And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ—you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 1:13
What a joy to know that because we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ we have been marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Being marked by the Holy Spirit is the assurance that we belong to God. He has identified us as His own and we are secure in Christ. No one and nothing can change it or take the promised inheritance away.
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.
Ephesians 1:14
The added bonus is that we aren’t just marked by the Holy Spirit, instead He is sent to live within every believer. However, He isn’t a silent partner of the trinity, rather He works on God’s behalf to “convict, guide, renew, unite, and encourage us daily.” He produces in us evidence, like love, grace, mercy, and peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control – so that others know that we belong to Him. When this happens God receives glory, honor, and praise.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.
Redemption, which is the forgiveness of sin, comes only through the blood of Jesus, and it only comes to those who believe in the name of Jesus. As today’s passage of our journey explains, it is not by our name or anything we have done. Instead, it is because God poured out His kindness and grace, and not begrudgingly, but out of His good pleasure, that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son. In Christ, God made a way for us to know Him and to receive forgiveness for our sins. Scripture is very clear that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. There is one redeemer, and He is Jesus Christ, our Lord.
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Redeemed through His infinite mercies, His child, and forever, I am.
Hymn/Redeemed (scroll down for the full song)
Today’s journal entry by LGG points out that Paul isn’t writing about the classic “world’s version” of redemption. You know, the one
Friends, the story of God’s love and the story of Jesus on the cross are one and the same. And, as today’s journal entry points out, “It is the greatest story of redemption ever known. No matter where you are today, you can receive the redemption found through Jesus.” If you have not trusted Jesus as your savior, I plead with you to believe in Him today, to call upon the name above all other names, the only name under heaven by which we must/can be saved.
As today’s journal entry also points out, Paul’s letter about redemption, written to the Ephesians, wasn’t about the stories of redemption we read in books or see in movies. “in the secular world, redemption occurs when an individual accomplishes something or does something good. This is not so for those who are in Christ. We don’t have to do anything to receive redemption. We simply have to recognize our sin and trust in Jesus.” As Luke points out in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else.” Jesus alone is the one who secures our redemption.
We are not the heroes of the story. Jesus is. We are merely recipients of His lavish grace. And what’s more, Paul tells us that our redemption is part of God’s bigger plan for His creation. One day, Jesus will return as the forever king. When this happens, all who have placed their faith in Him will be united together under His leadership.
LGG/Secure in Christ Journal/p49
The More We Know
Want to know more about how to be saved and redeemed by the blood of the lamb? Please click and read Know These Truths below. Questions or want to talk about these truths and/or being a follower of Christ? Simply scroll down and leave me a message in the ‘reply’ box. This is the most important decision you will ever make and I’d love to talk with you about it.
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.
Ephesians 1:3-6
In yesterday’s journey, we learned that God radically transformed Paul’s life from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Jesus Christ. Today’s journey reveals how the transformation happens. Namely, all those who identify themselves as followers/disciples of Christ, which according to Luke 9:23 means that they have turned from their wicked ways and taken up their cross daily to follow Jesus, are gifted with “every spiritual blessing.”
Gifts of Redemption
According to gotquestions.org, these blessings are “gifts of redemption.” They are only available to those who identify themselves as followers/disciples of Christ. They include: “eternal life (Revelation 5:9-10), forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), righteousness (Romans 5:17), freedom from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13), adoption into God’s family (Galatians 4:5), deliverance from sin’s bondage (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:14-18), peace with God (Colossians 1:18-20), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To be redeemed, then, is to be forgiven, holy, justified, free, adopted, and reconciled. See also Psalm 130:7-8; Luke 2:38; and Acts 20:28.”
An Act of Love
Paul sums these gifts up in verses 4- 5, beginning with how and why God chose to adopt us as His children. Today’s LGG journal entry explains it this way: “He did this out of His great love for you and for all who would trust in Jesus as their Savior. And it doesn’t stop there. He not only chose us to be part of His family and adopted us, but He has chosen to make us holy (set apart), blameless (fully forgiven), and has given us countless blessings… In Christ, we have access, freedom, purpose, family, and so much more… If you have trusted in Jesus, this is true of you! And while the best is yet to come in heaven, God has a purpose for you in the here and now. He has chosen you to become like Him. He wants you to be His holy and blameless child, loving others as He loves you.”
Our Response
Friends, as the journal entry goes on to say: “If God has chosen us to live in such a way, we can expect Him to accomplish His mighty work in us. We should pray daily to grow in holiness and love. And when the devil wants to plague us with temptation, fear, and doubt, it is vital to remember that we have been loved and chosen by God from before the creation of the universe.”
To know that I have been loved and chosen by God, not because of anything I have done, but before the creation of the universe, is one of the most wonderful, life-changing, calming truths I have ever known. Singer/songwriter Matthew West put the truth into a song, one that is embedded in my head and heart and has rescued me from many wrestling matches with the enemy. My favorite line is: “I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me ~ I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.”
You changed my name You changed my name From too far gone to saved by grace And now I am forever changed All because You changed my name It’s all because You changed my name And I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God Oh, I don’t have to answer to any name that the enemy tries to call me I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.
Chorus/Chosen Child of God/Matthew West
Want to hear the full song? Just click the video below –
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Ephesians 1:1-2
Friends, have you ever found yourself making snide comments or turning away from someone with a scandalous or tainted past? Or, perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of the sneers and brush-offs because of something from your past that others still judge you for. The example we see in today’s Scriptures should help us understand the wrongness of both.
Paul was cruel, a persecutor of Jesus’ followers – that is – until he was radically changed by God.
🦋
Paul was a persecutor of believers. Actually, when Jesus identifies Himself to Paul, He says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Paul was a wicked man, intent on ridding the world of Jesus and His followers who spouted His teachings. That is, until Paul, looking for more believers to capture, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life was forever transformed. To quote from one of my favorite songs: “This is amazing grace! This is unfailing love ~ That You would take my place ~ That You would bear my cross, You laid down Your life ~ That I would be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for ~ All that You’ve done for me!”
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? Whose love is mighty and so much stronger? The King of glory, the King above all kings Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder? And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder? The King of glory, the King above all kings
It isn’t only others who report Paul’s cruelness, but Paul himself shares his testimony with Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, saying: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound) that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
It’s a beautiful testimony that I would dare say most of us can relate to in some way. After all, we are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory1. None of us has been saved by our good works, but solely by God’s miraculous and radical gift of amazing grace, and this only through our faith in Jesus.2 While we may not want to expose our old selves to others as Paul has done, just the words, amazing grace, bring tears as I remember the sin and shame that used to define my life. Yet joy flows with those tears as I remember “Calvary covers it all!” Friends, understanding this truth changes everything. It changes our relationship with God – the Father, Spirit, and Son; and it changes (or should change) the way we live and how we look at the sins of others. I mean, seriously – if God can love me after everything I’ve done, if He can invite me to boldly come into His presence (and He does), then who am I to turn away from or sneer at others for their sins? After all, Jesus explicitly gave us a new commandment to love others just as He has loved us3, and may we never forget that Scripture says that Jesus laid down His life for us while we were still sinners4.
If you followed along in our recent Abiding in Jesus journey, then you know that Jesus calls us His friends – a reminder that our old sin nature is gone and the new has come. Or as Paul said, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time, we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!3“
Perhaps you’ve lived a life with no “major sins” to regret, or maybe your life (like mine) holds sinful choices/actions that still taunt you or others still ‘remember’ against you today. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, the truth is the blood of Jesus covers it all, His righteousness has been imputed to us, and the freedom He died to bring us is available to all who believe. This is made clear through Paul’s life and the words he wrote to the Church of Rome, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …4” When old sins and regrets haunt us or when we are tempted to judge another for their sin, may the Spirit be quick to remind us that, as this sweet old refrain says: “Calvary covers it all.” Jesus went to Calvary, taking on Himself all of our past, all of its sin and stain, all of our guilt and despair – and His blood poured out and covered it all! And now with Paul, we can declare that we are *“disciples of Christ Jesus by the will of God.“
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Galatians 6:9
Yesterday’s journey took us to Ephesians 2:10, where Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus that God had not only saved them by His grace but had also created them, in Christ Jesus, to do good works, works which He had created in advance for them to do. Today, we’re taught/reminded that “Abiding in Christ is a journey of staying close to Him, especially when life gets hard and weariness starts to creep in.”
Here in Galatians, Paul has been teaching the people what not to do. Now, perhaps because he understood that they may be discouraged or overwhelmed by the “what not to do” list, he instructs them not to let themselves become tired of doing good. – Have you ever become tired of doing “good”? If we’re being honest, I would venture to say that sometimes, after a long day at work or a list of problems still to take care of in our own lives, ~ serving, loving, and doing the right thing are the last things we want to do. I think Paul understood this, too, because he sweetens the instruction with a promise that “we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.“
Abiding in Christ is a journey of staying close to Him, especially when life gets hard and weariness starts to creep in.
LGG, Abiding in Jesus/journal p183
I hope the rest of the journal entry encourages and blesses you as it has me -~
“We live in a world that values quick results and visible success, but the work God calls us to often grows in quiet, unseen ways. Whether we’re planting seeds of love in our families, serving faithfully in our communities, or reaching out to someone who needs encouragement, God sees every moment. And as we remain connected to Jesus, He supplies the strength we need to keep going.
When we feel worn out or discouraged, it’s often a signal to draw closer to Christ. Abiding is more than just working for Him; it’s resting in Him. letting His love and grace renew us.
If you’re feeling weary, remember that you’re not alone. Jesus is with you, empowering you to keep going. The fruit of your labor may not always be visible now, but in due time, He will bring a harvest that reflects His glory. Let your work be an act of worship, trusting that He is using your efforts in ways beyond what you can see.
Dear Jesus, thank you for the strength to keep going even when I feel weary. Help me to abide in You and to trust that You will bring fruit in Your perfect timing. Let my life be a testimony of Your faithfulness, and may I never give up on the good You’ve called me to do. Amen.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Paul makes it clear to his audience that salvation is totally an act of God’s love. It is a gift of God’s grace and not something we can take credit for. Salvation is not by any work that we can do, will do, or have done. On top of the fact that salvation cannot be earned, as bibleref.com explains, even the good that we do was planned for us long ago.
God calls us His workmanship or His artwork, from the Greek word poiēma. We are something crafted, with skill and a purpose, by God, for His purposes. Specifically, we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Good works do not give us salvation, but they are absolutely meant to be the result of salvation.
Bibleref.com/Ephesians 2:10
While it can be tempting to see someone else use their spiritual gift and try to imitate it or wish to be like them, be careful not to fall into that trap. For, as Paul teaches us here, each of us has been created in Christ Jesus to do good works – works that He created us to do.
Today’s journal entry by Love God Greatly points out that “God’s plan for each of us is personal, unique, and perfectly fitted for who He created us to be.”
“The ‘good works’ God prepared for you may look different than those He’s assigned to someone else, but each is essential and equally valued in His eyes. Some may be called to serve in their homes, nurturing their families with love and faith. Others may be called to workplaces, schools, or hospitals, bringing light and hope into environments that need Jesus.
Abiding in Christ means recognizing that wherever He places us, we’re equipped to bear fruit for His glory.
Love God Greatly, Abiding in Jesus, p179
Father, we are Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that you prepared in advance for us to do. May our lives be a daily offering to You, in whatever You have called us to do; and may each act bring You glory- In Jesus’ name. – Amen
Friends, let’s praise Him daily for creating us with a purpose and equipping us with His Spirit that we might bear fruit for His glory. May God open our eyes to the work He wants us to do, and may our hearts and hands be yielded to serving Him well.
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
John 15:16
Early on in this journey, we learned or were reminded that we are filled with God’s Spirit and called to bear His fruit. Today’s Scripture adds to this knowledge that not only are we commissioned to bear fruit, but we are also chosen by Christ.
Friends, I believe this is a crucial part of our faith. It is a truth that we must grasp to truly understand and appreciate the relationship we have been given with God – the Father, Son, and Spirit.
We were not only chosen, but we were given purpose and the responsibility to go and produce lasting fruit. Or, as today’s journal entry explains: “We didn’t just stumble into a relationship with Jesus by chance. He saw us, loved us, and appointed us for an incredible purpose. And make no mistake, this is not a random selection but a deliberate choice made by the Creator of the universe. He hasn’t just chosen us to become His own but to have a fruitful life, a life with the lasting legacy of love and service that reaches through eternity.”
Because of this relationship with Christ, who abides in us and has invited us to abide in Him, we have the privilege of asking anything, according to God’s will. We have also been told to expect to receive what we ask for. While this is a wonderful promise, we must be careful to understand what it is to pray according to God’s will. Borrowing again from today’s journal entry, I’m sharing what I believe is a helpful explanation/example of praying according to God’s will.
What are some of the things we can ask for in the name of Jesus? A godly character and lasting fruit! To be a fruitful Christian, it is absolutely essential that we come to God in faith through prayer, expecting Him to work in us the things we ask for. We abide in Jesus by depending on Him for fruit, and the way we show our dependence is through prayer – through asking Him and trusting Him to answer.
Abiding in Jesus, p175
Surely we are thankful to belong to and be loved by God. Yet, it can be daunting to realize the responsibility to bear fruit that lasts. May God help us to abide in Jesus every day that He gives, and may He help us make a lasting impact for His Kingdom. – Amen
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control …
I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
John 15:15
Jesus had just announced to His disciples that if they followed His commands, they were His friends, John 15:14. Now, He clarifies the friendship even further, telling them that He no longer considers their relationship to be one of master and slave but instead, one of friendship. His reasoning is both beautiful and an encouragingly exciting disclosure that everything He has been telling them has come from the Father. In other words, they are part of the inner circle. As His disciples of Jesus, we are on the inside as well. We do not have to wonder what God expects from us, because Jesus reveals it to us. We never have to worry about Him leaving us, and we can embrace and delight in His invitation to abide in ah.
If you know me very well, you most likely know that I have trust issues. So great were the issues at one point in my life that I laid aside or walked away from nearly all friendships, convinced that I was better off without them, and they without me. I maintained acquaintances but never or rarely allowed meaningful or deep relationships to develop. In some ways, I became an island to myself and embraced it. Please understand, I do not advocate this way of life, nor do I live it any longer. I believe God means for us to do life with one another, and I am blessed to say that while I walked away from some wonderful friendships, God, in His perfect timing, restored many of them and uses them to this day to teach me the value and blessing of friendship.
I have some pretty awesome besties. Friends from elementary and high school, my daughters, and a few others God has gifted me with through the decades of my life. Some I see or am in contact with others, others only on occasion, and some almost daily. I am blessed to share in their lives, the celebrated milestones, the needs, and sorrows. I treasure knowing I can confide in them and am honored when they confide in me. If I call or message them, I know they will be there for me – to pray, to talk, to cry, or just to listen. I am most blessed. However, today’s beautiful words of Jesus are a wonderful reminder that these gifts of friendship will never match my friendship with Jesus. His friendship has changed me from the inside out, or as today’s journal entry puts it: “Friendship with Jesus changes everything. As His friends, we have the privilege of coming to Him, talking with Him, and listening to His voice. He doesn’t keep us in the dark about what He’s doing; instead, He shares with us the very heart of God.”
Abiding in Christ is an invitation to know Him deeply and join Him in His purpose for our lives as friends. Imagine that—Jesus, the Son of God, calls us His friends! He isn’t distant or disconnected from our lives. Instead, He draws us close, sharing His heart and His mission with us and including us in the incredible work He is doing around us.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
1 John 4:11-12
Picking up where we left off in the previous post, we know that God loved us while we were still sinners, needing to be saved. He sent His Son into the world to save us, which is wonderful and undeniable evidence that He loved us first. Continuing his teaching, John teaches that since God loved us so much that He sent His Son to save us, surely we should – and can – love one another. He also makes it clear that we should be loving one another. Specifically, as Jesus taught, we are to not just love but we are to love as Christ has loved us, (Jn 13:34). In other words, we are not to love based on the merit of another person or how we feel about them personally, but rather on the demonstration of God’s love for us, through Christ. 🦋
As has been pointed out throughout this journey, loving others isn’t always as easy as it sounds. However, I love the hope that today’s LGG Journal entry offers:
“As Christians, we have been born again, and this new birth has created a connection between God’s love for us and love for each other. The new birth happens when the Holy Spirit connect our dead, selfish hearts with GOd’s loving and living and loving heart. His love can now become our love. If God – who is love, is our Father, we will share more and more in that nature of love.
When we find it impossible to really love those around us, we should remember the deep connection we have with the Vine. The heart of Jesus is full of love towards us and everyone we have to deal with. He is more than capable of filling our hearts with His love for others. As we abide in Christ, let’s ask Him for that love.”
Abiding in Jesus/Journal p157
Friends, let’s thank Jesus for His deep and perfect love. May He help us to abide in His love each day, allowing it to flow through us to others. –
A song of response
The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star And reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled And pardoned from his sin.
O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure— The saints’ and angels’ song.
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:10
Throughout our journey, we have read Jesus teaching His disciples about the love of God, the importance of loving God, the importance of loving others as Jesus has loved us, and obeying Jesus’ commands. In today’s journey, we find John teaching others many of these same lessons. Why? Because they are crucial practices for abiding in Jesus.
Friends, it is paramount that we understand the truth of verse 10. God’s love is the truest and deepest of loves. Paraphrasing and borrowing from today’s LGG journal entry, God’s love is a love that cannot be earned, nor brought about by our response to God. … The truth is God loved us and gave His Son for us long before we loved Him; and long before we knew who Jesus was or took an interest in Him – He not only loved us but took our place and punishment on an old rugged cross. The depth of this truth changed everything for me. The more I understood the reality of God loving me first, the more I wanted to know Him, walk with Him, talk with Him, and live like Jesus. I learned exactly what our journey has been teaching us. I needed to not just go through the motions of a Christian, I needed to abide in Jesus. I learned to stay close to Jesus, soak in His love, and eventually, I realized that God was using that love, born from abiding, to transform my heart. The real change came as I learned to rest in the assurance that God deeply and unconditionally loved me. In time, I realized I was experiencing the very thing Paul hoped for the Ephesians (3:14-19) – when he prayed that they would know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge so that they would be filled up to all the fullness of God. – Friends, “The more we grasp the love of Jesus for us, the more we will be filled with divine life and love,” [that can only come from God].
We will never abide so much that we don’t need to abide anymore. Nor will there come a time when we no longer need Jesus abiding in us. This is why I pray you will join me in the goal and journey of always growing in the understanding of God’s immeasurable love for us.
Borrowing from the LGG prayer today, I give thanks for the unfailing love of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am asking God to help us abide in Jesus daily, and to grace us with a deeper understanding of His great love for us. May He open the eyes of our hearts – In the name and power of Jesus. Amen!
Me From the Inside Out 