“In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.” — Ephesians 1:11-12
Have you ever received a Christmas gift and wondered why you got it?
I remember giving my grandma a recipe book for baking bread. I figured she’d like the book, and I knew I’d like the bread. Though she appreciated my thoughtfulness, her unfiltered reaction told the true story. “Thank you,” she said, “but I don’t bake bread.”
In Ephesians 1 we read of our inheritance in Christ, but do we know why we have received it? We start to understand why when we begin to see God’s plan before everything.
It’s a plan, according to verses that come before, to gather all things and bring everyone together in Christ.
He has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. - Ephesians 1:9-10
We need not be the confused grandma in this gift exchange. The reason we receive our inheritance is to accomplish God’s will. Not to bake bread but to point to the Bread of Life.
We have been predestined to partner in the gathering of all things. Therefore, every blessing received in Christ is for regifting. A life lived for the praise of his glory. The boasting of his presence. The announcement of God with us.
Advent reminds us that The One chosen for our sake has chosen us for the salvation of the world.
[Originally published in the 2023 Advent Devotional of Pathway Church.]
Love it!
"We have been predestined to partner in the gathering of all things."
Wow.
Merry Christmas indeed.