Tuesday, June 13, 2006
June 14 Ephesians 1
Go ahead and look first at Ephesians 1 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Ephesians 1:3
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.
Title: The Inheritance
Observation: I once worked at a Presbyterian church. Their doctrine is that humans are entirely wicked, ‘total depravity’ is there phrase, and the only thing that allows people to be saved is the grace of God. Fair enough. But they take it further and argue that humans are so depraved that they can not even choose to follow Jesus. Those who are saved are saved regardless of their will and that is the sovereign choice of God. I could not and can not believe that because Jesus came to offer all the gift of salvation who would call upon His name. But they used this doctrine to explain infant baptism.
Infant baptism does not bring salvation. But infant baptism is a symbol of grace, something like an enormous trust fund for a child, the mark that God has saved them. Clearly an infant or a child cannot write a check on this bank. But as the grow older they will learn how to access the riches of God’s grace in covenant relationship with God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
While I obviously disagree with this approach to baptism (I believe that all examples of baptism in the New Testament were done by believers), I do agree that we have an enormous inheritance that most of us have not tapped into. We can live our lives on the economy of God’s grace or we can scrounge on the pocket money of our schemes. When we try to be independent from God, instead of dependent on him, we live in spiritual poverty and live lives that are less than the fullness and richness that God desires. We need to allow the cross of Jesus to count for more than overdraft protection- we need to live off the riches of forgiveness, mercy, hope, faith and love that we have inherited as co-heirs with Christ. We have an embarrassing amount of riches that we too often do not tap as we walk around in lives that are the spiritual equivalent of lrags.
Application: I need to give God room to do miracles around me and in me instead of trying to muscle up and do the heavy lifting of transforming my life, my family, and the church on my own strength. Jesus did not come so that I could be His hero; He came to be my Savior.
Prayer: Lord God, help me to trust you for miracles, to believe that you can do the impossible, that you can do far better through me than I could ever do for you. Help me to let you lead and be willing to be a simple servant who carries out the details of the plans that you have for eternity. Help me to be humble enough to gratefully seek out your help in all things.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Key Verse(s): Ephesians 1:3
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.
Title: The Inheritance
Observation: I once worked at a Presbyterian church. Their doctrine is that humans are entirely wicked, ‘total depravity’ is there phrase, and the only thing that allows people to be saved is the grace of God. Fair enough. But they take it further and argue that humans are so depraved that they can not even choose to follow Jesus. Those who are saved are saved regardless of their will and that is the sovereign choice of God. I could not and can not believe that because Jesus came to offer all the gift of salvation who would call upon His name. But they used this doctrine to explain infant baptism.
Infant baptism does not bring salvation. But infant baptism is a symbol of grace, something like an enormous trust fund for a child, the mark that God has saved them. Clearly an infant or a child cannot write a check on this bank. But as the grow older they will learn how to access the riches of God’s grace in covenant relationship with God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
While I obviously disagree with this approach to baptism (I believe that all examples of baptism in the New Testament were done by believers), I do agree that we have an enormous inheritance that most of us have not tapped into. We can live our lives on the economy of God’s grace or we can scrounge on the pocket money of our schemes. When we try to be independent from God, instead of dependent on him, we live in spiritual poverty and live lives that are less than the fullness and richness that God desires. We need to allow the cross of Jesus to count for more than overdraft protection- we need to live off the riches of forgiveness, mercy, hope, faith and love that we have inherited as co-heirs with Christ. We have an embarrassing amount of riches that we too often do not tap as we walk around in lives that are the spiritual equivalent of lrags.
Application: I need to give God room to do miracles around me and in me instead of trying to muscle up and do the heavy lifting of transforming my life, my family, and the church on my own strength. Jesus did not come so that I could be His hero; He came to be my Savior.
Prayer: Lord God, help me to trust you for miracles, to believe that you can do the impossible, that you can do far better through me than I could ever do for you. Help me to let you lead and be willing to be a simple servant who carries out the details of the plans that you have for eternity. Help me to be humble enough to gratefully seek out your help in all things.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
