Ephesians 1:3-8 (NLT) 3All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son 7He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
It is important that we as submitted followers of Jesus understand what it means to be adopted as a child of God. As brother Paul explains to the church in Ephesus, it gives our true Father great pleasure to simply bestow upon those who desire it – adoption as a son or daughter. With our adoption comes the inheritance – our new life; our release from the power of sin and death; the joy and the beauty of walking with our Lord and Savior through this life and into the next. It is what we are given. It is not anything that we earn or even strive for. It is a gift - much like a gift that any parent would freely give to a child without expectation of anything in return. Let me encourage you to accept your place at the table. It is a place to which you do not have to strive to “measure up.” It is a place that is ready for you now, and will be every day of your life as a follower of the Christ.
It is important that we as submitted followers of Jesus understand what it means to be adopted as a child of God. As brother Paul explains to the church in Ephesus, it gives our true Father great pleasure to simply bestow upon those who desire it – adoption as a son or daughter. With our adoption comes the inheritance – our new life; our release from the power of sin and death; the joy and the beauty of walking with our Lord and Savior through this life and into the next. It is what we are given. It is not anything that we earn or even strive for. It is a gift - much like a gift that any parent would freely give to a child without expectation of anything in return. Let me encourage you to accept your place at the table. It is a place to which you do not have to strive to “measure up.” It is a place that is ready for you now, and will be every day of your life as a follower of the Christ.
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