By Jesus Christ to Himself According to the Good Pleasure of His Will - Part 1229

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto 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." (Ephesians 1:1-6)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God is writing to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Herein, Paul is expounding on the goodness and mercy of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ, for each and every one of us who have taken hold of Him by faith. Note that Paul already understood that the humanity of God -- God manifest in the flesh -- the fullness of the Godhead dwelling bodily in Him -- the Son (or God appearing as a humble servant in a sin-prone flesh, and yet without sin) --would continue to reign as the "only name under heaven" whereby we must be saved -- until the end of this current dispensation of grace.

His name? The precious name of JESUS, which is ABOVE all other names, including the names God used for Himself under the old covenant. (I Timothy 3:16; John 1:1-18; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:21-23)

This is why Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM." (John 8:58; Revelation 1:8)

So that we would understand that God did not send another, but came Himself in the form of a lowly man, in order to prove His love for us, that He decided before the foundation of the world was formed. "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no Saviour." (Isaiah 43:11) "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no God but Me: for there is no Saviour beside Me." (Hosea 13:4)

"For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth, and the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place ... but thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall He come forth, unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting ..." (Micah 1:3 through Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6; Luke 2:4)

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 1:11)

This same Jesus that ye crucified, said Peter standing with the eleven on the day of Pentecost "is both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)

This is why Jesus could say, "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30) And this explains why the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makes Thyself God." (John 10:30-33)

Like the Pharisees, are we not doing the same today when we refuse to accept that God Almighty Himself loved us enough to become as one of us -- and therefore, accusing Jesus of making Himself God? And, are we not still within the modern day religious community that promotes a trinity/tri-une God/God in three persons nailing Him to the cross again, when we refuse to personally get to know Him that was in the world and the world was made by Him and yet the world knew Him not? (John 1:10)

Regardless, of the false teachings within man-made institutions, the Word of God -- Jesus -- is still the only Way, the Truth, and the Life, because no man comes to the Father but by Him. Jesus said, "If ye had known Me, you should have known My Father also, and from henceforth ye know Him and have seen Him." (John 14:6-7)

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)

"Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set [Him] at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and hath put all [things] under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all [things] to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:20-23)

Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father, but by Me. ... And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:6-13)

We have all been at one time or another persuaded by a religious culture that looks like these understand the scriptures, but when one digs deeper into His Word, allowing our Lord God and Saviour to reveal Himself to us, we have to do as Jesus instructed. That is, to come out from among them, and let Jesus -- the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6-7; II Corinthians 6:17)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believes with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord, "and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty. (II Corinthians 6:14-18)

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:11)

This is why we are to be water baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can become fully clothed in His righteousness. (Acts 2:37-38; Romans 6:1-4) He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, not because of our doing, or our good works, but because of His doing on the cross, when He shed His precious blood so that we might have abundant life in Him.

Therefore, Paul ceased not to give thanks for us, "making mention of you in prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints ... and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power." (Ephesians 1:18-19)

Press into Jesus today. Look full upon His wonderful face, for when we do, this world (along with its strange doctrines and false religious teachings that only serve to mislead us away from our Saviour) will grow strangely dim.

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let him that heareth say, "Come." And let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely ..." (Revelation 22:17)

Stand in the offering plate.