11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-12
Did you ever wonder what your life would look like if you had never made the life changing decision to ask God to forgive you of your sins and to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord of your life? Without Christ in our lives, how miserable and ruined by sin would our lives be? What would we be doing right now, where would we be living, who would our friends and even family might be?
The Bible teaches us that there are many benefits being God’s child as welove “God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). Because of Christ being in our lives, one of the many blessings and spiritual realities we experience, as God’s child is that,“…God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3. The new life we live “in Christ” is not as it was before we made the commitment to summit every aspect of our lives to Christ and to trust Him to take control, there now should a noticeable difference.
The result of receiving Christ into our lives is that God’s Spirit lives in us and our new life “in Christ” has purpose, direction, and a meaningful futurebecause we are God’s children.
Paul writing to the Ephesian congregation tells us in Ephesians 1:11-12how God gives our lives in Christ purpose, direction, and meaning. He starts out by telling us why or on what premise everything he is going to say stands on, it is because we are “in Him”, that is to say, every aspect of our lives is centered and founded on Christ Jesus.
In verse 11, Paul starts out by telling us “In Him…”, it is because we are “In Him” or in Christ that we can expect to fully experience all the benefits and blessings of being God’s child. A life lived outside of Christ or that is not“In Him” does not experience the same spiritual reality, benefits and have the same rights to the “inheritance” as those who are “In Him”.
Paul goes on to tell us something about our lives in Christ, all the benefits and blessings that we will experience in Christ, has already been planned out and decided by God. Verse 11b, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…”.
Knowing that we are God’s child, we can have the confidence and trust God that He has a plan for our lives because we are living our lives “In Christ”. God does not make up what will happen in our lives as we go along or is surprised by something He did not know beforehand would happen. Our lives “In Christ” has already been planned out by God and it is ourresponsibility to faithfully submit to Him and prayerfully seek out the many aspects of His plan that He has for our lives that is “in Christ”.
Jesus, as he was teaching His disciples (including us) how to pray in Matthew 6:9-15, in verse ten He said “…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Over the many years I have been praying for my family, I personally experienced time after time how God answered my prayers when I prayed applying these two points and recently with theunderstanding of how they relate to Ephesians 1:11-12. I always pray for the lives of my loved ones to experience and be an expression of the fullness of God’s Kingdom in their lives, “…your kingdom come”. I also always praythat God’s will be fulfilled in their lives, “…your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. However, when I faithfully include the truth of the principles we are studying that are stated in Ephesians 1:11-12, my prayers for my family now have a new dynamic meaning and application. I pray that those who I am praying for would experience and express of the fullness of God’s Kingdom in their lives as a result of their lives being “in Christ”. Knowing that their lives are “in Christ” and that God has already planned–out or “predestined” their life “In Him”, I pray for God’s will to be accomplished in their lives and that they also would prayerfully and faithfully seek God for the fulfillment of His will for their own lives. “…predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…”.
The wonderful point of verse twelve is that Paul tells us the result or the purpose of everything He said in verse eleven, “in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” With this understanding, we should ask ourselves the following questions. Does the life I am living in Christ Jesus give God the glory and do I fully understand what that “glory” is? How much of God’s presences, plan, and purpose does my life demonstrate to others?
Pastor John
