessings on us through Christ.

Paul lived in Ephesus for three years.  It was his final public ministry before the series of events that landed him in Rome, awaiting trial.  I think we can assume that Paul wrote this letter when he was in Rome, awaiting trial.

The Jewish leaders were convinced that Paul had left the “faith” and was offering full salvation to all, including Gentiles who had no Jewish blood whatsoever, nor Jewish tutelage.  The fact that Jews and Gentiles could alike give their hearts to Jesus in repentant faith dominated Paul’s ministry.  This meant that in Ephesus there was only one Body of Christ, made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers.

We recall that the leaders of the Jewish synagogue in Ephesus denounced the work of Paul, so those who believed in the new reality, the Kingdom of God, met in homes, workplaces, and so on, where both Jews and Gentiles could live as one in faith, if not in a living culture.  Paul insisted that both Jews and Gentiles can fully enjoy the salvation that Jesus came to offer, without regard to cultural demands.  This was so new that people could barely understand what was going on.

The message exploded ethnic concepts.  Paul’s heart is touched, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  He does not even touch on ethnicity, nor history.  The “us” he refers to includes Jews and Gentiles who are one in the new Body of Christ, or Kingdom of God.  This is new, entirely new, on the earth.  People who were not followers of Jesus could not comprehend what this meant.

It is the appearance of the Kingdom of God among us. 

Beside our house, under the oak trees, grows a money plant.  This pod holds some seeds that in a few weeks will turn silver, showing the “cash” inside.  Would that it were as easy to get wealthy!!