Your Name Shall Be: Midweek

Introduction

Ephesians 1:3–14 NLT

3 All 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. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God 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. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. 12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

This week in Sunday School, we read about Jacob. Jacob descieved his father Isaac, and now was on the run.

We read specifically this week, that God physically wrestled with Jacob, and before leaving him, God wrenched Jacobs hip out of its socket. When Jacob was now unable to move, God told him that his name would no longer be Jacob, but Israel.

We discussed that God, all throughout scripture would rename people. Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul and so on.

We discussed that why God did this. When we repent, and trust in God, we are born again. We were dead, but now we’re alive in Christ.

So the former ways, the former life, is no longer. Now we live for Christ, adopted into His family.

When Jacob encountered God, he was left physically and spiritually altered. The same can be said for us. Lets dive into this passage, and further examine the new life we can experience through Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 NLT

3 All 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.

So we can see that this letter was written to already believers, meaning Paul wasn’t writing to people who haven’t accepted Christ.

He points out the amazing things we experience through believing in Christ, that we have hope, and we have a new life, and these spiritual blessings. No matter what happens, it only gets better. Because we’re united with Christ, we find hope.

Apart from Christ, we have no hope.

Why should we believe in Christ?

Ephesians 1:4–5 NLT

4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God 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.

So we see that before the world was even formed, God knew what would happen. There is nothing that God can’t see, and there is nothing that takes God off guard.

Never will something happen and God say, well I didn’t plan for that. God knows everything.

But here’s the delima, when trouble strikes, when bad things happen, we’re quick to point our fingers at God and say “WHY ARE YOU DOING THiS TO ME?”

Because of sin, we live in a broken and cursed world. God knows what will happen, but that does not mean that God is the one who did it.

God is sovereign, God is holy, and He is just. We see just how much He loves us. So much, that before the world was even formed He knew that He would have to sacrifice His son, Christ, our sins.

But unlike our sinful nature, who when we do something wrong against each other, we get angry and upset at that person, verse 5 says that this gave God pleasure.

He loves us so much, that He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us.

Ephesians 1:6–7 NLT

6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

Because of this great sacrifice, when we accept Christ, we praise God. When we come to the realization of what Christ did for us, we will be overwhelmed with praise to God.

He purchased us with the blood of His Son, and forgives our sins.

Ephesians 1:8–9 NLT

8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.

Not only has God provided a way, through Christ, for us to be forgiven of our sins, there is more. God’s love is more abundant than any kind of love we know.

So what is this good plan?

Ephesians 1:10–11 NLT

10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

At the right time, he will bring everything together under Christ.

Here is the hope we have, that death does not win, that the grave does not prevail, and that our eternity will be with Christ.

Outside of Christ, we’re dead. We’re without hope. We live separate from His mercy.

If there were no God, then death would win, evil would win, life is meaningless and pointless, death is permanent.

But God, being rich in mercy, sent His Son Jesus to die for you. With the death and reassurection of Christ, death loses, evil loses, life has a purpose, and death is just the beginning for a believer.

Verse 11 says we have been given the inheritance from God. We have hope. Everything will happen according to Gods plan.

We don’t have to go through life blind, with no hope, we know that God has a will and a purpose for our lives, we are NEVER alone.

Ephesians 1:12–13 NLT

12 God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

So as we’ve been reading in Genesis, we know that God chose Abraham and his decendants to be the line in which Christ would be born. So the Jews were the first to trust in Christ, as we see throughout the Old and New Testament.

But now, God extends His salvation and grace to everyone.

Now, because we have believed in the Good News, and God has saved us, we’re adopted into His family. When you understand adoption, the parents oftentimes go through a long, lengthy process, spending a lot of money, filling out paperwork, and dedicating years in pursuit of a child to love and take care of.

And finally, after all the sacrifices they make, they get a child, and when they adopt them, that child is just as much theirs as a child born directly from them.

There is no difference.

The same is with us. We’re set to inhereit all the things God promised.

Ephesians 1:14 NLT

14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

When we’re saved, we’re filled with the Spirit. The spirit now dwells within us. The spirit is apart of the covenant, that Gods laws would be written on our hearts.

When we accept Christ, we’re born again. We become a new person. Spiritually that is.

We have a newfound hope, that Christ is in control. That no matter what happens around us, no matter how life shakes us, no matter the situations going on, God is in control.

We have someone who will never leave us, and never forsake us.

—**SALVATION**—

Hope.