“The Glory of the Child of God”
August 1, 2010
Ephesians 1:3-10
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having 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.”
It was Sunday morning and Harry was off to church. He pulled out of his driveway in his new 2-seater convertible. The roof was closed because of the driving rain, but he happily headed for church. As he turned onto the main road he saw ahead of him three bedraggled figures huddled under a single umbrella at the next bus stop. One was old Mrs. Fletcher. She still insisted on going to church despite her arthritis which was always worse in wet weather. There was Dr Jones, the local GP. A year earlier Dr Jones had diagnosed a rare and dangerous disease that Harry had contracted on an overseas vacation, so Harry literally owed him his life. And the third person was Judith. Harry had had a crush on Judith for the past 6 months, ever since she joined their church, but he had never had the courage or the opportunity to ask her out.
Harry had about 3 seconds to decide what to do. There was only one spare seat. Who should he offer a ride to? What would YOU have done? Three seconds was enough for Harry to figure out what to do. He pulled over, jumped out, handed the keys to Dr Jones, helped Mrs. Fletcher into the passenger seat, then happily waved good-bye to them as he huddled close to Judith under the umbrella.
God has a plan. Over and over in His word he reveals that fact. God has a plan. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like it. Sometimes it seems like life is aimless confusion. Sometimes it seems like life is without rhyme or reason. But it’s not. Things are under control. God has a plan. God has a purpose.
In our Scripture we read that, before the creation of the world, God chose us. Isn’t that an awesome thought? Before God created Eden and Adam, Before He created Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen, before God created flowers and fruit, He was thinking of you and me. You are not an aimless accident. Your conception may have caught your parents by surprise – but it didn’t catch God by surprise. He was thinking of you long before that.
God has a plan. We haven’t seen all of it, but we have seen enough of it to know that all this that we are going through; all of life and all the experiences of the world, is preparing a people for Himself. Life is to put us in situations where we learn to make good choices. God told the Israelites, way back in the Old Testament, that he was setting before them a blessing and a curse – blessing if you obey, and a curse for disobedience. Choices. In the New Testament it is to “believe” or not believe. Choices. Love or not to love. Choices. To obey or not obey. Choices. I think God has this fantastic plan for us in the future and He is preparing a people who will choose to love him and follow Him regardless of circumstances or situations.
God chose us before the creation of the world to be a certain way. What does He want us to be? His plan was (and is) for us to be a holy people. He said, “Be holy, for I am holy.” So I think we need to get it in our minds, we need to realize that God plans for us to be holy. I don’t know what that means to you. I don’t know what that says to you. I don’t know how that impacts your life. But accept the Word and will of God to be holy. Learn what that means to you personally. The Holy Spirit will teach you what this means and how it relates to your life – if you really want to know.
God chose us, before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless. The Scriptures says, “In LOVE – He predestined us to be adopted as His sons…” (V5) That simply means He pre-determined, He planned for us to become His children. It is His desire that you be His child.
Doesn’t that blow you away? A gal by the name of Mary Ann Bird writes, “I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it; I had a cleft pallet and a speech impediment. My second grade teacher was a short, round, happy, sparkling lady named Miss Leonard. Each year we had a hearing test and during that test she uttered three words in my ear that changed my life… she whispered, “I wish you were my little girl!” God says to every person, deformed by sin, “I wish you were my child.”
Have you heard God whisper that to you? Do you know God wishes you were His child? He wants you! God desires YOU! With all you faults and failings – God loves you and has this wonderful, fantastic plan for your life. Part of His plan to for you is to be holy. Paul writes,
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24
God wants you to put off the old self with its evil desires. He wants you to have a new attitude. He wants you to put on a new self that is just like Jesus.
I heard the story recently of, “The Happy Hypocrite." It is a story about a man who was born with an awful facial deformity. Consequently, he grew up alone and lonely. When he reached adulthood, he decided to move from his home town to begin a new life. On his journey, he discovered a beautiful mask that fit his face perfectly -making him look very handsome. At first the mask was uncomfortable and he was afraid that people would find out who he really was, but he continued to wear the mask everyday.
He finally settled down, and in his new hometown, he made many friends and eventually fell in love. One day a wicked woman from his old home came to his town and discovered this man’s true identity. In front of his friends and much loved fiancé, she forced him to remove his mask. When he removed the mask, to his surprise and delight, it revealed a handsome face. His face had conformed to the mask.
Becoming like Christ is kind of like that. Go ahead and put on Christ. At first it may feel unnatural or uncomfortable, and maybe you may think, “who am I trying to fool?” But everyday just keep putting on Christ and everyday you will grow to look more and more like him.
It is so important that we become holy men and women of God. It is such a blessing to us and results in much glory and honor for us. It result is great joy in this life and for all eternity. But do you know who receives the most glory when you put off the old and put on the new? Do you know who receives the most glory when you are transformed from a sinner to a saint? It is God.
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:6-7
I imagine the angels in heaven marvel at how good and how powerful and how awesome God is when our lives are changed. Only God could take a “despicable me” and change them in a beautiful, Christ-like man or woman. Make no mistake, one day YOU will receive glory and honor and praise. God’s Word reveals that. But your glory results in God’s glory. Your victory results in His victory over sin and the devil. Your success results in God’s success. When you win – God wins. When you fail – God fails. Let your life result in praise and honor to God.
Let me conclude by dwelling on that thought for just a bit. Paul writes,
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints”
Ephesians 1:18
Notice Paul wants you to ‘get it’. Paul wants you to be enlightened. Paul wants you to know. What does he want you to know? He wants you to experience the hope or the “expectation” of the fantastic riches – the glorious inheritance you have. When we get a clue of what fantastic things God has waiting for us in Glory, it will change our lives.
A football game was being played in Badger Stadium in 1982 in Madison Wisconsin with more than 60,000 fans in attendance. The home team was losing. But out of the blue, at the strangest times, during time outs, even when play was stopped, the fans would jump up and roar with excitement. Why? The players and coaches were really puzzled until they realized that 70 miles down the road the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the Saint Louis Cardinals in game three of the 1982 World Series. Many of the fans had walkmans in their ears and were listening to the game over the radio. Their team on the field was losing but they were tuned into something better down the road.
The Christian life is kind of like that for us today. Our circumstances are bad at times. Things may be falling apart. We may be troubled at home, problems at work, health may be failing up. But we can be tuned into something better down the road. We must place our hopes not in this world but in heaven.
Friends, God has a plan for your life. He loves you so much. Part of that plan may be a little uncomfortable – but it will be worth it. God says,
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” Romans 8:18-19
17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:17-18
Keep up the good fight. Continue to pursue holiness and Christlikeness. It will be worth it.
