Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 15, 2015
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
A good friend of mine is in the process of selling the family farm. His father was the visionary who tamed the raw land into a beautiful landscape of open pasture, framed by luscious hardwoods with a bubbling creek providing life for the vegetation and parched cows. Father, son and daughter all own this living image of a mutual creation. They possess the inheritance together and they possess one another’s love, respect and loyalty. Their mutual possession is a picture of the Lord’s possession of believers and our possession of Him. Grace is mutual love.
Paul paints a breathtaking portrait of the standing we have with our Savior Jesus Christ. We are possessed by God and we possess God. What a deal: we surrender ourselves and in exchange we get the Lord and He gets us. What the Holy Spirit has, He preserves. He is our guarantee. Our inheritance is security of life with Jesus now and forevermore. Yes, the riches of God’s grace give us the commerce to build His kingdom. To live for self is death. To die to self is life. Typically an inheritance is the result of death. Jesus died so by faith we could gain God’s riches.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
What does it mean to possess the Lord? It means we have intimate access to the Triune God. We seek our heavenly Father in faith and quiet confidence. He is a gracious dad who gives us grace and strength for life’s journey. We walk with our Savior Jesus. Like a compassionate big brother He forgives us, He cares for us and He calls us friend. We follow the Holy Spirit’s lead away from temptation and into God’s will. The Spirit reveals wisdom and understanding to humble hearts. Christ’s rich inheritance gives our needy selves all we need. We are blessed abundantly!
What does it mean to be possessed by the Lord? What God possesses He keeps. He keeps us as His own. He is jealous of other attractive suitors. He keeps us as His special people. He loves the world, but He loves those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior with an everlasting love. He keeps us for His praise and glory. When we sing to our great and majestic Almighty God it is a holy and acceptable sacrifice to heaven. He keeps us as a wonderful light who reflects the righteousness of Christ. Shine, Jesus, Shine! Shine on me to be ablaze for Your glory!
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your rich inheritance and for possessing my life.
Related Readings: Deuteronomy 7:6; 1 Samuel 12:22; Titus 2:14; Romans 9:25-26
Post/Tweet this today: Christ’s rich inheritance gives our needy selves all we need. #possession #wisdomhunters
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