Meditating On God’s Grace
Isaiah 44:22 (NLT) says, “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”
Scripture is filled with promises of salvation and freedom from God. This particular verse is a picture of the Lord’s intention and desires. He longs to be close to us. He is clear that there’s nothing more holding us back from this intimate relationship on His end; it’s His biggest desire! However, we can often find it difficult to receive such a generous gift. We don’t feel worthy. How can we open our hearts to such a grand promise?
Instead of trying to convince you from my own words, let’s look back to the Word. I invite you to meditate on and receive this passage of Ephesians.
God, we invite you to write your Word on our hearts. Help us to receive the spirit of adoption you’ve so clearly gifted to us.
Ephesians 1:3-14
“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. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 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 praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ — which is to fulfill his own good plan. 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. 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.
God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. 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. 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.”
