DN Reflecting God's Ownership 1/21/2008
- From: Peter G. Chase <pchase@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:02:20 -0500
DRAWING NEAR
January 21
Reflecting God's Ownership
You were sealed with the Holy Spirit "with a view to the
redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory"
(Eph. 1:14).
Someday God will take full possession of all that is rightfully His.
Yesterday we saw that God seals us with the Holy Spirit as a pledge
of our eternal inheritance. Here Paul says He does so "with a view to
the redemption of [His] own possession." That refers to when God
takes full possession of all that is rightfully His.
Everything is God's by creation, but Satan has usurped God's
rulership to become the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4) in whose
power the whole world currently lies (1 John 5:19). Consequently, all
creation is in bondage to decay and "groaning as in the pains of
childbirth right up to the present time" (Rom. 8:22, NIV). It eagerly
awaits the time when the curse of Genesis 3 is reversed, all
Christians are fully glorified, and sin is eternally vanquished. What
a glorious time that will be!
You are God's special possession because you are His by redemption as
well as creation. In Revelation 5:9 the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders sing to the Lord, "Worthy art Thou . . . for Thou
wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every
tribe and tongue and people and nation." In Acts 20:28 Paul charges
the Ephesian elders to guard carefully "the church of God which He
purchased with His own blood."
That makes you a priceless commodity to God--part of "a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people,
but now you are the people of God" (1 Pet. 2:9-10).
As God's special possession, you should reflect His ownership and
sovereign rule in everything you do. Remember, "you are not your own
.. . . for you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
Suggestions for Prayer:
1. Thank God that you are His treasured possession.
2. Seek His Spirit's leading in proclaiming His excellencies to
others through your words and deeds.
3. Ask Him to teach you to esteem other believers as highly as He
does.
For Further Study:
Read Ephesians 2:1-13, noting the spiritual privileges and
responsibilities that are yours in Christ.
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV)
whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest
the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine on them.
1 John 5:19
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway
of the wicked one.
Romans 8:22
For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth
pangs together until now.
Ephesians 2:1-13
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now
works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and
were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with
Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His
grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are
called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the
flesh by hands;
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@xxxxxxx
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@xxxxxxxxxx
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
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