IN CHRIST
A Study of Positional Truths

Let us continue in the great positional truth of being IN CHRIST.  This week we will look at Ephesians one verses five and six which says, “Having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

The text tells us that He hath made us acceptable.  The word acceptable means to grace with special honor and favor.  The word made is to cause to happen.  Our position in the beloved (the lovely, loved one) has caused us to be graced with special honor.  We can look around us and see the blessed affect of the making work but let us look for a moment at the cause.

Our blessed Lord has caused this great work.  The text tells by, “Having predestinated us…”  The word means to determine ones destiny before hand.  His predetermined plan of acceptability would include my being adopted.  This word carries with it to choose out of a group and place with full inheritable rights of an adopted child and tells us we are joint heirs because of our inheritance.  Does this mean that because of Christ’ death we will cut the pie of inheritance into as many pieces as there are children of God?  No it does not!  I will get the same inheritance as Christ.  He gets it all and so do I.  I will share no pie with the other children.  I will have my own pie.

The blessed cause leads us further to look at the phrase from our text, “…by Jesus Christ.”  The word "by" indicates the channel.  He is the channel through which God the Father formed our acceptability.  Paul tells us he did this according to the good pleasure of His will.  The phrase tells us of a divine decree out of a heart overwhelmed with emotional happiness.  He has placed me before hand into a position of an adult child that He could ravish me with favor simply because it overwhelmed Him with Joy and Happiness.

My first thought is what can I do to repay Him?  Our text tells us in verse six, “To the praise of the glory of his grace…”  The word praise means to eulogize or give a laudation in story form.  Let us tell the story, let us eulogize and laud Him wherever we go because of what our kinsman redeemer has done for us and left us our inheritance.  If that is not enough, on top of that, HE YET LIVETH!  How can we do less than praise Him?