Tuesday January 31, 2017
“Beyond blessed to be in Christ”
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to
His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the – 1 Peter 1:3
The Plan of Grace
The Plan of God – John
1:12-13 (b)
Even though salvation happens to us according to God’s mercy and grace in
an instant, there are things that happen which we have come to learn and
appreciate but when we list them we can see and rejoice in the magnificence of
God’s plan and purpose. These three verses which we have looked at briefly give
a wide range of doctrines which make up the doctrine of the Christian
life. It goes something like this:
1) God’s eternal choice (counsel)
2) God elects and calls us
3) God gives new birth, we enter
the kingdom of God by faith and repentance
4) God justifies us, when we
believe and repent
5) God adopts us, we live by
sanctification
6) we await our glorification
In Christ. It is in Christ we receive all the blessings of the Christian life. We are
chosen in him. In him we are predestined to be like him. In Christ we are
called, and in him born again to newness of life (1 Peter 1:3). In him we have
faith, and receive the Holy Spirit. In him we are brought into the privileges
of brotherhood in the family of God. In Christ is our sanctification (1 Corinthians
1:30). When we see him, we will be made like him, for when he appears in glory,
we shall also appear with Christ (1 John 3:2; Colossians 3:4). From beginning
to end all blessings are ours in Christ.
Challenge: Do you
remember when you came to Christ? (‘aho na’a ke tali ai ‘a Sisu?) Some people
have a vivid recollection, others not so much. This was always a point of
confusion for me growing up. I was constantly being told to receive Christ at
every church service to the point where my being a Christian was attached to
whether or not I behaved “Christianly.” Billy
Graham has a definite date of conversion, however his wife Ruth, who grew up as
a missionary kid overseas, cannot pinpoint a specific time for her conversion. I
have come to term with the fact that there have been many moments and events
that God used to draw me to himself that led to my conversion (regeneration). I
do know and am convinced that I am in Christ now and that I have a passion and
desire to love and serve him.
Memory Verse:
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things
according to the counsel of His will
- Ephesians 1:11
‘io, ‘i He‘ene ‘Afio ‘a ia ne fai ‘iate ia foki homau fili
mōno tofi‘a, ‘o toka tu‘utu‘uni
kimautolu ki ai, ‘o fakatatau ki
he finangalo ‘o ‘Ene ‘Afio, ‘a ia
‘oku ne ngāue‘i ‘a e ngaahi me‘a kotoa pē ‘i he ‘alunga ‘o e fakakaukau ‘o hono
finangalo – ‘Efeso 1:11
Bible Reading Plan: (52 weeks; 5 days a week)
Week 5 – Exodus 7-9; Psalm
105; Eph 1
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