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Ephesians 1:3-14
Do you ever feel as if the Christian life is nothing but sacrifice? After all, Jesus said those who follow Him must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). If we look at salvation only from an earthly perspective, it may seem costly, but today’s passage opens our eyes to the vast riches of grace that God has lavished upon us in Christ Jesus.
From start to finish, our salvation includes an abundance beyond imagination. The climax of these spiritual blessings is found in Ephesians 1:11: “We have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose.” At the moment we come to faith, we receive every benefit mentioned in today’s passage, along with the promise of future blessings. The Holy Spirit within us is the pledge, or deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance.
Let’s consider just one aspect of our amazing legacy in Christ—our physical form. Philippians 3:21 says that when Jesus returns, He will “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” Right now we groan in bodies weakened and corrupted by sin, but these will be changed in the twinkling of an eye when Jesus comes for us.
John describes it this way: “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). God’s purpose of glorifying His Son in us will then be accomplished as we are fully conformed to Christ’s likeness. So how are we to live in light of our coming inheritance? John summarizes the answer quite nicely in the next verse: “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 1-3
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