Our focus for today is all For His Praise and Glory. We’re going to Ephesians 1:9-14. Grab your Bible, a notebook or journal, and something to write with. Take a moment to settle in, quiet your heart, pray, and set these few minutes aside to meet with God through his Word and by his Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:9-14 (NLT)
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
10 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.
11 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.
12 God’s purpose was that we Jews (Paul writing) who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
13 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.
14 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.

Another awesome set of verses from Ephesians today. Let’s go through them and look carefully at the verses.

Here’s a question: have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ came to earth to live a perfect life and to die on the cross? This is God’s mysterious will that through the life and death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that God’s own plan would be fulfilled. And that plan is making us his own special people. Making us his own children.

At the right time, God is going to bring it all together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth. And when that happens, because we are united with Christ, we (will) receive an inheritance from God. In fact, we have already received it. Because God chose us in advance and (God) makes everything work out according to his great plan.
 
God’s purpose was for all peoples – Jews and Gentiles – to bring praise and glory to (him).

And now you, you, right where you’re at today, have heard the Good News that you can be saved by putting your faith in Jesus Christ, by God’s grace, and through your faith alone, you can be saved today. And when you do put your faith in Jesus, God identifies you as his own, by giving you his Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he has promised. And the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that he has purchased us to be his own people. And he did it all so that we would praise and glorify him. He did it all for his praise and glory.

Let’s pray through these verses.

Heavenly Father, I can’t fully grasp why you would do what you did. That you would send Jesus Christ to this earth, God Incarnate, to live the perfect life that I couldn’t, to die on the cross to pay for the sins that I owed payment for. Lord, this is your mysterious will, that through all you’ve accomplished in Jesus Christ that your own plan would be fulfilled of making me your own. You did it to make me your own, Lord. To make me your child. And Lord, I am absolutely speechless about that.
 
But God, you say at just the right time you’re going to bring it all together, all of it, everything. You’re going to bring it all together under the authority of Jesus Christ. Everything in heaven and on earth.
 
And Lord, when that happens, because I have been identified in Christ, because of my union with Jesus, Lord, I will receive an inheritance from you. And in fact, Lord, because of who you are, I’ve already received it because, God, you chose me. And Lord, I didn’t have anything to offer. But you chose me in advance. And Lord, you make everything work out according to your great plan. You will finish the great work you began of making me your own.
 
And Father, I know that your purpose was for all peoples, Jews, Gentiles, for everybody – that all people would bring praise and glory to your name because it is due to your name.
 
And Lord, I thank you that I heard the Good News, Lord. I heard the gospel message, Lord. And I was saved the moment I put my faith in you, Jesus. And when I did that, God, you identified me as your own by giving me your Holy Spirit. And Lord, your Holy Spirit is your guarantee that you will give me the inheritance you’ve promised.
 
In fact, your Holy Spirit is the down payment, the earnest, on that guarantee. And Lord, your Holy Spirit living inside me is my guarantee that you have purchased me, that I am yours. I do belong to you, Lord. And God, you did it all so that I would give you praise and glory! So that I would shout it from the mountaintops, Lord, so that I would raise my hands and sing at the top of my voice to praise and glorify you.
 
And so, Lord, I pray that you would cause that to happen, Lord. Cleanse me, fill me with your Spirit, Lord. Separate me from the world, that I can bring you praise and honor and glory every day of my life. And Lord, may I do that today. As I go, Lord, may I do that today. For your glory, for your praise, and in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
 
Go walking, and leaping, and praising God in your life today. Have a blessed day.

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