Verse for the Day:
Ephesians 1:3-10
NCV: 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. 4 That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people--people without blame before him. 5 Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ That was what he wanted and what pleased him, 6 and it brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves. 7 In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace, 8 which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding, 9 let us know his secret purpose. This was what God wanted and he planned to do it through Christ. 10 His goal was to carry out his plan, when the right time came, that all things in heaven and on earth would be joined together in Christ as the head.
Note: Holy and blameless, people without blame.
The first blessing--God has chosen us to be holy and blameless. This is a wonderful verse. Just imagine! God determined before the world was ever created that He would have a people...
- who would be "in Him," that is, in His Son, Jesus Christ.
- who would be "holy and without blame."
- who would live "before Him in love"--forever and ever.
This means a most wonderful thing; God wants us to be with Him. God does not want us separated from Him, gripped by sin and shame, sorrow and pain, death and hell. God wants us to live forever and ever with Him. In fact, note that God has determined that some will live with Him and Christ. He has "chosen us"--chosen believers--to live with Him. No amount of rebellion and rejection, cursing and denial of Him will stop His purpose and plan. God will have a people who will live with Him, and He will continue to choose us until He has the number He has purposed.
The word "holy" means to be set apart and consecrated to God. The word "blameless" means to be free from sin, dirt, and filth; to be above reproach and without blemish; to be without fault and defilement.
Paul's Prayer:
I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thess. 5:23
To be continued to Part 2 - A Glorious Church
