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The Light
Dr David Wood
HIS GOOD PLEASURE
Dear reader, thank you for joining me once again
this month as we continue our journey through the New Testament book of
Ephesians. Today we will pick up at the 9th verse of the first
chapter.
Ephesians 1:9-14 (KJV)
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on
earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will:
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in
Christ.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Just preceding this passage we saw that we, the
gentiles, those nations and peoples that are not of Jewish decent have access to
God through the shed blood of Jesus. We have redemption by way of His blood,
our sin is wiped away and we have full access to Him and He has full legal
access to us, praise His name! You may ask, what am I redeemed from? You are
redeemed, if you choose, from the kingdom of darkness, which is the kingdom of
Satan, into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of His dear Son, which is Jesus
Christ of Nazareth (1 Peter 2:9). The eighth verse of Ephesians one goes on to
tell us that He has abounded or overflowed toward us “in all wisdom and
prudence”. He has given us in the fulness of time moral or spiritual insights
that we lacked before the cross of Jesus Christ.
Now God has made known to us what His plan was
all along. He was going to send His Son and not only would the Jews springing
from Abraham have access to God and not only would they have redemption through
the shed blood of Jesus but it would in a moment’s time be available to the
whole earth. The Jew has redemption through the blood of Jesus and so do we!
Now what is the Apostle Paul saying when he says
that all things in Heaven and earth have be made one in Jesus? Simply that the
Old Testament saints brought to Heaven from Abraham’s bosom with the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, those saved by the blood of Jesus and all the
persons of the earth who are alive and proclaim Him as Lord (Romans 10:13) are
one family or one body in Christ Jesus. You must call upon the name of Jesus,
the Christ, and receive forgiveness of sin by faith and you will be saved from
the wicked one (Satan), the wrath to come (The Tribulation and eternity in the
lake of fire) and be translated into the kingdom of His dear Son. In this
kingdom we have an inheritance; the Scripture tells us that we are joint-heirs
with Christ Jesus. Jesus is the only one to write a will and then come back and
probate that will. He watches over His Word and makes sure that when we speak
that word in faith powered by love that it accomplishes all it is sent to do.
You line up your words with His and speak them in faith with the motive of love
for others and all things are possible unto you.
This selected passage of Scripture concludes by
telling us that we have been “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” Many of
you have no doubt been to the supermarket and bought something like lettuce that
is vacuum wrapped or sealed. That lettuce is completely protected from the
polluting atmosphere that would cause it to deteriorate. When we proclaim Jesus
as Lord that Holy Spirit recreates or remakes our spirit man, turns the lights
on, if you will, so we can see and understand spiritual things and seals us for
the final day of redemption. Now we can chose to be exposed to the harmful
things of Satan’s kingdom but the Spirit of God has sealed us for that day when
Jesus shall appear. All of the promises of God are proclaimed to us by the Holy
Spirit, our teacher. When we received Jesus, we received the Power of Attorney
to use His name; we were invested with spiritual organs (the fruit of the
spirit). The blessing of Abraham came upon us. Than when we were filled with
the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues we received power,
miraculous ability just as Jesus had in the earth. Now we can subdue once again
the spiritual forces that would try to deceive and bring the curse into our
lives. Once again we can tend and defend all that we occupy by faith and even
expand our garden just as God had commanded Adam in the beginning. God never
changes and what He instructed Adam to do is now our job and He is not coming to
come get us until all His enemies are under His feet. You guessed it; we are
the ones exercising authority and power in the earth and are to bring all His
enemies into subjection under His feet. Praise the Holy Name of Jesus and God
the Father! The final enemy to be conquered is death which occurs when the
trumpet blows for our calling away to Heaven (commonly called the Rapture). In
a twinkling of an eye our bodies will become incorruptible and we will see Him
as He is for we shall be like Him in every way. What a deal! We are His for
eternity doing the job of son’s, building the family name and indefinitely
expanding this kingdom of God.
Romans
8:23 (KJV)
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for
the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
1 John
3:2 (KJV)
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear
what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is.
See you next month, until them be obedient to the
Word and rejoice in Him.
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