Exposition Of Ephesians - Chapter 1Sample

Every Spring, the NFL holds its annual draft. General managers and head coaches from each team attend, and round-by-round, draft players to join their team. Each player gets selected to fulfill a strategic role in the team’s overall plan. No player gets randomly chosen. No player lands on a team by accident. Every selection is intentional and adds value to the team. 

In the same manner, God chose us intentionally. We were not accidently or randomly saved, but elected to be a unique part of God’s family and an essential part of His purpose. He selected us even before He created the world and created a strategy for us to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His family, through the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

To be adopted in the ancient world meant to receive the same rights, privileges, and inheritance due to a natural-born adult son. So as adopted children, God gives us access to every spiritual blessing and grants us all the privileges of being in His family. When we understand adoption, salvation becomes much more than just forgiveness of sins, but it grows into a position of great blessing!

This understanding should bring you security and comfort because your salvation is the result of careful planning on the part of the eternal God. You don’t have to earn this salvation. You don’t have to work for a seat at the table. Even before He brought the world into existence, He conceived a plan to save those who would believe in Jesus Christ and appoint them to a special position of blessing because of this new relationship.We have been greatly blessed having been chosen, predestined, and adopted by our good, gracious, and loving Father to be a part of His eternal family. You were intentionally selected. You add value to His team!

How should knowing that you were hand-picked by God change the way you view yourself?