In Ephesians 1:4 God makes it clear, “just as He (God) chose us in Him (Jesus) before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him.” (Cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-16) God chose and elected us, because He knew what choices we would make in this life. (Romans 9:11; 8:28; 11:5; cf.10:9-11) Salvation, which depends totally on God, was initiated in God’s eternal mind. We are not saved because we deserve it, but because God is gracious! (Exodus 34:6; cf. Psalm 103) God’s plan before the beginning of the world was that in Jesus, God looks at us as if we had never sinned. (Ephesians 2:4-10, 13-14; Romans 4: 9-25; cf. Psalm 32:1-2)
Our destiny has to do with our choice of Jesus or this world. (1 Peter 1:2-7; cf. Luke 1:74-75) We need to understand the surpassing greatness of Jesus’ love for us when He willingly put Himself on the Cross, nailing our sin to it. (Colossians 1:12-14, 2:11-15; cf. Romans 5:6-21; 6:14) He made us free from God’s judgment, dying with the anger of the Father on Him because 9-23
Once we were enemies of God by wicked works, but now Jesus has united us “in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy…blameless, and above reproach in His sight, IF…you continue in the faith, grounded…steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel…” (Colossians 1:19-23) Because Jesus has removed all grounds of accusation toward us by His death, burial, and resurrection making us righteous! Now we are free and unlimited to seek God and His will for our life, pleasing Him.
How many benefits do we get from Jesus when He died on the Cross to set us free?
(Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 1:9-23; 2:2-3;6-7; 9-15; 3:1-4; 12-17; 4:2-6)
What either expands or reduces Jesus’ power in us?
(Ephesians 3:20; Matthew 7:7; 13:18-23; 16:24-25; 17:20; 21:21-22; cf. Hebrews 6:19-20a; 9:11-15; Colossians 1:27-29)