Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":
There’s a “we,” “us,” and “our” in Ephesians 1 that has been “blessed ... with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” who are “predestinated ... to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, ... to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made [them] accepted in the Beloved” (vss. 3-6). Who are those people in these first person plural pronouns?
Only one possible answer: the entire human race. We can’t inject Calvinist double predestination into God’s word! Christ is “the Savior of the world” (John
But how can you know you personally are “adopted”? You individually have a first-class personal validation of this “adoption” in the longing sigh of your lonely heart that cries out, “Abba, Father!” (see Rom. 8:15).
But you also have another personal validation of this “adoption”: the same text hints at it—“we suffer with Him” means that “we may also be glorified together.”
But Hebrews spells out more vividly this other personal assurance of your adoption into the family of God: “The exhortation ... speaks to you as to sons: ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’ If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (vss. 5, 6).
Do you know disappointments, setbacks, disasters, crushing and humiliating heart-rejection? Your first thought is, “God has forsaken me!” But stay a little longer on your knees and you will sense the tie of personal kinship now being forged with Christ. He will never let Himself be “glorified” unless and until He shares the glory “together” with you, as Romans 8 said!
There’s every reason for you to be assured that you’ve been “adopted.” Now live like the son adopted, that you are; honor your Father.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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