God has a Purpose for Us.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
The Book of Ephesians is written to describe Who saved us; How we are saved; and the Purpose for which we are saved….what we are to do since saved.
It is a book of great mysteries, made known, so that we can experience in our day to day life, the Inheritance we have in Christ Jesus.
To briefly explain (Yes, there could be a lengthy exposition on these verses, they are so full of promise!):
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
Here we meet our Father God, Who through the work of Christ Jesus, blesses us with “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ”
These blessings are, but not limited to: Forgiveness, Joy, Peace, Hope, Love, Patience, Power over sin, and Fellowship with Him.
If you have a spiritual need; He has a blessing for it.
They are “in Christ Jesus” who is now in heavenly places.
So how do we get these blessings down here to us, today, where we need them?
They are brought down to us, as we yield to Him, making Him, King of our lives:
Matthew 6:10. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.”
God will not bless one who refuses His Presence, for it says….they are in Christ Jesus.
If you just want the blessings He has, and not Him, then your faith is flawed; for it is faith in things……. and not Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:6 “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”
Notice again “in Christ Jesus”….how much the Father honors His Blessed Son.
We are “raised up”, when we are born again; and made to sit…in Christ Jesus.
He is there, representing us; and we are in Him.
We are here, representing Him, and He is in us.
And how is He in us?
Ephesians 1:13-14 “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,
Which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”
The Holy Spirit is given to abide with us. By Him we are sealed. (His Presence identifies us, as His. Romans 8:15-16)
When we have the Holy Spirit within, we are given a portion of our inheritance: that is Him.
He is an Almighty Helper, and we are given grace (the unmerited favor of power to do)…..by Him, for our lives. He works within us both to will and to do God’s Will.
(Philippians 2:13)
Yes, He really does this. If you are hesitant, He will encourage. If you are wanting something else, and you get honest with Him, He will nudge you toward Christ Jesus, and make you want to please Him.
Now that we know God’s Provision in Christ Jesus, and how God is always with us, and how His power is given unto us; what is the purpose for our salvation?
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We are created in Christ Jesus. The idea suggested here in the Greek is: to mold into the likeness of Christ.
The Purpose of God for each individual believer, is….to have our character formed into the character of Jesus…….and to walk in those good works which God hath placed in our path…..each day.
“Ordained” means that God has made all the provision for……He has supplied our need (of course He has……He is God Almighty)
He has seen beforehand what we will need, and sets aside exactly what we need.
So when God gives us a “good work” to do, He prepares the ability, strength, courage, whatever we need then, to be given to us, so we can do it.
What is the Purpose of God for us?
To walk along with Him, conscious of the Presence of the Holy Spirit within us.
Walking along, receiving Him, and the blessings He gives; doing the good works He places before us. (Whether in word or deed)
Walking along with Him, yielding to His kingdom come with in us.
Confident that our King has provided for us……for our everyday life…..for this is what the walk signifies.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 