3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be HOLY:angel: and without blame before Him in love:hearts:, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise:applause: of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1
GOD predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved!
How to understand this last verse?
We are predestined to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One JESUS He loves.
So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son JESUS.
So that we would praise His glorious grace that He gave us in the Beloved One-JESUS.
To the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He has made us accepted in the beloved-JESUS.
Why?
Ephesians 1:12
in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise :applause:of his glory.
All that God has done has been because of His grace, which means "unmerited favor." You aren't merely forgiven, justified, and cleansed of your sins; you have been received in love by God Himself. This is because of His deep love for His own Son, Jesus. Because His Son lives in you, you have found His favor. You have the approval of God because of what Jesus has done.
Some people have been raised in homes in which their father may have never demonstrated any kind of love toward them. Maybe he was cold and distant. Or maybe they, like me, were raised in a home where there wasn't a father at all. We can transfer those emotions to God the Father. We can walk around in life feeling as though we don't have the approval of God: If I just did this, God would notice. If worked a little harder, then God would love me.
God approves of you. You are "accepted in the Beloved" � not because you read your Bible a little bit longer, share Christ with more people, or give a little more in the offering. You are still accepted even when you don't do all of that. You are accepted in the Beloved when you fail, when you trip up. You are accepted in the Beloved not because of what you have done, but because of what He has done.
In understanding this great truth, however, you should want to do everything for His glory:applause:�not to earn His approval, but because you already have it:yay:.
So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son JESUS.
This world is NOTHING but God is EVERYTHING. His GRACE and LOVE is SUFFICIENT for us because His nature/essence is LOVE.
God speaks:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work :yay: through me.
...that the power of Christ may dwell in me...
2 Corinthians 12:9
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him (GOD) who gives me strength.
God approves of you. You are "accepted in the Beloved" � not because you read your Bible a little bit longer, share Christ with more people, or give a little more in the offering. You are still accepted even when you don't do all of that. You are accepted in the Beloved when you fail, when you trip up.
"You are accepted in the Beloved not because of what you have done, but because of what He has done."
