Dearly Beloved,
This Sunday we will delve into the profound and awe-inspiring truths found in Ephesians 1:4-5, where the Apostle Paul speaks of our adoption as children of God. This passage reminds us that before the foundation of the world God chose us to be holy and blameless in His sight, and in love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ. Such doctrines of election, predestination, and free will might seem complex and even contentious, but they reveal the depths of God’s grace and the assurance of His unchanging love for us.
Whether you have wrestled with these theological concepts for years or are encountering them for the first time, I am confident that you will be encouraged. We will explore how God’s sovereign choice to adopt us as His children is a testimony to His grace and love, transcending our human understanding and differences in belief. I hope that it will be a message that challenges us to see beyond the debates and divisions, inviting us to rest in the truth that we are cherished and chosen by our Heavenly Father. I long for all of us to be inspired by the heart of God, who, in His infinite wisdom and love, has called us into a family that is eternal and unshakeable.
I believe that the different aspects of adoption will deepen your faith but also stir your heart with gratitude and wonder at the greatness of God’s love. This Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate our identity in Christ, to worship together as a community, and to embrace the unity we have as God’s adopted children. Here is our text:
“How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.”
Embraced by grace,
Glen